騎士が簡単に敗れるという衝撃的な場面を目の当たりにした兵士たちは、誰かが言った「て、撤退を!」という言葉に押されて我先に戦場から逃げ出した。
その言葉は単なる一兵士が恐怖に負けて発した懇願の言葉であったが、誰もそれを気にする者はいない。撤退という言葉に縋ることで、責任を負わずにこの場から逃げ出す事を選んだ。
整然としていた戦闘前の毅然さはどこへやら、バラバラに逃げ散る兵士を見て、獣人たちは快哉を叫んだ。
「よし、うまくいったな!」
だが、喜色満面の獣人たちとは違い、人間たちの反応は困惑気味だった。
スラムへ戻ってきた獣人たちは歓声で迎えられ、帰りを待っていた獣人たちから手荒いながらも暖かい歓迎を受けていたが、人間たちは身を寄せ合い、これからの不安を口々に呟く。
「だ、大丈夫なのか......」
先ほど獣人に担がれて退避した男も、汗をびっしょりとかいていた。
「騎士を殺しちまった......街に戻ったら他の騎士に殺されるんじゃないか?」
「兵士に恨まれたら、もう生活できないよ......」
狼狽える人間のところへ、小柄な獣人少女二人が、スラムの獣人たちをかき分けて歩いてくる。
レニとヘレンの二人だ。
「じゃあ、ここで暮らすのはどう?」
さらりとレニが口にした提案に、人間たちは一瞬何を言われているのかわからなかった。
「色々と教えてもらったお礼がしたいというのもあるけれど、家も修理すればまだまだあるし、やることもたくさんあるよ」
「そうよね。獣人だけじゃまだわからないことも多いし」
レニの提案にヘレンも同意し、周囲の獣人たちも歓迎の意を見せている。
「だが、ここは獣人の街だし......」
戸惑う人間の男性に、レニは首をかしげた。
「......違うよ?」
「は?」
話が噛み合っていないのを見て、ヘレンが兎耳をピコピコと動かして笑った。
「あんたたち人間には、獣人は一まとめに見えるんだろうけれど、荒野じゃそんなことあるわけ無いんだから。わたしもレニも、荒野に出たら虎や狼に襲われるかもしれないのよ」
こんなふうに別の種族が混ざり合って生活している時点で、今更人間が混ざっても誰も気にはしない、とヘレンは言う。
その言葉に、人間だけでなく獣人たちも顔を見合わせた。
今この場にいるのは、人間や兎、羊に豹や虎、犬に狼など、違いを言えば見た目も習慣もキリがない。
「ここは、一二三さんが言うには“人間の社会とも獣人の社会とも違う、異質な場所”らしいから、悪い人じゃなければ、誰が来てもいいんじゃないかな?」
ねえ、とレニがヘレンに同意を求めると、苦笑を浮かべたヘレンが頷いた。
「獣人に慣れた人間と、人間に慣れた獣人がいるんだもの。あいつの言うとおりだとは思うよ。でも、わたしたちで決めることじゃないと思うけど」
「いや、いいんじゃないんでしょうか」
獣人の集団から、ゲングがずいっと、犬獣人らしい鼻先の伸びた顔を突き出した。
「今や名実ともにレニさんとヘレンさんがこの街の代表でやすから、お二人がいいなら、誰も文句は言いやせんよ」
ゲングの言葉を受け、レニたちがぐるりと首を回すと、周囲の獣人たちは皆笑顔で頷いている。
レニは弾けるような笑顔を浮かべ、人間たちに向き直った。
「ということだから、この街は人間でも歓迎するよ」
「あ、ありがとう......?」
「で、でも騎士や兵士が黙っちゃいないぜ」
とてもじゃないが、安住の地とは言えない、と人間たちはまだ落ち着かない様子だったが、レニはそんな彼らに落ち着くようにと優しく話した。
そして続いた言葉に、この場の獣人たちは言葉を失った。
「一二三さんがお城の方に行ったはずから、たぶんどうにかなるんじゃないかな?」
「ひ、一二三さんとは?」
人間たちは、レニとヘレンに指示を出すだけで表に顔を出さなかった一二三の事をよく知らない。
だが、この数日顔を合わせてきた獣人たち、特に訓練に参加した自警団の連中は、毛皮でわかりにくいが青ざめた顔をしている。
その様子に気づいた人間たちは、何か大変な事が起きているらしい事だけは感じ取った。
「れ、レニさん。一二三さんは、人間の街に行くとは言われてやしたが、どうして城が目的地だと思うんで?」
「前に、お城に行って王様と話し合う必要があるって言ってたから、多分今は......」
ため息と共に肩を落とした獣人たちは、まだまだ続くと思っていた人間との争いが、どうやら杞憂に終わりそうだと溜息をついた。
「ど、どういうことなんだ?」
ワケがわからないという人間に、一人の虎獣人が答えた。
「一二三さんが“話し合い”だけで帰って来るわけが無いって事だよ」
「全くだ。逃げ帰った兵士連中を迎えるのが、生きてる兵士とは限らねぇってこったな」
「じゃあ、しばらく戦いは無いな」
解散だと口々に言いながら、獣人たちが先程までの戦闘の事を興奮気味に語り合いながら、家路についた。
取り残され、呆然とする人間たちに、ヘレンがハニカミながら声をかける。
