"Thank you, Miss Honey Badger... for catching me...
Once I've confirmed your identity, I'm not going to let you go quietly...
I have some business to take care of with the honey badger..."
"Ha, don't make me laugh... You won't know if they really have business with you until you see them, right?"
The man seemed a little surprised when I retorted, "Yes, as a honey badger, I can't lose. Especially to snakes! They always have that look on their face like they're the superior species, but it really pisses me off."
Right now I can't even externalize, and I'm in an embarrassing situation being tied up like this, but... I absolutely refuse to lose.
And the fact that they're checking your identity...
This doesn't seem to be the place where the gang that kidnapped me was located, or a group of outlaws hell-bent on revenge against the honey badger.
In other words, you're not going to be killed right now.
In that case, I have no choice but to take a strong stance.
"If I were a honey badger that had nothing to do with you... what would you do?"
I said sarcastically.
The snake beastmen hate my race, but I haven't done anything to them.
"Hmm... I don't think that's likely."
The man replied, undeterred.
"If it had nothing to do with it, would you be willing to apologize for tying me up like this?"
"Hmm..."
The man seemed to think for a moment.
"Fine. I'll apologize if it had nothing to do with it."
I grinned at the man's words.
"Oh? That sounds fun...
Don't forget those words, okay?"
Okay!
If I could hear a genuine apology from that face, I'd feel a little better.
But the man continued.
"Instead, what would you do if you had even the slightest connection?"
I thought about the man's words for a moment.
"...Well, if that happens... do as you like.
I'll leave it up to you to decide what to do.
Do as you please."
The man muttered softly in response to my words.
"You say you'll do as you please... You have no idea what's going to happen to you, but you've got a lot of guts."
After that, the man said nothing and started humming again.
……silence.
This awkward atmosphere... it's the worst.
The man was probably waiting for this "Yoongi hyung" to bring back the results of his ID.
But I was... so bored I thought I was going to die.
Above all, this restraint situation is annoying!
What era is this from?
Frustrated, I decided to harass the man further.
"So? Brother, what's the situation for you?
Do you have a grudge against the honey badger?"
When I said that, the man leaning back in his chair looked my way.
"...You're being awfully noisy... Ah, I do have a grudge, but so what?"
The man replied with annoyance.
I provoke him back, not wanting to be outdone.
"Huh? Maybe your parents were killed by a honey badger?"
The moment I said it, I regretted it.
The man's face turned pale in an instant.
And... pupils slit vertically like snakes.
…terrible.
"Huh... I didn't actually intend to go this far...
Well, it's better than losing your temper while I'm with you..."
"...Wh, what are you talking about...?"
"No, just...
They say you're too loud."
The man approached slowly.
…scared.
Damn it!
If only I could externalize it, I wouldn't be intimidated by a guy like this!!
A pattern of black scales appears on the man's skin.
The moment I saw it, I got goosebumps.
A level of pressure that is unbearable in the human state.
This guy... is it a king cobra...?!
It's over.
"Don't resist.
If I leave you alone now...
Because I might do something."
The man approaches quietly.
While transforming part of his body into a snake...
Black scales appeared all over his arms,
The distinctive pattern of the king cobra is clearly visible on its neck.
Then the man grabbed my hair and ripped it up in one go.
As the man approached, long, sharp fangs were visible from his mouth.
"Damn it...not again!!"
Gobble!!!
And then I lost consciousness again.