CHAPTER 11: END OF AN ERA

**Kuro**

For the rest of the day after the battle at the trenches, there were no further hostile movements from the enemy, nor from our side. I don’t know about Telis, but I’d like our soldiers to catch their breaths and take well-deserved breaks. Also, it was common military wisdom not to let your men fight while they were exhausted (unless you had no choice). I didn’t want the foxes to catch us in our current state while on the march.

Our hard-earned victories will be reversed if that happens…

So we just let the day end, fortifying our positions, tending to the injured, and burying the dead—friend and foe. After all, we’d been awake since before the ‘long sleep’ yesterday, and now was the hour for this day’s ‘long sleep’.

By the way, the roll-calls for the units that took part in the battle earlier revealed that our side suffered around 20 percent casualties—all killed in action (I healed those that were maimed and injured, which minimized our personnel losses). We did capture some prisoners, too. However, they decided to fight until the end, so they killed themselves. Most preferred to die by our men’s swords, feigning escape or deliberately attacking them, while there were those who bled to death by biting their tongues.

As much as I tried to convince them to live, they didn’t believe my words.

“Haa…”

But honestly, I’m impressed by their resolute will to defy us even in death.

In other matters, news about the Black Feathers we sent in the airborne assault came in just before next day’s breakfast. Much to everyone’s relief, it was good news, saying that they already found the fox tribe’s civilians, holed up inside Ruro’s cave-palace. What’s even better was that Sir Loin, Rumia and the rest of their men captured the island where it stood, giving us leverage to demand negotiations with Telis and put an end to this war.

“…”

But, of course, first things first. This conflict disrupted those people’s lives, and it would be heartless of us to just let them on their own, even if they were our enemies. And so, using the Eagle Red Feather squadrons, we conducted an airlift—complete with food, medicines and other supplies to Ruro’s cave-palace. We also brought in Rishnu and her medical corps, to check on the condition of the civilians.

When we finally landed, Sir Loin and Rumia were the first ones to welcome us.

“Ei, Kuro mah boy,” the parka guy greeted, “Feeling nostalgic towards your former prison?”

“Shut up,” I countered. “Want me to throw you in my old cell here? You know, just for experience?”

“Nah, I’d rather decline. There’s no shower in there, let alone a soap.”

I only stared at him, quite dumbfounded. Honestly, I couldn’t read how his mind works. But, in any case, we should get to work.

“Rishnu, can you check the civilians?”

“Yes, Chief!” the Mantis-girl and the other nurses went with Rumia.

----------

“So, how’s your battle?” Loin asked the moment the girls were gone.

“One heck of a fight,” I smirked. “I’m surprised I got out of there unscathed. How’s yours? And what the heck are those bits of…is that metal attached to your head and spine, or something?”

“Haha! You got me there Kuro mah boy. It’s an exo-suit; this stuff here improves my strength, that’s why I can easily carry that railgun I gave you.”

“Exo-suit?” I was taken aback by that revelation. “You’re a cyborg, or something?”

“No!” Sir Loin laughed. “I’m pretty much a normal human, though with certain body improvements. And yeah, this is pretty common infantry equipment back from where I came from.”

“You mean your own world?”

The parka guy nodded, “Let’s say you’re correct on that one.”

“I’m interested in that place; can you now tell me anything about you or—”

Sir Loin suddenly gestured for me to stop from asking, “We all have our secrets, Kuro mah boy. As for me, I told you before: I was walking around, and suddenly, I was here…in a blink of an eye. That’s all.”

Silence then came between us. I was waiting for the parka guy to say anything else, but he spoke nothing after that. Well, though he was pretty secretive about his true identity, I found it quite hard to get suspicious of him. Maybe because we went through a lot together by now, that I see him as a trustworthy person…I don’t know.

“Anyway, about our battle,” Sir Loin revealed. “The foxes learned a bitter lesson: don’t mess with mad chickens, a dog and a wavy-haired human.”

“Want to be a teacher after this?” I jested, amused at how he put it. “Looks like you can pass on that valuable knowledge to the future generations of beastmen.”

“Nah, I’m not fit to be a goody-woody,” the parka guy chuckled. “And, I’m not sure of my time as well. But in any case, congrats on your victory, Kuro.”

“Hoh? It’s the first time you called me that way, is something going to happen? You going back to where you came from?”

“Who knows?” Sir Loin shrugged. “But what I’m sure of is, as long as I’m here, I’ll help you guys.”

