Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 486: Reigning Without Ruling

The plan was to use Ende’s power to stop the Wolf King. A solid strategy, but there was a fundamental problem—no one had asked Ende’s opinion. Even if Ende was prepared to fight the wolf, if they weren’t willing to, it would all be for nothing.

As the regressor prepared to leave, they turned to me and said:

“Today, I’m going to meet Ende’s mayor, Triver. I need to warn him about the Wolf King.”

“Have a safe trip.”

I lazily waved from where I was lying on the sofa. The regressor narrowed their eyes, approached from behind, and then—with a flick of their foot—flipped the sofa over.

Pinned underneath, I flailed as the regressor shouted:

“You’re coming too! It’ll be easier to convince him if Azzy, the King of Dogs, is there!”

“Then just take Azzy. Why me?”

“Someone has to watch Azzy. And it’s not like you have anything else to do!”

“That hurts, you know. You don’t have to attack me with facts.”

“Get up before I actually make it hurt.”

I was already hurting under the weight of the sofa. My protests were ignored as the regressor dragged me along to Ende’s city center.

Ende, the city of free beastkin. It had no towering walls or grand buildings, yet even in such a city, a hierarchy existed. And like in many places, those of higher status lived in physically higher locations.

A small hill stood within Ende. The first humans to settle in the city had built their homes there for a simple reason: elevation meant relative safety from beasts.

As Ende grew, it no longer had to fear beast attacks. Instead, the original settlers became wary of the growing number of beastkin. More accurately, they feared their own future selves—the ones who would inevitably mix with the beastkin.

Thus, Oveli was created—a district with a distinct order, separate from Ende’s chaos. Over time, the lines blurred, and the two mixed, but Oveli remained a city within a city.

Ende’s mayor, Triver, was there.

At the heart of Oveli, in a solemn plaza paved with white bricks, Triver awaited the regressor.

“...So it’s you? The adventurer recommended by the Violet Merchant Guild?”

For the elderly, wrinkles were a natural sign of aging. But for beastkin, they were like marks of their beastly nature becoming more pronounced. The sagging skin around the ears made them resemble animals even more.

In that sense, the old man before me looked like a wise old hound standing on two legs.

Of course, I want to clarify that I had no intention of insulting dog beastkin. This was merely my personal impression.

Triver, a seasoned veteran who had maintained his position in a city of beastkin and even had ties to the imperial family, leaned on his cane and gazed at the regressor.

“The Violet Merchant Guild doesn’t recommend people lightly, but still... such a young adventurer? So, you claim that Ende faces a great crisis? What exactly is it?”

“If there’s one thing that could be considered a crisis for Ende, you should already know what it is.”

Even before this influential figure, the regressor remained as rude as ever.

I had to admit—at least they were consistent. No matter who they spoke to, they were always an ass.

“The Wolf King is coming. I came to warn you in advance.”

The elder beastkin murmured among themselves, and a few visibly trembled. Fear of the known was worse—no matter how much they had anticipated hearing that name, it was still terrifying.

Surveying the murmuring council, Triver furrowed his wrinkled face.

“...Do you have proof of this?”

Now was my moment.

I had been waiting for a dramatic entrance. With a flick of my wrist, I tossed a bouncing ball into the plaza. Instinctively, Azzy dashed after it, snatching it mid-air and rolling across the ground.

Foll𝑜w current novels on fɾēewebnσveℓ.com.

Oveli’s plaza was a sacred space, where the ruling class held public meetings. The sight of a barefoot figure charging in would be a deliberate shock.

“Perfect timing.”

...This wasn’t just me acting on my own. The regressor and I had agreed on this beforehand. I didn’t think they liked theatrics, but they were surprisingly flexible when needed.

Some of the beastkin scowled, but a considerable number of dog beastkin perked their ears. The beast within them, the part that was mixed with human blood, instinctively recognized the King.

“Ah... indeed. The King....”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

For beastkin, an animal king was an indescribable presence. They weren’t acquaintances, there was no obligation to obey them, and the King didn’t try to rule over them.

And yet, they were still the King.

No need for proof. No need for doubt. They just knew. Their instincts aligned.

That was what it meant to be the King of Beasts.

Triver, having received the Dog King, slowly approached Azzy. Ever friendly toward humans and loyal to dogs, Azzy showed no hostility toward the aged dog beastkin. Holding the ball in her mouth, she wagged her tail enthusiastically.

Triver spoke slowly.

“...The last sighting was in the kingdom, wasn’t it? After the royal family disappeared and the kingdom became a military state, news of them ceased.”

“They were trapped in the Abyss. With Azzy gone, the Wolf King wandered the plains without purpose. That’s why Ende often clashed with them.”

“Now that the Dog King has returned, the Wolf King will inevitably make their move.”

“Yeah. Conflict is unavoidable.”

The regressor declared Ende’s fate to its leaders. As the mood darkened, Triver straightened himself and spoke again.

“This may actually be a good thing. A battle against the wolves was inevitable. If we must fight, it’s better to do so with the King by our side.”

Triver, a dog beastkin with faint traces of royal blood, was political, pragmatic, and cooperative. He gripped his cane firmly and made his declaration.

“We of Ende shall uphold the pact between dogs and humans.”

“A wise decision.”