「まあ、とりあえず寝るところはあるから、おいでよ」
ご飯もあるよ、と言われて初めて空腹感を感じ始めた人間たちは、連れ立ってヘレンに着いていった。
スラムの戦闘は、誰もが危惧したよりもずっと早く収束した。
サルグが王の部屋にたどり着くまでに殺した城内の人間は30名以上。夜間に王族の部屋を守る兵士や騎士がほとんど殺された計算になる。
「こ、これは......!」
王が、獣人を嬲った後片付けをするために、兵士が寝室へ向かう。獣人の女を牢へ戻し、一人でゆっくり眠るのが王の習慣だったので、当番の兵士は夜の決まった時間に城の中枢へと足を運ぶのだが、そこにあるのはいつもの光景ではなかった。
通路のあちこちに、首をちぎられたり腹に穴を開けた死体が転がっている。
誰もが苦悶の表情を浮かべ、武器を握り締めていた。
「大変だ! 侵入者だ!」
二人組の兵士が叫びながら、緊急事態だと王の寝室へと飛び込んだ。
「うっ......」
室内にあったのは、三人の死体。
王の為に牢から出された猫獣人の女、彼らの主君である王、そして見覚えの無い巨漢の熊獣人。
猫獣人は首をありえない方向へ向けており、王も同様に首が折れているのがひと目でわかる。熊獣人は首の部分から夥しい量の血を流し、刃物で切られたらしい首はちぎれかけている。
「ど、どうする?」
全く想定外の状況に、判断ができない兵士が同僚に話しかける。
どうしていいかは同僚でもわからない。
そして、外から聞こえてくる大勢の声。
「スラムに行った連中が帰って来たみたいだ......んん?」
寝室の窓から外を見た兵士が、近づいて来た集団に目を凝らすと、素っ頓狂な声をあげた。
「やたら走ってこっちに来てるな。騎士の姿も無い......」
「どけ」
仲間を押しのけて窓の外を確認した同僚は、松明の明かりを頼りに必死で城へと逃げてくる兵士たちをその目に捉えた。
しばらくそれを見ていた兵士は、そそくさと上半身の鎧を外して、下に着ていた麻の服だけの姿になった。
「何やってるんだよ」
「逃げる」
「あいつら、騎士がやられて逃げてきたんだろうよ。表情が見えた」
脛の部分が中々外れず、腰につけていたナイフで革帯を切る。
「状況を見ろ。王様と獣人の相討ちなのは明らかだろ。それにスラムからの撤退も早すぎる。獣人にあっさり負けたんだろうよ」
身軽になった兵士は、剣帯を付け直して長剣と財布だけは腰に提げた。
「このままここにいたら、スラム攻めの部隊を追いかけてくる獣人に殺される」
「......お、俺も行く!」
急いで鎧を脱いだ兵士は、連れ立って王の寝室を後にした。
誰もいなくなった部屋に、窓から顔を出したのは一二三だった。
壁の一部に鎖鎌を引っ掛け、分銅を握ってぶら下がっていた一二三は、ぐるっと振り返って逃げ帰ってくる兵士たちを見る。
「よく見れば、獣人が追いかけて来てないのはわかるだろうが」
逃げる判断は悪くないとは思いつつも、観察が足りないとこぼした。
「まあいい。国の
王の死体を見る。
苦痛と怒りの表情は、壮絶の一言だ。
「こいつ一人の存在が大きすぎたな。いなくなるとそれだけで穴があく。王が生きていれば、兵士も逃げたりはしなかったろう」
後はレニたちの仕事だ、と一二三は城を後にした。
城内に残されたのは、多くの死体と、何も知らずに眠る住み込みの使用人たちだけだ。
そして、逃げ延びて王への報告に向かった兵士によって惨状が発見され、城内は大混乱へと陥った。
スラム攻めで、先陣を切って突撃し、丸太の一撃で吹き飛んだゼブルだったが、廃屋の中で瓦礫に埋もれたまま生きていた。
金属鎧は胸の部分が陥没し、連結部分は歪んでしまってどう見ても全損状態だ。
「しかし、獣人が街を築くとは思わなかったが。まあいい」
語りながら、ゼブルの顔が変化する。
口元には鋭い牙が生え、顔が暗いグレーに変化していく。耳は鋭く尖り、細面も相まって、まるで童話のエルフのようだ。
「獣人と人間を敵対させる策はうまく行った。もうこの国の貴族に化ける必要も無い」
「おっと。そいつは聞き捨てならないな」
独り言のつもりが、不意に声をかけられたゼブルは、傷を負ったとは思えない素早さで転がり、剣を拾い上げた。
「誰だ?」
「俺の事はどうでも良い。それより、さっき言った“獣人と人間を敵対させる”という話をもっと詳しく教えてもらおうか」
暗がりからするりと出てきたのは一二三だった。
塒に帰るため騎士の死体が折り重なるスラム入口を進んでいたところで、廃屋の中から気配を感じて様子を伺っていたのだ。
「長い耳だ、エルフか?」
それにしては顔色が悪いな、と首をかしげる一二三に、油断なく剣を構えたゼブルが唾を吐いた。
「あんな生きた人形どもと一緒にするな。俺は、人間が魔人族と呼ぶ種族の一人だ。それよりも、貴様は誰だ? 獣人と一緒にいた連中とは違うようだが......」
話しながら、ゼブルは魔法の準備をしていた。
