Chapter 171: A Far Away Tale. Herald of All Dogs
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: A Far Away Tale. Herald of All Dogs
"This is State Signaller Yuel of the Military State, broadcasting to all units deployed near Amitengrad."
The voice that echoed through the outskirts of Amitengrad was as rigid and dry as the Military State itself.
The voice of a single person, just one, was transmitted to all nearby units through dozens of synchronized golems.
The Capital Defense Forces, the Military Police, the Logistics and Border Corps—all of them stopped what they were doing to listen intently to the voice coming from the communication golems.
"As of this moment, four entities with a Level 5 threat rating are rapidly approaching the capital of the Military State. They are heading in a straight line from the northeast, with an estimated arrival time of approximately two hours."
Amitengrad, the capital of the Military State, housed its primary communication facilities. But in case those heavy, conspicuous facilities were ever damaged for any reason, signallers were always on standby. It was certain there was at least one, but how many more there were was unknown. It was classified information.
In any case, the order was coming directly from the heart of the Military State, and every unit held its breath, waiting for what would come next.
"Standard units of Level 3 or below will be unable to stop them. Level 4 units may conduct delaying operations, but will inflict no effective damage. For an efficient suppression operation, a minimum of one Level 5 unit and two of the Six Generals are estimated to be required."
At the signaller's dispassionate assessment, the nearby units could only hold their breath.
A Level 5 unit and two of the Six Generals. That combination was a force meant for a full-scale war. It meant that to efficiently suppress these four, the very elite of the elite—forces that would only be deployed to fight an entire nation—were needed.
Worse, "efficient suppression" didn't necessarily mean few casualties on their side.
Just how many would die in this small war?
"However, their aggression is extremely low. To date, not a single fatality has occurred in combat, and it is predicted that damage to civilians will be minimal to none, even if positions are abandoned. For these reasons, engagement avoidance is deemed the rational course of action. I hereby issue an Active Engagement Avoidance order to all units in the vicinity of Amitengrad."
Some breathed a sigh of relief at the news that civilians wouldn't be harmed, while others frowned.
Relief that they wouldn't have to fight such powerful foes.
Frustration that, as soldiers, they were being told to give up even the capital.
A counterargument that since such powerful beings wouldn't live forever, they might just go away if treated with some respect.
A rebuttal that their reputation would be in tatters if they simply stood by and watched their territory be overrun.
Shouts of "If you've got a problem with it, disobey orders and go fight them yourself."
And the self-justification of those who would normally risk their lives to eliminate intruders, but were now backing down, telling themselves it was only because of their orders.
"Border patrol units predicted to be in their path of travel are to engage in direct avoidance. Take all equipment and proceed to the 3rd Supply Base. The Capital Defense Forces are ordered to evacuate all posts, with the exception of Defense Command."
Regardless, orders had to be obeyed. Officers immediately began urging their soldiers to pack their belongings and gather their equipment.
All to actively avoid engagement.
But no one in the Military State knew.
The four they were trying so hard to actively avoid had already infiltrated Amitengrad under the cover of darkness.
High-ranking vampires can manipulate darkness and swim through the deep, spreading shadows.
Far above the tallest building in Amitengrad, a pair of ominous, crimson stars looked down upon the capital of the Military State.
"...So this is the royal capital of the Military State."
Amitengrad, which she had heard was the capital, was a far cry from what Tyrkanzyaka had imagined.
There was no majestic royal palace built with wealth gathered from all corners of the land. Nor were there massive walls encircling the city.
Instead, Amitengrad seemed poised to crush its enemies with sheer size alone, like a great, coiled dragon.
For the sake of density and heat conservation, all residences were stacked neatly, one on top of the other, in multi-story buildings.
Faint streetlights stood in rows between the square-cut districts.
Some places shone like lighthouses even in the pitch-black darkness.
Countless people walked the streets at night like corpses.
After the sun had completely set in the west, when twilight had fallen and shadows cloaked the sky, Tyrkanzyaka, floating alone in the quiet night, murmured as she gazed upon the panorama of Amitengrad.
"...It is truly vast. Like dozens of cities joined together. The humans look as small as ants, yet the city is so large I cannot take it all in at once. I am beginning to understand what it means for there to be... countless people."
Shei, floating beside her with wind wrapped around her entire body, replied.
"Well, it is the most populated city in the Military State. The population is nearly a million..."
"And you expect to find Hu among so many?"
"So that's what you were wondering about. Don't worry. I have a way."
Even for Shei, filtering out a single person from the teeming masses that filled the city was an impossible task. But Shei was a Regressor, and she had a means or two prepared for just such a situation.
"There are three ways to find someone in the Military State."
Shei intended to explain them one by one, but Tyrkanzyaka spoke without a moment's hesitation.
"Let us use them all."
"No. That's not realistic."
"When one writes a letter with their right hand, their left does not simply stop. If you have three methods, why can you not use them? And if they cannot be used, why present them as options in the first place?"
Shei, who had only been trying to explain a little about this country while listing the options, felt a bit dejected by the sudden lecture and answered.
