Chapter 486: To Reign, But Not to Rule
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 486: To Reign, But Not to Rule
The plan was to use Ende's power to stop the Wolf King. A good plan, but it had one prerequisite: we hadn't asked Ende for its opinion. Even if Ende was prepared to fight the wolf, if it lacked the will to do so, the whole thing would be for naught.
The Regressor, preparing to leave, said to me, "Today, we're going to meet Triver, the mayor of Ende. To warn him about the Wolf King."
"Have a good trip."
As I waved from my spot on the sofa, the Regressor narrowed her eyes and came up behind it. Then, with the tip of her foot, she flipped the whole thing over.
As I flailed around, pinned under the sofa, the Regressor shouted.
"You're coming too! It'll be easier to persuade them if Azzy, the Dog King, is there!"
"Then just take Azzy. Why me?"
"Someone has to watch her. And it's not like you have anything better to do!"
"Attacking me with facts like that hurts my feelings."
"Get up before I give you a real reason to be hurt!"
I was already hurt from being crushed. My protests were in vain as the Regressor's hand dragged me toward the center of Ende.
Ende, the free city of the beastkin. It had no high walls or magnificent buildings. But even a city like this had class divisions.
And as is often the case, those of a higher class tended to live in physically higher places.
There was a small hill in Ende. The first humans to settle there built their homes on it for one simple reason: being up high was relatively safer from beasts.
As Ende's population grew, the city became too large to worry about beast attacks. Instead, the original human settlers grew wary of the flocking beastkin. To be precise, they were less wary of the beastkin themselves and more of their own future selves, who would inevitably mix with them.
That was how Obeli was created. An uptown district with an order distinct from the chaos of Ende. Though they eventually mixed with the beastkin over the years, it remained a city within a city, separate from the rest of Ende.
Triver, the mayor of Ende, was also there.
In the center of Obeli, in a solemn square paved with white bricks, Triver greeted the Regressor.
"...Are you the one? The adventurer recommended by the Violet Merchant Guild."
On an old man, wrinkles are a natural sign of age, like the rings of a tree. But on a beastkin, they can look like traces of their gradual return to beast form. The creases that form as their ears droop inevitably resemble those of an animal.
In that sense, the old man before me looked just like an old dog standing on two legs.
Of course, I should state for the record that I mean no disrespect to dog beastkin; this is purely my own personal impression.
This battle-hardened old hound—a man of power with ties to the former imperial family, who had held his ground even in a city of beastkin—leaned on his staff and stared intently at the Regressor.
"The Violet Merchant Guild doesn't give out recommendations lightly, but for them to suggest such a young adventurer... So. You say a great crisis has befallen Ende? What is it, exactly?"
"If it's a crisis for Ende, there's only one thing it could be, right? You all should know."
Even before Ende's most powerful figure, the Regressor spoke without a shred of courtesy.
I'll give her this, she truly doesn't discriminate. She's rude to everyone, no matter who they are!
"The Wolf King will be here soon. I came to warn you."
A murmur went through Triver and the other elder beastkin. A few of them trembled. It's the fear of the known. Even if they had expected to hear that name, fear was still fear.
Triver scanned the assembly, his wrinkled face creasing into a frown.
"...Do you have any grounds for such certainty?"
This was my cue. Waiting for the dramatic entrance, I threw the bouncing ball into the square. Azzy shot out almost mechanically. Snatching the ball as she skidded across the ground, she tumbled head over heels.
The Obeli square was a solemn place where the city's ruling class held public meetings. The idea was for her to create a shock by running into it barefoot.
"She's here."
...This wasn't my idea. It was a move we'd agreed on beforehand. I didn't think she was a fan of this sort of thing, but she can be surprisingly flexible.
A few beastkin scowled, but a good number of the dog beastkin perked up their ears. A part of them—the beast within—welcomed its king.
"Ah. As I thought. The King..."
To a beastkin, a Beast King is a difficult being to describe. They are not acquaintances, nor is there any obligation to obey them. The Beast Kings themselves do not seek to rule.
And yet, they are kings.
There is no need for proof. Not even a flicker of doubt. They simply know. They understand each other.
Such is the nature of a Beast King.
Having received the Dog King, Triver slowly approached Azzy. Azzy, who was friendly to humans and loyal to dogs, showed no wariness toward the old dog beastkin. As she cheerfully shook her head with the ball in her mouth, Triver spoke slowly.
"...The last sighting was in the kingdom. I heard all news of her ceased after the royal family fell and it became the Military State."
"She was trapped in the Abyss. Because Azzy vanished from the world, the Wolf King wandered the plains aimlessly. That's why he clashed with Ende so often."
"Now that the Dog King has appeared in the world, the Wolf King will begin to move as well."
"That's right. A conflict is inevitable."
The Regressor pronounced an unavoidable fate upon Ende's leadership. Just as the atmosphere was about to turn heavy, Triver straightened up and spoke.
"This may be for the best. A fight with the wolf was bound to happen someday. If we must fight, it is better to do so with our King at our side."
Triver, a dog beastkin who also carried a faint trace of the imperial bloodline, was political, rational, and even cooperative. He gripped his staff firmly and declared.
"We of Ende will honor the pact between dogs and humans."
"A wise decision."