目の前の男は危険だ、と自分の勘が叫んでいるのだ。変身は得意でも戦闘はそこまで自信がないゼブルにとって、正面から剣を合わせるのは難しそうだ、と判断した。
一二三が口を開いた瞬間、ゼブルは剣を振り上げたフリをして、素早く右手を前に突き出した。
を!......はぁ?」
得意な雷魔法を放ち、勝ちを確信したゼブルだったが、雷は一二三が懐から出して放り出した寸鉄目掛けて命中した。
黒焦げになった寸鉄が床に落ちるより早く、抜き打ちに放たれた刀がゼブルの両足を薙いだ。
「あああああっ!」
膝から下をバッサリと持って行かれたゼブルは、尻餅をつくようにして倒れた。
苦痛に歪む顔のまま、ゼブルは左手の剣を投げつけるが、一二三が展開した闇の魔法に吸い込まれた。
「魔人か」
ゼブルの腹の上に、一二三の足が乗った。
剣と両足を失い、身体を床に押し付けられたゼブルは、怒りで顔を真っ赤にしている。
痛覚が鈍いとかの特性でもあるのか、と一二三はゼブルを見下ろした。
「で、さっきの答えを聞こうか」
「貴様が、貴様が何をやろうともう遅い。ソードランテの獣人は、積極的に人間と衝突するようになるだろう。この国の人間が減っていくのは、もう止められん」
「あ、それは別にいい」
一二三の答えに、ゼブルは目を見開いた。
「人間と獣人が争う。大いに結構。騎士や兵士がやたらと獣人を嫌っていたのは、お前らの仕業か。おかげで随分やりやすかった」
一二三は疑問を感じていた。王を含めた騎士や兵士たちが異常に獣人を嫌っているのに、わざわざスラムの存在を容認していたのだ。王が獣人を夜伽に使っていたのも腑に落ちない。
「ここ最近からだろう。お前が扇動して積極的に獣人排斥に向かったのは」
それが一二三には好都合だった。王に近いものほど獣人を毛嫌いし、まだその価値観が浸透していない平民は獣人を受け入れた。
「これで、街の人間、荒野の獣人、スラムの獣人と人間の3勢力に分かれた。王を殺された貴族たちは獣人を受け入れないし、荒野の獣人はもちろん人間の国にある街に参加しない。その間に挟まれて、チビたちがやってる混合エリアは自衛と運営に追われていくだろう」
「貴様、人間のくせに人間を危険に導いたというのか!」
驚くゼブルに、一二三は首を縦に振る。
「2グループじゃ駄目だ。三つ巴にならないと、駆け引きや防衛に頭を使わなくなる。戦闘も工夫しなくなる。人が行き来する窓口もできたからな。人口を含めた勢力は、これからひっきりなしに変動するだろう」
生き残る為に頭を使うようになるな、と満足げに頷く一二三。
「く、狂ってやがる......。俺たち魔人は人間との戦いを有利にするために、獣人と人間の対立を煽ったんだが......まさか人間に利用されるとは......」
「ご苦労だったな。お前の上司には伝えておいてやるから、居場所を教えろ」
逡巡を見せたものの、ゼブルは素直に答えた。
「エルフのいる森の更に奥。そこに俺たち魔人族の国がある。俺を殺した程度で図に乗るというなら、そこで地獄を味わうがいい」
「そうだな。楽しみだ」
小さな音を立てて、一二三の刀がゼブルの首を刎ねた。
Due to someone stuttering [F-Fall back!] , the soldiers, in whose presence the gut-wrenching scene of the knights getting completely crushed took place, escaped from the battlefield with each of them wrestling to be first to get away.
Those words were a petition, released by a mere soldier as he succumbed to panic, but there's no one caring about that. By clinging to the lure called retreat, they chose to run away from this place without caring about their responsibilities.
Watching the soldiers' ranks falling apart in their escape, scattering all over, without any of their orderly fortitude from before the battle, the beastmen shouted in exultation.
"Alright, it went well!"
However, different to the beastmen, who were all smiles, the humans' reactions were inclining towards bewilderment.
