Ch.216Great Chief (2)

The matter with Leona was resolved smoothly one way or another. Since Leona said she would think about it slowly after resolving the Warchief issue, there’s nothing to worry about for the future.

Of course, sacrificing my waist was unavoidable.

It hadn’t been long since Kate asked for my seed, and with Leona added to the mix, the jealousy of my two lovely lovers exploded properly.

Draining my stamina completely as if to ensure I couldn’t look at other women was just the beginning, and the next day was the same. Marie was especially passionate, even skipping class the next day.

On top of that, she directly expressed her possessiveness, saying she would always be first and that she would have my child first.

Since there’s nothing more lovable than a jealous girlfriend, I responded enthusiastically. As a result, Marie fainted, but I was satisfied that we had reaffirmed our love for each other.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

And so, when the day approached for people from Animus to visit, I calmly answered Leona’s concerned question.

Whether it was thanks to my holy power or because of my regular physical training with Adelia, my waist was fine.

It was tough having to handle two people at once for the first time, but I recovered quickly enough to resume my daily life.

“Hmm…”

Leona looked at my composed demeanor with a surprised expression, then slightly lowered her gaze. I could feel her looking at an inappropriate place.

Under her appraising gaze, I slightly furrowed my brow and scolded her.

“Stop looking at strange places and get ready. If you’re not careful, you might end up becoming the Warchief without mercy. Aren’t you worried?”

“With you here, I’m not particularly worried.”

“Sigh. I’m really envious of how carefree you are.”

It’s a reversal of roles—I’ll end up solving the issues Leona should be handling. Of course, I bear some responsibility since she almost became Warchief because of the Biography of Xenon.

We’ll just have to slowly resolve her talk about becoming my third wife. For now, the Warchief issue is more urgent.

“So when are they coming?”

“They should be arriving soon.”

Evening, after all classes had ended. Currently, Leona and I are waiting near the academy entrance.

I would have preferred if they came on the weekend, but given the situation, they had to come on a weekday. So we decided to meet in the evening after all classes were over.

“Who did you say was coming?”

“My eldest brother and Chinoa.”

“Just the two of them?”

“Yes. They’re strong enough not to need escorts, and it would be troublesome if they attracted attention.”

“I think just being together would attract attention. Are you okay with that?”

As everyone knows, Leona is attending school while hiding her identity as a beastkin.

In this world, there’s a prejudice that beastkin are aggressive and uneducated, so people assume they can’t enter the academy.

But from what I’ve seen, beastkin aren’t uneducated; they just don’t need to use their heads. With good physical abilities, they don’t need to rely on intellect.

Anyway, since beastkin have never enrolled in the academy, if Leona’s identity is revealed, it would cause a huge commotion. Knowing this, Leona nodded and answered.

“I’ll have to be careful not to get caught. That’s why only representatives are coming. Ah. There they are.”

As Leona pointed her finger toward the entrance, I turned my head in that direction. Two figures were striding toward us from the main gate.

My eyesight isn’t that good, and they were too far away to make out their detailed appearances. Meanwhile, Leona raised her arm and waved it excitedly.

One of the two approaching figures waved back, showing signs of happiness. The person beside them showed no reaction.

The one waving must be Leona’s brother, and the other must be Chinoa. Even from a distance, their builds looked similar.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t they say female hyenas are larger than males?’

For this reason, I heard hyenas uniquely maintain a matriarchal society. That might be why their representative is a woman, not a man.

As they got closer, I wondered if there was anything I should be careful about, so I asked Leona.

“Is there anything I should be careful about when talking? Like sensitive topics?”

“If anything, maybe Chinoa? She has a silver tongue. So be careful not to fall for it.”

“Got it.”

It seems Leona hasn’t let go of her prejudice against hyena beastkin.

*****

As planned, we met with the representatives from each side and immediately moved to a place convenient for conversation. Fortunately, both had already eaten, so we could just talk at a café.

The problem was that both of them were enormously large. I thought I’d never see anyone bigger than my father in my life, but the hardware of beastkin is truly impressive.

In the end, we decided to have our conversation at a restaurant rather than a cramped café. Since Leona and I also needed to eat, we asked for their understanding.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Baltic Lions, the eldest son of the Warchief. It is an honor to meet the sage who imparted wisdom to Animus.”

