Ch.387Chapter 387 – A Kingdom Without a King (1)

“Those guys are really having quite the adventure.”

That was what Aria said from a corner of the tavern that served as the entrance to the magic tower.

Taking a brief break to meet her friend, she lifted her glass and downed it in one go.

Across from her, Asam nodded and raised his own glass as well.

“From what I hear, they started in Metis territory, then went to Albheim, then Ferarius, and now they’ve gotten caught up in some battle in the Kingdom of Firenchena?”

“When I heard the news, I couldn’t help but wonder why they keep getting involved in incidents wherever they go.”

“I experienced it myself,” Asam added, narrowing his eyes.

“Bea got separated from them in the Kingdom of Firenchena, but apparently she managed to meet up with them again and now they’re traveling together. That’s what the report said.”

“Report? Did you hear this from one of Diana’s subordinates?”

Asam nodded.

“Yes. Diana’s proxy told me that she herself took a ship to follow those guys.”

“So the task proposed by Count Metis ended up being a wasted effort.”

“Though it seemed like the Count had other motives for proposing it in the first place.”

Asam said as he tilted his glass again.

Then he looked at Aria and said:

“Well, you probably know more about it, right? Being a saint, you must know about politics and underhanded schemes?”

“Tsk. What do you take a clergy member for? And it’s strange that they’d even think about extending their reach there when it hasn’t been that long since the demon invasion. I don’t think anyone expected it to succeed from the beginning.”

“Then why did they listen to the Count’s suggestion?”

Aria grinned at Asam’s question.

“Well, Princess Liriel might have wanted to repay a debt to the Count. It seems she gained quite a bit from the Count’s advice.”

Aria added that the Count’s recommendation, if successful, would have been quite beneficial, so it made sense for the Princess to give it a try.

“But I wish those guys would come back soon. I’m worried about what kind of dangerous situation they’ll get caught up in next.”

“I know. Surely they wouldn’t go somewhere like Bestia.”

“No way.”

Aria said quietly.

“That’s a country where beastmen conduct slave hunts. And while not all of them, many hate humans. Would they really venture into such a barbaric place filled with enemies everywhere?”

“You’re right about that.”

Asam said quietly.

“If they were going to such a dangerous place, I’d like them to stop by here first.”

“Why?”

“I have some people I’d like to introduce to Kei.”

Asam said as he downed his drink.

Aria smiled slyly and said:

“Introduce? A matchmaking? Perhaps… yourself?”

“Don’t make jokes like that elsewhere. Your patron would get angry. The alchemist would get angry too. Seriously.”

Aria was slightly surprised by Asam’s reaction.

“…Since when did you and Bea start caring about making others angry?”

“We didn’t before, but lately I’ve been seriously reflecting on my attitude. I’ve realized that debts of the heart, whether emotional or physical, are much heavier than I thought.”

Asam said with a grumble.

Aria chuckled and said:

“Well, I don’t know who you want to introduce, but I hope it’s a good connection. At least they’re not a bad person.”

Having fought alongside Kei before, Aria was generally favorable toward him.

And Asam said seriously:

“Just to be clear, I don’t casually set up women with someone who’s already taken.”

“Oh, he’s taken?”

Aria was slightly surprised.

“Has it progressed that far already? Though I guess there were women who had feelings for him.”

“You know who they are?”

“No, I don’t. I only know the candidates.”

Aria answered quietly.

“The girl traveling with him and Sister Christina had feelings for him… Oh, and that merchant guild leader too. I only saw her briefly, but it was obvious. Anyway, it must be one of those three.”

You know almost all of them.

While Asam was thinking that to himself, Aria added:

“Well, I’ll bless whoever it is, but I’d like to tell him to hurry up and get married.”

“Why?”

To Asam’s question, Aria puffed out her chest slightly as if showing off and said:

“I am a saint who serves the god of love, you know? I can offer the honor of personally officiating the wedding for a comrade I fought alongside.”

“Come to think of it, you officiated the wedding of that Rudger person’s daughter too.”

“Of course. Unlike that old man, his daughter was in tears thanking me.”

Aria said with a proud smile.

And Asam narrowed his eyes and said:

“You’re not trying to use that to get out of buying a gift, are you?”

“Was I that obvious?”

Asam chuckled at Aria’s response.

In truth, having a wedding officiated by the saint who served Hati, known as the god of love, was something that even most nobles wouldn’t dare to hope for.

It was said that only a high noble from somewhere or actual royalty could make it happen, and only after offering an expensive donation.

Offering something that couldn’t be done for just anyone, regardless of their status or wealth, meant that no one could complain if she didn’t buy a wedding gift.

Of course, this kind of conversation was just friendly banter between friends. If she had said this at the church, she would have received enthusiastic attention from the church’s holy knights and priests.

“But I wonder if those people are all just at the stage of being aware of each other’s feelings?”

“No. They’ve gone all the way.”

