CHAPTER 4: DISILLUSIONMENT

***The port town of Navaren, back in the early days of Kuro and his group’s arrival in the Avinus lands…***

The Eagle tribe’s elder, Gislaine, could be seen peeking outside through her window. Though she tried her best not to be seen, soon, her adviser was calling out to her.

“Chief, if you’re looking for those fox envoys from Her Holiness, they already left.”

“Left?” the Eagle-elder couldn’t believe what she had heard and eventually showed herself, “And here I thought they’d stay around for long to look for the Human Chief. Well, at least, that takes some weight off my shoulders.”

“Well, I think your ruse partially worked.”

“Partially? Why did you say that?”

“Instead of completely leaving this place, they went to search the other villages.”

“Ha? Isn’t that dangerous?” Chief Gislaine raised that issue, “The routes between the other Avinus villages are monster territories, especially the road that leads to the Chicken tribe’s place.”

“Hm, I wouldn’t bother, Chief. Isn’t it favorable to us? If those foxes got killed, then no one would return to tell what they had seen here. Your lies are safe and sound.”

“H-Hey, why are you making me the villain here? I just wanted to help the Human Chief,” the Eagle-elder could only smile, “But damn, you can be cruel sometimes.”

“Of course,” the adviser chuckled, “I’ll support my elder anytime. And if she wants to protect those individuals from the mainland, then I’ll do the same. They are friends to our people, after all.”

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***The road between Navaren and the Chicken Tribe’s village…***

Based from some careless slips-of-the-tongue of some members of the Eagle tribe, the fox envoys determined that the person they’re searching for might be found in the obscure settlement of the Chicken tribe. As such, they headed to that place. But no one prepared them to what they’d find there.

“…”

True enough, the words of Chief Gislaine became a reality, as the fox-men soon realized that their paths were blocked by monsters.

“That harpy will surely kill us! Let’s turn back.”

“Too late. Another harpy is guarding the way we came.”

“Those damned Eagles knew about this; yet, they didn’t tell us! They’re really hiding that human!”

“Fuck! Before you think of that, you should focus first on how we should escape. There are more harpies coming!”

Desperate to run away from their inevitable fate, the fox-men drew their swords and readied themselves for a fight to death. The harpies flew above them in circles, as if waiting for an opening to strike. Their excited shrieks tore through the ears of their potential victims, and they could only cover their ears in vain.

“I d-don’t want to die!” the smaller fox-man blurted out.

As if taking a cue from his anguished cry, a harpy began its dive-attack. The fox-men, though they braced themselves, were no match for the powerful impact of the creature. They were thrown down the ground the moment the monster crashed on them.

“Hiee!” the smaller fox-man squealed in fear as he saw his companion’s wounds from the harpy’s attack. The monster, however, didn’t seem to be inclined in giving them quarter; it approached them carefully, positioning itself so that it could murder them in a single pounce.

“S-Someone h-help…” was all the injured fox-man could say. Both of them knew they were alone, but desperation made them mutter those words, anyway. They’re hoping in vain that some miracle was to happen…

“Aaarkh!” the harpy let out a deafening scream and flashed its sharp claws and saw-like teeth, before it leaped for the final kill.

The poor fox-men could only close their eyes to avoid seeing their death.

“!!!”

However, just as they expected to die, they heard a loud explosion. Confused and curious as to what caused that sound, one of them opened his eyes and looked at what’s happening. Much to his shock, the harpy that was about to eat them was now dead…with a big hole to its head.

“So you’re a member of the Fox tribe, right?”

The fox-men turned to the source of the voice, and saw a woman from the West Ursus tribe. Her short, golden-yellow hair and blue clothing matched the description of one of the people they were looking for.

“Y-You’re…Lady Ursura!”

“Yes,” the bear-woman then signaled to an army of chicken tribe warriors behind her, and they continued in their bloody business of fighting the harpy hordes. “I take that your presence here meant that your saint sent you to find us?”

