514 – Time Of The Dog And The Wolf – 2
“Hmm? What did you say?”
“I mean it literally. Lady Teia. I need you to become the bait that will lure out the Wolf King.”
Teia pondered, pressing her lips with her fingers.
She would rather stay in a safe place. Not necessarily because of her injury. Because the Empire managed all the whereabouts and lineage of the racehorses. Thanks to the myth she had written with her running, she was guaranteed a certain degree of autonomy, but she was not free to be bitten to death by a wolf as she pleased.
Teia asked as if she was sincere.
“Me? Do you really mean me?”
“Yes. Because you are the only one who can race against the Wolf King and come in first.”
However, the Empire was far away and my persuasion was close. My words, which had only changed their form a little, stimulated Teia’s competitive spirit.
‘A race against the Wolf King is a bit thrilling. There is also a cause. Above all, the rule that you die if you get caught, how simple and exciting is that? Well, no matter who the opponent is, I will never lose!’
Even after her mind was already made up, Teia shook her body and made a gesture to slip away.
“I don’t mind doing it~. I’m recovering from an injury. Can’t I run for long?”
“What injury are you talking about? You couldn’t run for long anyway.”
Teia, who had been hit in the sore spot, asked slyly.
“…Have you ever seen me race?”
“I haven’t seen it myself. It’s common sense that racehorses are fast but have poor stamina.”
“Not all of them are like that.”
“Who watches long-distance races these days? It’s boring because the tempo is too slow and there aren’t many comebacks.”
“Heh, you know a thing or two.”
To be exact, the regressor knew. Race? Do you think I know such a thing? What kind of beast would have a running competition like that? If you get tired after running a little faster, you will eventually be eaten.
Anyway, Teia, whose mood had improved, replied with a bouncy gait.
“That’s right! If it’s not a long distance, I can beat anyone!”
“It’s okay even if you can’t beat them. The only one who can step on your shadow will be the Wolf King, and Aji will not let you die to the Wolf King.”
“Aji?”
“Puppy. The king of dogs.”
“Heh. That’s a good name!”
If simple is good, there can be nothing better than that. Anyway, Teia nodded her head and waved her hand, disappearing in an instant.
“Okay! Call me if you need me!”
Before I could even answer, she had already run far away. There was no time to catch her.
Originally, I should have told Sapien, and Sapien should have called Teia. Fortunately, I met her on my way out and told her.
This is better. Teia is too important a figure to be used as bait, so Sapien might have hidden her. The regressor seemed to think that I would naturally help him because of the connection from the previous round.
Anyway. The regressor left it to me to communicate with Ende while planning the operation. It was an appropriate choice considering the regressor’s disastrous communication skills.
I wonder if I can properly explain the regressor’s plan. If I hadn’t been a poison mage, I wouldn’t have understood the regressor’s plan.
I walked into the conference room where Sapien and Grull were waiting. Grull called me, half-raising his body.
“Mage, you’re late.”
“Yes? I came on time.”
“The situation has changed. The scouts I sent found the bones of hundreds of sheep.”Grull, who had spent his entire life hunting on the Enger Plains, knew more about beasts than anyone else. Even when the Orcs ruled Ende and were rampaging, he had been sending out Beastkin warriors to steadily gather information.
“There aren’t many beasts that store food like humans do. In fact, it’s practically impossible for meat-eating beasts to do so. If the werewolves hadn’t been using the flocks of sheep as their food storage, the wolf packs would have collapsed on their own.”
“So, the fact that they’ve emptied all of those food storages means that they’re about to go into battle?”
“That’s right. The wolves will probably appear in Ende by tomorrow. Today is practically the last day we have to prepare.”
I thought we were pressed for time, but tomorrow? That’s cutting it close.
“I’d like to hear your plan. I hope it’s not some half-baked scheme like the one the Duke came up with.”
“Half-baked…?”
Saphien looked shocked, as if he couldn’t believe that Suin would call him half-baked. I didn’t know if I could live up to Grull’s expectations, but I told everyone the plan that the Regressor had come up with.
“We’re going to break the ground.”
‘Last time, it was later than it is now. The Wolf King had been wandering for longer, and he was much stronger because the Suin who couldn’t stand the discrimination had joined him. The Holy Kingdom, unable to stand by and watch, supported Ende along with the vassal states. In Ende, the dogs and wolves fought a proxy war between civilization and savagery.’
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The confidence that the Regressor had came from his experience of defeating the Wolf King in the past. Having overthrown him once, he believed that he could do it again.
‘At that time, we were in a situation where we would die if we didn’t resist. All of the Suin in Ende united. But… by that time, the evil had already spread. The wolves were much stronger than we had anticipated. The number of casualties just kept growing. Just before we were wiped out, I decided to overturn the board in one fell swoop.’
I’ll leave the rest for the next episode, but the Regressor’s last-ditch effort, which I could think of, was far beyond my imagination.
‘I’m going to draw out the power of the Jizain to the limit and shatter the ground. It will leave a scar on the earth like a bottomless abyss, but that was the only way at the time. Thanks to defeating the Wolf King, who was isolated in the collapsing ground, we were barely able to restore peace. Right now, we only need to defeat the wolves, so we should make preparations in advance, even for the sake of those who will live in the future.’
There’s no way that the Regressor could have explained such a grand plan so skillfully without mentioning the Regression.
