Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 540: Surviving Means Being Strong

“Is this human-grade dog chew?”

“It’s an elixir. Ideally, I would have liked to offer elixirs to all of you, but I thought His Majesty would prefer a dog chew the most.”

Qi increases when one diligently learns and applies internal cultivation techniques, but that alone is not enough. No matter how blessed a body may be, it won’t grow properly if it lacks nutrition. Just as a martial artist who trains with elixirs and one who does not will have a vast difference in their progress.

Taking too many elixirs doesn’t always guarantee improvement. Only those who have had excess can claim that having too much is worse than having too little—that is nothing but deception by the privileged. Any nation that seeks to enhance its combat power will inevitably search for elixirs, making them scarce worldwide.

Especially for martial artists, elixirs are more precious than even alchemical gold. This was a carefully prepared gift from Ende...

“But I don’t particularly need it? I already have plenty of elixirs, and I’ve passed the stage where taking them would make me any stronger.”

Of course, as always, the regressor with an overabundance of resources continued to spout nonsense.

“Just take it and use it yourselves—ugh!”

I quickly covered the regressor’s mouth and snatched up the elixir.

“You shouldn’t ignore goodwill from others. And just because you’re already strong, does that mean it’s all about you? I need to take it too. You’re so selfish.”

“Hah? I gave you elixirs before! And you barely even used them!”

“They didn’t work on me back then, but now it feels different. I have a feeling they’ll be effective now.”

Ever since the Demon God’s influence, it seemed like I had developed a vessel of my own. Meaning, I should now be able to accumulate internal energy as well. It was best to stock up whenever the opportunity arose.

“I feel relieved knowing you’ll accept it.”

As I tucked the elixir away, Mayor Treavor’s face eased with visible relief. Bonds are formed through the exchange of gifts, after all. With the offering settled, he smoothly moved on to the next topic.

“The vassal states have yet to make any official response. They must be bewildered, given that the Black Tiger Army they had dispatched so confidently was annihilated by the wolf disaster. Ende is also far from settling down. Right after defeating the King of Wolves, we were ambushed during the rescue operation for the buried survivors, and the shock was immense. Fortunately, it seems that anger has outweighed despair.”

A greater injustice had overshadowed a lesser one. Within the overwhelming injustice imposed upon Ende by the vassal states, all minor concerns had been forgotten. The divisions between pig beastkin and canine beastkin, or even between beastkin and humans—these distinctions had been swept away by a much greater fury.

That was all this situation had amounted to.

“This wasn’t my intention, but at this point, Ende has irreversibly alienated itself from the vassal states. The citizens of Ende won’t be able to accept them anymore, and the vassal states will not look upon us kindly either. To them, Ende will seem like a fox backed by a mountain king. For now, they fear the mountain king too much to even throw a single stone at the fox.”

“For the record, I’d advise against trying to use the mountain king.”

Because I’m scary. Since I was offering sincere advice for once, Mayor Treavor nodded in agreement.

“Of course. No one invites a tiger into their home just because they fear thieves. However, it’s the thieves that might come if the tiger isn’t there that worry me.”

“I’m curious—how worried must you be to confide in an outsider like me?”

“There are things that can only be shared with guests who are merely passing through.”

Mayor Treavor spoke gently as he brought out a wooden case. It was similar to the one used for gifts earlier, but the contents were clearly different. And judging by the flow of this conversation, this was undoubtedly the main point.

Inside the case was a jet-black seal.

“The Black Tiger Seal, a relic from the Black Tiger Army.”

A Unique Sorcery manifests from one’s inner world. Among them, the most sealed-off sorceries can retain their form and power even after their caster dies.

The Black Tiger Seal was one such relic. The man who had wielded it spent his entire life stamping seals, and upon acquiring a Unique Sorcery centered on stamping, he left behind this relic after his death.

In life, he likely had no connection to large-scale attack magic. But in death, the remaining Black Tiger Seal had become a strategic weapon, imposing a crushing force over a 50-meter radius. Apparently, even a mere stamp could become a weapon if placed on someone’s head.

