Chapter 586 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

I'm not prejudiced, but you can usually tell how someone has lived just by looking at them. Even in this remote area, the crisp, starched white shirt and neatly pressed suit stand out at first glance. Following them are triangular ears protruding above sleek black bobbed hair. At first, one might think he's a beastman, yet there's no tail, another characteristic of beastmen. Neatly dressed and well-groomed, something the jungle's savages wouldn't dream of. Surely, a person who's tasted civilization. You can tell just from their posture how educated they are. Once again, I'm not prejudiced, just stating the facts. "The Baskerville family? What brings you here?" "Huh? You know us?" In an instant, a blue flash darted, and suddenly the beastman in formal attire stood before me. With those blue eyes, he's certainly a Baskerville. "I've heard of you. You're famous as the royal watchdogs, aren't you?" Far away in the Empire, there's the concept of 'watchdog families'. To put it simply, they're beastman butlers. They're sensitive, brave, and fiercely loyal, trained in manners and martial arts to serve as bodyguards, butlers, and emotional companions. It's hard to understand the tastes of those in power. Wanting to use people as watchdogs passed down through their family? How perverse. What? You say it's like what I did with Azzy? No way. Azzy's a dog. Anyhow, the Baskerville family mastered exceptional martial arts and became loyal hunting dogs, and through their efforts, someone who attained enlightenment emerged. That's Blanca Baskerville, the head of the Baskerville family. She looked me up and down and answered. "-Woof. Not anymore." "Huh? You retired?" "You know of us but don't know our current status. You're not from the Empire, are you? Are you from the Kingdom?" "It's been some time since it became the Military State." "That's right. A person from the Military State. Otherwise, you wouldn't have corrected me." Caught. Not that I intended to hide it anyway. "Aww. Maximilien is currently out. Do you want to leave a message? I'll pass it on." "I don't have any business with him. It's these people who have something for the witch." "This isn't the witch's house, much less a detective agency." "What we need is paper. I offered to relay their requests if they write them down." "You sure are taking on a hassle. Is serving others a hobby?" "Yes. It's a hobby, not work." "Woof. I'm jealous." Blanca Baskerville chuckled lightly and retrieved paper and pen from the desk drawer. I took them and handed them over to the folks waiting outside. "Alright, line up and write down your name and request for the witch! No cutting in line!" "Write? Words?" "But I don't know how to write." "I can write, so I'll do it for you!" People swarmed in one direction. After managing the crowd, I slipped back inside the pavilion and asked naturally. "Are you the master of all things?" Blanca paused, perhaps surprised, and then met my eyes, responding. "I thought you knew." "Seems like I guessed right." "Where did you hear?" "I'm a friend of Maximilien." "Aww. So you did know." In a way, it was a natural conclusion. Nevida created the master of all things, and Maximilien sown the seed in the Military State. If those two based themselves around the Tree of Origin, it would be natural for the master of all things to be there too. Moreover, the Tree of Origin is a breathtaker where all kinds of plants grow — providing supplies and funding without hesitation. "That's right. Woof. I am the master of all things." "I heard that the master of all things is a society of beastman supremacists." "…Aw. Are you implying that a mere beastman like me can't be the master of all things?" "It’s not how, but why you're the master of all things I'm curious about. You could be celebrated anywhere, so why here?" "You're good with words, woof." Well, of course. Those lacking physical prowess should at least use words deftly to manage their meager existence. Blanca stepped aside slightly as if inviting me in, and I proceeded without hesitation. "Discrimination against beastmen isn’t the aim of our society. Though I can't deny many believe so." "Then what's your objective?" "Our goal is to find the king of humans, a being stronger, wiser, and more magnificent than any beast." "And what’ll you do once found?" "That might differ for each person." Major Ebon, who visited Tantalus, wanted to ask the king of humans if beastmen counted as humans too, while Maximilien sought to establish his mechanical innovations on principles aligned with humanity. "Why do you seek the king of humans?" Though a sudden question, Blanca answered me willingly. "Aww. The mere existence of the king of humans would suffice." "Is it enough just for them to exist?" "Yes. If they're the king of humans, they'd surely become my master." "Master? Are you searching for the king of humans because you need a master?" "Everyone has different reasons, woof. Some people in this world need a master." What a peculiar reason. For the Baskerville family, who once served the emperor, aren't satisfied with an emperor now? Wrapping