Volume 7 Chapter 10 Council of Chieftains
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”To restore the Wolfkin to their rightful place, is that what you mean?”
The one who spoke bluntly was the man with the face of a monkey. Not merely monkey-like—his was literally a simian face, all restless expressions darting across it, his eyes sharp with the glint of a predator sizing up prey. Among the Beastkin, they said the stronger the beast blood, the closer one’s body shifted toward that beast. Looking at him now, Klock found himself wondering just how far a monkey’s face could twist with feeling.
”Belandi has always been the land of the Wolfkin. With the rule of the cats now ended, it’s only natural that it be returned.”
”And the dogs?” another asked, his voice smooth but probing.
”They’ll be moved to Slomvanilla. The cats all fled to Fwavlotz—it’s still cat territory in name, but with the cats gone, it’s become nothing but a void.”
At the far edge of the table, a small white cat sat primly, ears twitching under the sudden weight of every gaze turning her way. Her eyes narrowed, more defiant than meek. This had already been agreed upon, after all. For the sake of peace, Slomvanilla would be yielded, and the dogs would be compensated with expanded lands through transfer. The arrangement was sealed, though the tension of acknowledgment still hung like smoke.
”Then let us hear the opinion of the dogs.”
”That is acceptable,” came the answer, accompanied by the wobbling sway of an enormous frame. Zaan, the Dog Beastkin whose name Klock had only just learned, carried more bulk than expected—more fat than muscle, perhaps—but his very presence radiated a gentle, steady warmth. He caught Klock’s eye and, with a sly little curl of his lip, winked.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? An apology? An admission?
…So the whole Kuzuha abduction thing—they really had seen right through it.
And there she was, Kuzuha herself, seated calmly among the Foxkin representatives, as though nothing had happened. Zaan and Silke had both noticed her on entry, but showed no surprise. If anything, their composed acceptance seemed to say: we know.
”Incidentally,” Klock added, “the wolves have already agreed to assist with the restoration of the foxes. Their homeland is ruined, and without support they can’t rebuild. So, in return for the lands being restored to them, I asked that they help with Karakas’s revival—free of charge.”
”Hoho. A noble thing, indeed,” rumbled a hoarse voice. The speaker was massive, a bear elder whose shaggy fur spilled so thickly from his clothing that only his weathered muzzle and glinting eyes remained visible. The sheer size of him could have made him a mascot, almost endearing—if not for the monstrous claws curling from his hands, each gleam enough to make one’s blood run cold.
Gathered in that chamber were the leaders of nearly every Beastkin race: bird, monkey, bear, dog, wolf, fox, cat, serpent, and more. Too many to count. It seemed there were as many Beastkin as there were beasts in the wild, with others waiting outside—horses, sheep—merely to hear the outcomes. Elephants, rats, and countless more had not come, but still, Boorinel had never looked so brimming with raw diversity.
”Then, let us move to the next matter—the question of the new king.”
The true heart of today’s council: choosing the next Emperor of the Hundred Beasts. The word “king” alone was enough to draw the air tight, as if the room itself held its breath. Even sitting beside the strongest lover in the world, Klock couldn’t shake the nerves that prickled down his spine. So this was the weight of high office. He hoped, with all his soul, that this would be the one and only time he had to bear it.
”That decision was made from the beginning,” Klock said before anyone else could steer the flow. “The Rebel Army fought because it opposed Rosemarina’s rule as Emperor. Not from ambition, not from greed, not to exploit the Hero’s power. To claim otherwise would be a lie.”
He made his words sharp, pointed, striking at their pride before they could rise. The monkey’s brows twitched together in open displeasure.
”Which means the throne naturally passes to the eldest daughter, Elna. There is no world where the seat is handed to another race.”
As his declaration echoed, guards stationed at the edges gasped aloud. The idea of another cat reigning sent shock rippling. The monkey lifted his head sharply, the bear and the serpent cutting him with their eyes.
”Unacceptable! Even as the Hero’s consort, you cannot speak such—”
”I already told you. His words are mine,” came Cianie’s quiet interruption.
”Even so, Hero, it is beyond acceptance,” Cattleya cut in, her voice slicing the air. But with Cianie’s single interjection, the uproar stilled as though snuffed by cold water. Her presence alone was enough to quiet them. Klock silently thanked every god that she had arrived in time.
Most of the talking fell to him today. He’d been told that much—and trusted with the weight of it.
