Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 541: The Leftover Story, The Master and the Dog

The hero who saved Ende had left the city, but Ende had no time to realize it. The sweet taste of victory had momentarily distracted them, but the city was still deeply wounded. The moment the anesthesia wore off, screams and commotion erupted from every corner of Ende.

Obeli was no different.

“Kill them! Kill them!”

If there was one thing the beastkin of Ende had learned from Orcma, it was this—protests. A rebellion could be crushed, and petitions could be ignored, but protests were a much more troublesome issue. If they were suppressed by force, the sheer numbers could easily escalate into a riot, creating a second coming of Orcma. But if they were ignored, more sympathizers would emerge. The Obeli security hounds and law enforcement had no choice but to stand by helplessly.

Emboldened by their victory, the beastkin of Ende raised their placards and shouted in front of Obeli.

“Where else would invaders be given warm beds, meals, and medical care?!”

“If they were beastkin, they would’ve been hanged already! Are you sparing them just because they’re human?!”

“Drag them all out and execute them!”

“Offer them as food for the tiger!”

As a result, Obeli was in chaos.

The King of Wolves had been defeated, but the conflicts hadn’t ended. Ende had expended significant resources and food in consecutive battles, and to keep their fighting spirit alive, they had no choice but to fuel their hatred. Thus, Obeli had publicized the cowardice of the vassal states to all of Ende, stoking their fury.

Unfortunately, their plan had worked—too well.

Inside a meeting hall in Obeli, separated from the protesting crowd by only a single wall, a human bellowed.

“Mayor Treavor! Does this situation make any sense?! Beastkin demanding the execution of humans?!”

To the north of Ende lay vast plains blessed by an ever-flowing river. Unlike the hot, humid south, where droughts and floods alternated, the northern lands had a temperate climate perfect for agriculture.

Three vassal states laid claim to the territory, leading to constant territorial disputes. Floods would erase borders, and rulers were frequently replaced.

Among them, Baron Eaton of the southern lands controlled the passage leading to Ende and was a devoted retainer of the Lilac Vassal State. Though he had come under the pretense of assisting Ende in its time of need, everyone knew he was merely a mouthpiece for the vassal states.

Upon hearing the protest outside, Baron Eaton shouted.

“I have come here to aid the victims of the tragedy in Ende! Yet not only has our esteemed Black Tiger Army met such a fate, but now beastkin are oppressing humans?! How am I supposed to report this?!”

“Shut your mouth, human!”

It was an utterly human remark, but the beastkin—having endured so many betrayals—refused to tolerate it any longer. The only reason the clan leaders of Obeli hadn’t torn Baron Eaton apart was not because he was human, but because they were relatively restrained individuals.

With bared fangs, the clan leaders snarled.

“You were the ones who attacked first! We were tending to the wounded after defeating the King of Wolves, and you ambushed us! You should be grateful we spared your lives, and yet you dare to make threats?!”

“Should we make you tiger food too?!”

Fierce roars echoed throughout the hall. Anyone else would have cowered under such hostility, but Baron Eaton held his head high with shameless defiance.

“Do you have any proof?”

“What?”

“You expect us to believe that the Black Tiger Army attacked you first? That an elite force led by Lientan Sword would lower themselves to attack you? If you’re going to make excuses, at least make them believable!”

The beastkin were momentarily speechless at his brazen denial. Their wounds, still fresh and unhealed, were living proof of the attack, and yet Baron Eaton was already spinning his own narrative.

“The Black Tiger Army came to help Ende, only to fall victim to the disaster! You should take responsibility! Don’t try to pin it on us!”

In truth, the news had come as a thunderbolt to Baron Eaton as well.

Just days ago, the vassal states' elite Black Tiger Army had passed through his territory. And now, he was hearing that they had been annihilated by a disaster.

The vassal states had lost one of their greatest assets without even realizing it. They had gone out to hunt, only to return missing an arm. No one could predict where their fury would land—or if Baron Eaton’s own head would be spared in the process.

His only chance to retain his title, land, and life was to shift the blame entirely onto Ende.

“If someone had to die, it should have been you instead of Lientan Sword! How is it that Ende is the only one left standing after the Mountain King’s rampage?!”

The enraged beastkin snorted furiously. Even if the beastkin of Obeli were more composed and older, they were still beastkin. If they wanted to, they could use Baron Eaton’s limbs as toothpicks.

Just as the situation reached the brink of an explosion, a low voice interjected.

“It was because you dared to insult the Mountain King.”

The voice belonged to an old, wrinkled canine beastkin. It was calm yet resolute.

“Lientan Sword was... hmm, extremely rude. Even more so than you, Baron Eaton. He called us ‘beast-heads’ and believed it was only natural that we should obey him. And that belief manifested in his actions.”

The old beastkin paused before continuing. novelbuddy.cσ๓

“But who could have known? That the Mountain King himself was among us, watching quietly.”

“The Mountain King was among you?”

