Chapter 501: Even the Falling of a Flower is Spring
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 501: Even the Falling of a Flower is Spring
Showing up out of the blue to question his ideology, he was never going to believe me if I just said, “Oh, I just came to ask a few questions~.” With his years of experience, Mayor Triver saw right through to our true purpose.
“I understand what you’re saying. You are concerned about the instability in Ende following the recent upheaval. You fear that if the city is in disarray, it will be difficult to stand against the Wolf King.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m concerned.”
“You’ve only just arrived in Ende, so you wouldn’t know the political situation. I understand.”
Mayor Triver nodded, a faint smile gracing his gaunt face as he spoke.
“However, I hope you will also understand our position. The pig beastkin have suffered a great deal. If they can be compensated, even in this way, then I intend to devote myself to that cause.”
“And that compensation is occupying Obeli by force and then abusing that power?”
“To call it an abuse of power… before this, they had no power to abuse in the first place. As you know, it is because the pig beastkin have suffered so much.”
Part of the Mayor of Ende’s job was to placate disgruntled associates. Some might dismiss it unpleasantly as lobbying, but Mayor Triver knew the importance of such efforts better than anyone.
“You must be well aware of the story. Muhu Agartha, a descendant of the Five Sovereigns and wielder of a power beloved by all, wanted slaves who could speak like men but work like beasts. Just like the Beast King. So she committed an Anathema and conceived the existence known as beastkin. A taboo so vile it’s difficult to even speak of.”
The third Anathema, Splice. A forbidden taboo that, before Muhu, was thought to be impossible.
Having delicately glossed over the explanation, Mayor Triver continued.
“In Muhu’s nation, the pig beastkin were born only to be eaten. That is why they were so numerous and why they were tasked with all the menial labor. All beastkin were lowly slaves, but the pig beastkin were exceptional even among them. They were fated to be worked to the bone and then slaughtered when they were no longer needed.”
“Still, the Orcs prospered quite a bit after Manguo fell. They were a force that threatened the Empire back then.”
“An animal that is eaten often must be just as numerous. The pig beastkin, with their large numbers, flourished for a short time after Manguo’s fall, but that was all. Unlike other beastkin who easily integrated into civilization with their innate talents, the Orcs, with their considerable power, were checked by the Empire and its vassal states until they collapsed. They were called Orcs, but they were essentially refugees, so it was an inevitable outcome.”
To say they were “crushed” was a very gentle way of putting it. To humans, the pig beastkin were proof of sin, a threatening enemy, and an object of discrimination and hatred. The victorious humans used every method imaginable to eliminate the pig beastkin from their sight.
“It was only after the appearance of the Furred Saintess that eating pig beastkin was treated as a taboo. Before that, it was a common occurrence—an age of madness where books were published on how to cook them. They endured so, so much hardship.”
“But thanks to the Furred Saintess, they’re equal now, aren’t they? The past doesn’t justify the riot they’re causing now.”
“The balance was skewed from the very beginning. Humans, and even their fellow beastkin, committed a great sin against the pig beastkin, casting them into the abyss. To demand that a balance so terribly broken by irredeemable sin be restored only through legitimate means is far too cruel. I want to fix these broken scales, even if it’s in this manner.”
“Hmm. I understand, but…”
That doesn’t seem like a very good choice. Something tells me this will cause problems.
Seeing the worry on the Regressor’s face, Mayor Triver gave a hollow smile.
“It’s alright. This is my burden to bear. Please, focus all your efforts on defeating the Wolf King. I will manage Ende, one way or another.”
“You look like you’re about to die right now. What will you do if you collapse from overwork?”
“Haha. This is nothing I can’t handle… Hmm. It seems we have a visitor.”
For a while now, a faint vibration could be felt from outside the office. Sensing the presence, the Regressor withdrew Chun-aeng, which had dominated the space. The moment the seal was released, the office door burst open and Urukfang strode in. He was agitated, demanding an explanation from the mayor.
“Mayor Triver, what were you doing? I kept knocking, but there was no answer and the door wouldn’t open. You’re the mayor, what on earth…”
“He was talking to me.”
The Regressor answered for him. Urukfang, who had been crossing the office without hesitation, froze upon spotting the Regressor. Fear crept into his eyes as they darted around nervously.
“You, why are you here?”
“What of it?”
“Uh… right. You could be here to see the mayor, too. But there’s an urgent matter, and I have to make a report…”
“What urgent matter?”
“Why should I tell you… no, I suppose you should hear it.”
Being more beast than man has its uses, I see. Urukfang, instinctively subdued, reported in a voice that lacked some of its earlier confidence.
“Wolves have appeared. A shepherd working on the outskirts of Ende was taken, and the guards were wiped out. Over twenty people are dead, and nearly half the flock of sheep is gone. The search party and the guards are in chaos. I think we need to handle this.”
Even when you know bad news is coming, you still hope it never arrives. Mayor Triver spoke as if the inevitable had finally happened.
“It seems the wolves’ offensive has begun.”
Mayor Triver immediately rummaged through a pile of papers and found a small document. He added a token and an envelope to it, arranged them neatly, and handed them to Urukfang with an instruction.
“This document lists where the necessary supplies are. If you show them this token, you’ll receive one day’s worth of provisions. Take this and report to Lord Grul. As someone who has been fighting beasts outside Ende, he will come up with a suitable solution.”
“Lord Grul. Everyone will accept his solution.”
“I’ll go too. I need to see this for myself.”
“You, you should probably…”
Urukfang clearly didn’t want to be in the same space as the Regressor, but who could stop the Regressor from going if they wanted to? As he watched Urukfang’s miserable face, Mayor Triver spoke up.
