481 – You Freaking Racist
Merfolk.
Inherited the characteristics of beasts, humans.
What kind of beast that is varies for each individual, but it is generally a well-known fact that humans share a close relationship with many domesticated animals.
And it is also a well-known fact that the treatment of humans varies depending on the purpose of the domesticated animals.
Canine human. Ovine human. Bovine human. Equine human. Porcine human.
There are many other species of humans, but in the human world, the five that form society are these. Their numbers are never small, deeply rooted in society, and cannot be uprooted by force. Trying to forcibly separate them would leave a massive wound, like pulling out deeply embedded fur along with the flesh.
…However.
“Human king. I have something to ask before we go.”
‘You need to confirm this in advance. Depending on how the human king treats the humans, my plans may change.’
As the situation approached a critical point, the regressor briefly recalled the past.
A future that has not yet come. In a world remembered by only one regressor. Humans and beasts clashed. It was meaningless to argue who started it first; the differences that began from birth gradually caused a rift between humans and beasts.
Well, most conflicts can be suppressed with force. What if there are a few injuries while forcefully tearing apart? As long as it’s not my injury.
Humans dealt with it as usual. So, they ignorantly oppressed with force. Blood flowed, and the cries of beasts gradually subsided.
The problem arose around the time when the king of sin emerged.
‘Adding the king of beasts to it, it became the catalyst for sin to snowball. Regardless of which side you take, it inevitably involves shedding blood with a sword…’
Ending the recollection with a trembling fist, the regressor exhaled an electrifying aura and asked me.
“Do you treat beasts as humans too?”
“What? Mr. Shay. What exactly are you talking about?”
Facing such a question, I responded very logically.
“Do you treat beasts as humans? Are you talking as if beasts are a different existence from humans? Wow, I never knew you were that kind of person.”
“In the past, before the existence mixed with water beings and whatever, the word for water beings’ kind meant humans. That’s where it all started. Saying things like saving the world and stopping the king of wickedness, but Miss Shea herself was a discriminatory person.”
“Oh really? I think water beings are equal to us!”
“I don’t even have such thoughts. It’s like not thinking of Miss Shea as a non-discriminatory person when looking at non-water beings, non-vampires, and non-magicians like us.”
It’s really irrational, but you start losing from the moment you become aware of it. If you say there’s a difference, you’re a discriminator, and if you say it’s equal, you become a hypocrite.
‘Anyway, the Beast King treats water beings as the same as humans… Huh. I thought it would be more ruthless because they’re savages, but it’s surprisingly just.’
What on earth do you see humans as, no, beasts? Beasts are simple. Only those weaker than me, when I’m hungry and conditions are right, attack. It’s different from humans who randomly tear apart anything a little different.
“You seem to be quite unaware, so let me tell you. The one in front is an adjective, and the one behind is the essence. Even if calf’s milk and horse’s milk are different, they’re ultimately the same milk. Water beings are the same. Whether it’s calf water beings or horse water beings, they’re the same humans.”
“Why use milk as a metaphor?!”
“All mammals produce milk, that’s the common point. Chickens and ducks are also livestock, why exclude water beings?”
There’s even a classification called mammals. It was a realistic answer, but the Regressionist made a displeased expression, seemingly uncomfortable.
“So why are you asking about that now?”
“We’re going to a city where humans and water beings coexist and simultaneously oppose each other.”
“Where is it?”
“The Enge Plains. A city that marks the border between farmland and plains.”
If it’s the Enge Plains, it’s in the central part of the continent, even more to the west than the military country. A historical land that created the empire’s dominance.
Among them, the name of a city at the edge of civilization came out of the Regressionist’s mouth.
“We’re going to Endé.”
A city in the Enge Plains, Endé. The boundary between savagery and civilization. On top of that, it is a city where the empire and the successor state, which have firmly resisted, are holding firm, and below it is the land of savagery untouched by the touch of civilization. That city, the frontline between savagery and civilization, is the perfect place for humans and water beings to stir up conflict.
“We’ll find clues about the Mage’s whereabouts there exactly.”
