IPUAVNP Chapter 148

Chapter 148

 

Brody stared at Kyle with a flustered look. She knew that Kyle loved her, but marriage had always felt like a vague concept.

However, as if to show his determination, Kyle firmly grasped Brody’s hand, a touch that seemed to anchor even her wavering heart.

As Brody anxiously listened to her own pounding heartbeat, the May couple grew serious after hearing Kyle’s response.

After a moment, Mr. May cautiously yet firmly asked,

“As you know, you are of different species. That alone… makes this an impossible relationship by common standards. Have you considered this before making your decision?”

Kyle answered,

“At first, I also thought our relationship was impossible. But as I fell in love with Brody, I realized that our differences don’t matter at all. In fact, it would be far more foolish to lose someone so wonderful just because of that.”

Speaking with utmost sincerity, Kyle turned to Brody and concluded,

“Brody is the most precious person in my life, and I will continue to love and protect her as if she were my own life.”

It was a heartfelt confession. Brody’s face flushed as she met Kyle’s gaze.

No confession could have moved her more than this.

She felt her heart swell with his sincerity. With that certainty, she tightly held his hand in return.

On the other side, Judy, deeply moved by Kyle’s words to her sister, spoke resolutely,

“I approve.”

Of course, the hand she raised in declaration was quickly stopped by Mrs. May.

Mr. May remained silent for a long time after hearing Kyle’s words. With a troubled expression, he finally turned to Brody and asked,

“Brody, do you feel the same as he does?”

Without hesitation, just like Kyle, Brody answered,

“Yes.”

“…If you choose to stay with him, you can no longer live here in Clock Rabbit Village. You understand that, don’t you?”

“…”

Brody’s face stiffened. Unlike before, she couldn’t answer right away.

It wasn’t because she was uncertain of her decision… She simply felt guilty knowing her response would bring sadness to her family.

But in the end, this was something she had to say. It was a challenge she had to overcome. So, after a brief pause, she slowly opened her mouth and said,

“Yes, Father. I’ve thought about it.”

The moment those words left her lips, words that were no different from a farewell, Mrs. May lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

Even Judy, who had excitedly supported them earlier, now looked at their father with a devastated expression.

“Dad, is there no way for Brody to stay?”

Judy asked desperately.

But Mr. May shook his head firmly.

“It’s impossible, Judy. The fact that we even allowed a wolf beastkin into our village is enough to get us all exiled. How could we possibly stay here together?”

“But… if she leaves, where will Brody go?”

Judy’s eyes wavered. She had never once imagined living away from their home.

The Asgar continent was not a welcoming place for settlers. Surrounded by the perilous Kalks Mountain Range, it was a land frozen in harsh cold, making survival incredibly difficult.

Mr. May, lost in thought for a moment, soon gathered his resolve and looked up. Turning to Brody, he asked one final time,

“Brody, are you really leaving?”

To Brody, there was only one answer. Though she didn’t speak, she met her father’s gaze with determination.

That was her response.

Mr. May did not show his sorrow. He simply held his daughter’s resolute gaze, and after seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he nodded.

“Brody. If you are to leave, go to the western plains of Asgar.”

“The western plains…?”

Brody was surprised by the sudden suggestion.

As far as she knew, the west was nothing but treacherous mountains. Even those who had attempted to settle there found the terrain too hostile and had returned.

So why was her father mentioning ‘plains’ now?

Seeing her confusion, Mr. May explained,

“I’ve never been there myself, but my mentor, who traveled the world and mapped it like I did, once told me this—if you go to the farthest west, there is a vast plain where the snow melts and grass grows in the summer.”

It was a firsthand account from a seasoned traveler, and Mr. May knew his mentor was not one to exaggerate.

Of course, just as many had failed before, reaching the far west beyond the mountains would be no easy task.

However, if anyone could endure such a harsh journey, it was the two people standing before him, the ones who had already traveled to the southernmost reaches of the Knohen continent.

“If you can find the western plains I mentioned, you’ll be able to settle down more easily than here.”

Hearing this, Brody and Kyle exchanged glances. Before they knew it, curiosity had sparked in their eyes, drawn toward the possibility of the western plains.

 

***

 

At the same time…

“Has the captain still not gotten permission to be with Miss Brody? What’s taking so long?”

Outside the sitting room, the Oswald twins, waiting for Kyle, were getting restless.

Wandering around the small house in boredom, Oswald nudged the sleeping crow Kernels by the fireplace, only to be ignored.

“Oswin, want to sneak out to the front door for a bit?”

