498 – End’S Spring – Conclusion
The Obelisk was imprisoned and locked up. The Archduke was put under house arrest, and only the pig beastmen were allowed to roam freely in Oberlie. Among them, the ones with the greatest number were the pig beastmen who had succeeded in the revolution.
Considering that there hadn’t been a single pig beastman in Oberlie before this, it was as if the world had been turned upside down overnight. Only the humans, who were the smallest in number, had newly developed dissatisfaction with the current situation, while the lower they went, the more joy and satisfaction overflowed. From a utilitarian point of view, End had become a paradise.
Of course, there were trivial exceptions among the humans that could be ignored. Such was the case with the Archduke Erector, who had narrowly escaped during the chaos, or the Regressor, who walked around confidently as a hero of the revolution.
So what were the Regressor and I doing?
“You’re a magician! You said you cut off the buds of those who were causing trouble! But what the hell is this pigsty!”
Hmm. The biggest hurdle had arrived. Convincing the Regressor, who was bewildered by the unexpected situation. If I failed to convince the Regressor, he would ‘normalize’ End, even if it meant using somewhat forceful methods.
However, it was said that forgiveness was easier than permission. What was I going to do about what had already been done?
“Mr. Shay, I originally intended to help End. That’s why I worked as a magician and crushed the pig beastmen’s conspiracy from the ground up.”
“Crushed? But you ended up helping them?”
“The reason for that is because the pig beastmen didn’t give up. Look. The pig beastmen’s protest that happened then.”
If Okma’s wind had been solely for vested interests, they should have despaired and fled the moment they were obstructed by me. However, the pig beastmen’s wind didn’t stop to that extent. Rather, when all means were exhausted, they acted in the most primitive way.
“Even though I cut off Okma’s limbs, squeezed his lifeline, and even pulled out all his teeth, he came out to protest with his bare body. This isn’t something I instigated. It was divided from the beginning, and the cracks were just hidden.”
“You weren’t aiming for this from the beginning?”
“Even if I had, it would have been impossible if thousands of people hadn’t risen up. I don’t have the ability to control that many people.”
“Hmm….”
‘Indeed, the issue of discrimination between beastmen and humans has always existed. End was the first to face that wave. Whether End worked out well or not, discrimination itself wouldn’t disappear….’
I was almost forgiven. As expected, there was nothing wrong with the old saying. If I had tried to confess and get permission first, I would have missed the golden time.
“And there’s a more important reason.”
“What is it?”
“When I saw the pigsty in End, I thought it would be easier to catch the Wolf King this way.”
The Obelisk, which was mainly composed of engineers from the vassal states, was certainly powerful. However, it was still just a security force for a single frontier city. When it came to the mysterious opponent known as the Wolf King, a single Gruul who was in the right place was more important than the Obelisk.
“That’s true.”
Even though it seemed like I was the one who was going to go out, the Regressor would be the only one to do it. For the Regressor, this level of chaos was on the smaller scale. It was just that the subject who had caused the change was me.
The Regressor agreed with me.
“I can kill the Wolf King without a problem since I’m here. That’s why I tried not to create any possible variables…. Well, to this extent, the city’s power will remain the same.”
“In any case, we just have to catch the Wolf King.”
“As long as you remember that, it doesn’t matter.”
‘Will the inexperienced pig beastmen be able to lead the city well? Will the vassal states watch this situation quietly? The aftermath is a problem….’
There were some problems, but the Regressor wasn’t the type to worry about the aftermath for long.
‘If it’s too much, I’ll just regress!’
The Regressor exclaimed coolly, with the average mindset of a Regressor.
I am a magician. A vigilante who briefly pushed Okma to the brink of collapse and straightened out the city’s order.
Not all pig beastmen know me, but Okma’s pig beastmen know me to the bone. However, their reaction was completely different from the jealousy or anger they had shown the Archduke.
Most of it was fear, terror, and bewilderment.
“Magician?”
“Why the hell is that bastard here?”
Urkpeng, the first-class hero of the revolution, Bonclack, who unlocked the Obelisk and welcomed the pig beastmen, Gultha, who immediately secured carriages and horses and took control of the Obelisk’s logistics. Halpana, who remodeled the square and the town hall to create a space for the pig beastmen to stay.
The magician was the mastermind behind this revolution, recognized by all these contributors.
“Hello~. Can I come in too?”
I waved my hand at Urkpeng, who was guarding the front of the square with Bonclack and Gultha.
The reaction was intense. Bonclack ran away with his face pale, and Gultha tried to ignore me and fix the carriage. Wasn’t that reaction a bit too much? It’s not like I’m a ghost.
Of them all, only Urkpeng, who had never met me face-to-face, greeted me with a slightly creepy expression.
“…Keung. Welcome, Magician. Come this way.””Who’s inside?”
“Chief Grull, the elders, and the clan leaders of Obelli have gathered. To sort out the situation that has unfolded.”
Urkfang, who exhaled heavily, said with a hint of excitement.
