Chapter 540: To Survive is to be Strong
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 540: To Survive is to be Strong
“Is this a dog chew for humans?”
“It’s an elixir. I would have liked to give elixirs to all of you, but I thought the King would prefer the dog chew.”
Qi could be increased by diligently learning and practicing Qi Arts, but that alone wasn't enough. Just as even a blessed body wouldn't grow well without proper nutrition, a vast gap existed between a Qi Practitioner who trained with elixirs and one who did not.
It wasn't that eating more elixirs would unconditionally make one better, of course. But the saying ‘too much is worse than not enough’ is a deception only spoken by those who have had more than enough. Any nation seeking to increase its military power would seek out elixirs, and as a result, they were a rare commodity worldwide.
For a Qi Practitioner, an elixir was incomparably more precious than alchemic gold. It was a gift prepared with the utmost sincerity by Ende, but…
“I don’t really need it. I have plenty of elixirs already, and I’m past the stage where eating them makes me stronger.”
Of course, the Regressor, whose wealth was overflowing, spouted such privileged nonsense yet again today.
“Take it back and use it for yoursel— Mmph!”
I covered the Regressor’s mouth and quickly took the elixir.
“You don’t just ignore someone’s goodwill. And is it all about you getting stronger? I need to eat too. So selfish.”
“What? I gave you elixirs! You barely touched them back then!”
“They had no effect then, but it’s different now. I have a feeling they’ll work this time.”
Thanks to the Divine, it seemed I had gained a ‘vessel’ of my own, so I should be able to accumulate Qi in my body now. It would be best to stock up whenever I got the chance.
“I feel a weight lifted from my heart, knowing you’ve accepted it.”
As I put the elixir in my pocket, Mayor Triver’s worries seemed to lessen, and he smiled. Friendship blossoms from the exchange of gifts. Having passed a turn with the gift, Mayor Triver moved on to the next topic.
“The vassal states have yet to respond. They must be bewildered that the Black Tiger Army, which marched out with such ambition, was annihilated by a tiger attack. Ende, too, has not yet settled down. The shock of being ambushed while rescuing the buried, right after defeating the Wolf King, was immense. The only silver lining, perhaps, is that their anger is greater than their despair.”
A great injustice had overshadowed a smaller one. In the face of the great injustice the vassal states had inflicted upon Ende, all the trivial matters were forgotten. Pig beastkin and dog beastkin, or beastkin and human—such minor differences faded before the immense rage.
In the end, that was all there was to it.
“I did not wish for this to happen, but one way or another, Ende has now made an enemy of the vassal states, for better or worse. The citizens of Ende will not be able to accept them, and the vassal states will look upon us with displeasure. To them, Ende must seem like a fox with the tigers at its back. For now, they won't have the courage to throw even a single stone at the fox, for fear of the tigers.”
“I’m saying this out of an abundance of caution, but you’d be wise not to think of using the tigers.”
Because they scare me. As I offered this heartfelt advice, Mayor Triver nodded.
“Of course. You can't let a tiger in your house just because you're afraid of a thief, can you? I am merely worried about the thief who will come when the tiger is not invited in.”
“I’m curious just how worried you are to be confiding in an outsider.”
“There are stories one can only tell a guest who will only stay for a short while before leaving.”
Mayor Triver spoke gently as he took out a wooden box. It was the same kind of box as the gift, but its contents were different. And following the flow of this conversation, this had to be the main point.
Inside the wooden box lay a jet-black seal.
“A relic of the Black Tiger Army, the Black Tiger Seal.”
A Unique Magic is the manifestation of one’s own Spiritual World. And among them, a Unique Magic with a particularly self-contained Spiritual World can sometimes remain with its form and power even after the mage has died.
The Black Tiger Seal was such a relic. A memento left by a person who had spent his entire life stamping seals and had acquired a Unique Magic of stamping seals. In life, he may have had no connection to large-scale offensive magic, but the Black Tiger Seal left after his death had been reborn as a strategic weapon that applied immense pressure to a 50-meter radius. As if to say even a seal can be a weapon if you stamp it on someone's head.
