In The Slums

"Alright, let's go. Ragar," Rocco said.

"Understood," came the reply.

The moment Rocco dismounted from the carriage and stood at the entrance to the slums, he quickly concealed the tremble in his body and calling out to his muscular bodyguard.

Ragar have a towering figure with a muscular and tan body.

He also had a face that was marked by deep scars and a menacing expression.

His short golden hair gleamed in the dim light, and from his head sprouted two round, fluffy ears.

More than anything, though, there was an overwhelming aura of darkness around him, a clear signal that he was someone from the underworld.

He was a lion beastman, and in this world, beastmen were considered little more than livestock, slaves.

Thus, Ragar's official status was that of a slave.

Two years ago, Rocco had found Ragar collapsed in front of the annex gate and decided to take him in, making him part of the annex's staff.

Ragar was a man of few words, and Rocco never quite understood what went on in his mind.

He only spoke when necessary, and even then, his words were minimal.

Ragar didn't move unless Rocco did, and his expression was always stoic, never changing.

At first, the other members of the annex had looked down on Ragar because of his lowly status as a beastman.

Some of the muscular men had suggested, right in front of Ragar, that it would be better to dispose of him immediately and have him put down.

Rocco had given them all a sharp slap on the head and declared, "We're not doing that. Ragar is mine."

After that, no one said another word about it.

Still, Rocco thought it would have been nice if they'd learned a bit of consideration for others.

"Ragar, we still have a bit of distance to go to our destination. Keep me safe until we arrive," Rocco said.

"Understood," Ragar replied.

As they walked through the ominous slums, Rocco spoke to the muscular figure trailing slightly behind him.

Ragar's usual response was just "Understood," but the mere presence of such a strong bodyguard made Rocco feel much safer.

Although he had no idea what Ragar was really thinking, he was glad to have brought him along.

Taking a deep breath, Rocco tucked himself closer to Ragar, slipping into the folds of his robe.

He grabbed one of Ragar's large hands, which was about the same size as Rocco's face.

There was such a noticeable difference in their sizes that Rocco's fingers fit easily around Ragar's pinky.

He pouted a little at the disparity but was grateful to have someone so strong with him in this eerie, unsettling place.

He shrank a little further, deciding it was best to stick close to Ragar in the tense atmosphere of the slums.

"..."

"Hm? I... I should hold your hand to make sure you don't get lost, right? Yeah, that's it," Rocco stammered, trying to cover up his nervousness with an awkward excuse.