The fox-men fell silent. They didn’t know how to answer her question. They were injured and unarmed, while the bear-woman had a pair of knuckles and a sword in her hands. Also, they just got saved. It’d be ugly for them to get killed when they just had been given another chance in life.

“Your silence confirms my suspicions, then,” Ursura smirked, “It’s all good. Listen, return to your saint. Tell her, ‘Ursura of the West Ursus is willing to cooperate with you to ensure Kuro’s safety’.”

The fox-men could only exchange doubtful looks after that.

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**Kuro, the present day…**

“So, you mean, all this time, Ruro is aware of what’s happening to me?”

Ursura confirmed my hunch and admitted, “Yes, I passed information to her all this time. However, I did it because I’m afraid of what you’ll do! When you attacked those harpies on your own, I got scared and always feared that it might happen again. So, I cooperated with Lady Ruro. I updated her about you, and your plans, while she gave me valuable tips on how to keep you from killing yourself.”

I couldn’t believe of what I just heard; I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. At this point, I didn’t know what to feel, “Why am I not even mad…?”

“K-Kuro, I…I understand if you’re angry.”

“No,” I got up and patted Ursura’s head, “Don’t worry; I mean what I said. I’m not mad at what you did. For some reason, I know I’m guilty. I did stupid things that led you to act that way. And I thank you for your concern for me.”

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be,” I gently poked her cheeks, “If there’s anyone who should apologize, it’s me for my reckless actions.”

Silence then came between us. Somehow, a small feeling of guilt remained in my chest, which was getting stronger the longer I looked at Ursura’s dejected expression.

Yeah, I’m sorry for worrying you.

“…”

I guess I have to change the topic.

“By the way, Ursura,” I grabbed a pair of wine glasses and handed one to her before filling it with wine, “what happened to Ruro?”

“Ah, right…” the bear-woman took a sip then narrated, “Her captain of the guards, Telis, did that to her.”

I nearly choked on what I was drinking, “H-Huh?”

“I’m in shock as well. Just as we were about to separate ways in Foie, she suddenly struck her with her sword. My memory is murky on what happened next. All that I can recall is that, when my senses returned, I was already carrying an injured Lady Ruro behind my back, while hurrying back here together with my guards.”

“So, it was Telis…” The petite figure of that white-haired fox-captain appeared in my mind. What the hell is she thinking? What is her goal for doing that?

“If you’re looking for answers, Telis had long been disillusioned with me, that’s why.”

“!!!”

Ursura and I both turned our attention towards the doors of the reception room. There, walking with Rishnu and Yufa’s help, was Ruro.

“You’re already awake!” though startled at her sudden appearance, I still greeted and offered her a seat with us. “How are you feeling?”

The Beastman Saint’s lips drew a wry smile, though she averted her gaze from me, “Well, with all the sins I committed, I’m amazed that I’m feeling much better than before. And here I think the heavens had finally decided to make me suffer as punishment.”

“I prefer you suffer then repent,” I countered, “There are always second chances, you know?”

Ruro was visibly taken aback by what I just said. However, she quickly recovered and chuckled, “You’re really unfair, Master. You always say the gentlest words…even after all that I did to you.”

“Unfortunately for you, I’m someone who doesn’t easily forget, Your Fluffy Holiness. If you’re looking for forgiveness, I’d say you fix your life and the mess you created. It won’t be solved by preferring to die.”

“Urk…”

“On point, no?”

“M-Master…this is why…”

“What are you muttering about?”

“This is why…This is why I fell for you!” Ruro stared at me with passion and conviction as she said that. She never took her eyes away, as if she’s bent on melting me by looking. “You don’t have to mince your words; just tell me straight that you don’t want me to die. I can read minds like Maddie, remember?”

“Oh…” now it was my turn to blush. She saw what I was actually thinking when I said those words earlier. Haa…it’s been a while since someone peered through my heart, that I got used to it. Nevertheless, though exposed, my sentiments towards Ruro remained the same…

I will never allow my friend to die.

