WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 523: Is Bound to Be Boiled and Eaten

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Ende had faced the wolf pack as its enemy. The wolves were fierce and powerful, but they had not been difficult opponents. The usual elements of war, identifying friend from foe, maintaining secrecy, maneuvering for advantage, boosting morale, uncovering spies, had all been absent.

Humans were allies, wolves were enemies. Victory meant life, defeat meant death. It was simple enough for beastkin to understand. If they could focus solely on the enemy before them, that was no different from having already secured a strategic victory.

That was why Ende's beastkin felt no suspicion even when they saw a legion clad in armor. Humans could not possibly be their enemies.

Marquis Lapaeno and his army approached quietly for a force of their size.

"So you're Gruel! The glory of pig-kind!"

Gruel looked bewildered by this unexpected visitor.

Naturally. If a stranger arrived with a legion at their back, even someone as bold as Gruel could not welcome them at ease. If that stranger was a middle-aged figure with an overbearing mustache, the discomfort multiplied several times over.

On top of that, Marquis Lapaeno did not conceal his realm. Seeing the force he had gathered, sharp as a blade, Gruel instinctively swallowed.

He was an expert equal to Gruel, or perhaps even stronger. Gruel turned to Sapien and asked.

"What is this?"

Sapien flinched.

"Watch your words, Gruel. This is Marquis Lapaeno, the Black Tiger General."

"Ah. One of the five fingers of the vassal state you mentioned?"

"I said to watch your words."

Gruel knew basic etiquette. Gruel also knew how useless it was to bow from the very first meeting. Holding up five fingers, Gruel sneered.

"Fingers have their own ranks too, don't they? Which one of the five are you? The middle finger, perhaps?"

"Gruel...!"

"Hahahaha! Bold, very bold!"

Fortunately, Sapien's fears did not come true. Marquis Lapaeno heartily accepted Gruel's obvious provocation.

"That's right. People often compare our Five Tiger Generals to fingers! The five fingers that hold the vassal state's sword! And did you know? There are people in this world born with six fingers! Is there anything wrong with having more fingers to grip a sword?"

Lapaeno was a noble of the vassal state, yet responded favorably to such a feeble provocation. That meant Lapaeno wanted something from Gruel. And if Lapaeno mentioned six fingers here, there could only be one reason.

Lapaeno wanted Gruel to become the sixth finger.

"Are you trying to recruit me into the vassal state?"

"I'd heard you were clever, but it seems that was true! To think you'd figure it out before I even mentioned recruitment!"

"So that was it. What a surprise."

Gruel said that, but had expected this might happen. It would have been stranger not to attempt to recruit a master who had reached the principle.

'I have no intention of serving under anyone. Still, I might form a cooperative relationship with them. I'll have to weigh this carefully.'

Having decided to take responsibility for the pig beastkin, Gruel needed to gain as much as possible. Rights, food, things like that. Gruel finished calculating.

"It is an offer far too generous for a wild wanderer like me. What would the great vassal state gain by taking me in?"

"Wild wanderers have their uses. Our guild has taken a particular interest in you. More precisely, in the treasures of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand you might bring us."

"Spiritual elixirs. I can see why you'd be interested."

With the King of Wolves gone, the Enger Plain would once again become a route frequented by adventurers. They would need the Beast Faction to find the road to the Kingdom of Ten Thousand, and Gruel, who had even turned that into a business, must have appeared highly desirable.

"Exactly. Do you know how many spiritual elixirs it takes to raise a single energy practitioner? More than words can describe. Even after feeding them that many spiritual elixirs, there is no guarantee they will become a master. Elixirs are always in short supply because we must keep investing even when we know it will come to nothing. Yet some wild wanderer who has only scavenged scraps of spiritual elixirs can suddenly reach the principle."

"What do you have to offer such a wild wanderer?"

"What is there to offer an energy practitioner? Better manuals, more precious spiritual elixirs, and opportunities to spar with other masters."

Gruel was a martial artist too, so the offer could not help but be tempting. Still, those were things any master belonging to a nation should naturally receive. Gruel crossed his arms and waited for the next offer, as though telling Lapaeno to continue.

"And I will put this city, Ende, in your charge."

The offer was so extraordinary that Gruel failed to hide his reaction.

"...What did you say? Ende? Are you serious?"

"Yes. The wolves are gone, so it is time for the original owner to return to the house they left empty. The vassal state has decided to administer Ende from now on. Since we're doing this anyway, we might as well recruit a master too."

Recruit Gruel and entrust Ende to him at the same time. It was so unexpected that even Sapien was left speechless.

"Wait a moment, Marquis Lapaeno. This is too sudden."

"Sudden? What can be done? The moment you failed to stop the beast-ears' rebellion, it was already decided. It is time to stop playing king among beast-ears simply because you are human."

