A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

41 – A New Homeland

“Commander Seoric, the enemies aren’t moving suddenly.”

Seoric, who was hiding in the shadows and observing the situation, furrowed his eyebrows at the successive reports from his subordinates.

“Confirm. Continue to monitor them.”

“Understood.”

After giving the order, Seoric quietly watched the werewolves. The werewolves, as if they had been electrocuted, were shocked and stopped in their tracks upon seeing people wearing animal ears and tails at the fairy festival.

Some of them couldn’t even speak properly.

Preparing for any possible situation, Seoric was always ready to attack at any moment, but the werewolves were just standing there, in shock, eating only the fruit dishes given by the people or spending time with dumbfounded expressions.

‘Why on earth?!’

They were just wearing animal ear and tail costumes. Why are they so shocked? Seoric didn’t know the werewolves’ circumstances, so he couldn’t understand, but one thing he was certain of.

“Landor was right once again. It seemed like a ridiculous judgment, but he was right again.”

The werewolves seemed deeply moved. Seeing their reaction, Seoric chuckled.

“They seem like they’ll come over on their own if we just leave them be. There’s no need to provoke them.”

Seoric ordered the guards to treat the werewolves politely if they happened to encounter them, rather than treating them roughly.

Sometimes, warm words and a smile were more effective than guns.

A back alley in the port city of Porto.

This place, where people rarely come and do not visit often, was filled with dozens of half-human beings.

No one said a word.

Even the chieftain, Chertu, remained silent.

“Chief. The people here… they don’t seem to dislike the half-humans. If they hated us, they wouldn’t have joyfully worn the animal ears and tails.”

Finally, one of the half-humans cautiously expressed an opinion. The other half-humans responded with a low rumble, nodding their heads.

“It’s true, Chief. The Ayram Empire seems different.”

“These people here have shared gifts and food with us.”

“Maybe… maybe we could live here and be accepted?”

Upon hearing this, Chertu angrily shook his head, grinding his teeth.

“No! It was just because of the festival yesterday! If they see the animal ears and tails in their ordinary lives, they will push us away with disgusted expressions! We have experienced countless humiliations! The only ones who accepted us were the sultans!”

“But this is not Karamba, right?”

“The people here and the brown-skinned people from Karamba are different.”

Everyone hesitated, barely managing to swallow their next words.

They knew that even as half-humans, their thoughts were too hopeful, excessively optimistic.

And Chertu could understand what they swallowed.

“So, can we live here just like other humans?”

“…”

“Can we marry, settle down, have normal jobs, and live happily with humans as neighbors in ordinary homes? Is that what you want to say right now?”

Everyone bowed their heads.

The wish of everyone.

But they knew that it would never come true. That wish, buried deep in their hearts all this time, was something they had always kept hidden. And ironically, Chertu himself was the one who wished for that wish to come true the most.

Unable to continue speaking for a long time, Chertu finally turned his body and headed somewhere.

“Follow me. I will show you.”

“Yes? Chief. What are you trying to do…”

“The festival ended yesterday, didn’t it? People no longer wear animal ears and tails as they go about their daily lives. Look!”

As they turned the corner from the dark alley and emerged onto the street, the sight of people returning to their normal lives busy and smiling appeared before the eyes of the half-humans. Unlike those in the darkness, who were beautiful in their own way, those who lived in the bright light and went about their lives with smiles seemed incredibly beautiful.

Chertu found the sight so beautiful that tears almost came to her eyes, but she forced herself to swallow the tears. She took off her hat. The animal ears perked up and rose above her head, and the tail she had wrapped around her thigh was also exposed.

Her comrades were astonished at the sight.

“Chertu! What are you doing!”

“I will show them. That even the humans here are no different! That we have only one ruler to be loyal to!”

She tightly clenched her fist and began to walk with a slow stride, illuminated by the light. She wanted to show her comrades the distorted faces of the people laughing brightly, filled with disgust, anger, and repugnance.

Preparing herself for curses and insults, as well as stones and filth being thrown at her, Chertu cautiously made her way through the bustling street. The darkness disappeared, and the bright light of midday began to illuminate her beast ears and tail.

Many people’s gazes turned towards Chertu.

Chertu closed her eyes tightly.

Now, curses and insults would come flying.

“The festival ended yesterday, but you’re still in costume?”

Filth and stones would fly towards her, inflicting wounds upon her body.

“That doesn’t seem like a costume, though. Are those real ears and a tail?”

She would endure.

Because it was something she experienced on a daily basis.

She would endure for the sake of her comrades.

“…….Anyway, what do you want to eat for lunch?”

For a long time, she closed her eyes and waited. However, no matter how much time passed, there was no response she was waiting for.

She opened her eyes.

Countless people passed by her side as if she were a fool standing in the middle of the street. Everyone was busy living their daily lives. Cart drivers drove by with their carts, while laborers headed towards their respective jobs.

