Chapter 172: A Far Away Tale. The Aloof King and the Gentle King
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 172: A Far Away Tale. The Aloof King and the Gentle King
The soldiers who had toppled the kingdom razed the royal palace and established a military government. The first king to visit the new nation was none other than the Dog King.
The Dog King personally visited the Military State and asked for their help in driving out the wolves.
In those days, the Military State shuddered at the very concept of a king. It was partly a condemnation of incompetence, and partly the inferiority complex of those who had never been chosen by a king.
This held true even for a Beast King. To the Military State, the Dog King, who claimed to represent all dogs and constantly fought with the wolves, was no different from a warmongering tyrant.
However, the Military State was not a band of fools who would try to kill the Dog King out of simple hatred. Instead, they made a different proposal.
They would provide a place to hide from the eyes and noses of the wolves, and told him to stay there. If he kept his promise, they would help the dogs defeat the wolves.
Of course, there was a political calculation involved.
The Dog King was a being that drew the attention of the Wolf King. Having fallen out of favor with the surrounding nations by executing their own king, the Military State needed a few bombs in hand to detonate if necessary. Otherwise, the fragile, newborn nation would surely be crushed and broken by foreign invasion.
The Dog King nodded at the Military State’s proposal. It was the first treaty made since the nation’s birth.
But a nation's promises can be as fickle as a man's mind, and their tune changed when the time came to pay their dues.
When the day to honor the old debt approached, the nation known as the Military State felt one thing.
Annoyance.
“…Dog King. You have broken our pact.”
Defense Commander Boyden strode out from within the command center. The officers hastily cleared a path for him. A few tried to stand in his way, warning him of the danger, but they quickly retreated at a gesture from Boyden.
Now face-to-face with the Dog King, Commander Boyden spoke slowly.
“Our agreement was contingent on you remaining quietly in the Abyss until the appointed time. But you came rushing out of there.”
“Woof.”
Azzy barked with a snort. Commander Boyden had expected the Dog King to argue.
Don’t be absurd.
How could I stay in the Abyss when it’s gone?
Twenty-five years is a long time to wait.
If she had replied with any of those, his plan was to twist her words and gain a more advantageous position.
It was a transparent, yet difficult to counter, political maneuver to shift responsibility.
Commander Boyden’s political calculations were aimed at extracting a concession from the Dog King.
However.
“You don’t want to keep your promise.”
The Dog King's words made Commander Boyden flinch.
Too pure to be human, but could one dismiss this being as a mere dog? This being who had so accurately pinpointed the position of Boyden and the Military State?
“Are the wolves scary? You don’t want to fight?”
Commander Boyden answered slowly. Not to gain a psychological advantage as before, but because he didn’t know what to say.
“We are not afraid. We are simply not prepared. It is not yet time…”
“I’m ready.”
Azzy said, looking the commander straight in the eye.
“Wolves, they form packs. I, I don’t form a pack. Instead, I share promises with humans. The humans who promise me are my pack.”
“…We are not dogs. We cannot be your pack.”
“I know. You’re human. That’s why I promised. To lead the charge when we fight the wolves. I will protect humans, so humans will protect me.”
It was too pure to be called a treaty, yet it couldn’t be dismissed as a simple promise.
Wolves, the symbol of the wild, the king of the most ferocious animals. Cunning and savage beasts that had caused countless conflicts with humanity.
The Wolf King, their ruler, attacked humans more aggressively than any other beast. In turn, humans and their friends would drive the wolves away.
…Though that, too, was a story of the past.
“Woof. I waited, nicely. I kept waiting, believing the promise would be kept. No sunlight, no walks. It wasn’t fun, but I did it to chase away the wolves. To protect the humans. I endured and kept waiting.”
The bisected crown hummed. The Dog King, Herald of All Dogs, was commanding humanity to aid the dogs.
Looking at the symbol of a king exuding such a powerful presence, Boyden felt a rage simmering within him.
This was different from the false kings of men. The beastkin standing before him was a being anointed by the world itself. A true Dog King who genuinely cared for them, represented them, and had the power to do so.
Why, why was it that only lowly beasts possessed kings? The more he mulled it over, the more Boyden’s hatred and inferiority complex surged, but the seasoned politician skillfully concealed his emotions.
“…That is not my concern. Mobilizing the military to fight the wolves is an irrational act.”
“You’re not going to keep your promise?”
“That is not for me to decide.”
Commander Boyden was one of the few generals in the Military State, but he could not decide on such a grave matter alone. A cabinet meeting had to be held via the signallers and a resolution passed.
But Commander Boyden knew. The Military State would never fight the Wolf King.
With the Abyss gone, they had no capacity to confront the Wolf King. The Dholes would soon swarm to the Abyssal Wastelands, which would soon be restored by the grace of Mother Earth.
