Chapter 11

Kinaine reflexively caught the hand that was about to touch his crown.

"Yes?"

"Even so, having my horns exposed in front of so many people is a bit... It's a complex of mine, you see."

Though he wasn't entirely sure, judging from the horned tribe members' reactions earlier, small horns didn't seem to be viewed very favorably.

Indeed, Kinaine's intuition proved correct as the employee wore an understanding expression.

"I apologize, sir. I was inconsiderate. Then, shall I check alone with you in another room? Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes. I would appreciate that."

Thanks to the kind employee, he got a moment's reprieve. However, he couldn't relax yet as the danger wasn't over.

"Then please follow me."

Kinaine followed the employee up the stairs.

The Gold Pot was a seven-story building, with the gambling den in the basement and the tavern starting from the first floor. While the first floor was crowded, looking up showed far fewer people on the upper floors.

The reason was immediately apparent.

"Why can't I go up!"

"You must pay to access the upper floors."

"I have to pay just to go up? What kind of place is this!"

So not just anyone could enter.

As with most high-end establishments, each higher floor would require more money. The guests staying in those rooms would be VIPs capable of paying the expensive fees.

"Sir, this way."

"Ah, yes."

After watching a drunk customer being thrown out for shouting, Kinaine resumed walking.

The employee led Kinaine to a small room deep in the first floor. Though small, it was furnished with a sofa and table, suggesting it was probably used as an employee break room.

The employee closed the door and approached Kinaine.

"Then excuse me."

"Excuse me as well."

"What?"

With those words, the employee lost consciousness.

Kinaine caught the employee before they fell to the floor and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whew, fortunate that their vital points are similar to humans."

Though he had knocked them out with a strike to the back of the neck, he needed to move quickly since he didn't know when they would wake up. Though he was somewhat worried about later consequences, escape was the priority now. It would be better to deal with future problems after getting out of the immediate crisis.

Just as he was about to head outside, Kinaine hesitated. Since many people had seen him in the gambling den, this appearance might cause problems on the way out.

Hmm. No choice.

Kinaine's gaze turned to the employee lying on the sofa.

"Excuse me once more..."

Dressed as an employee, Kinaine passed through the first floor easily.

Just in case, he even used some cosmetics lying randomly on a table to draw scale patterns on his cheeks and neck. It wouldn't be noticeable unless viewed up close.

After walking for a while, he finally saw the door leading outside.

At last!

"Kyaaak!"

Just then, a scream rang out. Looking toward the source of the sound, he saw a commotion near the stairs leading up.

What's happening? Whatever it was, if everyone was distracted elsewhere, this was a good opportunity.

Just as Kinaine grabbed the door handle, an unfamiliar hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.

"Hey!"

Damn, had he been caught?

"...What is it, sir?"

Kinaine turned around while swallowing dryly. The one who had grabbed him was a large-built man from the tailed tribe.

"Manager! Quickly..."

"Wait a moment."

Hearing what others called him, this man appeared to be the Gold Pot's manager.

His nose twitched with a sniff. Could he possibly smell that he was human? Kinaine's heart beat irregularly at the ominous prediction.

No choice. At this point, might as well try to knock him out and run, whether it works or not...

"You're a beta?!"

"What?"

Sniff sniff, the manager inhaled again, twitching his nose.

"You must be, since I can't smell anything! This is perfect! Quick, follow me!"

"W-wait!"

"No arguments!"

The manager was as strong as his build suggested. Kinaine was instantly dragged up the stairs.

"Move! Everyone move!"

His pot-sized hands pushed people aside, making a path.

Second floor, third floor, fourth floor... Finally, they stopped upon reaching the seventh floor at the top.

Surprisingly, there was only one door in the seventh floor corridor. Someone had this entire spacious floor to themselves.

However, what truly surprised Kinaine wasn't that.

'Alpha pheromones.'

The corridor was filled with alpha pheromones.

"Ugh."

Kinaine wasn't the only one who noticed it, as the manager beside him dry heaved quietly. The manager was an alpha, and he felt fear and revulsion at the pheromones of an alpha stronger than himself.

