Okma once conquered Obeli. However, they failed to address various problems in time and eventually fell. It seemed Okma would simply disintegrate.
However, Grull's existence rallied the pig beastmen. Having negotiated with Sapien, he absorbed Okma's organization as it was and used its organizational power for the war against the Wolf King.
Grull is a warrior who has reached the Dao, and simultaneously the glory of the pig beastmen. Not only Okma, but even ordinary pig beastmen entirely unrelated to Okma admire him. Since he was the only one who protected them from Obeli's consuls and various powerholders, Okma had no choice but to follow Grull.
Grull sought out Urkfang. Urkfang, who had led mercenaries and marched out with the Beast Faction warriors, was struggling, exhausted from the overwhelming march. Despite his exhausted state, Grull approached him without a care.
"Urkfang! You worked hard fighting the wolves with us, but you'll have to work a little more!"
"Hah, huu. Not at all, Mr. Grull. It was an honor to fight alongside you!"
"Among those I haven't taught, your qigong was the most outstanding. No one should have taught you, either. It's very reassuring to have an orc like you."
"Not... at...! *Sniff.* It is truly... an honor for me...!"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Urkfang let out a snort and set off to clear the rocks.
People think Grull is a violent savage, but one cannot simply claim the title of Great Chieftain of the Beast Faction with mere strength. Grull's ability to handle people was also outstanding.
Sometimes praising, sometimes threatening. Grabbing them by the scruff of the neck, coaxing and cajoling, the pig beastmen worked without rest.
"I hear a voice from inside! Everyone! Gather around here!"
"One, two, heave-ho!"
Pig beastmen have numbers. And numbers themselves are thugs. Countless pig beastmen carried stones, found people by scent, cleared debris, and rescued those who were buried.
"I'm alive! Thank you for sav..."
"...Come out."
The Obeli guard dogs, trapped in the dark for hours, felt a disgruntled sense of gratitude as they looked at the pig beastmen who rescued them. Just as Grull wanted.
An external threat binds the internal ranks. Even if some lingering resentment remains, the memory of encountering each other on the battlefield will remain.
"Okma and the pig beastmen are sufficiently mixed. Now you won't be able to easily distinguish who is Okma and who is a pig beastman."
Even while acting, he constantly assesses the situation and considers the next move. Grull's figure resembled that of a businessman rather than a martial artist. While checking if anything else was needed, Grull discovered workers struggling in front of a massive rock.
"Alright. Then I should claim some credit too."
Grull stretched his stiff shoulders and began clearing the debris.
In the meantime, he spotted a pig beastman boy who looked somewhat familiar. It was the boy he had encountered at the garbage dump when he first came to Ende.
They said they accepted volunteers regardless of age or gender ahead of the fight against the wolves, but he never imagined they would have dragged a slum boy like him along. Grull approached the boy.
"Boy."
"Yes? Ah, Lord Grull..."
The boy, who was rolling a rock, panicked upon seeing Grull. Grull examined the boy's attire. Seeing him wearing a leather armor quilted with cotton and holding a spear shaft, it was clear he had been dragged here as a soldier.
"Who brought you to the battlefield?"
He was a boy who had been eking out a meager existence in the slums. If someone hadn't forcibly conscripted him, he would never have stepped forward. Thinking this, Grull asked the boy, but the boy averted his gaze and replied.
"I-I volunteered."
"I understand. Who told you to answer like that?"
"It's true. I went myself and said I would fight. Because Okma asked me to fight for the pig beastmen."
"Okma?"
"Yes. Okma... gave me meat."
His face flushed red at the thought that he had been swayed by mere meat. Grull waited for the boy in silence. The boy struggled to continue speaking.
"It was the first time in my life I ever tasted anything like that... And they said if things went well, my family could taste it too. So I followed them out."
"Even though you refused my offer. You staked your life on mere meat? And believing a promise made by Okma, no less?"
"...Yes."
If the boy had courage, he would have accepted Grull's offer. If the boy had been wise, he would not have participated in this battle.
