Part 2, Episode 233.
Is it just me, or does that smile look a bit impure for some reason?
It is somehow strange to see him buried among women wearing short shorts with patterns that seem to be modeled after the characteristics of each animal and leather clothes that look like tank tops.
He wasn’t showing it, but it was visible to Dohyeon.
Those corners of the mouth twitching as they keep trying to stay up.
‘Hey, you aren’t thinking that’s why you were living in the Beastmen’s land, are you?’
It was just when I was beginning to doubt the true intention behind the initial admiration and praise for the beauty of nature.
“By the way, who is this person, Dran?”
“If Dran brought him, is he our friend?”
“You look young. If you’re young even though you’re human… have you lived for about 20 or 30 years?”
The blonde person next to him looks like he’s somewhere between two people.
“Introduce me to someone. And that strange-looking goblin, too.”
The beastmen, perhaps having caught Dohyeon’s eye belatedly, are showing interest.
Unlike its perked-up ears, its slightly lowered tail proved that it was simultaneously curious and wary.
When the beastmen thought that they would be caught immediately if they lied.
“Kieeek! I’m telling you, I’m not a weird-looking goblin! I have a name, Jihad!”
Did the beastkin think it was relatively safe?
Jihad, who had been hiding the whole time, flared up and shouted boldly.
The beastmen responded to Jihad’s correction nonchalantly.
“Right, I’m Jihad the strange-looking goblin. How old are you?”
Ahem! I’m 150 years older.
What? This little kid is the same age as my dad? It’s amazing that a goblin has lived this long.
-Kieeek! I’m telling you, it’s not just a goblin!
The beastmen lightly ignoring the frenzied Jihad and changing their target to Charlie.
“Who is the blonde next to you?”
I am younger than you guys. I am the Great Lord’s first sword.
“Heh. So that young-looking person is the lord? He must be quite something, unlike how he looks.”
“Hmm! If I were to list the achievements of my Lord, even talking for a whole day and night would not be enough. He is the one who dispelled the filthy abyss to bring light, the only one standing against the wicked god… and there even exist countless believers who follow him…”
The conversation with Charlie went in the opposite direction of jihad.
The beastmen, feeling uneasy about Charlie’s appearance as he listed and praised heroic tales with a stern and solemn face and with the utmost seriousness, just brushed it off.
“Oh, I see. That’s amazing.”
Yeah, yeah. I heard that clearly.
Hmm. I haven’t even told you a quarter of the story yet… but I believe this much is enough to understand the greatness of your Lord.
“Mm-hmm.”
Dohyeon let out a deep sigh as he watched Charlie, who was obliviously satisfied.
“…Why is the embarrassment always my burden?”
Can’t you see those drooping ears and the fur on the stand-up tail?
Everyone else has cool and taciturn divine beasts, so I wonder why all my guardians are like this.
Still, after talking for a while, I was able to figure it out.
That the beastkin are generally gentle.
“…Even though Dran brought him, is it really okay to let a human in?”
Humans are one thing, but this is the first time a goblin has set foot here.
The King will decide.
“but…….”
Of course, unlike the women who treated them warmly, the male beastkin kept their distance and showed wariness.
That is merely out of concern for the safety of the village.
It didn’t feel like it was showing hostility.
That must mean the trust the King of Power receives is that deep.
The only human to become a friend of the beastkin… …
He may have earned trust for a long time, but I suspect he must have done something significant for this village.
Above all… … .
Considering that the King of Power, who practically lives here, knows a lot about forgotten histories, couldn’t it be related to that?
It was when Dohyeon was making his own judgment.
Thump, thump.
The beastmen pricked up their ears and turned their heads at the sound of low footsteps.
As Dohyeon also shifted his gaze, he saw an old man approaching.
“I wondered why it was so noisy; our friend has brought a new guest.”
A dignified voice befitting a calm gait.
Unlike the young beastkin who were often exposed, he was dressed in shabby clothes that covered his entire body.
Pure white ears, impossible to guess what kind of animal they belonged to, were sticking up on top of his head, and his tail was not visible—whether it was hidden beneath his shabby uniform or simply did not exist in the first place.
Sseu.
He was a peculiar old man whose attire, resembling a village chief, felt somehow extraordinary.
As the old man approached, the beastmen, who had been busy chattering, all fell silent and bowed their heads in respect.
Then, men and women alike shout in unison.
I greet the King of the Beastmen.
At that, as Dohyeon’s eyes widened, a familiar notification rang in his ears.
[Encountered the Beast King, ‘Locante Herkan’.]
[It will be recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
“Greetings, guests of a friend. My name is Locante Hercan.”
It was the moment of encountering the Beast King.
* * *
Beast King
The king of the beastkin minority.
Some might say that being a king among a race that barely amounts to a few thousand people combined wouldn’t make much difference, but that was a naive remark.
Unlike humans, for other races, power is the most important virtue a king must possess.
