The issues related to Leona were resolved one way or another. Leona also said that she would take her time to think after solving the chieftain problem, so there was no need to worry about the future. Of course, I couldn’t avoid sacrificing my waist in the process.
Not long after Kate asked me for my seed, Leona’s situation happened and my beloved lovers jealousy exploded. It was a given that I had to keep going until I was physically exhausted, as if I wasn’t even allowed to look at another woman. The next day was the same, especially with Marie, who was so passionate that she might skip class the next day due to exhaustion.
In addition, she insisted that she always came first and that she would take me first, openly displaying her possessiveness. There was no one as adorable as a jealous girlfriend, so I eagerly complied. As a result, Marie fainted, but we were satisfied knowing that we had confirmed our love for each other once again.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
And so, as the day approached when someone would come looking for us from Animers, I casually answered Leona’s question filled with concern.
I don’t know if it’s because of my holy power or because I’ve been training my body with Adelia regularly, but my back was fine. It was the first time I had to face both of them at once, so it was a bit challenging, but I quickly recovered and could resume my daily life.
(TL: At once?! O.o )
“Hmm…”
Leona looked at me with a calm expression and then glanced down. I could feel that she was looking at a certain place. I narrowed my eyebrows slightly and scolded her for her seemingly critical gaze.
“Don’t look at strange places and focus on getting ready. You might become the chieftain if you’re not careful, and you’re not even worried.”
“Well, I’m not worried because you’re here.”
“Sigh. You’re so carefree.”
Leona was supposed to handle the main issue, but I ended up taking care of it. Of course, it was partly my responsibility due to the incident with Xenon’s Biography. As for the matter of becoming my third wife, we could slowly work it out. For now, the chieftain issue was more urgent.
“So when is he coming?”
“He should be arriving soon.”
It was evening after all the classes had ended. Currently, Leona and I were waiting near the academy entrance.
It would have been better if he had come on the weekend, but the situation didn’t allow for that. So, we decided to meet in the evening after all the classes had ended.
“Who’s coming?”
“First brother and Jinai.”
“Is it just the two of them coming?”
“Yeah. They’re strong enough that we don’t really need security, and it becomes troublesome if we stand out.”
“Just being together might make you stand out, though. Are you okay?”
As everyone knows, Leona hides her true identity as a beastwoman while pursuing her studies. In this world, there was a prejudice that beastmen are aggressive and uneducated, making it certain that they would not be able to enroll in the academy.
However, in my opinion, beastmen don’t study not because they’re uneducated but because they don’t need to use their brains. You could say they’re cases where they don’t need to use their heads because their bodies are so capable. Anyway, since a beastman has never enrolled in the academy, if Leona’s true identity is revealed, it will cause a big problem. Leona nodded as if she knew that too.
“Let’s be as careful as possible not to get caught. That’s why only the leaders are coming. Ah, there they come.”
As Leona pointed her finger towards the entrance, I turned my head in that direction. Two figures approaching from the main gate towards this side came into view.
My eyesight isn’t that great, and they were too far away for me to see their detailed appearances. Meanwhile, Leona waved her arm happily, as if she were glad to see them.
As they approached from a distance, one of the two people was showing a welcoming gesture by waving their hand. On the other hand, the person next to them didn’t show any reaction.
Perhaps the person waving his hand is Leona’s brother, and the one next to him is Jinai. However, even from a distance, their body shapes looked similar to each other.
‘Now that I think about it, didn’t they say that hyenas have larger bodies for females compared to males?’
For these reasons, I heard that hyenas uniquely maintain a matriarchal society. Could it be that’s why the leader is a female, not a male?
As I observed them getting closer little by little, I became curious if there was anything to be cautious about, so I asked Leona:
“Is there anything I should be careful about when talking to them? For example, something sensitive?”
“Well, if there’s anything, it’s their age, maybe? They tease each other about age. So, be careful not to mention it.”
“Got it.”
It seems that Leona still holds some prejudice against hyena people.
*****
As planned, we met with representatives from each side and then headed to a more comfortable place for our conversation. Fortunately, both of them had already taken care of their meals, so we could just chat at a café.
However, the issue was that both of them were incredibly massive in stature. I thought I’d never see someone bigger than my father in my lifetime, but the hardware of the beastmen was truly imposing.
