EP.172 A Tale from Afar. The Noble King and the Gentle King
The soldiers who had brought down the kingdom demolished the royal castle and established a military government. The first king to visit the new nation was none other than the King of Dogs.
The King of Dogs personally visited the military nation and asked them to help drive out the wolves together.
In those days, the military nation was thoroughly sick of the very concept of a king. This was partly an outcry against incompetence, and partly an inferiority complex exuded by those who had not been chosen by a king.
Even if it was the king of beasts, it was no different. The King of Dogs, who fought wolves every time in the name of representing all dogs, was nothing but a war-mongering tyrant from the military nation's perspective.
However, the military nation was not a group of fools who would try to kill the King of Dogs out of simple hatred, so they made a different proposal.
They would provide a place to hide from the wolves' eyes and noses, and told him to hide there. If he kept the promise well, they would help the dogs defeat the wolves.
Of course, there was political calculation involved in that as well.
The King of Dogs was a being that attracted the King of Wolves. By executing a king, the military nation, which had fallen out of favor with surrounding nations, needed to hold a few bombs they could detonate if necessary. Otherwise, it was clear that the fragile newborn nation would be broken and ruined by foreign invasions.
The King of Dogs nodded at the military nation's proposal. It was the first agreement made after the birth of the military nation.
However, the saying about things changing between entering and leaving the bathroom applied to nations as well.
When the day came to repay the old debt, the emotion felt by the military nation was one thing.
Dilemma.
"...King of Dogs. You have broken the agreement."
Defense Commander Buidun walked out of the headquarters with heavy steps. The officers hastily cleared the way before him. Some tried to guard his front, saying it was dangerous, but hurriedly retreated at Commander Buidun's hand gesture.
Now alone with the King of Dogs, Commander Buidun spoke slowly.
"Our promise was valid only until the appointed time came, while you stayed quietly in the Bottomless Pit. But you ran out of there."
"Woof."
Aji snorted and barked. Commander Buidun thought the King of Dogs would make some argument.
Don't be unreasonable.
How could one stay when the Bottomless Pit disappeared?
Twenty-five years was a long wait.
If the King answered like that, Commander Buidun intended to seize on those words to somehow occupy a more advantageous position.
A thoroughly political passing of the buck, transparent but with no proper countermeasure.
Such was the political calculation of Commander Buidun, laid out to extract concessions from the King of Dogs.
However.
"You don't want to keep the promise."
The words from the King of Dogs made Commander Buidun flinch.
Too pure to be called human, but could it simply be dismissed as just a dog? That being who had pinpointed Buidun and the military nation's position exactly?
"Wolves, scary? Don't want to fight?"
Commander Buidun answered slowly. Not to gain psychological advantage as before, but because he didn't know what to say.
"I am not afraid. Simply, I am not ready. It is not yet the time..."
"I'm ready."
Aji said, looking straight at the Commander.
"Wolves, form packs. I don't form packs. Instead, I share promises with humans. The humans who made a promise with me are my pack."
"...We are not dogs. We cannot be your pack."
"I know. You're humans. So I made a promise. To take the lead when fighting wolves. I'll protect humans, so humans will protect me too."
Too pure to be called an agreement, but too significant to dismiss as a simple promise.
Wolves, symbols of wildness, the most violent animal kings. Intelligent and ferocious beasts that had countless conflicts with humans.
The King of Wolves, their king, used to attack humans more aggressively than any other beast. Then humans, together with their friends, drove out the wolves.
...That too is a thing of the past.
"Woof. I waited patiently. I kept waiting, believing the promise would be kept. No sunlight, no walks. It wasn't fun, but to chase wolves. To protect humans. I endured and kept waiting."
The crown split in half hummed with sound. The King of Dogs, the spokesperson for all dogs, was commanding humans to help dogs.
Buidun felt anger boiling up from within as he looked at the royal symbol that projected an intense presence.
It was different from the fake kings humans had. The beastman standing before his eyes was a being designated by the world. A true King of Dogs who truly cared for dogs, represented them, and had the power to do so.
Why, why did only lowly beasts have kings? The more Buidun chewed on this, the more hatred and inferiority surged up, but as a veteran politician, he skillfully hid his emotions.
"...It matters not. Moving troops to fight against wolves is irrational."
"You won't keep the promise?"
"It is not something I can decide alone."
Commander Buidun was one of the few commanders in the military nation, but he couldn't make major decisions alone. He had to conduct a cabinet meeting through communications and pass a resolution.
But Commander Buidun knew. The military nation would never fight against the King of Wolves.
With the Bottomless Pit gone, they had no leeway to fight the King of Wolves. Because scavengers would swarm in droves, eyeing the Bottomless Pit wilderness where the Earth Mother Goddess's blessing would soon return.