"Now, listen carefully."

The manager grabbed Kinaine's shoulder with trembling hands and pushed him toward the door.

"From now on, just do whatever the person inside wants. However, they're not in a good mood right now, so absolutely, absolutely do not provoke them!"

The manager forcibly pressed a small syringe into Kinaine's reluctant hand.

"If they want suppressants, give them this."

"Suppressants?"

Kinaine's face, already pale, turned even whiter as he realized the situation.

"Don't tell me, they're in rut?"

The reason for spreading pheromones so uncontrollably was obvious. Inside that room was an alpha in rut.

"Don't worry. You're a beta, so nothing will happen."

Kinaine shook his head frantically.

"Wait, please. I'm not a beta."

"Ha, are you lying because you're scared! If you took the money, you have to do the work! This is why young people these days... No more arguments, get in!"

"Ugh!"

The door flew open, and Kinaine was practically kicked into the room.

"Wait!"

He quickly grabbed the doorknob, but with a click, the door was locked from outside. Kinaine desperately knocked on the door.

"Please open this! I'm really not a beta..."

"...You're noisy."

At that moment, a low voice spoke.

"..."

Kinaine held his breath and looked toward where the voice had come from.

However, with all the lights in the room turned off, he couldn't see the owner of the voice. If only moonlight could come in. Even the windows were covered with curtains.

Kinaine easily understood why.

'It's because of the rut.'

Having been an alpha himself, Kinaine knew well what state an alpha became during rut.

Probably right now, that man in the darkness had all his senses heightened two or three times over. Even faint moonlight would hurt his eyes like staring at the sun. Even whispered voices would sound as loud as thunder.

However, from Kinaine's position, the unknown alpha's pain wasn't the problem.

"Ugh..."

Kinaine breathed with difficulty while covering his nose and mouth with both hands.

A slight fever rose and his skin itched as if ants were crawling over it. His body was responding to the high concentration of alpha pheromones dissolved in the air.

He needed to get out of here quickly.

Kinaine gripped the suppressant in his hand tightly. The door was locked, and unless he jumped out the seventh-floor window, there was no way to escape.

If there was no way to escape, shouldn't he deal with the problem?

"Um, sir... are you alright?"

There was no answer. Perhaps he was asleep? That would be too good to be true.

"I'm going to come closer for a moment. Please don't be startled."

He warned first since there was no guarantee an alpha in this state would maintain rationality. An alpha in rut was in a state where instincts were maximized. It was better not to provoke them.

He also hid the suppressant in his pocket just in case. It wouldn't do to have it destroyed if the alpha lost control after seeing it.

Kinaine crawled forward on all fours, feeling his way along the floor. Though it looked ridiculous, with absolutely no visibility, this was more stable than walking.

'But where are they?'

How large was this room? He had been crawling for a while but hadn't found anything.

His body was getting hotter and his vision was swimming, and not being able to see the other person made him anxious.

Finally, Kinaine spoke.

"Um. Hah... I'm very sorry, but could you please tell me where you are?"

The more he breathed, the hotter he felt and the more stifled he became. His body, damp with either sweat or something else, was unpleasant. The sensation of his body becoming uncontrollable instilled wariness and discomfort in Kinaine.

"Even if you're in rut... you wouldn't want to do that kind of thing with a stranger either, right? Yes? Please coopera-"

"I said you're noisy."

Surprisingly, the voice came from very close by.

Kinaine raised his head, as elated as someone who had found water in a desert.

"So you were he-!"

At that moment his body was lifted and instantly thrown somewhere.

"Huk!"

Fortunately, his back landed on something very soft.

A bed?

However, it was too early to feel relieved. Because in the darkness, a hand hot as fire pressed down on Kinaine's neck.

"Ugh!"

"The manager seems to have underestimated me."

It was a languid voice as if just woken from sleep.

However, the words spoken in that voice made Kinaine's spine shiver.

"I told him I'd kill any omega I saw."