482 – The King of the Unemployed
The Enge Plain. A blessed land that has nourished the continent throughout its grand history. It stretches so vast that it spans two empires and two vassal states, serving as both the target of strife and the stage for great events.
Even in the seemingly endless expanse of the Enge Plain, there is an end. As one continues southward without direction, the land gradually becomes parched, and the dry wind carries the scent of dusty soil. The sun rises higher, overseeing all creation, and the hot air rises, making it difficult to breathe.
Ende lies at the border.
It is said that if one ventures further below, an endless sea of trees awaits, but for humans who are not adventurers, Ende is the last land. Especially now, with the collapse of the Gold Kingdom and the Kingdom of Kings, cutting off communication, it felt even more so.
“This is Ende.”
The Returner pointed to the wide city spread out horizontally.
The walls, closer to fences than fortifications, were built to keep out animals rather than humans. However, the interior of the city was no different from the wilderness.
The haphazardly built houses appeared uneven in height, resembling a fierce battleground, and they were filled with various types of walls and rooftops. The streets would suddenly split and end at random. It seemed that when the city was built, nothing was planned except for possibilities.
The appearance of the people passing by was as unpredictable as the buildings. Normally, people would be distinguished by their hair color, length, height, or physique, but in Ende, they had to add ears and tails to that. Round, pointed, long, folded, pointing upwards, alluring, and so on. Qualifiers that would not apply to ordinary humans complicated the eyes and minds of the demi-humans.
But that was not all. The demi-humans, frustrated by the crowded streets, would often leap over rooftops, and accidents caused by their freely moving tails were countless. Scenes of people bumping into each other while finding their way with their noses instead of their eyes were witnessed everywhere.
Ende, a city so chaotic that anyone could blend in without raising suspicion.
The Returner came out of a large mansion in the suburbs of Ende and guided Azhi.
“I bought this mansion because I thought we might need a base.”
Casually, as if he had just finished shopping at a market, the Returner opened the gate. The mansion itself was quite valuable, but what the Returner brought out was even more valuable.
Medicine, magical tools, alchemical materials. Treasures that would fetch a good price at auctions. He willingly handed over resources that could cause inflation in the massive city of Ende.
“Here. I’ll leave the operation of this mansion to you. I’ll provide you with the necessary funds and supplies as needed. If you want, I can also introduce you to some contacts I know.”
The Returner’s request was surprisingly simple, considering the resources he invested.
“Overthrow the Wolf King.”
“…That’s quite a big request. It’s uncertain whether it can be done or not.”
“You have to do it even if it’s not you. I just want to see how the king of humans and the king of wolves will handle it. I’ll help you, but I’ll leave the means and methods entirely up to you.”
Even if I invested a lot of resources, it’s uncertain whether I, still incomplete, can stop the wolf king. Honestly, I’m not confident. I’d rather postpone it until I fully regain my strength.
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But the regressor dangled an offer I couldn’t refuse.
“Then I’ll show you all the vampires I know.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
‘Just to see how this attempt will turn out. If Hues successfully defeats the wolf king as the human king, one major disaster will be eliminated. It’s a new routine for the upcoming regress, even if it’s just to see the results.’
If things go wrong, I can always regress, right? Ugh. I envy regressors who don’t worry about things going wrong.
“I see. Then take your time to prepare. I have things to do in Ende as well.”
“What kind of things?”
“Investments and business, you know.”
‘Let’s see. Not long after, with the advent of the Plague Rider, social life will flourish. The imperial country, using quarantine as an excuse, will close its borders and clash with the empire. I can’t prevent it, but I can mitigate the aftermath. And in Ende, a violet upper echelon that came to explore new markets will be staying. I should tell them about preventive measures and effective remedies and advise them to secure goods.’
Ugh, so busy. Being a regressor isn’t something anyone can do. They really have been saving the world.
‘Last time, I forgot and couldn’t prevent the massacre under the pretext of quarantine. This time, let’s not forget.’
Cancel it, you rascal. Don’t forget something so important!
The regressor threw a bundle of keys at me. The bundle of keys in my hands felt as substantial as the expectations of receiving it.
“I’ll leave it to you. Do as you please, king of humans. And king of wolves.”
“Well, the expectations are a bit heavy, but… for the sake of the promise, let’s do it properly.”
“Blank.”
Azhi and I nodded with determined faces.
And a month passed.
The shouts of a returnee filled the mansion, full of suppressed anger.
“Get out!!!”
Whenever the returnee saw me purifying myself before leaving the mansion for work, they seemed content.
‘Alright. It’s about time to take a break. It’s just a story if I run away with money while I’m not here.’
Perhaps the luxury of having something. The returnee entrusted the mansion to me, even testing me, and went to work.
But the returnee didn’t know.
A well-fed beast doesn’t hunt.
About half a month ago. The returnee, who had finished a task and returned, chuckled at the sight of me and Azhi lying on the floor.
‘…? Still resting? No, taking a break after work, perhaps?’
After staying for a moment and leaving to do something again, the returnee finally realized what I and Azhi were doing when witnessing the same scene even after returning two or three times.
“You’re not doing anything!”
