WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 497: Flip the Pyramid and

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A revolution inverted the class pyramid. Naturally, humans, who had reigned at the peak of power, suffered the greatest losses. Like a soft pyramid wearing away when balanced upside down, they now had to watch their step in daily life under pressure from every direction.

Yet beneath that great collapse was another class whose cries went unheard.

The dog beastkin, humanity's friends, who had inherited the traits of dogs.

"Hey, orcs! Why are we the ones being watched?"

"You want us to surrender our weapons and insignia, then wait at home? You're trying to drive us out!"

The dog beastkin guards voiced their complaints to Orcma's mercenaries.

Most of Oberli's guards were dog beastkin. That was partly because they possessed keen noses and hunting instincts, but that was not the only reason. The most important reason was that dog beastkin were close to humans.

They were said to be the first beastkin created by the Queen. They were loyal and affectionate toward humans and, more importantly, did not hide it. Warmhearted and good at acting cute, dog beastkin often served humans as slaves, butlers, friends, and companions.

That was why most of Oberli's guards were dog beastkin.

Dogs did not betray humans.

Now that Orcma held power, though, that logic had taken on the exact opposite meaning.

"You've enjoyed power by colluding with humans all this time. Of course we have to suspect you. Don't worry. As long as you don't do anything foolish, you'll be fine."

"That doesn't mean we should lose our jobs overnight and be placed under surveillance! This is tyranny! You said all beastkin were equal!"

"That's right. All beastkin are equal."

Gulta, who had handled Orcma's logistics and personnel assignments and now held authority over Oberli's appointments, spoke to the dog beastkin who had come to protest.

"Which is why we have to pull down people like you, who benefited from inequality until now. Didn't all your authority come from clinging to humans rather than your own abilities?"

"What did you say?"

"How dare you say that!"

"We rose through our own abilities!"

The objections came fast and fierce, but Gulta replied with the same mocking smile.

"Then let me ask you. What makes you better than us orcs?"

"That is..."

"What, your pathetic senses? Orcs aren't all that different. No, our sense of smell is far better. Some slightly sharper teeth? Hmph. You all use weapons and qi arts anyway, yet you boast about your teeth. Hunting instincts? Do you need instincts to chase an enemy?"

Gulta gave the snorting laugh unique to orcs. The nasal sound of pig beastkin had once been a target of ridicule, but now it expressed confidence. The dog beastkin could not find a retort even as the pig beastkin looked down at them with pride.

"There's only one thing that makes you different from other beastkin. You're close to humans. And in Ende, a city of beastkin, that isn't an advantage at all."

"...Even so, we've served as guards for years! You can't throw us out whenever you feel like it!"

"In other words, other than having served as guards for years, there's no reason for you to hold that position. Even now, you're using your status as guards to collude with humans."

At Gulta's accusation, the dog beastkin reacted as if pricked by something sharp. One of them lowered their tail and protested.

"What? You're suspecting us without evidence?!"

"Evidence? Hmph. Did anyone ever need evidence to drive us out? If there was an unpleasant smell, people looked at the orcs first. If the ledgers came up short, investigators would visit the pig beastkin district first, wrinkling their noses. From now on, you'll have to keep proving yourselves too. Just as we always have."

The orcs sneering around the guards chimed in with Gulta. The dog beastkin gritted their teeth and growled softly.

After the revolution succeeded, most of Orcma had occupied Oberli and used their numbers as a weapon to throw their weight around. Oberli alone held the power to control Ende simply by existing. The orcs, who occupied nearly half of it through sheer numbers, could even manipulate the dog beastkin at will.

Backed by his newfound authority, Gulta declared to the guards.

"Bring Duke Erectus to us. That's the only way you can prove your abilities as guards and your loyalty to Ende."

"How are we supposed to find Duke Erectus when he's hiding somewhere in this vast city?! Everyone we call a duke carries the blood of the ducal family! You've taken Oberli, but you haven't conquered all of Ende. The people of this city may not feel much attachment to the principality, but they're still its citizens! They won't report the duke!"

