"Huh? What did you say?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, Miss Teia. You need to be the bait to lure the Wolf King."
Teia pressed her finger firmly against her lips and pondered.
It was better for her to stay somewhere safe. Not necessarily because of her injury, but because a racehorse demi-human's entire body and bloodline were managed by the Empire. Thanks to writing a myth with her running, she was guaranteed a certain degree of autonomy, but that didn't include the freedom to get bitten to death by a wolf on a whim.
Teia asked back as if questioning my sincerity.
"Me? Really, me?"
"Yes. Because you're the only one who can take first place in a race against the Wolf King."
But the Empire was distant, and my persuasion was close at hand. My words, slightly altered in form, stimulated Teia's competitive spirit.
'A race against the Wolf King does get my heart pounding a bit. There's a noble cause too. Above all, the rule that you die if caught—how simple and exhilarating is that? Well, no matter who the opponent is, there's no way I'd lose!'
Even after her mind had already leaned that way, Teia swayed her body and feigned pulling back.
"I guess I could do it~. But I'm recovering from an injury, you know? I can't run for long?"
"Blaming an injury. You can't run for long anyway."
Hit right at the mark, Teia quietly asked back.
"...Did you perhaps watch my race?"
"I didn't see it myself. It's common knowledge that racehorse demi-humans are fast but lack stamina."
"That's not true for everyone."
"Who watches long-distance races these days? The pace is too slow, and comebacks rarely happen, so it's boring."
"Heh, you know a thing or two."
To be exact, it was the Regressor who knew. Racing? Like I'd know about that. What kind of beast holds a running race like that? If you get exhausted just from running a little faster, you're going to get eaten in the end.
Regardless of my own feelings, Teia, now in a good mood, replied with bouncy steps.
"That's right! As long as it's not a long-distance race, I can brilliantly leave anyone in the dust no matter who they are!"
"It's fine even if you can't shake him off. The one who will be able to at least step on your shadow will be the Wolf King, and Aji won't let you get killed by the Wolf King."
"Aji?"
"A puppy. The King of Dogs."
"Heh. Nice name!"
If simplicity is a virtue, there couldn't be a better name. Anyway, Teia nodded her head greatly, waved her hand, and distanced herself in an instant.
"Got it! Call me if you need me!"
Before I could even answer, she had already run far away. There was no time to stop her.
Originally, I should have passed the message to Duke Sapien and had him call Teia. Luckily, I ran into her on my way out and delivered the message.
This is better. Teia is too important a figure to be used as bait, so Sapien might have kept her strictly hidden. The Regressor seems to think I would naturally help her because of our connection from the previous turn, though.
Anyway. The Regressor planned the strategy and left the communication with Ende to me. Considering the Regressor's disastrous communication skills, I was the right person for the job.
Doubtful as to whether I could properly explain the Regressor's strategy myself, though. If I weren't a mind-reader, I wouldn't have even understood the Regressor's plan.
I walked into the conference room where Sapien and Grull were waiting. Grull half-rose from his seat and called out to me.
"Magician, you're late."
"Huh? I came right on time."
"The situation has changed. The scouting party I sent discovered bones equivalent to hundreds of sheep."
Grull, who had spent his entire life hunting on the Enger Plains, knew beasts better than anyone. Even when Orcma was ruling Ende and struggling, he had dispatched warriors from the Beast Faction to steadily gather information.
"Beasts that store prey like humans are rare. Moreover, a beast that stores meat should be considered virtually impossible. If the werewolves hadn't kept a flock of sheep as a food pantry and carried them around, the wolf pack would have collapsed on its own."
"Emptying all of that food pantry means they are now on the verge of battle, right?"
"That's right. Probably by tomorrow, wolves will be seen even in Ende. Today is effectively the last day we can prepare."
I thought "urgent, urgent" was just talk, but it's tomorrow? This is really urgent.
"I'd like to hear your strategy. I'm hoping it's not a barbaric one like the Duke's."
"Barbaric...?"
Sapien had a shocked expression, apparently not expecting to be called barbaric by a beastman. I didn't know if I could meet Grull's expectations, but I revealed the Regressor's strategy to everyone.
"We will break the ground."
'The previous loop. It was a later period than now. The Wolf King had wandered longer, and beastmen who could no longer endure discrimination joined him, making them far more powerful. The Holy Court, unable to just stand by and watch, supported Ende alongside the vassal states. In Ende, dogs and wolves fought a proxy war between civilization and barbarism.'
The Regressor's confidence stems from her experience of defeating the Wolf King in the past. Having brought him down once, she held the belief that she could do it again.
'Back then, it was truly a situation where we would die if we didn't resist. All the beastmen of Ende united. But... the sin had already spread by then. The wolves were far more powerful than expected. The casualties only kept increasing. On the verge of annihilation, I decided to flip the board in a do-or-die move.'
The Regressor's final rampage, where she could just flip the board and leave the aftermath to the next loop, far exceeded my imagination.
'By drawing out Jizan's power to the absolute limit, I'll completely shatter the ground. It will leave a scar on the earth like the Bottomless Chasm, but that was the only way back then. Thanks to defeating the Wolf King who was isolated on the collapsing ground, we barely regained peace. Right now, it's not just about defeating the wolves and calling it a day, so I need to prepare in advance for the sake of those who will live on.'
