Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Negative Reality is Hard to Accept (2)
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Negative reality is hard to accept.
The Ronin Tribe, bearing wolf traits and handling most external dealings.
The Lion Tribe, with lion characteristics, boasting the most beastman heroes, along with unmatched martial prowess and charisma.
The Bear Tribe, said to possess such raw strength that even ordinary villagers rival mid-tier heroes.
The Ox Tribe, embodying bovine traits and unrivaled in diligence and labor.
The Cat Tribe, feline in nature, serving as the brains with their innate intelligence and cunning.
These are the races currently holding the positions of the five elders who represent all beastmen.
Bastia, the nation of beastmen living under the rule of these five tribes.
As demi-humans with beastly traits, their senses are exceptionally sharp, and their abilities inherently superior.
On top of that, they can beastify, transforming their bodies to maximize combat power and special abilities.
They truly are a race born for battle.
Though they seem fearless, in truth, they fear "humans."
Especially adventurers and hunters who kidnap beastmen and elves to sell as slaves.
So when word spread that human adventurers had saved Bastia, the beastmen fell into chaos.
"They're pretending to help! They just want to kidnap us!"
"We can't fall for it!"
"Humans are sly! If we trust them, they'll steal Bastia!"
Opinions abounded that they were lulling the beastmen into complacency for kidnapping or plotting to seize Bastia itself.
Of course, there were plenty of opposing views.
"Not all humans are bad! These are good humans who helped us!"
"We can't forget their kindness!"
Either way, they were benefactors who saved Bastia on the brink of destruction.
Regardless of motives, the fact remained that beastmen had received their grace.
Even if humans had wronged them many times, not all were evil—that was the counterargument.
Beastmen had their villains too.
Some mercilessly killed for personal gain, even trading with humans to sell their own kin.
Scum like that existed.
But just as you couldn't label all beastmen trash for that reason,
you couldn't judge all humans based on the scum they'd encountered.
In the end, beastmen opinions split down the middle.
Some insisted they couldn't be trusted and should be driven out immediately,
others argued they were benefactors and that was that.
Debate raged.
But the five elders leading them thought differently.
"No, these are the ones who wiped out those dragons that had us cornered in an instant. Why would they bother deceiving us? They helped purely out of goodwill. If anything, I want to ask why we're not simply grateful."
Srin, the Cat Tribe chieftain and one of the five elders, narrowed her sharp eyes and shrugged.
Her massive twin peaks atop her upper body swayed flexibly with the motion.
The two chieftains—fathers to Hickle and Emmy, respectively—nodded at her words.
"They're true heroes."
Cotton, the Lion Tribe chieftain with golden mane-like hair akin to Emmy's, said curtly.
Hizen, the Ronin Tribe chieftain with his grayish, slightly long hair, pointed ears, and bushy tail, agreed.
"Indeed. Humans are cunning and untrustworthy, but ones that strong have no need to deceive us slyly. If they wanted, they could sweep away weakened Bastia in moments."
Neither was biased simply because their own children had brought back humans.
These people—especially Jenny, Lin, and Scarlett from Hassler—exuded a subtle trustworthiness unlike other humans.
Was it because they were heroes?
No, that wasn't it.
As Ronin Tribe chieftain handling external affairs, Hizen had frequented human lands since childhood and knew.
'Even other human heroes didn't give off that vibe.'
He couldn't explain it precisely,
but it was an instinctual, animal sense.
The feeling that saving the world and helping people was only natural.
That they were such beings.
"Kuhahat! Strong ones! Trustworthy! Yum!"
Gu, the Bear Tribe chieftain who judged all by strength, seemed to like them too.
"Whatever the case, they saved us. They're benefactors."
Mosley, the Ox Tribe chieftain, agreed.
For once, the five elders were unanimous.
"The malcontents will fade with time anyway. If those people have no intent to invade or attack Bastia, nothing will come of it."
Srin shrugged, wrapping things up,
and settled comfortably into her seat.
"...This could actually be a golden opportunity?"
Then Hizen snapped his fingers, as if struck by a brilliant idea.
"Play this right, and we could drive out every human force eyeing Bastia?"
"Oh ho...?"
#
'Adventurers Jenny Harkur, Lin, Veronica, and the Scarlett Party have repelled the black dragons attacking Bastia and are being honored as benefactors.'
The rumor spread like it was orchestrated, racing across the world in no time.
Jenny Harkur, the hottest rising hero-turned-adventurer.
