She Who Became Immortal

Progress will be omitted for goodness' sake. How anticlimactic the confrontation between me and the magistrate... well... I suppose?

In summary, the raccoon beastman magistrate failed to deliver wheat to the Lion King as expected, underestimated the Orc tribe, and arrived at Sutin village based on their arbitrary judgment that wheat was needed for the current "Rebellion by the Beastman Alliance."

As a result, we apprehended the magistrate's body and captured twenty wagons, forty horses pulling carriages, and twenty dog beastmen. These dog beastmen, distinct from werewolves or kobolds, resembled St. Bernards in appearance and demeanor.

"We are survivors of the village destroyed by the Lion King, forced into labor. Even under the raccoon's command, it didn't matter much. Returning to the village, even with the old man gone, would mean scolding or worse."

Understanding their plight, we warmly welcomed them to Sutin village. We also acquired the wagons intact, despite our lack of expertise in handling horses.

Though they lacked individual or clan names, I arbitrarily named them "Bernard" - thus, the Bernard tribe.

Under their leadership, tasks such as caring for horses, managing carriages, and transportation were efficiently handled. The tribe's leader, Alto Bernard, proved to be intelligent, practical, and respected by his peers.

Alto was a 'chad' - capable and low-maintenance. His preference for tending to horses led us to establish a new stable and pasture beyond the hills, symbolizing peace and productivity.

Junos often praised Alto's practicality, contrasting it with Katarina's exceptional strength despite her young age. Katarina, a demon race girl of around ten, along with Kirina, showed talent in fox magic under Serena's tutelage.

"We'll be of great help to Lady Euphemia!"

Their enthusiasm for Lady Euphemia reminded me of my time at the Royal Academy of Louisse, where I earned the moniker "Euphemia the Talentless." Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed, I couldn't help but appreciate their zeal.

Euphemia... Leukemia... 

Though I couldn't shake off the memory of that name of disease, leukemia, I couldn't dwell on it too much amidst the girls' excitement.

By the way,

Before we dealt with the raccoon magistrate, we learned that the uprising of the Beastman Alliance was causing trouble for Lion King Randall.

In my imagination, I pictured a palace akin to "Arabian Alibaba-styled Kingdoms," though it's likely more similar to feudal lords during ancient Indian times. While not an expert on that era, the impression I get from descriptions of a significant portion of the population wearing turbans and sporting mustaches points me in that direction.

So, Lion King Randall's tribe is at the center, with directly affiliated clans and various other tribes and races loosely submissive to them. For instance, the raccoon magistrate served directly under the Lion King, while the Orcs in our village and the Polo tribe fell into the more loosely affiliated category.

Now, the Beastman Alliance targets those not directly affiliated. This results in decreased tax revenue for Randall, which is why the raccoon magistrate demanded wheat from the Orc village outside of tax season—hoping to gain favor with Randall by paying additional taxes. And there may be more magistrates like him.

"So, what's next?" I asked, attempting to initiate a discussion, but none of us, myself included, could smoothly transition into it.

Even with a growing population, we lacked expertise in politics and strategy. Despite my airs, I'm no expert either.

We need intellectuals, and soon.

Putting that aside, Katarina began organizing her thoughts. Maya, seated behind us, seemed surprised, but given her lack of attention, I mentally ruled her out as a potential intellectual.

"There's likely to be more survivors seeking refuge here," Katarina proposed. "This will increase our population, potentially straining our food supply."

"We're expanding our fields, but it'll take time for the harvest," I added.

"We have plenty of plains for our horses, and magical development is progressing well," Montego, Alto, and Iota chimed in with their perspectives.

Irrelevantly, I found Iota's serious expression oddly endearing, like a Chihuahua plushie. He deserved a pat on the head later.

"What's next?" I prompted Junos, who nodded thoughtfully with his arms crossed.

He took a moment before responding. "The influx of Beastmen will likely continue. Some might not make it here due to distance, but if cat peddlers spread information, we could see more arrivals."

"And then?" I prodded further.

Junos considered. "There are three possibilities. First, the Beastman Alliance may notice Zamba's absence and send troops. Second, the killing of the raccoon magistrate could prompt Lion King Randall's soldiers to investigate, potentially leading to trouble. Lastly, there's the chance nothing significant happens, given our unique situation."

"Assuming the worst-case scenario seems prudent," I agreed.

Katarina and Kirina's response was swift. "Prepare for a large army," they said in unison, "and continue developing the village in the border of demon realm."

Several days later.

Around forty members of the Taurus tribe arrived, accompanied by forty cows.

They were beastmen of the bovine variety, Taurus tribe cattle herders wearing turbans.

They had heard rumors of this place from Leaf, the cat beastman merchant, and subsequently encountered an attack by the Beastman Alliance. Prepared to flee, there were fortunately few casualties.

Among them were both men and women, with the female members of the Taurus tribe notable for their impressively ample bosoms—no exceptions to the rule.

B-but it's not like I'm particularly disappointed or anything, okay?!

No, really.

And then, about ten days later, the Beastman Alliance arrived.

With a fairly sizable army.