The Nobles.
A term used to refer to the brave and fierce members of the Hoh family, who have yellowish skin and black wrinkles.
Their unique charisma, strength, and dignified behavior have captivated many, yet the nobles themselves have not truly cared for those captivated by them.
Hobaek, the head of this noble clan, was enveloped in a heavy killing intent. Even the allies surrounding him felt apprehension towards his overwhelming presence, and no matter how much time passed, that intensity did not diminish.
“Horan.”
Hobaek’s father, and Horan’s grandfather, was a half-beastman, and every day he shouted at Horan, a female, for ruining the family. In the end, the little girl could no longer endure it and ran away from the family.
Afterward, it was known that she had joined an organization called Tudogs.
However, that group was so elusive that tracking them down was difficult, and Hobaek’s attempts to meet Horan frequently ended in failure.
Sadly, the reunion with the daughter he had longed to meet came only after she had already closed her eyes, not long after having fallen deeply in love.
He knew.
He was aware of how wicked the organization Tutogs was, and that Horan had played a pivotal role there, taking the lives or inflicting harm on countless beings, including beastmen, humans, dragonkin, elves, and dwarves.
In fact, Hobaek was painfully aware that the child had received the punishment she deserved.
“Lord! It seems that the Beast King is meeting with the criminals right now!”
“……”
“From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like our opinion to execute them has been taken into account, seeing as they haven’t come out of the underground prison for quite a long time.”
“Is that so?”
This was news from a spy planted inside the palace. It seemed that the Beast King had chosen to spare the lives of those guilty of killing his daughter.
It was indeed a wise decision.
Putting aside Regua Baekplin from the secret claws, executing Hatsim Velok, a dwarf and Maester, as well as Eris Anen Seriere, the guardian of Yggdrasil, would be a heavy burden even for the Beast King.
He respected that.
He must truly be a benevolent king who cares for his people. That’s probably why he lost in the final duel that determined the fate of the kingdom.
He turned his back, leading the people behind him. In fact, many beastmen were waiting for his orders, sharpening their weapons.
But Ken, the Beast King, embraced his people.
Not just by force, but through benevolence and character, with strength to back it up.
The two were of a different nature.
“If you’ve made a choice as a king…”
Hobaek rested his spear on his shoulder and stepped outside.
“I will make my choice as a father.”
*
After defeating Lord Raizer, what came flying toward us were not spears, but warm food and a cozy bed to rest upon.
I gently stroked Rin’s head, which was soaked in cold sweat. She was trying to catch her breath, but there was nothing I could do for her.
‘The goddess doesn’t respond at all.’
I had been calling for the goddess to ask why Rin was like this, but she offered no answers. In my frustration, as I moved around the room, Adriana and the Beast King entered together.
“I would appreciate it if you could give us some time.”
“Understood for now.”
I thought they would leave shortly, but as they walked in and talked, the Beast King went back outside. He glanced at me before departing, as a bonus.
“What’s up?”
As I swapped out a towel on Rin’s forehead and casually asked, Adriana looked a bit tense and rubbed the back of her neck to relieve the stiffness.
“He asked us to wait. We’re very fortunate to have Regua Baekplin on our side. Thanks to that, they believe we didn’t kill Horan from the Hoh family.”
“I never imagined that name would come up here.”
Horan, the sole survivor of Tudogs.
The memory of how the leader of Tudogs sacrificed his life to save her was still vivid. He said she had a place to go, and that they should let her live.
‘In the end, she died like that.’
Her life ended at the claws of Kurika, who came to erase the traces of Tudogs in their last lab.
I had thought it might pose a risk in the future, but I never imagined it would come to this.
“But the Hoh family thinks we definitely killed their daughter. In reality, it was Hoh who captured and transported me and Eris after we fainted when Kurika attacked.”
“If she was such a precious daughter, she shouldn’t have been with Tudogs.”
I hesitated to complain. I wanted to say at least a word to the one responsible for making the situation this messy.
“The Hoh family demands the execution of those who killed their daughter. They expect a smart ruling from the king, but if they don’t get the verdict they want, they’ll probably resort to force.”
“Isn’t that rebellion?”
I wondered if it’s that easy to declare a rebellion, but Adriana shrugged, stating she didn’t understand either.
“Yeah, they’re basically declaring a rebellion openly. It’s practically a failed rebellion already, but what matters is how far the damage will spread.”