In the end, we decided to go to a restaurant for our conversation instead of the cramped café. It just so happened that Leona and I also needed to have a meal, so we asked for their understanding.
“Nice to meet you. I am Balkan Lions, the chieftain’s eldest son. It’s an honor to meet the sage who delivered wisdom to the Animers.”
Said the lion-beastman sitting across from Leona. Unlike Leona, he had a face more reminiscent of a beast than a human.
With a lion-like mane in place of hair and dazzling golden eyes, he gave off the impression of a brave warrior.
Furthermore, his attire was not casual clothing, but rather leather armor, giving off an image closer to that of a warrior than royalty. His deep and cavernous low voice also exuded masculinity, revealing a sense of strength.
“Jinai Crochuker.”
The hyena-beastwoman sitting across from me also had a face more reminiscent of a beast than a human. With protruding snout and black eyes, unlike Balkan, the fur was drab and dirty-looking, mixed with a somewhat sinister impression.
However, the well-tailored purple silk robe and ornate glasses unexpectedly displayed an intellectual aspect. Her voice, too, was pleasant, even soothing.
As Leona mentioned, she gave off a cunning impression, but I should also add that she seemed capable.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m the one who advised Leona… I am Isaac Ducker Michelle. I’m not a sage, so you can leave out that title.”
The reason for my momentary hesitation was, of course, my father. Even though it was an incident in the border zone, my father had a dreadful record of slaughtering beastmen.
As expected, the two in front of me were taken aback when I revealed my identity. Balkan was the first to ask.
“Michelle? Are you the Red Lion’s child?”
“Yes. I’m the son of Hawk Ducker Michelle.”
“I expected it from the red hair and golden eyes, but… it’s quite surprising.”
Father’s reputation seems to have reached the ears of the Animers. After all, he was rather famous, so it’s strange not to know.
As I awkwardly smiled, Balkan stared at me with an interested expression and then shifted his gaze to Leona.
“You seem to have quite a remarkable network of acquaintances.”
“Just happened that way.”
Leona shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal. In the meantime, Jinai glanced at me, then chuckled and spoke.
“You seem to be the type who uses your brain more than your body, huh?”
“How did you know?”
“You can tell just by looking at your hands.”
Jinai pointed at my hands as she replied. Well, anyone could see that I had never properly held a sword, and my hands were long and slender.
It was a matter of no consequence to me, but it seemed to bother Balkan. He frowned slightly and spoke sternly.
“Isn’t it impolite to say such things to a warrior’s son?”
“Why? I just told the truth. Can’t I even say that?”
“Be careful not to run that sarcastic mouth of yours too recklessly.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Even without saying it explicitly, it seemed like there was some tension between them. It was natural, considering that Balkan had lost his father to the sacred duel and blamed her for pushing Animers into chaos.
“I hope we don’t have any accidents here. I don’t think I’ll lose my neck, but I still shouldn’t let my guard down.”
“Cough, cough. My apologies for the interruption. Anyway, Leona, do you have any intention of becoming the Great Chieftain? Jinai also agrees, so it depends on your opinion.”
“While it’s annoying that the lion always stands on top, there’s no one with a clearer reason than the young lady.”
Both Balkan and Jinai seemed eager to elect Leona as the chieftain without any selfish motives. Moreover, the title ‘young lady’ suggests that, in her own way, they respect Leona.
However, they don’t know. Leona has already firmly made up her mind. After listening to their words and glancing at me once, she declared with a resolute expression.
“No, I won’t take the position of the Great Chieftain.”
“What?”
“Hmm…”
Unlike Balkan, who showed clear surprise, Jinai remained calm. Although her expression looked surprised, she didn’t react as emotionally as Balkan did.
Seeing that, it could be inferred that she expected Leona’s refusal to some extent. She seemed as smart as she appeared.
“What, what do you mean? You’re rejecting the position of Great Chieftain?”
“Exactly. I never had the slightest intention of becoming the chieftain in the first place. I may be intelligent, but I’m not wise. As Isaac said, a ruler should be wise.”
Knowledge and wisdom may seem similar at first glance, but there is a distinct difference. Knowledge can be acquired through learning, but wisdom was not gained simply by learning.