“Relics, especially those that can be used as weapons, are rare. The vassal states will try to reclaim it with bloodshot eyes, and even the Empire will covet this relic.”
“I see. A tempting dog chew that both the Empire and the vassal states would rush for without a second thought. What should we do with this?”
“If we were dealing with dogs, I'd give it as a gift, but since they're dholes, we must throw it far away. So far that they can’t even cast their eyes in this direction.”
Mayor Triver closed the lid of the wooden box again and pushed it toward us. In terms of value, it made the elixir seem like a mere ‘trifle’, but it was too burdensome a thing to accept so readily.
So this is why he gave us a gift first. He created a natural flow for handing over a present. Cunning.
“Ende needs time to heal its wounds and stand on its own. This Black Tiger Seal is a valuable item, but it is also a seed of discord. I would like you to dispose of it.”
“Something this valuable? You could get a handsome price for it if you just sold it.”
“If there were a place that would pay that price, that is. The only place that would purchase a strategic-level relic with a known history is the Seven-Colored Troupe. They do not deal in stolen goods, so there is effectively nowhere to sell it. And as the mayor of Ende, I cannot simply hand it over to a fence. So, I am entrusting it to you instead.”
“I won’t refuse a gift, but…”
He could sell it to another vassal state. But the closest one was the Lilac Vassal State, and selling it to one of their rivals would be tantamount to declaring war. The black market? What black market that could afford a strategic weapon would be anything other than a cult or a rebel army?
It certainly is difficult to handle. I can understand why he wants to pass it off.
“What do you think? Shei, do you want to use it?”
“It’s not bad… but it’s not that great either. I have Chun-aeng and Jizan. Why don’t you use it instead?”
“It’s nice, but it doesn’t really suit me. Unlike the Divine, this thing uses a lot of mana.”
The Divine was an axiom engraved upon the world. The power of the Divine that I used was a process of contacting it and utilizing that grand rule. The target was a rule of the world, but in essence, it was similar to stealing and using someone else’s Unique Magic.
In contrast, a relic was an honest transaction that produced a set effect by paying mana as a cost. It didn't suit me, as I had to resort to cheating due to my lack of both Qi and mana. A swindler’s profits drop if he doesn’t swindle.
“Can’t be helped. I guess we’ll just have to sell it.”
“You have a place to sell it?”
“Yes. A certain power that needs the Black Tiger Seal just came to mind.”
I casually took the wooden box and then held it back out. Mayor Triver looked at the returned box with a puzzled expression.
“Black Tiger Seal for sale. Never been used since I got it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. It seems you guys need it, so I’ll sell it to you.”
Selling back an item I had just received. I shamelessly held out my hand toward Mayor Triver. Seeing my empty palm, he shifted uncomfortably.
“Ende needs time to recover. I believe I’ve already explained that.”
“Yes. I heard you.”
“And you’re saying we must fight the vassal states to claim this relic?”
“I didn’t say you have to fight. I’m just telling you that you’re not in a position to choose to fight.”
When I faced Marquis Raphaeno, I briefly read his thoughts. From the reason the Black Tiger Army had bothered to come to Ende, to what the vassal states were preparing. I couldn't read deeply, but I grasped the general outline.
I relayed the thoughts I had read as if I had deduced them myself.
“The Black Tiger Army is the power of the vassal states. The army that realizes their will came to Ende because there was something in Ende they needed.”
“Wasn’t it a foothold to obtain the elixirs of Manguo?”
“To be precise, it’s because they ‘suddenly needed a lot’ of ‘unclaimed’ elixirs.”
Elixirs are precious. Therefore, the talent they are given to is also carefully selected. You have to be a descendant of a famous family or a disciple of a guild to be given some, and even then, if you don't produce results, you only get a taste before it ends.
However, since outstanding talent is just as precious as elixirs, supply and demand are adjusted to maintain a proper balance. That was why the vassal states had ignored the ruins beyond the Enger Plains. The results were uncertain compared to the resources invested, and even if they obtained something, consumption couldn't keep up.
“The vassal states, which had been ruling peacefully, hastily convene an army and send it at the news of a fight with the Wolf King? If they were that desperate for elixirs, why didn’t they do it from the start? Why so suddenly?”
