Ch.403Chapter 403 – Before Heading to the Snowy Field (3)

A human can become the Beast King.

Noah’s words momentarily silenced everyone around him.

“Even so, I don’t think the beastkin would accept a human becoming the Beast King,” Beatrice quietly asked.

Noah smiled and replied, “Is that so?”

“Yeah. There’s a matter of pride, you know? Most beastkin have superior physical abilities compared to humans. Even if someone is stronger than them, I don’t think they’d want to acknowledge a human as their king.”

Beatrice looked at Noah.

“Besides, because of the old slavery system, beastkin still don’t have a favorable view of humans, right?”

“That’s correct. Even now, there are beastkin who call for revenge, remembering those times.”

Noah continued to smile as he spoke. Then, narrowing his eyes, he added:

“Even so, ultimately, strength is justice in this place. If someone is strong enough, they’ll suppress any complaints and eventually all beastkin will acknowledge them as Beast King. Above all, there’s a strict order that the previous Beast King gave to all beastkin.”

“The previous Beast King? Springheart?”

Sia asked Noah, who nodded and replied:

“The previous Beast King once gathered beastkin from all tribes, demonstrated her power, and demanded they follow her command: that the next king would be the strongest, as has always been the case. That becoming strong transcends species. And she set the condition that they must be acknowledged by all beastkin.”

Noah took a breath before continuing.

“And along with that, she issued one more command.”

“What was it?”

“She declared that any order given by the Beast King in their own name is absolute. And Springheart, in her own name, commanded that the beastkin of Bestia should become fangs that would tear apart any enemy at the Beast King’s command. Even if that enemy were a god.”

After finishing, Noah playfully showed his teeth.

“I think she mentioned gods just for dramatic effect.”

“I see.”

Noah said this, but Springheart had been a member of the former hero’s party. I didn’t think she would have left those words without reason, and I had one question.

“But she’s dead now, right? Bluntly speaking, what if they just don’t follow her words?”

Springheart was already deceased. I heard she had no children either. It seemed like her words could simply be ignored if necessary.

But Noah grinned and said:

“If someone quietly ignored it alone, that might work… but if they voiced it openly, other tribes wouldn’t stand for it. For other tribes, it would be a perfect excuse to attack that tribe. ‘How dare you try to disobey the former Beast King’s command? That’s right, we’ll attack you!’ Something like that.”

“And even within the same tribe, not everyone would follow suit. Rather, internal enemies would spring up saying, ‘No matter what, these are the former Beast King’s words!'”

Sonya added that quite a number of tribes had disappeared after trying to ignore Springheart’s words.

“I can guarantee that even the Lizardmen, who are doing well these days, can’t just say ‘We don’t care about the former Beast King’s words!’ They’d be stabbed in the back immediately.”

“Even if all of Bestia’s great warriors thought that way, the situation would be similar. Other beastkin would use it as an excuse to attack endlessly. Since beastkin include both diurnal and nocturnal species, they literally wouldn’t be able to sleep and would eventually die fighting the beastkin who became their enemies.”

Noah spoke in an eerie voice as if trying to scare us. Of course, no one was frightened.

“By the way, what happens to tribes that are invaded by other tribes? I mean, in cases where they said, ‘Who cares about the former Beast King’s words?'”

“The results vary each time, so I can’t give a definitive answer. The best outcome so far has been becoming slaves to another tribe.”

Being treated as slaves was the best-case scenario. It wasn’t hard to imagine the outcome in worse cases.

“By the way, isn’t the condition of ‘acknowledgment from all beastkin’ almost impossible?”

“Honestly, yes. Currently, everyone interprets it as needing recognition from all remaining beastkin tribal chiefs and great warriors… but getting acknowledgment from all of them would be difficult, right?”

Noah said with a smile.

“Beastkin of Bestia hate it when someone stronger lords over them. The strong define justice, and surviving means you’re strong. That’s why Bestia has been without a king until now. Those who tried to become king died without exception. If someone were a descendant of the former Beast King Springheart, things might be different, but since she left no heirs, there’s no candidate everyone could reasonably accept.”

A hero who once saved the world by defeating the Demon King in the Demon War. If someone were a descendant of that hero’s companion, and if that descendant were strong, other beastkin might acknowledge them as king.

But Springheart left no descendants. Therefore, there was no candidate everyone could reasonably accept.

“Since there hasn’t been anyone who became Beast King for a long time, the position of great warrior has become a substitute for beastkin to prove their tribe’s and their own strength.”

“And they keep fighting over it. Sometimes even resorting to underhanded tactics.”

“Fortunately, that doesn’t happen often. If someone wins through underhanded means, other beastkin would look down on them for being weak and challenge them. By the way, both Baren and Lizanis became great warriors by fighting fair and square.”

