1062. Kaat
Let’s go back.
Encred did not want such a title. Yet, he could not clear up the misunderstanding here either.
The journey was not short, but on the way back, Topi became quite agitated, and as a result, his past with Dunbakel suddenly came out.
Were you originally part of the Presbyterian Church?
At first, Dunbakel asked.
Don’t you remember me?
Toffee looked at Dunbakel with his glass-like yellow eyes and asked back.
“who?”
It was obvious at a glance that the two were of similar age. Encred took a close look at Tofi’s face.
Soft white fur grew on his face, and his eyes were yellow. The faint blood seeping through the bandage indicated that his wound was not light.
His eyes, though the excitement had subsided, still held a subtle warmth.
He had just eliminated an enemy that threatened the city and his entire family. Especially since the Beastmen were people who grew up with the entire city like one big family.
So, it would have been strange if he weren’t excited. He
must have been dying to run over right now and tell everyone that he had killed the sea serpent monster.
If anyone didn’t believe him, he would shout for them to quickly cross the cave and check the sea serpent’s carcass.
Anyway, Tofi, whose voice was still slightly excited despite having calmed down a bit, continued speaking.
“Topi, you used to tease me the most when we were little, saying I was a rabbit shapeshifter and a coward. You used to shove foul-smelling grass up my nose in the middle of the night, throw me into a burrow, and watch from behind as I cried trying to find my way.”
“……So that rabbit shapeshifter has grown into a hero.”
Dunbakel feigned a look of pride. The Beastman, who had been the embodiment of vengeance just moments ago, had shaken off all traces of his emotions in such a short while.
In a way, wasn’t this a moment more mysterious than a spell?
The human heart, especially wounds received in childhood, does not fade so easily.
Of course, not all the scars would have vanished as if they never existed, but Beastmen were a species that was innocent and simple, yet lived life with more joy. That was how Beastmen lived.
From that perspective, the current Dunbakel was truly Beastman-like. In that sense, too, was the carefree way he effortlessly blew away memories he considered insignificant.
“Some memories become lifelong shackles. I still hate the dark. Dunbakel.”
Toffee spoke with a touch of emotion.
Do you hate me enough to want to kill me?
Dunbakel asked. It wasn’t a statement made out of complicated emotions. He had simply realized a truth.
Apart from the fact that the Council of Elders had abandoned him, he, too, must have lived his life hurting others. Still, he had tried to live righteously. He had tried to fill his life with days where the good outweighed the bad. It was the same before he joined the Black Sword Bandit Group, and even within the group, he never wielded his sword recklessly against anyone. That was why he had become an odd beastman and a disposable pawn within the group. Returning to his old home brought back all sorts of memories.
That’s not it.
Topi answered.
That’s a relief. Yeah, kid, just shake it off and live.
It was difficult for anyone to refute Dunbakel when he spoke like this. After all, he was someone who had done exactly that himself just moments ago.
Since there are many who make claims but do not act, doing exactly what he says is remarkable.
Topi hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“If I were a hero and part of the Elder Council, I wouldn’t have driven out a young beastman based on such nonsense, whether myths or legends.”
Dunbakel neither laughed nor got angry. He simply said what needed to be said.
“Doesn’t it still make you uncomfortable walking through the cave if you dislike dark places?”
“Just because I dislike it doesn’t mean it’s terribly scary. It’s just that whenever the memory of that time comes back, I get the feeling that something might suddenly jump out of the pitch-black darkness. But then again, thanks to that, I became a hero. Because I thought that no matter what came out of the darkness, I just had to fight and win.”
“I will cut through fear with my sword. It is the will to cut through all my fears and pain.” That will turned into determination, and the desire for life invigorated his vitality.
That is how he became a hero. The fact that the mischievous pranks played in his childhood actually served as a positive turning point must be due to the qualities possessed by the beastman Topi.
Enkrid grasped this much and spoke.
Not bad. Bring it on when you’re done. I’ll teach you a lesson.
It would be nice to clear up any misunderstandings while we’re at it. Above all, it is a joy to see someone with such talent who also puts in the effort. Enough to make me naturally want to lend my support to their endeavors.
It is an honor.
It was an answer that came back as if it had been waiting. Toffee’s eyes sparkled.
That monster was really dangerous.