“Relics, especially those that can be used as weapons, are incredibly rare. The vassal states will be desperate to reclaim it, and even the Empire will covet it.”

“Indeed. Whether it’s the Empire or the vassal states, they’d scramble for this like a pack of eager dogs. So, what should we do with it?”

“If we were dealing with mere dogs, I’d gift it to them. But if it’s jackals, we’d need to throw it far away—so far that they wouldn’t even be able to look in this direction.”

Mayor Treavor closed the case again and extended it toward us. In terms of value, the elixir was practically nothing in comparison, yet this was too burdensome to accept so easily.

So that was his plan all along. He had first given us gifts to create a natural flow, making it seem inevitable that he’d hand this over to us next. Cunning.

“Ende needs time to heal and stand on its own. This Black Tiger Seal is an invaluable asset but also a seed of discord. I would like you to take responsibility for handling it.”

“This is a precious item. You could fetch a hefty sum even by selling it casually.”

“Only if there was a place willing to buy it. A relic of this level, known to the world, can only be sold to the Seven-Colored Merchant Guild. But they don’t deal in stolen goods. Meaning, there’s effectively nowhere to sell it. And as the Mayor of Ende, I can’t exactly hand it over to a fence, so I’m entrusting it to you instead.”

“I won’t refuse a gift, but...”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

We could sell it to another vassal state. However, the closest vassal state was the Lilac Vassal State, and selling it to a rival of Lilac would be practically an act of war. The black market? What black market would deal in strategic weapons besides heretical cults or rebel factions?

Indeed, it was difficult to handle. I understood why he wanted to pass the burden.

“What do you think, Shei? Do you want it?”

“It’s not bad, but... honestly, it’s not that great either. I already have Tianying and Jizan. Wouldn’t it suit you better?”

“It’s a good item, but it doesn’t really match me. Unlike the Demon God’s power, this one consumes a significant amount of mana.”

The Demon God’s power was inscribed in the world itself. My use of it involved accessing and manipulating the world’s grand laws. The principle was similar to borrowing someone else’s Unique Sorcery, except the target was the world’s laws.

On the other hand, relics functioned by consuming mana to activate predetermined effects. As someone who lacked both qi and mana and had to resort to trickery, it didn’t suit me. A swindler stops making money the moment they stop scamming.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to sell it.”

“Where?”

“I just happened to think of a faction that might need the Black Tiger Seal.”

I naturally picked up the wooden case and handed it right back. Mayor Treavor blinked in confusion.

“I’m selling the Black Tiger Seal. It’s never been used since I acquired it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. You seem to need it, so I’m selling it to you.”

Selling back what I had just received. I shamelessly extended my hand toward Mayor Treavor.

“Ende needs time to recover. I already explained that.”

“Yes, I heard you.”

“But are you saying we should fight the vassal states over this relic?”

“I never said you had to fight. I’m just letting you know that you don’t get to choose whether or not a fight happens.”

When I had briefly read Marquis Raphaeno’s thoughts, I had gotten a glimpse of why the Black Tiger Army had come to Ende.

I pretended it was my own deduction and laid it out for Mayor Treavor.

“The Black Tiger Army was the vassal states’ military force. They came here because Ende had something they needed.”

“They wanted a foothold to obtain the Universal Elixirs.”

“To be precise, they suddenly needed a large supply of ‘ownerless’ elixirs.”

Elixirs were precious, and those who received them were carefully selected. But if a vassal state suddenly needed more—

“It’s simple. They’re preparing for war. And at the same time, training for real combat.”

If immediate combat-ready forces are needed? If martial artists must be trained and deployed quickly? Then the Ruins of All Nations, where countless resources and treasures lie dormant, provide the perfect excuse to mobilize troops.