But the boy had no courage and was foolish. Swayed by mere meat and Okma's promise, he impulsively volunteered.
However, how could he blame or mock the boy? A pig beastman—no, a slum boy of this age—cannot help but be foolish and impulsive.
Not everyone can be as strong as Grull. They cannot afford to observe with leisure and a broad perspective.
However, not many reasons were needed for the boy to take up arms and stand up.
"You will be able to get what you desire. I promise you."
Grull patted the boy's shoulder vigorously and stood up. His resolve was already as hard as rock, but meeting the boy made it even firmer.
Sapien approached Grull, bringing rather unpleasant news.
"Grull. I have something to say."
"Speak."
"It's about Okma. It seems you intend to grant them meritorious deeds to make their crimes disappear."
"So?"
He doesn't deny it. It's a way of asking, 'What you're thinking is correct, so what are you going to do about it?' Sapien, catching his underlying meaning, spoke directly.
"It is unacceptable. They have not only violated Ende's rules but also severely breached the vassal state's laws. It cannot be brushed over as if nothing happened just because they followed their duty."
"And me?"
"You are an outsider, not a citizen of Ende. The same rules cannot be applied to you. Also, you have the merit of defeating the Wolf King."
"Then you exile Okma. I will take them in."
Sapien shook his head at the proposal to lump merits and faults together.
"The whole world knows that's a deception. If you want to resolve this smoothly, select a few from Okma's leadership."
"To kill them?"
"I will try to avoid that."
"You intend to hand them over to the vassal state. Saying you've caught the leaders of the rebellion, I suppose."
"..."
Saying he would try meant it was an area where even Sapien, a consul of Ende, could not intervene. In other words, they would be handed over to the vassal state. Grull smirked.
"Tell them you tried to catch them. The vassal state won't be so petty as to demand something beyond your abilities."
"Everyone knows we cooperated with you. Words alone cannot resolve this."
Politics is a battle of justifications. Grull understood that. But Grull intended to shoulder the pig beastmen.
Grull loosened his muscles and stood up.
"Then I'll show you through action. Let's fight. I'll only beat you to the point where you won't die. The vassal state will understand that much."
Fighting spirit erupted from Grull's entire body. Realizing he was serious, Sapien stepped back.
"You will oppose the vassal state? Are you going to make your merits from fighting the wolves all for naught?"
"It's not for naught. I proved it."
"What?"
Toward the speechless Sapien, Grull muttered as he recalled the past.
"We proved that we can go further."
Grull was originally from Ende. Like other orcs, he grew up rummaging through the garbage dumps.
But what differentiated him from other orcs was that he struggled to escape his circumstances.
Southeast of the Engor Plains, in the land of the ancient Manguk, treasures of fallen nations lay asleep. Adventurers seeking treasures passed through Ende and targeted the ruins of Manguk. Treacherous environments, perilous beasts, and the evil dregs left by the ruined nations lurked about, but it was also a land of opportunity where all sorts of elixirs and treasures were hidden.
Grull decided to use his status as a pig beastman to his advantage. He contacted the Beast Faction pig beastmen, the descendants of ancient orcs wandering the plains, and earned their trust. Ende, bordering civilization, was a land where curiosity and envy coexisted for them as well. He informed them of Ende's intel, introduced his network, and acted as a broker.
And using the Beast Faction as guides, he assisted the adventurers. Adventurers who arrived in Ende and quietly sought guides were guided by the local nomadic tribes, ensuring a much safer adventure. Grull's tribe, though often attacked for becoming too different from their original appearance, flourished greatly centered around Grull. After all the other chieftain candidates died or fled, Grull eventually became the chieftain.
He learned qigong from adventurers and took elixirs obtained from the ruins of Manguk. Overcoming countless dangers and greedily making them his own, he finally reached the Dao.
Although after the wolf packs gained power in the Engor Plains, business dried up and he ended up running away.