“Are you saying there’s another reason?”
“It’s simple. They’re preparing for battle, or perhaps a war. And getting in some practical training on the side.”
But what if they needed an immediate boost in combat power? What if they needed to quickly train and replenish their Qi Practitioners? The ruins of Manguo, where all sorts of resources and treasures lay dormant, were a good pretext for moving troops.
“Luring displaced beastkin into the army, obtaining elixirs and treasures from Manguo, creating a pretext for moving the legion, and even recruiting a master of the Beast Faction. It would have been a perfect opportunity. Though it ended in failure.”
“A war…? With whom?”
“I don’t know that, but it’s definitely not Ende. The difference in weight class is too great to call it a war. In fact, if it weren’t for the tiger attack, the Black Tiger Army would have crushed Ende.”
While the vassal states were nations in their own right, Ende was merely a border city. If they fought head-on, it would be easily swept away.
Gauging the odds, Mayor Triver’s expression darkened. He knew the objective difference in military strength between Ende and the vassal states. There was no chance of victory, no matter what. However.
“But are you all going to leave this city as the vassal states command? Are you going to leave all your money and land behind and vacate your positions?”
“We cannot. Ende is the land of the beastkin. It is proof that beastkin, like humans, can build a civilization and develop.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
Even if you’re weak, you can’t just sit and die, can you? Even a worm will turn when stepped on. Not because it can withstand a human’s weight, but because it’s the only thing it can do.
“You can negotiate, or you can take hostages and threaten them. You’re already at the table, and you need every card you can get. How you use them is up to you.”
“…Is there no way to avoid a fight?”
“No matter how high and mighty the vassal states are, they can’t fight a dead man.”
Mayor Triver let out a deep sigh.
A distant branch of the Imperial family. A bloodline that would be treated with respect anywhere, but for various reasons, he had been pushed all the way to Ende. The irony was that being pushed out meant becoming the mayor of a city. Well-versed in the politics of the Empire and the vassal states, he realized this peace would not last long.
“There’s no place for you in this order. If you want to make a place, cause chaos. If you survive in the collapsing order, you become the new order. If you fail, you just end up as a brief flicker.”
“You return it in a way I never expected. I’ve learned a lesson.”
“Learned a lesson? I’m the one who’s learned a lesson.”
The benevolent and kind mayor of Ende. That was his actual personality, but to avoid the darkness, one must first know it well. To have survived meant to be strong. Mayor Triver possessed the cunning of a veteran politician.
“If we had accepted the Black Tiger Seal? The vassal states’ attention would have turned to us, and later, when they clashed directly with Ende, we would have been forced to take Ende’s side. Trying to make a powerful ally with a useless item. Quite impressive, aren’t you?”
He was already packaging the tigers as Ende’s guardian deities and spreading rumors that the Black Tiger Army had incurred their wrath. Ende was already using every means at its disposal to survive. Trying to entrust the Black Tiger Seal to us must have been part of that.
Even with his intentions read, Mayor Triver replied calmly.
“An ally? I merely wished to entrust a precious item to the heroes who saved Ende.”
“I understand the sentiment. But we’re not as sensible as you think. We won’t follow your script. We won’t have time to care if the vassal states invade Ende, and we won’t be too concerned if they come after us.”
“In that case, your refusal of the Black Tiger Seal was a gesture of pure goodwill toward us. We thank you for your kindness.”
I grabbed Mayor Triver’s wrist as he tried to take the wooden box back.
It is goodwill. But I never said I’d give it to you for free. I spoke firmly.
“You don’t seem to understand what I’m saying. I’m selling it back to you. Bring me another elixir.”
You gambled using the Black Tiger Seal, didn’t you? If you fail, you have to pay the price. Where do you think you’re getting a free meal?
Just then, Azzy nudged me with her front paw. When I turned my head, she dropped the nearly vanished remnant of the dog chew. I added another word.
“And a dog chew.”
Elixirs had to be precious in Ende as well, yet Mayor Triver readily handed one over. He had prepared it from the start. That made three elixirs. Though their effects varied wildly by type, I currently had not a speck of Qi. Even a nameless elixir like this was precious.