War would break out. Faster than expected, but already an anticipated event. The military nation was preparing for war with the nations that bordered the Bottomless Pit wilderness.
Fighting a two-front war from the early stages where seizing the initiative was important would only prolong the war.
"In the first place, why should we get involved in your war? Humans don't have a king, so why should humans get hurt in a conflict between kings?"
"Humans eliminated the human king. They said he was unnecessary, so he disappeared. So I have no choice but to make promises with humans."
Aji answered sadly.
"But humans don't remember the promise. No one keeps it for me..."
The resigned tone was pitiful, but it was too great a matter to be moved by emotion alone. Commander Buidun waved his hand.
"If you're done with your business, would you please leave? We have things to do."
"...Bad."
Commander Buidun laughed hollowly and replied.
"What can you do, King of Dogs? Will you attack us? Will you rebel against humans because they broke their promise?"
Commander Buidun sneered, knowing the King of Dogs could never do that.
That was actually true. Even with humans holding swords and spears densely before his eyes, Aji harbored no hostility toward them.
But Aji's lack of hostility was only toward humans.
Swords and spears were different. Aji bared his teeth at everything except humans.
"I'll throw a tantrum."
"Nya-ah."
Pure white, fluffy fur reaching down to the waist. A tail that possessed both stillness and agility. Pointed cat ears.
A cat beastman with an exceptionally noble demeanor that would steal anyone's gaze for a moment, swished her tail and stretched languidly. Her front paws extended long, her waist forming a soft curve.
Nabi, who had thoroughly stretched her body, flicked her front paws and muttered.
"Silly doggy. Whether king or not, still bound by chains. Keeps seeking humans even without reward. How pitiful..."
The crown floating above Nabi's head twisted this way and that before disappearing. The Cat King had temporarily worn the crown due to the 'Pronouncement' delivered by the King of Dogs, but upon realizing that it was solely a declaration toward humans, the Cat King set aside royal duties and returned to being a mere individual.
Nabi watched Aji throwing a 'tantrum,' then shifted her body.
"Nyaa-. Moving around gets the blood boiling. Should I help?"
A small mutter that could seep through the cracks in the ground. However, Aji's ears perked up as he rampaged below. Aji also expressed his refusal softly.
"Woof. No."
Hearing the answer, Nabi lowered her half-raised body and yawned languidly.
"Nyaa. Do as you please. Pitiful, silly doggy."
Returned to being an observer, Nabi silently watched the King of Dogs rampage.
The tantrum thrown by the King of Dogs needed to be understood more as a king's than a dog's.
Already fifteen military armors had been damaged. The weapons with sharply gleaming blades all bore unsightly bite marks. The officers who had vowed never to let go of their weapons even in death revoked that pledge today.
The damage was not limited to weapons. The weapons held in human hands or the armor wrapping them were relatively intact.
Compared to what non-human things suffered, those at least maintained their original shape.
The entire headquarters looked as if a bomb had dropped, or rather, as if a giant earth mage had overturned the ground itself.
The walls of the headquarters were covered with Level 4 Alchemical Steel to block external attacks. Aji treated it like loose wallpaper.
In other words, he tore it with his teeth.
Alchemical Steel was not simple wallpaper but armor nailed to the building's exterior. Since that was torn apart by the teeth of a single individual, the building couldn't remain intact. The defense headquarters, which had boasted a solid presence, had its walls torn off, revealing its interior brightly.
Among the military auto-carriages, none stood firmly on four wheels, and doors scratched by claws were crumpled, showing their interiors through the gaps.
The courtyard and walls were full of footprints and claw marks. If a farmer were present, they would have thought it was freshly plowed land and planted seeds.
The only response the officers could make was to chase after Aji's tail. Only by doing that much could they keep up before Aji destroyed something.
When the officers' hands came close to Aji, Aji barked joyfully as if playing tag and dashed off somewhere else.
Finally, Commander Buidun couldn't contain himself and shouted.
"That's enough tantrum-!"
He pushed aside the officer guarding his front and threw his body forward without even wearing military armor. Leaping thirty meters in a single bound, he spread his palm wide and swept through the space itself. Bluish energy surged from each finger and struck Aji like a net.
Aji jumped as if scorched by fire. He jumped so urgently that his body was half-buried in the wall. Commander Buidun clicked his tongue and chased after Aji again.
The officers admired the commander's martial prowess.
"As expected of the Commander...!"
But Commander Buidun knew.
The reason the King of Dogs reacted so sensitively was because Commander Buidun was bare-handed.
Commander Buidun's fists were fast and strong. If one blocked or deflected that, tremendous shock would overwhelm Commander Buidun. Of course, the commander had the strength and qi gong to withstand that, but Aji couldn't impose such a threat on humans.
