Chapter 5 - The Rules of the Red Rainforest City

In a room that looked very luxurious and elegant, resembling a grand medieval mansion, two people were having a conversation. One was standing, while the other was sitting on an opulent sofa, smoking a cigar.

Anyone who saw this situation would immediately know that the person standing was the subordinate and the one sitting on the luxurious sofa was the master. The man sitting was an adult, tall and muscular, with visible muscles that made him appear strong and exude the charisma of a leader.

"Master Stev, we found a mortal who does not originate from this city," said the subordinate.

The man sitting casually on the luxurious sofa was named Stev, the ruler of the Red Rainforest City. Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, Stev simply nodded and gave a few words.

"Proceed as usual."

"Understood, Master Stev. I'll carry out the task right away," the subordinate replied, bowing before leaving the room. The subordinate didn't want to disturb his master for any longer.

The subordinate then made his way to a building that resembled a warehouse.

Inside this warehouse-like building, a young man was sitting unconscious in a chair, with his arms and legs bound. The young man was Arthur, who had previously been enjoying a stroll around the Red Rainforest City.

Arthur had realized that someone was following him the moment he left the building labeled 'Hunter Registration and Information Center,' but he had no idea why they were following him and certainly didn't know he would end up in such a dire situation.

The subordinate of Stev grabbed a bucket filled with water and poured it over Arthur, instantly waking him from his unconscious state.

'What's going on?', Arthur mumbled as he regained consciousness, his head pounding as if he had been struck. He quickly realized he was sitting in a chair, his arms and legs bound. He also saw, albeit vaguely, a bald man with a thick mustache standing in front of him.

"Are you awake now?" the man in front of Arthur asked.

Arthur, still half-conscious, simply nodded in response to the man, who was Stev's subordinate. His head still throbbed, and his vision remained blurry.

Seeing that Arthur wasn't fully awake yet, the subordinate of Stev kicked the chair, causing Arthur to be thrown several meters and crash to the floor.

"Are you still not fully awake?!" The subordinate said again, his tone now raised.

Arthur fully regained his senses and realized that the situation was not good. He remembered that he had been followed by several people before ending up here.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" Arthur asked, still lying on the floor.

"Where do you come from?" the man asked.

"I don't know, sir. I have amnesia and ended up in this Red Rainforest City," Arthur replied.

"Don't you know the rules for mortals who are not from this city?" the man inquired.

"No, sir," Arthur answered briefly. He didn't know that he had broken any rules. He only knew that any mortal could come and go freely in the city, and only hunters had to undergo checks and report their purpose for entering.

The subordinate of Stev then explained the rules that Arthur had violated, and Arthur learned that while mortals like himself could freely enter and exit the city, there were rules set by the ruler of the city itself.

The subordinate continued to elaborate on the rules of the Red Rainforest City, especially the rules for mortals like Arthur, who were not originally from the city.

The city was indeed the safest place for mortals like Arthur, but the safety was provided by hunters who made the city secure from beast attacks.

The protection hunters provided didn't come for free, however; there was a tax to be paid every month to the ruler of the city, who was, of course, a hunter. Besides the tax, every city had its own rules, and the rule of Red Rainforest City for mortals from outside was that they would become slaves serving the ruling family of the city.

Once a mortal had served as a slave for five years, they would be allowed to live freely within the city and become part of it.

Arthur, who had just arrived in this new world—a world known as the Beast World—was naturally unaware of the rules and customs in this new world.

After a long explanation about the rules of the Red Rainforest City, Stev's subordinate walked over to Arthur and untied the ropes binding him.

"Alright, follow me. I'll take you to where you'll be working as a servant for the ruling family," the subordinate said.

Arthur was led to a place in the center of the city. There, he saw a large and luxurious building that resembled an old castle, with a long shape and many rooms. In front of the building was a gate with a sign that read, "Tarantula Family Hunter School."

The subordinate led Arthur to the back of the old castle-like building and toward a shabby hut. Inside the hut were three elderly people who seemed to be servants like Arthur.

"You'll be staying here with these three people. Your task will be the same as theirs, which is to manage the farmland behind the Tarantula Family Hunter School," the subordinate explained.

The subordinate then gave Arthur instructions: he would work as a servant to manage the farmland behind the school. In addition to that, he would also help with work at the school when needed. For any other details, Arthur was instructed to ask the three elderly people, who would be his companions for the next few years.

After giving all the necessary information, Stev's subordinate left, telling Arthur that there would be a supervisor checking their work every day.

Arthur, who had only recently arrived in this new world called the Beast World, let out a long sigh. He realized that this world was very different from Earth.

On Earth, everyone had the right to freedom, and slavery was something forbidden and taboo. But here, it was common and even normalized, with no rules prohibiting it.