049 - She, Who Is Bored

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About a week into the journey, I was indeed bored.

After all, the territory of the beastmen was nothing but endless plains, occasionally interrupted by forests, rivers, or hills, only to continue traversing plains again. Though there were occasional events like hunting wild animals along the way, the continuous journey through unchanging plains was inevitably dull, even for me.

I tried to pass the time by Tenard teaching me, our coachman, how to handle the carriage, chatting with the somewhat friendly Pookie, or teasing Serena, but even those activities felt mundane. I wasn't adept at driving the carriage, there wasn't much to talk about while gazing at the monotonous scenery, and teasing Serena too much would only anger her.

I don't mind boredom, but come to think of it, I hadn't had the luxury to feel it recently. Meeting boredom again after a long while didn't bring me much comfort, so I resorted to occupying myself with thoughts.

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Then, on the eighth day, things changed.

The scenery, which had been nothing but plains until then, suddenly transformed into farmlands as far as the eye could see. It wasn't just ten or twenty hectares; it was a massive farm extending beyond the horizon.

The word "plantation" crossed my mind, but that seemed like something from a foreign land. What were they planning to do with such extensive cultivation? In ancient times in East Asia, the amount of rice one owned was a parameter of power for feudal lords, as it determined their capability for war. But what about in the territory of the beastmen in this world?

People who didn't even know what pizza was, harvesting crops on such a large scale—what was the purpose? Well, it's good not to starve, but it felt excessive. Of course, since I didn't know the scale of the Lion King's domain, I'll refrain from making any conclusions for now, but my intuition still leans towards "excessive."

"Hey, Serena. Was the area around the Lion King's palace like this when you were expelled from the beastmen's territory?"

I asked just to be sure, but it was a foolish question.

The fox spirit was as amazed by the scenery as I was.

"No... I am not familiar with such large farms. Even if they create this much, they won't be able to consume it all, and cultivating the plains will drive away wild animals, making hunting inconvenient."

"Come to think of it, was the Lion King Randall a carnivore?"

I recalled Lex mentioning something like that. If so... was this plantation not part of Randall's policy?

"I cannot imagine that man ordering the fields to be fertilized. He might say something like, 'Fertilize the fields for the small fry,' but that's about it."

"I see."

In that case—Lex and her discovery of the 'potential king' seemed quite serious.

At the very least, they weren't aiming for the throne without any foresight. They were planning ahead.

Probably.

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To my surprise, the rural landscape lasted for a whole day.

As we traveled by carriage, the farmland stretched out endlessly.

Of course, this wasn't a simulation game; it wasn't just fields everywhere. There were buildings along the way, irrigation channels, and sometimes places that seemed to have been former settlements.

But fundamentally, it was all farmland.

And on this day, we didn't camp out. Gradually, the scenery transitioned into a town, and before we knew it, we found ourselves amidst a city. Then, the carriage stopped, and we were surrounded by a dozen or so beastmen.

They were Lex Asuka's subordinates—or rather, soldiers under Randall.

Of course, they hadn't set us up; they had just come to welcome back their strategist from a trip. Even Lex hadn't expected us to come along.

"This is Euphemia Grimwood. She's a human but manages the beastmen's settlement at the edge of their territory. She'll be our ally, so please treat her with respect."

In the aristocratic environment I'm familiar with, would this be akin to the relationship between knights and nobles? Lex, in that sense, quickly brushed off any further explanations about me to the knight-like beastmen.

"That's right. Don't ask too many questions," added Nova, the lynx beastman.

Apparently, the power dynamics were such that Nova was more authoritative than the knight-like beastman. By the way, the "acting knight commander" was a cat-like beastman, possibly a leopard or a lynx, but with a higher degree of beastliness than Nova.

I wanted to ask Lex about various things, but she seemed busy receiving reports or confirming matters herself upon her return to her workplace. So, I didn't have the opportunity to speak with her.

The four of us—myself, Serena, Tenard, and Pookie—were escorted by the knight commander's subordinates to a place resembling their barracks, where we were to spend the night.

True to the order of "don't ask too many questions," after arranging our rooms and meals, they left us alone without further involvement. Ultimately, we spent the night confined to our rooms. It would've been pointless to complain and cause trouble, so we obediently complied... honestly, I didn't feel bored anymore.

There were many things to ponder.

Whether it was Lex Asuka's intentions, or the matter of Randall's son, the 'potential king,' or the purpose behind the excessively large farm, or even Lion King Randall himself.

He's strong, the king of beasts.

The Lion King.

He banished the fox people. As for the concept of kingship, I don't have a specific impression. There's neither a philosophy of "it must be this way" nor a forced negative impression.

In my past life, in Earth consisting only one country and one global government— there were only one global president and regional secretaries, but—so I can't quite imagine someone wielding absolute power like a king overpowered his people's lives in any imaginable aspects.

Well, in fact, I don't even think such a person exists.

No election whatsover, or chosen through merit and reputation. Not even the global president could reign over the justice system, no one is above the law as the quote said.

Even in the Louisse Kingdom where Euphemia Grimwood was born and raised, although Silver Louisse the Fifth is crowned king, he can't do as he pleases with the entire country. That's impossible for anyone.

Or, what about a Demon Lord?

What was his name again... Lex said she had met him directly... Uh... Adi Adelaide.

According to what I heard from Junos or Maya, the Demon Lord Adi also sits on the throne based on strength.

In the case of the Lion King, it's the rules of the beasts. One could say the leader of the pack is Randall Kruger.

So, it doesn't bother me that someone like me outside the pack is forming another group. Even the "Anti-Lion Alliance," which would harm his pack, won't try to defeat them unless they pose a direct threat. Ironically, the reason the "Anti-Lion Alliance" can operate freely is because Randall is the king.

But what about the Demon Lord?

It's hard to imagine that the Demon Lord also abides by the rules of the beasts. After all, Junos... no, in this case, should I call him Janus? According to Lex's testimony, the Yunofeliza tribe was expelled from the demon country because 'that was the policy.'

Because they pour out energy to the outside, they consume energy within. The Yunofeliza tribe was chosen as sacrifices for that purpose, by chance. Previously, it was another tribe, and surely, in the future, it will be another.

"Not exactly thrilling."

I muttered while staring at the crude ceiling from my bed.

It's not fun, and I don't like it.

That much was clear.

At the same time, I know. You can't just live doing only exciting things.

It's a bit disappointing, though.

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Tenth day.

With Lex's subordinates added to the traveling party, we finally reached the capital city.