“They could lure in displaced beastkin, draft them into the army, acquire elixirs and treasures from the Ruins of All Nations, justify military movements, and even recruit the master of the Beast Faction. It was the perfect opportunity. Too bad it failed.”

“A war...? Against whom?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but it’s definitely not Ende. The power disparity is too vast for it to even be called a war. If not for the wolf disaster, the Black Tiger Army would have crushed Ende without issue.”

A vassal state was a full-fledged nation, whereas Ende was merely a frontier city. If it came to a direct confrontation, Ende would be swept away effortlessly.

Recognizing the disparity, Mayor Treavor’s face darkened. He was well aware of the objective power gap between Ende and the vassal states. There was no chance of victory. However...

“But, are you just going to leave this city because the vassal states tell you to? Are you going to abandon all your wealth and land?”

“That is not an option. Ende is the land of beastkin. It is proof that beastkin, like humans, can build and develop a civilization.”

“Well, of course.”

Even if one is weak, they can’t simply lie down and die. Even a worm writhes when stepped on—not because it can resist the weight, but because that’s all it can do.

“You can negotiate, or you can take hostages and threaten them. You’re already seated at the table, and you need every card you can get. How you play it is up to you.”

“...Is there no way to avoid a fight?”

“No matter how powerful the vassal states may be, they can’t fight the dead.”

Mayor Treavor let out a deep sigh.

A distant branch of the Imperial bloodline. A person who would be treated with honor anywhere, yet circumstances had driven him to Ende. The irony was that being ‘driven out’ still left him as the mayor of a city.

Being well-versed in the politics between the Empire and the vassal states, he understood that this peace would not last.

“There is no place for you in this order. If you want a seat, you must create disorder. If you survive amidst the collapse, you will shape the new order. If you fail, you will be nothing more than a brief spark before fading.”

“You’re quite creative with your way of framing things. I’ve learned something new.”

“Learn? Hardly. If anything, I’ve learned something from you.”

The benevolent and kind mayor of Ende. He truly was such a person, but to avoid darkness, one must first understand it well.

To have survived meant he was strong. Mayor Treavor possessed the cunning befitting a seasoned politician.

“If we accept the Black Tiger Seal, the vassal states’ attention will turn to us. And when the inevitable clash between the vassal states and Ende occurs, we’ll have no choice but to side with Ende. You’re trying to turn a burdensome relic into a powerful alliance. Not bad.”

Ende had already begun using every possible means to ensure its survival—framing the Mountain King as their guardian deity, spreading rumors that the Black Tiger Army had incurred the wrath of a tiger. Entrusting the Black Tiger Seal to us was simply an extension of that strategy.

Even though I had laid his intentions bare, Mayor Treavor remained unfazed.

“An alliance? Hardly. I simply wished to entrust a precious artifact to the hero who saved Ende.”

“I understand your intentions. But we’re not as reasonable as you think. We won’t play along with your expectations. Even if the vassal states invade Ende, we won’t have time to care. And even if they come after us, we won’t be too concerned.”

“In that case, your refusal of the Black Tiger Seal was purely an act of goodwill toward us. I appreciate it.”

As he reached to take back the wooden case, I grabbed his wrist firmly.

Goodwill? Sure. But I never said I’d just hand it back for free. I spoke decisively.

“It seems you misunderstood. I said I was selling it back to you. Bring me another elixir.”

He had used the Black Tiger Seal as bait in a gamble, hadn’t he? If he lost, he had to pay the price. Nothing comes for free.

At that moment, Azzy nudged me with her paw. When I turned to look, she dropped the remnants of her almost completely devoured dog chew.

I added one more thing.

“And the dog chew, too.”

Despite the value of elixirs in Ende, Mayor Treavor readily handed over another one. It had been prepared from the start.

That made three elixirs. Their effects varied greatly by type, but in my current state, where I had almost no internal energy at all, even a nameless elixir was precious.

On the way back after the meeting, the regressor, who had kept silent to avoid showing weakness, finally spoke up quietly.

“...Was it Mayor Treavor who orchestrated Orcma?”

