"Is it a dog chew for humans?"
"It is a spirit pill. If possible, I would have liked to give spirit pills to all of you, but it seemed Your Majesty would like dog chews the most."
Qi can be increased by diligently learning and utilizing Qigong, but that alone is not enough. Just as even a blessed body cannot grow well without proper nutrition, there is a massive gap between a Qigong master who trains while consuming spirit pills and one who does not.
However, eating a lot of spirit pills doesn't unconditionally make you better. The saying that having too much is worse than having too little is a deception only those who have had too much can say. Nations seeking to increase their military power search for spirit pills, and thus, spirit pills are in a state of shortage worldwide.
Especially for a Qigong master, a spirit pill is so precious that it cannot even be compared to alchemical gold. It was a gift Ende had prepared with all their heart, but...
"I don't really need it? I have plenty of spirit pills, and the time for me to get stronger by eating them has already passed."
Of course, the regressor, overflowing with at least a fortune's worth of wealth, spouted well-fed nonsense again today.
"Take it and use it yoursel— Mmph!"
I covered the regressor's mouth and quickly pocketed the spirit pill.
"You shouldn't ignore other people's goodwill. And is being strong everything? I need to eat it too. You're selfish."
"Hah? I gave you spirit pills before! And back then, you barely even ate them!"
"It had no effect back then, but it's different now. I have a feeling it will work this time."
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Thanks to the Demon God, it seems a vessel has formed within me as well, so my body should now be able to accumulate Qi. I should stock up whenever I get the chance.
"I feel relieved that you are accepting it."
When I put the spirit pill in my chest, Mayor Treaver smiled, looking a lot more relieved. Affection blooms within exchanged gifts. Having bought some goodwill with a gift, Mayor Treaver moved on to the next topic.
"The Vassal State has not yet made any response. The Black Tiger Army, which marched out ambitiously, was wiped out by the tiger disaster, so they must be bewildered. Ende has also not calmed down. The shock of being ambushed while rescuing the buried right after defeating the Wolf King was simply too great. However, if there is a fortunate point, it is that the anger is greater than the despair."
A massive absurdity covered up smaller absurdities. Within the great absurdity the Vassal State committed against Ende, all trivial things were forgotten. Pig beastmen and dog beastmen, or beastmen and humans. Such minor differences faded away before the immense anger.
So, that was all there was to it.
"I did not wish for this to happen, but regardless, Ende has now earned the enmity of the Vassal State, whether they like it or not. The citizens of Ende won't be able to accept them, and the Vassal State will look at us with disapproval. To the Vassal State, Ende must look like a fox riding on the back of the Mountain Lord. For now, out of fear of the Mountain Lord, they won't even have the courage to throw a stone at the fox, but..."
"I'm saying this out of concern, but it would be best not to think about using the Mountain Lord."
Because I'm scared of him. Since I gave advice with rare sincerity, Mayor Treaver also nodded.
"Of course. You can't invite a tiger into your room just because you're afraid of thieves. I'm only worried about the thieves that will come if we don't let the tiger in."
"I'm curious how worried you must be to confide in a guest from out of town."
"Because you are a guest who will stay briefly and leave, there are things I can tell you."
Mayor Treaver spoke softly and took out a wooden box. It was the same type of wooden box as the gift, but the contents were different. And as guided by this series of flows, that must be the main point.
Inside the wooden box lay a pitch-black seal.
"A relic of the Black Tiger Army, the Black Tiger Seal."
An Inherent Sorcery is the manifestation of one's own imagery world. And among their own worlds, an Inherent Sorcery with a largely closed imagery sometimes retains its form and power even after the sorcerer dies.
The Black Tiger Seal was that kind of relic. A relic left behind when someone who had stamped seals their whole life and obtained an Inherent Sorcery of stamping seals died. While they might have had no connection to large-scale attack magic in life, the Black Tiger Seal remaining after their death was reborn as a strategic weapon that applied heavy pressure to a radius of 50 meters. As if a stamp is also a weapon if pressed on someone else's head.
"Relics, especially those that can be used as weapons, are rare. The Vassal State will try to reclaim it with their eyes rolled back, and even the Empire will covet this relic."
"Right. Whether it's the Empire or the Vassal State, it's a tasty dog chew they'll pounce on without thinking. What should we do with this?"