Especially in the aspect of coping abilities, the true nature of these two abilities was revealed. Knowledge often leads to frantic actions when a specific problem arises, but wisdom allows one to navigate through it smoothly with appropriate adaptability.
Because of this, it’s not about being smart but about being wise. You never know how the world will change, and there are various unpredictable variables in the future.
“Balkan Oppa, I am not wise. Even the improvements in the sacred duel were all told to me by Isaac, I am just a messenger. And even in Xenon’s Biography, Cain is described as highly intelligent, but upon closer examination, his wisdom stands out more.”
“Um…”
“If I become the Great Chieftain, I might be able to immediately resolve the current chaos, but it won’t be the case afterward. A situation like this could happen again. The nation is important now, but above all, the future matters.”
After Leona, I continued.
“As Leona said, a king should possess not only intelligence but also wisdom. You can forcibly place Leona in the chieftain’s position, but it will lead to unfavorable results for everyone. Historically, benevolent leaders have had better outcomes than tyrants.”
“Are you saying that Leona will become a tyrant?”
“No, that’s not what I mean. However, a king, or in this case, a chieftain, should not be placed in the position without proper justification. Hasn’t it already happened that someone who ascended to the Great Chieftain’s position through the sacred duel committed tyranny?”
I wasn’t referring to the former Great Chieftain who was the father of Leona and the Balkan, but to someone who had been one before. A person who was the source of all evil and a tyrant that himself threw Animers into chaos.
After listening to my words, Balkan reluctantly nodded as if he had to admit it. He would sympathize with my words since the tyrant openly committed atrocities.
“But if that happens, there is no one suitable to sit in the position of the great chieftain…”
“Just put me there. What’s there to think about? I can handle it well.”
When Balkan was lost in deep thought, Jinai chimed in from the side. Balkan and even Leona started to show fierce expressions and emit a menacing atmosphere. Even if it was a joke, it seemed like it had gone too far.
I glanced around cautiously in the rapidly chilling atmosphere. Jinai, receiving the intense gazes of the two, maintained a nonchalant attitude.
Is being tough like that also a hyena’s characteristic? I have a feeling that one wrong word could be fatal.
“…If you make fun of me one more time, you’ll have to give up on going back in one piece.”
“Huh, scary. Hey, wise one.”
“Yes? Me?”
Despite Balkan’s fierce threat, Jinai called me without any concern. I felt a little puzzled by being referred to as the wise one.
She hesitated for a moment, then extended her upper body slightly forward and, in a soothing voice, opened her mouth.
“What do you think about me becoming the great chieftain instead of those stubborn lions? Even though I may not seem like it, I have a clever mind. Your idea of wisdom, as you said.”
“That’s not wisdom, that’s cunning.”
“If it were cunning, I wouldn’t have been able to influence the opposing faction so significantly, would I? Cunning helps oneself, but wisdom helps others, right? Isn’t that so?”
“Well, you have a point…”
As Jinai said, there is a distinction between cunning and wisdom. Wisdom helps others, while cunning can have somewhat selfish aspects. However, it depends on how they are used, fundamentally, they can be similar. I rolled my eyes for a moment and carefully responded.
“…Do you consider yourself wise, Jinai?”
“Somewhat?”
“In what way?”
“I’m good at using people.”
“Isaac, as I’ve said before, it’s better to take half of what she says with a grain of salt.”
As Jinai and I continued our conversation, Leona warned from the side. Her persuasion skills had the ability to captivate people. Through such skills, she must have helped the opposing faction grow and, further, brought confusion to the Animers. But suddenly, I became curious about something here.
What is her goal? Regardless of the faction, they all have their own goals. And Jinai can be considered the center of the opposing faction.
I watched Jinai, who was lost in thought and chuckling, and asked.
“So, what is your goal, Jinai? I’m curious to know what you’d like to do if you become the chieftain.”
“Nothing special. Just living a slightly better life than now? Maybe cultivate some land for food reserves and, as a side note, overhaul the political structure. Those traditions are useless, it’s best to eat your fill and live well.”
“I see.”
I nodded.
I looked around and subtly said.
“Wouldn’t it be better if Jinai became the Great Chieftain?”
And a response came immediately.
“Are you insane?”
Not from Balkan or Leona but from Jinai herself.
Translators note:
4/4
