So, just a moment ago.
Dad had placed Jeffrey, who was being held at his side, on the ground. Jeffrey whispered to me.
“Big sister Berry, people outside are talking about the wild dog tribe.”
My eyes widened. Were they still in the middle of their conversation? This was the perfect chance to inform Dad of the situation.
There was no time to waste. I quickly scanned my surroundings. Dad, Theon, and Grandma Marshall.
“Alright, let’s see. How about Jeffrey and I go out for a ‘secret’ talk ‘late at night’ just the two of us?”
“No.”
Both Dad and Theon responded at the same time to my muttering.
But they couldn’t stop Jeffrey and me with just words.
I swiftly grabbed the hand of an excited Jeffrey and dashed toward the front door.
“Let’s go!”
“Okay!”
“Berry, stop.”
“……….”
“Hmph. So full of energy at night.”
Grandma Marshall trailed behind us like the caboose of a steam locomotive, joining Dad and Theon.
The front door was half-open, probably because Jeffrey hadn’t closed it earlier.
Once we got outside, I cheered internally.
“Whisper… mutter… grumble… murmur…”
The sound of a large pumpkin rolling on the vine could be heard.
It was a man’s voice, speaking from a distance.
‘Good! They’re still talking!’
Although I couldn’t hear the conversation clearly, the tense atmosphere was palpable. We stopped at the deck in front of the entrance.
It was clear that Baron Voltman was talking to someone about the wild dog tribe. Jeffrey, who met my gaze, raised the corners of his mouth into a silent grin.
I gave him a thumbs-up to say ‘Well done,’ then walked toward the deck railing.
Dad and Theon had already taken their spots.
I squeezed in between them and whispered to Theon.
“Looks like Baron Voltman is talking to someone.”
“Seems like it’s Brother Thomas.”
“Is he someone you know? But it’s hard to hear. I think I heard something about the wild dog tribe.”
“Wild dog tribe?”
“Everyone, be quiet.”
It was late in the evening, a time when outside sounds were minimal. Even when I focused my hearing, it was difficult to make out the conversation. So, it wasn’t like I had actually heard the term ‘wild dog tribe.’ That was just a bait I threw out.
Theon questioned my words, and Dad hushed us both.
Whoosh—! Suddenly, an unexpected gust of wind made me shut my eyes tightly.
“…Troops …defense… Who on earth is supposed to protect us?”
The voice of the person identified as Brother Thomas became so clear, it felt as if he were right next to us.
It was because Dad had used Wyndis’s power.
‘Oh, so this is why the Grand Master is so useful!’
Thanks to that, Baron Voltman’s conversation was broadcast directly to us in real-time.
***
A little while later
“Explain it to us.”
Baron Voltman, who had tried to play it off, finally sat on the living room sofa and confessed everything.
He was being watched by our entire group, including Anne, and the baroness.
“It was about a week ago. The beastmen of the wild dog tribe started kidnapping people crossing the mountain.”
“Oh my.”
This was information that couldn’t be found in my other memories or newspaper articles.
It was a fact I had just learned, and I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of surprise. I covered my mouth belatedly, but it was too late. Everyone had already heard it. Baron Voltman glanced at me and then spoke to Theon.
“Is this too harsh for the kids to hear? Theon, take Berry and Jeffrey to their room—”
“It’s fine.”
This time, it was Dad who spoke up.
“Kids should know what they need to know, especially if it’s something dangerous. That way, they can tell the difference between danger and safety in the future.”
“Even so… the story I’m about to tell isn’t something kids should hear.”
“Leave it be. That’s just his education philosophy. It would be faster to start a fire underwater than to change his stubborn mind.”
Grandma Marshall, sitting on a low wooden chair, added her words.
Not wanting to be left out, Anne voiced her opinion as well.
“Y-Yes, I think so too! Jeffrey, you listen carefully too!”
“Uh-huh.”
Even the Baroness joined in, teasing Theon, who was sitting next to me.
“You listen too, Theon. Especially since you’re next to your girlfriend.”
“…….….”
With all the guardians in agreement, Baron Voltman had no more grounds for objection. He cleared his throat and continued.
“Ahem, ahem. The victims were residents of our village and neighboring villages. So, I gathered the young men and climbed up the mountain. We hadn’t gone far when the wild dog beastmen appeared. They were holding the victims hostage, demanding that we stop Marquess Ash’s land development.”
“Marquess Ash? But the Marquess’ territory is in a completely different area, isn’t it? Why are they targeting villages here?”
At Dad’s question, Baron Voltman sighed deeply.
“Because we humans live near the wild dogs’ habitat.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The wild dog tribe has always despised humans.
They reject any form of interaction and live deep in the mountains. Their way of thinking is that of beasts. They have no interest in understanding human civilization, nor do they try to understand it. Marquess’ territory or whatever—do you think they’d understand even if we explained it to them a hundred times? To them, all humans are the same, and they loathe us equally. On top of that, the wild dog tribe isn’t even recognized as citizens of the Hayshal Empire.”
According to Hayshal Empire law, to obtain citizenship or residency rights, one must have human blood.
