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“… Please forgive me, it was completely inexcusable.”

Sitting on ground that is only covered in fur would make my butt hurt, so I’m using a convenient wooden box as a chair. Towards me, the young chief of the Lionkin tribe, Revan, is sitting in a seiza near the entrance of this narrow tent. He prostrated himself with a face that was worn out for some reason.

By the way, what he was wearing, as you could have expected, wasn’t a piece of his towel―Well, after what happened, when he had been beaten to hell due to Utsuho’s and Kokuyou’s rage, it slipped off. I turned my face because I didn’t want to see it―Right now, he was wearing a native dress that resembles his sister’s, who sat beside him with a natural face.

However, in contrast to Asmina’s, which had a white and red colored theme, this one here has a white and blue colored one and another point at the head, which is a blue bandanna. As a matter of fact, speaking of differences, I think it is quite different.

In addition to his apologies, Asmina also bowed her head at the same time.

“Lady Hiyuki, I am really sorry that my brother doesn’t know common sense.”

‘You don’t have the right to say that!’ ―The words almost popped out of Revan’s throat, but before the important guest (me), he managed to pin it down at the last moment while trembling.

Well, I know how you feel. I almost made the same retort.

“Ugggghhh…” Revan groaned inside his throat. He glared sideways towards Asmina while grinding his teeth saying, “Speaking of the cause, wasn’t the culprit you who invited her to peep? I was seriously about to die just a moment ago you know. I saw our dead fathers beckoning me over to the flower garden on the other side.”

Umm, rather than about to die… since he was beaten by Utsuho and Kokuyou when they weren’t holding back (As expected, Izumo and others in the sky held back), he was 100% dead and floated like drowned corpse in the hot spring, so I used Resurrection.

Be that is may, as would be expected from the Beast King Successor. He didn’t die instantly from those two. The fact that he held them back in the nude for nearly 20 seconds is considerably great. I admire that, you know. And then, even though her big brother (Revan) went through such an unfortunate experience, the culprit who caused this made a lewd face and continued peeping, in some way that’s also admirable.

“In the first place, isn’t brother Revan the cause, since he placed those annoying traps at the mountain road where you won’t even know if someone else goes there?”

Revan’s complaints went into the wall, and Asmina warded them off without hesitation.

“If you didn’t do those perverted things, I wouldn’t have to do something like that!” Revan curses with a low voice.

“…Well, these circumstances are family matters, so I won’t mind that.” Or perhaps I should say that I don’t want to get involved.

Therefore, from a different angle―I tried to throw Revan a question that has bothered me since before I came here.

“The fundamental question is why are you living deep in the mountains like this?”

“To protect myself from my insane little sister.” He replied with a clear answer.

…Well, I could understand that.

“Brother Revan, Lady Hiyuki was asking the question seriously, so why don’t you quit with your usual jokes and give it a serious answer?”

Sadly, at Asmina, who chided her brother, and towards her attitude, as expected he had run out of patience, so Revan shouted without hesitating in public.

“It’s not a joke! At the time when I was at the village, you arbitrarily disposed of my tableware and replaced it with a married couple’s set. You always prepare 2 sets of pillows inside the bed. 24 hours a day, you stand watch with the sacred beast, and even if I just talk with another woman on the roadside, attack skills come flying! Thanks to me disappearing, you finally earnestly did your daytime training. The elders were also pleased!!”

“Isn’t it all just a cute little sister’s non ill-will play?”

“There was clearly ill-will and secret intentions!”

The conversation is looping somewhat.

“…Err, what I want to hear is not personal reasons. What I want is to hear your stance regarding this country’s current situation?”

Was it self-concealment? Were they averting their eyes from the core issue? I don’t really know, but if I didn’t ask this one here ―the Beast King successor― we wouldn’t be able to progress with the talk.

While recalling the conversation with the Beast King a few days ago, I tried asking it frankly.

◆◇◆◇

‘Cres Kingdom, which centers on the Cres Cent’luna federation, is withdrawing from the federation and will be under the jurisdiction of Imperial Crimson.’

The smooth bombshell announcement from the Beast King caused King Collard to widely open his eyes, Maroudo to grin in interest once more, and Tengai to make an expression of, ‘So what? The world belongs to the princess,’ so I lightly stopped him. As for me, I cocked my head in puzzlement.

“―Why?”

“About that… if I have to say it frankly, there is no other way for the Cres kingdom to survive other than doing that. It’s the only answer.”

I see. I don’t understand.

“Cres Cent’luna federation is the continent’s biggest country, right? Why did you talk about Cres kingdom, which is at the core of it like it was on the edge?”

Uncle, did you grow senile?

“As a matter of fact, you can call that biggest country a tiger made up of paper. The reality is that Cres Kingdom and Cent’luna Nation are nothing but a mish-mash of assembled groups.”

The Beast King lightly shrugged.

“By the way, Cres is a country which named itself a kingdom, but they don’t have anyone as a king. A great number of beastmen tribes comprise the country as a tribe unit. When some important event occurs, major tribe leaders gather to make decisions.”

