There is such a thing as a limit line. Not one deliberately drawn by someone, but a green line created by the vast laws of nature.
At a certain altitude, tall trees find it extremely difficult to survive. Low temperatures, thin air, scarce water. The survival rate plummets due to these complex issues arising simply from the high altitude. Plants are somewhat social creatures too; if there is no similar vegetation nearby, they wither out of shame.
The vacancy left by tall trees is filled by short grass. The wild grasses that lived suppressed beneath the towering trees stretch broadly and spread their roots. They thrive, competing in height with one another in their own world.
The limit line is meticulously drawn like that, over a long period of time.
If there were such a long line, I would want to walk along it humming, but I only retain my childlike innocence; I am not a fool. A human walking along the limit line on a wide-open plateau where not a single tree can grow would stand out far too much. Village Chief Villitear, who told me to walk like that, must have been aiming for me to be conspicuous.
But I wouldn't do that. Even without being a mind reader, one doesn't walk on the wild grass while leaving the trees alone. Hiding my body slightly below the limit line, inside the trees, I walked cautiously. Preparing to quickly hide underground in case a beast appeared.
Walking endlessly, I saw a cloud-draped peak in the distance. The clouds, which seemed to have paused after climbing the slope only to be blocked by a sudden cliff, were exhaling exhausted sighs. Normally, I would have passed by thinking, 'Wow, what a view.' But now, I hid my body and carefully observed the peak.
"That must be the peak where Mokin-ken Colly is."
Sure enough, I could see a dot flickering in the distance. White masses spread wide enough to rival the clouds, and human shadows jutting out between them.
It seemed to be where vampires, humans, and the flocks of sheep they tended were staying.
"Does Mokin-ken mean they raise humans? Sheep and shepherds. And it seems there are also shepherds of shepherds."
According to what I've read, Mokin-ken Colly is an Ein of Elder Runken. A dog demi-human of quite a famous bloodline, and I vaguely read an evaluation that, unlike typical demi-humans, his brain is also brilliant. It's roughly fine to understand it as a superior version of Azi.
His abilities or weaknesses were hard to know just from the thoughts of others, but there was still one thing for certain.
I cannot win.
If I barely won against a Yeiling, what about an Ein? An Ein is someone I couldn't even kill properly like Yukjangseong, only managing a win by decision. I would be lucky to just suffer a decision loss.
"So I must avoid standing out as much as possi—"
In an instant. I felt a chilling sensation and quickly curled my body. Not something learned, but a sense of crisis preserved at an animal level took over my body.
Half-burrowed into the ground using Earth Arts, I raised only my head to look the other way. The opposite side of the peak, an open plain. Beasts, looking as if they were hovering lightly, were roaming there. I observed their appearance.
"...Wolves."
Not all beasts are hostile to humans. However, wolves are invariably hostile to humans. As if their half-brothers, the dogs, had taken all the friendliness.
I held my breath and hid my body until the wolves disappeared from sight. The wolf pack roaming over there glanced toward the peak and then left for somewhere. After confirming the wolves had gone far enough, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew, I survived. What would I have done if I had encountered them on the plain without Earth Arts."
With Earth Arts, I can now avoid them if I just sense the signs beforehand. If I sense the signs beforehand, that is.
The problem is that I can't read the minds of beasts. Wolves could ambush me from the thicket. They also have the persistence to watch the ground I've burrowed into for days. Or they possess the agility to bite off my limbs before I can even use Earth Arts.
Since ancient times, wolves have been the greatest threat to humans. It is the same for me, the King of Humans.
"Hmm. Definitely. Crossing the mountain carries a huge risk. The mountain itself is dangerous, but with the vampire guard and mountain beasts, the dangers are more than one or two."
I wonder if I should rather dig through the ground to traverse the mountain... but that is practically impossible too. Even with Earth Arts, it would easily take a month, and finding the way underground is difficult. Above all, the threats I would face are not to be taken lightly. If I disturb a water vein, I will become a drowned corpse underground, and if the cavern collapses, I will leave behind a fossil of the King of Humans.
"Still, it's better than the border guarded by an Elder."
Of course, I hadn't come without any plan.
The Principality is not a country with a large population, is not proactive in educating its livestock, and lacks the motivation to grow stronger on its own, making it an environment where special humans are hard to be born. However, occasionally even among the livestock, an individual brimming with energy and manifesting unique magic pops up. Like Lil Nightingale.
What would such a talented human do in the Principality? One of two things. Either try to become a vampire, or escape.
There must have been those who attempted to escape. What I need to do is either follow the path walked by ancient sages, or learn from their failures.
