Chapter 206
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 206
The beastkin sat there grinning, even though no one had given him permission to laugh. The Duke was one of the most powerful figures in the Empire, yet this man had long since thrown etiquette out the window.
“Bernard! I will ask you one more thing. Are you confident you could defeat the entire military of this territory?”
“How could I possibly do that?”
“Of course. No matter how strong you are, defeating our entire force is impossible. Then let me ask another question. What made you think you could barge in here alone, not knowing what I might do to you? Is the Holy Fire not Rium’s most vital asset?”
“Because I’m confident I can put a hole through the neck of a Duke who seems moments away from choking on his own laughter.”
“Ha! You truly are a madman!”
Every word out of his mouth was worthy of execution. The Duke burst into another fit of mad laughter.
Perhaps the beastkin was right. Laughter seemed to spill out of him uncontrollably. If the Duke kept exhaling like this, he might actually die of hyperventilation.
“I like madmen. I’ve lived my life as one to get where I am today.”
Every time the Duke laughed, the other humans in the room froze, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Only after he finally stopped laughing did the Duke speak again, his voice now razor-sharp.
“However, when you go to meet other humans, you had better go fully prepared. This is my advice, so open your ears and listen carefully. We citizens of the Empire despise beastkin. Even for those who haven’t experienced it firsthand, it’s a hatred passed down through generations.”
“…Thank you for the advice.”
“Guards! Prepare a private room for this man. He is an honored guest. If anyone makes the slightest mistake in his presence, they will be severely punished. Keep that in mind!”
The servants scrambled to leave the room. At the Duke’s gesture, the remaining guards also withdrew. In their place, the Duke grasped one of the swords resting behind him.
“So, you must have seen it on your way here.”
The Duke spoke first, his voice carrying a weight that made him sound like a different person entirely.
“From here on, I ask you not as a fellow madman, but as the Lord of this territory. We are currently busy preparing for a subjugation. Is it a mere coincidence that you sought me out at such a time? Or is there more to it?”
“…”
“Well, if I were to make a simple guess… it has to do with the destruction of Riaze. I already had a rough idea that Rium would make a move. I happen to have a rather useful source of information.”
“You are very perceptive.”
“And what is it you want?”
“You must see this as an opportunity, Your Grace.”
The address shifted from “you” to “Your Grace.” The corner of the Duke’s mouth twitched.
“What kind of opportunity?”
“Now that the foundation of the Empire has crumbled, isn’t this the perfect chance for the Anselm Duchy to become its true center? Do you plan to seize hegemony? That army of yours is surely planning to march toward the Primordial Core, is it not?”
“Indeed. We will gather the will of the Empire’s citizens and set out to subjugate the Primordial Core. We won’t just send a few dozen people as the Empire has done in the past. We are sending an army. This time, we intend to tear it out by the roots.”
“You mean the monster that wiped out Riaze in an instant?”
“Everyone, out,” the Duke commanded in a booming voice. Even the few guards stationed to protect him obeyed the order and filed out, leaving only the two of them in the room.
“From that point on, it becomes a political matter. There are countless conflicting interests at play. What matters to us is winning the hearts of the people and strengthening our unity. In other words, we only need to achieve a certain level of results.”
“I will take that to mean you have no intention of actually defeating Swallow.”
“How you interpret it is your choice. However, I will not give you a straightforward answer.”
“What if you could defeat Swallow? What would you do then?”
“If it were possible, nothing would be better.”
“I have a proposal regarding that.”
“Oh?”
The Duke narrowed his eyes, stroking his long beard. His gaze locked with Bernard’s, and those hawk-like eyes seemed to scan the beastkin’s very soul.
“Although a wall of conflict spanning over a hundred and fifty years stands between humans and beastkin…”
“…”
“If we share a common enemy, couldn’t we join hands just this once?”
“Is this your own action? Or is it the will of the Empress?”