Welcoming the beastmen, who returned to the slums, with cheers, the beastmen, waiting for their return, received them warmly albeit slightly roughly. However, the humans came together and murmured about their anxieties from now on.
"I-Is it alright...?"
Even the man, who was not long ago saved by being carried away by a beastman, said that while drenched in sweat.
"The knights were killed... won't we be killed by the other knights once we return to the city?"
"If we get blamed by the soldiers, our lives will already..."
Two small beastgirls push their way through the slums' beastmen and walk up to the panicking humans.
It's Helen and Reni.
"So, how about living here?" (Reni)magic
The humans didn't know for a moment what to say to the suggestion provided by Reni without hesitation.
"Though there are many various things, you taught me, I want to thank you for, there are still houses that need repairs. There's plenty things left to do." (Reni)
"That's right, isn't it? There are also many things we still don't understand, if it's only us beastmen." (Helen)
Helen agrees with Reni's suggestion, too. The beastmen in the surroundings are showing a supportive attitude as well.
"But, this place is the city of beastmen..."
Reni was puzzled over a perplexed male human.
"... Is there any difference?" (Reni)
"Ha?"
Seeing that their talk isn't meshing, Helen laughed with her rabbit ears moving with a *ping ping*
"You humans probably look at the beastmen as one pack, but in the wastelands there's nothing like that. Me and Reni might get attacked by tigers and wolves too, if we go into the wastelands." (Helen)
"No one will mind the humans blending in at this point when we are living by mixing with other races anyway", is what Helen says.
Due to those words not only the humans, but also the beastmen looked at each other.
The ones who are currently at this location are humans, rabbits, sheep, leopards, tigers, dogs, wolves, etc. If one were to talk about differences, there would be no end to mismatching appearances and customs.