Reigning as the king of a race is synonymous with being the strongest in that race.
Of course, there are exceptions like nymphs.
That is due to the special nature of the World Tree, along with the Queen possessing special abilities corresponding to it.
Most non-human races are not like that.
The majority included beastkin, and becoming king among them was not a trifling matter.
Because the physical abilities of the beastkin were outstanding even compared to all other races.
In particular, his mastered physical abilities and his senses as a beastman eventually created a mysterious ability…
-Beast Empathy
The realm of sixth sense that arises as the beast’s instinct reacts to external stimuli.
A special sensory ability born from an exceptional sense of smell.
Predictions stemming from an extraordinary perspective, or intuition derived from keen reflexes.
The response varies depending on the characteristics of the animal it possesses, and it evolves further the longer it has manifested.
The saying “survival of the fittest” truly applies to the Beastmen.
Details revealed through the testimony of the King of Power, the only one who communicates with the Beastmen, and the little information remaining about the Beastmen in history.
I can’t guess his age. If he looks like a distinguished old man, just how old is he?
At first glance, he looks older than the King of Power.
Considering that the average lifespan of beastkin is eight times that of humans, it meant they were roughly 700 years old.
When I recall the information that Beastmen develop Beast Empathy around the age of 50… … .
That’s strange.
However, there is absolutely no energy to be felt.
Since God of Savior is quite a realistic game, you can often feel a sense of intimidation and aura when you encounter a strong opponent.
The heavy pressure felt when facing the Sword Emperor or the King of Fist was part of that.
So, if it is a Beast King who has manifested Beast Empathy for over 600 years, one would expect to feel tremendous pressure…
I don’t feel any energy.
There was nothing like that for Suwang, who was sipping tea right in front of me.
Even though, after obtaining the Heavenly King’s True Energy, I came to feel the energy more intuitively.
What is it? I don’t sense even a hint of the energy that a living being is bound to exude from that old man.
Rizari. Riza.
Hmm…! I can’t feel anything either.
Even Jihad and Eliza, who are more sensitive to mana than anyone else, didn’t know.
The meaning of this was clear.
The fact that the Water King is personally gathering and controlling the energy to prevent it from leaking out.
It means that the ability to handle energy is at an unrivaled level.
Therefore, I have absolutely no sense of how strong he is compared to the King of Fist or the Sword Emperor.
But why is Eliza still in my arms?
She was quietly chiming in from the side, but when I asked her out of curiosity because she hadn’t actually come out of her pocket, Eliza answered immediately.
‘Liza… Liza.’
I still don’t understand, but I can tell that you look a bit downcast.
As I turned to the side, Jihad, whose eyes I met, translated for me as if he were used to it.
They say it’s a bit unsettling to look at that old man named Suwang because they don’t sense any energy from him. They say he doesn’t feel like a living being.
‘…okay?’
“Honestly, I kind of feel that way too. It’s clearly in front of me, but it feels like it’s not there?”
It’s not like it’s a ghost or anything.
“Oh, right! That’s exactly the feeling. Wow, the owner really knows exactly what I’m talking about!”
‘… … .’
I was just joking, but to think that was the most appropriate metaphor.
But now that I think about it…
Eliza’s withdrawn appearance certainly makes her look exactly like a child hiding behind a guardian on a dark street, afraid that a ghost might appear.
It was when he gently patted Eliza’s head, who was hiding in his bosom, with his index finger.
Does the tea not suit your taste?
“no.”
“Make yourself comfortable. A friend acknowledged by Dran is also a friend to us beastmen.”
How long have you two known each other?
Suwang answered Dohyeon’s question slowly, as if retracing his memories.
“Hmm, you mean this friend? It’s been about 40 years, I think?”
It was around that time. They exploited me so much just because I was the only one who could communicate with the beastkin… I shouldn’t have saved you back then.
“This guy. Saved? Who did he save? He managed to get out on his own.”
“If that were the case, a war between races would have broken out.”
“I can’t deny it. Haha.”
The anecdote told like that was quite interesting.
It is said that the King of Power at the time, who could still be considered middle-aged—though he is still somewhat like that now—had a personality that, to put it nicely, was sociable, and to put it not so nicely, was very nosy.
In pursuit of freedom, I wandered the world, forming friendships with various different races.
“Among them were a different race called the Leta tribe, and they were very sensitive about their territory. I was on my way to get a free drink for the first time in a while. Those guys are incredible at drinking.”
If the beastkin were half-human, half-beast, they could be described as a race that felt like a mix of humans and dwarves.
One of the quite powerful races, with outstanding weaponry and dexterity.
They are a species that rarely reveals itself to the world and lives in hiding, so almost nothing is known about them…
Just how sociable is this guy?
The same goes for the Beastmen and the Leta tribe; if that could be considered an ability, then so be it.
If it elicits admiration, it elicits admiration.
Dohyeon also focused on the two people’s continuing explanation.