"There must be a reason why an Ein is acting as a shepherd of shepherds near the border. That place must be a hotspot for escapees. It'll be hard to pass through openly, but if you hide well, it could be easy."
Shepherds live apart but don't live alone. There must definitely be a village acting as a base nearby. It's not as good as Hilde, but I am also confident in hiding among humans.
It's a strategy improvised on the spot, but it's not bad. I praised myself and headed for the village that must be nearby.
"Woof! Woof!"
...Of course. I should have been a bit more careful.
A large dog was glaring at me and barking loudly. The only difference between this dog, with its majestic brown fur and large bared teeth, and a wolf was that it hadn't bitten me yet.
Damn it. I can read human thoughts but not dog thoughts. I didn't expect such a huge obstacle to be waiting from the start.
"Grrr."
"Good boy, good doggy? Can you recognize me? I'm a human. Your friend, human."
"Grrrrrr."
"Even if I'm unfamiliar, I'm not an enemy and I won't hurt you. I'm your friend. There, there. Good boy."
"Grrr..."
As I relaxed my expression, put on a gentle smile, and continued sending friendly messages, the dog also let its guard down a bit and slowly approached me. It sniffed with its nose to smell whether I was a dangerous person or not.
It seems to be a guy who is friendly to humans. Well, otherwise it wouldn't be a dog. Having avoided dying from a dog bite for now, I carefully continued to build rapport.
"Brownie? Where did you go?"
I figured as much. A dog wouldn't have come alone.
From a short distance away, I heard the voice of its master calling. Then the dog ran to its master without even looking back. Its figure running while wagging its tail was unmistakably that of a loyal hound.
"Why are you suddenly running off? Is someone there?"
I've run into a person. A meeting I couldn't control is not good... but it can't be helped. This isn't the time to be picky about that.
I revealed myself in front of the owner. The owner was a boy who looked like a young shepherd. The boy, wearing a large hat and holding a staff, discovered me and became guarded.
A mere little kid isn't a problem at all... but the problem is that dog. I don't want to know how fierce a dog raised by shepherds can become. Because I would become the example.
Did it feel its master's emotions? The dog's expression grew fierce. Before the boy could say anything, I greeted him.
"Hello, little boy. This is..."
Reading his mind with telepathy, and with words and actions that would make him feel as little sense of alienation as possible. Without approaching the boy, I raised both hands and asked.
"The place where Lord Colly is, right? I have come to see Lord Colly on important business, could you tell me where to go?"
"Lord Colly? For what reason?"
Now. What should I do.
To deceive others, it's better to utilize the truth rather than lies. It's easier to make them mistake it for a pair by showing the two of hearts twice, rather than creating and showing a single spade ace that doesn't exist.
I don't go easy on my opponent just because they're a child. Feigning a serious expression, I whispered to the boy.
"Village Chief Villitear of Black Valley Village sent me. A fugitive has appeared in Black Valley Village, you see."
"A fugitive?"
"Yeah. A fugitive. A stranger suddenly came looking for food, and when refused, he snuck into the village and stole provisions. So Village Chief Villitear had me deliver the news. There is no one better than Lord Colly when it comes to finding suspicious people."
To the boy, I was a suspicious person. Even though they didn't interact frequently with Black Valley Village, he had seen the faces coming and going a few times. But I was a completely unfamiliar face.
So I created an imaginary suspicious person and pretended to chase him. So that the suspicion directed at me would turn elsewhere.
The boy, who had listened to my words, thought deeply and asked.
"A fugitive? When?"
"Not long ago. It happened just last night."
"Is that so...? That's really strange."
"Strange how?"
For now, the approach of pretending to catch a fugitive was a success. Since the boy was harboring a question that bloomed in his chest, he had no time to doubt me. The boy tilted his head and said.
"The fugitive has already been caught. Lord Colly took him to the outpost."
"What?"
I'm the fugitive? I've been caught?
This time, it was my turn to tilt my head.
What is the most important ability a shepherd should have?
The ability to commune with beasts? The strength to defeat fierce wolves? The stamina to run across the fields with the sheep?
All are necessary, but the most important ability is not that. The ability to endure boredom in the middle of beasts, that is what is required the most.
The boy was still an apprentice, but he had enough talent for a shepherd. He fabricated stories by adding all sorts of meat to the questions I asked. At this level, he would be fine spending months alone.
On the way to the village, guided by the boy. After listening to the boy's words and reading his thoughts, I was able to learn quite an astonishing fact.
"A warrant has been issued?"
