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Vol 02 Chapter 55-1: Worries II

Time flew by, and before I knew it, November was upon us.

The fortress I left to Ismene to handle has been completed, and the soldiers have been trained to a sufficiently competent level.

The restoration of the devastated farmlands is complete, with about one-third of the villages now practicing crop rotation. The remaining two-thirds are hesitant; however, demonstrating the results should convince them.

The production system for paper and the development facilities for rock salt are in place, and mass production has begun.

Thanks to Ainz-san and the Kirisian merchants, who have purchased large quantities of paper and rock salt, the coffers of the Aris territory are now full. It seems we won’t have trouble repaying our debts.

Still, I can’t help but regret giving up two-thirds of the salt mine.

Now, the problem is… the deadline is looming in just three days.

「What do you think I should do?」

「You’re asking me?」

Bartolo looked puzzled.

「Why not consult with your subordinates?」

「If there’s a chance I could become king, they’d be all for it… so they’re not reliable for advice.」

I knew their answer before even asking. Besides, they wouldn’t understand my concern about them getting hurt.

And there’s another reason I’m reticent to discuss this with them…

That’s where Bartolo comes in. According to King Rosais, he’s one of the few patricians who knows my situation well.

He seems to have a wealth of life experience, so I thought I’d ask him for his opinion.

「I’m aware of your situation because King Rosais told me. I’m a supporter of King Rosais and the Aris faction, so naturally, I’m all for it… but well, it’s better if you decide based on your own will.」

That’s precisely the problem…

「You’re worried about war breaking out, right? It’s true there’s a high chance of war, but it’s not certain. With careful handling, you might prevent it.」

Indeed, no prophecy guarantees war will break out.

It’s only a possibility. If I can successfully convince or neutralize Rigal Dibel, it might be possible.

However, this would be incredibly difficult since the Aris faction comprises only one-third of all patrician families, leaving two-thirds potentially against us.

And it’s quite dubious whether that one-third would definitely support me. If it were me, I’d be on the fence, waiting to see who had the advantage.

Moreover, King Domorgal’s Country is not hiding its ambition to move south. That country will definitely invade amidst the chaos.

「I can’t decide…」

I lamented, holding my head in my hands

「Well, make sure you don’t end up regretting your decision.」

Bartolo stood up as if he had nothing more to say.

◇

Deep within the Romalia Forest lies a place known as the Forbidden Forest.

This is the territory of Griffon.

I’m inside Griffon’s den… which is basically Griffon’s house.

「I see… so you’re saying you want to mate with Julia, the female with lavender-colored fur. But Julia is the daughter of the pack’s leader, and mating with her would mean you inherit the leader’s position. There are those who dislike the idea of a newcomer becoming the leader, and you’re worried it might lead to conflict. Is that it?」

「That’s mostly right, but… could you phrase it a bit more delicately? Mating… maybe say marriage or something. And the way you put it, it sounds like I’m in love with a monkey or dog…」

Female, fur, pack, leader… There could be a better way to say this. Like woman, hair color, country, king, etc.

「This is because the translation [Blessing of Divine Speech] provides is faulty. In the first place, animals and you humans are made of the same stuff and possess souls just the same; I see no need to differentiate the terms. To me, dogs, monkeys, and humans are all the same.」

Well, coming from a creature that’s part eagle, part lion, and close to a god, I suppose the differences are minimal…

「You want to mate with the female named Julia, right?」

「Well, I’m bothered by the term mating, but… yes, that’s the case.」

When I answered that way, Griffon snorted.

「Then just do it. What’s the problem?」

「That could lead to war. Ron and the others might even die.」

Upon my response, Griffon’s eyes widened, his displeasure evident.

「Whether Ron and the others choose to support you is up to them, not you. I don’t see why you should worry about internal strife within the pack. If you win, that’s all that matters. Or do you think you’ll lose?」

「No… I think we can win in the end, but…」

The population of the Aris territory is 30,000. King Rosais’ directly controlled territory has 70,000. Together, that’s 100,000. The population of the other patrician’s territories are about 70,000.

We can probably win in the end. But many people will die.

「Didn’t you once tell me that a human who feels nothing after killing their own kind is abnormal?」

「Yes, I did say that. Humans are creatures that live within a group. It’s problematic for a group member to kill another member without feeling guilt. It makes it hard to maintain the law within the group. These problematic individuals cannot live within a group. That would be fatal for humans. But you’re different.」

「…How am I different?」

「You are a ruler, one who lays down the law. You aren’t merely a member of the pack; you guide it. You stand outside the pack’s rules. Whether you’re abnormal or not doesn’t matter. In fact, you should be abnormal. Otherwise, you can’t protect the pack from external threats. As a ruler, you should leave the greatest impact on your pack. You shouldn’t worry about any sacrifices. Understand?」

「…」

Griffon added,

「What does it matter to you if many die? They are strangers, unrelated to you. You’ve killed for survival and to protect the children before. Why hesitate now?」

「I don’t think survival and my desires have the same weight when used as a justification to kill someone…」

「It’s the same thing. You are ending a life all the same.」

The Griffon snorted. And then looked straight at me.

「Listen, if an action were truly forbidden, you wouldn’t be capable of it to begin with. But the gods have given us the option to kill our own kind for our desires. Thus, it must be permissible. Lions eliminate the previous leader’s offspring to secure their dominance. Fish consume their young soon after birth, oblivious to their bond. Has the heavens ever punished such acts? No. So, it must be acceptable.」

Griffon spoke calmly.

「We have been granted the right, the freedom to do as we please. It’s our freedom to oppose the irrationalities before us or to accept them. This world (toy) exists for you. So, you should do as you wish with it. Whether to play modestly or extravagantly, it’s also an option to destroy it with your own hands.」

Griffon looked at me as if imparting wisdom.

「Fear not. Be resolute. No one holds the authority to judge you. In this world, there are only winners and losers. You just need to keep winning. Do as you wish. I did as I pleased. In ancient times, I amused myself by driving herds of cows into the sea, blowing away mountains, eating humans… What’s wrong with that? Remember, there’s no obligation attached to power. There are only rights. Fulfill your ego. If you desire a woman, take her. If you want territory, seize it. If you desire gold, take it. If you want peace, take it. The fault lies with those who couldn’t protect their own or couldn’t choose a strong protector.」

Griffon’s lecture to me was relentless.

「Human life is fleeting compared to mine; there are no second chances. So, you should live without regrets. Regret over involving strangers is fleeting, but the regret of losing her will haunt you till death.」

「That is…」

Certainly, I hate that thought. Just the thought of Julia being taken by Rigal Dibel… it’s nauseating.

「Imagine placing the leadership position and the union with the female on the right side of the scale. On the left side, you shouldn’t weigh the lives of unrelated humans. Instead, weigh the regret of involving and harming those unrelated humans against the regret of losing the female to another. Now, which way does it tilt? It seems you already have your answer.」

「…」

Closing my eyes, I pictured Julia

Her smile, her figure, the happy memories– all things I cannot bear to lose.

And then I opened my eyes.

「Thank you, Griffon-sama. I’ve reached a conclusion. I’m off.」

「Go then. Make sure you have no regrets.」

I began to run, knowing it takes a full day to exit Griffon’s territory.

Navigating the forest and then rushing to King Rosais’ palace on horseback will be a race against time.

I must hurry.