512 – Promises Are Kept
The easiest way to crush the rebels is to restore the monarchy. It might be a stretch to compare the Archduke of Obelia to a king, but Gruel knew that liberating the Archduke and the Obelisk would be fatal to Orkm.
Orkm himself was unaware of his own weakness. He was so preoccupied with the thought of chasing away the beast tribe that he had completely forgotten about the Obelisk and left it unattended. At this rate, it would die a natural death.
He’s certainly smarter than Orkm. The problem is that the comparison is too low.
“Didn’t you go looking for Lady Shay? I saw the Beast tribe warriors earlier.”
“To be precise, I was looking for those who move the King of Dogs. I heard a report that they were found… but for some reason, I felt like waiting here.”
The regressor can only be dealt with by Gruel. So I thought Gruel would come if the regressor caused trouble. I was wrong.
However… Gruel was also one of the people I had to meet. I said.
“What’s the matter?”
“Go to the Principality.”
Gruel replied curtly. He didn’t seem to want to give a reason, but I spoke for him.
“Do you want me to lure the wolves to the Principality?”
Gruel, who had his intentions figured out, was surprised and hesitated for a moment.
“…You know.”
“Rather than knowing, I guessed. You’re not from Ender, and you didn’t try to do anything in Ender after the coup succeeded. Your purpose from the beginning was to protect the Beast tribe. Isn’t that right?”
“You make me sound like some kind of king when you say I’m protecting the Beast tribe. I’m just trying to keep the natural order.”
Thinking that there was no need to hide it since he had been caught, Gruel crossed his arms and continued.
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“The ones you call the Beast tribe are a nomadic people who have been wandering the wilderness with water buffaloes since ancient times. They are strong and warlike… but they are not stable. Floods, droughts, and wild beasts. If a disaster sweeps across the southern plains, their numbers will also be greatly reduced. But disasters always pass. When better days come, they will flourish again. That’s the natural order.”
“But?”
“However… the wolves have been staying in the Ender Plains for too long.”
Gruel turned his head and looked into the distance. South of Ender, a land that is parched for half the year and submerged in water for the other half. That’s why the beasts have to keep moving. The same goes for humans.
“Floods or droughts pass through the plains. But the wolf pack, which should have grown in strength for a while and then dwindled again, has been there for too long. They have been wandering from the territory of the old empire to Ender, killing water buffaloes and attacking humans.”
It all happened because the King of Dogs who would fight the King of Wolves did not appear. Gruel looked at Azil and said.
“If the King of Dogs is here, the King of Wolves will surely move north. It will be more certain if you go to the Principality. I’ll do anything if I can get rid of the wolves. It’s better to go up to the Principality for sure and get it done for sure.”
From the Beast tribe’s point of view, all they had to do was get the wolves out of the Ender Plains. They didn’t care what happened to Ender or the Principality.
For the Obelisk Knights, it was like a bolt from the blue.
“Are you going to keep holding the Archduke captive…!”
“That’s not the problem! The Principality above and the wolves below! Ender is in danger!”
Even if the Obelisk and the Archduke are liberated, Gruel will not win. Moreover, now that they are in custody, Gruel can control Ender if he wants to. The knights’ faces darkened. If this continues, the dog people who failed the coup will be persecuted even more.
But there is one question.
“Wait a minute. Then why did you come to Ender? If your purpose is to send out the King of Wolves, there’s no reason for you to come to Ender at the risk of your life.”
“I had to check one possibility.”
“Possibility?””Is there any chance of defeating the Wolf King in Ende? The surest way to get rid of the Wolf King on the Enger Plains… wouldn’t it be to kill the Wolf King?”
If there hadn’t been any major problems, it might have been possible. However, the pig beastmen rioted, and the Obelisk, nervous about the riot, restrained the Beastmen. The Beastmen, who could not be isolated in a strange city, sided with the pig beastmen. In the city without the Obelisk, the pig beastmen seized power.
Actually, it was fine up to this point. However, the pig beastmen disappointed Grull. Without showing any particular leadership or ability, the pig beastmen chose to avoid fighting.
It was disappointing, but it was not a bad result for Grull.
“Looking at the situation, it’s already over. I have no choice but to take the next best option.”
“So you’re going to pull out too.”
“It’s a sober choice. Isn’t it better than keeping a promise that won’t be fulfilled?”
No one wants to fight the wolves. Instead, there are only those who want to use them, avoid them, or ignore them.
Grull would eventually be like that too. Of course, I didn’t expect him to….
“Auuu!”
That’s when it happened.
A dog howled loudly. The Obelisk guard dogs were startled by the sudden sound of the beast, as was Grull.
Me? My ears hurt. The howl came from right next to me.
“Woof! Woof! Auuu!”
Aji barked at the sky several times. It was a howl that humans could not understand, containing some kind of different emotion.
If anyone who says that beasts are emotionless machines were to hear it, they would reconsider. Aji’s cry was so mournful.
“Auuu….”
Aji barked at the sky, his back to the ground. The King of Dogs represents all dogs. He also took on the form of a human to convey his will to humans. The emotions that Aji expressed stimulated all the dogs and dog beastmen in Ende.
The howls of dogs could be heard all over Ende. The dog beastmen also stopped backing away.
“King?”
“Why are you crying….”
“Au, au.”
