Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 155- Fake family

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The first thing I noticed after passing through the gate was the suffocating humidity, as if I were submerged underwater.

I opened my eyes as soon as my feet touched solid ground and saw Jerome’s back ahead of me—he had crossed the gate before me.

I was about to call out to him but stopped short, stunned by the scene that greeted me.

“What in the world is this…?”

Temtera Village, the home of the wolf beastfolk, was known for being one of the more welcoming tribes in the eastern region.

That’s why the temple had chosen it as a strategic base.

But what lay before me wasn’t a bustling village.

Instead, scattered corpses with grotesque appearances filled the area.

I froze for a moment before stepping closer to the bodies, ignoring the stunned temple knights behind me.

Every single corpse was missing its eyes.

‘No, this can’t be. In the original story, Temtera Village played a pivotal role in aiding Luke. Why has the storyline veered off so drastically?’

The hollowed-out eyes of the corpses suggested that the wolf beastfolk had likely been attacked by corrupted fairies.

As Oberon, the sacred beast, became corrupted, the fairies born from the World Tree began to transform into monstrous beings.

Along with their appearance, their diet shifted—they, who once thrived on the energy of the forest, began preying on humans.

That marked the start of the calamity.

“Foolish Temtera fools. They all got wiped out in the end.”

A voice filled with disdain came from somewhere nearby, prompting the temple knights to draw their swords in unison.

Emerging from the undergrowth was a rabbit beastfolk hero with snowy-white ears.

Draped in a wolf pelt like a cloak and smeared with camouflaging mud, his strong and imposing figure was all too familiar to me.

His fierce gaze sent a shiver down my spine, his solid build exuding the presence of a living weapon.

‘The hero of the rabbit tribe, Langcot.’

Langcot was a character in the original story—a future chief of the rabbit tribe and an antagonist who persistently hindered outsiders like Luke and Carlisle.

Spotting him, the rabbit siblings, Remi and Rhea, lit up and ran toward him.

“Big brother!”

Remi and Rhea threw themselves into Langcot’s arms, softening his hostile expression.

Speaking in a tender tone, Langcot asked, “What are you two doing here?”

This was the moment when the SSR card I had drawn finally revealed its worth.

Kneeling to meet the siblings’ gaze, Langcot listened attentively as Remi and Rhea alternated their explanations.

“We heard the east was in danger, so we came to help!”

“And we even brought a friend we made at the Academy!”

The excited rabbit siblings pointed toward Jerome and me.

Langcot’s gaze shifted back to me, his long ears twitching with faint annoyance before he spoke again.

“So you’re the ‘lady’ Rhea mentioned in the letters?”

“….”

“Hmph. You’re much… different from what I’d heard.”

His initially hostile stare now seemed somewhat softer, though it was hard to say why.

Langcot approached with long strides, leaning down and reaching a hand toward my face.

Before he could make contact, Jerome intercepted his wrist, pulling it down and inserting himself into the conversation.

“If Temtera Village is in this state, I can’t imagine the other villages faring any better. What’s the situation?”

Langcot’s brief warmth disappeared, his face hardening again.

In an instant, he drew a dagger from his belt and swung it at Jerome.

Jerome narrowly dodged, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“The east sure has an intense way of greeting people.”

“Shut up. I’ll kill you.”

Despite their adorable appearance, the rabbit tribe was infamous for their ferocity.

Once they decided on prey, they pursued it with unrelenting determination.

Seeing the situation escalating, I quickly stepped between them, raising my hands.

“Calm down! We’re here to help you!”

“Help us? And how exactly are you going to do that? Oberon has already abandoned us. We’re nothing more than walking corpses waiting to die.”

Langcot’s despair was palpable, his expression so filled with hopelessness that it almost physically stung.

Even a warlike tribe like his wasn’t immune to fear.

I was about to attempt calming him down when Jerome, who had moved behind me, wrapped an arm around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder, a mischievous grin on his lips.

“Of course they’ll go extinct. How could they not? They refuse any external help, all while lacking any viable means of survival—what a foolish tribe…”

I gaped at Jerome, stunned by how he’d managed to pour oil on an already raging fire.

Hastily, I clamped a hand over his mouth and turned to Langcot.

“S-sorry about him. He’s… unwell. Please just ignore him.”

“….”

“But it’s true—we really did come here to help.”

Langcot’s face, once twisted with rage and sorrow, settled into a resigned expression.

Without another word, he turned and staggered away.

Watching him go, I quickly addressed the temple knights, who were at a loss.