"If the opponent were dogs, I would give it as a gift, but if they are jackals, I should throw it far away. So that they can't even look this way."
Mayor Treaver closed the lid of the wooden box again and held it out to us. Judging by its value, a spirit pill would be considered 'trivial', but this was too burdensome to accept readily.
So he gave us a gift first in order to give us this. He created a natural flow of giving gifts. How cunning.
"Ende needs time to heal its wounds and stand on its own. This Black Tiger Seal is a precious item, but at the same time, a seed of discord. I would like you to dispose of it."
"Something this precious? Even if you sell it roughly, you'd get a hefty price."
"That is if there is a place to live after paying that price. The only place that would purchase a relic of strategic weapon level with its whereabouts revealed is the Seven-Colored Merchant Guild. They don't deal in stolen goods, so it's virtually the same as having nowhere to sell it. Still, as the Mayor of Ende, I can't hand it over to a fence, so although it's a substitute, I will leave it in your care."
"I won't refuse what you're giving, but..."
We could sell it to another vassal state. But the closest vassal state to Ende is the Lilac Vassal State, and selling it to another vassal state competing with the Lilac Vassal State would be no different from asking for war. Black market? Would there be any black market other than cultists or rebels that would buy a strategic weapon?
It's certainly hard to handle. I understand the desire to pass it off.
"What do you think? Do you want to use it, Ms. Shae?"
"It's not bad... but actually not that good either. Because I have Cheoneung and Jijan. How about you use it instead?"
"It's nice, but. It doesn't really suit me either. Unlike the Demon God, this uses quite a bit of magical power."
The Demon God is a logic engraved in the world. The power of the Demon God that I use involves contacting it and utilizing a grand rule. The target is just the rule of the world, but essentially, it's similar to stealing and using someone else's Inherent Sorcery.
In contrast, a relic is an honest trade that exerts a certain effect by paying magical power as a cost. For someone like me who has to cheat because of a lack of Qi or magical power, it doesn't suit me. They say if a swindler doesn't cheat, their profits drop.
"It can't be helped. I guess I'll just have to sell it off."
"Is there a place to sell it?"
"Yes. I just thought of a faction that needs the Black Tiger Seal."
Naturally picking up the wooden box, I held it out as it was. Mayor Treaver looked puzzled upon seeing the wooden box returned.
"Black Tiger Seal, for sale. I haven't used it even once since I got it."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said? It seems like you need it, so I'm selling it to you."
Reselling the item I just got. I shamelessly held out my hand toward Mayor Treaver. Seeing my empty hand, Mayor Treaver chewed his lip in discomfort.
"Ende needs time to get back on its feet. I already explained."
"Yes. I heard it too."
"But are you saying we have to fight the Vassal State to keep the relic?"
"I didn't say you have to fight. I'm just letting you know that you are not in a position to choose to fight."
When I encountered Marquis Rapaheno, I read his thoughts briefly. From the reason why the Black Tiger Army went out of their way to come to Ende, to what the Vassal State was preparing. I couldn't read deeply, but I grasped the general outline.
I told him the thoughts I read as if I had deduced them myself.
"The Black Tiger Army is the Vassal State's strength. The army that realizes the Vassal State's will came to Ende because there is something they need in Ende."
"Wasn't it a bridgehead to obtain the spirit pills of the Myriad Nations?"
"To be exact, it's because they suddenly needed a lot of 'ownerless' spirit pills."
Spirit pills are precious. Therefore, the talents to feed the spirit pills to are also carefully selected. You have to be a descendant of a noble family or a disciple of a guild to be given some, and even then, if you don't produce results, you only get a taste and that's it.
However, just as outstanding talents are as precious as spirit pills, supply and consumption are adjusted to maintain a proper balance. That is also why the Vassal State ignored the ruins beyond the Eanger Plain. The results are unstable compared to the resources invested, and even if they obtain them, consumption can't keep up.
"The Vassal State, which had a stable rule, hastily gathers and sends an army at the news of fighting the Wolf King? If they wanted spirit pills that badly, they should have done it from the start, so why suddenly?"
"Are you saying there is another reason?"
"It's simple. They must be preparing for a battle, or a war. And getting some real combat training in the meantime."
