Chapter 488: To Dominate and to Reign
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 488: To Dominate and to Reign
Power is fair. But it is also relative. What is an unavoidable catastrophe to one is a barely manageable attack to another.
Welsh, the dog beastkin, was a Qi Practitioner who had even mastered Gam Qi Art, and she paid special attention to her master's safety. Reading the Regressor's killing intent, she desperately shielded Lord Erectus.
“Master…!”
Of course, the Regressor's attack was akin to a natural disaster. Even for a master who had learned Gam Qi Art, just protecting oneself was the most one could do. Shielding someone else would only result in a dog's death for them both—and I mean that in the literal sense, with no species discrimination intended.
But even if Welsh couldn't block the attack itself, she did block his killing intent.
“Tch.”
Heavenly Counter Domain, Formless Stance.
A technique to dissipate power once it has been unleashed.
The tip of Jizan's blade twisted. A tempest shot toward the sky. The strike, imbued with Qi and power, was fired into the empty air.
The shockwave barely missed Welsh's back. The unleashed tempest raged, and Welsh and Erectus, caught in its wake, were sent tumbling together.
In the middle of the storm-swept plaza, the Regressor took a deep breath and... made an excuse to Azzy.
“I wasn't actually going to kill him. I just meant to teach him a lesson.”
“Woof!”
Azzy barked loudly, as if in protest.
Faster than Welsh could block Lord Erectus, Azzy had kicked off the ground and shoved them both out of the way.
'It's true, though... I was just planning to give him an internal injury so he wouldn't be able to get up for a month. But she blocked it.'
Liar! When you swung, you had an 'I don't care if he dies' attitude! 'I don't care if he dies' isn't the same as 'I'm going to kill him,' but still!
That Regressor is scary. 'No reason to keep him alive.' The moment he brands someone with that, he'll kill them if he thinks it's advantageous. If Welsh hadn't intervened, Erectus would really be dead.
Having fortunately survived, Lord Erectus's eyes flew open as he shouted.
“Gu-Guards! Call the guards, no! Call the Obelisk!”
Tsk. Still, Lord Erectus is an accredited human of Obeli. A man of power with great influence in the city. Killing him would have been a problem, but failing to kill him is an even bigger one.
What are you going to do, Regressor?
“That's enough.”
The one who stepped forward to mediate was Mayor Triver, who had returned with the Regressor. As soon as Lord Erectus saw Triver, he rushed over.
“Mayor Triver! I was just attacked! An accredited citizen of Obeli!”
“…I will call the Obelisk, Lord Erectus. But it is not wise to treat a stranger so carelessly.”
“The mayor is right.”
Step, step. A group of humans walked in from behind the mayor. Though their heights and builds varied, they were warriors clad in matching sets of brass-colored scale armor that covered them seamlessly from head to toe.
The Obelisk, Obeli's elite who fought against beastkin and beasts. Guardians who protected the city in scale armor to block sharp claws and teeth, they had sensed the power that had just been unleashed and flocked to the scene.
The human at the very front of the group approached Lord Erectus. Lord Erectus called out to him with a look of relief.
“Lord Sapien!”
“Welsh. You protected your master. Thank you. Are you injured... It seems you're unhurt, thank goodness.”
He checked on Welsh's condition even before Lord Erectus's, then let out a small sigh and continued.
“Erectus. I won't tell you to be more careful. But at least maintain a minimum level of caution. When you see an unfamiliar beast, you must first lower your stance and observe if you wish to stay alive.”
“Caution in Obeli? This is our land!”
“There is no such thing as 'our land.' If it is under the sky and on the earth, it is the wild. You would have learned that firsthand if you had spent even a moment in the search parties.”
There must be ranks even among the accredited, as Lord Erectus offered no retort to the blatant admonishment. Sapien turned to face the Regressor, his cape fluttering majestically.
“The same goes for you, adventurer.”
“I only meant to scare him.”
“As did Erectus. If you're going to ignore all rules and norms and act as you please, what makes you any different from him?”
He leads an elite legion and is a master of Gam Qi Art himself. While not on the level of the Six Generals, his power is close, and he is one of the foremost figures among the accredited who rule Obeli.
He was a man respected by many for living and fighting alongside the beastkin warriors, but even to him, the Regressor replied with a scoff.
“Cut the crap with your false equivalence. He started it, he was more reckless, and on top of all that, he's weaker. Don't come whining to me to take it easy on him just because he's a human you know. If this wasn't Ende, it wouldn't have ended with just a threat.”
