Chapter 472: Sheep, Shepherd, Herd Shepherd

There’s such a thing as a boundary line.

Not one intentionally drawn by someone, but a green line created by nature’s grand design.

At a certain altitude, tall trees can hardly survive.

Low temperatures, thin air, and a lack of water, due to a complex combination of factors caused by the high altitude, survival rates plummet.

Plants are social in their own way; if no similar vegetation exists nearby, they wither out of loneliness.

The empty space left by the tall trees is filled by short grasses.

The wild grass, once suppressed beneath towering trees, stretches wide and spreads its roots.

They flourish in their own little world, competing for height.

And so the boundary line is drawn with care, over long years.

If there were such a long, stretched-out line, I might want to hum a tune and walk along it.

But I may be sentimental, not stupid.

A human walking along a boundary line across an open plateau where not even a single tree grows, nothing could be more conspicuous.

Viltear, telling me to walk along the boundary, was clearly hoping I’d be noticed.

But there’s no way I’d do that.

Even without mind reading, I know better than to leave the trees and walk over open grass.

So I carefully walked just below the boundary line, within the cover of the trees, always ready to dive underground if any beast appeared.

After walking endlessly, I finally saw a peak in the distance, shrouded in clouds.

It was as if the clouds had decided to rest there, blocked by a cliff after climbing the slope, letting out a weary sigh.

Normally I’d marvel at the view, but now I stayed hidden and examined the peak closely.

“That must be the summit where the “shepherd dog” Collie lives.”

Sure enough, I could see faint specks in the distance.

A white mass spread as wide as the clouds, and shadows of people poking up between them.

Vampires, humans, and the flocks they tended.

“Shepherd dog, huh. So a dog that tends to people? A flock and a shepherd… and maybe a shepherd-herder too.”

From what I’d read, Collie the Shepherd Dog was an Ancilla belonging to Elder Lunken.

A canine beastkin of a famous bloodline, and unusually intelligent even for one of her kind.

In short, an upgraded version of Azzy.

I couldn’t tell much about her strengths or weaknesses based on what others thought of her.

But one thing was certain:

I can’t beat her.

I barely managed to win against Neonate, and now you want me to face an Ancilla?

Even the Six Star Generals can’t easily kill one; at best, they eke out a judgment win.

I’d be lucky to lose by default and walk away.

“Which is why I need to avoid being seen if I can…”

Suddenly, I felt a chill and instinctively crouched low.

Not from learned experience, but from a primal sense of danger buried deep within me.

Half-buried in the earth with Earthweave, I lifted only my head to peer out.

On the opposite side of the peak, a wide open plain.

There, several beasts floated slightly above the ground, prowling.

I studied their shapes.

“…Wolves.”

Not all animals are hostile to humans.

But wolves always are.

As if all their friendliness had been taken by their half-brothers, the dogs.

I held my breath and hid until the wolves disappeared from sight.

They lingered a while, watching the peak, then moved off somewhere.

Only once I was sure they were far enough did I let out a relieved sigh.

“Phew, that was close. If I’d run into them on the plain without Earthweave, I’d be toast.”

Thanks to Earthweave, I could at least sense trouble in advance and hide.

If I sensed it in time.

The problem is, I can’t read the minds of beasts.

A wolf could ambush me from the brush.

It could obsessively watch the ground I burrowed into for days.

Or just bite my limbs off before I could even use my magic.

Wolves have been mankind’s greatest threat since ancient times.

And to me, the King of Humans, they’re no different.

“Ugh… Crossing the mountain really is a huge risk. The mountain itself is dangerous, and there’s the vampire patrols and wild beasts… too many threats to count.”

I considered digging through the mountain instead… but that’s practically impossible.

Even with Earthweave, it would take at least a month, and navigation underground is hard.

Worse, there are hidden threats down there too.

If I hit an aquifer, I’d drown underground.

If the tunnel collapsed, they’d find a fossilized King of Humans someday.

“But even that’s better than a border guarded by an Elder.”

Of course, I didn’t come unprepared.

The Duchy isn’t a densely populated country.

They don’t invest heavily in raising beasts, have little motivation to grow stronger, and their environment makes it hard for exceptional humans to be born.

