157. Upheaval

The persecution of the Beastkin had been going on for quite a long time.

They say it started with the Demons, though saying it started with the Demons is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠actually a bit ridiculous.

The persecution of the Beastkin had already been going on for a very long time even back when I was Ronan, so perhaps it started with humans.

Well, anyway. The beginning isn't what matters.

What matters is when the persecution of the Beastkin ended, and who ended it.

The persecution of the Beastkin ended 400 years ago.

We ended it.

We went to the Demon World and saw the Beastkin being persecuted. They had been made into slaves, into pets, into objects for pouring out every kind of vile desire.

So we killed the Demons persecuting the Beastkin. Killed them, and killed them, and killed them.

By the time we had destroyed eight of Ge Vihenum's great cities and torn every high-ranking Demon officer to pieces, there were no more persecuted Beastkin left in Ge Vihenum.

After that, we sent all the liberated Beastkin to the Empire, and when we returned to the Imperial Capital a while later, what we saw were Beastkin being persecuted by humans.

So we killed humans too.

We smashed thirty-odd noble houses and erased their names from the world. We killed commoners too, and merchants.

That was how we ended the persecution of the Beastkin once again, and after extracting a blood oath from the Emperor, we departed for Ge Vihenum again.

I don't know what happened after that.

Because I never came back.

But a little while ago, Leona said she had set the protection and livelihood of the Beastkin as her condition.

Judging from that, it seems the Beastkin's lives were a complete mess until Leona became one of the Six Pillars.

They weren't being persecuted, sure, but it's plain as day they must have been scraping by, drifting through back alleys of the Imperial Capital and the like.

So she had no choice. Leona put a leash on herself.

And after that... well, as Leona said, she can't kill those shitheads because she's afraid her own actions might endanger all the Beastkin.

As for Arisa—why did Arisa, who came back from Ge Vihenum, do nothing about it?

Of course, I'm not blaming her. I'm just... a little curious. Arisa was the one who poured out the most rage over the Beastkin's liberation, after all.

Well... Arisa must have had her own circumstances.

It's not something I need to worry about right now.

In the end, the Beastkin are more comfortable now, and they even have a place of their own to live, so worrying more won't change anything.

But Leona's problem... it seems like if I just pay a little attention to it, something could be done.

The reason Leona can't move freely is because she thinks that breaking the oath might bring harm to the Beastkin.

But before that, we had the imperial family swear a blood oath forbidding the persecution of the Beastkin.

I can't know which oath would take precedence, but either way, Leona doesn't seem to have any intention of taking off the leash unless certain safety is guaranteed.

And the refuge for the Beastkin that serves as that leash is said to be in House van Chaser's territory.

And House van Chaser is the family going around claiming to be descendants of Ronan, despite having no blood connection.

And that Ronan?

Eliarnes Eustetia.

That's me.

I am the Reincarnation of Ronan Luzarak.

On top of that, House van Chaser has to formally invite me. I don't know what conditions Arisa set when she impersonated me, but if Ashtar's words are true, I'll be receiving House van Chaser's heirloom.

With that, the likelihood that I'll gain influence over House van Chaser is already rising.

So, if I handle this... if I work it just right, it seems like I could take Leona's leash off too.

"Why's your face like that? You don't like that your master is tied down by the Empire?"

"I can't exactly say I don't."

"There's no need to worry about it that much. If a situation comes that I absolutely can't overlook, I'll take the leash off with my own hands."

"Even if it means abandoning your own people?"

"Yeah. And this isn't just my opinion—it's the opinion of all the Beastkin, and there aren't many of us left."

"Why?"

"The liberation of the Beastkin was achieved by the Heroes 400 years ago. If they hadn't helped us back then... we, the Beastkin, would still be stuck in Ge Vihenum, suffering every kind of horror."

A faint smile hung on Leona's lips.

"And we were saved by the Heroes. Without any price, we were truly just saved. The Heroes... didn't ask anything of us, but that doesn't mean we can just wipe our mouths and sit still."

"It's been 400 years. I think you could just pretend not to know and wipe your mouths. And... those Heroes probably wouldn't care much either..."

They don't care.

The reason we saved the Beastkin? Because we were Heroes, human decency, the greater good, justice—none of that crap.

We saved them simply because it looked fucked up to us.

We hated the sight of Demons cracking up while persecuting Beastkin, we lost sleep over the screams of Beastkin crying out as Demons raped them, and the stench of rotting corpses from human experimentation sites lingered at our noses.

So we killed the Demons and saved the Beastkin.

No comrade objected. There was no dissent, no complaint, no dissatisfaction. When the Beastkin's liberation was fully achieved, we drank like always, got drunk, and laughed.

"That's probably true. If it was them... it probably is. But we can't do that. So everyone came together in resolve. If there's an opponent that I—that we—judge absolutely must be killed, or if someone appears who would smear the Heroes' names, we will strike them down even at the cost of all our lives."

