Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 537: What Does a Tiger Leave Behind?

That’s a really unexpected answer. I’ve read Nebida’s thoughts before, and she’s the farthest thing from sinful.

Nebida is an ancient druid who has lived since before the original era, back when the human king still existed. Sin? She has no interest in such things. It’s not something you can eat, so why waste time worrying about it? Better to go hunting or tend to crops. Ideologically speaking, Nebida might be the most similar to me.

When I read her thoughts, she was focused on only one thing—the lost human king from long ago. She doesn’t seem to think it has to be me, though.

"The Grand Druid collects sin? How?"

"I don’t know the details. But..."

‘When I wasn’t involved, the King of Sin took the form of a woman growing within the fruit of the Tree of Betrayal.’

Ha, this situation is starting to feel a bit more complicated.

The regressor doesn’t seem to be lying. It’s true that Nebida was trying to create a human king. Nebida’s demon, the Tree of Origin, extended its branches in countless directions, but its goal was always a single human.

And if that human king was created by violating every taboo imaginable, it makes sense that they could become the King of Sin. The regressor’s theory is reasonable.

But there are still unanswered questions.

"Wait a minute. Then what about Azzy? How do you explain that halo?"

Azzy was still fiddling with her ring, as if she were simply playing with it. She looked so far removed from the concept of sin that it was like she existed on the opposite side of the world from it. The regressor was just as confused.

‘That’s true. The Ring of Holy Light only appears for saints or saintesses. Why did it manifest for Azzy?’

"...Hmm. We might need to ask someone about that."

"Who?"

"The saintess, of course."

"What?!"

Even if we don’t have anyone else to ask, going to the Holy Crown Church?

The regressor glanced at me cautiously before continuing.

"Hey, don’t be upset. You wanted to go to Yulim, right? That’s the Holy Crown Church’s sacred ground. If we want to enter Yulim, we have to get the church’s permission anyway. Might as well ask while we’re there."

"The saintess absolutely hates me. Am I going to die just trying to ask a question?"

"You don’t have to go in person. If we visit a nearby monastery, we’ll find the Rakion Grand Holy Wall. We can contact the saintess through that. If I explain the situation, she’ll give us an answer."

The Rakion Grand Holy Wall was a divine communication structure spread across monasteries throughout the continent. If that was available, we wouldn’t need to visit the Holy Crown Church itself.

But ‘being able to contact’ and ‘getting an answer’ were two very different things. Just because we asked didn’t mean they had to respond.

"Who exactly are you, Shei?"

"I’m the owner of Tianying. That’s reason enough."

‘In the seventh iteration, I somehow ended up receiving Tianying from the Grandmaster of the Celestial Sword Order. Then, in the eighth iteration, I passed the saintess’s trial and became Tianying’s rightful wielder. After that, I never needed to visit Yulim again—Tianying always returned to me. Just showing Tianying should be enough to confirm my identity.’

Will that really work?

Well, if it does, that’s good for me. The Holy Crown Church is deeply connected to the demons, but I’d never be able to approach them on my own. Without the regressor, I wouldn’t have any way to even set foot in their territory.

I admit it makes sense. But still...

"A relic with deep ties to the Holy Crown Church, huh... Hmm."

"...What? What is it?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that you’re not even trying to hide your identity anymore."

I can read minds, so I know the regressor’s secret. But to outsiders, she just looks like a holy knight. The Holy Crown Church raised her like a strategic weapon, showering her with sacred relics.

How long does she plan to live under false assumptions?

Sure, revealing that she’s a regressor would be a headache, but wouldn’t it be easier than constantly being suspected?

"...Even if I told the truth, no one would believe me."

"People don’t believe you because you don’t tell them. Just say it. Whether they believe you or not is up to them."

‘If I said I’ve regressed, that I’ve lived through over a dozen apocalypses and returned... No one would believe me. No, they’d doubt my intentions. I’m an outsider to time itself. A traveler who can abandon this iteration and move on to the next...’

Damn it. Should I just reveal that I can read minds?

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight

If she realizes her thoughts are being read, she wouldn’t be able to hide anything. But if I did that, she might avoid me completely in the next iteration. The risk is higher on my end.

The regressor can just reset everything and try again, but for me, this is my last chance.

"...If we make it to Yulim."

"Yeah?" free𝑤ebnovel.com

"I’ll tell you everything. What I am, what happened."

After saying that, the regressor turned her head away, as if she had nothing more to say.

It wasn’t the full answer I wanted, but this was still a big step forward. If I kept pushing, she’d just get more defensive. And since I needed to go to Yulim anyway, it was a fair deal.

"Alright. Don’t forget that promise."

At that moment, the doorbell rang. The food had arrived. I left the regressor behind and walked over to receive it.

Once we reach Yulim, everything will be clear.

...Wait. Now that I think about it, Yulim is the Holy Crown Church’s sanctuary. If we go there, I can just read the saintess’s thoughts and learn every secret she knows.

What the hell?

Did I just get played by that regressor?

...Whatever. I’ll think about it after I eat. For now, I turned away from the dizzying truths lurking ahead.

***

"...Difficult."

"Woof? What is?"

"Hughes. He’s wary of me."

"Woof woof?"

"I can’t blame him for not trusting me... But it’s the same for me. There’s something off about Hughes. You feel it too, don’t you, Azzy?"

"Woof? Woof?"

"...Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Woof. You. Don’t know? Human!"

"Human? The human king? Are you talking about Hughes?"

"Woof!"

"Why? He’s just a weak guy who lost his power and only knows cheap tricks."

"Know inside! Human, beast. Simple!"

"Hughes is simple? You’re serious?"

"Woof!"

"How does that make sense? Hughes ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) is twisted beyond belief."

