Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 500: In Spring, Flowers Bloom

At the mansion where the regressor and I were staying, she picked at the food prepared by Manhanjeonseok before speaking.

“Hughes. I really tried not to think this way, but... maybe pig beastkin were just born to be rotten?”

“Pfft—”

What the hell was that sudden burst of hatred?

I immediately glanced around to make sure no one was listening before responding.

“Where did that come from? What if someone hears you?”

“So what? Even if they do.”

“If the orcs hear that, it'll make things difficult for us. They’re hypersensitive to racial language right now. Even if it’s you saying it, they’ll kick up a fuss.”

“And what will they do about it? They «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» have no redeeming qualities, and yet they act worse than humans. Do I really have to cater to their feelings?”

I knew why the regressor was irritated.

Lately, the behavior of the pig beastkin—no, the orcs—had been... questionable, to say the least.

The first thing they did was abolish all forms of discrimination.

Dogs, cows, sheep, horses, pigs—everyone was declared equal to humans.

As a result, every clan was now required to hire pig beastkin.

Even the cattle beastkin clans, who traditionally handled farming and heavy labor.

Even the sheep beastkin clans, who worked in tailoring, laundry, and hairdressing.

Even the horse beastkin clans, who managed deliveries and communication.

The pig beastkin were now embedded in every sector, with the authority to dictate orders.

And the dog beastkin? Their entire clan was dismantled.

They had primarily worked in security, escort services, and interspecies relations—roles closely tied to human governance. With the downfall of the officials, the dog beastkin, who had once held the second-highest status after humans, found themselves cast out onto the streets.

And their vacant positions?

The orcs took them.

Spring had come, but the city was still in the throes of labor pains.

Whether it was just the natural turmoil of change or the prelude to greater suffering, I couldn't tell.

Even so, I tried to defend the orcs.

“Well... it’s not so bad yet. The city’s still functioning. People aren’t complaining too much.”

“You think this is fine?”

“More importantly, unlike when Obeli was run by human officials, the orcs actually listen to us. They’re easier to manipulate.”

“That’s true, but that’s not the point. The orcs are terrible at governance. If it weren’t for Treavor, the city would have collapsed already!”

Honestly, Ende hadn’t changed much. Only the ruling class had been swapped out.

Treavor and the remaining beastkin bureaucrats of Obeli were overworked, trying to keep the city running.

If even a few clan leaders had gone on strike, Orcma would have crumbled overnight.

Then again, considering how diligently they were still working, perhaps even Obeli’s beastkin hadn’t been particularly fond of the officials.

Not that I could blame them, given the state of human governance.

“Ha. What choice do they have? The orcs have never governed a city before. They’ve spent their entire lives at the bottom. It’s not like they had the chance to learn.”

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“Exactly. So what have they actually done? Grull was the one who overpowered Obelisk. Treavor is the one keeping the city together. And you are the one who turned their march into a revolution! What has Orcma actually achieved?”

“They protested peacefully, at least.”

“That wasn’t a protest. That was just a tantrum that you entertained. If you had ignored them, it would’ve ended there.”

Huh.

Was it just my imagination, or was the regressor leaning further and further to the right?

“Maybe there’s a reason discrimination exists. They keep saying it’s unfair, but looking at their actions, it’s hard to—”

“That’s enough.”

Before she could fully voice her political stance, I raised a hand to cut her off.

“I can’t agree with that mindset.”

“You really don’t think so?”

“No. I am the King of Humanity. I see all humans as equals. Beastkin or human, beggar or emperor—it makes no difference to me. They are all my people, and I respect them equally.”

I spoke with as much conviction as I could muster.

The regressor, unimpressed, muttered,

“You say that, but you treat Azzy like a dog.”

“That’s because Azzy is a dog.”

“You’re the weird one, Shei. You seem to value Azzy more than the orcs.”

“Obviously. Both practically and emotionally, Azzy is more important to me than any pig beastkin.”

“Woof! I’m important! You’re important too!”

Azzy, somehow having eavesdropped perfectly, rushed over and wagged her tail enthusiastically.

The regressor, who hadn’t expected her to hear that, flushed slightly. Uncomfortable with the attention, she averted her gaze and cleared her throat.

“Ahem. Anyway. I’m not saying that pig beastkin aren’t people.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m just saying that, on average, they’re clearly lacking in some areas.”

“That’s enough. I’ve stopped you twice now.”

At this rate, I wouldn’t even be able to call myself neutral.

Before she could lean any further, I stepped in.

“Shei, if you’re someone who pursues justice, you should know this: greatness isn’t determined by birth. Given similar environments, geniuses can emerge regardless of lineage.”

“That’s not a valid argument. Pig beastkin don’t have any.”

“I said given similar environments, Shei.”

Don’t make me say it a third time.

You don’t want to be that person.

“The lower the level of education and living conditions, the fewer martial artists and mages appear. This pattern holds true even within the same nation across different eras. Over the years, beastkin martial arts have advanced significantly. Grull himself is proof that pig beastkin can attain enlightenment.”

“Grull is an exception.”

“If you go down that road, there’s no end to the argument. Enlightened individuals are all exceptional. By that logic, my strength is my strength, not humanity’s. If that’s the case, why bother saving humans? We could just say, ‘You weaklings deserve to die~’ and be done with it.”

“I didn’t take it that far.”

“But that’s the direction your logic leads.”

