487 – Rule but do not dominate
Shifters were originally slaves to humans. Although shifter slaves disappeared after the appearance of the furry saint, their lives couldn’t change in an instant. The form had only changed names over the years.
To exaggerate, I also benefited from that. The delivery system. Although it was paid, using canine shifters as messengers was a deeply rooted tradition.
Anyway, much has changed over time, but the most prominent change was in canine shifters.
Canine shifters were popular from the slave era. Loyal, friendly, useful, and cute. Every decent household had one or two canine shifters.
Even after the abolition of slavery, there was still a high demand for canine shifters. Housekeepers, guards, servants, laborers, and more. Regardless of the change in name and form, they were always closest to humans.
It seemed that Enda, the city of shifters, was no different.
A neatly dressed human entered, accompanied by canine shifters. It didn’t seem like a particularly welcome entrance. Most of the elder shifters present expressed a bewildered emotion.
The meeting of the Erectus Clan was in progress. We had already sent official letters to all the officials of Oveli.”
“Don’t bother with that. There’s something more important, isn’t there? Are we allowed to make a fuss even if we send official letters? In this solemn Oveli!”
Oveli was the city built by the first humans who settled in this land. They were descendants of pioneers and the ruling class who inherited the rights to this land for generations. Some were so afraid of the Wolf King that they returned to their homeland, but there were still humans who remained, guarding their power.
The Erectus Clan was one of them. They were the rulers of this city, even the leaders of clans had to bow before them.
“There is a guest from outside. Please maintain your composure for the sake of Oveli.”
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Even at the mention of a guest, Erectus responded arrogantly.
“A guest? Is this someone I need to know?”
“We don’t know much either, but they are a benefactor in purple attire and have the recommendation of the Danju.”
“The guardian of my homeland?”
No matter what, he couldn’t go beyond his territory and interfere with others. Erectus bit his tongue with a bitter expression. Instead, he looked around and became interested in something different.
“What’s this? A rare water spirit?”
“Huh?”
Erectus showed interest in Azi. When their eyes met, Azi showed him the same warmth he showed to everyone else.
“Bark! Will you keep your promise too?”
“You? Ha, a water spirit like you, who do you think I am…”
“You, human! Understand!”
Even I find it difficult to understand the way dogs speak. It’s no wonder Erectus, who was filled with pride to the bone, couldn’t understand at all. He laughed out of disbelief.
“You really are a dog-like water spirit. I like your energy. Hey, how about becoming my pet?”
The werewolves trembled at his words. Although Azi’s remark was made without knowing that he was the king of the dogs, it was still a shocking statement to say that he would make the king of beasts his pet.
Of course, the water spirit who followed as a pet felt the same way. The water spirit hurriedly stopped his owner from running wild.
“Master. Hold on a moment! That person…!”
“Welshi. Who allowed them to interfere?”
The Eryctus official, disturbed, swung his whip and snapped. However, the dog-like humanoid named Welshi persistently appealed.
“That person is the king of dogs. It seems they’ve come to fight the wolf king, so they won’t serve you.”
“The king of dogs?”
Just how unruly is this person in their daily life? As soon as the admonition was effective, a relieved sigh echoed loudly from the humanoids. The declaration of making the king of dogs their lord seemed a bit excessive.
But the relief was premature. Eryctus showed interest, especially in Aji.
“Oh. Even if it’s the king of dogs, there’s not much difference from a dog humanoid like Welshi. Welshi, is the king of dogs strong?”
“Yes. Because it’s the king of beasts.”
“Stronger than you?”
“I dare not compare.”
“But it must be gentle, right? Isn’t that so?”
“Yes. The king of dogs absolutely does not harm humans. No matter what kind of human it is.”
“Do you like it? It’s a shame that it can’t harm my enemies, but…”
Eryctus, now intrigued, picked up the ball Aji had been playing with earlier and threw it. Aji instinctively chased after the ball and quickly returned after biting it.
Eryctus showed great interest in Aji’s behavior, which was no different from a dog.
“Hmm. Just a dog in human form, right? It’s much better than a humanoid who responds in a stilted manner with ears and tail attached, isn’t it?”
“I apologize, Master.”
“Understood. Fine. I’ve decided. Stay in my mansion until you fight the wolf king.”
Despite the efforts of the servants, Aji eventually ran away. Despite the opposition from the humanoids at the announcement of the dog’s king, they all stood up in protest.
“Please wait. Lord Erectus! You must go to where you want to go!”
“Why?”
“That’s…!”
In the midst of a childlike question, Erectus covered his ears and retorted.
