Power is fair. But it is relative. A disaster that some cannot react to is an attack that others can barely counter.
The dog beastman Welsh was a Qigong practitioner who had even learned Sensory Qigong, and she paid special attention to her master's safety. Reading the Regressor's killing intent, she desperately shielded Lord Erektus.
"Master...!"
Of course, the Regressor's attack was close to a natural disaster. Even for a strong practitioner who had mastered Sensory Qigong, merely protecting herself was the best she could do. If she tried to shield someone else, they would both suffer a dog's death—a purely literal dog's death, with no racial discrimination intended.
However, even if Welsh couldn't block the Regressor's attack, she blocked his killing intent.
"Tch."
Heavenly Reversal Realm, Formless Stance.
A technique to dissipate power once unleashed.
The tip of Jizan's blade twisted. The storm surged toward the sky. A strike containing Qigong and divine power was fired into the empty void.
The shockwave barely missed Welsh's back. The unleashed storm raged, sweeping up Welsh and Erektus, who tumbled together for a long while.
In the middle of the square where the storm had swept through. Taking a deep breath, the Regressor... made an excuse to Azi.
"I didn't intend to kill him. I was just trying to teach him a lesson."
"Woof!"
Azi barked loudly as if in protest.
Faster than Welsh could block Lord Erektus, Azi kicked off the ground and pushed the two of them away.
'She really blocked it... I was just going to inflict internal injuries so he couldn't get up for about a month. But she blocked it.'
Lies! When you swung it, you looked like you didn't care if he died! Well, "not caring if he dies" isn't the same as "intending to kill him", but still!
That Regressor is scary. The moment he stamps the mark of "no reason to keep him alive," if it seems more beneficial to kill, he'll kill immediately. If Welsh hadn't blocked him, he really would have died.
Fortunately, Lord Erektus, having barely survived, glared and shouted.
"G-guards! Call the guards, no! Call the Obelisks!"
Tsk. Still, Lord Erektus is a Lord of Obeli. He is a powerful figure exerting great influence over the city. It would have been a problem if he was killed, but failing to kill him is an even bigger problem.
What are you going to do, Regressor?
"That is quite enough."
The one who stepped forward to mediate this issue for now was Mayor Triver, who had returned with the Regressor. As soon as Lord Erektus saw Triver, he rushed over hastily.
"Mayor Triver! I was just attacked! A Lord of Obeli!"
"...I will call the Obelisks, but Lord Erektus. Dealing carelessly with strangers is unwise."
"The Mayor is right."
Clack, clack. A group of people walked in behind the Mayor. Their heights and physiques varied, but they were warriors dressed in fitted, seamless brass-scale armor from head to toe.
The Obelisks, Obeli's elites who fought against beastmen and beasts. The guardian soldiers who wore scale armor to block sharp claws and fangs and protected the city had sensed the power that was just scattered and flocked over.
The man at the very front of them approached Lord Erektus. Lord Erektus called out to him with a relieved face.
"Lord Sapien!"
"Welsh. You protected your master. Thank you. Your injuries... it's a relief you don't seem to have any."
Examining Welsh's injuries even before Lord Erektus's, he let out a small sigh and continued.
"Erektus. I won't tell you to be careful in your actions. But at least carry a minimal sense of vigilance. When you see an unfamiliar beast, you must first lower your stance and observe to survive."
"What vigilance in Obeli! This is our land!"
"There is no such thing as our land. If it is under the sky and above the ground, it is all wilderness. If you had even briefly joined the search party, you would have learned that."
Perhaps there was a hierarchy among the Lords, as Lord Erektus offered no particular rebuttal despite the open advice. Sapien majestically fluttered his cloak and faced the Regressor.
"The same goes for you. Adventurer."
"I only meant to scare him."
"Erektus only did the same. If you intend to act as you please, ignoring rules and norms, how are you any different from him?"
While leading an elite corps behind him, he himself was a strong master who had reached the pinnacle of Sensory Qigong. Though not on the level of the Six Generals, he had the power to reach their fringes, and he was a powerful figure ranking among the top of the Lords ruling Obeli.
While he was someone who shared joys and sorrows with the beastman warriors and earned the respect of many, even facing him, the Regressor scoffed and replied.
"Stop with the bullshit false equivalence. He acted up first, was more unreasonable, and despite that, weaker. Don't whine for me to take care of him just because he's someone you know. If this weren't Ende, it wouldn't have ended with just a threat."