“Thanks. You never know how valuable is your help to us.”

“Hey, don’t speak such cheesy lines; you’re raising your own death flag! Don’t die on me, Kuro mah boy!”

“Oh? Trust me, you never want to start me on that,” it was the first genuine laugh we had for a while now. Then, after that, I tapped his back, “And, before I forgot, it’s not only my victory, it’s our victory, curly boy.”

“Curly boy, huh? Sounds stupid, but yeah, I think I’ll like that…” the parka guy then smiled.

----------

The fox tribesfolk that we captured were initially hostile to us when we came to them. Though they knew they couldn’t fight us, they were uncooperative, and abusive, hurling insults against Rishnu and her medical corps. Rumia nearly snapped out of her patience, though Sir Loin was quick to calm her down.

“You’re a good dog-girl, right? Patience,” he told her as he gently pat her head.

Rumia’s annoyance dissipated as quick as it appeared.

“…”

Well, though Sir Loin may have not noticed it, her cheeks were freaking red! And her tail…look at how it wagged! It’s clear to me—as her foster…err, guardian—that Rumia’s in-love! Or at least, she’s got a crush on the parka guy. Fufufufu!!!

“…”

Ahem. Anyway, going back to the foxes, while they were angry to us at first, the moment we began to distribute food stuffs to them, they slowly opened up.

“Our enemy is giving us food?” one of them asked, “This isn’t poisoned, is it?”

“Nope,” I replied. “You can confirm it if you want.”

The old fox-man just looked at the bread with suspicion. I expected that, since he was a fox, his sense of smell was good. Guess I’m only imagining things…

“Ah, if you’re still doubtful, I myself will take a bite.”

“And what difference it would make, should you die?”

“Well, I’m the Human king, Kuro,” I winked at him. “If I die after eating this, then my men technically killed me, and they will be held responsible for it.” Without waiting for the fox-man’s reaction, I took a small piece of bread and ate it before him. Several minutes later, his family came to us…

“This is the Human king!” the old fox-man proudly told his grandchildren, “And His Majesty is kind enough to give food to his enemies and treat them well!”

“I’d rather prefer you say ‘former’ enemies,” I insisted. “I do not wish to fight your people. My aim is to only unite all the beastmen tribes and humans of Cherwind under the banner of the Beastman Queen. From this moment onward, you and your family will be treated as her subjects, just like everyone of us here, including me.”

“Wait…You’re treating us as equals?”

“Yep, if you don’t fight us, that is,” I offered him another bread, pointing to the children behind him. “Please get as much as you like, including your family!”

The old fox-man laughed heartily, as if a heavy weight was taken off his chest. And his happiness was contagious, for the other fox families were watching us. Soon they came in droves, greeting and hugging our people like their long-lost relatives.

----------

Envoys from the fox tribe’s elder, Telis, arrived soon an hour before the ‘long sleep’. They initially went to the ships to negotiate their surrender, only to find Lady Margaret and Minister Ruja there. Surprisingly, though the former Duchess of Malvette had a bad history with them, it was her who led them to us, at Ruro’s cave-palace…

“Greetings, Human king! We came under a flag of truce,” the envoys met with me on the outskirts of the palace, where we set up a temporary camp for the civilians.

“Please have a seat,” I offered them chairs, as well as refreshments.

“This is an unusual courtesy, Your Majesty,” one of the envoys noted. “We’re your enemy, and yet, you still treat us as friends.”

“Ah, please, enjoy those snacks,” I smiled. “I’d rather call you our ‘new friends’ instead of ‘old enemies’.”

“W-What?” they looked at me as if they heard the impossible.

I just nodded.

“B-But…we fought, and—”

“Sir, if I came here intending to conquer and enslaving your people, then I won’t be serving you tea and cakes,” I also pointed towards the camp behind me. “And look, these people are of your tribe, right? Go around, if you will. Once you saw anyone in chains, please tell me, and I’ll gladly throw myself off that lake.”

There was a moment of laughter between me and them. Of course, it was only an exaggeration, not only to lighten the mood but also designed to emphasize my point. Nevertheless, the fox envoys did go around seeing their kins. I let them wander the camp on their own, talking to their families, friends and relatives, perhaps asking about their conditions. After they were satisfied, they came back to me.

“Human king, no, Your Majesty…we…we are in the wrong for doubting your words!”

“It’s fine. I understand your apprehensions,” I took a sip of my tea. “But, in any case, shall we proceed to the negotiations?”