”You can’t be serious,” one muttered, voice low with disbelief. “Again a cat’s reign?”
”Of course,” Klock shot back, his tone laced with venom. “If anyone else takes the throne, it will look like you all fought for power. Like you used the Hero as your pawn.”
His words were a trap, closing off avenues before they could even be voiced. Any argument for another candidate would now reek of ambition, of guilt.
”The throne belongs to the rightful heir. Otherwise, once we’re gone, people will start complaining. Speaking of which—yes, we’ll be leaving soon. Beast Continent will lose the Hero’s anchor. If fighting breaks out, don’t expect us to bail you out again.”
The room shifted uneasily, the revelation dropped like a blade. To keep control, one had to stay always a step ahead; once the flood began, one’s voice could vanish entirely. Politics was war, and he had no intention of letting anyone else seize the initiative. Beside him, Cianie was his safeguard against silence.
”Leaving…? You mean you’ll return to the Human Continent?”
”Exactly. The Demon Lord’s Army has declared war on the Humans. We’re going back to fight.”
He’d wavered on whether to say it aloud—but secrecy could be just as dangerous. Better to wield it as a weapon first. The Beastkin, clearly cut off from news beyond their shores, all shifted at once, muttering sharp with alarm. The threat of the Demon Lord’s Army carried its own kind of weight.
”And if cats sit the throne again, what of the war we fought? Will we fall again to their corruption?” the bear growled, voice thick with anger.
”That’s right. Do Humans even grasp our circumstances?” someone else demanded.
Klock’s words had drawn opposition, but he wasn’t done. “Elna will be queen, yes—but the cats won’t rule alone. They can’t govern the rest of you. Rosemarina barely even tried. Cats don’t do ruling; they seize power and toss the rest aside. The wolves at least tried, but their insistence on imposing their culture only earned resentment. Every Beastkin has their own ways. No single race can govern them all.”
The hush was immediate, cold and sharp. Even the monkey and the bear, who moments ago looked ready to bite, were frowning, eyes narrowed, calculating.
”Beast Country needs a new system. Centralized rule doesn’t fit. It must be changed.”
”…Oh?” the monkey murmured, gleam of interest in his gaze. “Then you propose independence for each?”
Elna’s anxious fidgeting at the corner of his vision said enough. She wasn’t prepared for this, and yet Kuzuha and Rosetta were perfectly calm. They knew beforehand. Cattleya, however, sat like a predator biding her time, unreadable. Perhaps he should have bound her with words too—but some risks were better left taken.
”Not independence. I told you—Elna will be queen. But the politics should rest in the hands of the chieftains. Set up a council here in Boorinel, or in Slomvanilla, or Belandi—somewhere central. Let that council govern.”
The silence that followed was thicker than before, oppressive, until it felt like every eye drilled into him. Cattleya’s once-stern expression had eased into something unreadably amused, as if enjoying the spectacle.
”The demon nation runs by a Council of the United Kingdoms,” Klock went on. “They were once blood-soaked enemies, tribes tearing each other apart. Now they function as one country, thanks to that system. Beast Country should learn from their success. From this day, let us adopt a parliament. Let the chieftains gather and rule together.”
That had been the whole point of dragging himself into this council chamber, into battle by words. He had nothing else prepared, only this.
And it worked—the chamber broke into murmurs, Beastkin debating among themselves. The chance to reshape their world was before them, and the mood was… promising. Even the bear elder seemed lost in sober thought. Perhaps it could work.
Whatever happened, Klock had said his piece. The rest would follow as it would.
The council stretched on, but the decisive blow had already landed.
* * *
”Aaah, I’m done, I’m so done…”
The moment it ended, Klock had staggered home, collapsing onto the sofa like a man whose soul had flown out. Time slipped away as he lay there, body refusing to move, mind empty from sheer exhaustion.
”Well done,” Suzette said, her tone as cool as ever, lips curved in something almost like mockery. “Keep that up tomorrow too.”
”No way, no way, no way. Be nice to me, just for today.”
He let himself whine shamelessly, tilting his head toward her like a child. She only sighed, narrowed her eyes in long-suffering disapproval, and leaned closer—close enough that his heart gave a reckless jump, thinking she might kiss him. But then her expression shifted, as if she caught a scent, and she drew back, sweeping briskly toward the kitchen instead.
”Klock, the bath’s free,” Cianie’s voice called gently.
”Yeah, I’ll get in later.”