News of Orcma's rebellion had already reached Marquis Lapaeno. Sapien bit his lip at the exposure of his disgrace, but Lapaeno did not even look at him. Gruel found it quite surprising.

'Sapien warned me about him, but he seems easy enough to talk to. The offer is remarkable too. What exactly is supposed to be unreasonable?'

Though Lapaeno had brought an army, he did not flaunt his strength. Nor did he try to crush anyone with authority. Compared to the recognized human who ruled simply because they were human, was he not more human?

Just as Gruel began to lean slightly toward Marquis Lapaeno...

"I will soon issue an evacuation order to the beast-ears and hold them responsible for the rebellion, so prepare yourselves in advance."

The quietly spoken words struck like a bolt from the blue.

The house left empty by its original owner. Ende would now be administered by the vassal state. It was time to stop ruling among beastkin.

They would drive the beastkin out of Ende, then humans would move into the empty land. Every word Marquis Lapaeno had said led to that single conclusion.

Sapien, who knew the political situation better than Gruel, realized it first.

"Only some pig beastkin rebelled! Most beastkin had nothing to do with it!"

"What difference does that make?"

"What difference...?"

Sapien was the one left speechless by the Marquis's reply. Marquis Lapaeno idly twirled his mustache.

"Beast-ears are all beast-ears. What's the difference? They should have been grateful that we allowed them to live here, yet they dared forget that grace and attack humans. Isn't that enough reason to act? Why should I need to distinguish what sort of ears they have?"

Why distinguish Orcma from the rest, pig beastkin from other beastkin? Marquis Lapaeno was asking in complete sincerity.

"That is...!"

"Don't get so heated. Who said we would take away your authority? Your title and powers will remain intact. If you wish, you may keep the beast-ears you employ in your household. The other beast-ears, though, must be sent back where they belong. There are tens of thousands of subjects in the vassal state without homes. We cannot let beast-ears occupy empty houses."

Ende, the land of opportunity, had become a free city of beastkin because of the King of Wolves. Rather than endure the danger of wolves on the harsh Enger Plain, humans had wanted to live safely under the vassal state's protection.

But now that the beastkin had driven off the wolves, humans intended to claim that land of opportunity again.

"This is better for you as well. How long will you remain a frontier city? You have defeated the wolves, so shouldn't you start gathering people and think about running the city properly?"

Beastkin were not even acknowledged as objects. They were not targets to insult or disregard.

Gruel stepped in.

"Wait, Marquis. I am one of the beast-ears you keep talking about."

"What does that matter, Gruel? What matters is that you are a master hungry for power. Whether it is a demonic sword or something else, a sharp blade ought to be placed in a sheath first."

Marquis Lapaeno picked at his ear as though the matter bored him.

"If you truly wish to care for the beast-ears... I recommend accepting my offer. Would you not need support from the vassal state to put up even tents for these beast-ears?"

If Gruel were an ambitious, cold-blooded person, he would accept Marquis Lapaeno's offer. It was an opportunity to fulfill his ambitions.

Even if Gruel possessed the gentleness to care for his own kind, he would have to accept it. Otherwise, the beastkin driven from Ende would be abandoned by everyone.

It was half a threat. Still, Lapaeno's determination to place Ende firmly within the vassal state's sphere of influence was clear. And Ende could not escape that will unless Gruel stepped forward personally.

The unreasonable came in a truly unreasonable way. Without even a moment's pause, without regard for Gruel's resolve, it arrived with only one choice.

As Gruel's mind raced, another recognized human stepped forward first.

"Marquis Lapaeno. There is something you said that I cannot simply let pass."

Duke Erectus, a recognized human second to none in discriminating against beastkin. The moment everyone saw Erectus, they tensed as though they had witnessed a bomb given human form. Sapien seriously considered striking Erectus on the back of the neck and dragging him away before he made the situation worse.

Marquis Lapaeno searched his memory.

"That is... who again?"

"Recognized Human Erectus. He is the lord who remained in Ende and held his post while everyone else left because of the wolves."

"Ah, the duke in name only... What is it? Do you have some complaint about the vassal state's decision?"

"Naturally, I do. The vassal state is infringing upon private property."

"Private property?"

There were tens of thousands of beastkin living in Ende. Duke Erectus treated them all as private property as though it were only natural, even though owning that many actual beasts would be difficult.

"Yes. Ende's beastkin are the property of Oberli's recognized humans, who have protected this land for so long. They are the assets of us recognized humans, who upheld our pride and duty while everyone fled Ende. I respect the vassal state's judgment, but... I cannot accept the evacuation order. It is our duty to protect our territory and property."

Racism answered with racism. Even Marquis Lapaeno was briefly left speechless by the far more extreme statement.

Footnotes:

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