“Please do, Your Majesty. Our kins are important to us, and we are willing to hear your just conditions for their release.”

“Well,” I crossed my legs as I got to my ‘business’ mode, “my demands are simple. Submit to the Beastman Queen’s authority, and never raise your swords against her rule.”

“And…?”

“That’s it.”

“T-That’s…it?”

“Yep. If you got something else in mind, please feel free to tell me. I’m sure we can work it out.”

The fox envoys exchanged astonished glances. Then the older one took a deep breath and said, “Your Majesty, I…I don’t know what to say! You surely have in mind the best for our interests, and honored us with your magnanimity! And for that, we humbly and gladly submit to your queen’s rule. Only we have one request…”

“What is it?”

“Our tribe committed the greatest sin by turning our backs from the Beastman Saint, Lady Ruro of the Wolf, though we swore to serve her with our lives. We appeal to your kindness and wisdom to protect us from her wrath, wise king.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” I chuckled, “I’m her master, so it’s all good.”

“H-Huh? Master? Lady Ruro’s your slave?”

“More like a ‘voluntary slave’. I don’t know with her, but she forced her slave contract to me. You can even ask your chief about that. Though, of course, what happened between her and Lady Ruro is a different matter, so I won’t meddle with that. Do we have terms about this?”

The envoys then kneeled before me, “You have our word, Your Majesty! We swear by the blood of our ancestors. We shall also inform the Chief about our fruitful talk.” After that, they stood up to leave…

“Ah, wait!”

“Is there something else you need, Your Majesty?”

I called an orderly and had him fetch me a bottle of wine. Then, I handed it over to the older envoy, saying, “Can you give that to Telis? Tell her, ‘It’s our favorite stuff to drink back in the tavern where we planned our battles against the Empire, together with Gryffith’. I’m sure she knows what to do about it.”

“Understood,” the fox-man nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

----------

The next day after that meeting with the envoys, Telis herself showed up at the cave-palace, carried on a litter by her four attendants. Her appearance caused a commotion among her tribe, who were happy to see her.

“H-Hello, S-Sir Kuro…” was the fox-chief’s greeting. She slightly waved her hand; the redness of her face told me that she was embarrassed. “I received your gift, and I came to express my gratitude.”

“Just like the good old times, Telis,” I smiled at her, trying to diffuse the awkward atmosphere between us.

“It’s a pity that we have to meet like this…” she replied. There was a hint of bitterness in her voice.

“Hm? What’s the problem?”

“Well, though you’ve been kind to my people, we still fought you and killed a lot of your men.”

“Ah, don’t say we didn’t do that as well. I fully understand that you need to defend your beliefs and honor as beastmen, and we’re the same. It’s just so happens we’re on the different sides of the fence.”

“You’re really a kind human, Sir Kuro.”

“Let the bygones be bygones,” I gave her a head pat, just like how I did it to her back in our ‘Imperial War’ days in Chersea. “Though, we shouldn’t forget those who died, so we can get to this point.

“Yes, make sure their deaths aren’t wasted.”

“It’s useless to be always angry and hateful, you know?” I reiterated. “That’s why we founded our kingdom, where everyone in this land could live and prosper together in peace.”

A moment of silence then came between us. The fox-chief and I just felt the cool Cherwind breeze that gently passed through us, and listened to the laughter of the fox-children playing with Rumia and the other soldiers. It was then that I realized that peace had truly come to this part of the land…

“Ah, anyway, Sir Kuro,” the fox-chief steered back to the reason of her visit. “I’m here to sign a treaty between your kingdom and my tribe.”

“Yes, of course,” I brought out a pen and asked an orderly to bring out the parchments where I wrote the agreement. There were two copies, written in Chersean alphabet just to make sure that Telis (who was literate) could read and compare both documents. I also gave her a quick tutorial on how to use Salis’ invention, before preparing herself to sign.

“Wait,” I told her, “before you sign that document, here’s another gift for you!”

“Huh? What are you—”

She was surprised when I gently touched one of her legs and healed her disability with the Human Saint’s god-power. At first, everyone among the fox tribe were confused unto what happened, but they were all dumbfounded when their chief tried moving her feet. Telis was so happy that she couldn’t keep herself from jumping.

And with that, we finally gained the Fox tribe’s allegiance.