Tofi added this and that, as if rambling on for a hero’s tale. Like how the sea serpent kept emitting scents that lured the beastmen into a daze, or how several had
been swallowed like that .
And even the story of how they had failed while trying to cut open its belly to pull them out.
The scales were as hard as rocks.
Enkrid briefly wondered if it was really that bad based on Tofi’s story, but to be fair, he concluded that it wasn’t. If
Tofi had properly composed himself, he would have been able to cut him down. So why couldn’t he?
Enkrid recalled Tofi’s steps leading the way, the posture and attitude he displayed right before the fight, and even the form of intimidation.
He mainly used weapons with short, light blades.
Why? Because he honed the skills to match. The reason his movements feel particularly light is the same.
Do Beastmen use engraved weapons?
That must be the case. The weapon Tofi is holding doesn’t look like an ordinary object.
However, it would be quite a struggle to cut the waist of the sea serpent he just slaughtered with a knife like that.
The conclusion is.
The combat form was limited to one from the start.
He has honed his skills solely in combat involving chasing and engaging humans, particularly those with agile movements. This is because he has had little experience facing large monsters or particularly ‘uncomfortable’ situations or opponents until now.
It is likely because the Beast City is protected under the name of the Cave.
It means that the environment influences one’s skills.
But does that mean one must go out of their way to seek out harsh situations or difficult enemies? Rather, it is more appropriate to regard accumulating diverse experiences as an essential process.
Branches grow in real time, spreading out in all directions. Thoughts accelerate, simultaneously gathering knowledge from here and there, scattering it, and reassembling it. That is how I grasped what Topi had achieved.
Without drawing a circle.
He carved out a single path and moved forward. Armed only with a sharp awl, he became a knight—or, to use a beastman’s term, a hero. In a way, it was a remarkable talent.
Humans will be difficult.
If there is one that is most similar, it would be Prok? They are also simple and steadfast in some ways.
There is no system.
I knew I couldn’t expect training methods as clear and ancient as those of the Empire in a beastman society, but I thought there would at least be something left; however, there was only a friend here who had barely reached the pinnacle of a knight through talent and luck alone.
If you were to ask if that made me lose interest, it wasn’t at all.
That’s fun.
This serves as an example of how one can become a knight. I now have more to tell Luagarne when I return.
Of course, that will happen after I cross swords with the rabbit beastman named Tofi several times here, gauge his skills further, and get a deeper look into what he possesses.
Before that, there will be the fun of digging into every detail of the process of climbing the mountain with nothing but an awl.
Encred was lost in thought as he walked, but Temares, noticing this, shook his head while looking at Tofi.
He blinked just as he was adding something to the conversation. His large, yellow eyes looked at the dragonman.
I’m telling you to shut up.
Dunbakel pulled Tofi’s wrist. Sinar held Enkrid’s cloak and guided the way. He was walking towards the wall as he pleased.
He had shut off all senses of his surroundings and was so deeply immersed in his own world that he could do nothing but walk.
Even with so many trustworthy people around, to suddenly fall into his own world like this after just killing a monster and conversing with the thoughts left behind by a demon…
He is truly a peculiar and unique human being. It must be thoughts of swordsmanship. Even though
I knew he was this kind of person well and had seen him countless times, it felt strangely fascinating and mysterious all over again.
“If I had entered the world of spells, I would have been trapped in a world of my own making and unable to escape.”
Esther left her impressions and praise. A faint warmth lingered in her eyes. If you looked closely, the corners of her eyes curved softly.
“The Devil’s Eye won’t be able to see us. The City of the Beastmen is really good for hiding.”
Esther continued to murmur. Her voice was clear and pleasant to listen to. Of course, the Encred of today would merely listen to someone’s voice and let it slip away.
He had witnessed aspects of beastman society, including Topi, and was currently exploring their training methods on his own. If Anu was obsessed with exploring the East and Luagarne with systematizing swordsmanship, this man would act like someone who hadn’t eaten for three days the moment he encountered a new style, a new direction, or something that defied his own concepts. Since
this was the most entertaining thing for him, he would immerse himself in it for a moment, walking as if he had lost his mind.
“……The Hero of Salvation is a unique person.”
Tofi said that, while unable to take his gaze away from awe. Dunbakel recalled that Enkrid had said earlier that he would fight Tofi.