The mansion hadn’t changed much. Just a bit less money in the safe. Azhi and I ate well and slept soundly with that money, gaining weight due to excessive indulgence.
“What are you guys?!”
“Us? We’re the kings of humans.”
“Blank, me, a puppy!”
“I didn’t ask that, you parasites! What are you guys doing, claiming to fight the wolf king!”
Lying on the floor, I responded with a determined expression.
“This is a reserve for preparation for a fight.”
“Meh~.”
“What’s the reserve for anyway!”
The regressive one approached, flipping over the veranda where I and Azji were lying. For the past month, both the peaceful dogs and humans, accustomed to peace, struggled helplessly to respond to the sudden attack. The regressive one looked down at the two kings crawling insignificantly on the ground and shouted.
“If only you had trained for a bit. Instead, you just reserved to live a leisurely life! What are you going to do?! Are you going to offer a more delicious treat to the Wolf King?!”
“No, I’m not ready to defeat the Wolf King.”
“Didn’t I buy the mansion and give you money for that preparation?! Searching for the drinker? Don’t need any help?”
In reality, I could just read thoughts without bothering to get help from the regressive one, and I was quite comfortable with that. There was a bit of a thought to pretend to work until the regressive one came back and buy some time.
Without intending to get up, I mumbled in response.
“But, resting made me too comfortable… I unknowingly took a long break.”
“Talking like an unemployed person! Are you still the human king?”
“Even the unemployed is human… The human king is, in essence, the king of the unemployed…”
“Try playing the role of a diligent person!”
‘I thought I could escape, but did I really expect him to do nothing at all? Doesn’t he realize the urgency of the situation right now?’
Hmm. But think about it carefully. What if the King of Evil appears and destroys the world? Then as long as I’m alive, the King of Evil won’t appear, so I can live a comfortable and warm life for a long, long time, right?
“It wasn’t like this when you were in the military nation! Why did it end up like this?!”
“Well, when I was in the military nation, I lived a bit fiercely to avoid the military’s exploitation. It’s different now.”
I looked at the safe placed on one side of the veranda. The safe that the regressive one entrusted to me was filled with gold coins, and no matter how much I spent, it didn’t show. Truly an endless source. Then why not spend it?
“Having money in the free wild city of Endé, there’s nothing you can’t do. While wandering around and grasping the trends of Endé, I had a very good encounter. Due to handling many things on my behalf, I became a bit lazy.”
The regressive one, who slightly softened his anger, spoke with a somewhat expectant look.
“Have you met anyone?”
“Yes. In Ende, there are no strict rules, and since the residents have strong individuality, they form clans with similar people, relying on each other. Especially, a considerable number of Ende residents are Aquarians. Depending on the type of Aquarian, clans are roughly divided. I contacted them to investigate the trends in Ende.”
“Hmm. So you didn’t just idly sit around.”
“How could I live without doing anything at all? Anyway, as I traveled around, spending money here and there to gain favor with the clans…”
That’s when it happened. The sound of hooves that had been rushing suddenly stopped in front of the mansion. At the same time, Aji’s ears perked up. The visitor stood in front of the mansion and called me.
“Mr. Hughes! Are you there?”
“Even tigers come when I call. Just a moment.”
This is perfect timing. I leisurely got up and walked towards the door. The returnee, who had a somewhat displeased expression, seemed somewhat relieved at the fact that there was at least minimal interaction.
“Is it an informant? Instead of coming to find me, they called me directly to the mansion. Well, even if that’s the case. Have they really done nothing but play and eat until now?”
Well, it’s burdensome to expect too much.
When I opened the door, the freckled mermaid girl, who had been waiting, cheerfully shouted with a bright smile.
“Forward Delivery! Three portions of boiled beef soup, right?”
“With bones in the meat. Is that correct?”
“Purr-pleeong! Of course! You’ve ordered it several times, so there’s no room for confusion!”
Stab, stab, stab. The mermaid pulled out the packaged food from her steel bag and laid it in front of us. Aji, who had approached right below me, was already drooling as she eagerly stared at the food.
She learned it in about a month. That when the hooves stop at the door, it means the food is running out. As soon as the mermaid placed the meat down, Aji swiftly caught it and began her beak’s work.
It’s fortunate that there are bones. If not, she would have devoured it in 3 seconds and eyed my share. That’s why you have to order meat with bones.
“That will be 40 Alke in total! If you return the disposable pension containers, I’ll refund 1.5 Alke!”
“Here you go. The return is done. It’s just a small amount.”
“As expected, you’re generous!”
The bag-bearing deliveryman pointed his thumb at me and grinned.
“Well then, enjoy your meal! Forward Delivery, returning!”
With a lighter bag in tow, he dashed away like an arrow. A multitude of angles. The characters attached to their shoes produced a sound reminiscent of hoofbeats. The deliveryman’s agility was several times that of an ordinary person, and without wearing characters, shoes would quickly wear out.
It was indeed the deliveryman. Closing the door, I returned with the food. The regressor who had observed my entire appearance seemed ready to explode, trembling as if about to burst.
“…Like this. I got acquainted with clans involved in various service industries. Collaborated with them.”
“Collaboration, my foot! You’ve probably found a way to be even lazier!”
Caught.
Damn this is too funny 🤣🤣