Suddenly appearing and conducting an ideological screening, they would never believe it if I answered, "I just ca to ask~". Mayor Treavor, with his experience, had already discerned our true intentions.
“I understand what you're saying. Your Excellency is feeling uneasy about the rapidly changing situation in Ende, aren’t you? If the political situation in the city becos chaotic, it will be difficult to oppose the King of Wolves.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s that much of an unease.”
“You’ve just arrived in Ende, so you don’t understand the current political situation. I understand.”
Mayor Treavor nodded, smiling with a weary face.
“However, I hope you can understand us as well. The pig beastfolk have suffered far too much. If they receive compensation in this manner, I am willing to devote myself to it.”
“Is the compensation the military occupation of Oberly and the abuse of power afterward?”
“Calling it abuse would be an overstatent. Before this incident, they didn’t even have the power to return to. As you all know, the pig beastfolk have suffered far too much.”
One of the things a mayor of Ende must do is console dissatisfied collaborators. While so see it as lobbying and view it negatively, Mayor Treavor was soone who understood the importance of lobbying better than anyone.
“You may already be familiar with this. The descendants of the Five Lords, and the mighty Mu-Hu Agartha, who is loved by all, spoke the human tongue but desired slaves who worked like beasts. Like the King of Beasts. That’s why she violated the taboo and gave birth to the beastfolk. A taboo that is hard to even speak of.”
The Three Taboos, the mating. Before Mu-Hu’s era, it was a forbidden taboo that was believed to be impossible.
Mayor Treavor, who tactfully moved past the explanation, continued.
“In Mu-Hu’s kingdom, the pig beastfolk were born only to be eaten. That’s why there were so many of them and why they did all the nial tasks. All beastfolk were lowly slaves, but the pig beastfolk were particularly so. They were subjected to labor and slaughtered when they were no longer needed.”
“Still, the orcs thrived after the fall of the nations. At that ti, they were a force to be reckoned with against the empire.”
“Many animals need to be nurous to be eaten. The pig beastfolk were nurous, and after the fall of the nations, they briefly thrived. But that was all. Unlike other beastfolk, who were easily integrated into civilization due to innate talent, the orcs, whose numbers were large, were crushed by the empire and the feudal states. Although they were called orcs, they were essentially refugees, so it was only natural for them to collapse.”
To say they collapsed was a very polite understatent. For humans, the pig beastfolk were proof of sin, a threatening enemy, and the object of discrimination and hatred. The victorious humans used every thod to rid themselves of the pig beastfolk, even in front of their very eyes.
“The prohibition of eating pig beastfolk only happened after the appearance of the Fur-Saint. Before that, it was common for them to be eaten, and there were even books written on how to cook pig beastfolk. It was a ti of madness. They suffered so much, so very much.”
“Still, thanks to the Fur-Saint, things are more equal now, right? The past doesn't justify the chaos they’re causing now.”
“From the beginning, the balance was disturbed. Not only humans but even other beastfolk committed great sins against the pig beastfolk, pushing them into the abyss. The balance, which was irreparably damaged by such sins, cannot simply be restored through lawful thods. It would be too harsh to demand that. I want to restore the damaged scales, even in this way.”
“Hm. I get it, but...”
‘This doesn’t seem like the best choice. Sothing is bound to go wrong.’
Seeing the concern on the Regressor’s face, Mayor Treavor smiled wryly.
“It’s alright. This is my duty. Your Excellency, please focus all your efforts on defeating the King of Wolves. I will take care of Ende as best I can.”
“You’re already looking like you’re about to collapse. What will you do if you faint from overwork?”
“Haha, I’m fine... Hmm. It seems like we have a visitor outside.”
Since earlier, a faint vibration could be felt outside the office. Sensing this, the Regressor retracted Tianying, which had occupied the space. The mont the seal was broken, the office door burst open, and Urukfang stomped in excitedly.
He was full of energy and imdiately started demanding answers from the mayor.
“Mayor Treavor. What have you been doing? No matter how much I knocked, there was no answer, and the door wouldn’t open. You’re the mayor, so what exactly...”
“I was talking with him.”
The Regressor answered in place. Urukfang, who had been striding across the office without hesitation, stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing the Regressor. His eyes widened in fear.
“You—why are you here?”
“What?”
“Ah... right. You must have co to et the mayor. But there’s sothing urgent I need to report...”
“What’s the urgent matter?”
“Why would I tell you... no, I guess I should tell you.”
Being close to an animal sotis has its advantages. Instinctively calr, Urukfang spoke in a slightly uncertain voice.
“The wolf has appeared. A shepherd working on the outskirts of Ende was bitten, and the guard squad was annihilated. More than 20 people are dead, and nearly half of the sheep herd is missing. The search and guard teams are in disarray. It seems we need to resolve this.”
Bad news is sothing you expect, but you still wish it wouldn’t co. Mayor Treavor spoke as if it had been expected.
“It seems the wolf’s assault has begun.”
Mayor Treavor imdiately began sifting through a pile of docunts and found a small one. Along with a token and an envelope, he carefully gathered them together and handed them to Urukfang with a serious warning.
“This docunt lists where the required supplies are located. If you show the token, you should be able to receive a day's worth of supplies. Take this and report to Lord Poyna. If it’s the one who’s been fighting beasts outside of Ende, he’ll surely co up with a proper solution.”
“Lord Poyna, huh. If it’s his plan, everyone will accept it.”
“I’ll go too. I need to take a look myself.”
“You... you should...”
