Chapter 514: The Hour of the Dog and Wolf - 2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 514: The Hour of the Dog and Wolf - 2
“Hm? What did you say?”
“It's just as I said, Miss Theia. I need you to be the bait to lure out the Wolf King.”
Theia pressed her fingers to her lips, deep in thought.
She was better off staying somewhere safe. It wasn't just because of her injury; the Empire managed the lineage and well-being of all horsekin. Her legendary running career had granted her some autonomy, but not the freedom to get mauled to death by a wolf on a whim.
Theia asked again, as if to confirm I was serious.
“Me? You really mean me?”
“Yes. You're the only one who can race the Wolf King and take first place.”
But the Empire was far away, and my persuasion was close at hand. My words, though just a slight reframing of the situation, ignited her competitive spirit.
‘A race against the Wolf King… that sounds thrilling. And it’s for a good cause. Best of all, the rule is ‘get caught and you die.’ How simple and exciting is that? Well, it’s not like I’d ever lose, no matter who my opponent is!’
Even after her mind was made up, Theia swayed and feigned reluctance.
“Well, I don't mind~, but I'm supposed to be recovering from an injury, you know. I can't run for very long.”
“What injury? You can't run for long anyway.”
Hitting a nerve, Theia quietly asked back.
“…Have you seen my races?”
“Not personally. But it's common knowledge that horsekin are fast but lack stamina.”
“That's not true for all of us.”
“Who watches long-distance races these days anyway? The tempo is too slow and upsets rarely happen. It's boring.”
“Heeh, you know your stuff, don't you?”
To be precise, the Regressor knew. Races? What the hell would I know about them? What kind of animal competes in a running match like that? If you get tired after a short sprint, you just end up as prey.
Regardless of my thoughts, Theia, now in high spirits, replied with a bounce in her step.
“Exactly! As long as it's not long-distance, I can leave anyone in the dust!”
“It's fine even if you can't. The only one who could even step on your shadow would be the Wolf King, and Azzy won't let him kill you.”
“Azzy?”
“The puppy. She's the Dog King.”
“Heeh. I like that name!”
If simple was good, you couldn't get much better. In any case, Theia gave a firm nod, waved, and vanished into the distance in an instant.
“Alright! Call me when you need me!”
Before I could even reply, she had already run far away. I didn't even have a chance to stop her.
Originally, I was supposed to tell Lord Sapien, who would then summon Theia. But I got lucky and ran into her on my way out, so I just told her myself.
This was better. Theia was too important to be used as bait, so Sapien might have tried to hide her away. The Regressor seemed to assume Theia would naturally help, probably because of their connection in a past timeline.
Anyway. The Regressor left the communication with Ende to me while she planned the operation. Considering her disastrous communication skills, it was the right choice.
Though I doubted even I could properly explain the Regressor's plan. If I weren't a mind reader, I wouldn't have understood it at all.
I walked into the meeting room where Sapien and Grul were waiting. Grul half-rose from his seat and called out to me.
“Magician, you're late.”
“What? I'm right on time.”
“The situation has changed. My scouts found the bones of several hundred sheep.”
Having spent his entire life hunting on the Enger Plains, Grul knew beasts better than anyone. Even while the Okma had been ailing and struggling to rule Ende, he had consistently sent out his beast-faction warriors to gather intelligence.
“It's rare for beasts to store food like humans do. For carnivores, it's practically impossible. If the werewolves hadn't been herding flocks of sheep as a mobile pantry, their pack would have collapsed on its own.”
“And the fact that they've emptied that pantry means they're preparing for battle?”
“Correct. We'll likely see wolves in Ende by tomorrow. Today is effectively our last day to prepare.”
I knew we were short on time, but tomorrow? This was urgent.
“I want to hear your plan. I hope it's not as crude as the one Lord Sapien proposed.”
“Crude…?”
Sapien looked shocked, as if he never expected to be called crude by a beastkin. I didn't know if I could meet Grul's expectations, but I laid out the Regressor's plan for them.
“We are going to break the land.”
‘In the last timeline, it was later than this. The Wolf King had wandered for longer, and beastkin who could no longer endure the discrimination had joined him, making him far more powerful. The Sanctum, unable to stand by, supported Ende along with its vassal states. In Ende, the dogs and wolves fought a proxy war between civilization and savagery.’
The Regressor's confidence stemmed from her past experience of defeating the Wolf King. Having toppled him once, she believed she could do it again.
‘Back then, it was a situation where we would die if we didn't resist. All the beastkin of Ende united. But… by then, the Sin had already spread. The wolves were much stronger than expected. The casualties kept mounting. On the verge of annihilation, I decided to flip the whole board in a desperate gamble.’
The Regressor's final, chaotic move—something she could do because she could just pass the consequences to the next timeline—was far beyond my imagination.
‘I pushed the power of Jizan to its absolute limit and shattered the land itself. It left a scar on the earth like the Abyss, but it was the only way. By defeating the isolated Wolf King on the collapsing ground, we barely managed to reclaim peace. This time, it’s not just about defeating the wolves and calling it a day. For the sake of those who will live on, we have to prepare in advance.’
There was no way the Regressor could have skillfully explained such a grand story without mentioning her regression.