“There were talks about how it wouldn’t be appropriate for you, a human, to be present here. I had to put in some effort to persuade them, as the orcs of Okkma were more wary of you than expected.”
“You’re being kind, considering I helped you escape prison.”
“Hmph. I don’t leave favors unpaid. It’s the mercenary code.”
‘If he’s such a dangerous person, then we should keep him close and watch him. Hmph, they’re all too scared.’
From Noble mtl dot com
Urkfang, who had averted his gaze from me, glanced at the Regressor and thought.
‘Anyway… As long as that thing is there, it’ll be difficult to harm him. What is that monster? Not only is it a chimera, but its very presence is alien. It makes my fur stand on end. Would even Grull be able to defeat it?’
As his thoughts wandered, the Regressor glared at Urkfang and said.
“What are you looking at?”
“…I wasn’t looking.”
Urkfang, who flinched and quickly averted his gaze, gestured at me as if urging me.
“The meeting will start soon. Go in, magician.”
“Yes. Good luck~.”
I greeted him lightly and entered the plaza with the Regressor and Aji. I could sense Urkfang’s resentful thoughts behind me.
‘No. Wait a minute. I’m a guard, so it’s not strange for me to look at visitors. Why did he say something when I looked?’
The Regressor and I headed to the plaza of Obelli.
It was a place I had visited once before, but the atmosphere was completely different from before.
There were stone seats with no armrests, just bare rock. In the center of the plaza, which formed a circle with slight elevation, was a platform for the speaker. It was designed to help the audience focus on the speaker.
Last time, the atmosphere was calm and focused, albeit a bit chaotic, but now the plaza was filled with excitement and trepidation.
The pig beastmen were so excited to be sitting in this plaza, which they had never thought they would be able to visit in their lifetime, that they were snorting. In contrast, the other beastmen who had been in Obelli were feeling uneasy about the sudden change in atmosphere, and they kept their mouths shut, their ears and tails stiff.
“…It seems like today’s meeting will be long, as we have many guests.”
Even so, the market chief, Triber, who was standing on the platform, continued the meeting with the calm voice of an old man.
“First, I would like to welcome the great chief of the Beast Clan, who has come all this way to visit us. We had planned to prepare a grand feast, but…”
At the end of Triber’s gaze, there was only an empty seat. The only beastman from the Beast Clan who had attended the meeting folded his arms and said.
“The great chief will not be attending.”
“Is that alright?”
“We are the Beast Clan. We have nothing to do with the internal affairs of Ende. Just prepare some food and sort it out among yourselves, and let us know… That’s what he said.”
It was Grull’s message, drawing a line between himself and Ende. The pig beastmen grumbled a little in dissatisfaction, but Triber nodded.
“I understand. Then I will now yield the floor to the next speaker.”
Triber stepped aside for the young pig beastman who had been standing next to him. The pig beastman, who confidently stepped onto the platform, looked around with a face full of emotion. Even though they had taken it by force, it was hard to imagine how much hardship the pig beastmen had endured before they could come to Obelli.
“I am Poina, the chief of the Red Hammer tribe! I am the one who led this march! I am honored to stand here on behalf of the many clan leaders of Okkma.”
The girl pig beastman who stood on the platform representing Okkma began her speech with a confident expression.
“First of all, the purpose of our march was to end the discrimination and hatred against pig beastmen that is rampant in Ende. We had no intention of attacking the nobles, nor do we have any intention of overthrowing the vassal state. As humans who believe in the same god and live on the same land, we are not in a relationship where we eat or are eaten! This was simply a resistance to stand on an equal footing!”
“…It was a bit too aggressive to say that.”
The dog beastman of Obelli muttered, but he quickly cowered as he received the glares of several pig beastmen. Poina smiled in satisfaction as she looked at him, who was visibly frightened.
“Some may say that. However, this would not have happened if there hadn’t been such deep-rooted hatred in the first place. Erektus… If that cruel noble hadn’t provoked us, this march would have ended without any bloodshed.”
Poina continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“No. Rather, I should thank him for giving us a reason to be angry.”
Chuckles could be heard from all over the plaza. The pig beastmen, who were now the victors, freely expressed their emotions.
“Okkma has no intention of ruling or exploiting Ende. Ende and Obelli will continue to live as they always have. We will only take a few measures to stop the hatred and discrimination. Other than that, your lives will not be any different than before.”
Poina, who had been giving her speech, paused for a moment and continued.
“…Except for Lord Erektus.””Put a bounty on his head!”
“Form a hunting party and bring him in!”
“Give all his wealth and power to whoever brings him in!”
Whew. I guess I really stirred the pot. That mouth of his would have brought disaster whether it was a regressor or an angry pig-kin.
It was a good thing I let him live. If the regressor had been properly beaten up back then, he wouldn’t have been able to light a fire.
“Anyway. To all the clan leaders of Oberli, please inform your subordinate clans not to panic and to continue their work. For now, I will end this speech with….”