Clicking her tongue, the regressor folded her arms.

“So? Are you saying that our great King of Humanity actually believes what the pig beastkin are doing is right?”

“I’d rather ask you—do you truly think they’re wrong?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Of course they are. I’ve seen it over and over. They spout all sorts of justifications, but in the end, pig beastkin are just looking out for themselves. This will lead to division sooner or later. It already is.”

“But pig beastkin have suffered for a long time.”

“Being oppressed in the past doesn’t justify rampaging in the present. Besides, after the arrival of the Furred Saintess, institutional discrimination was abolished. The only reason they were stuck at the bottom was because they kept themselves there.”

That was it.

I could no longer defend the regressor.

She had gone all the way to the far right.

I drew a firm line between us.

“That’s your personal opinion, Shei. It has nothing to do with me.”

“Woof! Discrimination bad! Humans good!”

Azzy barked her protest.

The regressor, who apparently had less faith in humanity than a dog, glanced between the two of us before muttering,

“Well, considering you two are Kings of Beasts, I guess you would think that way. But if you ask a regular human, I bet most of them would agree with me.”

“Look at you making sweeping generalizations. Wanna go ask someone?”

“Fine. Though, given how things are right now, no one will admit it easily. The pig beastkin are in power, after all.”

“Hah. That’s not going to happen.”

There was a perfect candidate for this conversation.

So I led the regressor to him.

“Your Majesty. It is an honor to see you again. What brings you here?”

Inside the mayor’s office in Obeli, Treavor greeted us with a weary face.

Seeing his condition, the regressor tilted her head.

“Treavor? This is the human you were talking about?”

“Obviously.”

“That’s not fair. Treavor is the city’s administrator. Whether it’s true or not, he has to support the pig beastkin. Especially since they took Obeli by force.”

Says the person who keeps calling them piggies in a city ruled by them.

Watch yourself. You’re making Treavor nervous.

“Your words are... rather harsh. Someone might overhear.”

“It’s fine. I used Tianying to cut the air. No sound will escape.”

Ah. Right.

There were beastkin from the Beast Faction here.

Some of them could read vibrations using qi, meaning even the slightest tremor in the glass could reveal our conversation.

Better to seal off the entire space.

The regressor, realizing this belatedly, isolated the mayor’s office completely.

Airflow halted.

Even the scent of ink and parchment felt frozen in place.

Feeling the unnatural stillness, Treavor adjusted his glasses and sighed.

“...I take it this isn’t a pleasant visit.”

“Treavor, you don’t look like you’re having a great time either.”

“It is my duty. Even at my age, I take pride in dedicating myself to the city.”

Even though no one outside could hear, Treavor’s answer was textbook.

The regressor scowled.

“No one knows if you actually mean that. Honestly, we picked the wrong person to ask.”

I knew the truth.

But the regressor didn’t have mind-reading powers.

That was why her approach was flawed.

Just because you can’t see someone’s heart doesn’t mean you should stop trying to understand them.

You don’t have to read minds.

You just have to believe what you see.

“Shei. Whether he’s sincere or not doesn’t matter.”

“Then what does?”

“The fact that he’s actively supporting Orcma. Just look at Treavor.”

Only then did the regressor take a proper look at him.

For a moment, I saw multiple images of Treavor overlapping—an older, frailer version, a weaker and more powerless version, a version who had been executed and buried in the regressor’s past loops.

She frowned and shook her head.

“...I don’t see it.”

“That’s because you’re trying to judge him as a person. Instead, look at what he’s doing.”

Following my advice, the regressor shifted her focus.

Stacks of paperwork.

Unfinished letters.

A half-empty water cup, pressing down on scattered pages like a paperweight.

Anyone could tell he was buried in work.

“See? If he’d always worked this hard, he would’ve dropped dead from exhaustion long ago. Even a quick glance shows he’s doing far more than his usual duties. All of it—to keep Ende running under Orcma’s rule.”

Treavor, the mayor of Ende, was being crushed by overwork.

He had already carried heavy responsibilities before.

But now, with the officials purged and pig beastkin who knew nothing about administration taking their place, he had to scramble to fill the gaps.

The only reason the city hadn’t completely fallen apart was because of him.

Without Treavor, Orcma would have collapsed under its own weight.

“To put it another way, Treavor—a man who holds a position comparable to the nobility of the vassal states—is actively supporting Orcma. Why do you think that is?”

“He’s just doing his duty.”

“You really think so? No. Treavor also believes what I believe—that with enough experience, pig beastkin can learn to govern. Look at his dedication. Do you seriously think he’s working himself to death just because?”

Finally, the regressor grasped my point.

Treavor’s personality, his morality—none of that mattered.

What mattered was his actions.

And through his actions, his beliefs could be inferred.

Treavor didn’t just help pig beastkin.

No—he didn’t even see them as different.

To him, they were simply fellow citizens of Obeli.

“...Isn’t that obvious? All beastkin of Obeli are equal. That includes the pig beastkin. Though their methods were extreme, they are still citizens of this city, just like anyone else.”

“See, Shei? You’re not the only one who believes what you do, but it’s not a universal truth. Time for some self-reflection.”

“Woof! Reflect!”

“H-Hey! I wasn’t that extreme! The way you two are ganging up on me makes me sound like the bad guy here!”

The regressor, now isolated as the sole speciesist in the room, protested weakly.

It wasn’t very convincing.