WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

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Chapter 326: There’s Still a Way Out Even If You’re Caught Red-Handed

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Grandimoor, King of the Kingdom.

A monarch whose authority prevented fellow humans from feeling hostility toward him had been swept away and killed by the overwhelming will of the people.

There was no doubt about his death. Even if the military state had endured thanks to the Holy Maiden, the event that led to the king's death had been caused entirely by human hands. Even an authority that prevented others from bearing hostility toward him could not overcome the corruption and chaos of a society that had grown far larger than before.

The princess, the monarch's blood heir, was still alive, but that no longer mattered.

It had been proven that simply not being hated by others, simply being a good person, was not enough to become king.

Tch. If it weren't for the Holy Maiden, this would've been much easier. She kept insisting on a future where the military state survived.... Everything was shrouded in secrecy, so I had to run around everywhere.

Either way, four remained.

Next was Elik, king of the Golden Kingdom. The King of Technology and Metallurgy, capable of instantly grasping and understanding any structure, had been devoured by the Lord of Gold. As for what had happened... I would have to find out now.

Fortunately, it didn't seem the Holy Maiden had interfered this time. If I went there and read a few thoughts, I should be able to learn how Elik had fallen.

Ah, thinking about it made me angry again. I thought I'd been lucky to find traces of the Overlord and the Great Master in the Abyss. But the Holy Maiden had insisted on a future where the Overlord survived there too....

I, the King of Humanity, just wanted to learn a little about humanity, yet she got in my way at every turn. The Celestial God really was the problem. It claimed to watch over everything, but wasn't it really just a stalker of all mankind? Someone should drag it away.

At this point, I was lucky the regressor had appeared. On my own, I never could've broken through the Sanctum's interference and found traces of the Five Lords. In the regressor's past cycles, I seemed to have failed as early as the Abyss.

Phew. It would've been a disaster without the regressor....

Ah, no.

Even if I found them, it would all become as though it had never happened if she regressed. Wouldn't I just be handing information to the enemy instead?

After all, the regressor might be a Holy Maiden too.

"Hmm. I think we're here~."

Hilde's voice rang out. I raised my head and looked in the direction the Cataphract was heading. At the end of a road formed solely by the passage of countless people, an impressive sight unfolded before us.

"We're here."

A broad pasture stretched out before us. Horses and sheep nibbled at tufts of grass on a carpet loosely woven by nature. Humans on mounts watched them with sharp eyes to make sure the horses and sheep did not disappear. Since their gazes were mostly directed outward, they seemed to think the animals were more likely to vanish because of outside interference than on their own.

Beyond that, hundreds of tents formed a massive settlement across a plain enclosed by barbed wire. The sound of fabric flapping in the wind was deafening. Even from here, I could feel the lively energy of the crowd.

The regressor murmured.

"It's a camp."

It was clearly different from the ghost town we had seen before. It was far messier and dirtier, but dirt was what remained after people had lived somewhere. The city of tents was more alive than I had expected.

"We're going in!"

Hilde headed for the entrance between the barbed-wire fences.

The camp had guards too. One who did not look particularly diligent stopped us and asked our purpose.

"Hold it there. What brings you here? Staying long, or leaving soon?"

"We'll only be here for a day!"

"So you're leaving, then? In that case, there's no fee. Leave your mount by the fence and enter on foot."

The guard said only that, then waved their hand as if they had nothing else to add. Perhaps they were tired from long hours on duty, but there was a slight edge to their voice. Hilde did not care about their circumstances and asked for my opinion with a glance.

'For a mere camp guard, they sure are rude to a diplomatic envoy~. Father, what should we do? Cut off their head and force our way through?'

What did she mean, force our way through? Was this person really an envoy? Did she not know the difference between an armistice and an escalation? If we were going to bother them, we should do it when no one was watching.

"Let's follow the rules for now."

"That's a shame~. All right~."

Hilde drove the Cataphract toward the outer side of the fence.

Wanderers' mounts stood lined up outside it. Afraid their mounts might be stolen, their owners leaned against the fence, each holding a weapon as they nodded off. Even though the camp was only a barbed-wire fence away.

"None of them can leave their mounts because they're afraid of theft. The camp has put some thought into this. They probably want people who'll be leaving soon to divide their manpower."

