Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 528: Bound to Be Boiled and Eaten

Ende faced an enemy known as the wolf pack. The wolves were fierce and powerful, but they weren’t difficult opponents. This was because many of the usual complexities of warfare—identification of friend and foe, secrecy, strategic maneuvering, morale management, and counterintelligence—were all unnecessary.

Humans were allies. Wolves were enemies. Victory meant survival, and defeat meant death. Even beastfolk could understand something that simple. If all one had to do was focus on the enemy in front of them, then the battle was already strategically won.

That was why the beastfolk of Ende felt no wariness even when faced with an armored legion. Humans could never be their enemies.

Marquis Raphaeno and his army approached with remarkable silence for their numbers.

"Are you Grull? Glory to the pigs!"

Grull, suddenly confronted with an uninvited guest, was momentarily dumbfounded.

It was only natural. If a stranger marched in, leading an entire army behind them, even the bold Grull wouldn’t find it easy to welcome them without hesitation. And if that stranger was a middle-aged man with an overbearing mustache, the sense of discomfort would be multiplied several times over.

On top of that, Marquis Raphaeno did not bother concealing his aura. His presence, honed like a razor’s edge, made Grull instinctively swallow hard.

A man at least equal to him—perhaps even stronger. Grull turned to Sapien and asked,

"What is this?"

Sapien flinched in alarm.

"Mind your manners, Grull. This is Marquis Raphaeno, the Black Tiger General."

"Ah, one of the five fingers of the vassal state you spoke of?"

"I told you to watch your words."

Grull knew proper etiquette. But he also knew how useless it was to bow his head from the very first encounter. He spread his five fingers mockingly.

"Don’t fingers have a hierarchy too? Which one are you among the five? The middle finger, perhaps?"

"Grull...!"

"Hahahaha! Bold, very bold!"

Fortunately, the situation Sapien feared did not unfold. Marquis Raphaeno roared with laughter, easily brushing off Grull’s blatant provocation.

"Yes, our Five Tiger Generals are often compared to fingers! The five fingers that grip the sword of the vassal state! And do you know? Some people are born with six fingers! Having more fingers to wield a sword isn’t a bad thing at all!"

A noble of the vassal state responding to such a weak provocation with goodwill—it meant he wanted something from Grull. And if he was bringing up the notion of a sixth finger, there was only one possible reason.

He was asking Grull to become that sixth finger.

Grull spoke.

"Are you trying to recruit me into the vassal state?"

"I’ve heard you were smart, but you’re even sharper than I expected! I haven’t even said the word ‘recruit’ yet, and you already figured it out!"

"So it was true. That’s unexpected."

Though he said that, Grull had half-expected this outcome. Any master with common sense would try to negotiate first.

‘I have no intention of serving under them. But if it’s just a cooperative relationship... it could be worth considering. I’ll have to weigh my options.’

Since he had taken responsibility for the pig beastfolk, he needed to secure as many benefits as possible—resources, food, or anything else of value. Grull quickly finished his calculations.

"For a wild brute like me, this is an overly generous offer. What does your great vassal state stand to gain from accepting me?"

"Even wild brutes have their uses. Our guild takes a particular interest in you. Or, to be precise, in the treasure you can bring from the Ten Thousand Nations."

"Ah, the elixirs. I suppose it’s only natural to be interested in them."

With the King of Wolves gone, the Enger Plains would once again become a passage for adventurers. If they wished to reach the Ten Thousand Nations, they would need the Beast Faction’s guidance. And Grull, who had already turned this into a business, would be a very valuable asset.

"Exactly. Do you know how much elixir it takes to train a single qi warrior? It’s beyond measure. And even after consuming all those elixirs, there’s no guarantee they’ll become a master. We have to keep investing despite knowing most of it will be wasted. Elixirs are never enough. And yet, somewhere out there, a stray savage picking up mere scraps of those elixirs could suddenly grasp enlightenment."

"And what do you offer to such a savage?"

"What would we offer a qi warrior? A superior martial manual, rarer elixirs, and the opportunity to spar with other masters."

As a martial artist, Grull couldn’t help but be instinctively tempted by such an offer. However, those were things that any master affiliated with a nation should already receive as a given. Grull folded his arms, waiting for the next proposal.

"And I will entrust you with this city, Ende."

The offer was so bold that Grull failed to mask his shock.

"...What did you just say? Ende? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Now that the wolves are gone, it’s time for its original owners to reclaim their home. Ende will now be managed by the vassal state. While we’re at it, we might as well recruit a master too."

Not only was he recruiting Grull, but he was also placing Ende under his command. It was so unexpected that even Sapien was left speechless.

"Wait a moment, Marquis Raphaeno. This is far too sudden."

"Is it sudden? What choice do we have? The moment you failed to prevent the beastkin rebellion, the decision was already made. It’s time to put an end to a human ruling over the beastkin."