"This is Ende."
"If you want it to remain Ende in the future, you'd better keep him on a tight leash. A wolf's fangs won't discriminate against its opponent."
"..."
Wow. He really doesn't hold back a single word. Was the Regressor always that eloquent?
Actually, it was more of stubbornness than eloquence, but if you really scrutinized it, nothing he said was wrong. He initiated a battle of wills despite having a guest, forced his way through even when those around him tried to stop him, and ultimately failed to show any capability other than his authority. His life was even saved by Welsh and Azi.
It's a world where one strong person can face hundreds of the weak. If one has such power, that is neither arrogance nor stubbornness.
"You are quite confident."
"I am justly proud. I'm here to help, after all."
"That is why I didn't press the issue further. To protect Ende and Obeli, you and the King of Dogs are necessary."
Sapien spun around. Sending a hand signal to the Obelisks watching him to withdraw, he led Erektus out of the square.
Before leaving, he gave a low warning to the Regressor.
"However, if you attack Ende. You too will become an enemy of the city. Keep that in mind."
Clack, clack, clack. Obeli's guardian soldiers withdrew from the square in perfect order. The Regressor maintained a composed attitude even as he watched their retreating figures.
'Sapien. A Lord of Obeli who will do anything to protect the city. His impression of me might have worsened, but it doesn't matter. The Obelisks will have to fight the Wolf King anyway.'
It seems Sapien remained in the Regressor's memory. In other words, Lord Erektus was just a background extra.
'I scared him plenty, so he won't act up. I hope he doesn't make me regret not killing him. We need to form an alliance with the Beast Faction, and if a Lord like him acts up, things will get weird.'
Compared to the chilling atmosphere from earlier, this much... is probably a decent outcome.
Though some cracks formed, the Regressor's actions satisfied the other beastmen. They didn't show it openly, but the dog beastmen showed goodwill toward the Regressor and chimed in.
"Thank you for intervening, Lord Shea."
"Please don't take it too personally. He is just that kind of person."
"Your actions may have seemed a bit harsh... but it was necessary to fix his bad habits."
"Lord Erektus is a Lord. What are you saying?"
Triver, who had reprimanded the beastmen kindly but firmly, stared steadily at the Regressor.
"Ende's crisis can only be overcome if everyone, beastman and human alike, joins forces. I ask that you refrain from reckless actions in the future."
The Regressor, who seemed unreasonable, was surprisingly weak against sound arguments and normal people. Pretending he couldn't win, the Regressor shrugged.
"Don't worry. I came on strong so that kind of thing won't happen again."
"If you have such insight, I can rest easy."
'The best option would be for everything to go smoothly... but if a clash is inevitable at some point, now is the best time. He must have chosen the second-best option.'
He actually believes that. The Regressor doesn't act with that much consideration for the future.
Though it stemmed from a misunderstanding, Triver, who had come to slightly overestimate the Regressor, pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Now that things have come to this, I would like to entrust you with a mission, Lord Shea."
"What is it?"
"Ende does not just mean this city. There are also those who struggle to live in the lands beyond the fence, closer to the wild. We call them the 'Beast Faction,' those who survive against the threats of the wilderness."
Unlike the beastmen incorporated into civilization, they were beastmen living lives closer to savages. They were called the Beast Faction, but if it weren't for an official setting, they would have been called barbarians—or rather, just beasts.
"The Beast Faction is rough, but powerful. However, because they live somewhat disconnected from Ende, there's a high possibility they won't cooperate when fighting the Wolf King. It might be a blessing if they simply don't fight us."
Recalling them, Triver detached an ivory carving hanging from his cane. Fondling the precious treasure that could only be obtained from an elephant's graveyard, Triver handed it to the Regressor and made his request.
"Here. I will give you the symbol of Ende. Please persuade them. Someone as strong and thoughtful as you, Lord Shea, should be able to persuade the Beast Faction."
'Perhaps. The Wolf King could serve as the catalyst that unites all beastmen. This is a crisis, but at the same time, an opportunity. The last chance for us to save Ende before it crumbles on its own.'
It feels like there are a few more problems I haven't witnessed yet. Hmm. Well, I'll figure that out gradually.
"Understood."
'The Beast Faction. They are important to Ende. Since they are the gray faction that might side with the Wolf King if things go awry. Things are going well.'
Yeah. Things are going well. Is this the Regressor's experience at work?
Not a single problem has been solved, though.