"The glory of the pig beastmen. It's a laughable notion, but I too thought of myself as a glory. So I used to arbitrarily despair at my kin who couldn't seize opportunities like me. However, coming here, I decided to think a little differently."
"About what?"
"That I will become their opportunity."
If it were him, he wouldn't do something stupid like Okma. If so, he could just do it instead of Okma.
As Grull declared confidently... Sapien answered with a darkened expression.
"Grull. Have you never experienced failure?"
"None come to mind."
"I thought so. But remember. Fate does not always smile upon you."
Sapien's abilities might be lacking compared to Grull. Because of this, Sapien learned resignation much faster than Grull. Sadly, when it came to knowing his place, Sapien was far superior to Grull.
"Because absurdity can visit at any time."
"Five Great Generals? Who?"
Trust is what upholds the Huguen Merchant Guild. A guild executive does not tell lies. They say deceiving others is the basics of business, but those who faithfully kept that basic principle all burned out like a brief spark and disappeared. Only the seven merchant guilds that shone steadfastly like the Big Dipper in the sky have kept their places.
"Black Tiger General, Marquis Lafaeno of the Yeontan Sword. It is the Black Tiger Army and the Imperial Mercenary Corps he leads. Detailed numbers and forces are confidential, so I cannot disclose them by contract."
"Lafaeno...? The one who uses a rapier? Why him?"
"By contract, I cannot disclose military purposes."
Moor Executive answered curtly. But saying he cannot disclose it means he knows. The regressor could at least make a guess.
"It must be because of the Wolf King. From the vassal state's perspective, they can't be sure Ende can handle it properly. If they called the Imperial Mercenary Corps, it must be urgent."
'When the rebellion happened last time, they didn't even give Ende a glance. I guess they have some leeway since it's before a rebellion breaks out. When we actually caught the Wolf King ourselves.'
If the Wolf King wins anyway, there's a high chance he'll threaten the vassal state as well. In that case, it's better to dispatch an army and defeat the Wolf King before Ende completely collapses. It was a very rational and normal assumption.
However, Moor Executive said nothing.
It seemed the world was not so rational and normal.
"Your Excellency's status is guaranteed by the Purple Merchant Guild. However, I hereby inform you that the fulfillment of the contract may be slightly delayed depending on the judgment of the Five Great Generals."
"I know. But did you come just to say that?"
Moor Executive didn't answer and twisted the bracelet on his wrist. At that moment, wind blew from somewhere, and his cloak spread like a sail, moving on the wind. Moor Executive skimmed across the ground like a swallow and flew away.
"A wind sail. You're wearing something expensive."
"He's an executive of the Purple Merchant Guild. He must have plenty of things much more expensive than that. More importantly, Marquis Lafaeno..."
"Do you know him?"
"He's a Dao-Reaching Master. I know him a little. Marquis Lafaeno of the Yeontan Sword. He won the Colosseum Hundred Battles, earned the title of Grandmaster of Duels, and is famous for mastering the twenty-four movements of the Vulcan Combat Manual."
He must be a great person. He has reached the Dao and is simultaneously one of the vassal state's Five Great Generals. That's something everyone knows.
"What about his personality or character?"
The regressor propped his chin on his hand, thought for a while, and then spoke.
"Uh... arrogant? But that applies to other Masters as well."
"Aha. So he's particularly arrogant even among arrogant Masters."
"I guess so? But he's a general. There shouldn't be any problems because of his personality... right?"
The regressor's lack of certainty in his words is probably because he's seen many people ruin things due to their personalities. Including himself, of course.
"Hmm. Sounds fishy."
"Something like... that?"
The regressor is beast-like in a good way. It means he's stupid, but he assesses situations by intuition before reason.
The fact that the executive came without any reason, and that Marquis Lafaeno marched to Ende at an ambiguous timing. The regressor felt a subtle displeasure.
And the regressor's intuition was right.
According to the information obtained by reading Moor Executive's thoughts, Marquis Lafaeno did not march out to help Ende...
