495 – Ende’S Spring – 3
The herd of pigs marching while holding pickets and shouting loudly bewildered the Regressor. Once at their numbers, and twice at their actions. The Regressor, who read the words written on the pickets, quickly returned to my side.
“What the heck is that?!”
I replied indifferently.
“It’s a peaceful protest.”
“A peaceful protest?”
“Yes. They’re not using any weapons, and they’re just marching while holding pickets and shouting. How peaceful is that?”
“Ugh!”
The people around them also muttered in bewilderment or dissatisfaction, but they didn’t get too heated. Since there was no quarrel, Aji seemed comfortable.
One person, the Regressor, had a headache.
“Why at a time when the Wolf King is about to invade?”
“Isn’t that why they’re protesting? It’s better for the city to be free of any commotion when fighting the Wolf King, right? Now that Ende is in a hurry, it’s the best timing.”
“It’s unexpected and embarrassing.”
Literally, it was an embarrassing thing for the Regressor. The Regressor, who grimaced, scratched the back of his neck and muttered.
“Honestly, I don’t have a problem fighting without them. The pig beastmen are not very useful except for Grull.”
However, it’s always better to have more allies. Even if they’re not useful to me right now, it’s better than going to the other side.
“But it’s difficult if you muddy the waters too much. If anything happens, Grull and the other beastmen will be divided. If you respond incorrectly, it will be annoying if the pig beastmen join the werewolves. Let’s solve it.”
The determined Regressor pulled out Jijan and Cheon-yeong and strode forward. I, who had not been able to read his mind until just before he acted, hurriedly grabbed the Regressor’s shoulder.
“Surprise! Why?!”
“Why! How the hell are you going to solve it?”
“You just have to show them some force and tell them to back off.”
“Are you going to suppress them with force? Such a peaceful protest? If you do that, the backlash will be even greater!”
The Regressor didn’t know that either. He just had a compulsion to resolve this situation. The Regressor asked back.
“Then what do you do? Leave them alone to cause trouble all day long?”
“I’ll promise them some vested interests later, and I’ll try to coax them and send them back!”
“…Hit the back of the head?”
“Yes. Isn’t that the easiest way to overcome this situation? Buy some time for now and think about the aftermath later.”
Pretending to listen to the other party’s demands and just delaying the problem is the most basic political skill. It is effective when the situation is urgent.
‘…You’re good at saying such things out loud. Cowardly.’
Cowardly? You’re cowardly too! Ende’s situation is urgent, so you’re taking hostages and threatening them! Politics is originally cowardly!
‘But it’s true. Suppressing it with force will also cause problems.’
“Okay. What are you going to do?”
“Why are you asking me? Oberi is the one who will promise the vested interests. Mr. Shay, please go to Oberi and bring someone to negotiate.”
“What are you going to do?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Huh? What should I do?”
“Of course! Don’t think it’s someone else’s business! Fighting the Wolf King is something you and Aji have to do!”
Aji and I looked at each other and tilted our heads. That’s true, but this is true. The city’s political situation is moving independently of my will, so it’s ambiguous. Honestly, they’re not helping me and Aji, they’re fighting for themselves. It helps me though.
It’s complicated, it’s complicated.
“Okay. For now, all you have to do is stop this commotion, right?”
“Can you do it?”
“There are many ways. The question is what to choose.”I fastened my collar and pulled my robe down. Even suspicious clothing is just individuality in Ende. As I walked toward the crowded crowd, I waved to the regressor.
“Mr. Shay, go to Oberlier and bring someone. I’ll disperse the protesters here.”
“Oh, really? Can you do that?”
“When I tell you to do something, you ask if you can do it? Are you bipolar?”
‘I don’t trust him, but I’m curious to see how he’ll solve it. Does the King of Humans have a way to solve this situation?’
It’s not because he’s the King of Humans. I’m just curious. Whether this situation will be resolved or not.
The march is a huge flow. A waterway flows beside the flow. The march of the Orcma protesters was creating a long wall of crowds on both sides. A wall of Ende citizens watching the protest with interest, whether positive or negative.
I infiltrated the wall.
The march has a goal, and the goal is usually high. Naturally, the destination of the Orcma protesters was Oberlier.
“It’s not a problem of life. Pigs are the problem!”
“Suin is also human!”
“Give us the right to be proud!”
As if to vent all the resentment that had built up so far, the pigs of Orcma marched, cursing. The picket waves rippled and showed the overwritten phrases several times. The words drawn in black and red all showed their grievances.
There are various disagreements in accepting the claim, but no one can deny that the contents written there are true. Having gained their own legitimacy, they continued to march amidst the attention of Ende citizens.
“Chief of Security, what should we do?”
“How about it. Do you think they’ll stop?”
“Not at all!”
“Damn it. Step back for now!”
The security forces, who had been confronting them, retreated hesitantly. Even the security forces of Ende are just errand boys who mediate disputes. They have neither the strength nor the authority to deal with such a big event.
“The Obelisk must come! What happened to the guy I sent earlier?!”
“That’s because most of the Obelisks are absent!”
However, the Obelisk troops are currently out to meet Grull and the Beast Party. There was no one to stop the Orcma protesters now.
When the security forces, who had been pushed to the entrance of the hill leading to Oberlier, were in trouble. The messenger brought welcome news.
“Instead, one person came from Oberlier!”
“Who?”