Ende was a frontier even within the vast principality. Its border with the Wildlands had earned it autonomy, but that also meant it was a city the homeland could abandon whenever it wished. If the homeland chose to exert its power, this little spark would be crushed in an instant.

Gulta knew that better than anyone. In truth, Orcma wanted to capture Duke Erectus less for revenge than to prevent interference from the principality. Gulta hurriedly said,

"You know the attendant who took Duke Erectus away. That dog beastkin. They're your kin, so do something about it."

"Welshi? Impossible! Before she's our kin, she's Duke Erectus's guard dog. She's the daughter of a Guard Dog Family!"

"A Guard Dog Family..."

Gulta groaned at a term he had not heard in a long time.

Dogs cared about bloodlines. Dogs with distinguished pedigrees were treated almost like lesser nobles, passed down to powerful families for generations and loved by them. As hunting dogs and companion dogs, dogs of noble blood remained beside noble aristocrats.

And all beastkin were treated as animals before they were treated as beastkin.

Dog beastkin were no exception.

The powerful had picked through dog beastkin, gathering only the finest bloodlines and forming families from them. Dog beastkin, already naturally loyal to humans, received training close to brainwashing and grew into butlers, maids, and guards.

Guard Dog Families, families that protected a single house, truly existed. Even after the appearance of the Holy Maiden with fur, they had endured. Compared with the treatment of orcs, this was a milder abusive custom, which was why it had survived for so long.

"Welshi won't answer if we call for her! No, she'll bite even us!"

Gulta suddenly felt an enormous pressure weighing down on him. What could the orcs do within this invisible current, this system created by humans to use beastkin? Gulta's limited understanding could not possibly grasp it.

Still, the fact that this revolution had happened within that current was a miracle in itself. Gulta hardened his resolve to protect this small spark.

"Hmph. I think you've misunderstood something. We didn't call you here to hear excuses. If you can't free yourselves from humans no matter what, then that's all you are!"

"Instead of boasting about how strong your shackles are, think about throwing them off! Like the orcs here!"

"Well said! That's right, we orcs have done it... Who?"

I joined in from beside Gulta. He had been about to shout with enthusiasm, but when he noticed me, he recoiled as if he were about to fall backward. Terror filled his face.

"M-masurat!"

"Excuse me?"

"No, magician. Why, why are you here..."

That reaction was starting to make me sad. I had spent quite a while thinking things over so I could help them if needed. Why were they so afraid of me?

"What's wrong? Is it because I captured you and locked you in Oberli? You know now, don't you? To occupy Oberli, I had to infiltrate it beforehand."

"Ugh, urgh. I know. I know, but..."

"I'm not a tiger. It hurts my feelings when you tremble every time you see me. Haah, I was the one who sincerely helped Orcma. Yet you don't think of me as a comrade."

He was still terrified of me, but perhaps positions really did make the person. The surrounding orcs watched him with expectant eyes. Their gazes became silent pressure, pushing Gulta forward. With public sentiment behind him, Gulta gathered his courage and spoke.

"O-of course not. You're not an orc, you're human! How could we trust some human who came from who knows where?!"

No. You said everyone was equal. You should consider me equal too. You said I had to prove my ability, didn't you? What else was there for me to prove?

Be honest. You just didn't like me, so you were making up reasons. Just like you were doing to the dog beastkin.

Ha. Unbelievable. After doing this much for them, I still had to do more.

"Even though I've already produced results, I have to prove myself again? Sigh. Fine. I'll find Duke Erectus."

"That's not... What? Duke Erectus? Can you do that?"

"Of course I can. Finding one person is easier than bringing down a secret organization with thousands of members."

Honestly, if we judged only by difficulty, it might be a little harder. Large organizations were easy to spot, but finding one person meant searching like a needle in a haystack.

Still, I didn't make bets I couldn't win. There was a reason I stepped forward so confidently to handle this.

'No way. He'll never find him. How could an outsider find Duke Erectus, hidden in a safe house?'

'A magician? What's that? Is he greater than the duke?'

I had read the thoughts of Oberli's guards, who silently watched for a reaction.

There was always a reason people talked too much.

Footnotes:

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