A Meeting of Greedy Pigs
"This is a royal council where His Majesty and all the high ministers gather. Don't worry, though—the atmosphere isn't too formal, so no need to be overly tense."
Carpe nodded at the words of the attendant guiding them.
This is a golden opportunity, he thought.
A royal council attended by the king and the kingdom's top officials. That meant the 'high noble colluding with the resistance' that Cheonma had mentioned was very likely there too.
If he could figure out who that noble was, it would undoubtedly help with future quest progress.
"Oho, our honored guests have arrived."
As the group entered the council chamber under the guide's lead, the king welcomed them with a hearty laugh.
The chamber featured a massive round table where fifteen magic squirrels, including the king, sat in a circle. Luxurious refreshments were arrayed in the center.
...But considering the squirrels' short legs, how could they even reach that far?
Were the treats just for show?
While Carpe pondered such idle thoughts, the king called out to the group.
"Come hither. I've reserved seats right beside me for you all."
True to his word, the seat to the king's right was empty. As Carpe and his companions took their places, the king chuckled with satisfaction—kkik-kkik!
"With guests here, I'll pour the tea myself."
With that, the king waved his paw in the air, and the tea set from the table's center floated gracefully over, pouring for the group.
Carpe marveled inwardly. So that's how they eat—telekinesis.
"Thank you for coming."
"No, thank you for inviting us."
"This isn't a stiff affair, so relax and observe freely. We're curious what our council looks like through an outsider's eyes."
With that, the king resumed the briefly paused meeting.
Carpe sipped his tea, quickly scanning the other squirrels.
One of these is the traitor noble...
Who could it be? Outwardly, they all looked like plump, well-fed squirrels, no different from the rest.
But the conversations coming from their mouths were a spectacle.
"Now, the fifth agenda item... My daughter turns seven in three days, so I'm thinking of throwing a party. Can everyone attend?"
"Ooh, a party sounds great!"
"Happy early birthday to your daughter. As nobles, we shall attend without fail."
"Oh, unrelated, but yesterday's acorn soup was so awful I flipped the table. Worst breakfast ever."
"Goodness. The head chef deserves severe punishment. Fifty lashes sound about right?"
"I'm not that cruel a squirrel. I settled for thirty."
"Haha, Marquis Crawl's mercy grows by the day. A true exemplar for us nobles."
"Oh, right—speaking of acorns, I heard some were stolen from the warehouse yesterday."
"Trivial matter. Just harvest more to replace them."
"Haha, wise as ever."
Carpe furrowed his brow at the chaotic chatter from all directions.
... This is the royal council?
Was 'royal council' short for 'meeting where all sense is obliterated'?
Yet no one there objected to the talk. This truly seemed to be how the magic squirrels conducted their royal councils.
They boasted about who indulged in greater luxuries, who hoarded more acorns.
There was no trace of the discussions for the common folk that one would expect in a meeting of king and ministers.
As Carpe swallowed a hollow laugh at the absurdity—
Bang!
One squirrel slammed the table hard and shouted.
"What is this disgraceful behavior? We have honored guests present!"
"What's with you all of a sudden, Warden?"
"Do you intend to waste this rare royal council on such meaningless drivel?!"
So not everyone here was hopeless.
The squirrel called the warden glared furiously at the assembly.
Come to think of it, unlike the others' vacant expressions, the warden's eyes were sharp and clear.
And the title 'warden'—coincidentally, the resistance planned to raid the prison.
Was this mere coincidence?
If the warden was the insider, recapturing the prison would be all the easier.
"Ahem. No need to get heated. These things happen."
"Then what is a meaningful agenda?"
"I've prepared a proper one. Ahem."
He was different from the others.
Could the prison warden truly be the resistance's insider...?
"Aren't we getting bored of just acorns? How about cultivating finer crops? We can use the prison inmates for labor, of course."
"Like hell—damn it..."
Betrayed by his expectations, Carpe reflexively spat a curse.
"Eh? What was that? 'Damn' what?"
"...I meant sunflower seeds might work well."
"Hah! Brilliant idea! As expected of our legendary partner's kin!"
"I thought you'd cursed for a second there."
"Haha! Our guests wouldn't do that. Very well, we'll proceed with slave labor."
And so the meeting dragged on from start to finish with nothing but nonsense.
The king, who had merely watched the entire farce with a hearty laugh, now addressed Carpe.
"Honored guest, would you stay a moment? I have questions for you."