“What about the Wolf King?”
Before Poina could even call his name, the regressor interjected in a sharp voice.
“The most urgent matter right now should be the Wolf King. That’s why the Beastkin came here. Do you have any countermeasures for the Wolf King?”
The excited atmosphere cooled down for a moment as they faced the unavoidable reality. When the regressor spoke, some of the pig-kin glared at him, but the regressor was not the kind of person who would care about such things.
Until now, neither I nor the regressor had been in their sights, but only then did Poina realize that there was a human present and asked with a frown.
“Who is that human?”
The elders of Oberli, who had been asked by Poina, looked at each other without saying a word. Instead of them, who were sparing their words, Mayor Trever answered.
“He is from the mansion on the outskirts. The human who brought the King of Dogs with the recommendation of the Purple Order. He is a warrior with great wealth and the recognition of Chief Grull. He is staying in Ende to fight the Wolf King.”
“Ah, the one I’ve heard of….”
Poina realized that the Purple Order was the guardian order of the principality and answered in a slightly lower voice.
“The Wolf King is also an important matter. However, there are too many issues that need to be dealt with today. It hasn’t even been a day since the revolution. We need time to calm the chaos.”
“The Wolf King won’t wait.”
“We haven’t even had a single meal yet. Let’s eat first and then talk to the military commander. Where is the military commander of Oberli?”
This time, too, Mayor Trever answered.
“It’s Sapiens. He’s being treated in prison right now.”
“Oh.”
Poina was troubled when the position of the Obelisk was mentioned.
Sapiens, the strongest warrior and authority figure in Oberli, was a very troublesome opponent. If given enough time, he could defeat the entire Orcma with his bare hands, and many kin followed him. If he were to be released even a little and escaped, it would be a disaster, and he couldn’t be killed because of the principality’s watchful eyes. He was like a hot potato that couldn’t be held in either hand.
All Poina could do was stall for time, waiting for the potato to cool down.
“Hmm. When he recovers… I’ll call him and have him resume his preparations.”
“That’s what we should do.”
Regardless of Poina’s inner thoughts, it was unrealistic to demand that the pig-kin who had just seized power come up with a solution right away. The regressor decided to let it go for now. Not because the regressor was being generous, but because the Obelisk’s strategy was nothing special anyway.
As the regressor sat down, Poina’s expression brightened again. It was partly because he had passed over a difficult question, but it was also because he had smelled the scent wafting from outside the square.
“The food is coming just in time….”
Led by Elder Taemo Halpana, strong Orc workers came in carrying large pots and huge pieces of meat. The savory smell filled the square. The mouths of the pig-kin, who had been starving since morning, were filled with saliva.
The kin of Oberli, who were not so hungry, made uncomfortable expressions.
“Eating in the square?”
“Try to find a place for these many Orcs to eat. Are you going to lend them the tables in your house?”
Poina, who had been sharply rebuked, called the pig-kin and had them fill their plates with food. The hungry pig-kin pushed each other to try to get the food. Some of the pig-kin who were pushed over spilled the food on the ground.
A fastidious person might have thought that food that had fallen on the ground once could no longer be eaten. However, for the pig-kin, the ground was an extra bowl. The pig-kin grunted and scooped up the food with their hands without any hesitation. As if it were a precious treasure.
“There’s no need to pick up what’s fallen! Get more in a new bowl!”
Poina shouted, but where would the habit go? When the pig-kin disappeared, there was nothing that resembled food on the floor. Only the wet traces showed that something had been there.
In any case, the pig-kin, who had safely secured their share, began to eat with their heads down. Poina raised his plate as if to toast the pig-kin, who were already out of sight.
“Kurul ta rook. May Ende have a better tomorrow.”
“Kurul, oink. Ta rook!”
There were few pig-kin who responded to Poina’s toast. They were all busy stuffing meat into their mouths.
Well, should I say they’re pitiful or dirty? Maybe the two are the same thing.
Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten either. As a contributor to Orcma, I should be entitled to a meal, right?”It’s free food. Do you want some too, Shay?”
“No.”
“Woof! Woof woof!”
“Okay. I’ll bring yours too.”
If I go home, Manhanjeonseok will make me even more delicious food, but somehow it feels like I’m at a loss if I don’t eat free food. I quickly approached Grandma Taemo and held out my hand. She also made a face at me and gasped, but she was old enough to have experienced everything, so she kept her mouth shut and filled it with meat.
Wow. It’s rustic, but there’s a lot of it. It’s the opposite of Manhanjeonseok. Sometimes you have to eat like this. If people only eat good things, they won’t be able to use them. I returned to my seat and handed a large piece to Aji. I tore the meat into large pieces and put it in my mouth.
Hmm, it’s a little different from what I ate at Kitchen Glue before. The recipe seems to be similar, but what is it?
I tilted my head and realized it when I read the thoughts of the cow nearby.
This is…
It’s the taste of beef.
Ende’s spring came with the taste of beef.