“If we all follow him at once, it’ll just make him more suspicious. Stay here and handle the bodies until I get back.”

The knights bowed in unison, and I hesitated briefly.

It was strange—there was no longer anyone looking down on Jeanne for being a Sacre.

With that thought lingering, I hurried after Langcot, glaring at Jerome, who pretended not to notice my irritation.

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Langcot was fast—unsurprising for a rabbit beastfolk.

The rabbit siblings and Jerome, who were naturally athletic, managed to keep up, but for someone like me with average stamina, it was grueling.

The sweltering humidity made my body sticky, and every breath felt labored.

Still, I bit my lip and kept moving, pretending I was fine.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been home,” Remi said as he slowed to walk beside me.

“Not once since joining the Academy.”

“Why? Didn’t you miss your family?”

While Jerome and Rhea competed to be the fastest, Remi, ever kind, stayed behind to match my pace.

His usual cheerful expression dimmed slightly.

“Rhea and I are support mages. Our father wanted offensive mages.”

“…”

“I joined the Academy to earn his approval. He’s always thought we were useless.”

For a moment, Remi’s face clouded with sadness.

Not knowing how to respond, I hesitated, only for Remi to suddenly brighten again, tugging at my hand.

“That’s why I wanted him to meet you. If he knows we’re friends with a hero like Jeanne, maybe he’ll acknowledge us.”

“I’m really not that amazing.”

“You are, Jeanne. Truly.”

Remi’s earnest gaze and bright smile pierced through my hesitation, his voice filled with unshaken hope.

“I’m sure he’ll like you.”

After walking for hours, we finally saw the outline of a village ahead.

Unlike the Empire’s bustling capital, this place exuded a raw, untamed energy, nestled between towering cliffs.

Remarkably, it seemed untouched by the chaos elsewhere.

“Follow me. I’ll take you to our father.”

At the village entrance, Langcot nodded toward us before leading the way to the largest, most imposing structure—a clear indication that it was the home of the rabbit siblings’ family.

Thump, thump.

“The ceremony must be starting.”

Langcot muttered calmly as the drumbeats echoed in the air.

When the massive gate creaked open, a vast expanse came into view.

People knelt in rows, palms turned upward, and a woman wearing a sinister mask held the bloody head of a lamb high above her.

The unsettling scene rooted me to the spot, and Langcot, noticing my reaction, added an explanation.

“That woman is the Saintess of Maya. She visited our tribe a few weeks ago.”

I stared blankly at the ritual, my eyes widening in shock.

Jerome, too, snapped his head toward Langcot in surprise.

Trying to stay composed, I asked cautiously, just in case there was a misunderstanding.

“What do you mean? The Saintess of Maya?”

“Exactly what I said. That woman can perform miracles.”

“That’s ridiculous. Miracles aren’t something that can happen so easily.”

“Yeah, we thought the same at first. But that woman summoned Oberon—a sacred beast the priests couldn’t even call forth. My father already seems completely convinced of her abilities.”

Impossible.

Maya’s true incarnation was supposed to be Jeanne.

But summoning Oberon, a feat even the priests failed to achieve, was undoubtedly a miracle.

Boom. Boom.

The drumbeats grew louder as my mind swirled in confusion.

The woman, who had been spinning with the lamb’s head raised high, suddenly stopped.

She turned her blood-soaked body toward me, her eerie mask hiding her face except for crimson lips that twisted into a chilling smile.

“The Saintess of Maya? That can’t be right. A character like her doesn’t exist in this episode.”

My expression betrayed my shock at the sudden appearance of this enigmatic figure.

Unbothered by my reaction, the woman concluded the ceremony, leaning on her attendants as she left.

My gaze followed the streaks of blood her footsteps left behind.

My breaths came faster, and I clenched my fists tightly.

“Then who on earth are you?”

The unexpected situation churned my stomach. I couldn’t even begin to guess her identity.

Jerome, noticing my distress, stepped closer and whispered in a low voice.

“Jeanne, I know what you’re thinking. But you need to stay sharp.”

His words pulled me out of my daze. I slowly lifted my head.

The rabbit siblings and Langcot simultaneously dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground.

My gaze met that of a towering man who walked out to the rhythm of the drums.

White hair, a scar slashing across one eye, and a ferocious face.

The rabbit ears atop his head felt almost out of place amidst his intimidating appearance.

His imposing presence stole my breath.

While everyone cowered, Jerome alone smirked, murmuring under his breath.

“This is where the real story begins.”

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