“The details may change a bit, but the basic structure is simple.”
The regressor alternately pointed at me and Azhi with his fingers.
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“You and Azhi. Gathering hunters and mercenaries from Ende, you’ll hunt down a pack of wolves roaming the Ende Plain. Of course, I’ll help too.”
Azhi and I simultaneously raised our eyebrows.
A wolf pack? To an ordinary human like me, a wolf pack is undoubtedly a threatening adversary. But for Azhi, wolf extermination is something akin to a morning exercise. The regressor doesn’t even need to exert effort.
Judging by what the regressor said, it’s undoubtedly…
“The king of wolves.”
“That’s right. Not just a pack to be subdued, but a powerful group of beasts strong enough to worry about the city’s destruction. If the wolves attacked Ende after organizing their formation, Ende would have long been in ruins.”
City destroyed? Even though the regressor’s words seem out of place, he doesn’t lie. So, does the Wolf King possess such formidable power? A mere beast?
Hmm. Did I promise too hastily to keep our word? While contemplating, a sudden concern crossed my mind.
“Wait a moment. If the wolf pack organizes and attacks Ende, would Ende be on the brink of destruction?”
“Yes.”
“But Azhi and I are going to Ende?”
“Yes.”
A long time ago, there was a promise that if a dog fought alongside humans against wicked wolves, the dog would be a human’s friend forever. Superficially, it might sound like a human-dog issue, but there’s a third party involved in that promise.
It’s none other than wolves. Always tormenting humans and dogs, they are fierce and evil creatures. Villains, but necessary for the fulfillment of the promise.
Just as Azhi, the king of dogs, roams around seeking the human king for the sake of the promise, the Wolf King also roams, seeking the dog king. To kill the traitorous brother and break the promise.
“The Wolf King will come to capture Azhi. Then… won’t Ende be attacked by the wolf pack?”
“It might happen. But it’s better that way.”
The regressor shrugged his shoulders and said,
“Rather than the merfolk causing a rebellion from within and then crowning the Wolf King as the king, isn’t it better this way?”
Where is the boundary between civilization and barbarism? While philosophers might ponder this interesting question, another scholar would mention the Enge Plains.
More precisely, it’s the southern tip of the Enge Plains, where civilization has never crossed due to a single vertex. However, mentioning it is shrouded in fear and shame.
Fear is due to its existence.
Shame is because human pride, challenged countless times, has been shattered in the face of its existence.
It remains unnamed, simply referred to as the mountain of the mountain district.
“In the distant past, from the time when余 smoked tobacco.”
A dark night. In the pitch-black darkness, the mountain in the middle of the night, where fireflies and small creatures should rustle.
But now, it was silent, without even a small noise.
Whether it’s prey or a hunter, everyone lowers their heads and bows their bodies. Even the oblivious fireflies hold their breath, and free birds tether themselves.
No one can make a sound on this mountain right now. They can’t move their bodies even a little. They just have to hold their breath and wait for this moment to end.
It’s the domain of the mountain lord. Mountain beasts, equip yourselves with fear.
“You herd were human’s lackeys, eh? Hmph. Instead of the dull humans, you sniff out the scent and distract them with loud barking.”
Wearing a hat on the head and loosely hanging a voluminous mantle, beside the cheek, black spotted patterns grew like a beard. In the abundant orange hair, there were imposing black spots horizontally. Lying on the rock with front paws causing earthquakes, it had a thunderous voice.
The king of beasts, the mountain lord.
The summit above the ground.
Slightly folded ears, revealing a discomforting demeanor, were directed towards the intruders in front of her.
“But what audacity to force me to tear apart humans together. What’s the deal with this coercion?”
In front of such a mountain lord, several figures in human form stood with their heads held high.
Mountain lords are the object of both human fear and worship. Though it happened a bit in the past, there was a time when they called the mountain lord the King of the Mountains and conducted ceremonies. In the era when the southern barbarians’ nation, Man-guk (蠻國), still existed, the mountain lord’s ritual was directly supervised by the king of the country.