"Since this place seems to be "A heterogeneous place different from the humans' and beastmen's society" going by Hifumi-san's words, isn't it fine for everyone to join as long as they aren't bad people?" (Reni)
"Right?" Once Reni asked for confirmation from her, Helen showed a wry smile and nodded.
"There are humans, who got used to beastmen, and beastmen, who got used to humans. I think it's just as that man says. However, I don't believe it's something to be decided by Reni and me." (Helen)
"No, isn't it fine?" (Gengu)
From among the group of beastmen, Gengu stuck out his face with its long dogman-like nose.
"Because Helen-san and Reni-san are the representatives of this city in name and reality at present, no one will complain, if it's okay with the two of you ~ssu." (Gengu)
Being struck by Gengu's speech, Helen and Reni turn around their heads in a circle and see all the beastmen in the vicinity nodding with smiles.
Showing a smiling face close to bursting, Reni faced the humans.
"Since it's as you've heard, this city will welcome humans, too." (Reni)
"T-Thank you...?"
"H-However, the knights and soldiers won't stay silent about this."
"You can't absolutely call this a safe place to live in", the humans were in a state of being unable to calm down yet, but Reni gently talked to them in order to have them regain their presence of mind.
And due to what she said next, the beastmen at this place were lost for words.
"Since Hifumi-san should have gone to the castle, it will probably work out somehow, won't it?" (Reni)
"H-Hifumi-san, you say?"
The humans don't properly know about Hifumi, who didn't show his face unless to give instructions to Helen and Reni.
However, the beastmen, who encountered him in these few days, especially the bunch of the vigilante corps, which participated in the training, are showing pale faces, hard to recognize due to their fur.
The humans, who noticed their state, only sensed that something terrible was going on.
"R-Reni-san, you said that Hifumi-san has gone to the human city, but why is he headed for the palace, I wonder ~ssu?" (Gengu)
"Because he told me before that it's necessary to go to the castle and talk with the king, he is probably now..." (Reni)
The beastmen, who dropped their shoulders while sighing, believed that the strife with the humans will continue for a long time to come yet, but they sighed as it seems to have become a needless worry.
"W-What's this about?"
A single tigerman answered to a human, who doesn't comprehend.
"The problem is that there's no way for Hifumi-san to just return after "talking.""
"Good grief. The ones welcoming the bunch of soldiers, which ran home, won't just be the surviving soldiers."
"Well, then there won't be any battles for a while."
With these words signalling the breakup, the beastmen headed home while chatting somewhat excitedly about the battle some time ago.
Helen calls out to the humans, who are left behind overcome with surprise, while being bashful.
"Oh well, since we have a place for you to sleep, follow me." (Helen)
"There's food as well", being told that, the humans, who began to feel the emptiness in their stomachs for the first time, came to Reni and went with her.
The slums' battle came to a conclusion far quicker than anyone expected.
The number of humans within the castle, who were killed until Salgu finally arrived at the king's chamber, had been more than 30. The count is mostly compromised of soldiers and knights, who were killed protecting the royal chambers at night.
"T-This is...!"
For the sake of cleaning up the king's night fun with the beastwoman, the soldiers head towards the bedroom. Given that it was the king's habit to restfully sleep by himself after returning the beastwomen to the prison, the soldiers on duty show up in the centre of the castle at the time, which was set as night-time, but what they found there wasn't the usual scenery.
The halls are littered with corpses, which had their heads torn off or holes ripped into their bellies.
All of them were showing an expression of anguish while grasping their weapons tightly.
"It's a disaster! There's an intruder!"
While shouting that, the two soldiers leaped into the king's bedroom in a state of emergency.
"Uh..."
What they discovered inside are three corpses.
The catwoman, who was taken out of the prison on behalf of the king, the king, who is their lord, and a giant bearman, they don't remember.
The catwoman's head is twisted in an impossible direction. They understand at a glance that the king's neck has been broken in the same way, too. The bearman is shedding a great amount of blood from parts of the head and his neck has been torn to pieces apparently sliced up by an edged tool.
"W-What shall we do?"
Because of the completely unforeseen situation, the soldier, who can't decide, addresses his colleague.
Even his colleague doesn't know what would be good to do.
And from outside they can hear the voices of a crowd drawing near.
"Looks like the folks, who went to the slums, came back... mmh?"