“It’s Lord Erektus, a public figure!”
“Oh, is that so?”
The chief of security’s face turned red.
When it comes to public figures, they are the top of Oberlier and powerful people from the aristocracy of the vassal states. Among them, Lord Erektus is the head of the Pyro Department, which supplies the city with charcoal, coal, and magic furnaces. An existence that holds the vested interests of the city.
Then he has the power to resolve this situation. The chief of security shouted, relieved by that fact alone.
“Bring the loudspeaker! You guys escort Lord Erektus, and you deliver it to the representative of the pigs! The public figure has come to listen to your words!”
Every day, he was cursed and cursed by power, but he couldn’t be so happy about an incident that got out of hand. The chief of security hurriedly escorted Lord Erektus.
“No need.”
“Yes?”
“No need to call. I’m not here to listen. I’m here to do it.”
However, he, who was just the chief of security of Ende, did not know.
What kind of person Lord Erektus is.
Lord Erektus, who had taken away the loudspeaker, did not even take out his haste. He didn’t even draw their attention.
He just said it annoyingly.
“What the hell is your complaint? What do you want us to do?”Accompanied by his escorting obelisk and his attendants, he stepped forward with confidence and frowned as he read the words written on the picket. He cocked his head as he read the phrases that described the grievances and problems of the pigmen.
“Well written. You all know your subject well. But why? You know it, but now you want to move on from the subject?”
The Orcma protesters also noticed the public figure who had appeared before them. The protesters, who had not even bothered with the security forces, paused for a moment in front of the public figure.
He was a bigger shot than they had expected, but they had anticipated that someone would come out. The pigman who had led the protest stepped forward and spoke.
“Lord Erectus! We are…”
“I’m talking! Don’t interrupt!”
However, Lord Erectus was not there to have a conversation. Dismissing the protesters’ words, Lord Erectus used the power of the loudspeaker to shout so that everyone could hear.
“So what do you want me to do? You’re slow on your feet, so should I use you as deliverymen? Should I put you in charge of beauty, with your short, coarse hair? You’re weaker and less resilient than cows, so what do you want me to do?!”
It seemed that the other party had no intention of listening to him, but it was still an opportunity for Obely to convey Orcma’s will. The pigman who had led the protest desperately expressed his opinion during the break in the loudspeaker.
“That’s not it! But we are also being discriminated against in areas that have nothing to do with that! As you can see from Obely, not a single pigman has ever become the head of a clan!”
“If you were that good, you would have come to Obely at least once! Even if you were as bad as Grull, I would have invited you if you had asked! You’re not even that!”
Grull, he was mentioned again. The glory of the pigmen, which was often used to criticize the pigmen. Chemy felt a sense of defeat, and some of the orcs spat out curses, but their uncollected voices scattered into meaningless noise.
Lord Erectus, who had read the other party’s sense of defeat, snorted and took a step forward.
“The other pigmen of Obely have at least some redeeming qualities! Your only redeeming quality is that you’re delicious!”
The noise that had filled Ende was replaced by silence.
It was as if the world had suddenly frozen. The passionate wind held its breath for a moment, and a chilling thought pierced the mind.
Ende is a city of pigmen. An uncomfortable truth that everyone knows and is a party to.
That is why the public figure had uttered a blatant taboo that should not have been uttered.
Lord Erectus continued to speak, oblivious to this reaction.
“Oh, now even that’s gone? The Saintess has taken pity on you poor things. You should be grateful that you have lost the only redeeming quality you had. Don’t whine here!”
The pigman who had led the protest bristled and trembled at the remark.
“This… cruel…”
“Cruel? You mean like the same thing that comes out of your snout? I am a public figure. I am different from you.”
Lord Erectus is rude and reckless in his words and actions. However, it is difficult to say that he is impolite. When dealing with humans, such as the returners or sapiens, he listened to their opinions. He also has the ability to lead the Burning Legion, and he is not stupid.
But even he uses harsh language towards the pigmen.
Because, to him. Pigmen are not really human.
“Cruelty is a word that is used when referring to humans! Beasts made from the womb of the Mother of Nothingness!”
*******
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago.
The Queen of all Nations, the Mother of Nothingness, Agartha, was troubled by the pigs in front of her.Pigs grow fast, eat anything, and are above all delicious livestock. Their meat is tender and fatty, and no matter how it is cooked, it becomes a delicacy. Having tasted hundreds of recipes herself, Agartha smacked her lips in regret.
Pigs are delicious.
However, they are useless.
This is a wilderness where water and food are scarce. If the Enger Plains could be reclaimed, it would be a different story, but humans have not yet flourished to that extent. To raise pigs in Agartha’s land, humans would have to give up their own food.
They are difficult to handle, useless, and do not work properly. Compared to cows, sheep, horses, or dogs, they are inferior creatures. Already, some priests are spreading the teaching that pigs should not be raised or eaten.
If only there were an animal that could work like a human and produce delicious meat.
Suddenly, an idea came to Agartha’s mind as she muttered. It was so innocent that it was evil, a way to commit dozens of sins at once.
The only unfortunate thing was
That she had the ability to do so.
I don’t know about now, but when it first started.
The Suin were not human.
They were just slightly improved livestock.
Ah, now we understand why copulation or whatever was one of the taboos. If beastman are treated as livestock despite being human, that really does mess with the definition of what humans are.