Her explanation was vague and disorganized, but I managed to reconstruct it using my mind-reading. After conveying the gist, when they both asked if it was even possible, I showed them my Earth Art without a word. I explained that this was merely my own ability, and that Jizan, which held the true power of the earth, was far stronger. Instilling this belief in them, I handed over the detailed plan, which both Sapien and Grul accepted for the time being.
With the two of them keeping each other in check, the city was actually functioning. I could see why you put more than one horse on a carriage. A single horse will turn its head whenever it pleases.
By the time I had explained everything thoroughly, even creating documents, it was late afternoon. Sapien and Grul, having grasped the core of the plan, went off to assemble their respective forces.
I guess I'll go get some rest too. Tonight will probably be the last chance I get.
I returned to the mansion once more. The moment I made a sound, Azzy came tearing over and circled around me.
“Woof! Welcome back! Welcome back!”
The life of a dog is the best life... or so they say, but there were bloodstains on Azzy's front paws and tail. She must have taught a lesson to a wolf pack that tried to scout Ende. You're busy too, huh.
“I'm back.”
“Welcome back. How did it go? Did Theia agree to help?”
“Yes. I was lucky enough to meet her in person and tell her. Now all that's left is to wait.”
I gave a brief answer and strode into the mansion. The Regressor glanced at Azzy, then started trotting along behind me as well.
‘It’s not my imagination. Something’s sharp about him. Hughes seems… irritated.’
What’s this all of a sudden? I can understand Azzy, but you too, Regressor? You’re trying to read my mood? Were you ever the type to care one bit about what others think? Is that the kind of person who’s been acting so recklessly all this time?
‘Thanks to Hughes’s efforts, things are going smoothly. What’s the problem?’
That is the problem. The fact that things are going smoothly because of my efforts. But there's no way to explain this, so what should I do...
‘Could it be… his period?’
As if!
I whipped around, and seeing my expression, the Regressor became even more certain of her theory.
‘Yep. I’m sure of it. Something is making him feel physically awful. I mean, he’s a guy, so it’s not a real period, but still!’
Get your thought process in order! You scared me. I feel like an idiot for wondering if you'd mistaken my gender or if you actually believed men get periods too!
This way of thinking, where the idea comes first and the evidence follows, is truly terrifying. I asked the Regressor.
“What is it?”
The Regressor watched me carefully before speaking with some difficulty.
“Hughes, has something been bothering you lately?”
“Do I look like I am?”
“Yeah. Everything's going well, but you actually seemed to be having more fun when things were a mess.”
“When you put it like that, I sound like a psychopath who enjoys stirring up trouble.”
“Yeah! That's it exactly!”
This woman. I wanted to flick her on the forehead. But she'd probably just dodge it with her Heavenly Counter Domain and strike back. Tch, I'll hold back. I forced my twitching right hand down and spoke.
“No, it's just... it's because of what I said when I was persuading Grul.”
“What was it?”
I told Grul that if he wanted to find glory, he had to do it himself. That instead of giving the boar beastkin a chance and then getting disappointed, he should jump into the mud himself to make it glorious.
Those words applied to me as well.
Of course, I don't care about human glory. My conviction is firm: humans are nothing more than beasts. Even if they drive out the Beast King and establish a new order, they can never escape their animal nature. That belief hasn't changed.
However, to keep my promise to Azzy, I acted just like Grul. I stepped in personally to guide Ende toward a more ideal situation. It was only possible because of the will of each individual who wanted to protect Ende... but I was the one who ultimately orchestrated it.
It was something I could only do because I was the Beast King who had lost his power. Tch. This means I can't complain about having the title of Beast King stolen from me.
“Every word I said felt like I was talking to myself, and it was so grating. It was downright irritating. I wonder if this is how people feel when they listen to me.”
Did she even know what I was talking about? The Regressor immediately started nodding.
“Yeah. The way you talk is pretty irritating.”
“Thanks. That actually helps.”
“That's irritating too!”
After her sudden outburst, the Regressor's expression softened as she spoke.
“Still, the results are good, so that's all that matters. What are you worrying so much for?”
“Aren't you the one who doesn't worry enough, Shei-ssi?”
“You said humans are beasts, right? Then there's no need to worry.”
“You think beasts don't worry?”
“Woof! I don't worry!”
“See?”
Backed up by Azzy, the Regressor put on a wise air, as if she were some great sage.
“Worrying about the future doesn't solve anything. There are tons of things that don't work out even when you try with all your might. Situations change constantly, and things you thought were going well can suddenly fall apart at the last second. All I can do is make a choice in the present and hope for the best.”
It was strange hearing that from the Regressor. She was closer to being a Saintess than anyone else in the world.
She wasn't the same as a Saintess, though. Maybe because she was a Regressor, there was a clear difference from prophecy. The biggest difference was something like infinite chances. That must be what separates a Regressor from a Saintess.
…But the Regressor was right. When have I ever worried about such things? I should just be true to the wind I feel in the moment.
“Don't get too happy yet, Shei-ssi. We don't have the results.”
“So, stop being so irritable and get some sleep for a more perfect tomorrow.”
“You're the one keeping me from doing that, Shei-ssi.”
“Stop talking back so irritatingly!”
The Regressor shouted in frustration.