The soldier, who observed the circumstances from the bedroom's window, stares at the approaching group and screamed in a hysteric voice.
"They are recklessly running this way. The knights can't be seen anywhere either..."
"Move away."
The colleague, who confirmed the situation outside the window after pushing his comrade away, perceived the soldiers, who have desperately come escaping to the castle, relying on the lights of torches with his eyes.
The soldier, who looked at that for a short while, hurriedly removes the armour of the upper half of his body causing him to be in a state of only wearing the linen cloth below.
"What are you doing?"
"Running away."
"Those guys have likely run away once the knights were done in. I looked at their expressions."
As the lower leg part doesn't want to come off readily, he cuts the leather belt with the knife, which was affixed to his hips.
"Look at the situation. It's plain as day that the king and the beastman simultaneously killed each other, right? Besides, there's also the premature withdrawal from the slums. They were probably easily defeated by the beastmen."
The soldier, who lightened down his weight, hung the fixed sword belt at his waist with only his longsword and wallet.
"If you stay here as is, you will be killed by the beastmen, who are chasing the assault unit, which attacked the slums."
"... I-I will go too!"
Taking off the armour in a rush, the soldier accompanied his comrade and left the king's bedroom behind.
Hifumi appeared from the window in the room, with no one being there.
Hooking the kusarigama at a part of the wall, Hifumi, who hang onto it by grasping the counterweight, turns around and looks at the soldiers, who came scurrying home.
"If you watch properly, you will probably grasp that they aren't chased by beastmen." (Hifumi)
Even while judging the decision to escape as not bad, he complained that their observation wasn't sufficient.
"Well, it's fine. The country's chains came off." (Hifumi)
He looks at the king's corpse.
His expression of rage and agony is a sublime comment.
"This fellow's existence was too large. He will leave just as much of a hole, once he disappears. If the king had survived, the soldiers probably wouldn't have escaped either." (Hifumi)
The rest is the job of Reni's group
What remained within the castle is only a large amount of corpses and the live-in servants, who were sleeping without realizing anything.
And, discovering the tragic scene due to a soldier, who went to report to the king after escaping safely, the castle fell into chaos.
Zebul was blown away by a single hit with a log when he charged as vanguard in the assault on the slums, but he survived while being burred under the rubble within a deserted house.
The chest part of his metallic armour has caved in and it's in a state of being a total loss no matter how you look at it as the joints are bent.
"Anyhow, I didn't think that the beastmen would build a city. Oh well, it's fine." (Zebul)
Zebul's face transforms while talking.
Growing sharp fangs in his mouth, his face turns into a dark green. Coupled with a slender face, his ears become pointed. He's just like an elf from fairy-tales.
"The plan to have the humans and beastmen go against each other didn't go well. There's no necessity to take the shape a noble of this country anymore either." (Zebul)
"Sorry. That can't be allowed to pass."
He intended to speak to himself, however Zebul, who was suddenly called out by someone, rolled over with a speed, one wouldn't expect of someone injured, and picked up his sword.
"Who's there?" (Zebul)
"You don't have to worry about me. Rather than that, can you tell me a little bit more details about the "humans and beastmen go against each other" part, you talked about just now?"
The one who smoothly appeared from within the darkness was Hifumi.
As he was making way through the slums' entrance, which was packed with corpses of knights, in order to return to his hideout, he sensed a presence in a deserted house and decided to have a look.
"You have long ears. An elf, huh?" (Hifumi)
"Besides, you look unwell", due to Hifumi tilting his head to the side, Zebul, who prepared his sword warily, spit out,
"Don't lump me together with such living dolls. I'm of the race which is called demon race by the humans. Putting that aside, who the hell are you, bastard? You seem to be different from the bunch that was together with the beastmen, but..." (Zebul)
While talking, Zebul prepared his magic.
, is what his senses are screaming at him. For Zebul, whose speciality lies with shape-shifting and who doesn't have much of confidence in his combat prowess, it will be tough to directly compete by sword, he judged.
The instant Hifumi opened his mouth, Zebul pretended to raise the sword overhead and quickly stretched out his right hand in front of him.