The lion beastkin sitting across from Leona introduced himself respectfully, placing his hand on his chest. Unlike Leona, his face was closer to a beast than a human.

With a lion’s mane instead of hair and brilliantly shining golden eyes, he gave off an impression of valor just by looking at him.

Moreover, he was wearing leather armor rather than casual clothes, giving him the image of a warrior rather than royalty.

His deep, cave-like bass voice also exuded masculinity, revealing his fortitude.

“Chinoa Crochuker.”

The hyena beastkin sitting across from me also had a face closer to a beast than a human.

With a protruding snout and dark eyes, her fur color was dull and mixed with dirty-looking black, giving her a somewhat shabby impression.

However, her well-tailored purple silk clothes and monocle gave her a surprisingly intellectual appearance. Her voice was also a pleasant tenor with a sense of calmness.

As Leona had mentioned, while her impression was that of a schemer, I should add that she seemed quite capable.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Issac Ducar Mayshall, who imparted wisdom to Leona. I’m not a sage, so I’d appreciate it if you dropped that title.”

The reason I hesitated briefly was obviously because of my father. Although it happened in a border region, my father had the terrifying record of slaughtering beastkin.

As expected, as soon as I revealed my surname, the two across from me widened their eyes in surprise. Baltic was the first to question.

“Mayshall? Isn’t that the surname of the Red Lion?”

“Yes. I’m the second son of Hawk Ducar Mayshall.”

“I suspected from your red hair and golden eyes… quite surprising.”

It seems my father’s reputation has reached the ears of Animus. Well, everyone who knows about him knows, so it would be strange if they didn’t.

While I smiled awkwardly, Baltic looked at me with an interested expression before shifting his gaze to Leona.

“You’ve made quite a surprising connection.”

“It just happened.”

Leona shrugged nonchalantly and responded glibly. Meanwhile, Chinoa stared at me intently before smirking and speaking.

“You seem to be the type who uses your head more than your body?”

“How did you know?”

“I can tell just by looking at your hands.”

Chinoa answered, pointing at my hands. Indeed, anyone could see that I’ve never properly held a sword, and my fingers are long and slender.

While I didn’t mind the comment, Baltic apparently did. He slightly frowned and scolded her in a stern voice.

“Isn’t that rude to say to a warrior’s son?”

“Why? I’m just stating facts. Can’t I even say that?”

“Be careful not to wag that impudent tongue of yours carelessly.”

“Of course.”

It’s obvious that the relationship between them is bad. Given that her father died because of the Holm River, and she was the culprit who pushed Animus into chaos, it’s understandable.

I hope they don’t cause any trouble here. While my head won’t fly off, I shouldn’t let my guard down.

“Ahem. Ahem. I apologize for the rudeness. Anyway, Leona. Do you intend to become the Warchief? Chinoa has also agreed, so we will follow your opinion.”

“It’s annoying that a lion will be in charge again, but there’s no one with as clear a justification as the young lady.”

It seems both Baltic and Chinoa are willing to support Leona as the Warchief without greed.

Moreover, the title “young lady” suggests that Chinoa respects Leona in her own way.

But they don’t know. That Leona has already made up her mind.

Leona glanced at me once before declaring with a determined expression.

“No. I will not ascend to the position of Warchief.”

“What?”

“Hmm…”

Unlike Baltic, who showed obvious signs of shock, Chinoa maintained her composure. While she looked surprised, she didn’t show the same agitated reaction as Baltic.

Seeing this, I could infer that she had somewhat anticipated Leona’s refusal. She seems as sharp-minded as her appearance suggests.

“W-what are you saying? You’re refusing the position of Warchief?”

“It’s exactly as I said. I never had the slightest intention of becoming the Warchief. I may be smart, but I’m not wise. As Issac said, a king must be wise.”

Knowledge and wisdom may seem similar at first glance, but there’s a clear difference. Knowledge can be acquired through learning, but wisdom isn’t something you gain just by studying.

The true nature of these two abilities is especially evident in how one handles situations. Knowledge often leads to panic when a specific incident occurs, but wisdom allows one to navigate through it smoothly with appropriate improvisation.

That’s why a king should be wise, not just smart. The world changes unpredictably, and the future is full of variables.

