Chapter 51

Chapter 51. Call Me the Archery Genius (1)

Humans and beastmen have never gotten along, but the real conflict began with the Sammael Empire.

200 years ago, the Sammael Empire was swept up in a craze for beastman slaves. Sports involving beastmen became popular, and nobles who didn’t own beastman slaves couldn’t even participate in social circles.

Despite this oppression, the beastmen couldn’t resist. With various tribes existing, they didn’t communicate with each other, and their insistence on tribal life meant no group exceeded a hundred members.

Moreover, carnivorous beastmen tribes believed that being enslaved by humans was simply the law of the jungle, so herbivorous beastmen tribes, with weaker combat abilities, had no choice but to live as human slaves.

However, an incident eventually caused the anger of all beastmen to explode.

“The Letwood Beastman Racecourse Massacre.”

The events that occurred there were so cruel and horrifying that even records were erased.

But the carnage was relayed to the carnivorous beastmen tribes by an escaped horse tribe member.

“This isn’t just about disrespecting the horse tribe. This is about disrespecting all beastmen.”

Representatives from the two major beastmen tribes, the Birang Tribe and the Fox Tribe, went to the emperor to deliver a message.

They demanded the immediate abolition of the beastman slave system, or else they would destroy the empire.

Thus began the war between the beastmen and the empire, which ended 50 years later with the defeat of the beastmen.

The emperor and his army showed no mercy, and many beastmen tribes were wiped out during this time.

Some tribes, fearing extinction, chose to surrender, and the emperor accepted them, calling them the “Surrendered Tribes.”

The emperor gave the Surrendered Tribes three choices: live as slaves forever, join the Imperial Army and serve for 50 years to earn freedom, or capture the remnants of the seven beastmen tribes that led the Human-Beast War, the Seven Evil Tribes.

Most of the Surrendered Tribes chose to enlist. Even though they had surrendered to the emperor, they didn’t want to capture their fellow beastmen and hand them over.

They judged it better to join the Imperial Army and kill humans.

Moreover, for beastmen who typically lived for 300 years, 50 years didn’t seem like an eternity.

But that was a naive thought, underestimating the emperor. Out of a hundred beastmen who enlisted, only three survived to complete their 50-year service.

Though called soldiers, they weren’t treated the same as human soldiers.

Unreasonable missions and deadly battles. Dilapidated barracks with leaking roofs. Scarce food and insufficient supplies.

There was only one way to survive in such conditions: accept being treated as human pets.

One of the tribes that survived this way was the Sword Wing Tribe.

“Father, what? You want us to join the army!?”

“Why should we bear the sins of our ancestors? We can’t accept this!”

The Sword Wing Tribe’s twin brothers, Garan and Marhan, shouted in anger. Their backs had soft wings, which hardened like steel when they got angry.

Their father calmly continued to persuade them.

“If you join the army, you won’t be discriminated against. We’ve sworn loyalty to General Carlos. You’ll be assigned to his direct unit. If you just follow his orders, nothing will happen. In fact, you’ll live a life of comfort incomparable to other beastmen.”

“A life of comfort? Look at you, Father! Is this what a life of comfort looks like!?”

The twins’ father was 90 years old, a young adult by beastmen standards. Yet, his lifespan was nearly over due to the harsh treatment he endured during his military service.

The brothers didn’t even know who their mother was. They were born out of necessity, not love.

“Garan, even if I look like this, I’m happy. I hope you can understand that.”

“Forget it. We’d rather find the Seven Evil Tribes. We don’t want to end up like you!”

And so, Garan and Marhan left the empire to search for the Seven Evil Tribes.

But it wasn’t easy.

Any Seven Evil Tribes members who could be caught had already been executed and hung at the city gates. Rumors even spread that the Seven Evil Tribes had been completely wiped out.

The twins were given a 10-year grace period, thanks to their father’s connections with General Carlos.

Externally, the Sword Wing Tribe was treated as pardoned beastmen, given quasi-noble status. Thus, it wasn’t hard to get investigative cooperation in searching for the Seven Evil Tribes.

The problem was that the Seven Evil Tribes themselves were nowhere to be found.

“Let’s give up. We don’t have much time left. Maybe we should find another way.”

Marhan declared his surrender in the ninth year, but Garan refused to give up.

“There’s a trace of the Birang Tribe in the Adeus Kingdom. There’s no record of their bodies being found. They must still be alive. We’ve chased them to their last stronghold.”

“Brother. I’ve heard the witnesses too, but they’re dead. They fell from a thousand-meter cliff with fatal injuries. The reason their bodies weren’t found is that beasts ate them.”