"It is also the obvious one. The Dog King is a powerful asset. With her, the burden of fighting the Wolf King will be greatly lessened."
A faint smile on his lips, Triver knelt on one knee before Azzy and bowed his head.
"I am but a half. I can only offer one knee to my king. Your Majesty may not be accustomed to human rituals, but... if I may."
"Woof woof! Manners, not important! Promise comes first!"
"I am glad to hear you say so. Do not worry, my King. The promise will be kept."
Oh. For a plan hatched by the Regressor, this was going surprisingly well. No, everything up until now was the anomaly; this was how it was supposed to be. When you're a Regressor, you only need to try the methods that are guaranteed to work.
'Good thing this is going smoothly. I'm glad I don't have to resort to threats.'
Threats? Against such a gentle dog beastkin? I guess it didn't always go this well. That's just like her.
Perhaps because they were in the presence of their king, all the dog beastkin in the meeting agreed with Triver's decision. The non-dog beastkin, though anxious, also accepted it. Since each of them was either a clan leader or a respected elder, a decision passed in Obeli was as good as persuading all of Ende.
However. One thing bothered me.
So many beastkin had gathered, so why were there no humans or Piggies to be seen?
As I was wondering, an elder who had just received news approached Triver.
"Mayor Triver, a messenger from the Violet Merchant Guild has arrived. I believe you should see them."
"Perfect timing. Though it's only in name, Ende is still territory of the Lilac Fiefdom. A battle is a battle, and we must receive the necessary supplies from the fief. It's quite convenient that the Violet Merchant Guild has come at this time..."
Muttering to himself, Triver was struck by a thought and glanced at the Regressor.
"...Hmm. I get the feeling that we are being cornered into a situation where we have no choice but to fight."
It was a sharp insight, proving his age was not for nothing. The Regressor, the one doing the cornering, lied without batting an eye.
"You're overthinking it."
"Well, it matters little. It's a messenger from the Violet Merchant Guild. Would you care to meet them with me?"
"Let's. Hughes!"
She finally called my name. My role as ball-thrower finished, I had been waiting idly and now trudged in from the edge of the square. The Regressor pointed at Azzy and said.
"Watch Azzy for a bit while I'm gone."
"What am I, Azzy's nanny?"
"Yes. No, wait, you are."
'It's the only thing you're good for anyway.'
If you're going to deny it, at least stick with it! Not that I've done anything, but still!
Triver and the other officials of Obeli left with the Regressor. A few other beastkin also departed, leaving behind only those who were there purely to welcome Azzy. Though they were Obeli beastkin and tried to maintain their composure, their ears and tails were not as calm as their rational minds.
"Grrr. The Dog King. To think I'd live long enough to see this day..."
"Isn't the Dog King seen more often than the others? Whenever there's a sighting of our Sheep King, it's always in some monastery or on a mountaintop. It's a whole ordeal."
"Seen often? Most of the time, we can't even go looking for her because of the Wolf King!"
A faint excitement colored their murmuring voices. After calmly reading the beastkins' thoughts, I came to a conclusion.
How should I put it? To a beastkin, a Beast King is something akin to a cult leader.
Beastkin inherit the traits of beasts, but they are not beasts. Thus, the king's influence on them is naturally less. A beastkin's daily life doesn't fall apart just because their king is absent.
But when the king is present, they feel a sense of joy, their hearts swell with emotion, and it becomes a catalyst that unites them all. Just like now.
I understood why the Regressor had told me to use Azzy to get a foot in the door. It made persuasion so much easier.
Azzy felt it too. Normally, she would be rolling around playing with a single ball, but now her eyes sparkled as she looked at each of the beastkins' faces.
This wasn't the constant, default friendliness she showed humans. Azzy's large eyes and expression held a deeper, more genuine joy.
"Lots of humans to keep promise! You, will you fight with me?"
Azzy trotted over and tugged on a dog beastkin's sleeve. It would be hard to say no to such a bright-eyed question, and the dog beastkin clenched his fist, steeling his resolve.
"Of course! My King, I am ready to fight!"
"Woof! Woof! Me too!"
"The same goes for us!"
Perhaps because there were so many dog beastkin, the Obeli square filled with unparalleled excitement and cheers. The dog beastkin who had been trying to maintain their decorum now sidled closer, hoping to at least hold Azzy's hand.
Plenty of people to watch her besides me. But still... I'm the King of Humans. Why don't they treat me like that? You guys are beastkin, but you're closer to human.
Feeling strangely alienated, I was watching the group fan meeting unfold when someone passed by me near the entrance.
"Quiet!"
Bang, bang. Along with the irritable shout, someone pounded violently on an iron door. The sensitive beastkin flinched in unison, turning to the source of the noise.
Finding himself the center of attention, the man, far from feeling pressured, only grew more annoyed.
"You woke me up! Is it mating season for all of you or something? Why is it so damn loud today?"
"M-Master... The mayor is hosting a meeting today."
"Since when did a meeting turn into a choir practice? They don't even realize how unpleasant their voices are!"
The two groups absent from the Obeli square: humans and Piggies. One of them had finally made a belated appearance.
Even as the years passed, generations changed, the threat of the wolf loomed, and Ende transformed into a city of beastkin.
A human still stood at its apex.