Chapter 396
Aviel seized the opportunity to snatch the crystal from Grod’s grasp.
Grod was utterly shocked. When did such a powerful beastman arrive in Serpent City?
With Grod successfully subdued, the male beastman in the courtyard narrowly escaped with his life. He collapsed to the ground, his legs shaking violently from the adrenaline. He had been a hair’s breadth away from death just moments ago; it was a stroke of pure luck that these beastmen had arrived to save him.
He stared at Grod, his mind racing. Who is this guy? Why did he want to kill me?
Idir landed gracefully in the courtyard, holding Nina in his arms.
“Nina, how should we handle him?” Aviel asked.
“Take him away,” Nina replied.
Aviel nodded and gestured for Pado to tie Grod up and bring him along. Before the rescued male could even offer his thanks, Nina and her companions had already vanished into the night.
They brought the bound Grod back to their residence and threw him into an empty room. Nina took the seat of honor. “Take off his mask p>
Pado stepped forward and ripped the mask from Grod’s face.
Idir’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was exactly as he suspected—he had already recognized the man’s scent earlier. An inside job. No wonder the city guards could never find anything.
Nina turned to Idir. “Do you know him p>
“His name is Grod. He’s one of the elders of Serpent City,” Idir explained.
Hearing a voice that sounded vaguely familiar, Grod’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “You… you’re Idir?!” He couldn’t believe his eyes. How does he still have the nerve to come back here?
Idir removed his own mask. “That’s right. It’s me p>
“You actually dared to return?” Grod sneered. “You really aren’t afraid of death, are you? They’re still hunting for you p>
“The one who isn’t afraid of death is you,” Idir retorted coldly. “To think an elder would actively plot against and harm his own clansmen p>
Grod fell silent. It was clear to him now that they knew far more than they should.
Nina fixed her gaze on Grod. “Who gave you that crystal in your hand p>
Instead of answering, Grod looked at her. “Are you Idir’s female master?” He had spotted Idir’s mating mark, but he highly doubted this female knew about the curse the male carried. If she did, there was no way she would have willingly taken him as her mate.
“I am,” Nina stated calmly.
Grod glanced at Idir, a mocking smirk playing at the corners of his lips. “Then do you have any idea what kind of monster he really is?” He figured that if he could just sow discord and get Idir out of the equation, he might stand a chance at negotiating with this female.
“Are you referring to his curse?” Nina interlaced her fingers with Idir’s. “Of course I know p>
Grod was stunned. “You… you know? And you still chose to mate with him?!” This female actually knows? Isn’t she terrified?
“He’s worthy of being my mate,” Nina’s gaze turned icy. “Now, answer my question. My patience is wearing thin p>
“What do I get out of it if I answer you?” Grod countered.
Nina let out a mocking laugh. “Your life is literally in my hands, and you’re trying to bargain for perks p>
Grod shot a wary glance at Idir before looking back at her. “If I tell you, will you let me go?” He had played a part in what happened to Idir back then, even if he wasn’t the mastermind behind it.
Nina looked at Idir, who gave her a subtle nod. Finding the beastman with the corrupt ability was their top priority right now. Besides, just because Nina promised not to kill him didn’t mean he couldn’t do it later.
“Deal,” Nina said.
“How can I trust you?” Grod asked, his voice laced with suspicion. What if he talked and they went back on their word?
“You don’t have a choice but to trust me,” Nina replied indifferently. “If you don’t want to die, you’d better start telling the truth p>
Grod hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to confess. “I don’t actually know that beastman’s identity. I’ve never seen his face. When he gave me the crystal, he was wearing a cloak and a mask, and he had completely masked his scent p>
With his life in their hands, he truly had no leverage to bargain. He was no match for that Dragon tribe beastman, and escaping was out of the question. Speaking up was his only sliver of hope.
“Do you really not know who he is?” Nina asked skeptically.
“It’s the truth, I swear!” Grod said urgently. “I’ve only ever met him twice p>
Nina frowned slightly. “Then why did he give you the crystal? Surely it wasn’t out of the goodness of his heart p>
For that beastman to be so cautious and hide his identity meant he was going to great lengths to cover his tracks. His identity was likely far from simple, and there was a very high chance he was someone Grod already knew.
“He wanted me to do things for him. For every task I completed, he would give me a crystal,” Grod explained.
“What has he made you do?” Nina asked.
“Only one thing so far—to make sure the city guards didn’t find out anything about the crystals,” Grod said.
“Do you know which other beastmen have these crystals p>
“I don’t. Anyone who possesses something like this wouldn’t dare tell another soul,” Grod replied. Revealing it would just mean giving someone else leverage over them.
Nina asked a few more questions before falling silent.
Seeing that she was done questioning him, Grod grew bold enough to speak up. “I’ve answered everything you asked. You can let me go now, right p>
Nina let out a mocking laugh and turned to Pado. “Lock him up for now p>
There was no way she was letting him go free; she couldn’t risk him running off to tip that mysterious beastman off.
Grod’s face fell instantly. “You’re going back on your word p>
Nina raised an eyebrow. “I said I would spare your life, but I never said I would set you free p>
“You—!” Grod was furious. “You females really love to deceive males p>
Before he could yell anything else, Pado gagged him, dragged him downstairs, and locked him away.
Nina squeezed Idir’s hand. “That beastman is yours to dispose of however you see fit p>
A wave of warmth rushed through Idir’s heart. “Mm p>
Just as Grod was taken away, Odian and the others returned.
Odian looked deeply apologetic. “I’m sorry, Nina. We couldn’t bring that beastman back alive. He committed suicide before we could secure him p>
Odian hung his head in disappointment. “Nina, the other beastman seemed to have sensed our presence and fled ahead of time. We missed him too p>
“It’s fine, we caught one here,” Nina comforted them. “Though we couldn’t get the identity of the mastermind out of him.” She briefly filled Odian and the others in on her interrogation with Grod.
After listening, Odian’s brow furrowed. “Nina, I think this mysterious beastman has close ties to Serpent City p>
“Yeah, we need to do a thorough investigation on the city elders,” Nina said, letting out a yawn. “I’ll go check on the sick beastmen tomorrow.” Tracking targets late into the night had left her thoroughly exhausted.
“Alright. I’ll have Ridan and his men keep a close eye on those elders.” Seeing the fatigue in her eyes, Odian felt a pang of tenderness. “Nina, you must be exhausted. Let me carry you to bed p>
Nina nodded. Odian carried her back to her room, while the other males dispersed to their own quarters.
The next morning, Nina headed over to the city witch doctor’s residence.
The estate was absolutely bustling, with crowds of beastmen packed tightly outside the gates while a few males worked to maintain order.
Holding hands with Odian and Idir, Nina walked toward the residence. But as they were walking, Idir suddenly froze in his tracks.
In the crowd ahead, he had spotted a painfully familiar figure.