“Yes. But the Mountain King is a noble and dignified being. There was no reason to tolerate a human who so rudely addressed him. He killed Lientan Sword and slaughtered the resisting Black Tiger Army before stopping.”

Had things gone differently, the Mountain King might have wiped out all of Ende as well, but Mayor Treavor intentionally left that part out. It was more beneficial for the beastkin to believe that the Mountain King was on their side.

“And you just stood by and watched?!”

“Would you have stood against the Mountain King, Baron Eaton?”

“Of course! I wouldn’t have bowed to some savage beast—”

Baron Eaton stopped mid-sentence, snapping his mouth shut.

Because he, too, was a lord of the Enger Plains.

The saying “Speak of the tiger, and it appears” was not just a figure of speech when it came to the king of beasts.

The Mountain King was not a name to be invoked carelessly.

Baron Eaton had too much to lose to take that risk. Instead of continuing, he seized upon another point of contention.

“But do you think their demand to execute prisoners can be justified?!”

Even Mayor Treavor struggled to respond to that.

The Black Tiger Army had indeed attacked first, and the beastkin of Ende had been deeply shaken by the betrayal. Realizing that the vassal states had intended to wipe them out, they had been overcome with fury.

However, that was merely the unofficial truth. If the vassal states denied it, there would be no consequences. And even if they didn’t, the beastkin’s anger would not be easily understood.

After all, beastkin were still regarded as lower-class beings.

“Executing prisoners in such a brutal manner has been outlawed since the fall of the Tyrant King! Even the Empire and the Holy Crown Church have banned such acts! Are you planning to create a second Abyss? The Holy Crown Church will condemn your atrocities!”

And if the lower-class beastkin were to brutally execute prisoners, it would become an unforgivable crime in the eyes of the Empire.

The Empire had been founded on the condemnation of the Tyrant King, who had once massacred hundreds of thousands of prisoners.

Mayor Treavor finally responded.

“...We have no intention of executing them.”

“Hah! And yet that cloud of beastkin outside seems to think otherwise! Then again, I suppose they wouldn’t know history, given that most of them weren’t even born when it happened!”

Emboldened again, Baron Eaton leaped from his seat and shouted.

“I don’t know what ‘accident’ may have occurred, but release the prisoners immediately and hand them over to me! If you refuse, I shall personally hold these beastkin accountable for their crimes!”

The beastkin were already viewed as savages. If they defied the laws established after the fall of the Tyrant King, they would invite universal condemnation.

Ende, unable to stand alone against the vassal states, would have no path left but ruin if they also earned the Empire’s and the Holy Crown Church’s condemnation.

As Mayor Treavor hesitated, struggling with the situation—

"So noisy. Has Obeli ever had a quiet day lately? I can’t even get a good night’s sleep.”

A familiar voice echoed through the hall—a voice that no one wanted to get used to.

Duke Erectus, who had barely managed to reclaim his position after being chased out by Orcma, entered the meeting room, looking as nonchalant as ever. He let out a huge yawn, as if he had only just woken up.

Baron Eaton immediately recognized the duke.

“Duke Erectus! Finally, someone reasonable! These beast-heads are—”

“It’s you who’s being noisy, Baron Eaton.”

Duke Erectus lazily dug at his ear and replied with irritation.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“I may be a 'Water Duke,' but I’m still a duke, aren’t I? Ende is my territory. You show up here unannounced and start throwing a fit? Is this the noble etiquette you’re so proud of, Baron Eaton?”

“The situation is urgent! That aside, now is not the time for this! What do you intend to do about those beastkin outside?!”

Baron Eaton pointed beyond the wall. The beastkin were still protesting, their chants of "Kill them! Execute them!" echoing clearly. It was evident that this was the sentiment of the people of Ende.

But Duke Erectus remained unimpressed.

“Oh, that? Just leave it.”

“Leave it?! You mean to let it be?!”

“What do you expect me to do? A pack of domesticated animals is barking—just deal with it.”

“Deal with it?! They’re calling for public executions—they’re nothing more than savages!”

“When your dog barks aggressively, do you charge it with attempted murder? Come on now, Baron. You’re just nitpicking. Who’s going to take you seriously if you make such a fuss over some noisy animals?”

Baron Eaton was left speechless.

The beastkin protestors—he was dismissing them as if they weren’t even people. If Erectus had given any excuse, Eaton could have argued against it. But the duke had taken things a step beyond comprehension.

“They were stabbed in the back by the Black Tiger Army. It’s like whipping a beast that had just finished fighting—of course it’s going to be on edge. It’s only natural they’d bare their fangs and bark at humans.”

“You—you can’t be ignorant of the lessons of the Tyrant King!”

“Oh, I know them well. But those things outside? They don’t. And I don’t have a hobby of teaching history to dogs.”

It was an outright declaration that beastkin were mere livestock.

Baron Eaton wanted to object but couldn't come up with a valid argument.

Are beastkin human? Some pretentious people might say yes. But are they equal to humans? Most would shake their heads. Baron Eaton was among the majority, for purely economic reasons—if beastkin were treated as equals, then cheap labor would become too costly.