“Well, it’s just a guess. But it hardly matters now.”

“No, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it makes sense. He was pushed out of power simply because he was a beastkin.”

‘When the Plague Rider spreads, and the fleeing beastkin are slaughtered at the border, Ende will be disappointed and side with the King of Wolves. Mayor Treavor is neither a servant of the Empire nor the vassal states—he only cares about the safety and rights of beastkin.’

So slow to put things together. Well, I suppose the regressor thought it was insignificant as well.

“Why did he do it? He knew it would cause an uproar.”

“Mayor Treavor probably believed that the pig beastkin needed a clan of their own. That’s why he turned a blind eye and supported Orcma, even if it was illegal. He just didn’t expect the commotion to grow this big.”

“The reason it got worse is because you incited it.”

“A new order emerges from chaos. Thanks to this, we now understand the pig beastkin’s sentiments.”

“The real chaos is still coming. Couldn’t you have waited?”

That’s easy for you to say, knowing the future. But how does one determine whether to wait for the larger chaos or seize the golden opportunity that has presented itself?

Unlike you, ordinary people are gambling with an unchangeable past. The stakes are different.

As we prepared to leave Obeli, a massive pig beastkin emerged ahead of us. He made his presence known deliberately, striding forward with heavy steps.

The pride of the pig beastkin and the key figure who had defended Ende—Grull—spoke.

“I heard you were injured. How are you?”

“This? It’s nothing. I could leave right now if I wanted.”

The regressor answered with an air of bravado. A master of his level could assess someone’s condition just by sensing their qi. But the regressor’s Heaven Reversal Technique always feigned peak condition. Grull nodded.

“You’re probably the only human who’s ever survived an encounter with the Mountain King. So, where are you headed next?”

“A nearby monastery. There’s something I need to investigate.”

“A nearby monastery?”

Enger Plains was a land of wilderness. Ordinary monasteries couldn’t exist here. The closest one was far to the north—at the Grand Farmstead Monastery in the northern Enger Plains.

But if it was an extraordinary monastery, there was one to the south as well.

The most infamous monastery, overseen by its most notorious nun.

Grull’s expression twisted in disbelief.

“...You don’t mean that monastery, do you?”

“I probably do.”

“Bold... No, I suppose it makes sense. You lot are far from ordinary.”

“You lot?” The regressor was the only one who wasn’t ordinary. I was still within the realm of normalcy, wasn’t I?

...Or maybe not anymore?

“If you’re heading south, be cautious. Strange things are happening in the old lands of the Ruins of All Nations. The tribes that fled southeast to avoid the King of Wolves have gone silent.”

“That’s why the Beast Faction moved north,” Grull added briefly before continuing.

“And the old priests of the Ruins of All Nations are behaving suspiciously. Stay vigilant.”

“Did you come to warn us?”

“No. I came to thank you. If not for you, we all would have been trampled by the Mountain King. It’s just a token, but I wish you safe travels.”

With that, Grull waved us off and walked away, as if he had said all he needed to say. A farewell gesture, practiced by nomads accustomed to meetings and partings.

Our business in Ende was done. But as I recalled our next destination, I turned on the regressor with alarm.

“Wait a minute. The monastery we’re heading to—is it Blood Monastery? Not the Golden Carpet Monastery or the Running Wind Monastery?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that better for you? Monasteries belong to the Holy Crown Church, and you’re not exactly on good terms with them.”

“Yes, but... Blood Monastery would be unpleasant for any human. Especially me!”

“It’s fine. Considering your connection with Tyrkanzyaka, she won’t dislike you. In fact, she might like you even more.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of....”

Even receiving someone’s favor could be terrifying, depending on who it was.

Blood Monastery, despite its name, was known as a devout place. Which made it all the more questionable, given who led it.

A heretic who became an Elder to test her own faith.

A vampire who remained a fanatic even after turning.

The fallen nun, Sister Yeghceria, was its head.