But what if they need strength to use as immediate combat power? What if they have to hastily cultivate Qigong masters and quickly replenish their numbers? The ruins of the Myriad Nations, where all kinds of resources and treasures lie dormant, are a good excuse to mobilize troops.
"Seducing the beastmen who lost their homes and throwing them into the army, obtaining spirit pills and treasures from the Myriad Nations, getting an excuse to mobilize the legion, and even being able to recruit the master of the Beast Faction. It must have been a perfect opportunity. Even though it ended in failure."
"A war...? With whom?"
"I don't know that well either, but it's definitely not Ende. The difference in class is too big to call it a war. Actually, if it weren't for the tiger disaster, the Black Tiger Army would have trampled Ende."
While the Vassal State is a single nation, Ende is merely a frontier city. If they fought head-on, it would be swept away easily.
Mayor Treaver's complexion darkened as he gauged the odds of winning. Because he knew the objective difference in power between Ende and the Vassal State. There is no chance of winning no matter what. However.
"But, are you going to leave this city as the Vassal State orders? Will you step aside and leave behind all your money and land?"
"We cannot do that. Ende is the land of the beastmen. It is proof that beastmen, just like humans, can form a civilization and develop."
"Well, of course."
Even if you're weak, you can't just sit and die, right? Even an earthworm will squirm when stepped on. Not because it can overcome the weight of a human, but because that's all it can do.
"You can negotiate, or you can take hostages and threaten them. You're already sitting at the board and need even one more card. How you use it is up to you."
"...Is there no way to avoid the fight?"
"No matter how high and mighty the Vassal State is, they can't fight a dead person, right?"
Mayor Treaver let out a deep sigh.
A distant cadet branch of the Imperial royal family. A bloodline that would be treated well anywhere, but was pushed all the way to Ende due to various circumstances. It's ironic that being pushed out resulted in becoming the mayor of a city. Bright in the political situation of the Empire and the Vassal States, he realized that this peace would not last long.
"There is no place for you in this order. If you want to make a place, cause chaos. If you survive in the collapsing order, you become the new order, and if you fail, you just end as a brief flash."
"You're returning it in a completely unexpected way. I've learned a thing or two."
"Learned what? I'm the one who learned a thing or two."
The benevolent and good-natured mayor of Ende. He actually has such a personality, but to avoid the darkness, one must first know the darkness well. Surviving means being strong. Mayor Treaver possessed the cunning worthy of a seasoned politician.
"If we receive the Black Tiger Seal? The Vassal State's attention will turn to us, and later, when the Vassal State and Ende directly clash, we'll have no choice but to take Ende's side. Trying to make a powerful alliance out of a useless piece of merchandise. Not bad, huh?"
Packaging the Mountain Lord as the guardian deity of Ende, and spreading the rumor that the Black Tiger Army incurred the tiger's wrath. Ende is already utilizing every means to survive. Trying to entrust the Black Tiger Seal must be part of that as well.
Even with his inner thoughts read, Mayor Treaver countered calmly.
"An alliance? I simply wanted to entrust a precious item to the heroes who saved Ende, if possible."
"I understand your feelings. But we're not as sensible people as you think. We won't play along as you want. We won't have the time to care even if the Vassal State invades Ende, and we won't care much even if the Vassal State tracks us down."
"Then refusing the Black Tiger Seal was purely goodwill for us. Thank you for your goodwill."
I firmly grabbed the wrist of Mayor Treaver, who was trying to pack the wooden box again.
The goodwill is right. But I didn't say I'd let you have it for free. I said firmly.
"You don't seem to understand what I'm saying right now, I said I'm reselling it? Bring one more spirit pill."
You bet on the Black Tiger Seal as bait, right? If you failed, you have to pay the price. Where are you trying to get a free meal?
At that time, Aji nudged me with his front paw. Turning my head, Aji dropped the almost completely worn-out dog chew remains with a pat. I added.
"And the dog chew too."
Spirit pills must be precious for Ende too, but Mayor Treaver readily gave up the spirit pill. He had it prepared from the start. With this, there are three spirit pills. Although the effects vary widely depending on the type, I am currently in a state where I don't even have a speck of Qi. Even such nameless spirit pills are precious.
