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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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King Lyger sat in his office, his head in his hands. His usually glossy golden mane was dull and limp, a sight that would shock anyone who knew the typically bold and imposing king.
But today, worry gnawed at him, draining his energy.
The problem was the three prisoners locked in the dungeon beneath his feet.
They had been arrested for the murder of Horan, daughter of the prestigious Tiger Clan.
One of the prisoners was Jaegua Backflin, captain of the Secret Claws and Lyger’s loyal subordinate.
He was the easiest to execute, yet the one Lyger most wanted to save.
Another was Master Hatsim Bellok, one of the wielders of the Seven Hammers, a highly respected figure among the dwarves.
Lyger could still vividly recall the dwarf confidently declaring his identity in the dungeon, stroking his grey beard.
If only they had killed him before learning his identity, things wouldn’t be so complicated.
And the last…
The biggest fish of all.
The Guardian of Yggdrasil, the elf entrusted with protecting her race for centuries.
Eris Anen Seriere.
Her strength was immeasurable.
If they fought, Lyger was confident he would win, but…
‘The mere possibility of defeat is significant.’
The fact that she had a chance of defeating him, the Beast King, the pinnacle of martial prowess among beast-kin, made her a formidable opponent.
If only strength alone dictated the course of events…
After learning their identities, Lyger had wanted to release them, perhaps with a light punishment for Jaegua.
But they were too important.
The elves and dwarves, despite their mutual dislike, had joined forces and were engaging in diplomatic negotiations for the release of Eris and Hatsim.
Lyger wanted to resolve the issue peacefully, with an apology and some concessions. He knew Eris and her companions hadn’t killed Horan.
Jaegua had sworn it, and Lyger believed him. But he still needed a formal apology to maintain appearances.
Eris and Hatsim understood this and were willing to cooperate, but…
The problem, of course, was the Tiger Clan.
Their leader, Hoback, had vehemently opposed their release.
He was furious, demanding justice for his daughter’s murder, and he wouldn’t budge.
‘There’s evidence that he’s gathering an army.’
If Lyger released the prisoners, it could trigger a rebellion.
Of course, Lyger was confident in his own power.
He was the Beast King, and even the martial arts experts of the Tiger Clan were no match for him.
But a rebellion would lead to bloodshed, and the Tiger Clan had the support of other powerful families.
They were outnumbered by those loyal to Lyger, but if they joined forces with the Tiger Clan, it could plunge the beast-kin kingdom into chaos.
“Does the pursuit of strength always lead to such complications?”
The strongest becomes the King of Beasts.
It sounded romantic, but in reality, the throne was stained with blood.
His people, who worshipped strength, were weary of bloodshed.
Lyger longed for a peaceful resolution.
“Y-Your Majesty! It’s Deer! May I have a moment?”
A frantic voice called from outside.
Lyger set aside his worries and granted permission to enter. But the problem Deer brought with him was related to the very issue that had been plaguing him.
“The prisoners in the dungeon… they’re trying to escape!”
“What?”
That was absurd.
He had already spoken with the Guardian and the Master. They were supposed to wait patiently.
Lyger jumped to his feet and rushed towards the dungeon.
He asked Deer, who was following close behind,
“What about the Tiger Clan?”
“I don’t know. I made sure the guards wouldn’t leak any information.”
“Good. Keep me updated.”
“Yes! First…”
As they hurried towards the dungeon, Deer’s report shocked even the Beast King.
The fourth prisoner, the one who had escaped, had returned. And he had infiltrated the palace without causing any commotion.
Lyger clenched his fists, his pride as King wounded. He reached the dungeon, his face grim.
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‘Is that the Beast King?’
Rin was still unconscious, Adriana tending to her wounds.
Eris was reaching through the bars, helping Adriana with the healing magic. I stood in front of them protectively.
The standoff had been going on for a while.
The beast-kin with long antlers, who had rushed off to assess the situation, had returned with the King himself.
His golden mane, his imposing physique…
The lion-faced king exuded an aura of authority, as if daring anyone to challenge his rule.
‘He’s strong.’
Undeniably strong.
As the leader of a warrior race, the King had to be the strongest of them all, and King Lyger fulfilled that requirement, but…
Compared to Kurika?
He was still far behind.
I was reminded once again of Kurika’s immense power.
“Who are you?”
Lyger’s voice was laced with anger.
Eris had already explained the situation, so we could get straight to the point.
“Daniel McLean, a human.”
I focused my mind on the wolf ears on my head, and they, along with my tail, dissolved into mana and disappeared.
The guards gasped in surprise, but the Beast King remained unfazed.
“I am Lyger, the Beast King. Why are you trying to break these prisoners out?”
“I was trying to break them out, yes. But I just heard about your situation.”
I had just learned that our actions could trigger a rebellion.
If I had known Eris and the others weren’t in immediate danger, I wouldn’t have acted so rashly.
“So you’re going to back down?”
The Beast King asked, a glint of amusement in his eyes as he stroked his mane.
I decided to be honest.
“For now, yes. But it depends on what you decide to do.”
The atmosphere grew tense.
The guards, along with the antlered advisor, glared at me, their hostility palpable. They were silently reprimanding me for disrespecting their King.
“D-Daniel?”
Eris’s voice trembled with concern.
I smiled reassuringly and relaxed my stance.
Lyger ordered his guards to bring him his sword.
“You’re quite bold. You speak as if you have the upper hand in this negotiation.”
“Well, beast-kin usually determine superiority through strength. I assumed this negotiation would follow the same principle.”
I met Lyger’s gaze.
A competitive fire, a thirst for battle, burned in his eyes.
“And of course, I thought I had the upper hand.”
“You bastard!”
The antlered advisor finally snapped, unable to contain his anger any longer. Disrespecting the King was akin to disrespecting the entire beast-kin race.
But I didn’t back down.
“I won’t take Eris right now. This is a negotiation, but it’s also a declaration of war. If you harm Eris in any way…”
“……”
I slowly raised my hand, pointing my sword at the Beast King’s throat.
“We won’t hesitate to retaliate. That’s your responsibility as King.”
“Heh.”
The Beast King chuckled.
He covered his mouth, laughing for a moment, then lowered his hand and muttered,
“You’re impressive, boy.”
I was giving him time.
I knew how difficult it would be for him if we took Eris now. So I was giving him a chance to resolve the situation before we acted.
If he failed… we would take Eris, regardless of the consequences.
“We have a saying: A snake’s tongue cannot kill a lion.”
“……”
“It means that flowery words without action are meaningless.”
Two beast-kin struggled to carry a massive sword, placing it in Lyger’s hands.
He smiled, his expression brightening as if the weight of his worries had been lifted, and stepped forward.
“Let’s see if you’re a snake or a lion.”
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[Your Text Here]
Oh thank goodness. I was stressing out the entire time since that one throwaway line of Adriana about Eris being a broodmare or something.