But Duke Erectus took it a step further by treating them outright as domesticated animals. Eaton couldn’t refute it, yet he also couldn't advocate for the improvement of beastkin rights—it would contradict everything he stood for.

“Now that you understand, sit down. Stop trying to shift the topic.” Erectus sighed. “Honestly, I don’t understand you vassal state nobles. If you insist on treating beastkin like animals, then treat them as animals. You want to handle them like livestock, yet you expect them to fulfill human obligations? Make up your mind.”

“This is....”

“If you have something to complain about, Baron Eaton, complain to me. Now, what was all this about again? Go on, I’m listening.”

With his momentum lost, Baron Eaton resorted to defensive rambling, spewing excuses about how none of this was his fault. His words were long-winded and lacking coherence, but his intention was crystal clear—he wanted to distance himself from the catastrophe of the Black Tiger Army’s annihilation.

He wanted Ende to take the fall.

Mayor Treavor observed this with a complicated expression.

He was born a beastkin. Despite being of distant imperial blood, that meant nothing—he had been abandoned, exiled, and unable to stay within the Empire.

The only reason he had found any place in the vassal states was because they saw value in imperial bloodlines. He had leveraged that for power, eventually rising to mayor of Ende.

As mayor, he had dreamt of an ideal world. A world where all beastkin could live peacefully. Where they had the same opportunities as humans.

A world where everyone sat at the same table, sharing a meal, and no one thought it strange.

But now, Treavor wondered—had he been deluding himself all along?

Humans weren’t inherently superior. Beastkin weren’t inherently inferior.

Both simply fought to take what they could from others.

From the very beginning, humans and beastkin had been sitting at the same table—not smiling together, but snarling at each other, trying to steal from one another’s plates.

Perhaps his dream of sitting with humans as equals had been nothing more than arrogance—a fantasy born from an inferiority complex.

After all, humans didn’t necessarily get along with each other either.

Maybe humans were beastkin, too.

As Treavor fell into quiet contemplation—

“Welsh!”

Duke Erectus suddenly sprang to his feet. He had spotted his hound, Welsh, lingering near the meeting room. Without hesitation, he strode over.

“I told you to stay put! Your wounds haven’t fully healed yet!”

Though his words sounded scolding, his tone and actions were filled with concern, much like a man fussing over his beloved pet.

Welsh, who had been waiting patiently so as not to disrupt the meeting, had no choice but to step forward as her master dragged her in. She found his excessive attention burdensome and pushed him away.

“The King already tended to my wounds. I’m fine now.”

“Internal injuries take time to heal. Rest until you’re fully recovered.”

“I’ve trained in internal energy. Further treatment won’t make a difference. The doctors already left to see other patients.”

“What? Those quacks just left on their own?!”

“They didn’t leave on their own. I told them I was fine.”

“And you think that’s enough?! Damn fools. Do they even realize they only get to live in a human-less city because of me?! I’ll—”

Welsh cut him off, her voice firm.

“Master. I know my own body best.”

“...I suppose you do. Tch! Fine, fine. You’ve trained in internal energy, after all.”

With that, Erectus finally let it go. Welsh let out a small sigh of relief.

Ever since Welsh had nearly died protecting him, Duke Erectus had changed completely in the way he treated her. He had never been particularly harsh before, but now he seemed willing to give her his very life.

Instead of her protecting him, it was now he who stood by her side, constantly worrying over her.

It was only natural—she had risked her life for him.

But to Welsh, this newfound attention felt overwhelming.

She had never experienced such luxury before, and she didn’t know how to handle it.

That was why she was trying to return to her duties as soon as possible.

“Master, you should be worrying about yourself. If you wander alone in this chaotic situation, it’s dangerous.”

Erectus, who had been relentless in tearing into Baron Eaton just moments ago, now looked hesitant—an unusual sight.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“I don’t want you protecting me anymore.”

Welsh blinked, looking up at him in surprise.

“Have you found another hound to replace me?”

“Of course not! You’re my only hound. But... you’ve suffered enough protecting me. I don’t want you to keep doing it.”

His words carried a clear message—he wasn’t dismissing her. He cared.

But unfortunately, Welsh lacked the sensitivity to pick up on the nuance.

And that was entirely Duke Erectus’ fault. After all, how many times had he whipped her for no reason?

Welsh’s ears and tail drooped slightly.

“...Then I suppose I’ve been dismissed. I should start looking for another job.”

“No, you haven’t been dismissed! Listen to me, damn it!”

Neither cared that others were watching.

Awkward yet honest, they stood there, facing each other.

And as Treavor watched, he realized—

Maybe he had been wrong all along.

Maybe the solution wasn’t trying to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) create a world where beastkin and humans sat at the same table.

Maybe the real answer was in finding the one person who needed you most.

Just like those two had.

With that thought, Treavor felt like he was tossing away his past ideals like a crumpled piece of paper.

Yet rather than feeling regret, he felt... liberated.

He didn’t have much time left.

But there was still much to be done.

And for that, he was grateful.