Daring to face a mountain lion, a mere human. Should I tear his throat out right away?… Due to the presence of a figure standing before them, the mountain lion, though displeased, maintained a sense of courtesy.
The opponent was also a king like her.
“You’re not prepared for a fight!”
The wolf king revealed this even with a tiger in front of him. No respect or fear could be seen in the bloodshot eyes and sharp fangs. With only ferocity, the wolf king jabbed at the mountain lion.
“Awooo! I am a wolf, not a dog! Different from that traitor, and not like a coward like you!”
“Roar, a coward? Look who’s talking!”
“Kong! You’re looking for a reason not to fight!”
Even in the face of the tiger’s anger, the wolf king shouted without yielding.
“Tiger! Are you afraid? Ferocity? Or are you a cat flipping over to humans? Is lording over a mere mountain the entirety of what a tiger does?!”
The tiger, known as the mountain lion, is also a beast. Roaming through valleys and peaks, reigning as the lord of the mountain is its duty.
No, it hasn’t even considered anything else to do. What else should a mountain lion do besides ruling the mountain? The mountain lion exclaimed in bewilderment.
“Grrr! Then, what else should I do besides lording over the mountain?”
“Fight!”
In contrast, the wolf shouted as if it were a noble mission.
“Bite! Tear! Rip! Eat! Your claws are for tearing, and your fangs are for ripping! Tiger! Humans are gradually expanding their territory, how long will you hide like a coward?”
“I’ve never hidden! This mountain is the land of the tiger! Why would I hide while lording over the mountain?”
“Awooo! That’s why you become prey to humans!”
Thunder rolled across the dry sky.
The enraged roar of the mountain lion shook the bushes and echoed through the ground. Some of the beings hit directly by the roar were knocked out cold. While not accounted for, a few pitiful creatures living in the mountain might have met their doom just hearing that howl.
But there was nothing visible in the eyes of the wolf. With ferocity that even devoured fear, it stared straight at the tiger.
The wolf may be strong, but not as much as a tiger. The current wolf king is engaging in an act close to suicide. San-gun took a deep breath and sent a pitiful glance towards the king of the mad beasts.
“…Come. Are you trying to become ferocious? Do you want to become sharp claws and pointed fangs?”
Whether it was the force of San-gun diminishing, or the wolf king calming down a bit, he spoke more calmly.
“Awooo. I don’t know. But I have ferocity. I have sharp claws and pointed fangs. And there are things that need to be torn apart with them.”
“Your adversary?”
“My opposite.”
Every beast possesses wisdom. Beasts also feel shame and vengeance, and they have the discernment to avoid fights they can win and the determination to throw themselves into unavoidable battles.
The tiger, having lived for a long time, also had enough wisdom. Even if he didn’t know exactly what the wolf in front of him was going through, he knew why the problem had arisen.
“Roar. What did humans do to you? I don’t know.”
It’s difficult to feel anger towards someone who lacks something. San-gun mumbled again while chewing on a piece of persimmon tree bark.
“If the day comes when I need to use my ferocity, I’ll leave it to you. It’s a ‘promise.'”
San-gun is undoubtedly a pinnacle. Standing on the ground with his feet, there won’t be a more powerful being on the surface.
But he’s not the ultimate.
Humans are the undisputed rulers of the surface, and tigers only dominate the foothills of the mountains. Although the number of humans killed by tigers is much higher than the number of tigers hunted by humans, it’s a trivial amount compared to the human population. On the contrary, tigers are gradually losing their place, pushed back by humans.
The only beings that can be considered ‘enemies’ to tigers are humans. A presence that must be guarded against.
So, the tiger made a promise to the wolf.
If the day comes to fight against humans, stand by the side of the wolf and fight together.
Now that the promise has been made, there’s nothing more to see. The wolf king turned away immediately.
“Awooooo. It’ll happen soon.”
That was the end of the greeting. The wolf king walked down San-gun’s slope with firm steps. While there was reason to be pleased for achieving the goal, the wolf’s tail was still held high.