The already famous Scarlett Party.
And the monstrous newcomer Lin just starting to make waves.
Every name in the tale was primed for buzz.
Plus the setting: dragons invading beastman nation Bastia?
Friction between anti-human Bastia and dragons, resolved by human adventurers—heroes, technically.
A story straight out of a novel.
This tantalizing news spread far and wide, reaching everywhere.
Even Hassler.
"...Phew, they did it."
"Woooah! Our Hassler adventurers!!"
"Lady Jenny! Miss Lin! Scarlett and Veronica! Ngh~ Adventurers' fame spreading far and wide!"
Trason Free Nation too.
"...Jean's name isn't mentioned?"
"No, Your Majesty. Not a word."
"Good. Looks like they handled it discreetly."
"More importantly, countermeasures for the fallout from this..."
Hero Academy as well.
"Hahaha! As expected of our academy grads!"
"So that's why Jenny left the hero path!"
"Hero Management Bureau's the idiots. We raised her right."
"...Huh? But Lin—could she be that demon-possessed..."
"N-No way, probably not."
"Heard she flowed into Hassler..."
To Karr Empire's emperor.
"Didn't expect them to drop such a bombshell right out the gate."
"Once their fame grows a bit more, we could go public with our ties, Your Majesty."
"I see. Heh heh heh."
And... it reached Pacific Kingdom too.
[The rising monster rookie adventurer Lin is known as a mage wielding devastating ice magic. Rumors say she caused a demon possession incident at Hero Academy but was freed with Jenny Harkur's help. Blaming Pacific Kingdom and Hero Academy for her expulsion, she became an adventurer instead of a hero...]
"What the fuck!!"
BAM!
Pacific Kingdom's first prince, Mir Pacific, slammed the international paper down and punched his desk.
"That fucking bitch dares tarnish Pacific Kingdom's name again?"
The seventh child, irrelevant anyway, had already embarrassed the kingdom once with that demon incident.
Now pulling this media stunt to smear them again?
He couldn't forgive Lin.
"...Hmph, that hero Jenny probably did all the work while she fiddled with her one gimmick ice magic on the side."
"Then becomes an adventurer, steals the spotlight, trashes us in the press, and lives it up? Unbelievable."
The other princes and princesses felt the same irritation at her antics.
And above all.
"How dare she, how dare she..."
The one who'd discarded her, King Orlando Pacific of Pacific Kingdom, burned with the greatest fury.
He'd sacrificed even his daughter for the kingdom's face.
Now that discarded daughter was trying to shame them again—he couldn't stomach it.
"Send someone to Hassler immediately. Tell that wench to kneel before me at once."
Orlando thought:
Just summon her, and she'd come running back, trembling and begging as before.
'She has nothing without my approval anyway. Her adventuring now is just to win me back, to get my attention!'
So call her back, berate her, ensure she never tarnishes the kingdom's name again.
Tell her to live quietly.
If not... dispose of her.
With that, he dispatched someone to Hassler right away.
#
"I've heard the rumors. Jenny's group shone in Bastia, yes?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
No, how did it come to this...?
I'd just had that bizarre tea time with Marquis Sain, then holed up in the capital library hunting books on martial dance, reviewing theory.
Some I'd seen in Hassler, others from the marquisate or academy.
Of course, new compilations since then, and materials I hadn't found before.
Most content overlapped, but subtle differences or extra details made it enjoyable to read and organize.
Once I'd sorted the capital library's haul,
it still felt insufficient.
The imperial library must have even more, right?
Rare tomes ordinary folk couldn't touch!
...Stupid idea.
Even with my emperor connection, how would I get in?
They wouldn't let just anyone in because "I'm buddies with His Majesty."
But I was deep in a runner's high chasing new finds—
plainly, insane.
"If you tell His Majesty that Kane from the Hassler branch is here, he'll know."
Incredibly, I pulled off the "I'm tight with your emperor, dude!" card.
...Leading to this moment.
Right after, regretting and turning to apologize and leave,
that butler from before appeared, saying His Majesty wanted to see me, and brought me here.
...Me, drinking tea with His Majesty in his receiving chamber.
Never dreamed it'd happen.
Wh-What is even going on...
"Heh heh, first time meeting face-to-face like this. Heard a lot about you."
"Y-Yes..."
Wh-What do I even say?!
To the leader of the world's strongest nation... my homeland's emperor...!!
Damn it, after Marquis Sain, why heap these trials on me... Sigh.