Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Harvest Festival (2)
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The Cat Tribe's presence in the Seven Kings Water was disproportionately large and distorted. Strictly speaking, they were predators too.
However, it was also true that their power was too ambiguous to call them overwhelming predators.
So they chose to win by any means necessary, without regard for methods or tools.
While other beastmen rarely used tools well, the Cat Tribe wielded every one they could get their hands on if it meant victory.
The Fox King's decision to send his daughter Ryuku as an envoy this time stemmed entirely from that mindset.
A honey trap. Ryuku was indeed a stunning beauty who perfectly embodied the term.
'If I don't do as Father says, the Seven Kings Water will be in peril. For my kin, I can offer this body without hesitation.'
Ryuku herself had never even dreamed the honey trap could fail.
In fact, it wasn't baseless confidence. When she first set foot here, needless to say the soldiers and knights,
even the nobles of the Empire stared at her in a daze, utterly entranced.
But there was one exception. The leader of Renheim—the most crucial figure—was completely unaffected.
In fact, it was Ryuku who felt overwhelmed. Beastmen inherited the sharp senses of beasts, keener than any human's.
Ryuku stood at the pinnacle even among the keen-sensed Cat Tribe, which allowed her to see it.
"There are only two paths left for you. Die... or surrender."
There wasn't even a hint of enmity in his voice. He spoke calmly, matter-of-factly. And yet, an immense pressure bore down on her entire body.
She saw it—a pitch-black beast looming behind him, too vast and terrifying to describe in words.
The absolute apex of all beasts. That was the vision of Renheim's lord that Ryuku beheld.
"......"
"I've said everything I needed to. Now get out of my sight."
Despite the one-sided dismissal, Ryuku couldn't muster a single word.
One wrong move, and she'd be devoured. Cold sweat dripped steadily from her flushed forehead.
Her thin garments clung transparently to her sweat-slicked skin, radiating raw allure, but Cain didn't spare her a glance.
'As expected... the overwhelming predator who devoured even the Beast King is on another level.'
His utter indifference as he loomed over her made Ryuku's breathing grow ragged, little by little.
But even in that moment, she didn't forget her duty. She returned straight to the Seven Kings Water and reported everything.
The Fox King let out a deep sigh at Ryuku's account. Even the honey trap had failed.
"Not even the Cat Tribe's treasure, which the Beast King himself coveted?"
"He is an overwhelming predator utterly incomparable to the Beast King."
"......Don't belittle our king like that. He was wise and powerful."
"But in the end, didn't his rampage drive the Seven Kings Water to the brink of annihilation?"
The Fox King fell silent at Ryuku's irrefutable words. Strictly speaking, he had been a sage ruler.
Yet it was equally true that he'd plunged the Seven Kings Water into mortal peril.
Looking back, it shouldn't have been hard to predict the enemy wouldn't agree to a deal.
'In the end, this is just the natural order.'
The law of the jungle. The weak existed only to be devoured. It was a world they'd always known as beasts in the demon realm.
But with human intelligence tempering their savagery, they thrashed desperately to survive.
The Seven Kings Water had just two choices: battle the predator who defeated the Beast King, or submit beneath him.
"No helping it. We'll surrender."
"An excellent decision."
"Surviving is the true victory. The outcome was sealed the moment the Beast King fell."
The Cat Tribe had been among those opposing the war from the start. They'd simply lacked the power to stop it.
Pride? Beastmen dignity? Would that put food in their bellies or shield them from the fangs at their throats?
Bowing to a superior predator and living wasn't shameful at all.
'At least far better than the Reverse King. We joined the Seven Kings Water for the Beast King's protection in the first place......'
The Reverse King wasn't weak, but his power had undeniable flaws when it came to true safeguarding.
Forget the Empire's alliance—even against the nearby Necromancers or Lost Empire, could he protect them?
The Beast King, perhaps. The Reverse King? One could only tilt their head in doubt.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The war that began in early summer showed no signs of ending even as winter set in.
At least the bountiful harvest offered some solace, with ample crops stored away.
If not for the beastmen war, they might have managed a modest harvest festival after all, Cain mused.
"Any movement from the beastmen?"
"Still quiet, my lord."
"Keep them under constant watch. Slack off on vigilance, and I'll hold you accountable—harshly."
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
Cain gave the knight's shoulder an encouraging pat before turning away, the air thick with military discipline.
War was loss incarnate just by waging it. Yet Cain had rejected the Seven Kings Water's overtures.
The reasons were clear-cut. First and foremost, rivers of blood had already soaked the battlefields.
'From Sir Belguard on down, countless knights and soldiers perished. And now they want to slink away like nothing happened?'
No undefeated genius escaped unscathed. Cain was no exception.
Truth be told, he'd prefer rejecting surrender outright and fighting to mutual destruction.
But a cornered rat bites the cat. Hadn't Cain clawed his way here the same way?
Instead, he'd crushed them utterly with overwhelming force. Wasn't that warning enough?
Yes. Deep down, Cain earnestly hoped the Seven Kings Water wouldn't surrender.
'Humiliating, isn't it? So please—don't surrender. Let's settle this to the death.'
It pained him for the frontline troops, but this war allowed only victory or defeat.
It wouldn't end until one side lay in utter ruin.
And Cain had zero intention of yielding. Memories flooded back of his endless deaths battling the Beast King.
'Died over and over. And over. If it had just been me dying alone, I might've considered surrender seriously. But... it wasn't, was it?'
Blood called for blood, as they said. Hard to argue otherwise.
His battle lust surged. Right now, he could slay anyone in his path.
At least until a fortnight later... when the Seven Kings Water envoy delivered their surrender.
"The beastmen tribes excluding the Bear and Tiger have agreed to surrender."
"The war's as good as over now!"
"A bit late, but we can still hold the harvest festival."
"......"
Unlike the other nobles, Cain couldn't muster pure joy. His blood had finally boiled after so long,
only for them to surrender like this? What happened to beastmen pride?
Absurd, but rejecting the surrender wasn't an option either.
The beastmen war had dragged on for nearly half a year. Resources were depleted far beyond expectations.
'Without His Majesty's rewards, we never would've lasted. We fought because we had the supplies...'
And the demon realm held more than just beastmen. Necromancers and the Lost Empire lurked beyond.
Rejecting surrender to exterminate them all would rack up catastrophic losses.
Sure, refusal would've given perfect justification to press on... but they'd surrendered.
"No helping it. Accept on the condition they reveal the Bear and Tiger Tribe locations."
"We've already arranged that."
"Arranged how, exactly?"
"The Bear and Tiger Tribes have been pressuring the others to fight harder. We leveraged that to set up negotiations soon."
"So that meeting becomes our chance to wipe them out."
Ryuku, the envoy once more, nodded quietly. Cain could only sigh deeply in response.
Accepting surrender meant treating them fairly afterward—like the wyverns.
Killing surrendered foes would ensure no one ever surrendered to the Empire again.
"Precisely."
"If it's a trap, the beastmen vanish from this continent forever that day."
"How could we ever lead our new lord into a trap? Please, grant us mercy."
They'd even baited the pesky Bear and Tiger Tribes, groveling with utter humility.
No reason whatsoever to refuse.
And that truly chafed Cain.