She appeared, fresh from the steam, hair still damp, already in soft pajamas. Without hesitation she dropped onto the seat beside him, turning to meet his gaze with steady eyes that watched him as if he were the only one in the room.
”You did well today. I think it went smoother than expected.”
”And we even got bonus info,” he muttered with a grin. “Didn’t think we’d walk away with intel on the Demon Lord’s Army.”
It had been more than he’d hoped. The main aim had been securing safety for the twin cats, but instead they’d lit a fire for reform. And the council hadn’t resisted—it had leaned in.
”Beastkin hate being ruled by someone else’s will,” Suzette added, her voice sharp even as she reentered, arms folded. “So each tried to become king to protect their own. A council gives them all a stake. It benefits every one of them.”
Cianie nodded in quiet agreement, the weight of her presence warm beside him. For the first time all day, the tension left his shoulders.
”The Beastkin all hated having their culture trampled by someone else’s orders. That’s why each tried to seize the throne—to shield their kin. But if there is a council, every one of them benefits.”
Suzette’s words cut across the quiet, cool as ever. Cianie nodded firmly, her silver hair swaying as she agreed. Klock leaned back, knowing well this plan had only been possible because Suzette had shared what she knew of the Demon Lord’s Army. The true credit belonged to the maid lingering behind them. Yet Cianie’s gaze sparkled as if proud of him alone, as if Klock had been the one to win the day.
And with that, neither he nor Cianie would have to be dragged into Beast Country’s politics any longer. Involvement meant a lifetime shackled to council halls and endless schemes. Better that Cianie—who would have suffered the most—remained free. That much was success enough.
As for Elna, restored as queen, she was little more than a figurehead. To the other tribes, her throne carried no weight. She herself seemed delighted to be a monarch freed of duty, a cat content to wear a crown stripped of claws.
”What remains,” Suzette went on, “is the Demon Lord’s Army. Sea General Primjune. Learning why she can control Monsters—that was valuable.”
”Right. Turns out the Fishkin originally lived here on the Beast Continent. Chased off by the bears, they fled to the Demon Continent. A common enough tale, but now we understand their nature.”
Talk of the war had drawn loose tongues among the Beastkin. Pieces of truth fell into their hands like dropped coins.
One revelation concerned the ability to command Monsters. The bewitching songs of mermaids, they said—sung by a woman with orange scales. The so-called Goldfish Princess, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord’s Army: Sea General Primjune. Her Unique Skill, Lorelei Resonance, could enthrall beasts themselves, bending even strong-willed Beastkin beneath her call.
So it was her, the bear elder muttered grimly, who lay behind the tide of Monsters hurled at them. He remembered mermaids well—once neighbors to his people, until, wary of their dangerous allure, he had driven them away in his youth. That expulsion had become exile, and from then on, Fishkin and Beastkin had borne a wound that never healed.
”I met one,” Cianie confessed suddenly, tilting her head, voice light but certain. “When I was chasing Klock to this continent, a mermaid got in my way. She had orange scales.”
”…Wait. You already fought her?” Klock blurted.
”Mhm. I cut her once, but she escaped. She was alone. No allies around. I still don’t know what she was doing there. But because of her, I lost track of you. It took me three months to find you again.”
Her head tilted softly, but the words were heavy. Klock and Suzette exchanged a glance. Why had a commander of the Demon Lord’s Army been there, alone? By chance, Cianie’s delay had led her to witness the emergence of the Abyss beast. Fortune, perhaps. Yet the unanswered question hung between them like smoke.
”And then… there’s the monster of the Moon Court.”
”Monster of the Moon Court? You mean a vampire?” Suzette interjected, eyes narrowing.
”Sounds like it. They say one of the Demon Continent’s Three Great Beauties, the mirror-witch Viola, wields a vampiric ability called the Cursed Eye. She’s a monster in every sense.”
The informants this time had been Zaan and Silke. Though Klock had maneuvered them, robbed them of comfort and face, they bore him no hatred now. Perhaps they knew about Kuzuha, and chose to stand with him. They had once traveled to the Demon Continent, and their stories poured out.
Be careful. The Moon Court’s monster is feared even there. The Three Great Beauties are not about appearance—strength is beauty to them. That dreadful woman has two mouths. You’ll know her instantly. Where her left eye should be, there is only a mouth—the so-called Cursed Eye.