"Okay, first, we can order the Military State to find him for us. They're experts at locating their own citizens. The problem is..."
"Excellent. Let us go."
As if the problem was of no concern whatsoever, Tyrkanzyaka waved her fingers with enthusiasm. The massive coffin, floating in mid-air, began to move forward, cutting through the darkness and shadows.
Shei hastily maneuvered Chun-aeng to follow.
"...Hey! You have to hear the problem, too! There's no way the Military State will just listen to us!"
"If we search, they will move. If they meekly accept our demands, all the better."
"What if the Military State tries to take him hostage?"
"Them?"
Tyrkanzyaka smirked.
"Would they dare? They who avoided a fight out of fear of us, would they truly risk conflict with us to hold onto him? Not unless they wish for their country to burn."
Tyrkanzyaka had accurately assessed the intentions of the nation known as the Military State.
She was born the daughter of a poor physician, but after becoming the Progenitor, she had reigned as an absolute ruler, leading an army of tens of thousands by herself. Even renowned kingdoms had knelt before her and pledged their loyalty, and she had, unintentionally, dabbled in politics.
"Active Engagement Avoidance. What a grandiose justification. No matter how they frame it, they simply do not wish to waste their strength on us when we bear them no particular ill will. If that is the case, there is no reason not to use them."
Muttering this, Tyrkanzyaka's eyes fell upon a figure below.
The Dog King, striding through the streets of the Military State as if it were her own backyard.
Tyrkanzyaka narrowed her eyes and murmured.
"In any case, negotiations will have to be held with the Military State, whether by me or not."
With the Dog King, that is, not the Progenitor.
*
District 1, Capital Defense Headquarters.
An intruder appeared at the headquarters of the very men who sat in their command center, dividing and scattering their forces to various locations.
The sentries didn't even notice the intruder. She had walked in so brazenly, her attire was so out of place, and at the same time, she radiated no hostility whatsoever.
The intruder, who had walked confidently through the main gate, saw the first person she came across and spoke immediately.
"Human. Bring me your king."
Major Ryctus of the Capital Defense Headquarters blinked.
It was a busy time, with the evacuation order having just come down. He was already disgruntled by the fact that his duty, performed while wearing his proud rank insignia, was to run away. And now, a beastkin girl was suddenly approaching him, wagging her tail vigorously and making a strange demand.
"What the? How did you get in here?"
The beastkin replied.
"Bring me your king."
"This is a secure facility. Get out, now."
"Bring me your king."
"If you don't leave immediately, I will open fire!"
"Bring me your king."
Seeing the beastkin repeat the same words like a parrot, Major Ryctus's patience ran out. He drew his saber and pointed it at Azzy.
"The warnings are over! I will kill you!"
Thud. He took a step forward and swung his saber. The mere force of his step cracked the concrete floor. Drawing the earth towards him in an instant with his Gon Qi Art, he brought the saber down like he was splitting firewood. The sound of it cutting through the air was vicious.
Crunch.
The sound of steel buckling between teeth was several times more chilling.
The impact nearly dislocated his wrist, and Major Ryctus staggered back. Steading his trembling body, he looked down at his beloved sword. Above the hilt, half of the saber's blade was gone.
It wasn't that her tooth had chipped, but that the blade had been chipped by her tooth. As the horrified Major Ryctus's eyes widened, she spoke again.
"Bring me your king."
Only then did Major Ryctus truly see the beastkin girl before him.
A girl with her ears and tail held erect, silhouetted against the dark, full moon. Her eyes were friendly, yet they held an inexplicable authority and dignity.
Like a gentle king who cherishes her people...
Major Ryctus, who had helped topple a kingdom to build the Military State, gritted his teeth in revulsion.
"We have no king, beast. Unlike you."
It was a remark meant to belittle the beastkin and provoke his opponent.
But the beastkin girl simply nodded and accepted his words.
"King, mayor, chief, maripgan, chairman, sovereign, lord, emperor, general. The title doesn't matter. I just need to meet your representative."
The representative of the Defense Headquarters would be the Defense Commander, General Boyden. He was a man of great martial prowess, a decorated veteran of many battlefields, and one of the great Stars of the Military State.
But this was the relatively safe capital. While his Qi Arts were as formidable as any other general's, he was by no means on the level of the Six Generals.
If this girl were to harm the General...
The command center would be annihilated.
"As if I'd clear a path for an intruder like you!"
Major Ryctus shouted, the veins in his neck bulging. It was a cry of desperate resolve, but also a signal to those behind him who were observing the situation.
Ryctus prayed inwardly, hoping someone would understand his intention.
Ironically, the first to understand his meaning was the beastkin girl.
Her tail drooped as she replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"You don't want to talk to me."
It was a statement, and it was the truth.
Ryctus hated this monster who could sever a blade—a Qi-infused blade, no less—with her teeth. The fact that she was a beastkin only amplified his fear and disgust.
The girl looked at the man who directed his fear and loathing at her. She felt the terror in his eyes. She knew that she was the source of that terror.