With the May family too distracted to watch them, Oswald’s reckless curiosity kicked in. He coaxed his hesitant brother,

“Or at least let’s crack the window open and touch the snow. I was too busy when we arrived to even remember what it felt like.”

“Ah, actually, I feel the same way…”

Sharing the same mischievous streak, the twins finally decided to discreetly open the window and touch the snow while no one was watching.

They approached the window by the door, pulled back the curtains, and were just about to unlatch the window when—

“…Huh?”

As Oswald fumbled with the latch, Oswin, peering outside with excitement, suddenly froze. His gaze locked onto a lone figure standing outside.

The person had also been approaching the door but had now halted, staring back at them, his face deathly pale.

“Hey, are you guys insane?”

The twins quickly shut the curtains at the sound of Kernels’s voice behind them.

Fortunately, Kernels hadn’t seen the person outside, so when they closed the curtains, he didn’t press further.

However, the twins, who had made eye contact with the person outside the window, exchanged uneasy glances while pretending nothing had happened.

“Nothing bad will happen… right?”

…Of course, that was just wishful thinking from the two who had caused the trouble.

Joshua, who had earlier left after merely checking on Judy’s health, had returned to the May family’s house to warn them to stay inside because wolves had appeared nearby.

But as he approached the door, he happened to glance through the uncovered window and froze at the sight of two unfamiliar men inside.

Strangers in a place where outsiders couldn’t enter.

Moreover, as a herbivore, Joshua instinctively trembled upon seeing their piercing blue eyes. He felt the same fear as when encountering a predator.

Not only were outsiders in the village, but predators were inside the May family’s home.

‘No way…’

Recalling the rumors of wolves appearing the previous night, Joshua’s face went pale as he covered his mouth.

In an instant, his mind raced to a terrifying conclusion, and he took off running, breathless, away from the May family’s house.

 

***

 

At that moment, inside the reception room, the May family was deep in discussion with Kyle about the western plains.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Startled by the sudden pounding on the door, everyone jumped to their feet.

Unlike earlier when Joshua had knocked, this time the atmosphere was entirely different.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The door shook violently as if it would be broken down at any moment, and beyond it, the shouts of the villagers rang out.

“Open the door, you wolf ******s! Get out here now!”

“Hand over the May family immediately!”

Hearing the angry cries of the villagers who had discovered the presence of wolves, the family’s faces turned deathly pale.

How did they find out?

As fear spread among them and no one knew what to do, Kyle instinctively turned around… and immediately spotted the twins crouching in the corner of the living room, looking guilty.

‘Those two…!’

Realizing that the twins had caused this mess, Kyle quickly turned to Mr. May.

“We need to leave immediately. Is there another way out besides the front door?”

“There’s a door through the shop! Go that way!”

But at that moment, Kernels, who had just checked the shop entrance, shouted in alarm.

“No good! The villagers are gathered out front too! We’re completely surrounded!”

Despair settled over the group. To make matters worse, the sound of someone trying to break the door handle rang out.

“If you don’t come out now, we’re coming in!”

The villagers were even more aggressive than usual, convinced that the May family had been taken hostage by wolves. After all, they hadn’t stepped outside for two days, further fueling suspicion.

Even if they tried to hide their guests, the scent of predators lingering in the house would surely give them away.

Realizing there was no other option, Mr. May stepped toward the front door.

“Honey!”

“Dad!”

Moments later, as he opened the door, villagers armed with axes and tools stormed inside.

“Mr. May! Are you alright…?”

But as they burst in, they froze in shock.

The May family, whom they had assumed were hostages, were standing there unharmed—calmly alongside the very wolves they had feared.

And then…

“Brody…?”

Joshua, who had led the villagers, furrowed his brows in confusion upon seeing Brody standing among her family.

“Why are you here…?”

Brody was supposed to be on her pilgrimage to Resonelle. The villagers, too, gaped in bewilderment.

As confusion spread and silence took hold, Mr. May seized the moment to step forward.

“Everyone, please calm down. These outsiders are not here to harm the village. They are guests who came to see my family.”

Guests?

Murmurs spread among the villagers at Mr. May’s words.

Looking at the family’s expressions and demeanor, they realized that these outsiders were indeed guests.

However, that didn’t mean their hostility toward outsiders disappeared. In fact, it only intensified.

“Guests, you say? Mr. May, have you forgotten the rule that no outsiders are allowed in our village?”

“And more importantly, they are predators!”

Tension rose as voices sharpened with suspicion, and the grip on their weapons tightened.