Just the description was enough to curdle blood. An eye that was not an eye, but a gaping maw. To call such a grotesque one of the Three Beauties said little for Demon Continent’s tastes. Beast princesses here were charming thanks to their beastly grace; across the sea, perhaps it was monsters who wore the crown of beauty.
”There are Oni Humans,” Suzette added smoothly, “and some claim vampires are their kin. But they are wholly different. The Moon Court’s monster is no chief, but a young woman whose ferocity and strength outstrip them all. Negotiations with the demons nearly broke on her alone.”
”So famous even you know her? Must be someone,” Klock muttered, lips twisting.
”They call her the Ashura Princess. Terrifying is she—the Moon Court’s monster. Some say even the Demon Lord himself gave her the title, though no one knows the truth.”
”What the hell. Sounds like an adventurer’s nickname on steroids.”
Just listening to these names was enough to make sweat prickle. If her level of power matched the likes of landladies or worse, then Klock had no hope of facing her. Luckily, he had no intention to. He only had to trust the girl sipping tea beside him, whose power dwarfed even such terrors. Against her, even the mighty Four Heavenly Kings had been swept aside.
”Who are the other two of the Three Beauties? Primjune counts?” Klock asked.
”I don’t believe so,” Suzette answered. “The Three Beauties title arose from those who resisted fiercely during Demon Continent’s unification. It was Demon Lord’s praise, not kinship. Thus his own daughters and his generals were never counted.”
So they had been foes strong enough to draw even the Demon Lord’s respect. Which meant each one might stand not far from his own level. The thought alone pressed a shadow across Klock’s heart. But still—Cianie was beside him. She was strongest, without doubt. Her soul was his childhood friend’s, her body shaped by gods. No demon, no lord, no phantom of the earth could reach her height. He only had to believe that.
”…So it really is coming. The fight with the Demon Lord. I guess I always knew this day would show up, since Cianie’s the Hero, but…”
”…Is it hard for you?” she asked quietly.
”Nah. I’m not the one fighting. It’s just—I had other things I wanted to do. Feels like it’s all starting too soon.”
”Things you wanted to do?”
”Yeah. I wanted to go to Paradise.”
The words left his lips lightly, like a joke. But Cianie froze. Her whole expression stiffened, mask cracking.
”I mean, a friend told me they’d be waiting there for me. I have to go, right? …What’s wrong?”
”…So you want to go to Paradise?” she asked again, her voice soft, unreadable.
”…Yeah?” he answered, reaching for the tea cup she’d set down. It was hot, and he slurped softly, glancing at her. Her composure had slipped—her gaze unsettled, her breath unsure. She knew something. Of that he was certain.
”The Paradise of Ys,” he said slowly. “You know of it, don’t you—”
”Klock.” She cut him off, voice sharp. She placed her cup down with careful grace, her face a doll’s mask once more. “Paradise is… almost impossible. To reach it is a feat few could dream. Even for me—it would be near hopeless. For no one knows where it lies. The vanished Phantasm Beasts took refuge there, and no human alive knows its place.”
It had been a long time since he’d heard that word—phantasm beast. Summoning scrolls were all that remained of their kind, relics traded like fading echoes. Most doubted they had ever truly lived.
”An illusory world, Paradise. The Paradise of Ys. It is one of the Nine Otherworlds, where the phantasm beasts fled mankind. If you wish for Paradise, then study the creation myth. Only then will you understand how impossible your wish is, Klock.”
”…Creation myth…?”
The words fell like stone. She had spoken as if scolding a child, her seriousness absolute. And Klock, for once, found he had nothing at all to say.
Notes:
• Slomvanilla – The white fortress, also known as the empress’s residence; a gigantic bedroom on the scale of a fortress.
• Fwavlotz – A town beyond a mountain north of Rizan Village, it is an alternative location for Klock to verify his humanity.
• Silke – Silke is the acting lord of Belandi, a Beastkin from the bird-beast clan that was relocated to Boorinel. She has chestnut-brown hair and first appears in chapter v6c9 along with Annerose to meet with Cianie.
• Boorinel – A town east of Ryzan, where Lord Cattleya’s manor is located; said to be a long journey from Ryzan.
• Rosemarina – The formal title of the Empress; refers to her authority and influence over the Beast Continent.
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Cattleya – The lord; resides in the town of Boorinel, east of Ryzan, past the Mesa; wants to confirm Klock’s humanity.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Primjune – She is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a scaled and finned figure, known for executing the saint’s kidnapping plan.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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