her arms around her knees, Blanca gazed at me and asked, "Otherwise, would you become my master?" "I already am." "Aha. You're full of sweet words. Where'd you learn that?" "I'm not joking." I am the king of humans. The master you've been looking for. "Sorry. You won't do." "Why ask if you won't go for it! Pointlessly exciting!" "If the king of humans weren’t there, you might've sufficed. But not now. Maximilien claimed to have found the king of humans. So for now, I'm not looking for a master." "Why does it have to be the king of humans?" I asked, seeking clarity on the necessity of such a title. Blanca rose from her chair, a glint in her blue eyes as she replied, "Isn't it obvious?" "If it's the king of humans, unlike the wolf's king, they would bring down that lofty and arrogant Empire," she continued, her eyes fixed on the vast civilization built across the Mediterranean and the great forest on the other side of the continent. The Archwitch wishing to destroy the great forest, Blanca desiring the downfall of the Empire — everyone here seems to want something on the other side of the continent to crumble. Perhaps that's why they gather here on the opposite end. "You want to erase your previous master and find a new one? To paint over what's already there?" I inquired. "Yes. But, you wouldn’t do such a thing, would you?" Blanca sniffed the air slowly, her beastlike senses far superior to humans, exceptionally honed by those with martial arts training. She picked up the familiar metallic scent that lingered. "The same group that blocked us at Ende. Woof." Ende? The city of beastmen attacked by the wolf king. Why does she mention.... Ah, right. The Baskervilles conducted raids on Ende, didn't they? I had a sense of familiarity but didn't connect the dots, since I had never directly crossed paths with the Baskervilles. "You must be the mage from Ende," she observed. "Quite bold, coming to see me openly." The air about Blanca surged with intensity. I scratched my chin, replying, "It's not bravery; I honestly forgot about it." "Are you saying the defeated are not worth remembering?" "And yet, you didn't recognize me at first either. After all, this is our first meeting." I discern others through mind-reading. Since you didn't recognize me, I wasn’t consciously aware either. You figured it out by the scent of the Regressor, not me. "You only heard about me, and I only heard about you," I continued, "I was quite distracted when the woodland lord came and annihilated an entire legion afterward. Do we really need to engage in conflict here?" Blanca drew a delighted yet puzzled expression as she noticed my bound arms. "Looks like your companion is injured. Should I let this chance slip?" "An opportunity requires context. Why do you think I'm here? Who inflicted those wounds? Why was I spared even after incurring them?" Her smile widened, and the shadow of a pitch-black dog loomed behind her. "If you ask for the reasons, you lose the prey. You should chase it down and bite it first." An azure flame surged with shocking speed, striking my chest before I could brace myself, sending me airborne in the chair. The roaring wind as my body, now a battering ram, crashed through the pavilion's door resounded in my ears. Bursting through the door was an overly dramatic entrance. The unexpected commotion attracted a crowd, including the Regressor who was waiting idly outside. "Hughes! What's happening?!" "Woof. You seem severely injured. What brings you here?" Hearing Blanca's voice, the Regressor halted. As Blanca approached with a wary stance, she joyfully noted the Regressor's restrained arms. "Oh dear. Your arms are unusable. Who did this to you?" "Blanca Baskerville…!" "Ah, yes. It's me. Quite a different situation from when we parted." "Tch!" 'She's not someone to face without weapons or martial arts! I must move, even if it's desperate! I need either Tienying or at least some geartools!' The Regressor ground her teeth so fiercely that even I could hear it. The more energy she expended and the more she tried to manipulate her martial arts, the greater the excruciating pain. Despite feeling her body tear apart, she forced her martial arts into motion. Barely healed muscles were forcefully stitched together with martial arts. Her hastily mended body creaked under her unyielding urging. 'Or else Hughes will die!' "It's unfortunate, struggling with unsound arms," Blanca sympathized, but it was futile. Blanca, a master in martial arts, was an opponent unlikely to be bested even in perfect condition. With the lingering aftermath of her torn arms, without Tienying or geartools, victory was unattainable. Blanca, too, gauged the Regressor's predicament at a glance, expressing only faint regret. "But I can't consider the prey's circumstances, woof…." Yet, suddenly, she noted an oddity about the Regressor. Inspecting her face closely, Blanca tilted her head in confusion. "The scent's the same, but... you're a woman now?" "I had a bit of an incident with Nevida." "Aw. That's unfortunate." "Incident? What do you mean, incident! Want to die?!" she snapped fiercely. Referring to the discarded Agartha mask, wasn't she?