The news of Orcma’s rebellion had already reached Marquis Raphaeno. Sapien bit his lip, his shame exposed, but Raphaeno didn’t even glance at him.

Grull found it all rather unexpected.

‘Sapien warned me, but this guy is surprisingly reasonable. Even generous. What exactly is supposed to be so unfair here?’

He brought an army, yet he didn’t flaunt his strength. He didn’t suppress anyone with his authority. Compared to those who ruled simply because they were human, wasn’t he more... human?

Just as Grull was beginning to lean ever so slightly toward Marquis Raphaeno—

"As reparation for the rebellion, a deportation order will soon be issued for all beastfolk. Be ready."

The quiet voice hit like a bolt from the blue.

Returning the land to its rightful owners. Ende will now be managed by the vassal state. Putting an end to humans ruling over beastfolk.

He would drive out the beastfolk of Ende and bring humans into the empty land.

Every word Marquis Raphaeno had spoken led to that singular conclusion.

Sapien, always quick to grasp political tides, realized it before Grull did.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"The rebellion was started by a faction of pig beastfolk! Most of the beastfolk had nothing to do with it!"

"What difference does it make?"

"What difference...?"

Sapien found himself at a loss for words in response to the marquis’s reply. Marquis Raphaeno idly stroked his mustache, speaking with indifference.

"Beastfolk are all the same. What difference does it make? They should be grateful we even allowed them to live here for a time, yet they dared to forget that kindness and attack humans... That alone is reason enough to act. Do I need to differentiate based on the kind of ears they have?"

He was genuinely questioning why there was any need to distinguish between Orcma and the others, between pig beastfolk and the rest.

"That’s...!"

"Calm yourself. Who said anything about stripping you of your authority? Your title and rights will remain intact. If you wish, you can even keep some beastfolk in your household to serve you. But the rest must return to their original places. Do you know how many tens of thousands of homeless citizens the vassal state has? We can’t just let beastfolk squat in empty homes while humans go without shelter."

The land of opportunity, Ende, had become a free city for beastfolk only because of the King of Wolves. Humans had preferred to live safely under the vassal state’s protection rather than endure the dangers of the Enger Plains.

But now that the beastfolk had driven the wolves away, the land of opportunity was once again set to belong to humans.

"This is a better deal for you. How long will this city remain a frontier settlement? You’ve driven out the wolves—shouldn’t you start gathering people and properly governing the city?"

The beastfolk weren’t even acknowledged as participants in this conversation. They weren’t even considered worthy of being mocked or ignored.

Grull finally intervened.

"Hold on, Marquis. I am also one of the beastfolk you speak of."

"What does that matter, Grull? What’s important is that you are a master hungry for strength. A fine blade belongs in its sheath, whether it is a cursed sword or not."

Marquis Raphaeno lazily scratched his ear, as if this entire discussion was tedious.

"If you truly want to care for these beastfolk... I recommend accepting my offer. If you want to give them so much as a tent to live under, you’ll need the vassal state’s support, won’t you?"

If Grull were a ruthless man of ambition, he would accept Marquis Raphaeno’s proposal. It was an opportunity to fulfill his aspirations.

Even if Grull had the heart to care for his kin, he would still have to accept the offer. Otherwise, the beastfolk expelled from Ende would be abandoned by everyone.

It was half a threat, but it carried an unmistakable message—the vassal state was determined to bring Ende fully under its control. There was no escaping its grasp. Unless Grull took a stand himself.

The injustice of it all felt truly unjust. No moment to breathe, no room for negotiation—just a single, inescapable path being forced upon him.

As Grull’s mind raced, calculating his next move, someone else spoke up before he could.

"Marquis Raphaeno. There are some words that cannot simply be ignored."

Among those notorious for discrimination against beastfolk, none stood above Duke Erectus. The moment he stepped forward, those around him tensed, as if watching a bomb about to go off.

Sapien seriously considered whether he should knock the man unconscious before he made things even worse.

Marquis Raphaeno searched his memory.

"Who... was this again?"

"Duke Erectus. The noble who remained in Ende while everyone else fled from the wolves."

"Ah, the Water Duke... So what? Do you have some objection to the vassal state’s decision?"

"Of course I do. The vassal state is currently infringing upon private property."

"Private property?"

There were tens of thousands of beastfolk living «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» in Ende. Even livestock in such numbers would be difficult to claim ownership over—yet Duke Erectus, without hesitation, treated them all as his personal property.

"Yes. The beastfolk of Ende are the possessions of Obeli’s nobility, who have defended this land for generations. When everyone else fled, it was we, the nobles of Obeli, who upheld our duty and protected it. I respect the vassal state’s judgment... but we cannot accept this deportation order. It is our duty to protect our lands and our property."

Racism answered with even harsher racism.

Even Marquis Raphaeno was left momentarily speechless by the sheer audacity of it.