"Ah, sure. No problem."
Thus, Carpe and his group remained seated. The noble squirrels had all departed, leaving only the king at the table.
"So, what did you think of today's council? Speak freely from an outsider's perspective."
"Hmm..."
How to answer this?
Just say it was a total mess?
The king seemed kind-hearted, but blunt honesty might offend him.
And with so much info still needed, falling out with the king wasn't wise for Carpe.
What to do?
As Carpe pondered his response—
The king chuckled knowingly—kkik-kkik!—and spoke first.
"A perfect display of greedy pigs stuffing their faces, no?"
"...Pardon?"
"These supposed leaders care nothing for the people, only their own gluttony. If that's not pigs, what is? Right?"
"..."
The king's words were utterly unexpected. As Carpe stared in surprise, the king continued with a bitter expression.
"But to them, it's all perfectly natural. Their ancestors, and their ancestors before them, did the same. Those who wield magic are noble; those who don't are lowly. Nobles must revel in luxury, while slaves and commoners offer up acorns eternally. Even non-noble slaves and peasants see it as obvious, without a shred of doubt. This kingdom is that kingdom. Shocking, isn't it?"
"...Yeah, it's definitely shocking."
Tax rates at 90%. Endless exploitation of the lower classes by the elite.
It was a wonder the nation even functioned under such absurdity. Only possible because it was a game.
"But Your Majesty..."
"Me? My thinking differs from theirs. Back in my prince days fifty years ago, I contracted with a human spiritist and experienced the human world—just like you now."
"Ah! So that's why... Wait, fifty years ago?"
Carpe double-checked, wondering if he'd misheard.
"If I may ask your age..."
"Hmm. Seventy-four this year? Or seventy-five?"
"...You look incredibly youthful."
The king beamed happily at Carpe's sincere admiration—kkik-kkik! Carpe realized flattery about looking young worked on squirrels and humans alike.
The king gently closed his eyes, as if reminiscing.
"The happiest time of my life. My partner and his companions were all kind, cheerful folk. Traveling with them, I saw and learned much."
The king's journey with his partner through the human realms lasted about fifteen years.
Time passed, his aged contractor passed away, and the king returned to the kingdom.
"Upon return, I realized this land was rotten. No human nation treated its lower classes so cruelly."
How long could such a deformed exploitation persist?
Everyone accepted it now, but a minor spark could collapse the nation later.
Human histories the king had witnessed proved as much.
Above all, he couldn't bear watching the people toil blindly till death.
As Carpe suspected, the current king was a truly benevolent squirrel.
"What does magic's use matter? We're all squirrels the same. Rights aren't dictated by magical talent—they're innate from birth. My human travels taught me that."
Reform was needed.
Determined, the king tried easing the lower classes' burdens... but to no avail. Tamia, kingdom of magic squirrels, wasn't an absolute monarchy.
The king was merely more esteemed than other nobles; he held no power to dictate the nation.
The ministers rejected his ideals, and exploitation continued unabated.
"...As the contractor of the legendary Tamias, I can trust you. What follows is strictly secret. Realizing I couldn't sway the nobles, I turned elsewhere."
The upper echelons might be corrupt, but he wouldn't abandon the masses.
The king began secretly enlightening the lower classes. In time, they began questioning their station.
"...Impressive."
Carpe admired him sincerely. And now he knew for certain who Cheonma's 'resistance insider' was.
To think the kingdom's highest figure conspired with the lowest strata!
"It started as a mere spark. But after decades, a true force formed among the lower classes. I want them to change this nation."
"Shouldn't that be straightforward?"
With the top authority aiding the resistance, what obstacles remained?
But the king shook his head.
"I cannot intervene openly."
"Why not? The nobles?"
"That's part of it, but more crucially—it would become top-down reform. I want the lower classes to realize the system's wrongness themselves and rise by their own power."
That self-earned pride would make them unbreakable.
The king believed this earnestly.
"Yet one worry lingers: deepened class strife spilling too much blood."
"Revolutions demand blood... but from Your Majesty's view, it's natural to fret."
"Precisely. Thus, a request for you alone, as an outsider."
Your quest has been updated.
"Of course, I won't request such grave aid lightly. My partner was a shrewd human who always said: to achieve your desires, pay the proper price."
This is a quest with advance rewards.
Accepting the quest grants an Advanced Skill Pack (Magic Skills).
"...He sounds like an excellent fellow."
Carpe had no choice but to reply as he eyed the alert window.