But occasionally, a spirited individual with Unique Magic emerges, like Lyre Nightingale.

So what would such a talented person do in the Duchy?

Only two choices: become a vampire, or escape.

Surely, there were those who tried to escape.

My job was to follow the paths the ancient wise ones had once walked, or learn from their failures.

“There must be a reason that Ancilla is playing shepherd near the border. That must be a hotspot for escape attempts. It won’t be easy to sneak through, but if I hide well enough, it might be simple.”

Shepherds live alone, but not in isolation.

There must be a village nearby serving as a base.

I’m not as good at blending in with people as Hilde, but I can manage.

It’s an improvised plan, but not a bad one.

Praising myself, I headed toward the nearest village.

“Woof! Woof!”

…Of course, I should’ve been more careful.

A large dog stared at me and barked loudly.

With proud dark brown fur and bared teeth, the only difference from a wolf was that it hadn’t bitten me yet.

Damn it.

I can read people’s minds, not dogs’.

I didn’t think I’d hit such a major roadblock this soon.

“Grrr…”

“Good boy, hey there. Can you recognize me? I’m human. Your friend, the human.”

“Grrrr…”

“Even if I’m unfamiliar, I’m not your enemy. I won’t hurt you. I’m your friend. Yes, you are a good boy.”

“Grrrr…”

I relaxed my expression and kept sending peaceful messages with a gentle smile.

The dog gradually lowered its guard and slowly approached, sniffing me to check if I was a threat.

Seems like a friendly one.

Well, it is a dog after all.

Having avoided being mauled, I cautiously continued bonding.

“Brownie? Where’d you go?”

Of course.

A dog wouldn’t be out here alone.

A voice called out from a short distance away.

The dog immediately bolted back to its owner without looking back.

Its wagging tail made it the picture of a loyal hound.

“Why are you running off like that? Is someone there?”

So I’ve been spotted.

Not good.

I prefer encounters I initiate.

But now’s not the time to be picky.

I revealed myself to the dog’s owner, a young shepherd boy.

He wore a large hat and carried a staff.

Seeing me, he tensed.

A mere child isn’t a problem… but that dog is.

I don’t want to find out how vicious a shepherd dog can get.

I’d become the test subject.

Sensing its master’s unease, the dog bared its teeth again.

Before the boy could speak, I greeted him.

“Hey there, kid. Is this…”

Using Mind Reading to gauge his thoughts, I raised both hands and kept my distance as I asked gently.

“…where Miss Collie lives? I came to see her on urgent business. Could you tell me how to get there?”

“Lady Collie? Why?”

Now, let’s see…

It’s better to use truth than lies when deceiving people.

Rather than forging a non-existent ace of spades, it’s easier to show two hearts and let them think it’s a pair.

Even with a child, I hold nothing back.

Adopting a serious expression, I whispered to the boy.

“Ms. Viltear, sent me. A fugitive appeared in the village.”

“A fugitive?”

“Yes. A stranger came, asked for food, and when refused, he snuck in and stole provisions. So the chief sent me to report it. No one’s better at catching suspicious people than Miss Collie.”

To him, I was the suspicious one.

Even though the village and this area didn’t interact often, he’d at least seen familiar faces.

I was a completely new one.

So I made up a fugitive and pretended to be chasing him, to redirect suspicion away from myself.

The boy thought for a moment, then asked,

“A fugitive? When?”

“Not long ago. It happened just last night.”

“Really…? That’s strange.”

“What is?”

My fake fugitive ploy had worked.

The boy had no time to doubt me, overwhelmed by the growing mystery in his heart.

He tilted his head and said,

“But the fugitive’s already been caught. Lady Collie took them to the outpost.”

“…What?”

I’m the fugitive.

I’m the one being chased.

Now it was my turn to tilt my head.

What’s the most important skill a shepherd must have?

The ability to communicate with animals?

Strength to fend off wolves?

Stamina to run across fields with sheep?

All necessary.

But the most crucial is something else: the ability to endure boredom in the midst of beasts.

The boy, still in training, already had that talent.

He spun elaborate stories with every question I asked.

At this level, he could survive months alone without going crazy.