“Urukfang. There was something I mentioned last time. Have you told Poina of the Okma?”
Urukfang’s expression soured for a moment before he looked away and said.
“…I’m not your subordinate. Tell her yourself.”
“I emphasize it every time we meet. You must help as well. Without Lord Sapien, Ende’s guards and security forces are nothing but a disorganized mob. It will be difficult for him, but it’s a task that must be done someday. We cannot overcome this crisis unless everyone in Ende cooperates.”
“Hmph. Fine!”
Urukfang stomped off, annoyed as if he’d been saddled with an unpleasant task. He then jumped in fright when he saw the Regressor following him.
If the wolves have attacked, then it’s about to begin. I don’t know if they can hold out until then. Well then, I suppose I should get going too.
“Azzy. Let’s go.”
“Woof! I, go!”
Just as I was about to leave with Azzy, who had given a spirited farewell, Mayor Triver quietly called out to me.
“Magician. I have something to say to you for a moment.”
“What is it?”
“Thank you for persuading him. You’ve taken a weight off my mind. However…”
“However?”
Mayor Triver looked at me, his face full of doubt.
“Do you truly believe they are human?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said to Shei-ssi earlier? Are you doubting my words?”
“I don’t doubt them. But, Magician, I have heard of what you’ve done. In your activities as a magician, you gave the Okma harsh trials.”
No. It wasn’t that harsh. I didn’t kill anyone, and there wasn’t much blood.
“I’m not blaming you. In your eyes, focused on defeating the Wolf King, the Okma must have seemed like a subversive group disturbing the city. However, with your level of power, there must have been more certain and moderate ways to stop them. I am certain that you, who deliberately chose ‘such methods,’ could not possibly see the pig beastkin as equals.”
Such methods? You mean the extortion, threats, theft, and disruption? That’s peaceful enough.
Tsk, tsk. You only see one side of the coin. I’m the one offering true, unconditional kindness here.
“Then your certainty is misplaced. There is no one who thinks of them as much as I do. Even you, while colluding with the Okma and supporting them from behind, never thought of turning Ende completely upside down, did you?”
Mayor Triver gasped at the secret I’d revealed so casually. He stared at me, his expression one of pure shock, and asked with difficulty.
“…How did you know?”
“The Dog King has appeared. She has decided to fight the Wolf King. Grul is coming. The Okma knew of the secret conversation we had in Obeli. How would the Okma, who can’t even set foot in Obeli, know its secrets? Obviously, someone from Obeli told them.”
I read his mind. From the beginning, Mayor Triver had been secretly providing welfare for the pig beastkin. The reason it was secret was that official welfare could cause division in itself.
“But who would secretly leak priceless secrets to the lowly pig beastkin? That was the one thing I couldn’t figure out. But today, after hearing you talk about wanting to right the tilted scales, I knew. It was either you, or someone acting on your orders.”
I read their minds, after all. Not just Mayor Triver’s, but the Okma elders’ as well. Thanks to that, I knew they were in collusion.
It’s not like those foolish pig beastkin would leave a high-ranking noble from a vassal state, who is the acting Mayor of Ende, alone just because he’s ‘useful.’ He should have been dragged down or put under surveillance.
“That is…”
“It’s fine. I’m kind to all humans. I intended to grant your wish as well, along with that of the pig beastkin. So? What do you think of the new Ende? Are you satisfied?”
It probably wasn’t as beautiful as he’d expected. Nor as gradual. But this scene was, without a doubt, the result Mayor Triver had wished for.
Yet, even with his wish made reality, Mayor Triver looked anxious.
“…The timing is a little poor. The Wolf King is coming.”
“No, it’s the perfect time. Strong external pressure forges internal unity. You gave the Okma the information about the Wolf King’s arrival because you wanted everyone to unite, didn’t you?”
“The pig beastkin lack experience in governing a city. This is too difficult a task.”
“The more difficult it is, the faster the broken scales can be righted. It may not be legitimate, but so what? You have Grul and Shei-ssi. If they can overcome this crisis with their help, the pig beastkin will truly claim their place with their heads held high.”
“But.”
“You’re anxious, aren’t you?”
I knew why he was dragging this out. I smiled and poked at his sore spot.
“You don’t trust them, do you? You think they’ll fail, don’t you? Incompetent, loud, easily distracted, no perseverance, full of a useless victim complex, and they never listen. That’s what the pig beastkin are to you, right? For now, at least.”
People don’t desire reality. They always stand on the step they’re on and look up at the one above. Only the thirsty crave water, only the hungry want their daily bread, and only those buried beneath the earth wish to ascend.
Mayor Triver believes everyone is equal, and he wishes for it to be so.
Because he knows that is not the reality.
“That’s as far as you go. You believe the pig beastkin need a ladder because while they might become equal someday, they’re still lacking. Well, I can understand that belief. It would be good if the pig beastkin, who are also human, became equal.”
That is where the desire stems from. It moves people to bridge the gap between belief and reality. It was his desire that made Mayor Triver act.
I merely obliged him. Whether beastkin or human, all such desires are precious.
“Unlike you, I’m the real deal. Just as I’m not surprised the sun rose in the east today, the fact that humans are also pig beastkin is so obvious I don’t even bother to say it.”
Having spoken, I tilted my head at the slightly different nuance. What was that? It’s the same words, but what changed? Ah.
“No, should I say pig beastkin are also human? Well, it doesn’t matter. The order is irrelevant. That’s what it means to be ‘the same’.”
Nod. I deliberately bowed my head deeply before raising it, a smile on my face as I turned to leave, leaving the wide-eyed Mayor Triver behind me.