“Even so, how can we not find a single piece of flesh or bone? They’re alive!”

“If they escaped alive, there should be traces! There’s no trace, so even the humans concluded the case!”

“Shut up! If you want to join the army, go alone. I’ll keep searching!”

Garan clung to the tiniest clue, refusing to let go. In his eyes, he saw his future self, ending up just like his father.

Marhan couldn’t bring himself to leave his brother. They only had a year left anyway. Having wasted nine years, one more year of hardship wouldn’t kill them.

And so, that final year passed in a flash.

“Brother. Today’s the last day. We’ve searched the entire mountain range.”

There was no sign of the Birang Tribe.

But Garan spoke with even more conviction.

“Look, that village over there. They must be there. I’m sure of it. They’re hiding there, disguised as humans.”

The village he pointed to was Hakoz Village, in the Sephira territory of the Lilian Kingdom.

Marhan sighed and said, “Brother. Don’t you think the humans have already searched there? Of course they have. The Imperial Intelligence Bureau would’ve turned the place upside down.”

“The Imperial Intelligence Bureau is still just humans.”

“Sigh.”

Marhan decided to humor his brother’s stubbornness. They only had one day left anyway. Once this night passed, Garan would give up.

As they watched Hakoz Village from above the clouds, they saw humans fighting in the middle of a bean field.

Marhan had no interest in the humans’ fight. It was low-level and their techniques were trivial.

But Garan was intently watching the humans’ battle.

“Kehahahaha! Uwahahahaha!”

Suddenly, Garan burst into maniacal laughter.

Marhan thought his brother had finally gone mad.

“You’re not thinking of not returning to the empire, are you? If so, Father would…”

“No! I found it, I found it! The Seven Evil Tribes!”

“What are you talking about? I don’t see a trace of the Seven Evil Tribes. They’re all humans.”

“Look at the humans fighting in the bean field!”

“That’s what I’m saying, I’m looking at them too.”

“Can’t you see it? Well, you wouldn’t understand. But I saw it.”

“So what did you see?”

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Garan’s hallucinations.

“It’s the Moon Beast Tribe! Their spear technique! It perfectly matches what I saw in Father’s study. I wasn’t sure at first, but after seeing that human, I’m certain. That guy is a disguised Moon Beast!”

Garan pointed at Jordic.

“You wait here. I can handle this alone!”

Before Marhan could stop him, Garan folded his wings and rapidly descended to the ground.

—

“It’s over, Moon Beast. If you surrender quietly, I’ll spare your human allies.”

Jordic, of course, denied Garan’s accusation.

“I’m a pure human.”

“I knew you’d deny it. But did you think I wouldn’t recognize that technique? It’s the Moon Beast Tribe’s spear technique. You tried to disguise it by simplifying it, but you can’t fool my eyes.”

“……”

Jordic’s eyes darkened.

If Garan had recognized the Moon Beast Tribe’s spear technique, there was nothing Jordic could say. Moreover, Garan wasn’t the type to be persuaded.

There was only one option left.

Kill him and destroy the evidence.

Reading Jordic’s resolve, Garan smirked.

“My name is Garan. I’ll capture you and reclaim my life!”

Garan took off without any preparatory movements. His wingbeats sent a shower of steel feathers raining down.

Jordic confidently stepped forward, but the pressure from the steel feathers sent chills down his spine.

‘This, this is!’

These weren’t just feathers shaped like steel. They had the strength of real steel, coated with a sticky aura.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Jordic swung his spear, deflecting the steel feathers with all his might. His stamina and aura were draining, but soon Jordic smiled.

‘I can hold out.’

But holding out wouldn’t let him defeat the Sword Wing Tribe.

However, Jordic had one thing he believed in.

Keter.

If he fought alongside Keter, their chances of winning were high. If he took the lead and Keter, the archer, supported him, they had nothing to fear.

It was a perfect plan—from Jordic’s perspective.

“The Sword Wing Tribe is said to be the strongest in aerial combat among beastmen. So these feathers are their secret.”

Keter, instead of fighting, was busy collecting the Sword Wing Tribe’s feathers that had bounced off.

‘This guy?’

Jordic was about to call for Keter’s help when he hastily rolled forward. Garan’s attack had closed in.

Garan wasn’t just raining feathers from above; he glided down and unleashed his swordsmanship.

Swish!

A long wound appeared on Jordic’s arm.

“Chak!”

Jordic thrust his spear at Garan’s back as he flew past. But the spear only cut through empty air.