Walking to the village with the boy’s guidance, I gleaned a surprising truth by reading his thoughts.

“There’s a bounty?”

“Yep! They said the fugitive escaped the Plenilune Castle right during tide, with all the Elders and the Progenitor gathered. It was a miraculous escape! He committed a huge crime, so the Crimson Duke ordered for the fugitive captured alive, to be given unimaginable pain!”

That has to be a lie, right?

They wouldn’t really kill me… right?

“Who brought that news?”

“The Crimson Duke’s herald! They were so cool and amazing! Came like the wind and vanished just as fast!”

The Duchy’s governance felt slapdash, but Valdamir’s punch was fast and sharp.

I did my best to flee, and yet the herald had already come and gone.

I probed further.

“This fugitive Miss Collie caught… was it the guy from the village?”

“If you said it happened last night, then no. The village was in a commotion the night before.”

“Really…? That’s odd.”

Could it have been Hilde?

No, she was with me that night.

Maybe someone else tried to escape during the night tide when the border was lax.

“What did they look like?”

“Dunno. I was herding sheep at the time, so I didn’t see well. But Lady Collie ran off in a hurry and came back exhausted, then sent us away. Must’ve been a tough opponent.”

A tough opponent… against an Ancilla… in this foggy Duchy?

Who could it be?

Besides Hilde and me, there’s no one that strong…

The boy asked me back.

“What about your village? What happened there?”

“The fugitive sneaked in and stole food. Got caught by Chief Viltear, and they fought.”

“They fought? With the chief?”

The idea of a fight excited the boy.

Eyes sparkling, he asked more questions, so I spun my tale with flair.

He listened with fascination, as if watching the battle unfold before his eyes.

“Really?! The chief lost?”

“Yep. We all thought she’d win, but when we went back, the fugitive had tied her up and calmly walked away.”

And that fugitive… was me.

The boy murmured in shock.

“To think the chief can lose, even if it’s during the day…”

“True. That fugitive was impressive. Beat the chief, even if it’s daylight.”

Drunk on my own growing strength, I spoke proudly.

But the boy shouted back, not to be outdone.

“But Lady Collie is the strongest! Chief Viltear is a Neonate, but Lady Collie is an Ancilla! That fugitive is nothing but a thrown bone to Lady Collie!”

“That’s the problem.”

“Huh?”

Exactly. I barely beat Neonate, how the hell can I escape an Ancilla?

Clicking my tongue, I urged the puzzled boy.

“So, when do we reach the village?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Woof!”

Brownie barked, raising his head.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

“Brownie? What’s wrong?”

“Woof! Woof!”

He was excited, running around. Totally different from when he barked at me.

Tail wagging, unable to contain his joy.

The boy panicked.

“What’s with him?”

“Woof woof!”

“Woof!”

Flap-flap.

Soon after, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed, and a dog darted out from the distance, coming to a stop right in front of Brownie.

Brownie, who had barked ferociously at me just moments ago, now lowered his ears and body in a welcoming posture as if nothing had happened.

Even dogs have a hierarchy.

Instinctively recognizing the other as the alpha, Brownie submitted and lowered himself.

“Brownie? Who is that? Did you found a new friend?”

The boy felt a pang of betrayal at the overly submissive posture, but it wasn’t necessary.

Unlike humans, it’s only natural for a dog to submit to the King of Dogs.

But my question was something else entirely.

“What are you doing here?”

“Woof? It’s so good to see you! So good!”

Receiving Brownie’s submission, Azzy came bounding over with her tail wagging.

Though we’d been apart for quite some time, she approached me as if that time had simply been cut and pasted away.

Without a moment’s delay, she rubbed her face against the hem of my pants.

Dogs that hate people are a problem, but so are those that love them.

Either way, they’ll always rush over to humans first.

Like it or not, getting spotted is inevitable.

“What? You two know each other?”

“No, it’s just…”

A dog beastkin may look like a dog, but isn’t.

However, Azzy, while resembling a beastkin, is simply a dog.

To me, she was just a dog happily greeting me after a long time.

But to the boy, it looked like some beastkin was circling around me.

Eyes wide with shock, the boy pressed for answers.

But before I could offer any kind of excuse—

Another howl came from behind Azzy.