“Ahh…I love to hear those words again, Master,” Ruro was ecstatic, “Though you should change ‘friend’ into ‘lover’; I’ll be even more happy if you did that.”

“Ahem,” Ursura reminded the Beastman Saint of her presence.

“Your Majesty, may I remind you that this is Cherwind, not Chersea. Human laws and limitations don’t apply here,” Ruro quipped, “Of course, I’m first to my Master, but I can always share him.”

“S-Share h-him? Chief?” Rishnu exclaimed.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I immediately took Yufa and Rishnu out of the room to avoid giving them strange ideas, before returning, “No one’s sharing anyone. We still got a big problem to solve, you know?”

“Problem?” the bear-woman asked.

“Yes. Konka’s forces are growing stronger. We need to deal with her as soon as possible, or she’ll be a headache to this kingdom in the future.”

“True,” the wolf-saint added, “She’s been a pest before. We can’t just leave her be and do what she wished.”

“What are you plans, Kuro?”

“Well, before you came back, I already discussed the possibility of conducting an offensive against Lady Ruro’s armies in the Cauldron,” I glanced at the Beastman Saint, worried that it might make her uncomfortable. “However, with the recent developments, we have to change what we have agreed upon.”

“Is there…anything I can help you with, Master?”

“Yes, Your Fluffy Holiness,” I brought out a parchment and a pen, “First, tell me why Telis became disillusioned with you. Depending on your answer, it’s either we end up attacking Konka head-on, or invading the Cauldron first.”

----------

Once again, after that talk with Her Fluffy Holiness, the war council was summoned. It was urgent, so some of the members were not immediately available. However, contrary to the first meeting—which was amiable, the second one was full of tension.

“O-Oi, K-Kuro mah boy, I didn’t know these guys are well-acquainted with each other.”

I could only shake my head in dismay. The moment Lady Henristone appeared and saw Ruro, her hand reached for her sword, intending to cut her down. Good thing the Chancellor Bellingstein was there beside her to stop her actions in time.

“…”

However, just as I thought the worst had passed, the former Duchess of Malvette arrived. The same thing happened; once she laid her eyes on the Beastman Saint, she pulled out her weapon—this time, a pistol.

“You caused ruin to my people!” Lady Margaret accused her, shouting, “Even your death isn’t enough to pay for the blood you shed!”

Luckily, Chief Malu was following her, and the owl-chief moved to restrain the former Duchess. Rishnu helped her by prying the pistol from Lady Margaret’s hands.

Well, it’s not that I could get mad at them. These guys suffered at what Ruro did, and so their reactions were normal. And, all this time, the Beastman Saint was silent. Though her face displayed no emotion, I could feel the pain she’s enduring.

Man, I don’t like this. The cycle of hate has to stop, or—

“Graah! Ooohga! Waaah!”

Everyone in the room was dumbfounded as we watched Sir Loin suddenly shout, hopping around like a monkey, and pulling his hair. Then, he brought out his frying pan and hit it with his fist as if it was a gong. Adding to the bizarre display was when he jumped over the table and continued his antics there.

“Wha—” Ursura was stunned.

Then the parka guy stopped, “Well, you like shouting and fighting, right? Let me add to the noise and confusion. It’s fun, no?”

At that point, Lady Henristone and Lady Margaret put their weapons away and sat down. Likewise, the others who witnessed what happened followed suit, and I was forced to open the meeting.

“…”

But damn, an awkward atmosphere now hung inside the war room.

In any case, Sir Loin’s unorthodox method of diffusing tension was…quite effective, I’d say. At least, I only had to think of how to disperse the awkwardness, instead of dealing with anger issues.

Thank you, Buttfriar.

----------

And so, now that we began the war council, I started the discussion by explaining to everyone what transpired between Ruro and Kashca Telis. The Beastman Saint would also give her own thoughts about the events, and everyone at the table was just listening to her, until…

“I wouldn’t trust her if I were you, Your Majesty,” Lady Henristone quipped, “She fooled not only Her Holiness the Human Saint; she also caused ruin to her own people, whom she was tasked to protect.”

