IPUAVNP Chapter 130

Episode 130

 

After returning from the mountains of Alcamon, Alexander immediately sent a letter to Ascal Baldwin.

It was a response stating that he would comply with all of their demands.

Several more letters were exchanged between Roden and Baldwin afterward, deciding the date, time, and location of their meeting.

While Roden was given the authority to choose the meeting place, it came at the humiliating cost of having their numbers restricted and being required to send a list of attending wolves to Baldwin in advance.

Two days later, Roden’s wolves and Baldwin’s lions gathered at the ‘Tobo River,’ located at the southernmost edge of Alcamon’s mountains.

In the southern part of the Knohen continent, it was common practice to use Alcamon’s territory as a meeting ground.

Whenever leaders did not trust each other, they would always convene there—because in this land, it was impossible to set traps, prepare ambushes, or pull any tricks.

A well-known incident reinforced this custom:

In the past, the tigers of Elders arranged a meeting with the southern zebras in Alcamon’s land but secretly stationed troops there for an ambush.

However, the bears of Alcamon, who had been watching everything for their own amusement, exposed the plot to the zebras, leading to a massive conflict.

Since then, the bears had made it a habit to loudly announce any suspicious activities happening in their land, regardless of who was involved.

Over time, this gave rise to the widespread belief that deception was impossible in Alcamon’s territory, further solidifying the bears’ reputation as neutral and peace-loving beings.

The ‘Tobo River’ meeting site chosen by Alexander bordered Baldwin’s plains to the south and swamps to the west.

Their gathering place was a field near the swamps, flanked by a vast expanse of reeds.

The lions of Baldwin had already arrived. While Roden’s wolves were limited to no more than ten attendees, there were easily over fifty lions assembled in the field.

The orchestrators of this blatant display of dominance sat leisurely under their tent, waiting for Roden’s wolves to arrive.

Their faces already glowed with satisfaction, anticipating the humiliation their rivals would feel upon seeing the overwhelming difference in numbers.

Ascal Baldwin turned to his eldest son.

“Leonit, Kyle Roden is among the attendees this time, correct?”

Leonit Baldwin, who had been reveling in the satisfaction of beating Kyle to the ground three days prior, replied with a smirk.

“The list says he’s attending, but who knows? Honestly, it’s a miracle that ***** is even still alive.”

The lions who had attacked Kyle alongside Leonit burst into laughter.

Truthfully, they could have killed him, but they had deliberately spared him; it was far more enjoyable to let him live and torment him over time.

Leonit’s gaze shifted to the table in front of their tent.

There lay Brody.

The lions had placed their hostage atop the table in plain sight, like an exhibit.

Heavy iron shackles bound her front and hind legs, and thick chains secured her tightly to the table’s pillar.

Brody, having neither eaten nor drunk anything for three days, lay limp.

Anyone who saw her would assume she was on the verge of death.

“She’s not dead yet, is she?”

Leonit asked mockingly.

His father, Ascal Baldwin, drained his cup of liquor despite the broad daylight and replied,

“Make sure she stays alive. That thing will bring us plenty in the future.”

‘In the future.’

Baldwin had promised to return Brody in exchange for the wolves meeting their demands, but he had no intention of keeping his word.

His plan was to manipulate the meeting so that the wolves made a mistake, giving him an excuse to keep Brody.

Even if Roden retaliated, there was nothing to fear—he had already prepared five times as many warriors as the wolves had brought.

While the lions laughed and drank in their tent, the sun climbed to its highest point in the sky.

Then, from the north, the people of Roden appeared.

Alexander led the delegation, accompanied by five elders, Abel, Zelda, Kyle, and his subordinates, the Oswald brothers.

Kyle was in no condition to move.

His face was pale, drenched in cold sweat, and his unsteady posture made his weakness evident.

Everyone had tried to stop him from attending, but his determination to see Brody could not be swayed.

In the distance, the lions’ tent came into view.

They didn’t need to search for Brody—she was already displayed in plain sight.

“Brody…!”

The moment Kyle spotted her, he called out in a hoarse voice.

At the same time, the lions, who had just raised their heads upon noticing the approaching group, also spotted Kyle.