“Oh.”

Aria’s eyes sparkled.

“Do you know who? Personally, I’d prefer if it was the nun, since she’s a fellow clergy member…”

“Two of the people you mentioned. Maybe all of them.”

Aria’s eyes darkened.

“Maybe all of them?”

“When I was there, one person had gone all the way, another was waiting for an opportunity, and the last one seemed like she’d go for it if someone gave her a push.”

Hearing Asam’s words, Aria quietly downed her drink.

Then she said softly:

“In the name of the saint who serves the god of love, I’ll place a curse that makes them stub their little toe on a doorway.”

“A saint placing a curse?”

And the content of the curse was petty too.

“…But the Kingdom of Mikea allows polygamy, right? Why would you be upset about it?”

At Asam’s words, Aria took another sip of her drink.

Then with a serious face, she said:

“I’m a devotee who serves the god of love. I prefer love to be shared deeply between two people.”

“I see. You’re a monogamy purist.”

“You don’t like it?”

“Honestly, I admire that kind of love too.”

The two friends, discovering they shared the same preference, quietly raised their glasses in a toast.

After downing their drinks in one go, Aria said quietly:

“…Well, as you said, the Kingdom of Mikea allows polygamy. I think it’s fine as long as everyone is happy.”

Aria said that love is about being happy.

To her, Asam revealed a piece of information he had been keeping.

“By the way, Bea seemed a bit excited when talking about Kei.”

“Her?”

“Yes, her.”

“Really?”

“It was obvious.”

Hearing Asam’s words, Aria downed her drink again.

“Is that man drawing everyone to his side?”

“More accurately, it feels like others are gravitating toward him.”

“If he doesn’t reject them, it means he’s interested too.”

Aria declared with certainty.

Then she chuckled.

“Well, it’s good if things work out.”

Perhaps giving up on thinking too deeply about it, Aria smiled.

“I don’t care how many there are. I just hope they all return safely.”

“I agree.”

Asam and Aria toasted each other again.

And a few days later.

They would hear from Diana that Kei’s group was heading to Bestia, along with an important secret.

+

“Let me give you a lecture about Bestia.”

Beatrice said quietly.

“Bestia calls itself a kingdom, but when you look closer, you wonder if it really is one.”

“Why is that?”

“You’ll understand if you look at Bestia’s origins.”

Beatrice raised a finger as she spoke.

“Long ago, beastmen who had been enslaved and abused by humans felt the need to unite. The tribal chiefs of that time gathered and formed a united kingdom. They decided to call the one at the top the Beast King.”

“That person is the king of Bestia, right?”

“Yes. But the position of Beast King has been vacant since the Demon War era. So it’s a kingdom without a king.”

Beatrice said this is why it’s hard to call it a kingdom.

“Why is it vacant?”

“Remember what I said earlier? The beastmen call the one who stands at the top the Beast King.”

Beatrice narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

“During the kingdom’s formation and the Demon War, they united to survive. But once life became more comfortable, they started having different ideas. Beastmen fundamentally believe that strength is everything and that their own tribe is the best.”

“In other words, they’re not the type to easily unite.”

“Like crabs in a bucket, if someone tries to climb above them, their first thought is to pull them down. Then they try to beat them into submission.”

If one tribe claims superiority, another tribe challenges them. Then two tribes fight, and other tribes get involved in the conflict.

That was Bestia.

“It’s surprising they haven’t declared independence from the kingdom yet.”

“I said that, but they also know that stepping outside the framework of the kingdom would give all tribes a reason to launch concentrated attacks on them.”

That’s why no tribe has left yet, despite there being no king, Beatrice explained.

“And I mentioned earlier that they were enslaved and abused by humans in the past, right? Slavery was already abolished hundreds of years ago and completely disappeared after the Demon War, but the beastmen still call for revenge even now. That’s why they attack neighboring kingdoms, villages, and travelers to enslave them.”

That’s why Bestia has a reputation for being dangerous, Beatrice said.

“What happens if you’re captured?”

“Usually, they turn you into slave soldiers to use as meat shields in inter-tribal wars. That’s why they prefer people who can fight.”

Beatrice said quietly.

“From another perspective, capturing more slaves means increasing their military power for tribal conflicts.”

“That’s why Bestia’s beastmen actively try to capture slaves. Slaves are essentially troops. So…”

“That’s why pathetic incidents like that happen.”

I nodded at her words.

And without prompting, both Beatrice and I turned our gaze.

In our line of sight, beastmen were fighting each other.

Not far from our moving carriage, beastmen with tiger faces and bear-like beastmen were fighting each other.

“These slaves belong to our tribe!!”

“Are you cats crazy?! We spotted them first!”

With such exchanges, they were clawing, throwing, and swinging weapons at each other.

Honestly, from a distance they looked pathetic, but upon closer inspection, they couldn’t really be called pathetic.