“This is Ende.”
“And if you want it to remain Ende, you'd better keep him on a tight leash. A wolf's fangs don't discriminate.”
“…”
Wow. He really doesn't lose a single argument. Was the Regressor always this eloquent?
In truth, it was less eloquence and more brute force logic, but if you really had to nitpick, he wasn't wrong. Erectus started a fight with a guest, pushed ahead even when others tried to stop him, and ultimately showed no ability to back up his authority. Welsh and Azzy were the ones who saved his life.
This is a world where one strong person can take on hundreds of the weak. If you have that kind of power, it's neither arrogance nor stubbornness.
“You're very confident.”
“It's called being justified. After all, I'm the one who came here to help.”
“That is why I haven't pressed the matter further. To protect Ende and Obeli, we need you and the Dog King.”
Sapien spun around. Giving a hand signal for the watching Obelisk to stand down, he led Erectus out of the plaza.
Before leaving, he gave the Regressor one last, quiet warning.
“However, if you attack Ende, you too will become an enemy of the city. Be warned.”
Step, step, step. The guardians of Obeli exited the plaza in perfect order. The Regressor maintained a composed demeanor as she watched him leave.
'Sapien. An accredited of Obeli who will do anything to protect the city. My impression of him might have worsened, but it doesn't matter. The Obelisk will have to fight the Wolf King eventually anyway.'
Looks like Sapien left an impression on the Regressor. In other words, Lord Erectus is just a side character.
'I scared him enough, so he probably won't act up again. I just hope he doesn't make me regret not killing him. I need to form an alliance with the Beast Faction, and things will get weird if an accredited like him starts causing trouble.'
Compared to the chilling atmosphere from before, I guess this... counts as things being resolved smoothly.
A rift had formed, but the Regressor's actions satisfied the other beastkin. Though they didn't show it openly, the dog beastkin showed her favor and chimed in.
“Thank you for stopping him, Lord Shei.”
“Please don't feel too uncomfortable. He's always like that.”
“Your methods may have been a bit harsh... but it was necessary to fix his bad habits.”
“Lord Erectus is an accredited. What are you saying?”
Triver, who rebuked the beastkin with a firm yet gentle tone, stared intently at the Regressor.
“The crisis in Ende can only be overcome if everyone, beastkin and human alike, joins forces. I must ask you to refrain from any further rash actions.”
The Regressor, who seemed so reckless, was surprisingly weak against sound reasoning and sane people. She gave a reluctant shrug.
“Don't worry. I acted forcefully to make sure nothing like that happens again.”
“If you had such foresight, then I am relieved.”
'The best-case scenario would be for everything to proceed smoothly... but if a clash was inevitable, now is the best time. He must have chosen the next best option.'
He actually believes that. The Regressor doesn't act with that much consideration for the future.
Though it stemmed from a misunderstanding, Triver, who now slightly overestimated the Regressor, thought for a moment before speaking.
“Since things have turned out this way, there is a task I would like to entrust to you, Lord Shei.”
“What is it?”
“Ende does not refer to this city alone. There are also those who live difficult lives outside the fence, in lands closer to the wild. We call those who survive against the threats of the wild the 'Beast Faction'.”
Unlike the beastkin who have been incorporated into civilization, these are beastkin who live a life closer to that of wild men. They're called the Beast Faction, but in a less official setting, they'd be called barbarians, or no, just beasts.
“The Beast Faction is rough, but powerful. However, because they live so separately from Ende, it's highly likely they won't cooperate in the fight against the Wolf King. We'd be lucky if they don't end up fighting us.”
Thinking of them, Triver detached a piece of ivory hanging from his staff. He fiddled with the precious treasure, which could only be found in the graveyard of elephants, before handing it to the Regressor with a request.
“Here. I give you this symbol of Ende. Please, persuade them. A strong and thoughtful person such as yourself, Lord Shei, should be able to convince the Beast Faction.”
'Perhaps. The Wolf King could be the catalyst that unites all beastkin. This is a crisis, but it is also an opportunity. A final chance for us to save Ende before it collapses on its own.'
It feels like there's some other slight problem I haven't witnessed yet. Hmm. Well, I suppose I'll find out in due time.
“Alright.”
'The Beast Faction. They're important to Ende. They're a gray area that could easily side with the Wolf King if things go wrong. This is working out well.'
Indeed. Things are working out well. I guess the Regressor's experience is paying off.
Even though not a single problem has actually been solved.