Therefore, most beastmen in the empire either lived on the land their ancestors had inhabited before the empire was established, or lived as nomads, wandering from place to place.
Honestly, I hoped that the wild dog tribe involved in this incident was one of the latter. If the wild dog tribe were indigenous to this area, things would get complicated.
“They’re demanding that we take responsibility as fellow humans. Marquess Ash’s development project includes land that is part of the wild dog tribe’s habitat.”
“Is that even possible? The wild dog tribe must have been the original owners of that land since before the empire’s foundation. If someone wanted to develop that land, they’d have to buy it. Didn’t Emperor Ixellona enact imperial law forbidding the sale of land occupied by the beastmen who were its original inhabitants?”
When Grandma Marshall mentioned the name ‘Ixellona,’ I flinched internally.
That was Theon’s biological father’s surname, as well as the current emperor’s. I glanced at Theon’s face from the corner of my eye.
‘Could it be that Theon knows about this…?’
However, Theon didn’t react much. He just kept his eyes on his grandfather, focusing on the conversation.
“That’s the tricky part. Last year, at Marquess Ash’s residence, they found a land deed for the area currently under development. It seems to be a document from the early days of the Hayshal Empire’s founding… Anyway, that was five days ago. If we don’t stop the land development by the day after tomorrow, the wild dog tribe will kill the hostages. They even threatened to kill the villagers. I won’t let that happen, of course.”
Baron Voltman clenched his fists tightly. I glanced at his hands.
‘…Huh?!’
Suddenly, another memory surfaced.
It was a memory of me as an adult, riding a carriage and telling the coachman my destination.
– Leaf Village? Why are you going there There’s nothing to see except the Oak Hill.
– I wanted to visit the Crown Prince’s birthplace.
– Ah, you mean that log cabin? That’s fake. Back when he ascended to the throne, journalists kept claiming Leaf Village was his hometown. So, the lord rushed to build it as a tourist attraction.
-You seem to know a lot.
– Well, I’m actually from that village. I’m even acquainted with Baron Voltman. Want me to tell you some old stories?
The coachman’s story was detailed.
The wild dog tribe eventually raided the villages, but all the houses were empty.
Thanks to Baron Voltman’s strategy, the villagers had evacuated in advance, and the young men of the village rescued the hostages.
The only person left in the village was Baron Voltman himself.
– He said he had to buy time while they rescued the hostages. He held them off alone for over ten minutes.
Baron Voltman fought off the wild dog beastmen.
He was on the brink of death and had lost both of his arms. To save him, the villagers set their own village on fire.
The wild dog tribe fled, but the villagers lost their fields and homes—their only possessions.
When Theon returned, he was met with his hometown reduced to ashes and his grandfather clinging to life after losing both of his arms.
‘It wasn’t just about Baron Voltman losing his arms?! Why is this memory coming back now?’
My heart pounded in my chest. It wasn’t just about protecting Baron Voltman’s arms from the wild dog tribe.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Theon asked his grandfather. He was essentially asking why his grandfather hadn’t told him about such a serious incident.
“I’m not such a pathetic grandfather that I’d burden my young grandson with my worries.”
“Did you request military support? There should be a lord in charge of overseeing this area.”
In the Hayshal Empire, there were many small villages, and it was common for neighboring lords to manage the security of villages outside their direct jurisdiction. However, this arrangement had its problems, the most notable being that the lord would gain the right to collect taxes from those villages.
In response to Dad’s question, the Baroness answered.
“You’re talking about Viscount Roslin, right? Yes, we did request it. But…”
“Since we hadn’t paid all our taxes for the year, he refused to send soldiers. What nonsense. How are we supposed to manage when he raises taxes tenfold all at once?”
Baron Voltman erupted in frustration. Grandma Marshall, who had been listening quietly, clicked her tongue.
“Ten times the amount? That country bumpkin lord is absolutely blinded by greed.”
“It all started when Marquess Ash bribed him to go along with the land development. Once he got a taste of money…Forget what you just heard. It’s not something kids need to know.”
“Okay. But, Theon Grandpa!”
I raised my hand toward Baron Voltman. Surprised by my sudden gesture, he glanced at me with a puzzled look. Dad stepped in to explain.
“It means she has a question.If you ask her what it is, she’ll tell you.”
“Oh, I see. What’s your question?”
“Why are the wild dog tribe bothering the villagers?”
“…The story I just told was a bit complicated, wasn’t it? To put it simply, Marquess Ash is trying to destroy the wild dog tribe’s homes. That’s why they’re so angry.”
“Then why are they bothering the villagers? If Marquess Ash is the one causing the problem, shouldn’t they be bothering him instead of us?”
Hearing this, Anne nodded as if she understood.
“It’s because the wild dog beastmen hate humans. They’re telling us to take responsibility and stop the land development since we’re also humans.”
“Oh! Then that should be easy! All we have to do is tell Marquess Ash to stop the land development.”
“People have already gone to try and persuade him, but he refuses to meet with them.”
“That’s just…”
“That’s too much!”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Anne shot up from her seat, full of determination.