Urukfang didn’t want to be in the sa room as the regressor, but when the regressor said he’d go, who could stop him? Watching Urukfang’s exhausted state, Mayor Treavor spoke up.
“Urukfang, I ntioned sothing to you before. Have you told Poyna of Orcma?”
Urukfang flinched for a mont, then turned away as he answered.
“I’m not your subordinate. You tell him yourself.”
“I’ve been stressing it every ti we et. You need to help too. Without Lord Poyna, the security and police forces of Ende are nothing but a mob. It’s difficult, but it needs to be done soday. If everyone in Ende doesn’t cooperate, we won’t get through this crisis.”
“Alright, alright, I get it!”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Urukfang walked with a frown, as if he had been burdened with a task he didn't want to do. Then, he froze in surprise upon seeing the regressor following him.
"If the wolf cos, it’ll be starting soon. I’m not sure if I’ll last until then, but... maybe it’s ti for to leave now."
"Azzy, let’s go," he said.
"Woof! I’m coming!" Azzy responded cheerfully, ready to follow.
Just as they were about to turn back, Mayor Treavor quietly called out to .
"Magician, I need to speak with you for a mont."
"What is it?"
"Thank you for convincing her. Because of you, I’ve been relieved of a burden. However..."
"However?"
Mayor Treavor looked at with a face full of doubt.
"Do you truly believe they are human?"
"Didn't you hear what I said to Shei earlier? Are you doubting my words?"
"I’m not doubting you, but... magician, I’ve heard about what you’ve done. You have been active as a magician, and you’ve given Orcma harsh trials."
Well, harsh trials? I didn’t kill anyone, and there wasn’t much bloodshed.
"I’m not blaming you. But to your eyes, Orcma would have seed like a subversive group disturbing the city, especially with your desire to defeat the King of Wolves. However, with your strength, there must have been a more certain and moderate way to stop Orcma. I’m certain you wouldn’t have chosen such a ‘thod’ if you thought of pig beastn as equals."
What thod? Was he talking about threats, coercion, theft, and disruption? It wasn’t all that bad, was it?
Tsk. So naive. If anyone was showing kindness without expecting anything in return, it was .
"Then you’re mistaken. No one has thought of them more than I have. Even you, you only secretly supported Orcma from behind the scenes. You couldn’t even think about turning Ende upside down."
Mayor Treavor gasped, his eyes wide in shock, before he asked weakly, "...How do you know?"
"The King of Dogs has appeared. I decided to fight the King of Wolves. Grull is coming. Orcma knows the secret we shared in Obeli. How could they, who can’t even set foot in Obeli, know our confidential information? Obviously, soone in Obeli passed it along."
I read his thoughts. From the very beginning, Mayor Treavor had been covertly distributing secret aid to the pig beastn. The reason for the secrecy was that an official welfare program could lead to division.
"But who would secretly inform the insignificant pig beastn of such a confidential matter? I really had no idea. But when I heard you were trying to turn the scales today, I understood. It was either you or soone acting under your orders."
I read his thoughts, of course, as well as those of the Orcma elders. Thanks to that, I knew they had colluded. There was no way they would leave an aristocrat of the vassal state, who held the position of mayor in Ende, just ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ because he was 'useful.' They should have pulled him down or placed him under surveillance.
"That’s..."
"It’s fine. I’m kind to all humans. Of course, I wanted to listen to your desires too. What do you think? How’s the new Ende? Satisfied?"
It wasn’t as beautiful as expected, nor as gradual as it could have been. But surely, this scene was the result Mayor Treavor had been hoping for.
Yet, even as his wish had beco reality, he still looked uneasy.
"...The timing is a bit off. The King of Wolves is coming."
"No, it’s the perfect timing. Powerful external pressure helps to solidify internal unity. You wanted everyone to unite, so you passed the information about the King of Wolves to Orcma, didn’t you?"
"The pig beastn lack experience in managing a city. This is too difficult."
"The more difficult it is, the faster the tilted scales can be righted. It’s not legal, but what do you think? With Grull and Shei here, if we just get through this crisis, the pig beastn will truly secure their rightful place."
"But..."
"Feeling anxious?"
I knew why the conversation was dragging on. I smiled and gently poked at his vulnerable spot.
"You don’t trust it, do you? You think it’s impossible? They’re incompetent, noisy, distracted, and filled with needless victimization. They won’t even listen to you. That’s how you see the pig beastn, right? At least, for now."
People never want to face reality. They always stand on the step they’ve climbed and look up. Only the thirsty yearn for water, only the hungry for food, and only those buried underground hope to rise.
Mayor Treavor believed in equality and wished for it because the reality he knew wasn’t like that.
"You’re just at that level. Maybe one day you’ll be the sa, but for now, you believe the pig beastn need a ladder. Well, I understand that belief. The pig beastn are human too, and it would be nice if they were equal."
The wind blows from there. To bridge the gap between belief and reality, humans are made to move. It was his desire that made Mayor Treavor act.
I was just responding willingly. Whether they were beastn or humans, their desires were all valuable.
"Unlike you, I’m real. Just as I’m not surprised when the sun rises in the east, the fact that pig beastn are human is so obvious that I don’t even need to say it."
Suddenly, I tilted my head, noticing a slight change in my tone. What was that? It was the sa words, but sothing felt different.
"Wait, should I even say that pig beastn are human? Oh well, doesn’t matter. Whatever the order, that’s what it ans to be ‘the sa.’"
I nodded, purposefully bowing my head, then smiled as I walked away, leaving Mayor Treavor behind, wide-eyed and staring.
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