It was a pity, but it couldn't be helped.
That was what it was to be human.
"Still, you must keep your promise."
"I know nothing of this promise! Stop spouting nonsense! If you want to meet someone, go through the proper channels!"
Of course, Ryctus had no intention of letting her meet anyone even if she went through the proper channels, nor did he have the authority to do so. He was merely using procedure as an excuse to buy time.
And Major Ryctus's efforts were rewarded.
"You've bought us enough time, Major Ryctus!"
Another voice rang out. Ryctus and the beastkin girl looked up simultaneously. At the main entrance of the command building, a general officer with a single star on his uniform raised his arm, his mustache twitching.
"Your efforts were not in vain! Thanks to you, we have prepared ourselves!"
At his gesture, heavily armed troops descended from all over the Defense Headquarters.
A captain there, a major here. Every single soldier was at least a company-grade officer, and field-grade officers were common.
Since they had been just about to follow the evacuation order, they all had their combat arms and weapons packed and ready.
Even excluding the troops that had already departed, this was an elite force of 200 officers. Considering that grunts below a certain level would only get in the way, this was the maximum force that could be gathered in the capital at a moment's notice.
"All units!"
Click.
The officers simultaneously inserted their combat arms into their packets.
Whirrr, clank.
Huge steel plates split open like scales and rose up. A pale blue alchemical glow formed between the steel plates and chains aligned according to the Arch-Avatar. As steel interlocked and scales covered their bodies, the officers transformed into warriors clad in full armor.
Swords, spears, guns, axes. Wielding weapons that matched their Qi Arts, the officers, clad in seamless armor, slowly advanced. A cold Qi swirled around their blades.
Some hesitated even as they armed themselves, questioning the order.
"Wait! Didn't the evacuation order come down? We're not supposed to engage them!"
"We've been caught. We have no choice. Are you going to just hand over the Commander?!"
The general who had barked the order glared at Azzy again and shouted.
"Disarm yourself and surrender immediately!"
All the while, the girl had been calmly observing the general.
"...Not enough."
She looked at the one-star general, the deputy commander of the Defense Headquarters, and shook her head.
Firmly, definitively.
"You are not qualified. You cannot be the representative. You are not even a fragment of your king."
Who could possibly tell a general of the Military State that he was unqualified? A Level 4 citizen, a commander of countless soldiers, a master of the Heaven and Gon Qi Art.
The general, incensed by her dismissive attitude, shouted back.
"We are the Military State, born from the ashes of the monarchy! We have no king! If you're looking for a king, go to another country!"
At those words, Azzy lifted her head.
Her gently curved eyes reflected a glittering light. It wasn't the stars in the night sky, but the countless weapons with their sharp, gleaming edges. All sorts of weapons, harboring a ferocious light and concealing killing intent beneath.
It was familiar. They would make a promise to the Dog King, then use the Dog King for a price they never intended to pay. But the Dog King was always, always betrayed.
The previous king and the current Azzy were different individuals, but the existence of the king had been passed down. As had the knowledge of how meaningless promises become in the face of danger.
Still.
"It doesn't have to be a king. A general is fine. As long as you are qualified to face me. As long as you are qualified to represent humans, even if only a part of them."
Still, Azzy had to find a human, or a group, who would fulfill the promise.
Because to defeat the wolf, one needs a shepherd.
"Come before me, and remember the promise."
A pitch-black dot appeared on Azzy's forehead.
The general was startled. He thought someone had shot her in the head.
But he was surprised once by the fact that there was no gunshot.
And again by the fact that the dot on Azzy's forehead was gradually growing.
He realized this was no gunshot wound.
That this phenomenon itself was anything but ordinary.
Scrape, scrape.
A sound like a sharp chisel scraping and carving into space could be heard. As the sound grew louder, a pitch-black crack formed along the line of Azzy's forehead. The crack twisted and merged, soon forming a single shape.
Someone who saw the shape murmured.
"...A crown?"
As he said, a crown that looked as if it were woven from plant stems materialized out of thin air.
It began at Azzy's forehead and extended to the back of her head. As if it were growing by consuming space itself, the crown circled halfway around Azzy's head with a scraping sound. Then, it stopped, advancing no further.
"I kept my promise. I waited in the Abyss."
Azzy lifted her head. With the movement, the crown floating a hand's breadth from her head moved with her.
Like an angel's halo, proving its status without any physical support.
Only then did the general recall the identity of his opponent.
"...The Herald's Proclamation, delivered by the Dog King?"
The Beast Kings, who represent all beasts.
They typically possess only the characteristics of their animal and live ordinary lives, no different from other beasts.
However.
A Beast King who has decided to speak, or act, on behalf of all beasts...
Gains the power and qualification to do so.
Wearing the half-formed crown woven from nonexistent stems, Azzy was present here as the Dog King.
For even if dogs loved humans and devoted their loyalty to them, their hearts and wills were not in human hands.
The Dog King, on behalf of all dogs, declared.
"Now, it is your turn to keep the promise."