"Thunderbolt! ... Haa?" (Zebul)
Releasing his prided thunder magic, Zebul was certain of his victory, however the thunder travelled towards the suntetsu, that was thrown out from Hifumi's chest, and hit that instead.
Faster than the suntetsu, which became burnt black, hitting the ground, both of Zebul's legs were scythed down by the katana, released with a nukiuchi.
"Aaaaaaaah!" (Zebul)
Zebul, who had anything below his knees taken away by a single stroke, fell on his backside.
As his face distorted in pain, Zebul throws the sword in his left hand, but it was swallowed up by the darkness magic cast by Hifumi.
"Demon, eh?" (Hifumi)
Hifumi placed his foot on top of Zebul's belly.
Having lost his sword and both his legs, Zebul, whose body was pushed onto the ground, has a red face filled with anger.
Has he also the trait to dull his sense of pain or such?
"So, let's hear the answer to the previous question?" (Hifumi)
"Bastard, no matter what you fucker do, it's too late. Swordland's beastmen will likely reach the point of pro-actively clashing with the humans. You can't stop the dwindling of humans in this country anymore." (Zebul)
"Ah, that's actually fine with me." (Hifumi)
Zebul opened his eyes widely due to Hifumi's reply.
"Humans and beastmen are going to oppose each other. That's very nice. It was your guys' doing that the soldiers and knights hated the beastmen profusely, wasn't it? Thanks to that, it became very easy for me to do my things." (Hifumi)
Hifumi felt a doubt. Although the soldiers and knights, including the king, have hated the beastmen abnormally, they expressly approved the existence of the slums. It didn't make sense for the king to use beastwoman for sex either.
"This is likely very recent. You aimed at beastmen ostracism by actively inciting it." (Hifumi)
That was very convenient for Hifumi. The antipathy was still limited to the people close to the king. The commoners, who still haven't had those values drummed into them, accepted the beastmen.
"With this the 3 human powers, the human city, the wastelands' beastmen and the slums' beastmen drifted apart. If the king was killed, the nobles wouldn't accept the beastmen. The wastelands' beastmen naturally won't participate in a city, which lies in the humans' country. Being caught in-between, the pipsqueaks
"Bastard, despite being a human yourself, you are leading the humans into peril." (Zebul)
Hifumi nods toward the enraged Zebul.
"2 groups are no good. If it doesn't become a 3-way-struggle, they won't use their brains to strategize and defend themselves. There won't be any scheming in battles either. That's because it would be possible for contact people to come and go. The force, including the population, will probably continue to fluctuate from now on." (Hifumi)
"They will have to use their heads in order to survive", Hifumi nods in satisfaction.
"Y-You are mad... For the sake of the battle with the humans to become advantageous for us demons, we instigated the confrontation between humans and beastmen, however... to actually be used by a human..." (Zebul)
"I have put you through trouble. Teach me your guys' whereabouts since I will report to your superior." (Hifumi)
Although displaying hesitation, Zebul obediently answered,
"It's deep within the elves' forest. There you will find our demon races' country. If you get carried away for just having killed me, you will suffer hell there." (Zebul)
"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it." (Hifumi)
With a small sound, Hifumi's katana beheaded Zebul.
Summoned Slaughterer
呼び出された殺戮者
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/summoned-slaughterer/
Action Adventure Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Romance Shounen
Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Arrogant Characters Average-looking Protagonist Beastkin Beautiful Female Lead Betrayal Calm Protagonist Clever Protagonist Cunning Protagonist Dark Demi-Humans Demons Determined Protagonist Different Social Status Dwarfs Elemental Magic Elves Enemies Become Allies Enemies Become Lovers Evil Protagonist Fantasy Creatures Fantasy World Fearless Protagonist God-human Relationship Gods Kingdom Building Kingdoms Knights Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Beasts Magical Space Male Protagonist Marriage Monsters Nobles Obsessive Love Overpowered Protagonist Politics Power Struggle Protagonist Strong from the Start R-15 Royalty Ruthless Protagonist Samurai Schemes And Conspiracies S*aves Strong Love Interests Strong to Stronger Summoning Magic Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transported to Another World Underestimated Protagonist Unique Weapon User Unique Weapons Wars Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4399ci/
井戸正善／ido