----------

***The Outer Walls***

In the days following the battle for the Outer Walls, the leading leaders of the kingdom headed to the northern frontiers to congratulate Her Majesty the Queen for her victory. Governors, nobles or their representatives from every part of the land came with lavish gifts and shared those with everyone who took part in the fight. However, the focus of their gratitude was the bear-woman herself.

“Th-This…is…t-t-troublesome,” Ursura muttered under her breath as impromptu celebrations were held in the camp where she was staying.

“Ah, don’t you like it?” Chief Malu asked. “It only shows how much they love their queen who protected them from Lady Konka’s forces. After all, your duel against her is a story worthy of legends! It’s not every day that we hear someone fight against four East Ursus folk and a former saint-candidate, then live through it. Even Lady Ruro—who’s supposed to be Lady Konka’s equal—was defeated by her!”

“Seriously? Are you sure that the East Ursus’ fighting skills just didn’t deteriorate from their long isolation in the mountains?”

“Who knows?” the Owl elder shrugged. “But a win is a win, so if I were you, I’d enjoy this moment of glory.”

Ursura felt her cheeks warmed up the moment she heard that. There was a small feeling within her heart that’s emerging, and it was a pleasant one. But then, it was short-lived. She knew she was happy; after all, she was at the pinnacle of her life as beastwoman. The people were praising her achievements, and the kingdom was safe and at peace. However, it’s as if there’s something missing…

“…”

Is this the thing I’m pursuing all my life? The glory, the fame?

“…”

It’s kind of shallow…is this all that is there to it?

The bear-woman stood from her seat, much to Chief Malu’s surprise.

“Where are you going, Your Majesty?”

“I’m off to catch some air. Can you entertain the guests, Chief?”

The Owl Chief was initially confused by Ursura’s answer. After all, Her Majesty claimed that she wanted ‘some air’ and yet, they were already outside their tents, hosting the celebrations. But eventually, she realized what the queen meant, so she just smiled and nodded.

Ursura returned the gesture and bowed as thanks, before leaving.

----------

The Beastman Queen found peace and solace in the parapets of the Outer Wall, overlooking the battlefield where Luka and the 2nd Black Feathers fought against impossible odds. By then, the clean-up work was almost done, and the green fields returned to its pristine conditions. The only signs of the fighting that occurred there were the occasional discarded, or broken, weapons that got stuck on the ground and were awaiting removal.

After all, Konka is still on the loose. It’ll be difficult for them if she gets a working copy of their weapons and use it to her advantage.

“…”

Ursura, wearing all her royal regalia, sat down atop one of the merlons of the battlements, looking out to the vast plains of Cherwind and beyond. There were faint noises coming from the revelry below, but she didn’t mind it. Let those people enjoy the end of this war. As for her, her mind slowly drifted into the air…

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“!!!” Her train of thoughts were cut when she heard someone call out to her. Turning around, Ursura saw the dog-boy, Luka, walking towards her spot. She asked, “W-What’s up? I thought you’re enjoying the celebrations.”

The dog-boy shook his head, “I’d prefer to stay here. The people below are noisy.”

“I see…well, feel free to take up a spot.”

“Of course. This is my wall, after all.”

Ursura snorted, “And you’d kill for it, no?”

Luka answered her with a smirk, then he sat down on the crenellation beside her, looking at the same direction. They were silent for a few moments after that, enjoying the scenic view from their vantage point. Minus the monster hordes—which plagued this land in the past, Cherwind’s northern plains was a sight to behold, with seas of greeneries stretching as far as the eyes could see, and snow-capped blue mountains to the far east, west and north.

“I can’t believe that I’d live to see this land at peace…” Luka broke the ice. “Honestly, when our parents died, I and my sister lived in fear of what would happen next. We’re always thinking if we’re going to live through the next ‘long sleep’.”

“And yet, you lived, right? You and Rumia. I don’t think you should be scared anymore.”

“True,” the dog-boy chuckled. “And to think, I nearly killed the Chief before, when he exposed us.”

“Yeah, you’re a true asshole back then; stealing stuff and thinking it won’t have repercussions. Good thing Kuro is kind enough to adopt all of you.”

“Yes…looking back, I owe a lot to the Chief. He saved us all and even gave us the opportunity to do something meaningful that our parents would be proud of. I’ll tell those to them when I visit their graves.”

“Your parents would be proud of, huh?” Ursura’s voice trailed. “I kind of envy you…”

“Hm? What for?”