Noah added that when they ascended to the position of great warrior, they received a certain degree of recognition from other tribes.

However, they were only acknowledged as great warriors. Since neither was recognized as the strongest, naturally neither had ever been considered for Beast King.

After all, Baren had lost to Lizanis and had his position taken.

“Hearing all this, should we consider Springheart responsible for Bestia becoming like this?”

“I can’t say she isn’t.”

While beastkin nature played a role, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Springheart’s decision not to leave any descendants had accelerated this place’s deterioration.

At the same time, I wondered why she had made such a choice.

“Why didn’t Springheart leave any descendants?”

“There are several theories. The most prominent one is that Springheart actually admired the hero who saved her, but the hero loved someone else, so they couldn’t be together. When he left with the person he loved, she spent her life longing for him.”

Noah raised his index finger and continued:

“Another theory is that she had some intention.”

“What kind of intention?”

“That she wanted to pass the power of Bestia to the strongest person she could imagine.”

Noah said with a smile.

“The strongest person she could imagine?”

“The hero.”

Noah narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

“Think about it. From Springheart’s perspective, having been enslaved by demons, wouldn’t the hero be the strongest person in this world?”

“If that hero or someone comparable came to Bestia…”

“They would become Beast King. Because they’re strong.”

Noah spoke as if it were nothing special.

“Of course, there’s the question of whether others would acknowledge them if they weren’t beastkin, but who knows? Maybe the other beastkin tribes, having no strong connection to any particular tribe, would simply agree to make that person Beast King?”

“…They might at least pause their inter-tribal pride battles. Instead, they might fight behind the scenes? With thoughts like, ‘Please make my daughter your queen.'”

Sia spoke in a languid voice, imagining the scene.

“So if someone is as strong as the hero, they could potentially take control of Bestia.”

“That’s right.”

That’s apparently why there was a theory that Springheart wanted to hand Bestia over to the hero.

“Still, if someone else could become king, this interpretation seems a bit far-fetched… Maybe the hero wasn’t that strong…”

“That might be a matter of faith? The belief that if another hero appears like the one who saved her, it would be entirely possible.”

Noah said with a smile.

“Well, these are just speculations among us. Maybe she had no particular thoughts, or maybe all of this is true. Only Springheart knows the truth.”

After saying this, Noah smiled at me and asked:

“What do you think?”

“I’m not sure.”

It’s not like I’ve actually seen Springheart. If it were a living member of the hero’s party, like Lumen, they might be able to give an answer closer to the truth, but only Springheart would know her own thoughts.

“Since it doesn’t matter to someone who has no interest in becoming Beast King, it’s not something to overthink.”

It was only worth considering for someone who wanted to become Beast King; otherwise, there was no reason to think about it. So I answered lightly.

Still, there was one phrase that bothered me.

‘Fangs that would tear apart even a god.’

Considering the god I was unintentionally competing with for survival, it was a statement I couldn’t ignore.

‘How much did Springheart know?’

Or even if she didn’t know, did she sense something?

That part made me curious.

“Indeed. If you have no intention of becoming king, then it doesn’t matter…”

Noah seemed curious about something else.

“Hmm, I’m curious, so let me ask. If you had the opportunity to become king, what would you do?”

Noah asked with narrowed eyes. I answered him honestly.

“The throne is too big a chair for me to sit on.”

“You mean you’re not capable of being king? Or even if the opportunity arose, you wouldn’t take the throne? Which is it?”

“The latter.”

I looked at Noah as I spoke.

“A king must consider all of his people and subjects. It’s a position that requires taking responsibility for all the affairs of the nation.”

After taking a slight breath, I continued.

“Someone who doesn’t understand the weight of the word ‘responsibility’ shouldn’t consider sitting there.”

Feeling Sia’s quiet gaze on me, I continued.

“And there will be someone else better suited for that position. To be honest, I think I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

I quietly told Noah.

“And honestly, rather than sitting in such a heavy position, I prefer living peacefully with the people I care about.”

“You’re modest.”

“Unfortunately, my capacity isn’t great enough to be responsible for everyone.”

After saying that, I smiled slightly at Noah and added:

“But I’m confident I can give everything to the people who stay with me.”

I noticed Eve clearing her throat slightly, Sarah turning her gaze away, and Chris quietly folding her hands.

While I was inwardly flustered, wondering if I’d said something inappropriate for the mood, Noah smiled and asked:

“Then an additional question. If it were for those people you love, could you sit on the throne?”

That’s a bit of an unfair question. But you know…

“I’m quite greedy.”

I said, looking at Noah.

“For the sake of those precious to me,”

“I’m prepared to pay any price.”