It would be nice if it were just unique.
Dunbakel muttered. “I’ll see once we fight, but he’s not an easy opponent. Maybe his mind will change a little after getting beaten.”
Dunbakel chuckled inwardly as he recalled that time. Getting beaten up himself was a struggle, but watching others suffer was a good spectacle.
Besides, no matter how much he had composed and shaken off his emotions, watching the Beastmen Elders get beaten up wouldn’t feel bad. He had played a few pranks on Tofi when they were kids, but now this guy was a member of the Elders himself.
Get beaten up hard.
Dunbakel walked, lost in thought. It took enough time to eat, drink tea, wash up, and then just laze around a bit before he was outside the cave. When it was time to leave, Topi couldn’t wait any longer and stepped out first. Until then, Enkrid’s gaze remained blank.
“You’ll find the rest of the way, right?”
Topi entrusted Dunbakel with guiding the way.
Do you think I’m some kind of idiot who doesn’t know the way or the direction, but is only good at slashing?
Dunbakel responded to Tofi’s question with a stinging remark, but Tofi found it hard to understand. He simply thought, “Is there really such a person?”
Yeah, they’ll find it easily.
Tofi went ahead to relay everything I had said, and by the time the party was leaving the cave, he sent the two disbelieving beastmen to verify the sea serpent’s carcass. The two, fast and agile on their feet, sprinted through the cave.
It was a different path from the entrance Encred’s party had used. Although it was a shortcut in its own way, it was a small cave that only beastmen could pass through, yet these small and nimble individuals made the trip in no time.
Even after returning, Encred sat on a rock chair, led by Sinar, and collected his thoughts for a while before his focus returned; by then, the entire Council of Beastmen Elders had heard about what he had done and had already confirmed it.
Didn’t I tell you?
No matter how much Tofi told it, it was a story hard to believe immediately, but the confirmation was complete. They had seen the sea serpent’s carcass lying there all alone.
The Council of Eight Elders, who had been guarding the spot until Enkrid awoke, all looked at him. Taffy, who was at the very front, knelt before the rock where Enkrid was sitting and extended both hands.
The precise meaning of the gesture was that he would obey him even if his hands were bound. Though, in reality, no one would go around with their hands tied.
I express my gratitude.
She greeted everyone, including Encred and Dunbakel. Although it was the cursed beastman who almost became an avenger who ultimately cut off the snake’s neck, Dunbakel neatly passed all the credit to Encred.
“It is all thanks to this human that I didn’t behead the eight elders, and that I beheaded the monster. I’m fine. I don’t want to take credit for it.”
“Right, that’s what a beastman should do.”
Torsoe spoke with a look of contentment. If this had happened between humans, one might expect her to draw her half-damaged scimitar, saying that now is now, regardless of what had happened earlier; however, Dunbakel simply nodded, accepting it as it was.
She, too, was a beastkin. Because that was true.
She also knew well that the Beastkin Elder hadn’t meant the name Torsoe with any ulterior motive. It meant he was glad that she was true to her beastkin nature.
It was striking to see that no one seemed to have cast Dunbakel out of a desire to cast her out.
Regardless of attitude, it was an action from the past, so the outcome wouldn’t change no matter what was done; but if there was a chance for the relationship to improve now, that might not be so bad.
This was especially true for beastkin, who are simple-minded.
What if she had been human, or a royal family rife with political intrigue?
The return of the abandoned prodigal son might have been the beginning of tragedy, despair, and sorrow.
I will hold a banquet. Please enjoy it.
Taffy stood up and spoke, her hands still clasped in front of her. Nodding vigorously as if she had made up her mind, she conveyed what Encred wanted and wished for.
“If you want, I can recommend a good woman, Suin. A young Suin would be nice, but if you ultimately want me, that would be fine too.”
As she spoke, Suin thrust out her chest. Taffy possessed a robust body for someone who could not be called old. She delivered the act of violence by thrusting out her chest, and this stirred up the feelings of the fairy watching from behind.
“Kaat!”
As words with a beast-like mindset poured out uncontrollably, Sinar could not hold back and let out a scream.
Dismissal
Esther quietly conjured up lightning at her fingertips.
Since both of them are sincere, it is best to be careful.
Temares dried the taffy.
