~Chapter 28~
How long had we followed him?
By the time we reached deep into an unfamiliar forest, a bright light flickered ahead.
A fire burned in the middle of the woods. Several tents stood around it—like people lived there.
In other words…
“Looks like we really found something, huh?”
“Seems so.”
We stared in awe when someone approached the man we had been following, waving cheerfully.
“Oh, you’re here. I’ve been waiting.”
“Tom.”
Quickly, we ducked behind a huge boulder.
Peeking out, we saw the two men clearly.
The moment I saw the newcomer’s face, my eyes widened.
“That man… isn’t he the announcer?”
Yes—the same host from the Meeting with the Bear event.
Why was he in such a shady place?
“You said you’d check out the express train. Did you do well? Win a lot?”
“Quite a haul. Full of clueless fools, just like I expected.”
The man chuckled darkly.
“I had a feeling I’d win big there. Worth buying a first-class ticket.”
“Ha ha ha! Good news. Guess you’ll be treating us tonight?”
“Well, I do have something for you.”
He pulled a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to the announcer.
“Here—your fee.”
“Oho.”
“Thanks to your performance, we turned all suspicion toward them.”
The announcer smirked while taking the pouch.
“Honestly, I never understood why people here cared so much about bears. Only in Sinks could you find such fine, diverse breeds.”
He chuckled.
“I always thought these bears should be used for Sinks’ development. But the locals—always talking about their guardian spirit—only cared about protecting them.”
The announcer’s grin widened as he pocketed the pouch.
“Well then… thanks for the fee.”
No way…
Listening from our hiding spot, my breath caught.
Eric, Sophie, and even Deon looked stunned, mouths slightly open.
Then I noticed something and scowled.
“…Wait.”
The “boulder” we hid behind wasn’t a boulder.
It was a huge cage.
A cage meant for animals as big as bears.
Which meant…
They were poachers. Bear hunters.
Now everything made sense.
“Look at that crooked handwriting. They tried to make it neat, but the spelling is off.”
That was why Sinks’ bears kept being found dead.
That was why a banner so clearly blamed the immigrants.
“If someone doesn’t know our language… who else could it be but the immigrants?”
And who stirred the crowd’s anger that day?
The announcer himself.
They had deliberately shifted suspicion onto immigrants while secretly profiting from poaching.
It all clicked together like puzzle pieces snapping.
I finally understood the truth.
“…We have to tell the people of this place.”
My hand clenched into a fist.
It was clear: they needed to know.
I turned to leave, but Sophie spread her arms to block me.
“No, milady. I object.”
“…Sophie.”
“What if they find out you exposed them? What if they come after you? We’re only travelers. There’s no need to meddle.”
Her expression was firm like never before.
“You should return to the train now. Protecting your safety is my duty.”
“Sophie, but—”
I bit my lip as she tried to pull me back.
“But now that we know the truth, shouldn’t we tell the locals?”
Yes, I knew it was meddling.
I was only a traveler.
If I left, none of this would concern me anymore.
But…
“Because I’m only a traveler, I can tell them the truth and then leave.”
“…”
“When I go, it ends for me. But for these people, the bears are everything.”
For the people of Sinks, the bears were their whole world.
I remembered their anger.
And I knew—
That anger must not be misdirected.
Helping them aim it at the real culprits—
That much, I could do.
“I’m not saying we should do anything grand. Just tell them who did this. Just give them this location. That’s all.”
“…”
Sophie bit her lip, clearly unsure.
Eric watched me silently, his face unreadable.
Then we heard rustling behind us.
“What’s this?”
We froze.
The poacher grinned through the brush.
“So the little rats were hiding here?”
My heart dropped.
He stepped closer, sneering.
“Figures. About time some rats showed up, eh?”
“What, travelers by the look of you? How’d you crawl in here?”
The announcer peeked from behind him, tilting his head.
“Tell us the truth. Why are you here?”
“W-we didn’t see anything!”
Sophie quickly stepped in front of me.
“We don’t know what you’re doing here!”
“Oh really? I’d rather ask your mistress.”
“Ah!”
“Sophie!”
He shoved Sophie aside roughly.
Then he crossed his arms, staring at me.
“I asked what you’re doing here. Don’t test my patience.”
“…”
I stayed silent.
I wanted to confirm my suspicions—that the announcer truly incited the crowd.
But if I asked directly, they’d attack immediately.
I wasn’t afraid of dying.
With little time left, it made little difference.
But if Sophie or Deon were hurt because of me—that terrified me.
Deon suddenly stepped forward, unsheathing his long sword with a hiss.
He aimed it at the poacher.
“Lay a finger on my lady, and you’ll regret it.”
“Oho.”
The man laughed mockingly.
“I might’ve let you leave quietly. But if that’s how you want it…”
“…”
“Come out, all of you!”
At his order, men poured from the tents.
Most were large, burly—armed with guns, swords, and sharp spears.
The poachers smiled, closing in.
“Boss, what do we do?”
“Take them all. Kill if you want.”
“Yes, sir!”
And so, deep in the dark forest, the battle began.
Sinks stinks.