“Though your parents are gone, at least you could still see them,” the bear-woman flashed a poignant smile. “Meanwhile, though my sister and mother are still alive, I can’t even send them letters.”

“Well, you can’t read and write.”

“Your foul mouth still remains, bastard. Don’t break the atmosphere!”

“Ah, don’t worry. I understand what you mean, Your Majesty,” the dog-boy snickered, but eventually he turned serious. “You know, though the West Ursus have their customs, I think they should drop those. I mean, we’re at the end of an era, and if there’s anything that I learned from the Chief, it’s that we need to drop some of our traditions to progress.”

“Heh, easy to say, hard to do, dog-boy. You do not know how obstinate my own tribe is.”

“Well, if they are obstinate, you can always push them to accept,” Luka’s lips drew a nasty smirk. “You’re the queen now. Your people loves and supports you. The Chief has your back, we got your front. You can always force a solution.”

“Don’t you think your words of encouragement is kind of cringy, Luka?” Ursura laughed. Nevertheless, she kept those in her heart. Once everything settled down, she resolved to confront her past and put a satisfying end to it.

----------

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

Battered and exhausted, the remnants of the Insetus-woman’s army limped back to their fortified camp in the mountains. Upon arriving, she was greeted by the envoys from the East Ursus village.

“Welcome back, Lady Konka! We’ve heard of your tragic loss against the Human king’s forces.”

“It was, indeed, uh…tragic. But I don’t intend to stay defeated, I will have my revenge.”

“Milady, with all our respect, our tribe lost several good people fighting for your cause,” one of the envoys said. “And we agreed to support you because Banu assured us of victory. However, this time, we’re afraid we can’t continue on doing that forever. We also have our responsibilities to our own tribe, and we can’t afford to send our kin to die!”

“So you’re telling me, you’re…uh, reneging on your promises?”

“Lady Konka, we don’t think it’s proper of you to say we’re ‘reneging’ on our promises. The East Ursus are proud of their heritage and identity, and as Beastmen, we’ll stand by our oaths. However, Banu told us you’d be victorious, and yet, you didn’t deliver! How can we break a promise that is already broken in the first place?”

The Insetus-woman fell silent the moment she heard that. She had to keep herself from saying anything, for her rage was building up within her, and her fists were already shaking. Good thing a commander of hers came forward…

“Hold your tongue, East Ursus,” he drew his sword and pointed it to the bear-envoy. “You’ve said too much.”

“Is the truth painful, tiger?” the East Ursus countered.

The stand-off between the two beastmen then caused tension to rise between the East Ursus envoys, and Konka’s men. Everyone reached for their weapons, ready to strike their foe the moment someone made a move.

“Lower your weapons!” was Konka’s order to her men.

“But, Your Holiness—”

“I said, lower your weapons!” she reiterated, “What part of it is difficult to understand?”

At the insistence of their liege, Konka’s men reluctantly followed her instruction and stepped back. Once the pressure between both sides lowered, she told the East Ursus…

“I understand your concerns, East Ursus, and I apologize for my men’s actions.”

“Apology accepted, Lady Konka.”

“However, let me ask, what makes you think that the Human King and the Beastman Queen—who is from your tribe’s rivals, the West Ursus—would spare your people once you quit this fight?” the Insetus-woman asked. “Your kin killed a lot of their men, and even fought against the Queen personally. Do you suppose now that if you decide to stay on the sidelines, they would leave you alone?”

The envoys were silent the whole time Konka spoke. Though they were wary of cooperating with her, she did make some valid points.

“East Ursus, you don’t know the hell we had to endure fighting against the Human King. Traitorous Avinus tribes in his armies dropping barrels that explode and turn those caught in it into red mists. Filthy humans hungry for our people’s blood, tearing you down with their ‘demon weapons’,” Konka showed her nose injury. “Even I was not spared from their barbarity.”

“Then, by all means, milady,” the East Ursus envoys asked, “what do you suggest we do? Continue the fight even with small numbers of men?”

“Is there any other option?” the Insetus-woman raised that question. “They take no prisoners, making sure that their captives die the most terrible of deaths. Are you willing to risk it? Banu himself suffered the same fate, that’s why he isn’t with us anymore.”

Another round of silence. When she determined that the East Ursus were wavering, Konka decided to ‘help’ them reached a favorable decision…

“I can still fight, East Ursus. Just give me one more chance to drive those despicable humans and their traitorous beastmen allies away from this land. I assure you, though we may have suffered a defeat this time, the final victory will be ours!”