The era of fighting wars with numbers has passed. A single Dao-Reaching Master can easily face a hundred opponents of a lower tier. But throwing a Master to be surrounded by a hundred men is a foolish act. Reconnaissance, mobility, supply, encirclement, etc. It is general military doctrine to attach a fast and functional unit to assist the core force.
Marquis Lafaeno's unit was faithfully following such doctrine as well.
The cavalry, all of whom had learned qigong, would not tire even after running day and night for three days, and the Imperial Magic Unit perfectly handled supplies and management even with a small number of personnel. Add one sorcerer and one Master each, and that alone would be a strategic-level force.
Even if the system was a bit sloppy due to being hastily assembled, the combat power remained the same. Marquis Lafaeno's unit arrived in Ende as quickly as it was formed.
They were a bit late for the fight against the wolves, but that was a very minor issue.
"Hmm. Is this Ende?"
A middle-aged man with a strong impression and a stylish mustache entered Ende. If hundreds of armed soldiers visited, the city should have been in an uproar, but since many citizens had left to prepare for the fight against the wolves, there was practically no reaction.
Marquis Lafaeno twirled the ends of his round, curled mustache and expressed his impression.
"As dirty as the rumors, but not as noisy? Hahaha. Still, I need to find at least one person I can communicate with in this cesspit."
Fortunately, Marquis Lafaeno's visit was reported all the way to Obeli. And in Obeli, consuls who had barely regained their power remained.
Among them, the one who stepped forward to welcome Marquis Lafaeno was Duke Erectus, a consul of Ende. Duke Erectus, accompanied by a few attendants, welcomed the Marquis at the city's main gate.
"It is an honor to see Marquis Lafaeno, one of the Five Great Generals, the shield that protects the vassal state. I, Consul Erectus, will welcome you on behalf of all citizens of Ende."
"Ahem. Hmm."
Marquis Lafaeno, taking a moment to choose his words, nudged his adjutant and asked.
"Who is that person? I don't know the border's political map well."
Informing him of the power structure to prevent any rudeness is also a necessary duty of a general's aide. The adjutant, who had studied Ende in advance, informed Marquis Lafaeno.
"He is Duke Erectus."
"Duke? A duke in this tiny city?"
"Strictly speaking, it is a bit different from a normal duke. After Saint Engor left three descendants and ascended, the Empire designated the Engor Plains as a march to honor Saint Engor. Then, about two hundred years later, during the process of ceding the Engor Plains to the vassal state, some parts became the territory of the Lilac Vassal State, but Ende remained a march. Therefore..."
"Ahem. Enough. So he's a paper duke, right? This is why I hate the borders. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is walking around with a duke title."
It was the truth, but studying it just to blurt it out wasn't the point. Moreover, using an expression like "every Tom, Dick, and Harry" in Ende. The adjutant warned him in a slightly lowered voice.
"Still, it is the land where Saint Engor planted his banner. Please pay attention to your words and actions."
"Aha, hmm."
And, their conversation was perfectly heard by Duke Erectus.
Even though they could have spoken with voice transmission, deliberately speaking out loud was a declaration that they wouldn't bother with courtesy. It was rudeness bordering on a declaration of war, but who would dare stop him?
Marquis Lafaeno didn't care much about his own rudeness.
"I roughly heard the news on my way here. Right. You defeated the Wolf King?"
"...According to the reports, yes."
"Ahem. Well, losing to mere beasts would make the title of lord of all creation a waste! Ah, did beastmen live in this city? For beastmen, they did quite well! I should praise them!"
"It is a result achieved by everyone together."
"Ah, right! Praising beastmen, I made a slip of the tongue! It's the merit of the master who handled the beasts well! Hahaha!"
Laughing heartily as if it were a funny joke, he soon waved his hand.
"Well, whatever. That's not the important thing. If there's no wolf, let's move on to the next agenda."
"You mean the next agenda?"
The Marquis, now seeming a bit interested, smiled and asked.
"Where is Grull?"