“I may have had broken many vows and promises, but if there’s one thing I would always put first, it’s the well-being of my master,” Ruro fiercely defended her side.

“Pft! That’s bullshit,” Lady Margaret retorted.

“I don’t need your approval, human!” the Beastman Saint pushed back, “I may have committed a lot of sins and mistakes, but at least I didn’t betray my master even when his ‘use’ ended.”

“You talk like you’re accusing my liege, the Lady Madelaine, of throwing away His Majesty!” the Lady Henristone’s hand was at the hilt of her sword once again, “Tell me, dog, what do you kno—”

“!!!” The verbal spat was interrupted when Sir Loin brought out Buttfriar once again, and intentionally banging the table with it. He said nothing; he only smiled. But we all knew that his smile had a terrible—and bizarre—meaning to it. Naturally, no one dared to speak a hateful word after that.

I took the lull as an opportunity to divert the talk to the main reason of the meeting, “Okay, let me be clear with this. It’s not that we’re trusting Her Fluffy Holiness right away. However, I got some points why we should believe her. One is that, we all know that Lady Ruro’s captain, Telis, had been a faithful servant to her for a long time now. As they are Beastmen, there must be a big and deep reason for the fox-captain to turn against her liege eventually, trying to kill her in the end.”

“And that is?” our Minister of War, Ruja, asked.

“Disillusionment. Telis was dismayed that her liege is willing to sacrifice herself and everyone else for a human…that is, me.”

“But everyone knows that the Beastman Saint can read our thoughts,” Lady Margaret pointed out, “Who, among us, is sure whether she’s telling the true side of events or not? I mean, she can claim she’s concerned for Your Majesty’s well-being…but in reality, she has plans of her own.”

“I agree with Lady Margaret’s opinion,” Lady Henristone said. “Look, I find it doubtful for a Saint—who can read minds and hearts—to be easily fooled by her servants harboring ill-thoughts. What I’m saying is, why didn’t Her Holiness the Beastman Saint take action when Lady Telis is already conspiring to kill her?”

“That is…” Our eyes focused on Ruro, who was taken aback by the issue raised by the Paladin Corps captain. She was silent for a few minutes, before she spoke, “…you may see me as villain, but I still have my conscience intact. Yes, I did all those bad things that led to the current state of this land, but it doesn’t mean I meant for those to happen. Sometimes, one has to make use of necessary evil to achieve a favorable outcome.”

“And so, it got too unbearable for you, so you thought of dying in the hands of your retainer?” Lady Henristone was unrepentant in her words, “Aren’t you being inconsistent?”

I don’t like to admit it, but Lady Henristone had a point. Remembering what I read about Cassandra David…my suspicions of ‘associating with that hero could lead to one’s ruin’ was consistent on to what just happened with Ruro. Not only that did the Beastman Saint ended up alone, she was also having difficulties in reestablishing trust with everyone around her.

Just like how Lily’s reputation among her former subjects is taking time to heal…

“And when we lower our guard, you’ll strike again,” Lady Margaret added, “You’re setting your sights to His Majesty the King.”

“N-No! I told you before, I wanted Kuro to succeed—”

“For that, I can vouch for it,” I told them, “See, if the Beastman Saint meant me harm, I will not be standing here before you as king. Her Majesty the Queen Ursura confirmed it to me—together, they maneuvered to have me sit at the throne.”

Everyone’s eyes fell on Ursura. She retreated a little to avoid the unwanted attention.

“What I’m saying is, the Lady Ruro is willing to go against everyone else, just to see me at the top. Come to think of it, isn’t the things that she lost greater than what she gained?”

“My doubts would never be erased,” Lady Henristone declared.

“Your Excellency, I know you only wanted the best for His Majesty…” Ruro answered, “And even if you won’t believe me, I also have the same goals as you. However, though I’ve acted foolishly, no one can deny the fact that I’m a Beastwoman…and we rarely go back on our faithfulness to our loved ones.”