True to the saying that they value strength above all, the beastmen bandits were all either muscular or had at least one or two scars, and their level of armament was on a completely different level from the bandits near the Kingdom of Mikea.

Unlike ordinary people who became bandits out of desperation, these beastmen wore sturdy, high-quality chest guards and helmets as standard, and the axes and swords they wielded clearly looked of good quality.

If such muscular brutes came rushing in to capture slaves, it was obvious that most people would end up being taken away.

Looking at those muscular figures, I quietly said:

“I wonder how much we could get if we stripped and sold their weapons and armor.”

“They look valuable, but the guild leader would know better.”

“Ive would have already made an estimate. Should we ask her?”

If it were Ive, she would have been calculating the profit with an abacus the moment those bandits approached.

Sia would be on guard against possible surprise attacks, and Sera and Chris would be preparing medicine just in case.

Meanwhile, Beatrice and I were leisurely watching the fight from the driver’s seat.

Perhaps sensing our relaxed attitude, even Mu, the horse pulling our carriage, had stopped on its own without being instructed and was standing still, taking a rest.

I heard Beatrice smack her lips and quietly said:

“I wish they’d determine a winner soon.”

“If we defeat the winners, then we win.”

“And the spoils will naturally be ours.”

“If the income is good, we might be able to ask the guild leader for some pocket money.”

Beatrice said leisurely.

As we watched the desperately fighting beastmen, I casually voiced something I had noticed.

“By the way, beastmen have diverse appearances. Some have animal heads, some just have animal ears. I wonder why that is.”

“There’s a record of that in the magic tower. It’s just inherited from their parents. If both parents have animal heads, the child will have an animal head. If both have animal ears, the child will have animal ears. If it’s mixed, it’s mixed. For reference, tribal bonds are strong, so they don’t discriminate based on appearance.”

Beatrice said lightly.

Her answer prompted me to ask a minor question.

“What if the species are different?”

“I don’t know either, so let’s ask them later.”

I nodded at Beatrice’s response.

If she doesn’t know, then she doesn’t know.

As we leisurely watched the beastmen fight, I quietly asked:

“With such spirited fellows, I wonder what kind of extraordinary person the Beast King who ruled over them was.”

“They were indeed extraordinary, especially the last Beast King.”

“Who was the last Beast King?”

“A member of the Hero’s party, Springheart.”

Beatrice said quietly.

“Springheart was originally a slave captured by demons, but the Hero personally rescued her and she became a member of the Hero’s party. She was very agile and played a role supporting both the front and rear lines in battle. Her outstanding achievements and the Hero’s advocacy became the catalyst for humans to abandon slavery.”

“Was she really that strong?”

“Yes. Even the first Tower Master acknowledged her combat ability.”

The first Tower Master was Lumen, a magician who was a member of the Hero’s party.

If he acknowledged her, she must have been truly strong.

Being a member of the Hero’s party during the Demon War was itself proof of her might.

“However, after becoming the Beast King, she didn’t leave any descendants. Some historians argue that’s why there’s no Beast King even now… Oh, it’s over.”

While listening to Beatrice’s lecture to pass the time, the beastmen’s fight finally came to an end after a long battle.

A beastman with a wolf face grinned fiercely and said:

“The victors are our tribe!”

A new face appeared.

Just two of them.

Beatrice asked with a blank expression:

“…What about the bears and tigers?”

“It seems they exhausted each other fighting, and these guys jumped in, resulting in both sides losing.”

While I was focusing on Beatrice’s lecture, the bear and tiger beastmen had been laid out on the ground, possibly ambushed.

In the process, several wolf beastmen had also fallen on top of them.

So they all mutually destroyed each other, leaving just two.

“Is this the world of survival of the fittest?”

I sighed involuntarily.

And perhaps mistaking our disbelief for fear, one of the wolf beastmen shouted loudly:

“Are you already scared?! How weak! But don’t worry! We’ll specially give you the opportunity to train your body on the battlefield…”

“Is there any research suggesting beastmen are stupid?”

“I think there might have been.”

I nodded at Beatrice’s words.

I quietly changed my weapon to a halberd.

Beatrice turned her head to me and said:

“Should I go too?”

“No. Stay with Sia and guard the carriage, just in case.”

Based on a rough estimate, even if four times their number came, it would be mere warm-up.

They only managed to defeat the tigers and bears because they were exhausted from fighting each other; otherwise, these wolves wouldn’t have survived.

There was no need for Beatrice to move against such opponents.

It would be better to have her on guard against possible hidden enemies.

As I got down from the driver’s seat, the wolf beastmen shouted:

“If you don’t come at us, we’ll come to you…!”

The impatient wolf beastmen were rushing at me with swords.

And I saw one of them put a sword in his mouth and run on all fours like a real wolf.

‘Come to think of it, the first monsters I hunted were also two wolves.’

Those two wolves became spoils.

“This time, two wolves will become spoils again.”

I said as I swung my halberd.