There was no way the Regressor could smoothly explain such grand content while entirely omitting any mention of regression.
The Regressor's explanation was vague and disjointed, but I succeeded in reconstructing it with mind-reading. After conveying the outline, I silently demonstrated Earth Arts to the two who asked if it was possible. This was only my ability, and Jizan, who possessed the power of the earth, held a much stronger force. As I planted that belief and handed them the detailed strategy, both Sapien and Grull accepted it for now.
Sure enough, with the two keeping each other in check, the city runs somewhat smoothly. I understand why you put more than one horse in a carriage. Left alone, they just turn their heads whichever way they please.
By the time I explained thoroughly enough to even create documents, it was already late afternoon. Having understood the core of the strategy, Sapien and Grull each moved to organize their armies.
Then should I also go in and rest a bit? Tonight will probably be the last chance to get any rest.
I returned to the mansion once again. As my footsteps sounded, Aji came running in a hurry and spun around me.
"Woof! You're back! You're back!"
They say a dog's fate is a lucky one... but there were bloodstains on Aji's front paws and tail. It seems he thrashed the wolf pack that had sneaked into Ende for scouting. You're quite busy yourself.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back. How was it? Did Teia agree to step up?"
"Yes. Luckily, I ran into her directly and passed on the message. All that's left now is to wait."
I gave a brief answer and strode into the mansion, but the Regressor glanced at Aji and then followed behind me, tailing me closely.
'It's not my imagination. There's something sharp about him. That guy Hughes, he seems somewhat irritated.'
What, suddenly. I can let Aji slide, but what's wrong with you, Regressor? Reading my mood? Were you ever the type to care even a speck about how others feel? And yet that kind of person has been charging ahead recklessly all this time?
'Thanks to Hughes playing his part, things are going smoothly. What's the problem?'
The problem is exactly that. Things are going smoothly because I played my part. But I have no way to explain this, so what should I do...
'Could it be menstruation?'
As if!
When I whipped my head around, the Regressor saw my expression and cemented her thoughts even further.
'That's right. It's clear. There's something physiologically bothering him. Since he's a guy, it's not real menstruation, but!'
Switch the order of your thoughts! I was so startled. I felt like an idiot for wondering whether she'd mistaken my gender or genuinely believed the same phenomenon happened to men!
A way of thinking where the idea comes first and the rationale follows is truly terrifying. I asked the Regressor.
"What?"
The Regressor gauged my mood a little and cautiously brought it up.
"Hughes, is something making you feel bad lately?"
"Do I look like it?"
"Yeah. Everything is going well, but you actually looked happier when things weren't going your way."
"Saying that makes me sound like a psychopath who gets happy while causing chaos."
"Exactly! That's precisely it!"
Damn it. I want to flick her forehead. Though she'd probably dodge it with Cheonban-gyeong and counterattack. Tch, I'll hold back. I patted down my rising right hand and said.
"No, it's just. It's because of what I said while persuading Grull."
"What did you say?"
I told Grull. If he wanted glory, he should do it himself. Instead of giving a boar beastman a chance and then arbitrarily being disappointed, make it glorious yourself, even if it means diving into the muddy waters with your own two hands.
That was a statement that applied to me as well.
Of course, I don't desire human glory or anything. My conviction is firm. Humans are nothing more than beasts. Even if they chase out the King of Beasts and establish an order to take its place, they ultimately cannot escape being beasts. I still haven't changed that thought.
However, to keep my promise with Aji, I acted exactly like Grull. I stepped up personally and guided Ende into a more ideal situation. It was possible because there was a will from each individual to protect Ende, but... ultimately, I was the one who coordinated it.
It was something I could do precisely because I was a King of Beasts who had lost his power. Tch. This means I can't complain at all about having the title of King of Beasts taken from me.
"Every time I said a word, it felt like I was saying it to myself, which made my stomach churn so much. It was to the point of annoyance. I wondered if the people listening to me felt the same way."
Would she even know what I'm talking about? The Regressor abruptly nodded her head.
"Right. You speaking is a bit annoying."
"Thanks. That's a bit comforting."
"Stuff like that is annoying too!"
The Regressor, who suddenly got annoyed, soon relaxed her expression and said.
"Still, whatever. The results are good, so it's fine. Why worry so much?"
"Shay, I feel like you don't worry enough."
"You said humans are beasts too. Then there's no need to worry, right?"
"Do you think beasts don't worry?"
"Woof! I don't worry!"
"He says he doesn't."
Assisted by Aji, the Regressor put on an air as if she were some kind of sage.
"Worrying doesn't solve the future. Even if you use every means at your disposal and put in your absolute best effort, it's still full of failures. Circumstances change every time, and just when you think you did well, it falls apart unexpectedly at the end. I can only choose what's right now. While hoping for the best."
It sounds strange coming from the Regressor. When she's closer to a saintess than anyone else in the world.
She's not the same as a saintess, though. Maybe because she's a regressor, there's definitely a difference from a prophet. The biggest difference is something like infinite chances. That must be what separates the Regressor from a saintess.
...But the Regressor is right. When did I ever worry about such things? Let's just stay true to the wind I feel right now.
"Don't get too happy just yet either, Shay. The results aren't out yet."
"So stop being annoyed and get some sleep for a more perfect tomorrow."
"You're the one getting in the way of that."
"Stop talking back so annoyingly!"
The Regressor shouted in annoyance.