Aji lifted his head after howling with all his might. A jet-black crack appeared near Aji’s forehead. The incomplete-looking crack distorted and expanded, then came together as if weaving the stem of a plant.
“Wolf, win.”
A crown split in half floated above Aji’s head.
A symbol of the King of Beasts. A crown that I, who have lost my power, do not have. But… Aji is wearing it. Just half.
Half? Wait. Why half? What about the rest?
“If you keep your promise, fight with me and my pack. Wolf, win. You can do it.”
The words spoken while wearing the crown are a prophecy. Aji is now speaking on behalf of all dogs.
“Fight with me. If the human keeps his promise, I will protect the human.”
Grull is also a beastman. He, like other beastmen, has respect for the King of Beasts.
However, he was still a human and the patriarch responsible for the Beastmen. He said with a troubled expression.
“Even if you say that….”
“It won’t work. I’m sorry. Our Aji asked too much.”
You tried, Aji. But your sincerity won’t move the human. He’s not a dog or a pig, he’s just a human.
I’ll persuade the human.
“After all, you’re a pig like Okma, so what’s the point of asking? Okay, I’ll guard you as you wish.”
“…Okma?”
Grull’s eyebrows twitched when the disappointing fellow beastman was mentioned in my mouth. I succeeded in provoking him and shrugged my shoulders as I replied.”You said that the orcs were cowards for sacrificing Aji to escape. But you’re doing the same thing by sacrificing Ende to escape. You’re no different.”
“If I don’t want to be the same, I have to fight the wolf.”
You’ve hit the nail on the head. But I can’t just be happy that my opponent is sharp. A sharp person can even see through my intentions.
Grull muttered and said with a strange expression.
“It’s strange, magician.”
“What is it?”
“You helped the orcs overthrow the nobles. And you laughed at the pig-men for rising to the top and then falling down.”
…I thought you didn’t know about Ende’s water, but you seem to have gathered quite a lot of information while you were in Oberlier. He didn’t hide his wariness of me and said.
“But now you’re trying to provoke me into fighting the wolf king. What’s your intention? If you wanted to fight the wolf, you shouldn’t have helped the orcs in the first place.”
He suddenly thought of a hypothesis and asked sharply.
“Are you just looking for chaos?”
That’s why I hate sharp people. They can ask me about my intentions in reverse.
But if it’s for Aji’s sake, I have to answer this. Grull made sense. Ri (離) is the power to complete one’s own world and make it a reality. It will only move if your mind is directed towards it.
I answered relatively honestly.
“I don’t think there’s anything natural in the world. Just because animals don’t have ears doesn’t mean they should rule. Just because all humans are equal doesn’t mean they should take away what others have. It’s just a matter of using ‘naturalness’ as a weapon to satisfy one’s own desires.”
The nobles who were powerless and stretched out, and the pig-men who enjoyed power without ability. They all realized their own weakness and stupidity. When you peel off a layer, they were all beasts and humans after all.
I wanted to know that. And I confirmed again that I was right.
“The only natural thing is the desire of the beast. Now that I’ve confirmed it, it’s time to do what I have to do.”
“Is that what you’re going to do, help the dog king and save humanity? Why?”
Grull looked interested. I asked back in annoyance.
“What’s the problem?”
“The dog king is the king of beasts, and his purpose is more noble than any human.”
That’s strange about Aji. It doesn’t make sense that he doesn’t attack humans ‘unconditionally’ on the subject of beasts in the first place. How many dogs bite people?
But a promise is a promise, so I have to keep it for now. That’s why people shouldn’t be defeated. Whether it’s an animal or a contract.
“Well, they say that the devil who tests humans is actually looking for God more than anyone else. In that sense, you’re the same.”
What are you talking about the Bible? Just stop and answer me.
“You’re the same. Anyone would think I’m the mastermind. You’re the one who gave the pig-men a chance.”
As soon as I offered to become a disciple of Piggie Male, and as soon as I heard the news that he had started a coup, I helped the orcs. Is this not the time to question me? I’m telling you to question yourself first.
“If you want to be cool, keep your distance from Ende until the end. The pig-men came and protested because of you, and they succeeded in the revolution because of you, and they enjoyed power because of your strength. The most important thing for the orcs was that you conquered the obelisk. Grull is the one who moved this board. It’s you.”
“Are you saying that I was also tested?”
Grull laughed at himself when he was pointed out in reverse.
“…Yes. I was expecting too much from my own people.”
“Don’t expect anything from others anymore and do it yourself. Before you expect your own people to be cool, you should show them that you are cool. Be a role model.”Gruul uncrosses his arms. He brought the Beast Horde to enter Ende. He had plenty of will to fight from the beginning.
He lost his motivation as he walked around the city, but motivation comes and goes as it pleases.
“…Will the King of Dogs fight even without me?”
“We’ve been fighting since before you were born.”
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not fighting for my kin or for honor. I’m fighting because it seems like the Wolf King is worth fighting. I’d rather not die a dog’s death, or rather, a pig’s death.”
Gruul turns around and walks with heavy steps. In front of his eyes was the prison where the Obelisk was being held. Gruul looked at the luxurious building for a prison and asked Nawa and Aji.
“Can we win?”
Promises are kept. Aji, who had confirmed his will, shouted with a confident expression.
“We win!”
“Then.”
Gruul grabs the door of the prison and pulls. The large, thick iron door, the only prison-like thing in the luxurious prison, was torn apart like a sheet of paper.