“Brother Baltic. I am not wise. Even the improvement plan for the Holm River was all taught to me by Issac; I merely relayed it. Cain in the Biography of Xenon is also described as having high intelligence, but if you read it again, his wise aspects are stronger.”

“Hmm…”

“If I become the Warchief, I might be able to prevent immediate chaos, but not beyond that. The same situation could arise again. While the present is important for a nation, the future is even more crucial.”

After Leona, I took over.

“As Leona said, a king must possess not only intelligence but also wisdom. You could force Leona into the position of Warchief, but that would lead to unfavorable results for everyone. Historically, an incompetent ruler has caused more terrible consequences than a tyrant.”

“Are you saying Leona would be an incompetent ruler?”

“That’s not what I mean. But the position of king, or Warchief, shouldn’t be filled carelessly just because the justification is met. I heard that the person who became Warchief through the Holm River committed tyranny, didn’t he?”

I wasn’t referring to Leona and Baltic’s father, the previous Warchief, but to the person who had only sat in the position for two years. The root of all evil who plunged Animus into chaos and was a tyrant himself.

He simply had strong force and showed the harmful effects of the Holm River. The result is what we see now.

After hearing my words, Baltic narrowed his brow and reluctantly nodded in agreement. The tyrant had openly committed atrocities, so he would deeply sympathize with my words.

“But if that’s the case, there’s no suitable person to sit in the Warchief’s position…”

“Just put me there. Why are you worrying so much? I can govern well.”

While Baltic was muttering in deep contemplation, Chinoa snickered beside him.

At that, not only Baltic but even Leona made grim expressions and began to emit a murderous aura. Even as a joke, that seemed to have gone too far.

I shivered in the suddenly chilled atmosphere while carefully observing. Despite receiving the murderous gazes of both, Chinoa maintained her smooth attitude as if nothing was wrong.

Is such boldness also a characteristic of hyenas? I have a feeling that one wrong word could lead to disaster.

“…If you wag that tongue one more time, you should give up on returning in one piece.”

“Oh my, how scary. Hey, sage.”

“Huh? Me?”

Chinoa called out to me, ignoring Baltic’s fierce threat. I was slightly taken aback by her addressing me as a sage.

Regardless, she leaned her upper body forward and spoke in a coaxing voice.

“What do you think about me becoming the Warchief instead of these narrow-minded lions? Despite appearances, I’m quite sharp. I have the wisdom you mentioned.”

“That’s not wisdom; it’s cunning.”

“If it were just cunning, I wouldn’t have been able to greatly inflate the opposition. Cunning helps oneself, while wisdom helps others, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

As Chinoa said, cunning and wisdom can be distinguished. Wisdom helps others, while cunning has a somewhat selfish aspect.

But they differ in how they’re used; the essence itself is similar. I rolled my eyes thoughtfully before carefully speaking.

“…Do you think you’re wise, Chinoa?”

“Somewhat?”

“In what way?”

“I’m good at using people.”

“Issac. As I told you before, it’s better to take half of what she says with a grain of salt.”

While Chinoa and I were continuing our conversation, Leona warned me in a grumbling tone. As she said, Chinoa’s rhetoric has a talent for drawing people in.

It’s through such rhetoric that she grew the opposition and brought chaos to Animus. But here, a curious point arose.

What exactly is Chinoa’s goal? Every faction has a goal. And Chinoa can be considered the center of the opposition.

After pondering deeply, I looked at the smirking Chinoa and asked.

“Then what is your purpose, Chinoa? I’m curious about what you want to do if you become the Warchief.”

“Nothing special. Just living a better life than now? I’d reclaim some land for food storage and completely overhaul the political structure while I’m at it. Those old customs can go to the dogs; eating well is the best, right?”

“I see.”

I nodded.

She has good political sense to the extent of growing the opposition, is capable of dirty deeds, and above all, as she said herself, she’s good at manipulating people.

I’m not sure about her wisdom, but if we consider Baltic’s words about her being cunning, she just needs to adjust her direction. Moreover, she has a long-term perspective that clearly catches the risk factors of Animus.

If this isn’t someone who should be king, then who is? I looked around and casually said.

“I think it would be better if Chinoa became the Warchief.”

And immediately, a response came.

“Are you crazy?”

Not from Baltic or Leona, but from Chinoa.