"Yeah. If we don't leave someone here too, ours will get stolen."

As she said, in the Lesser States, an ownerless object belonged to whoever picked it up first. Everyone on the road was a potential thief. Leaving it unattended would be dangerous.

Tyr stepped forward.

"No problem. I shall leave my Black Knight behind."

"No, I don't really trust the Black Knight. Besides, the sun hasn't even set yet."

"...Is it truly that unreliable?"

'Since regaining my heart, I have been unable to command my retainer properly, so I endure every kind of slight. I must quickly find a solution. Otherwise, the mistreatment will never end....'

No, this was not mistreatment. It was a serious assessment of the situation.

A guard's role was not to stop theft, but to make people abandon the intent to steal. Yet a Black Knight, black from head to toe, risked being mistaken for an obsidian statue. It would practically encourage thieves.

Besides, we had someone far more suitable than the Black Knight. Humanity's easy mark... no, friend. Not reliable, perhaps, but Azzy existed for times like this.

"Azzy."

"Woof? Why?"

"Can you guard this carriage while we're gone?"

"Woof woof? Guard it?"

Yes. Azzy had the instinct to guard her territory. There was a reason humans raised dogs as guard dogs.

I did not know whether Azzy would be wary of unfamiliar humans.... Still, perhaps her presence alone would make people give up on stealing. Even if she was the King of Dogs, she looked like a human with animal ears.

"You don't need to attack anyone. If someone snoops around the Cataphract or touches it carelessly, bark loudly. Loud enough for everyone to hear. That'll be enough."

"Woof! Leave it to me!"

"Good girl! I'm counting on you. Don't follow anyone even if they offer you food. And don't get distracted if something passes by."

"Food? Passes by? Where? Where?"

"No, I don't mean food will pass by. For example, like that horse over there...."

Just then, the sound of hooves reached us. A moment later, a horse running along the fence rushed past us. Its golden tail hair, nearly brushing the ground, fluttered in the wind it created.

A perfect example happened to pass by. Azzy had hunting instincts too. She could not suddenly dash off because something like that caught her eye.

"Like that horse, even if something runs by, don't get excited and take off...."

"Woof."

Oh no. Azzy's eyes were sparkling.

The horse's swaying tail had stirred Azzy's hunting instinct. Her head moved like a pendulum as it followed the tail. Then, at one point, Azzy leaped to the ground and shouted.

"Woof woof! Stop right there!"

"Heyyyyy! I told you not to do that!"

But Azzy was the King of Dogs. In the blink of an eye, she had caught up behind the horse. She did not seem to intend to attack it, only barking and lightly tapping at its tail, but the terrified horse shook its head wildly and bolted.

Tch. At this rate, she was going to catch herself a horse. Did she know how expensive those were?

"This won't do! I'll go get Azzy, so decide among yourselves who's going inside!"

"Can you catch up?"

"Do you think I'm going because I can catch up? I'm going because I have to!"

"Fine. I'll meet with the camp chief, so bring Azzy back."

I gathered the things I needed and quickly chased after Azzy's shadow. The regressor watched my back, then belatedly remembered something.

'Why is he taking a rope when he's going to get Azzy?'

Because in the Lesser States, whoever picked something up became its owner. It looked like quite the fine horse, but with Azzy there, I could corner it.

I would have no use for a horse while riding the Cataphract, but humans had the concept of barter. If I did not need it, I could trade it at a pawnshop. It would probably fetch a decent price.

Whoever you are, thanks for the windfall.

"Woof woof! Woof woof! Don't move, woof!"

-Neighhh!

I did not have to search long. Azzy was circling a horse inside a low fence, glaring at it. The horse unfortunate enough to be targeted by the Beast King cried mournfully, thoroughly frightened.

I hurried over.

"Azzy, you good puppy! Well done!"

"Woof? I did good?"

"Of course! You did something great, so we're having meat for dinner today!"

"Awooooo! Great! Great!"

"Stay right there! Until I get there...!"

I quickly tied the rope into a lasso. I would throw it around its neck and pull. Ah, if I pulled the rope, I would be dragged along and torn apart, so I should have Azzy pull it instead.

I twirled the lasso over my head and slowly approached the motionless horse. Perhaps frightened by the appearance of a suspicious human, the horse pressed closer to its owner.