On the way back after the meeting, the Regressor, who had kept her mouth shut to avoid showing weakness, asked quietly.
“…Was it Mayor Triver who was controlling Okma?”
“Well, it’s just a guess. It’s a trivial matter now, anyway.”
“No, it makes sense. He’s a man who was pushed out of power for the sole reason of being a beastkin.”
‘If the Rider of Pestilence spreads and the fleeing beastkin are massacred at the border, Ende will be disappointed and side with the Wolf King. Mayor Triver isn’t a servant of the Empire or the vassal states; he’s a man who only cares for the safety and rights of the beastkin.’
She was slow on the uptake. Well, it was probably because the Regressor also thought it was trivial.
“Why would he do it? It was obvious it would cause a commotion.”
“Mayor Triver must have thought the pig beastkin needed a clan too. So he turned a blind eye and supported Okma, even if it was somewhat illegal. He just probably didn’t know the commotion would get this big.”
“The commotion got bigger because you instigated it.”
“A new order is born from chaos. Thanks to that, we learned how the pig beastkin feel.”
“A bigger chaos is coming anyway, so you could have postponed it…”
That’s because you know the future, so you can be sure. How is anyone else supposed to know whether to wait for a greater chaos or seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that has just arrived?
Unlike you, normal people have to gamble with a past they can’t change as their stake. The stakes are different.
As we were about to leave Obeli, someone appeared. A large pig beastkin spotted the Regressor and me and deliberately made his presence known, trudging over. Grul, the pride of the pig beastkin and the number one contributor to Ende’s defense, spoke to us.
“I heard you were injured. Are you better?”
“This is nothing. I can leave right now.”
The Regressor answered with a bluff. A master of her level could grasp one’s condition just by sensing their Qi, but her Heavenly Counter Domain always feigned a state of perfect readiness. Grul nodded.
“You must be the only human to survive an encounter with the tigers. So, where are you headed now?”
“To a nearby monastery. There’s something I need to find out.”
“A nearby monastery?”
The Enger Plains were a wild land. No ordinary monastery could exist there. The closest one was far to the north, the monastery of the Great Farm in the northern Enger Plains.
However, if we were talking about an unordinary monastery, there was one in the southern Enger Plains as well. The Monastery of Blood, guarded by the most famous nun.
Grul asked again, his face full of disbelief.
“You’re not talking about the monastery where that witch is, are you?”
“Probably.”
“Daring… No, I suppose it makes sense. You two aren’t ordinary either.”
You two? The Regressor was the only one who wasn’t normal. I was still in the realm of normalcy, right?
…Honestly, maybe not anymore?
“Be careful if you’re heading south. Strange things are happening in the old lands of Manguo. The tribes that went southeast to escape the Wolf King have successively lost contact.”
That was also why the Beast Faction had come north. Grul added briefly before continuing.
“And the priests of old Manguo are making suspicious moves. Be careful.”
“Did you come to warn us?”
“I came to thank you. You did well. If it weren’t for you, we all would have been trampled by the tigers. In return, I will pray for your well-being.”
Having delivered his short message, Grul waved his hand coolly and walked away, as if he had said all he needed to. It was the greeting of a nomad, accustomed to meetings and partings.
Indeed, our business in Ende was finished, but… I pressed the Regressor about the new information.
“Wait a minute. The monastery we’re going to is the Monastery of Blood? Not the Monastery of the Golden Carpet or the Monastery of the Running Wind?”
“Yeah. Isn’t that better for you? Monasteries are the domain of the Sanctum, and you’re on bad terms with them.”
“But the Monastery of Blood would be on bad terms with all humans. Especially me!”
“It’s fine. She won’t hate you for receiving Tyrkanzyaka’s favor. In fact, she’ll probably like you more for it.”
“That’s awkward too…”
Being liked was also frightening. It depended on who was doing the liking.
The Monastery of Blood, contrary to its name, was known as a very devout monastery. Which raised an even bigger question. Because the one who ruled it was a figure far from devout.
A blasphemer who became an Elder to test her own faith. And a fanatic who retained her faith even after becoming a vampire.
Because it was the place where the Fallen Nun, Sister Yegcheria, served as abbess.