Though he asked, the Duke already knew the answer. The truly mad one wasn’t this beastkin. An even greater madwoman had simply sent a madman to a madman’s doorstep.
…
After a moment of deliberation, the Duke replied.
“Let’s hear the details, then.”
After story
Rumors circulated among the Empire’s upper echelons that an explosion of unknown origin had occurred in an underground laboratory in the northeastern region, completely obliterating the facility and its surroundings.
“Thank you for your hard work, Boss. It was a long trip.”
Swallow, having personally made the expedition to the Empire, entered his room with slow, heavy steps. He had been gone for exactly eight days. Patrick, who had moved his chores into Swallow's room to guard it in his absence, didn't stop polishing his sword, merely turning his head.
“You look exhausted.”
“I feel like I’m going to die. Isn’t the Empire way too far?”
“Still, you did well. Even if it’s a hassle, it’s best to prune the stray branches from time to time. If biological experimentation advances past a certain point, it bodes ill for humans and monsters alike.”
“Honestly, I was a bit surprised. If they had researched for another fifty years, they might have actually created an artificial Hero. I blew the whole area to smithereens, but… do you think any documents might still exist elsewhere?”
“I believe the current Emperor despises that line of work. At the very least, no related documents would be circulating within the Imperial Palace. Besides, it’s not an established field of study, so the knowledge isn’t passed down systematically. They wouldn’t have scattered related documents all over the place. As long as you completely wiped out the laboratory and the scholars inside, you shouldn’t have to worry.”
“If you asked me to go back, I couldn’t. Too much of a hassle.”
His lifeless footsteps shuffled forward a few more times before coming to a halt. Lacking the energy to even reach his usual spot, Swallow collapsed onto the floor right where he stood. A perfectly flat, comfortable spot lay just a few meters away, but even walking that short distance seemed like too much trouble.
“Well, putting that aside…”
As Swallow slumped down, Patrick finished polishing his sword and slowly stood up. Now was not the time for weapon maintenance. There was a pressing question he had to ask.
“So… why did you bring this child back with you?”
Patrick turned his head to look at the figure Swallow had brought along: an expressionless girl who had been silently trailing behind him.
Disheveled silver hair and a tiny frame that could be called runty—not that her appearance mattered. The problem was that someone who wasn’t a member of the dungeon had entered Swallow’s room.
“I picked her up on the way.”
“No, I mean, why did you pick her up on the way?”
“She caught my eye.”
“…”
“I’m serious.”
Dumbfounded by the absurd reason, Patrick stared at Swallow with a look of utter pity. Only after enduring a heavy dose of his subordinate’s contemptuous glare did Swallow offer an explanation.
“She’s a homunculus. You remember the arson incident in Graphenia’s forest, right? When the old lady’s face contorted, steam practically billowed from her head, and I went with her to find the culprit.”
“Boss, can’t you just say Ms. Graphenia was angry? Do you really have to describe it like that?”
“Anyway.”
“I remember the incident. You mean the one where that Lapudir fellow from the Thirdvale family was the culprit?”
“Yeah, that one. I met this kid while resolving that matter. Even when she saw me, she just blinked blankly. I thought she was a peculiar one back then, but to think I’d run into her again at the laboratory this time. I figured it must be fate, so I brought her along.”
“Is that really all?”
“Does it look like there’s another reason?”
Swallow grinned. Realizing the meaning behind that smile, Patrick let out a soft exclamation of admiration.
“So you mean this tiny body contains the absolute essence of homunculus research.”
She hadn’t been afraid of Swallow during their first encounter. And that remained true now, meeting him a second time.
Even after coming to the Primordial Core—a place so overflowing with dark energy it was called a demon realm—and standing in Swallow’s room, where that energy was densest, she showed no fear. It meant she possessed a mind and body capable of enduring it all.
“Her original master was some guy named Podes, but he died a long time ago… Since she was in the laboratory, she was probably locked up without a master.”
“I can guess as much.”