“Is that Kyle Roden? My, my, where did that arrogant wolf go? All I see is a half-dead mutt!”

“Ha-ha-ha!”

Their mocking laughter echoed through the air. The noise reached Brody, who lay in front of the tent.

“Ugh…”

At the sound of Kyle’s arrival, Brody struggled to lift herself. As she raised her head, she spotted Kyle standing still in the distance, looking at her.

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted.

“Kyle!”

She called his name in a voice that sounded as if she were about to break into tears.

Straining against the heavy shackles and chains, she struggled to stand, whimpering as she fought to move.

“Kyle!”

She repeated his name over and over, choking back sobs.

The lions burst into laughter, mocking Brody as she desperately cried out for her lover and tried to reach him.

“Why don’t you run to your dear lover? Oh, wait—you can’t!”

Leonit Baldwin jeered, but then one of his men suddenly stood up, looking startled.

“Leonit, sir! The rabbit fell to the ground!”

“Ah, leave her be. The chain’s long enough—it doesn’t matter.”

They laughed, watching the small rabbit squirm on the ground.

Brody crawled forward, inching along the dirt until the chain stretched taut.

The lions expected her to collapse in defeat, unable to move any farther.

But then—

“Huh…?”

With a sudden clatter, the shackles binding her legs fell away.

The seemingly feeble, weeping rabbit abruptly sprang to her feet and bolted, running as if her life depended on it.

The lions froze in disbelief.

Brody gritted her teeth, dashing across the field at full speed.

The foolish lions hadn’t noticed—the shackles had already been unlocked.

Three days ago, Kernels had smuggled her a metal pick, and she had spent all night working it into the lock, freeing herself in secret.

Not only that, but she had been pretending to be weak, lulling the lions into a false sense of security. Her frail, limp body had been an act.

Three days without food?

That was nothing compared to the brutal journey she had endured through the barren snowfields.

The helpless, sobbing rabbit was gone—Brody now burned with a fierce will to survive.

As she ran, she recalled what Kernels had told her three days ago:

‘In a few days, we’ll meet the lions at a place called Tobo River. There’s a reed field there. When you see us, run straight for the reeds. Don’t look back. Got it?’

Sure enough, she could see the reeds in the distance. She had no idea why Kernels wanted her to run there, but she wasn’t about to question it.

Behind her, Ascal Baldwin and his sons jumped to their feet, roaring in rage.

“What the hell are you waiting for?! Catch that **** rabbit!”

Just as the lions were about to chase after her, they noticed movement—Roden’s wolves had transformed and were already sprinting toward Brody.

The wolves ran to save her.

The lions shifted into their beast forms and took off in pursuit.

The field became a battleground as wolves raced to rescue Brody, while lions charged after her with deadly intent.

Through it all, Brody kept running, gasping for breath.

Then, in the corner of her vision, she saw Kyle running toward her.

He was injured—his speed wasn’t what it used to be.

But even so, Brody could feel it.

Kyle was pushing himself to his absolute limit, running with everything he had to reach her.

A lump formed in her throat, cutting off her breath. Her chest tightened, and her pace faltered.

‘Just make it to the reeds…!’

She figured Kernels had told her to run there because the reeds would offer cover.

But as she neared the reed field, the suffocating tightness in her throat forced her to cough, and she stumbled, crashing to the ground.

“Ahh!”

“Brody!”

Kyle’s desperate cry rang out from behind her.

But he wasn’t fast enough.

The lion pursuing her was closer.

With its mane flowing in the wind, it lunged at her, jaws open, ready to rip her apart.

Brody froze.

Then—

A massive, dark shape burst out of the reeds and slammed into the lion.

“!?”

Brody’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the lion tumble across the ground, entangled with its attacker.

A black bear.

And it wasn’t alone.

Dozens of black bears emerged from the reeds, letting out thunderous roars as they charged forward.

They barreled straight into the lions that had been chasing the wolves.

The lions, expecting to slaughter helpless prey, were now face-to-face with an unexpected enemy.

Caught off guard, they hesitated for a split second—just long enough for the bears to tear into them.

Panic spread through the battlefield.

And in the center of the carnage, Ascal Baldwin and his sons finally realized the truth.

They had walked right into the wolves’ trap.