"No! Woof! That one. Loves humans."

"Hughes... loves humans? I can’t believe that. He constantly calls humans ‘beasts.’"

"Right! Beasts! So, he loves humans who love humans! Like me!"

"Humans who love humans?"

"I love humans. Because humans love dogs. Humans love me. Because dogs love humans. We’re friends."

"Friends..."

"And you, you love humans too!"

"M-Me? You think I like Hughes?"

"No, not just one human! Woof! Many humans! You, kind!"

"That’s what you mean...? Wait, that’s strange. I don’t really like humans—"

"You do! Woof! I know!"

"I’m sure I don’t..."

"That’s why humans like you too!"

***

"...Huh?!"

Surprisingly, Teia had come to deliver the food herself. I didn’t think the head of the Pabal Clan would have time for delivery work, but it seemed she wasn’t here just to drop off food.

"You heard me, right? What do you think?!"

So, even Ende is struggling with something, enough to ask for my advice. Not that I have any intention of helping.

"Yeah, I heard you. But just because I heard doesn’t mean I’ll do anything about it."

"That’s not it! The moun— Uh! The one whose name we cannot call, you know it best! I just wanted to hear your opinion!"

"Well, that much is true. But don’t worry. Even if you use the Mountain Lord’s name, it won’t get offended or seek revenge. After all, it’s just another beast."

Even though I answered politely, Teia still looked terrified.

"T-The one whose name we cannot call... is it really okay to say it so carelessly?"

"What do you mean? You mean the Mountain Lord?"

"Roar. Did you call?"

Before I even finished speaking, the Mountain Lord appeared behind me as if possessed.

Whoever came up with the saying, ‘speak of the tiger and it appears,’ deserves a beating. Now I can’t even mention tigers without one showing up.

The Mountain Lord clicked its tongue at the sight of Teia and me, both frozen in fear.

"Tsk, tsk. How lamentable. I answer your summons, and yet you tremble in fear."

"A giant tiger suddenly appearing behind us—how could we not be scared?"

"Then you should not call for me. Humans and their fickle ways... I shall never understand them."

Now that I think about it, the Mountain Lord always disappears from time to time. Maybe it’s been scaring the people of Ende every time it shows up.

Ende seems to be spreading rumors that this land belongs to the Mountain Lord, likely to scare off intruders.

Even Teia, the fastest person in Ende, couldn’t hide her fear. She immediately fell to her knees and held out a pot of food.

"Mountain Lord! Here, some meat—huh?"

"Tsk, tsk. This meat is too soft for me. I can hardly tell I’m eating."

"‘Hardly tell’? You liar! You’ve already eaten ten portions!"

"Ten portions? That is but a single bite for me."

The Mountain Lord slurped up the meat like noodles and licked its paws. It was even more of a glutton than Azzy. Well, it is a tiger, after all.

"T-Then, I’ll be leaving now!"

Teia placed the pot down and bolted.

Her wagging tail must have caught the Mountain Lord’s attention, as it watched her retreating figure with sharp eyes. But only for a moment—losing interest, it pulled out another piece of meat and crunched through the bones.

Whew. Good thing it didn’t chase her.

"Hey, tiger."

"Roar?"

"How long do you plan on staying here?"

"That depends on my whims. But I have noticed something."

"What?"

"The dog has taken away my savagery."

As it chewed on bones, the Mountain Lord glanced toward the mansion.

"Many have called my name in this land. And so, I bore the burden of patrolling my territory. Yet whenever I appeared, humans would scream and flee, showing their backs to me... making me want to chase them."

"You held back?"

Instinctively provoking a predator? That’s just asking for trouble. If the Mountain Lord had pounced and ripped their backs open, no one would have the right to complain.

Do people nowadays not even know how to deal with tigers anymore?

"It is strange indeed. I have no reason to restrain myself."

For a human, chasing someone down and mauling them is unthinkable. But for a tiger, it’s as natural as breathing. Only a tamed tiger would resist such urges.

And there’s no way the King of Tigers is tamed.

The reason must be something else. And the Mountain Lord instinctively understood why.

"Just as the wolf once did, the dog now affects me as well. Or perhaps, it is the human who affected the dog."

Azzy’s very existence was suppressing the Mountain Lord’s aggression.

A tiger can kill humans, but if it isn’t hungry, there’s no need to. Azzy, the King of Kindness, must be emphasizing the benevolence within beasts.

Ende wants to keep the Mountain Lord here as a deterrent, but that’s not how a beast king works. Unless it’s livestock or a beast accustomed to humans, peaceful coexistence isn’t easy.

I’d better send the Mountain Lord home before it decides to wipe Ende off the map.

"We’ll be leaving soon. You don’t have anything to do in the city, do you? What if another tiger takes over your territory while you waste time here?"

"Roar."

Tigers are territorial. They need at least a whole mountain peak to sustain themselves.

The only real threat to a powerful tiger is another tiger. That’s why they don’t form packs.

Thinking about its territory, the Mountain Lord rose without hesitation.

"I shall return. The wolf... that bothersome beast has made things troublesome."

"Just think of it as a quick visit. Anyway, take care. Not that I was particularly happy to see you."

"Nor was I. Humans are too violent. If I stay near you, I will be dragged into your madness."

With no regrets, the Mountain Lord leaped onto the roof in a single bound, its robes fluttering in the wind. Looking down at me, it spoke one last time.

"I shall return to my mountain. But know this, human—your savagery has changed even me. I shall watch from the cliffside, beyond the mountain’s waist, to see what it does to you."

And with that, the Mountain Lord vanished, leaving behind a pile of bones.

...Damn tiger. Ate everything and left.

Guess I’ll have to get more food.