A war would break out. It was sooner than expected, but it was anticipated. The Military State was already preparing for war with the Fallen Dominion, which bordered the Abyssal Wastelands.
Opening a two-front war from the very beginning, when seizing the initiative was crucial, would only prolong the conflict.
“Besides, why should we get involved in your war? Humans have no king, so why should humans be hurt in the conflicts of kings?”
“The King of Humans, humans got rid of him. They said they didn’t need him, so he disappeared. That’s why I have no choice but to make promises with humans.”
Azzy replied, her voice tinged with loneliness.
“But humans don’t remember promises. No one protects me…”
Her resigned tone was pitiable, but the matter was too great to be moved by emotion alone. Commander Boyden waved his hand dismissively.
“If your business is concluded, would you please leave? We have work to do.”
“…You’re mean.”
Commander Boyden replied with a hollow laugh.
“What can you do, O Dog King? Will you attack us? Will you raise a rebellion against humans for breaking a promise?”
Commander Boyden sneered, knowing the Dog King could never do such a thing.
And he was right. Even with humans armed with swords and spears standing densely before her, Azzy held no hostility towards them.
But Azzy’s lack of hostility was reserved for humans alone.
Swords and spears were a different matter. Azzy bared her teeth at everything except humans.
“I’m going to throw a tantrum.”
“Nyaa.”
White, fluffy hair cascaded down to her waist. A tail that was both still and agile. Perked cat ears.
A catkin with a noble appearance that would capture anyone’s gaze for a moment stretched languidly, swishing her tail. Her front paws extended, her back arching in a smooth curve.
Having thoroughly stretched, Nabi licked her front paw and murmured.
“Stupid doggy. A king or not, you're still chained, nya. You keep seeking humans even when you get nothing in return. How pitiful, nya…”
The crown that had been floating above Nabi’s head twisted and distorted before vanishing. She had briefly worn the crown due to the Dog King’s ‘proclamation,’ but upon realizing it was a declaration meant only for humans, the Cat King set aside her royal duties and returned to being an individual.
Nabi watched Azzy begin her ‘tantrum’ and shifted her body.
“Nyaa~. All that zipping around is making my blood boil, nya. Should I help, nya?”
A small murmur, one that could have seeped into the cracks of the earth. Yet, the ears of Azzy, who was rampaging below, twitched. Azzy, too, expressed her refusal with a small sound.
“Woof. No.”
Hearing the reply, Nabi lowered her half-raised body and yawned lazily.
“Nyaa. Do as you please, nya. You poor, stupid doggy.”
Returning to the role of an observer, Nabi silently watched the Dog King’s rampage.
The tantrum of the Dog King was more ‘king’ than ‘dog.’
Fifteen sets of combat arms were already destroyed. The razor-sharp weapons were all marred with unsightly teeth marks. The officers who had sworn they would never let go of their weapons, even in death, were forced to retract that vow today.
The damage was not limited to weapons. The weapons in human hands and the armor they wore were in relatively good condition.
Compared to what had happened to non-human things, they had at least maintained their original shape.
The entire command center looked as if a bomb had been dropped, or rather, as if a giant earthweaver had turned the very ground upside down.
The walls of the command center were covered in Level 4 alchemic steel to repel external attacks. Azzy treated it like loose wallpaper.
Which is to say, she tore it off with her teeth.
The alchemic steel wasn’t mere wallpaper; it was armor plating bolted to the building’s exterior. For it to be ripped off by a single individual’s teeth meant the building couldn’t possibly remain intact. The Defense Command, which had boasted a solid and imposing figure, now had its walls torn away, its interior starkly exposed.
Not a single military automaton carriage remained standing on all four wheels, and the doors, scratched by claws, were crumpled, revealing the insides through the gaps.
The yard and walls were covered in paw prints and claw marks. A farmer would have mistaken it for freshly tilled land and planted seeds.
The only thing the officers could do was chase after Azzy’s tail. That was the only way they could even hope to catch up to her before she half-demolished something else.
Whenever an officer’s hand got close, Azzy would bark joyfully as if playing a game of tag and dash off somewhere else.
Finally, Commander Boyden could take no more and shouted.
“That’s enough of this rampage—!”
Shoving aside the officer guarding him, he launched himself forward without even equipping his combat arm. Leaping 30 meters in a single bound, he spread his palm wide and swept through the space itself. A blueish energy erupted from each of his fingers, descending upon Azzy like a net.
Azzy leaped back as if burned. She jumped so hastily that her body was half-buried in a wall. Commander Boyden clicked his tongue and gave chase again.
The officers marveled at their commander’s martial prowess.
“As expected of the Commander…!”
But Commander Boyden knew the truth.
The reason the Dog King reacted so sensitively was because he was bare-handed.
Commander Boyden’s fists were fast and powerful. If she were to block or parry them, a tremendous impact would strike him. Of course, the commander had the strength and Qi to withstand it, but Azzy was incapable of inflicting that level of threat on a human.