“You’re not going to stay in a cheap inn, are you? My mansion is much better than that. There are dogs and mermaids there. And above all, there are humans. Dogs love humans, don’t they?”
“The reason why I brought the king is because he received a recommendation from the Purple Upper Council!”
“What if you stay still and someone else follows you? Dogs need to be kept on a leash, you know.”
To think that the king of dogs would need a leash. Erectus calmly confessed his failed attempt in front of everyone.
Tsk tsk. Have you ever seen such a rotten person? If he sees me, Azhi, as a complete dog, it wouldn’t be surprising. That brat doesn’t think of Azhi as a human, but he doesn’t see me as a dog either!
“If you all stay still, you’ll follow me. Now, King of Dogs, follow me. If you want that promise or whatever it is.”
“Huh? Promise?”
“Yes. In other words, if you don’t follow me, you can’t keep it.”
As he made a self-centered remark, a deaf mermaid approached. Although the opponent was a king, Obelly’s mermaids were not to be taken lightly. Even in front of Lord Erectus, they wagged their tails stiffly and retorted.
“Lord Erectus! That decision has already been made!”
“That decision was made when I wasn’t there.”
“Then you should have participated! Are you always going to be left behind and then force your way in later?”
Normally, there wouldn’t be such a fierce dispute, but this was a significant matter involving the Wolf King and the King of Dogs. All the mermaids rebelled against Lord Erectus.
The rebellion grew stronger. No matter how strong Lord Erectus’s authority was, he couldn’t overturn the will of so many people alone. Lord Erectus, who was filled with frustration, swung his whip with emotion. And the recipient of that whip was none other than his loyal companion, Welsh.
Crack. The chilling sound of the whip cut through the air. Welsh knew very well that his master was lashing out at him, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
“Noisy! Even if you speak! I won’t listen!”
Crack, crack, crack. The sound of the whip echoed loudly. Welsh endured the pain in silence, but the sharp sound made the other supernatural beings cringe.
Above all, Azhi felt uneasy watching the dog-like supernatural being suffer in front of him.
“Woof! Woof!”
“What is it? Are you concerned about a dog claiming to be the king?”
Erectus Gong, breathing heavily, spoke triumphantly.
“Yeah! Listen to me! Stop hitting…!”
“What? In my absence?”
That was when the returnee descended from the sky, lightly touching the ground. Just arrived, and the details were not clear, but the returnee, with a sensitivity greater than that of supernatural beings, caught an unpleasant smell.
Erectus Gong suddenly frowned at the fallen returnee.
“Who’s this again? Why is there so much commotion in Oubellia today?”
“You of all people. Explain what’s going on.”
“What… Ah. Is it you? Recommended with a purple top?”
The returnee didn’t seem overtly wealthy, but exuded an unusual atmosphere. Erectus Gong raised his head stiffly and said,
“You came at the right time. I want you to take charge of the dog king on this side. Anyway, that side is a mess, and we’ll have to fight together, so it’s good to coordinate in advance, right?”
“Azhi?”
“Is your name Azhi? Yes.”
The returnee alternately looked at the whip he held and the red-skinned female supernatural being. Gradually, the returnee’s mood became uncomfortable.
“What does that have to do with hitting supernatural beings with a whip?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. My body was acting presumptuously, trying to correct my behavior.”
It’s fortunate that Erectus Gong is human. If he were a supernatural being, by now, he would be unable to speak and would have lowered his tail. It seems that the returnee is not even aware of the vitality that has paralyzed the senses, as if the self has dulled the perception of sensations.
“Someone like you?”
In response to the unexpected remark, Aerectus Gong doubted his ears.
“What did you say? Did you just call someone like me a ‘someone like you’?”
“The fact that you’re human, does it even matter? Would you save your own life?”
Even among humans on the brink, there are different levels. The regressor is the craziest of them all, standing at the extreme. If Aerectus Gong is at fault, it’s only because he failed to recognize it in advance.
‘Stirring up chaos, discriminating against the Suin, and even meddling with Azhi? No need to keep him alive.’
Before he could say anything, the regressor moved. Kicking up the ground with his foot, grabbing it again from his shoulder, he swung it in a single breath. The warping space rushed towards Aerectus Gong like a comet.
No need for words. The regressor doesn’t bother with such concerns. He simply judged the presence in front of him as an ‘obstacle’ and now sought to remove it.
The swirling gian blades alone are fatal. With death looming before him, Aerectus Gong looked at the lamp of his life. Human or not, it’s insignificant in the face of overwhelming power.
An attack that doesn’t distinguish gender, race, or power, cut through the racial supremacist.