"You all live exhaustingly."

"Without the Heroes, we'd have lived even more exhausted and harder lives."

Leona's smile deepened.

She seemed to truly mean it.

Did a little of that emotion transfer to me?

I'm not... sure, but my mood was soft and fuzzy, restless.

And heavy.

The name of Hero, the history tangled up in it, the things we had done, the results that came back because of it.

Heavy, and burdensome.

They should only call Luna and Paulo, the ones with Sacred Relics, Heroes. I don't know why they dragged the remaining three in and called us Heroes too. It's just needlessly heavy.

I clicked my tongue quietly and looked at Leona.

"I think I might be able to help."

"With what? Killing the Puppet Emperor?"

"The liberation of the Beastkin."

Leona's mouth fell open. She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seemed to want to say something, but instead of words, she let out a laugh.

"Nyahahaha! Why? You gonna move the Beastkin's home to the Eustetia Duchy or something?"

"Well, that's not a bad method either."

"A very admirable thought, but unfortunately, that's impossible. There's no way the Empire, or House van Chaser, would just let the Beastkin go. The Beastkin are the only shackles that can bind me."

"You never know. There's no such thing as absolute in this world."

Should I explain my reasoning to Leona?

House van Chaser is looking for me.

The Deceptive Body that Ronan created.

They say Ronan personally passed it down to House van Chaser.

After that, the Deceptive Body became a special secret art that only the head of House van Chaser could learn.

But you know what? They say that if someone appears who uses that secret art without ever having learned it, they'll become a guest of House van Chaser and be given the heirloom.

I don't know what that heirloom is, but it seems like possessing it will give me influence over House van Chaser.

I'm going to the north within the year, and once I'm there and do this and that... hmm.

About two years?

Tell them to get ready to move in the meantime.

Isn't it hard living in that cold place?

Oh, do Beastkin not feel the cold?

That's not a racist remark, I'm just curious.

The Eustetia Duchy has nice weather and nice scenery.

So let's all move together.

Permission... if I pester Dad, it'll work out somehow.

If it really doesn't work, I'll just act cute or whatever.

Should I say it?

If I say it, Leona's heart will feel lighter.

But what if it doesn't come true? A disappointment and heartbreak of unbearable size would crash over her.

I won't say it.

"Anyway, if I become able to help, I'll help without holding back."

I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"You're always slacking off, but today you're quite admirable."

Nyahaha, Leona laughed like usual and rose from her seat.

"Where are you going?"

The madly intense aura of the Flame Emperor had vanished.

Did she go to talk with Silina? Anyway, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it meant her business was finished.

Leona had risen from her seat to match that.

"We're going together."

Then she reached out her hand to me.

I tilted my head but took Leona's hand and stood up.

"Where are we going?"

"As if I'd take you somewhere weird."

"Still, I should know where before going."

"It's a place that's more fun if you don't know. And I also want to see you, who's so strangely detached about everything, get surprised."

"Tch... I don't get surprised easily. I probably won't be surprised this time either."

I'd been surprised in front of Leona a few times, but never all that greatly.

After all, I'm someone who's seen, experienced, and personally done most things. So being surprised is hard for me.

"Hmm? Is that so?"

"Just watch. Whether I get surprised or not."

*****

"Huh... no, why the hell is this under the Academy... this... this insane..."

"Nyahahahahahahahak! You said you wouldn't be surprised!"

I was so surprised—so enormously surprised—that my embarrassment was completely wiped away. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was one of the biggest shocks I'd had in both my Past Life and this one, countable on one hand.

"Your being surprised is one thing, but the fact that you recognized this the moment you saw it is even more amazing."

"Huh, not recognizing it would be the weird... thing, wouldn't it? This is, this is... from the Hero stories."

"Is it?"

"...Yes. The Hero stories... the novel version, chapter 18... it appears."

"You have all that memorized? How many times did you read it to memorize that?"

"...I just have a good memory."

It wasn't just something I'd seen in a book.

I'd seen it 400 years ago too.

In fact... I'd been expecting it to some degree from the first day I set foot in the Academy.

But I didn't expect it to be so blatantly... and to have the original form, exactly as it was.

"What are you doing? Aren't you coming?"

Leona, who had walked ahead, looked back.

And behind Leona.

A blood-red, enormous rock was visible.

No. It looked like a rock, but that thing was not a rock.

Blood-red Mana poured out so violently it seemed excessive, distorting the surrounding scenery, distorting space itself.

Even from far away, my breathing was choked off, and my Mana control was restricted.

Mana that was arrogant and selfish. An Authority that could not be compared to something like Dispel—one that subjugated Mana itself.

There is only one race in this world that harbors such a thing.

Dragon.

That blood-red rock was the core of that dragon.

"...A Dragon Heart."

The original form of a Dragon Heart, which I hadn't seen since the Dragon-Slaying War, was illuminating the Academy's underground.