Cleaners cleaned, and merchants traded…

Just.

Just the continuation of everyday life.

Chertu’s eyes began to tremble.

Why was there nothing happening?

She decided to take a more daring action.

“Um, excuse me!!”

She decided to approach one of the street vendors who were selling fruits. As she approached, the young man smiled brightly and pointed to the fruits.

“Oh, welcome! These fruits were directly brought from the largest orchard in the western empire.”

“P-please give me three apples.”

“Of course! That would be 6 coppers!”

The merchant kindly packed the apples and handed them to her. She nervously handed over the coins.

“What do you think about my… ears and tail?”

She asked more boldly. She even intentionally moved her ears and tail to show them. The merchant seemed surprised by her appearance.

“What is that? Are those animal ears and tail for cosplay?”

“Yes.”

Chertu gathered her courage.

Even after going this far, there was no reaction?

“I… I am a werewolf. I came from the Western Continent.”

“Oh, you’re from Karamba! hahahaha. I didn’t know you were so fluent in the Ailam Empire language. So there were werewolves on the Western Continent. I’ve never been to the Western Continent. hahahahaha!”

The merchant laughed and swayed, looking at Chertu’s ears and tail.

“They’re cute and pretty! They remind me of my cat. hahahahaha! I wish I had something like that too! Especially the tail, it would be convenient to hold cups or something.”

Upon hearing that, Chertu couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

The merchant was surprised and tried to gauge her reaction, but Chertu couldn’t control the tears that were pouring out.

“Guest? Guest? Are you okay?”

“I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

Chertu couldn’t control the tears pouring out and quickly turned around and bumped into someone. The person recognized Chertu and immediately shouted in astonishment.

It was a doctor. His brown-skinned appearance seemed to indicate that he was from the Western Continent. He pointed at Chertu with his finger and shouted in a high-pitched voice.

“Werewolf! These cursed animal-eared monsters! Why are these creatures here?”

“This… this cursed monster! Get lost! This is the land of humans! It’s not a place for you creatures to be!”

The doctor slapped Chertu several times, rough and forcefully.

Everyone around who was witnessing the scene became furious.

“What are you doing to a girl even though you’re a grown man!”

“No matter if you’re a doctor! Is it okay to hit someone without reason?”

“Call the guards! Now!”

The doctor’s expression showed a mixture of annoyance and anger.

“You… you fools! Fools! These are werewolves! Wild and fierce creatures that kill and eat humans!”

Unfortunately, he was in a state without an interpreter and the vague Ailam language spoken by the people around him couldn’t convey his words properly. In the end, the doctor was left being scolded by the people, while a Southern hunter with white hair and black eyes appeared.

One guard received a report and arrived with an interpreter.

“What’s going on here? Please explain in detail.”

As the interpreter appeared, the doctor became excited and started talking.

“There… there are werewolves here! Werewolves!! These monsters with animal ears and tail must die! They must die!”

At the interpreter’s words, everyone frowned, including the guard.

“Why is she a monster? Why does she have to die? Has she ever killed someone here?”

“No, she hasn’t.”

“Has she broken laws or harmed other people?”

“No, she hasn’t.”

“Then why do you call her a monster?”

“In Karamba, werewolves are shunned! They are dangerous and violent creatures! They can easily resort to violence and kill people!”

Interrupting the doctor’s long-winding explanation, the security guard, translating the conversation, suppresses the doctor with just one sentence.

“This is not Karamba. Even if she was like that in Karamba, if she hasn’t broken any laws here, she deserves protection. Please apologize to this young lady, take responsibility, and treat her wounds.”

“Apologize to a werewolf?!”

“If you don’t want to, you’ll have to pay a fine for assault. If she has committed a crime, we will arrest her, but if she has done nothing wrong, it’s your fault. Apologize. Right now.”

With his typical black eyes gleaming, the southern hunter spits out a word, and the doctor has no choice but to lower his head in fear.

“… I, I’m sorry. For hitting you… I apologize. If you come to my hospital someday, I promise to treat you.”

Only after the doctor’s words, everyone finally raises their heads.

“Of course! This delicate girl hit him hard enough to make him stagger!”

“I will never go to your hospital again if you do it again!”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

The doctor became ashamed and ran away as if he were in a hurry.

Chertou watched all of this with a blank expression.

After the doctor disappeared, the security guard disperses the people and looks at Chertou.

“By the way, you’re a westerner I’ve never seen before. I hope you have a good time in Portu Commercial City…”

Chertou urgently grabs the security guard’s hand.

Is it terrorism?

Assassination?

Inciting chaos and stealing fertilizer production technology and teleportation technology?

Damn Sultan.

“I, I want to live here. Me and all my kind. I want to live here. I want citizenship. How can I get it? Please let me live here. Please.”

Now, this place was the homeland of the werewolves.