King Collard gave a note without a delay.

“Then, what is the ‘Beast King’?”

“It’s simply something that passes on just as a decorative title.”

King Collard denied with all his strength the words of the Beast King who sneered while replying with a bit of a warped mouth, “It’s outrageous! ‘Beast King’ is a title given to the strongest beastman tribe warrior. Basically, for beastmen tribes who obey the strongest person, surely it would be the ‘king’. That power is so enormous; it reaches not only the Cress kingdom, but also beastmen tribes that rule in neighboring countries. For example, if the Cres Kingdom, which was ruled by the old Beast King, is withdrawing from the federation, at least 10 neighboring countries will also do the same.”

The Beast King did not particularly deny those words, and he suddenly became curious about something… with that appearance he asked me a question.

“In the first place, the ‘Beast King’ is said to have existed since the lost era. It’s a title to show respect for the legendary beastman who was the equal of a god. ―Which reminds me, that fool of a person was also calling himself a ‘Beast King’. Was little lady acquainted with that person? I wonder if you know something.”

His tone is light, but with a sharp glint in his eyes, he was watching each of my reactions one by one. Replying to him, I shrugged my shoulders.

“I wonder? Well, tradition is tradition after all. It’s not a problem to show respect to the first generation ‘Beast King’ as always like up until now.”

For a short, brief moment the Beast King was silent with a feeling like he was probing my words, then he snorted, calming the mood.

“…That’s for sure. Well, enough about past traditions. Now about the present Cres Cent’luna federation―”

Here for a moment, Beast King stopped his words and then dropped his bombshell announcement once again.

“Before long it will be ruined, defeated by the Graviol Empire.”

“Wh―what’s that supposed to mean?!” King Collard caught his breath.

“It’s as I said. The current federation head―or perhaps more accurately, President Baldum, had territories seized by the empire, and to reclaim former federation territories, he was planning a counter invasion.”

“Th―that can’t be!?”

“The annexed countries originally belong to the Cent’luna’s camp after all. Perhaps he is planning to make a lifetime bet and place his name in the history books? Or is he planning to affirm his honorable position and remain as the most influential person in the federation in name and reality? …Well, ordinary people won’t understand it.”

“My―Goodness!!”

Listening to Collard’s screams as if they were sound effects, I keep thinking that even surprised voices have a lot of patterns. Even so, I affirmed a point in my mind to the Beast King.

“It seems that defeat is a premise, is there no chance of winning?”

“None.” The Beast King declared it firmly,

“There are three reasons.
The first is, in the first place, a counter invasion using the empire as bait is obvious. Baldum named his plan blitzkrieg, but the empire has already made all sorts of preparations; they are ready and waiting.
And then, the second is that the empire and the Holy Kingdom Aeon have a secret agreement. Aeon by nature is the beastmen’s mortal enemy. They would simply devote themselves to giving logistical support, or in the worst case, it would become a war on two fronts with these two countries.
The third is simple. Regarding this war, starting from us, the Cres kingdom, all the surrounding countries also oppose this war and are refraining from participating.”

“If half of the country is opposed, then there is no need for war.”

When I said it like that, the Beast King strongly nodded in agreement.

“That’s perfectly how it should be. However, at the Cres Cent’luna federation assembly, they were practicing human’s idea of ‘majority rule’. If the majority agrees, then it will reach the point of letting that plan pass. In the first place, Cres Kingdom and its related countries have small populations and are apathetic towards politics, so the forcefulness of speeches doesn’t exist.”

Again, Collard gave his further follow up.

“Incidentally, the Cres Cent’luna Federation representative leader had been elected by each country’s representative for a lifetime in that honorable position, but only this fourth generation wasn’t appointed by anyone other than the Cent’luna related countries.”

“That’s how it is. A federation that is boringly made up by humans will be engrossed in taking action the human ways…”

“Hmm, by the way, how would a decision be made in case there is a difference of opinion in Cres Kingdom?” I tried to ask just out of curiosity.

“In that situation, it’s usually decided with a conference between fellow tribe leaders I think.”

“And in the situation where the discussion can’t be settled?”

“They will discuss until it is settled. Even if it takes days or weeks.”

Ah, in that case, it’s natural that they’re not familiar with the congressional system.

“Was little lady’s country different?”

“For our country’s purposes, everything is decided only by the Princess without fail!” Tengai replied like he was roaring. After that it would be decided by fist fighting.

“Hou. That’s easy to understand.”

“Do you have any issues with being under the jurisdiction of such a country? For your information, that does mean pledging absolute loyalty to me, you see. Well, reign but not rule is my nonintervention standard though.”

If possible, I don’t want to increase my burden even more…

After this is settled, wouldn’t I possess one-fifth of this continent? I feel that world conquest is steadily progressing.

“There is no problem.” The Beast King nodded easily ignoring my worries. After he said that, “However―” he continued. “Currently, I’m retiring so I don’t plan to make any public movements anymore.”

“Then who is going to take the group’s lead?”

Here, for the first time, the Beast King showed a carnivorous smile and said, “That person is the one who will be the next era’s Beast King.”