The council said nothing else to counter her statement. Perhaps they’re weighing on the points Ruro raised, or thinking of new arguments to throw at her. I don’t know what’s going on their minds; but going back to my original plan, I should convince them to work together—even with their former enemies—to achieve our objectives.

After all, this is what politics is for. Your ally for today might be your foe for tomorrow. That’s why there are no permanent friends and enemies here.

“So, Your Majesty…” Lady Henristone spoke, “Let’s say Her Holiness the Beastman Saint’s words are true, then what’s the purpose of this meeting? Surely, you didn’t summon us just to listen to her dramatic story.”

“About that, I called you here to discuss the changes we should include in the offensive plan we had before.” Then, I brought out the map of Cherwind and laid it before them, “Konka’s forces to the northeast, and the Beastman Saint’s armies at the Cauldron. That’s the situation in our original plan. However, with Telis’ betrayal, we lost the enemy to the south.”

“Isn’t that nice?” Ursura commented, “We can now concentrate our forces to the northern borders to confront Lady Konka.”

“Well, it does sound better. But, based on the words of Lady Ruro herself, we can infer on what could happen in the next several days.”

“What do you mean?”

“Telis betrayed the Beastman Saint because she got disillusioned with her liege’s unconditional support for me, a human,” I took a pen and put a circle on Konka’s approximate location, “Now, the Insetus woman’s goal is to eliminate all humans in Cherwind. Again, Kashca Telis is angry because of a human. Their aims overlap, so…”

“You’re implying that they might join forces, Human Chief?”

“Exactly, Chief Malu. And since our southern flank are stretched-out, their combined armies can pose a problem to us. Look, Telis’ fox forces can strike the Avinus archipelago, or the Serpentinus lands from the Cauldron. If Konka’s men coordinated their attacks in the northern borders with Telis’ movements, our side would be hard-pressed in defending our territories.”

“Well, the Serpentinus possess a local militia that can repulse attacks,” Lady Henristone revealed. “The Dragon tribesmen are no-pushovers, after all.”

“And the Avinus also have their own militia and the support of the No. 6 Falcon wing, which is on standby in their lands,” Chief Malu added.

“Of course, it’s a given that the population can fend on their own. It’s even possible to defend for a few days, or hold out for weeks. However, as a new kingdom, sustained enemy attacks can prove disastrous to the stability of the government, especially if we factor in the ‘perception’ of the people.”

“You mean…?

“Chancellor, think of it as this: what would you think about your leaders when your lands are always under attack?”

“They’re cowards, and not doing their duties properly.”

“Yes, that’s it. We are a new government, so public impression to us is important. If we’re aiming to unite this land, then the people should look at their rulers with confidence. After all, no one in this room would want to be governed by weak, incompetent leaders.”

The members of the council were nodding their heads in agreement. Well, as long as they understood why we’re doing this, then it’s all good.

“So, what are your suggestions, Your Majesty?”

“Our plan remains the same, we’re still going to attack the Cauldron first. However, I don’t think we can afford to wait until our armies are fully ready. As such, we’ll have to shorten our time-table for the invasion, so we can prevent Telis from mounting an effective attack on our soil.”

“Alright, Your Majesty, I’ll speed up the preparations,” Minister Ruja declared.

“No, Minister, we’ll have to make do with what we currently have,” I reiterated. “We’ll also be deploying the Eagle wings and the No. 8 Falcon wing.”

“Yes, I’ll also get the Red Feathers moving,” Chief Malu confirmed. I also gave instructions to Sir Loin and the others, save for the Paladin Corps and the Gryphon Knights. After all, I didn’t want them to get involved in this mess.

Then, once everyone agreed, we formally adjourned the meeting.

Time is of the essence. The earlier we attack, the better for us.