A being born solely to be used by humans.
In the early days of homunculus research, funding was severely lacking, so only a tiny number of specimens were produced. Wealthy nobles likely donated funds to custom-order servants they could control at will.
‘Her body type and appearance were probably custom-ordered by a noble as well.’
A being who had lived as a human slave could hardly do anything independently upon suddenly gaining freedom. She must have wandered aimlessly among humans before being recovered by the laboratory.
Considering her vessel was strong enough not to fear Swallow, and that she remained in the laboratory without being disposed of, she was highly likely used as a specimen. Because she was a special model rather than a mass-produced one, they wanted to dissect and study her.
…Born as a human slave, and even after being freed, she had lived a life of exploitation.
“I feel a bit awkward badmouthing her creator in front of her, but whoever made that homunculus must have been a psychopath. To think they would concentrate all their technology into a slave specimen made to a noble’s order… Just how much obsession did they pour into her to create that?”
“I didn’t make her, so how should I know, you punk?”
After exchanging glances with Swallow, Patrick turned his gaze back to the homunculus girl.
She remained expressionless throughout the conversation. Perhaps out of habit from her past, she simply stared straight ahead, her hands politely clasped together.
—An empty shell.
Or perhaps she had been trained to be one.
“…”
The clothes she wore were closer to filthy rags. Her thin legs were covered in countless scratches, suggesting she had been treated roughly. Though her expression remained blank, her small body was trembling. It was not fear of Swallow or Patrick, but a different kind of dread.
“Since I brought her here, she considers me her master. She’s trembling because I haven’t given her any orders.”
“Boss, what do you plan to do with this child?”
“I’m going to let her live here. She seems to have plenty of talent, so I’ll start by teaching her how to fight. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll just let her live a comfortable life. It looks like she has some experience as a maid, too. Maybe we can have her cook.”
“Are you serious? And who is going to train her?”
“Patrick.”
“Pardon?”
“Good luck.”
“…”
“You were bored with nothing to do anyway, weren’t you?”
That was true, but…
“…”
Once again, Patrick looked at the homunculus girl.
Swallow’s eye for talent had never been wrong. He never brought anyone back out of mere pity; whenever he did bring someone in like this, they always proved useful.
‘Since she’s a homunculus, her physical capabilities are bound to be outstanding. She likely harbors a subconscious hatred for humans as well, and…’
Reading the deep emptiness in her green eyes, Patrick let out a long sigh and looked back at Swallow.
“Boss, what is this child’s name?”
“What was it again? I think she told me when we first met.”
“……low.”
This time, the homunculus girl mumbled softly. A faint voice barely escaped her dry, cracked lips.
“Rel… low.”
“Ah, right. That was her name.”
“Is ‘Rellow’ her full name? Is there nothing else?”
“Does she need more?”
A brief silence fell. As Patrick stared at Swallow, the homunculus girl also slowly raised her head and gazed blankly at him.
“Since you are her master, Boss, why don’t you give her a new name?”
“I’m not very good at naming things.”
“But you name other monsters from time to time, don’t you? Miss Rellow is escaping the hands of humans to start a new life. It would be nice for her to have a new name.”
“Uh…”
Swallow, who had been lying flat on his back, sat up abruptly and bowed his head in deep thought. A long moment passed.
“Rene.”
“That’s a good one. Let’s go with ‘Rene Rellow’ then. Excellent. Well then, Miss Rene.”
“Rene…” the girl murmured, tasting her new name.
Patrick slowly stood up, exchanging a silent, understanding glance with Swallow.
“Now, since we are cold-blooded here, we’ll start your training right away. First, I’ll bring you something to eat, and then you can wash up and change your clothes.”
“…”
As if unable to comprehend his words, Rene merely tilted her head. Patrick placed his fingers on her face and gently pushed the corners of her mouth upward.
Her face formed a forced smile.
“First, let’s learn how to smile.”
It was her very first one.