Huh, its owner?

'...Is that jackal seriously trying to steal a horse in broad daylight? ...Even near a camp? Does he think I'm easy prey...?'

Thoughts reached me from someone hidden behind the horse's shadow. Looking again, the horse had not failed to escape. It had arrived.

At its owner's side.

'...And he keeps a beastkin as a slave too. What an irredeemable villain.'

Tch. I might be so law-abiding I could live without laws, but I still did not favor robbery. Robbery was a violent crime.

A violent crime meant a crime only the strong could commit. Since I was weak, I could not commit violent crimes and had to remain a petty criminal. Of course, if the other party was weaker than me, I could commit violent crimes through relative strength, but....

'...Should I melt him?'

This would not do. I threw the twirling lasso.

Not at the horse, but at Azzy.

"Woof?"

Azzy caught the flying lasso in her mouth. Still, she stared at me with a puzzled expression, wondering why it had flown toward her.

After clearing my throat softly, I suddenly scolded Azzy.

"You little rascal, Azzy! How could you bully someone else's horse?"

"Woof woof?"

"Horses are humanity's friends, mounts, and property! You should treat them carefully, not bully them! Why are you scaring it? Is that how I raised you?"

Did she still not get it? I was scolding her. She was being reprimanded.

Azzy tilted her head, still unable to understand the situation, then apparently decided it was a game and suddenly shook her head.

"Woof!"

"Aaah! Don't pull! I'll fall!"

My body shot into the air before being slammed onto the ground. Before pain came humiliation and sorrow. Was this how a freshwater fish felt when it was reeled in on a fishing rod?

Someone approached my limp body. It was the horse's owner.

Her pale reddish hair, like rust, was tied in a ponytail. Her loose overalls were covered in black oil stains and melted-on iron. She had a calm impression, though the bandages stuck across her face made her seem as if she had difficulty making expressions.

A woman who looked like something between an alchemist and a military engineer looked down at me and asked.

"...Are you its owner?"

"If I were its owner, that would be wonderful. What owner feeds it, clothes it, and plays with it? If anything, she's my owner."

"Woof! Woof woof! I'm not the owner! Major shareholder!"

She wasn't a major shareholder yet, was she? More importantly, how could she call herself that when I was still so clearly alive?

The woman glanced at Azzy, then asked again as if confirming it.

"...You tried to steal the horse."

"No? I was trying to stop Azzy in case she hurt it. It would be a nuisance if she injured someone else's horse."

"...The lasso?"

"I threw it to catch Azzy. I had to stop her before she hurt the horse."

"...What about the meat dinner?"

"I couldn't let Azzy eat the horse, could I? I had to distract her with the idea of meat first. It was a safety measure."

What did she think of my logical excuse?

Faced with an argument built on perfect logic, the woman could not say anything. Determination came through from her tightly closed lips.

'...The fact that he even makes excuses puts him in the top ten percent among jackals.'

What kind of country was the Lesser States if making excuses put someone in the top ten percent? I could not make sense of it. The woman nodded slightly and turned away.

"...Fine. I'll let it go."

"What do you mean, let it go? If we're assigning blame, the horse that escaped the pasture is at fault. Shouldn't you manage your mount properly? What if someone stole such a valuable horse?"

The woman did not react much to my nonsense. She ignored pointless words. The type without openings. Then I would try something a little different.

The woman stroked the horse's mane and murmured.

"...Aurea came to help me."

"Aurea?"

"...My horse's name."

"Oh, really? I suppose this is the time for us to introduce our pets. I'll do it too. This is Azzy. She has a bad habit of chasing after anything that runs."

'...A beastkin is a pet... Should I revise my assessment? Not even the bottom one percent among jackals have personalities this ruined.'

I truly did not understand the Lesser States' standards. Calling a dog a dog had dropped me from the top ten percent to the bottom one percent. What kind of fall was that?

Azzy tapped at my feet and wagged her tail.

"Woof woof! This human is good at lying!"

"Hey. You don't need to explain. Every human here knows that I'm human."

"Introduction over!"

"Did you introduce me because you thought this was pet introduction time?!"

'...Pfft. What an amusing relationship. They get along well.'

The woman laughed only in her thoughts and turned her head away.

Footnotes:

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