Reborn into Beast Tamer Clan with Monsters-Only Affinity-Chapter 57: Got caught

Owen kept his round slime form still as he peeked through a fold in the bag above the carriage, eyes narrowing as he noticed something strange.

"...Is he... sleeping?" he whispered, looking at Axelius.

Axelius was tucked under the travel bag, eyes closed, breathing soft and steady, like someone who hadn’t just committed to a secret mission.

Owen’s slime body quivered in disbelief. "What the?! You’re seriously asleep already?! We just got here!"

But no matter how many times he waved a tendril near his face or whispered complaints, Axelius didn’t move. He let out a sigh and turned back to watch what was happening below.

Inside the carriage, Seraphina sat with her arms crossed, staring out the window. Across from her sat two girls and two boys, all looking around the same age—around fifteen or sixteen—with elegant posture and well-maintained clothes. They all looked like they came from noble houses, the kind that had their family crest sewn into the sleeves.

"So," said one of the boys, who had short dark hair and a bored expression. "We’re really doing this, huh?"

The girl beside him nodded. She had reddish-brown hair tied in a low braid and held a leather-bound book in her lap. "We have to," she replied. "It’s for the Academy evaluation. Each team has to present a subjugated monster and give a report. Either a live one or its core. If we fail to catch anything, we’ll be at the bottom of the rankings."

Seraphina didn’t say a word but gave a small nod, as if confirming she already knew.

The second boy chuckled, adjusting his gloves. "Tch. So basically, a fancy monster show-and-tell."

"Don’t take it lightly," the second girl said sharply. "The professors will judge based on control, capture method, and teamwork. It’s not just about power."

The girl with the book flipped it open for a moment, scanning through hand-drawn pictures and notes. The words "Monster Catalog: Lesser-Class to Middle-Class" were written on the cover in faded ink.

Owen’s round body suddenly bounced with interest. "Monster catalog? I need to read that!"

As the girl placed the book back into her side pouch—a firm leather bag strapped beside her—Owen’s slime body began to wiggle restlessly.

He looked down at the carriage window edge and slowly rolled off the top with a plop as he landed on a small crate with a soft squishy sound.

"Huh? What was that?" one of the boys asked, suddenly sitting up straight.

The others glanced around, staring at the corners and under their seats, but found nothing. Seraphina’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing, choosing to focus on the view outside.

When no one reacted further, the group returned to their conversation, and Owen, now stuck to the side of the carriage wall like a blob of jelly, let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew... that was close," he whispered.

Then, with slow and careful movements, Owen crawled along the side of the wall and silently made his way to the girl’s bag. His body flattened as he approached, sliding across the surface like a puddle.

Once near enough, he lifted the flap of the leather bag just slightly with one of his tiny tendrils.

"Hehehe... Just gonna take a little peek."

And with a final squish, Owen slipped inside and he saw the book now sitting right next to him.

The carriage ride grew quiet as the group slowly drifted off to sleep, the gentle rocking of the wheels and the soft clatter of hooves against the dirt road creating a peaceful rhythm. Even the most alert among them eventually gave in, heads resting against the windows or arms crossed with closed eyes.

But Owen, curled inside the leather bag, was fully awake and focused. His small, jelly-like body gently held the monster catalog open as he flipped through the pages using a tiny, trembling tendril. His round blue body glowed slightly with excitement, especially when he saw pictures of slimes and familiar monsters.

"Ohhh... this is good stuff," he whispered. "Maybe I can try one of these forms soon..."

He was too distracted to notice the carriage hitting a small bump on the road.

THUMP.

The small jolt made a few bags shift from above, and one of them rolled down the side. A leather pouch tumbled off the top ledge and landed with a soft thud right in front of one of the girls.

Her eyes blinked open, and she leaned forward to pick it up.

"Huh?"

But as she looked up to place it back in the upper rack, her eyes locked onto something unexpected—right there, curled under the bags, was a small boy with messy black hair, peacefully sleeping with a slightly open mouth and the most comfortable expression anyone could wear in such a cramped space.

The girl froze, her eyes widening in complete shock.

"AAAAHHHHH!!"

Her sudden scream echoed inside the carriage, causing everyone to jolt awake at once.

Owen shut the book quickly and peeked outside the bag flap. "Shit!"

The girl was already pointing upward, her finger trembling. "Th-there’s a child sleeping up there!"

The others followed her gaze, all looking up in confusion and alarm. Seraphina narrowed her eyes.

"...Axelius?"

Meanwhile, Axelius remained exactly where he was—tucked under the travel bag like a pillow fort, still sleeping soundly with the corner of his lip lifting in a small smile. His chest rose and fell peacefully, completely unaware of the chaos happening around him.

Owen panicked and slipped out of the leather bag, bouncing up the side and squeezing himself next to Axelius.

"Oh—ow, we’re caught! We’re not even that far yet!" he whispered loudly.

Owen poked his side with a tendril. "Axel! Wake up! We’re busted! Come on, man!"

Seraphina sighed and stood up. She reached up carefully and pulled her little brother out from the bags, lifting him like a stuffed toy and laying him gently on the bench seat beside her.

"This is... Axelius?" one of the noble boys asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your youngest brother?" the girl who screamed asked, still holding her chest with both hands. "He scared me half to death!"

Seraphina scratched her head, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused. "Yeah... just what is he doing up there?"

She leaned closer and lightly tapped Axelius’s cheek. "Hey. Wake up, sleepyhead."

Axelius slowly stirred, his eyes fluttering open. His face was still relaxed, and he let out a soft laugh with a sleepy smile.

"Hehehee... good morning."