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145 The Ruler’s Choice

「…Hmm? Hey, do you smell that?」

It was precisely because they were going about their usual daily routines that they were able to notice the faintest change.

A single Werewolf twitched his nose and pointed toward the western mountains. The other Werewolves, reacting to his motion, turned to look as well. A breeze had just blown across the green slopes, and several of them grimaced ever so slightly. It was a scent no human could ever detect—faint, yet distinct, caught by the Werewolves’ sense of smell and instinct.

「The scent of monsters… They say the Farthest Ends of the Blue has started to stir. Maybe that’s the cause.」

「You think so? I don’t recall this smell even when a Dungeon Break was on the verge of erupting.」

「Indeed. I heard no such tale during the incident at Vita Tama either.」

「Exactly. It’s because there are no clear signs that it becomes such a catastrophic disaster.」

「Still, this scent is clearly from monsters. Seems like it’s coming from the mountains, doesn’t it?」

「Hmm… What should we do about this…」

Their words carried a mix of unease and nonchalance, but their eyes remained fixed on the mountain range. Werewolves are a warrior race. Of all the demi-humans, their instincts for approaching danger are among the sharpest.

Before long, one of them abruptly rose from the fields and, without a word, they all split off with purpose, running down the ridges with their roles already decided.

「Marge-sama isn’t present, is he?」

「I’ll inform Asagi-sama. You go around and alert the rest of the village.」

「Then I’ll find Shizuku-sama and let her know. She should still be nearby.」

「Right—go, quickly!」

The Werewolves scattered in all directions. It wasn’t long before word had spread through the village, and everyone except the lookouts and those dispatched to Kinui had gathered in the village square. Asagi, having received the news, summoned the young warriors and sent them toward the mountain.

「Go and find out what’s happening. You’re permitted to cross up to two mountains. Gather whatever information you can and bring it back.」

「We can make it across five! We’ve trained in mountaineering under Bellman and have improved. We’ll reach that far before danger closes in.」

「Then go as far as four. But above all—don’t let yourselves be wiped out.」

「Understood!」

If they were wiped out, no one would return with the information, and their deaths would be in vain. For the Werewolves, who saw death in defense of their kin as an honor, a meaningless death was as shameful as execution.

As Asagi watched the black-haired young man lead the others away, he turned to those who remained.

「Prepare for battle. If the worst comes, we may have to defend the village ourselves.」

「What about Shizuku-sama?」

「I sent her to Kinui. She’s the fastest in the village when she uses her skill [Garou].」

「Forgive me, but isn’t that too hasty? If this turns out to be just an earthquake, what will the people of Kinui say after all this fuss?」

「If nothing happens, that’s the best outcome. Let them laugh at me for being a coward—I’ll gladly take that burden.」

「…That was out of line. I apologize.」

And so, while preparing for battle, they waited. After several bells had passed, one young man returned, breathless—but he was alone.

「I—I have news!」

「Wait. You’re alone? What happened to the others?」

「Th-that’s… There were just so many of them that the rest decided to stay behind to destroy the bridges to buy us time, so I…」

「Someone, get him water!」

Once he’d calmed down with some water, the story became clear.

「A massive swarm of monsters!!」

「What are you talking about? Even if monsters were present, that wouldn’t make the mountains shake.」

「The mountains aren’t shaking! It only looked like they were, because monsters covered the rocky slopes so completely!」

A swarm of ants can make the ground seem to ripple.

The same was now happening—only with monsters and mountains. Not everyone could immediately believe it, but they understood the meaning well enough.

「And the others?」

「There are valleys between the mountain range and the path to the village and Kinui. Some of them have bridges. They said they’d destroy the bridges to buy time. Since I was the fastest, I came back to report.」

「Fools with no regard for their lives…!」

「Thanks to them, we’ll have time to evacuate the non-combatants. Our ancestors did the same a hundred years ago.」

Just as he pleaded for evacuation, a girl’s voice cut in from behind.

「That was then. Where exactly do you think we’re going to flee to now?」

「Shizuku-sama! You’ve returned already?」

The young warrior was younger than most present, but he was still older than Shizuku. Nevertheless, she crushed without hesitation the hope he had held onto. Asagi, already suspecting the answer, asked to confirm.

「Did you report to Kinui?」

「Yes. I spoke directly with Mayor Vintle.」

「And what did Vintle-dono say? I hope he took it seriously.」

「I’ll quote him directly: ‘If the Werewolves’ noses caught it, then it must be real. If it turns out to be nothing, then I’ll simply be laughed at for being rash’.」

「…Is that so.」

That the human mayor said the exact same thing as he had stirred mixed feelings in Asagi—but it wasn’t unpleasant. Kinui was secure, at least for now. But the larger situation remained unclear, and time was short.

He steeled himself and returned to the matter at hand.

「You said earlier you would evacuate the non-combatants?」

「Y-yes. I thought it would be best, so the warriors can fight without concern.」

「That’s not possible. Even if Father allowed it, I would stop it.」

Shizuku’s firm stance showed Asagi that this was no petty defiance. He motioned for her to speak further. Granted leave, she raised her voice for all to hear.

「Do you know why we Werewolves have long lived in hiding?」

「Of course. The warriors of the past died in battle, and those who couldn’t fight settled in these remote lands. So, we too should…」

「We are still in conflict with Duke Abik. If we wander about carelessly and are seen, war will break out immediately.」

「Ugh…」

In truth, Marge and the Duke were working together, but only their closest retainers knew that. To the average Werewolf, the Duke was still their enemy.

And the same was true in reverse. The Duke’s people no longer saw the Werewolves as savage beasts but as equals—formidable and dangerous foes. The only exception were the people of Kinui, with whom they had once fought side by side.

‘Marge and the Duke of Abik are enemies, locked in a stalemate due to equal strength. This is purely an internal affair of the Abik domain. Any outside interference would be an act of political intrusion.’

This premise allowed them to deceive the central government and the knight orders that sought to eradicate all demi-humans, maintaining a fragile peace. Marge and the Duke had decided this was best for both sides.

「Now imagine if a large group of Werewolves suddenly marched into the Abik territory. The people—except in Kinui—would attack without hesitation. Even if we defeated them, it would give the knights an excuse to intervene.」

「So, we die either at the hands of the Duke and his people, or at the hands of the knights…」

「Exactly. Our ancestors evacuated women and children into the mountains because they expected to remain hidden for a while. We don’t have that luxury.」

The knights were said to be in disarray, but the extent was unclear. They couldn’t stake their people’s fate on wishful thinking.

「That leaves us with only one choice.」

For the Werewolves, there was but one course. Shizuku, both as a daughter and administrative head of the village, turned to Asagi.

「We fight to defend our home. Father, do you agree?」

Asagi gave a deep, deliberate nod.