“I caught a monster! It’s dinner for tonight and breakfast for tomorrow!”
swish
Lua skipped into the cave, waving her hands with a bright voice. Naturally, Clara and Cluna’s faces twisted in an instant at the sight of her. However, they didn’t show it.
So much must have happened over the past three years. Amidst all this, it wouldn’t be uncommon to take in a poor orphan. They convinced themselves of that while barely holding it together.
After all, it was a heartfelt reunion that had only recently come to pass. They didn’t want to ruin the moment by showing their dislike. With forced smiles, Cluna and Clara welcomed Lua.
But no matter what, Lua was happily accepting their welcome. Hans, watching the scene from a distance, sighed and got up. Now to get to the point.
“Do you know about the fates of the other members?”
“Yes, actually, I had some fairies secretly attached.”
“You attached fairies?”
“Of course, they must have noticed long ago…”
“Then just leaving them be means you allowed it.”
Hans felt relieved. At least it meant they hadn’t completely severed ties. And it also meant things were going more smoothly than expected. Hans nodded.
“So? Where’s the most urgent place right now?”
“If we’re talking urgent…”
“It would be nice to find them all at once, but that’s impossible. So we must prioritize.”
He had completely subdued the Dragon Heart, but was he somewhat influenced? Or was it thanks to his experience as a commander? Hans chose relatively calmly but effectively.
To put it bluntly, if Hans had been even a little late, he might not have been able to save Clara forever. Of course, time reversal should prevent even death, but it’s still incomplete.
Technically, it was the first time he was using this power. Hans’s abilities were still lacking. Though, unlike the past, he could now easily enhance his capabilities with the power of the Dragon Heart.
Either way, he couldn’t take action right away; it was a matter that required time. Therefore, Hans chose to save the members in immediate danger first. Cluna made a troubled expression.
“…If it’s dangerous, there’s one member in particular.”
“Who is it? Helia? Or Ruby?”
“It’s Bayard.”
“Bayard? That Bayard?!”
The name that came out of Cluna’s mouth was one Hans never expected. In terms of power, Bayard was an incredibly formidable force, even surpassing Yuren among the Royal Knights.
But Bayard is in danger? It was something he couldn’t fathom, but it wasn’t impossible either. He had to hurry since Bayard was in a crisis.
“What kind of situation are we talking about?”
“To cut to the chase, Bayard has driven Yuyoung out and become the new leader of the Twelve Tribes.”
“…??”
What nonsense is this? For a moment, Hans thought he misheard. He quietly met Cluna’s gaze, but she didn’t avert her eyes either. It meant that what she said was true.
“Bayard has become the leader of the Twelve Tribes? What does that mean?”
“Literally. Bayard has become the chief of the Rat Clan, which leads the Twelve Tribes.”
“Wait, chief of the Rat Clan, not the Bear Clan.”
Hans let out a low groan. The Rat Clan was known for being openly shady among the Beastmen. To think that cautious Bayard became the leader of the Rat Clan made Hans worry without realizing it.
“Do you know what they call Bayard now?”
“Are you talking about a title?”
“That’s right.”
“I have no idea.”
Faced with the sudden question, Hans thought hard, but nothing came to mind no matter how he pondered. Maybe the Vanguard of the Royal Knights? Cluna answered right away.
“They call him the Tyrant.”
“Tyrant…what?”
He couldn’t believe how far off his expectations were today. Anyway, Bayard was now the chief of the Twelve Tribes and called a Tyrant. Hans sighed and said,
“I find it hard to believe. But Cluna, you’ve never lied.”
“Thank you for believing me.”
“Then what do you mean by that it’s dangerous?”
“That’s also why Bayard is called a Tyrant.”
Three years ago, that is, the time when Hans was officially declared dead. The first to react was the Beastmen. The Royal Knights, especially with Hans’s help, mediated with the Orcs.
Then suddenly losing Hans meant they lost their advantage in the war against the Demons as well as their relationship with the Orcs. That meant falling behind against other races.
In that situation, Bayard returned directly with a solution for the Beastmen. It was to prove himself with overwhelming strength. Thus, he was called a Tyrant.
“Of course, since it’s a nickname from the Orcs, its credibility is questionable.”
“Surely they didn’t go to war against each other, right?”
“Fortunately, not yet. But there have been several clashes since then.”
“At least they kept their promises.”
Hans couldn’t hide a hint of surprise. Of course, the Orcs and the Twelve Tribes had made a treaty. But now that there was no one to uphold that treaty, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to fight.
Yet, they still managed to prevent things from escalating into all-out war. Perhaps this was just a natural occurrence for humans, but right now, it felt a bit bizarre with the two beastly babies.
In reality, while the Twelve Tribes were experiencing political pressure, the Orcs were illegally occupying land and showing off their power, gradually surfacing conflicts. Hans clicked his tongue and said,
“They haven’t crossed the line yet. That’s some silver lining.”
“That’s not incorrect.”
“But why is he being called a Tyrant?”
That was an intriguing question. If they hadn’t started an all-out war with the Orcs, then what was the reason for Bayard being called a Tyrant? Cluna sighed.
“Well, the thing is, there was indeed a clash between the Orcs and the Twelve Tribes at one point. That’s when the nickname stuck.”
“What happened then?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure about that.”
“No, that’s enough.”
Thanks to Cluna, he was able to gather that much information. But how could one blame her? And now the time had come. The time he didn’t want to face, but it was essential to address it.
Perhaps sensing the force of Hans, Cluna and Clara looked at him with serious expressions. Lua kept silent, knowing what they had done.
“I know what you did to me.”
“……”
“Why did you do that?”
Three years—he had thought and thought about that time. Was there something I couldn’t do? Was there another reason? After pondering endlessly, the conclusion he reached was still bewilderment…
“I’m sorry, Commander. We didn’t stop it.”
“Right, that’s practically an affirmation.”
“I’m asking you the reason for that.”
“At some point, I was convinced that the Commander would leave unexpectedly.”
“Convinced?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Cluna stepped forward to explain. Watching Hans from the side, the other members felt anxious. The realization that the Commander would leave someday resonated with every one of them.
“There’s no excuse. Truly, I’m sorry.”
“I sincerely apologize to you, Commander.”
“Clara, that…”
“Yeah.”
Cluna and Clara bowed their heads towards Hans simultaneously. They knew that no reason could serve as an excuse. Therefore, to atone for their mistakes, they began to take off their clothes.
…Huh?
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes? Why do you say that?”
“Why are you trying to take off your clothes in a situation like this?”
At first, he thought it was a joke, but Cluna and Clara’s expressions were too serious for that. Seeing Hans trying to stop them with such a weird look only made it weirder.
Caught off guard and half undressing, it was a problem on his part, but isn’t it only natural to be surprised when someone suddenly tries to get undressed?
At that moment, when his mind was about to burst from such a totally normal dilemma, Cluna nodded as if she understood. Just that was starting to bring a little hope back to Hans.
“This may seem strange. It’s an Elven tradition.”
“An Elven tradition? Taking off clothes?”
“No, taking off clothes is just a part of the process.”
“?”
“To take off your clothes, assume the lowest posture to acknowledge your mistakes and seek forgiveness. Among elves, this is the highest form of apology typically reserved for those who betray their people…”
That’s just a naked dogeza!!!
Unable to voice that thought, Hans was panicking as he cautiously eyed the two women. How did things end up like this? He did have thoughts of forgiving them, but this was pushing it a bit.
Ah, right.
He had been so worn out that he completely forgot about it.
Isn’t this a H-game?
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