“It is also the obvious one. The Dog King is a formidable force. With them leading, we stand a much better chance against the Wolf King.”

A faint smile crossed Triver’s face as he knelt on one knee before Azzy.

“I am but a half-blood. I can only kneel with one knee. The King may not be accustomed to human formalities, but... at the very least, this much I can do.”

“Woof! Manners don’t matter! Promises come first!”

“If that is what the King wishes, then I am relieved. Worry not, Your Majesty. The promise shall be upheld.”

Oh. For something planned by the regressor, things are actually going smoothly for once.

No, rather, this is how things should be. It was only strange up until now. If you can regress, you only ever need to attempt the paths that work.

“This time, things are unfolding well. No need for threats, so that’s a relief.”

Threats? Against that gentle old dog beastkin?

So things didn’t always go well, huh? Typical.

Perhaps it was because they had received the King, but every dog beastkin present in the meeting unanimously agreed with Triver’s decision. Even the non-canine beastkin, though uneasy, accepted it. Since those gathered were all either clan leaders or widely respected elders, if it passed in Oveli, it was safe to say that the entirety of Ende had been convinced.

But one thing bothered me.

With so many beastkin gathered here—why weren’t there any humans or pig beastkin?

Just as I was pondering that, a messenger approached Triver and whispered something to him.

“Mayor Triver. A herald from the Violet Merchant Guild has arrived. It seems urgent.”

“Perfect timing. Ende may be part of the Lilac Principality in name alone, but war is war, and we’ll need supplies. Since the Violet Merchant Guild has come to us...”

Muttering to himself, Triver suddenly cast a sharp glance at the regressor, as if something had clicked.

“...Hmm. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being maneuvered into a war.”

Age had not dulled his instincts. But the regressor, ever shameless, lied without hesitation.

“You’re overthinking it.”

“Well, it hardly matters. Would you like to join me in meeting the herald?”

“Let’s do that. Hughes!”

Oh, finally, they remember my name.

I had been loitering outside, bored after finishing my grand task of throwing the ball. I trudged over as the regressor gestured at Azzy.

“Watch Azzy for a bit while we’re gone.”

“What am I, a dog sitter?”

“Yep. I mean, pretty much.”

‘Not like you have anything better to do.’

If you’re going to deny it, at least commit to it all the way!

Fine. I had done nothing so far, but still!

Triver and the key officials of Oveli left with the regressor. Some beastkin also vacated the plaza, leaving only those who had gathered to welcome Azzy. Even in Oveli, where they were expected to uphold a certain decorum, their ears and tails betrayed their excitement.

“Grrr... The King of Dogs. I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

“Isn’t the King of Dogs one of the more frequently seen kings? Every time there’s a rumor about the King of Sheep, it’s about some monastery or a mountaintop...”

“Frequently seen? The Wolf King makes it impossible to even seek them out!”

A murmur of excitement ran through the gathered beastkin.

After observing them for a moment, I came to a conclusion—

To beastkin, the King of Beasts was something akin to a religious figure.

Beastkin were not simply beasts; they were beings who had inherited beastly traits. Their influence would never be as absolute as a true beast's. Whether a King of Beasts existed or not wouldn’t drastically change their daily lives.

Yet, their presence brought a sense of unity, a surge of emotion, a moment that connected them all—just like now.

Now I understood why the regressor had insisted on bringing Azzy along. Convincing them would be far easier this way.

Azzy, too, seemed to realize this. Normally, she would have been rolling around playing with her ball, but now, her eyes gleamed as she carefully looked at each of the beastkin’s faces.

This wasn’t the easy affection she always showed humans, like some natural constant.

No, there was a different kind of warmth in her expression this time.

“So many humans to keep promises with! Will you fight with me?”

Azzy pranced up to a dog beastkin, tugging at their sleeve.

It would be hard to refuse a request made so earnestly.

The dog beastkin clenched their fist, eyes burning with determination.

“Of course! King, I am ready to fight!”

“Woof! Woof! Me too!”

“Same here!”

The sheer number of dog beastkin present filled the plaza with cheers and enthusiasm.

Even those who had been trying ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) to maintain their dignity as members of Oveli were slowly inching forward, eager to at least touch Azzy’s paw.

There were plenty of people here to look after her.

Yet... I was the King of Humans, wasn’t I?

Why weren’t they reacting to me like this?

Beastkin were closer to humans than to true animals, after all.

Feeling oddly left out, I watched the impromptu fan meeting unfold.

At that moment, someone pushed past me near the entrance.

“Shut up!”

Bang! Bang!

A loud, irritated voice rang out as someone banged on the iron gate. The sensitive beastkin flinched and turned toward the source of the commotion.

The one who had drawn everyone’s attention didn’t seem to feel any pressure at all. If anything, they looked even more annoyed.

“You all woke me up! What, is everyone in heat or something? Why is it so damn loud today?”

“M-Master... Today is a meeting hosted by the mayor...”

“Since when did meetings turn into choir performances? Do they not realize how awful their voices sound?”

Finally, one of the missing groups had made an appearance.

Humans.

Even as time passed, generations changed, and Ende shifted further into a city ruled by beastkin...

Even with the Wolf King’s threat looming ever closer...

Humans still remained at the top of Ende.