Fighting a two-front war could get dangerous, as shown by Germany’s fate during the Second World War, and Israel on the first days of the Yom Kippur War of Earth’s year 1973. Fortunately, while it was indeed a precarious situation, we were never short of good examples in preventing a disastrous two-front defeat as well.  (1)

We’ll just have to gain the combat initiative, and control the battles from there, just like what Israel did in the ‘Six Day War’. (2)

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***Konka’s fortress village, in the Wessen Mountains…***

“What’s the meaning of this?” the Insetus woman asked her guests, “Has the Fox tribe turned its back on that traitorous saint?”

The envoy from the Fox tribe remained kneeling before her, “We come in peace, Lady Konka. Would you care to listen to our elder’s words?”

“Your elder? That Kashca Telis? And what does that fox want from me?”

“She sends an offer of alliance and cooperation with your armies, milady.”

Konka’s sarcastic smile vanished from her lips as she stood from her makeshift throne. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard, “What is this? Are you taking me for a fool? Why would she offer that?”

“My apologies, Lady Konka, for I have forgotten to tell you that our tribe no longer supports our former liege, Lady Ruro of the Wolf.”

“What? Am I hearing things?”

“No, milady. Our elder withdrew her support from Lady Ruro, and sends you this message: ‘The future of this land belongs to the Beastmen people. Please let us fight under your banner’.”

The Insetus woman could say nothing for a long while. For the Fox tribe to abandon Ruro was something big, and it would be a grave mistake if she didn’t grab the opportunity to further strengthen her forces.

“Alright, I understand,” Konka told the envoy, “Welcome to my army then, Fox.”

“Our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to you for this chance,” the fox-envoy bowed, “We’ll gather our forces and join you—”

“No, don’t do it,” she countered. “Remain in your lands at the Cauldron. Send Telis my message to her: ‘If you’re sincere in joining my fight for Cherwind, defend that island. That accursed human who claims to be king, Kuro, will surely attack you in order to secure his kingdom’s southern flanks. Pin down his army, and I’ll help by invading his lands from the north’.”

“Understood, milady. I bid you farewell,” the envoy gave his final respects and then took his leave.

Once alone, Konka summoned her generals, who were elated at the news of Telis’ defection.

“Milady, this is indeed a welcome development!”

“True. At least, while we lost the chance to convince the priests and the Serpentinus tribe to support us, we gained the Fox tribe’s cooperation, and that accursed saint fell!”

“Our armies are getting stronger! We should attack those puny bastards at the Enclave!”

“Yes, I do agree with your sentiments,” the Insetus woman admitted, “However, we should be careful in our movements. That human king, Kuro, is someone who can bite you if you lower your guard.”

“What are your plans, milady?”

“We’ll use the Fox tribe to force Kuro to move. Once his forces are preoccupied in dealing with Telis, that’s when we’ll strike.”

The generals exchanged impressed looks with each other, as they listened to their liege’s strategy. Once she was done, the morale of her men was already up, and they couldn’t wait to get their fists flying in battle.

“Yes, Milady, we’ll prepare the warriors at once! For Cherwind and Lady Konka!”

“Forward!” they repeated their cheers for three more times, before the generals excitedly went out to their armies.

Konka uttered a small prayer to the Lord Gaius. Now that the main players had been revealed and sides were finally taken, it’s time for the battle for Cherwind to begin!

Author's Notes:  (1) The Yom Kippur War of 1973 pitted the country of Israel against an alliance of Egypt and Syria. It got its name from the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the day of which the war began in 1973. The first days of the war was notable for Israeli setbacks, as the Egyptian and Syrian forces simultaneously launched surprise attacks on opposite fronts, making the Jewish nation fight two battles on two separate frontlines and stretching their resources as well as manpower. However, sound tactics on the Israeli side prevailed and they won in the end.

(2) The 'Six Day War' is another conflict between Israel and its neighboring Arab states, way back in 1967. It got its name because of the number of days it took for Israel to finish the war as victors. The conflict was notable for the Israeli air forces doing pre-emptive strikes against Arab military targets, achieving total control of the skies and winning the war for their side.