From the moment I wore the dragon armor at the cost of my lifespan.

My answer was already decided.

+

The time had come.

Somnus, who had been fiddling with his prosthetic arm, realized that the moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

“You’re finally awakening.”

Taking his eyes off his prosthetic arm, Somnus looked at the cylinder in front of him.

The muscular man inside with long white hair moved his hand slightly.

The next moment, he clenched his fist and released magical and divine power.

“Eek.”

Quickly using divine magic to protect himself, Somnus smiled.

Even amid the terrifying explosion, he didn’t lose his smile as he stared in one direction.

Eventually, as the explosion subsided and what was inside came out, Somnus spoke with a gentle smile as if he had laid down all burdens:

“The seed of the true hero has finally sprouted.”

With Somnus’s words, the man standing before him underwent a transformation.

Light gathered and became his clothing, then armor was layered on top.

The white-haired man looked at the armor with white eyes, and Somnus addressed him with a smile:

“How does it feel to wear the hero’s armor, Lord Idea?”

“…It’s light.”

Idea said, looking down at his arms in wonder.

Looking at the perfectly fitted silver armor, Idea spoke quietly.

Then Somnus bowed his head and said:

“To make it recognize you as its master, I had to alter its properties slightly, but it seems to be fine.”

“Yes.”

After saying this, Idea looked at Somnus.

Somnus quietly stepped back.

And instead, two girls who looked exactly like Kara appeared, holding swords.

Idea silently stared at the swords, which emanated both holy and ominous energy, then quietly reached out his hand.

And he grasped the sword.

“It’s done.”

Idea said, lifting the sword lightly.

And Somnus looked at Idea with a smile.

“The hero’s sword has also recognized you as its next master.”

“It’s not complete. But I’m confident it will soon be mine.”

Idea said with an expressionless face.

“By not complete, you mean…”

“Awakening.”

Idea said without even glancing at Somnus.

“It’s probably because I haven’t fully awakened as a hero.”

Still, using it is possible.

Satisfied with that fact for now, Idea soon muttered as if talking to himself:

“What remains is the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“With that, we can proceed with the hero’s awakening ceremony, and finally everything will be complete.”

Somnus said, spreading his arms.

“Then, after many long years, a second hero will be born.”

Somnus said, narrowing his eyes.

Idea stared at Somnus for a moment, then closed his eyes.

Magical and divine power were emanating from his body.

After concentrating for a while to fully master the power that was about to become his, Idea opened his eyes slightly and looked at Somnus.

“Now that I have this body, I finally understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Why the hero became dramatically stronger immediately after completing his awakening.”

Looking at Somnus, Idea continued:

“Literally, his body was too weak, so he could only be in an incomplete state. If his body had been whole enough to handle this power, if he had been in a state where he could be aware of this power, he should have had this level of strength even without awakening.”

“Correct. There was a reason the hero could stand against the Demon King, who rivaled the gods. Namely…”

Somnus spoke as if intrigued, but soon smiled apologetically and said:

“I’m sorry. I got excited on my own about something you already understand.”

“It’s fine.”

Idea quietly said.

“Well, to put it simply, those who came from another world, similar to the hero, had much weaker bodies compared to the people here. And perhaps because they had no concept of magical and divine power, they had bodies that couldn’t perceive that power. In other words, people from another world had bodies unsuitable for the hero’s power.”

“That’s why you conducted those body modification experiments.”

Quietly clenching his fist, Idea soon looked at Somnus and asked:

“Where is he?”

“Who do you mean?”

“K.”

Idea said quietly.

“Where is he?”

“…That test subject is currently in Bestia. I suspect he might enter the snow field.”

Somnus said that if he were hiding, that would be the place.

“…But no matter how much we searched, he wasn’t there…”

“There must have been a reason you couldn’t find him.”

Idea said coldly.

“Let’s go. We need to retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“Yes.”

Somnus answered with a gentle smile.

And as if escorting them, Valkyries with faces resembling Kara began to follow the two, soon joined by eight more Valkyries.

With ten Valkyries escorting them like guards, they began to leave the laboratory where they had been.

And as Idea moved for quite some time, something familiar came into his view.

“So it was here.”

Idea’s old body.

After being damaged beyond repair in the Kingdom of Florence, his old body had been carelessly abandoned. Idea looked down at it for a moment.

“What would you like to do with that?”

Somnus asked with a smile.

Without a word, Idea approached his old body and reached out his hand.

And the moment his hand touched that body.

Magical power gathered in Idea’s arm and was released, turning his old body to dust from the impact.

“You’re not keeping it?”

“I don’t need it.”

Idea said coldly.

“To become a complete being,”

“I’m prepared to discard anything.”

Idea’s answer was already decided.