On the way back after finishing the meeting. The regressor, who had kept his mouth shut to avoid showing a weak appearance, quietly asked.
"...Was it Mayor Treaver who controlled Orcma?"
"Well, it's just a guess. It's a trivial matter now."
"No, it makes sense. Because he is a figure who was pushed out of power for the sole reason of being a beastman."
'If the Riders of Pestilence spread, and the fleeing beastmen are massacred at the border. Ende, disappointed by that, takes the Wolf King's side. Because Mayor Treaver is not a subject of the Empire or the Vassal State, but a person only interested in the welfare and rights of the beastmen.'
He really thinks late. Well, it's probably because the regressor also thought it was trivial.
"Why did he do that? It was obvious there would be a commotion."
"Mayor Treaver must have thought a clan for the pig beastmen was also necessary. So he turned a blind eye and supported Orcma even if it was somewhat illegal. He just probably didn't know the commotion would get this big."
"The commotion got bigger because you egged them on."
"A new order is born from chaos. Thanks to that, you learned what the pig beastmen are feeling, didn't you?"
"A bigger chaos will come anyway, so you could have put it off a bit..."
That's because you know the future, so you're confident. How would one know whether to wait because a bigger chaos is coming, or to seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that came right away.
Unlike you, ordinary people bet a past they can't change as stakes and go out to gamble. The stakes are different.
At the crossroads about to leave Obeli, someone appeared. The gigantic pig beastman spotted me and the regressor and intentionally made his presence known as he trudged over. The glory of the pig beastmen and the first-class contributor who defended Ende, Grull, spoke to us.
"I heard you were injured. Are you a bit better?"
"This much is nothing. I can leave right now."
The regressor answered with bravado. If it were a master, they could grasp the condition just by looking at the Qi, but the regressor's Cheonbangyeong always feigns a state of perfect readiness. Grull nodded.
"You're probably the only human who survived after being struck by the Mountain Lord. So, where are you going now?"
"I'm going to a nearby monastery. There's something I need to find out."
"Nearby monastery?"
The Eanger Plain is a land of wilderness. An ordinary monastery cannot exist. The closest monastery is far to the north, in the northern part of the Eanger Plain, the monastery of the Great Farm.
However, if we're talking about an extraordinary monastery, there is one in the south of the Eanger Plain too. The Monastery of Blood, guarded by the most famous nun.
Grull asked back with an incredulous face.
"You're not perhaps talking about the monastery where that witch is, are you?"
"Probably right."
"How audacious... No, I suppose it makes sense. You guys aren't ordinary either."
Us? The only one not ordinary is the regressor. Am I not still in the realm of the ordinary?
...Honestly, am I not now?
"If you're going south, be careful. Strange things are happening in the land of the old Myriad Nations. The tribes that left to the southeast to avoid the Wolf King have lost contact one after another."
That's also why the Beast Faction came up north. Grull, who added briefly, continued.
"And the high priests of the old Myriad Nations are moving suspiciously. Be careful."
"Did you come to warn us?"
"I came to say thank you. You worked hard. If it weren't for you, we would have all been trampled by the Mountain Lord. It's just a substitute, but I pray for your well-being."
Having briefly delivered his business, Grull waved his hand refreshingly and walked away. As if that was everything he had to say. It was the greeting of a nomad familiar with meeting and parting.
Certainly, this was the end of what we had to do in Ende, but... I pressed the regressor about the newly learned fact.
"Wait a minute. The monastery we're going to, don't tell me it's the Monastery of Blood? Not the Monastery of the Golden Carpet, or the Monastery of the Running Wind?"
"Yeah. Isn't that better for you too? Monasteries are the domain of the Holy Court, and you're on bad terms with the Holy Court."
"But, the Monastery of Blood will be on bad terms with all humans. Especially me!"
"It's fine. If it's her, she won't hate you who is favored by Tirkanjaka. She might even like you more?"
"That's also uncomfortable..."
Earning her favor is also scary. Given who the opponent is.
Contrary to its name, the Monastery of Blood is known as a very devout monastery. That's why it raised an even bigger question. Because the one ruling that monastery was a person far from devout.
A blasphemer who became an Elder to test her faith. And a zealot who kept her faith even after becoming a vampire.
Because it was the place where the Fallen Nun, Sister Yekaterina, was the Abbess.