The Regressor’s explanation was vague and confusing, but I managed to restore it with my mind-reading magic. After I had conveyed the outline, I silently showed the two of them my earth magic, without saying anything. This was just one of my abilities, and the Jizain, who had the power of the earth, had a much stronger power than this. After instilling them with faith, I handed over the detailed plan to the two of them, and both Saphien and Grull accepted it for the time being.
Sure enough, the city is running a little smoother because the two of them are keeping each other in check. I understand why they put more than two horses in a carriage. If they’re alone, they just turn their heads and go their own way.
As I explained everything in detail, even creating documents, it was already late afternoon. Saphien and Grull, who understood the gist of the plan, each moved to organize their troops.
Well then, I guess I’ll go inside and get some rest. Tonight will probably be the last chance I get to rest.
I returned to the mansion once more. As soon as I made a sound with my feet, Aji came running up to me and circled around me.
“Woof! Come on in! Come on in!”
What a lucky dog…or rather, Aji’s front paws and tail have bloodstains on them. Looks like he gave the wolf pack that invaded Ende for reconnaissance a good beating. You’ve been busy too.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome back. How was it? Did Teia come out to see you?”
“Yes. I was lucky enough to meet her in person and talk to her. Now all that’s left is to wait.”He answered roughly and strode into the mansion, but the Regressor glanced at Aji and followed me.
‘It’s not a mistake. Something’s sharp. Hughes, why does he seem to be annoyed?’
What is this, all of a sudden. Even if that’s the case for Aji, why are you like that, Regressor? Are you watching my expression? Were you the type of person who cared about other people’s expressions? Is that the kind of person you’ve been acting like until now?
‘The work is going smoothly thanks to Hughes’s efforts. What’s the problem?’
That’s the problem. The work is going smoothly because of my efforts. But there’s no way to explain this, so what should I do….
‘Is it that time of the month?’
As if that would be the case!
I turned around abruptly, and the Regressor saw my expression and solidified his thoughts.
‘That’s right. It’s clear. Something’s making him feel bad physiologically. He’s a man, so it’s not his period, but!’
Change the order of your thoughts! I’m taken aback. I wondered if he had mistaken my gender, or if he believed that the same phenomenon occurred in men, but I must seem like an idiot!
It’s really scary how the idea comes first and the evidence follows. I asked the Regressor.
“What is it?”
The Regressor looked at my expression for a moment and spoke with difficulty.
“Hughes, have you been feeling down lately?”
“Do I look down?”
“Yeah. Everything is going well, but you seem happier when things aren’t going well.”
“When you say that, I sound like a psychopath who’s happy when I’m throwing a tantrum.”
“That’s right! That’s exactly it!”
This guy. I want to smack him upside the head. But even if I did, he’d dodge it with his Heavenly Eyes and counterattack. Tsk, I’ll endure it. I tried to calm my twitching right hand and said.
“No, it’s just. Because of what I said when I was persuading Grull.”
“What was it?”
I told Grull. If he wanted to find glory, he should do it himself. Instead of giving the opportunity to a pig-like person and being disappointed, he should get his hands dirty and make it glorious himself.
Those words apply to me as well.
Of course, I don’t desire the glory of humans. My will is firm. Humans are nothing more than beasts. Even if we overthrow the Beast King and establish an order to replace him, we will not be able to escape being beasts. That thought has not changed.
However, in order to keep my promise to Aji, I acted just like Grull. I stepped forward and guided Ende to a more ideal situation. It was possible because of the individual wills of those who wanted to protect Ende… but I was the one who ultimately coordinated it.
It was something I could do because I was the Beast King who had lost his power. Tsk. This way, I can’t complain about having the Beast King taken from me.
“Every time you said those words, it felt like you were talking to me. It was so annoying that it pissed me off. I wondered if this was what it was like for people who listened to me.”
Does he even know what I’m talking about? The Regressor nodded his head immediately.
“That’s right. What you’re saying is a bit annoying.”
“Thank you. That’s a bit comforting.”
“This is annoying too!”
The Regressor, who had suddenly become annoyed, soon relaxed his expression and said.
“Well, whatever. The results are good, so it’s fine. Why are you worrying so much?”
“Aren’t you being too carefree, Mr. Shay?”
“Humans are beasts, aren’t they? Then there’s no need to worry, right?”
“Do you think beasts don’t worry?”
“Duh! I don’t worry!”
“Sure.”
The Regressor, who had received Aji’s assist, put on weight as if he were a sage.”The future isn’t solved by worrying. Even if you try your best with all your might, there are many things that you can’t do. Situations change all the time, and just when you think you’ve done well, everything suddenly falls apart. I can only choose now. Hoping that it will turn out well.”
It’s strange to hear a Regressor say such things. He’s closer to a Saintess than anyone else in the world.
He’s not the same as a Saintess. Maybe it’s because he’s a Regressor, but there’s definitely a difference between him and the prophecy. The biggest difference is that he has infinite chances. That’s what separates a Regressor from a Saintess.
…But the Regressor is right. When have I ever worried about such things? I should just be true to the wind that I feel right now.
“Don’t get your hopes up yet, Shay. The results aren’t out yet.”
“So stop being annoying and go to sleep for a more perfect tomorrow.”
“But you’re the one who’s getting in my way.”
“Don’t talk back to me!”
The Regressor shouted in annoyance.