At most, biting weapons or tearing military armor was all.
That was why, while other officers had been easily disarmed, only Commander Buidun's attacks were dodged from a distance.
Commander Buidun chased after Aji and shouted.
"Get out! Leave the military nation, go find another master! Find a human who would kill wolves for you!"
"Woof, woof!"
Aji barked threateningly at Commander Buidun, who was acting aggressively despite being the one who broke the promise. Of course, Commander Buidun didn't bat an eye.
Instead, he thought inwardly.
Even a dog whose only "play" with humans is this much has this much power.
Then how strong is the King of Wolves, who would use even more powerful strength solely to destroy humans? Moreover, hunting in an organized manner with other wolves in a pack...
Surely, this must be the price humans paid for abandoning their own king.
This was why they should have secured the King of Dogs before the promise was fulfilled.
Regret inherently contains lateness in its very meaning. Commander Buidun shook off his thoughts and shouted.
"The humans you seek don't exist in the military nation! Get out!"
"Awooooo-!"
The beast's howl echoed long. Commander Buidun was trying to chase Aji out when—
He flinched at the killing intent felt from above and looked up.
Tirkanjaka, who had been sitting on the wall watching the events below, turned her head at the killing intent felt beside her.
Shei was pointing Jizan downward. With an expression as serious as a surveyor conducting measurements.
"...What are you doing?"
"Wait a moment. I'm calculating how many seconds it would take to fall if dropped from here."
Jizan's weight could be compared to Mount Taishan, but its authority was fundamentally based on earth arts. Jizan could not smash the ground with its own weight.
Still, it could create at least the impact of a giant boulder falling. If dropped from this height, even a commander would not be safe.
If Tirkanjaka hadn't stopped her, Commander Buidun would not have been safe.
"Didn't you say we need to find Hyu? Why did you suddenly decide to kill him?"
"That commander, I thought I'd seen him somewhere, and he was the Master of All Things. The one who operates and supports the Master of All Things. It's better to kill him now."
Tirkanjaka furrowed her brow.
"If you're going to kill him, do it after asking about Hyu's whereabouts. If you kill a man of his caliber, won't they become uncooperative?"
"That's why I'm trying to kill him by dropping only Jizan without revealing our identity."
"If their commander dies after being struck by a sword falling from the sky and then we appear, they surely wouldn't suspect us at all."
Tirkanjaka scolded Shei, but Shei hadn't acted without thought either. She had simply forgotten to explain because she wasn't used to explaining to others.
Shei decided to put away Jizan for now and clear her colleague's doubts first.
"There's no reason to let him live. The Master of All Things has a very different disposition from the military nation. To achieve their goal, they don't calculate means, methods, or costs. How many Master of All Things bases and supply lines have we destroyed on our way here—do you think they'd cooperate obediently? We might actually have to take him hostage."
"Hmm."
Tirkanjaka looked down with a troubled expression. Getting their help would make things easier, but she definitely didn't want him to be in danger.
Having given up cleanly, Tirkanjaka gestured to Shei.
"In that case, leave him be. If we can kill him anytime, is there any need to kill him now and make an enemy? Let's take care of things after finding Hyu."
"Hmm. I want to kill him now..."
But as Tirkanjaka said, Commander Buidun could be killed anytime. There was no need to completely make an enemy of the military nation just yet.
Shei clicked her tongue and withdrew Jizan.
"Tch. Can't be helped. Commander Buidun isn't the main body anyway."
The true main body of the Master of All Things was not him but the Six Generals' Halberdier. A weapon master strongest in a prepared fight.
She had brought him down several times in previous rounds, but the changing weapons each time gave Shei considerable trouble.
Killing him here and alerting the Halberdier might not be as good as letting him live.
"Good thinking. Since it's come to this, let's use the second and third methods. What's the second method?"
"The second method is to ask Aji and Nabi to find him. With the sense of smell possessed by the beast kings, they'd find him quickly with just a little legwork."
"Oh. That's a good plan. Then what's the third?"
Shei smiled broadly. She, who had been waiting for the moment to prove her competence, puffed out her chest and declared proudly.
"The third is getting it from the information guild. I know how to contact them."
"Information guild, huh."
As expected, an interested reaction came from Tirkanjaka. Shei added with a slight swagger.
"Speaking of Amitengrad's information brokers, it's the Black Cat. It's a magazine specializing in gossip and exposés, but what they do is comparable to an information guild. If you go to the entrance only secret members can access, they'll sell information, and if you pay a commission, they'll even investigate directly. Finding one person isn't that dangerous, so they'll find him quickly."
However, no one here expected.
What information would be waiting at the magazine created by beastmen.