"Yes. He performed a miraculous escape right in the middle of the Full Moon Castle, where the Progenitors and Elders were gathered to greet the Night Ebb! He committed a very, very huge mistake, so the Red Blood Duke's stern order is to capture him alive at all costs. So they can bestow terrible pain upon him!"
This must be a lie, right? They wouldn't kill me, would they?
"Who delivered the news?"
"The Red Blood Duke's herald! He was so magnificent and great! He came like the wind and vanished like the wind!"
I felt the Principality's operation method was a bit haphazard, but Baldamir's fist was quite fast and sharp. I escaped doing my very best, yet the herald had already come and gone. I asked, if only to glean some information.
"Is the fugitive Lord Colly caught the same guy who came to our village?"
"You said the fugitive was discovered last night, right? Then it probably isn't. The village was in an uproar the day before yesterday."
"Is that so...? That's quite strange."
I wondered if it might be Hilde, but if it was the day before yesterday, she was with me. Could it be someone else who tried to escape taking advantage of the weakened security during the Night Ebb?
"What are their identifying features?"
"Well... I was herding the sheep at the time, so I didn't see it well. But considering that Lord Colly ran off in a hurry and then returned looking exhausted, and sent us down... It seems they were quite a formidable opponent."
A formidable opponent against an Ein in this Fog Principality. Where did someone hiding such strength come from? Other than me or Hilde, there shouldn't be anyone that strong.
The boy, sighing as if disappointed, asked me in return.
"What about you? What happened in Black Valley Village?"
"The fugitive snuck into the village and stole food. Then he was caught by Village Chief Villitear and they had a big fight."
"A fight? With the vampire Village Chief?"
The story of a fight seemed to have set the boy's heart on fire. To the boy who asked with shining eyes, I told him an adapted version of my heroic tale.
The boy was intrigued by my story, as if he had seen the battle right before his eyes.
"Really?! The Village Chief lost?"
"Yeah. Of course, we also thought the Village Chief would punish him... but when we went in later, he had tied up the Village Chief and left leisurely."
And that's me. A strong man you guys can't even imagine. The boy muttered, seemingly in shock.
"Even the vampire Village Chief can lose if it's daytime..."
"That fugitive is just that amazing. He overpowered the Village Chief even in broad daylight."
Flushed with my own newfound strength, I spoke proudly, but the boy shouted as if refusing to lose.
"But Lord Colly is the strongest. Village Chief Villitear is a Yeiling, and Lord Colly is an Ein! Even the fugitive is just a thrown bone in front of Lord Colly!"
"That's the problem."
"Huh?"
Right. I barely won against a Yeiling, so how could I shake off an Ein. Clicking my tongue, I urged the bewildered boy.
"So. When do we arrive at the village?"
"That's over there..."
"Woof!"
Brownie, who had been roaming around the boy and me, raised its head and barked.
"Woof woof! Woof woof woof!"
"Brownie? What's wrong?"
"Woof! Woof woof!"
It was running around as if excited by something. It was completely different from when it barked at me. Seeing Brownie jumping around as if it didn't know what to do with joy, the boy was flustered.
"What's going on with him?"
"Woof woof!"
"Woof!"
Pit-a-pat. Soon, the sound of running was heard. From the other side, a dog popped out and stood in front of Brownie. Brownie, which had been barking fiercely at me, welcomed it with its ears already folded back and its body lowered, as if it had never done so.
Dogs have a hierarchy, too. Brownie, instinctively recognizing the other as the leader, submitted and lowered its posture.
"Brownie? Who is that, why are you acting like that? Did you get close to someone while I wasn't around?"
The boy felt a sense of betrayal at the not just friendly but completely submissive posture, but there was no need. Unlike humans, it was only natural for a dog to submit to the King of Dogs.
But the question I had was something else entirely.
"Why are you here?"
"Woof? Nice to see you! Nice to see you!"
Azi, who had been receiving Brownie's submission, wagged its tail and abruptly approached. We had been separated for quite a while, but as if that time had been cut out with scissors. Azi approached without a moment's delay and rubbed its face against my pant legs.
Whether it's a dog that hates humans or a dog that likes humans, both are problems. Both will run to find a human first. Whether they like them or hate them, I'm bound to be discovered.
"What? Do you know each other?"
"No. That's..."
A dog demi-human looks like a dog but is not a dog. However, Azi looks like a dog demi-human but is a dog. To me, it was just a dog rejoicing at a reunion, but in the boy's eyes, it looked like some demi-human was hovering around me.
The boy, eyes wide, pressed for an answer. Before I could even make an excuse.
Following behind Azi, another cry was heard.