The most she would do was bite their weapons or tear their combat arms.
That was why she had so easily disarmed the other officers, yet completely dodged Commander Boyden’s attack.
Chasing Azzy’s tail, Commander Boyden yelled.
“Get out! Leave the Military State and find another master! Find a human who will kill the wolves for you!”
“Grrr, ruff!”
Azzy barked threateningly at Commander Boyden, who was shamelessly turning the tables despite not keeping his promise. Of course, Commander Boyden didn’t bat an eye.
Instead, he thought to himself.
Even a dog, whose actions against humans are mere ‘play,’ possesses this much power.
Then how strong must the Wolf King be, who would use even greater power solely to destroy humans? And he would hunt systematically, leading a pack of other wolves…
This must be the price for humanity abandoning their own king.
This is why we should have secured the Dog King before the promise had to be fulfilled.
Regret, by its very definition, implies it is too late. Commander Boyden shook off his thoughts and shouted.
“The humans you seek are not in the Military State! Get out!”
“Awooooooo—!”
The beast’s howl echoed long and loud. Commander Boyden was about to chase Azzy away when…
He flinched at the killing intent he felt from above and looked up.
Tyrkanzyaka, who had been sitting on the coffin watching the events below, turned her head at the killing intent she felt beside her.
Shei was aiming Jizan downward. Her expression was as serious as a surveyor taking measurements.
“…What are you doing?”
“Just a second. I’m calculating how many seconds it’ll take to fall if I drop it from here.”
Jizan’s weight was comparable to a great mountain, but its power was ultimately based on Earth Art. Jizan could not shatter the ground with its own weight.
Still, it could create an impact equivalent to a giant boulder falling. Dropped from this height, even a commander would not emerge unscathed.
If Tyrkanzyaka hadn’t stopped her, Commander Boyden would not have been safe.
“Did you not say we must find Hu? Why have you suddenly decided to kill him?”
“That commander, I thought I recognized him. He was with The Human Regime. He’s the one who runs and supports it. It’s better to kill him now.”
Tyrkanzyaka frowned.
“If you are to kill him, do so after asking about Hu’s whereabouts. If you kill a man of his stature, will they not become uncooperative?”
“That’s why I’m trying to kill him by just dropping Jizan, without revealing our identities.”
“I’m sure they won’t be suspicious at all if we show up right after their commander is killed by a sword that fell from the sky.”
Tyrkanzyaka chided Shei, but Shei hadn’t acted without thought. She was just unaccustomed to explaining herself to others and had forgotten.
Shei first withdrew Jizan and decided to clear her companion’s suspicion.
“There’s no reason to keep him alive. The Human Regime’s disposition is vastly different from the Military State’s. To achieve their goals, they don’t calculate means, methods, or costs. How many of their bases and supply lines did we destroy on our way here? Do you think they’ll cooperate willingly? They might even take him hostage for real.”
“Hmm.”
Tyrkanzyaka looked down, looking troubled. Their help would make things easier, but she certainly didn’t want him to be in danger.
Having made a clean decision, Tyrkanzyaka gestured to Shei.
“In that case, leave him be. If we can kill him at any time, is there a need to make an enemy of him now? Let us deal with it after we find Hu.”
“Ugh. I want to kill him now, though…”
But as Tyrkanzyaka said, Commander Boyden could be killed at any time. There was no need to become complete enemies with the Military State just yet.
Shei clicked her tongue and withdrew Jizan.
“Tsk. Can’t be helped. It’s not like Commander Boyden is the head, anyway.”
The true head of The Human Regime wasn’t him, but the Warforger of the Six Generals. A Weapon Master who was stronger than anyone in a prepared fight.
Shei had defeated him several times in previous timelines, but the ever-changing weapons he used had given her a great deal of trouble each time.
It might be better to leave him alive than to kill him here and alert the Warforger.
“A wise decision. Since it has come to this, let us use the second and third methods. What is the second method?”
“The second method is to ask Azzy and Nabi to find him. With the sense of smell of a Beast King, they should be able to find him quickly with just a little legwork.”
“Hoh. A fine plan. And the third?”
Shei grinned. As if she had been waiting for this moment to prove her competence, she puffed out her chest and said proudly.
“The third is to get the information from the Information Guild. And I happen to know how to contact them.”
“The Information Guild, you say.”
As expected, Tyrkanzyaka showed interest. Shei preened slightly and added.
“When you talk about information brokers in Amitengrad, you mean the Black Cat. It’s a magazine company that specializes in gossip and exposés, but their work is on par with any information guild. If you go to the counter that only secret members can access, they’ll sell you information, and if you pay a fee, they’ll even investigate for you. Finding one person isn’t that dangerous of a job, so they should be able to find him quickly.”
However, no one there could have possibly predicted.
A magazine company run by beastkin. What kind of information could be waiting for them there?