The opponent had already ignited flames on their body and charged in. They weren’t fighting for victory but preparing for a battle for their twisted beliefs.
The Beast King Raizer worried about the damage the Hoh family would bring to the citizens.
“Even if he wants to evacuate the citizens, the moment they sense it, they’ll pounce.”
“That must hurt.”
“So they asked to wait a bit longer. They’re trying to find common ground with the Hoh family.”
Well, as long as we release Eris, it’s not a big problem. I thought that way, but then…
CRASH!
“What the hell?!”
A giant beastman and a girl with white hair suddenly burst through the window. They made a rather cool entrance, but my attention was naturally drawn to the shards of glass scattered on the floor.
Cleaning that up is going to be a pain.
I was wondering how long they had waited to barge in so urgently when Kurika hurriedly opened her mouth.
“The army is advancing from outside the capital. There aren’t many in number, but they’re elite.”
“What?”
Wait, they arrived this quickly?
I was puzzled when I noticed Adriana’s expression had darkened.
“It’s our fault.”
With a bang of her staff on the floor, Adriana messed up her hair in frustration.
“Ugh! Of course, the Hoh family must have spies in the palace! Even if they couldn’t grasp internal circumstances, since the Beast King was in the underground prison for so long, he must’ve thought he was negotiating with the criminals!”
“……Sigh.”
Did I roll a big stone without even realizing it?
“Do you understand what’s happening?”
“We don’t know since we’re only outside. Explain it to us.”
Kurika and Sen, being the standby unit, quickly explained the current situation. In a way, Kurika, who could be called the real culprit in this incident, had a flustered expression on her face.
“Could it be that my actions back then have led to this…?”
“N-No, it’s alright. Even if we had found Horan, she would have ended up dead anyway.”
Adriana tried to comfort her, but Kurika slowly calmed her breathing and spoke.
“I will go to the king and take responsibility.”
Saying that, Kurika stepped outside the door. Adriana and Sen glanced at me, wondering if I should stop her.
“Tsk, now I have to take responsibility too.”
I thought it might end the situation more quickly, even if I wasn’t particularly keen on it, so I followed Kurika.
*
Sitting on the throne of the beastmen, Raizer was busily giving orders, hardly having any time to breathe after receiving sudden reports.
“First, the evacuation of citizens is the priority. We will accommodate as many people in the palace as possible, and those who…”
Suddenly, Hobaek was bringing his army toward the capital. It wasn’t just the Hoh family; other allied families had mobilized their forces as well.
They were fervently faithful followers of Hobaek’s unique charisma.
‘Well, this might actually be good.’
With the social status of the prisoners and the unique strength of Daniel McLean, avoiding a confrontation with Hobaek was impossible.
At first, I foolishly regretted having spent a long time in the underground prison, but now I thought it turned out better.
Raizer knew that most troublesome dilemmas could be solved by strength.
This time again, he planned to solve it with power.
“Hey, wait a minute!”
“Who the hell barges in like this?!”
Two men walked through the noble gathering, causing chaos.
One of them was none other than Daniel McLean, who had just sparred with him. Honestly, it felt a bit intimidating to think of fighting him again.
The other man had deep hooded clothing, but judging by his size and tail, he was a beastman.
‘I don’t remember having a beastman companion.’
Raizer played with his beard as he questioned.
“What’s going on? I heard you’d consider it positively, so please allow some time.”
Turns out, he had no intention of harming anyone, showing mercy as a non-combatant.
However, if that man acted with arrogance here, Raizer would not let it slide this time.
Despite being a non-combatant, he was treating him as a king now, with the surrounding soldiers gripping their spears and swords.
But it wasn’t Daniel McLean who spoke first.
“It has been a long time, and your city has truly flourished. I felt immense pride in being a part of your roots while wandering through this city.”
No one understood what the hooded beastman was saying.
Yet strangely enough, before that man, no one could carelessly speak or act, so everyone listened in silence.
As the beastman reached out his hand, the ground twisted, spitting forth a sword. This was a sword that a beastman could never be unaware of—the Sword of Kings.
“Your crisis has arrived, and I have heard that the responsibility falls upon me. Therefore, I will break my long silence and once again become your guardian.”
Slowly removing his hood, as soon as they saw his face, everyone was so shocked that they couldn’t utter a word.
THUD!
Only the beastman, the noblest of this land, sitting on the throne, took the only answer-close-to-correct action.
He knelt and lowered his head.
“Your Majesty, Emperor Kaliyus!”
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