Chapter 482: King of All Beasts
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 482: King of All Beasts
The sacred Enger Plains. A blessed land that had fed the continent throughout its grand history. A grace of the earth so vast it spanned an empire and two vassal states, a stage and a prize for many struggles.
Even the Enger Plains, which seemed to stretch to the ends of the earth, had a final border. If one traveled south without a destination, the land would gradually dry up, and a parched wind carrying the scent of dust would begin to blow. The sun would climb higher, watching over all creation, and the hot air would rise to one’s chin, making each breath a struggle.
Ende lay on that border.
It was said that further south lay an endless sea of trees, but for anyone but an adventurer, Ende was the last bastion of civilization. This was especially true now that the fall of the Golden Empire and the Kingdom had temporarily severed all exchange.
“This is Ende.”
The Regressor gestured to the city that sprawled wide before them.
Its barrier, closer to a fence than a proper wall, was built not to keep out humans, but beasts. And yet, the city’s interior was no different from the wild.
The haphazardly built houses were a jumble of different heights, like a row of crooked teeth, and their walls and roofs were cluttered with all sorts of household goods. The streets were just as chaotic, splitting unexpectedly or coming to an abrupt end. It was as if the city had been built with no plan other than ‘potential.’
The people passing by were as disorderly as the buildings. While one might normally distinguish people by hair color, height, or build, in Ende, one had to add ears and tails to the list. Round, pointed, long, folded, perked up, fluffy, and so on. Adjectives that would never apply to an ordinary human were marks of individuality for the beastkin, a dizzying sight for the eyes and mind.
And that wasn't all. It was a daily occurrence to see beastkin, feeling stifled by the crowded streets, leaping across rooftops. The accidents caused by their freely moving tails were too numerous to count. Beastkin could be seen everywhere, navigating by nose instead of by sight and bumping into people.
A city so bustling that anyone could blend in without seeming out of place—that was Ende.
The Regressor led Azzy and me to a large mansion on the outskirts of the city.
“I figured you’d need a base of operations, so I bought a mansion.”
She spoke as casually as if she’d just come back from the market, pushing open the main gate. The mansion itself was quite a luxury, but the items the Regressor produced were even more valuable.
Elixirs, magical artifacts, alchemic gold. Each was a treasure that would only fetch its true price at auction. She readily handed over enough resources to trigger inflation in the massive city of Ende.
“Here. I’m putting you in charge of this mansion. I’ll provide as much funding and as many supplies as you need. If you want, I can even introduce you to some of my contacts.”
What the Regressor wanted from me in return for such a massive investment was surprisingly simple.
“Defeat the Wolf King.”
“…You sure think big. For something that might not even work out.”
“It’s something that has to be done, with or without you. I just want to see what the King of Humans and the Dog King will do. I’ll help you, of course, but the means and methods are entirely up to you.”
No matter how many resources she invested, it was unclear whether my half-complete self could stop the Wolf King. Honestly, I wasn't confident. I would have preferred to put it off until I had fully recovered my strength.
But the Regressor dangled a bait I couldn't refuse.
“Do this, and I’ll show you every Divine I know.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
Even if it’s just to see what comes of this attempt. If Hughes manages to properly defeat the Wolf King as the King of Humans, it will eliminate a major disaster. I can just add it to my routine for future regressions.
Because if things go wrong, you can just regress? Tch. I envy the Regressor, who never has to worry about failure.
It doesn’t matter if I show him the Divines. If he sees them all and becomes the King of Sins, then in the next cycle, I’ll just promise to show him and then not follow through.
Like I’d fall for that! Not when I can read your mind so clearly!
“Alright. Take your time and prepare. I have things to do in Ende as well.”
“What kind of things?”
“Investments, business, that sort of thing.”
Let’s see. Soon, a plague-bearing rider will appear along with a rising cult, and a vassal state will use quarantine as a pretext to seal its borders, creating friction with the Empire. I can’t stop it, but I can mitigate the aftermath. The Violet Trading Company happens to be in Ende trying to open new trade routes. I should tell them about preventative measures and cures and have them secure supplies.
Whew, she’s busy. I guess not just anyone can be a Regressor. She really was saving the world.
Last time, I forgot and couldn’t stop the massacre that happened under the guise of quarantine. Let’s not forget this time.
I take it back, you damn fool. Take care of important stuff like that on time!
The Regressor tossed me a bundle of keys. The heavy bundle, weighted with as much expectation as metal, landed in my hand.
“It’s all yours. Do as you please, King of Humans. And Dog King.”
“Hmph, that’s a heavy burden you’re placing on me… but for the sake of that promise, I’ll do it right.”
“Woof.”
Azzy and I nodded, our faces filled with determination.
And so, a month passed.
The Regressor’s furious shout echoed through the mansion.
“Just get out!!!”
Before she had left to attend to her business, the Regressor had been unconcerned, even seeing me relaxing to recover from our journey.
Right. He does need some rest. And if he runs off with the money while I’m gone, well, that’s that.
The confidence of one who has it all, perhaps. With that thought, the Regressor had entrusted the mansion to me and gone about her business.
But she didn't know.
That a well-fed beast does not hunt.
About a fortnight ago, the Regressor had returned after finishing a task and tilted her head, seeing Azzy and me sprawled out on the wooden floor.
…? Still resting? No, they must be taking a break from work, right?
After staying for a short while, she left again for some other task. It was only after she had returned for the third time to the exact same scene that she finally realized what Azzy and I had been doing.
“You haven’t done a single thing!”
The mansion was barely any different. The only change was that the money in the safe had dwindled slightly. Azzy and I had used it to eat well and sleep soundly. So much so that we had moved past recovering from our fatigue and had become pleasantly plump.
“What are you two?!”
“Me? I’m the King of Humans.”
“Woof, me, Azzy!”
“That’s not what I asked, you freeloaders! What the hell are you two doing when you’re supposed to be fighting the Wolf King!”
Still lying languidly on the floor, I put on a resolute expression and answered.
“We’re stockpiling in preparation for the fight.”
“Woof~.”
“Stockpiling what!”
The Regressor stormed over and flipped the very floorboards we were lying on. The dog and human, softened by a month of peace, were caught off guard and flailed about helplessly. The Regressor looked down at the two kings crawling pathetically on the ground and yelled.
“I wouldn’t be so mad if you’d at least been training! You’ve just been stockpiling fat! What’s the plan?! Are you trying to offer the Wolf King a tastier delicacy?!”
“Well, we’re not ready to take on the Wolf King.”
“I bought the mansion and gave you money so you could get ready! Weren’t you going to look for the Divines? Don’t you need help?”
To be honest, I had figured it would be easier to just read her mind rather than bother asking for her help. I’d also had the slight thought of just pretending to work and stalling for time until she returned.
Without any intention of getting up, I squirmed and replied.
“But it was just so comfortable resting… I guess I accidentally took a looooong break, you know?”
“You sound like a deadbeat! And you call yourself the King of Humans!”
“Deadbeats are also human… which makes the King of Humans the King of Deadbeats…”
“Try being the king of hardworking people for a change!”
I thought he might run away, but I never imagined he’d do absolutely nothing! Does this guy not understand the gravity of the situation? Every second counts!
Hmm. But think about it. The King of Sins is supposed to appear and destroy the world, right? As long as I’m alive, the King of Sins won’t appear. So if I just live a long, happy life with a full belly and a warm place to sleep, isn’t that for the best?
“You weren’t like this in the Military State! What happened to you?!”
“Well, in the Military State, I had to live a little more fiercely to avoid being exploited by them.”
I glanced at the safe on one side of the room. The safe the Regressor had left me was filled with so much alchemic gold that no matter how much I spent, it barely made a dent. A spring that never runs dry. When you have that, you want to use it.
“In a free and wild city like Ende, there’s nothing you can’t do with money. While I was wandering around getting a feel for the city, I had a very fortunate encounter. You could say I got a bit lazy because they started doing a lot of things for me.”
Her anger subsiding slightly, the Regressor looked at me with a hint of expectation.
“So you did meet someone?”
“Yes. Ende doesn’t have strict rules, and its residents have strong personalities, so they form clans with like-minded individuals and rely on each other, right? A significant portion of Ende’s population is beastkin, so the clans are largely divided by what kind of beastkin they are. To start, I made contact with them to gauge the city’s climate.”
“Hmph. So you weren’t just playing around, then.”
“How could I live without doing anything at all? Anyway, as a result of spreading money around to get in with the clans…”
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came to a halt in front of the mansion. At the same time, Azzy’s ears perked up. The visitor stood before the mansion and called out to me.
“Lord Hughes! Are you there!”
“Speak of the devil. Just a moment.”
Perfect timing. I rose leisurely and walked toward the door. The Regressor, though still wearing a displeased expression, seemed somewhat relieved that I had at least made some connections.
An informant? Looks like he called them to the mansion instead of going himself. Well, I suppose so. He couldn’t have really just been eating and sleeping this whole time, right?
Hmm, if she gets her hopes up too high, it’ll be awkward when I let her down.
When I opened the door, a freckle-faced horse beastkin girl with a bright smile shouted cheerfully.
“Forward Delivery! Is this the order for three servings of beef soup and boiled meat?”
“With the bones still in the meat, right?”
“Phhhrrr! Of course! You’ve ordered so many times, how could I get it wrong!”
Clank, clank, clank. The horse girl took the packaged food out of a metal bag and set it down in front of us. Azzy, who had trotted to my feet, was already drooling, her eyes fixed on the food.
Over the past month, Azzy had learned: when the sound of hooves stops at the door, food appears. The moment the horse girl set the meat down, Azzy snatched it like a flash and began stripping the meat from the bone.
Thank goodness for the bones. Otherwise, she would have devoured it all in three seconds and started eyeing mine. This is why you have to order meat on the bone.
“That’ll be 40 alke! You get 1.5 alke back if you return the disposable alchemy containers!”
“Here you go. Don’t worry about the containers. It’s chump change.”
“As expected, you’re so generous!”
The horse girl, shouldering her bag again, gave me a thumbs-up.
“Enjoy your meal! Forward Delivery, returning to base!”
With her now lighter bag, the horse girl galloped away in a flash. Clack, clack. The horseshoes on her boots made a sound just like a real horse’s hooves. A horse beastkin’s leg strength was several times that of a normal person, so their shoes would wear out quickly without them.
Horse beastkin really are the best for deliveries. I closed the door and returned with the food. The Regressor, who had watched the entire exchange from beginning to end, was trembling as if she were about to explode.
“…And that’s how. I got friendly with the clans that run various service industries. Cooperating with them, you know.”
“Cooperation, my ass! You just found a way to be even lazier!”
Busted.