Garan, now high in the sky where the spear couldn’t reach, relentlessly rained feathers. Whenever an opportunity arose, he’d dive down and unleash his swordsmanship.

With each dive, Jordic gained another wound.

This wasn’t a fight anymore.

It was a hunt.

A hunt with the clear intent to capture him alive.

“Keter!”

“Lord Keter!”

Luke and Karn, slow to grasp the situation, called out to Keter. Their shouts were filled with questions about why he wasn’t joining the fight.

Keter shrugged and said, “I don’t know them.”

To Keter’s words, someone from the sky responded.

“Wise decision.”

Another Sword Wing Tribe member descended from the sky without a sound or trace. It was Garan’s younger brother, Marhan, who had been watching from above.

Marhan, with his arms crossed, informed Keter.

“My name is Marhan. I’m a noble of the empire, authorized to hunt the Seven Evil Tribes. You understand, right? If you interfere with the hunt, you’ll make the empire your enemy.”

“Two Sword Wing Tribe members…!”

Karn’s veins bulged on his neck.

The Sword Wing Tribe had killed the most Birang Tribe members among the Surrendered Tribes. Facing a sworn enemy like this, how could he keep his cool?

Of course, Keter, who had no connection to this, could.

“Got it, so hurry up and catch that guy. We have absolutely no connection to this.”

For Keter, no, for Sephira, this was a great opportunity.

Jordic didn’t have to be a Moon Beast Tribe member. If he was connected to the Moon Beast Tribe, then the Baydant family was also connected, and they would know.

With a word from the emperor, even the Baydant family, an upper noble, wouldn’t survive.

‘This is a chance to wipe our hands clean without lifting a finger.’

Luke also understood the situation. If Keter wasn’t stepping in, it meant there was some benefit.

But the question was, what exactly was that “benefit”?

Logically, he knew not helping Jordic was the right move. Even his instincts were screaming at him not to fight the Sword Wing Tribe.

But the anger boiling in his chest. This anger towards the Sword Wing Tribe, who he’d just met today—what was it?

Was it anger towards those who betrayed their own kind, or was it the conviction of a knight who couldn’t stand injustice?

This incomprehensible anger made Luke’s blood boil.

“Damn it, Keter! Do you think I’ll die alone!?”

Jordic, barely catching his breath from Garan’s attacks, shouted at Keter. If Keter didn’t help, he’d expose Karn’s identity.

Keter clicked his tongue.

‘Go ahead. If you, who came to save the Birang Tribe, can sell them out, then do it.’

If Jordic had that kind of resolve, this situation wouldn’t have happened.

‘It’s over, you fool. Just get captured quietly.’

Even if Jordic, once captured, exposed the Birang Tribe, it wouldn’t matter. They could just hide the Birang Tribe in the meantime.

Unlike the Baydant family, who had left traces by learning the Moon Beast Tribe’s spear techniques, Sephira had left no traces of the Birang Tribe.

‘This is just wishful thinking. We’ll have to see about Leganon.’

Anyway, for now, the visible Birang Tribe could be sent to hide with Ruquer, where they’d never be found. They could figure out the rest later.

With the group’s leader, Keter, standing by, Marhan nodded.

“You’re sharp. You can leave. I’ll allow it.”

Marhan turned his back.

Jordic’s body, exhausted beyond measure, was riddled with countless steel feathers.

Garan, holding his sword straight, increased his altitude and speed in the air. It was clear he intended to finish Jordic with this strike. Of course, he wouldn’t kill him. He’d just cut off his limbs to render him powerless.

With nowhere to retreat, Jordic prepared his final strike, Moon Eclipse.

“Kwaaaa!”

An anomaly occurred.

Karn howled like a beast, his body suddenly growing larger and covered in fur.

In an instant, Karn transformed into a werewolf and leaped towards Marhan’s defenseless back.

Hearing the unusual sound, Marhan turned around and widened his eyes.

“Birang Tribe!”

Marhan blocked Karn’s swinging claws by folding his wings.

“I’ll tear you apart here and avenge my ancestors!”

Karn roared, declaring his revenge—

Keter pressed his forehead and muttered.

“That damn mutt… I’ll definitely marinate him with salt and pepper…”

The reason Keter didn’t fight the Sword Wing Tribe wasn’t because they were strong. It was because of their mobility.

To kill them, he had to ensure no information leaked, but if they flew thousands of meters into the sky, even mana arrows wouldn’t be enough.

If they escaped and brought back imperial forces, Keter would have a headache.

‘We have to make sure they don’t think of running.’

If he showed his mana arrows from the start, of course, the two would flee. Letting even one escape would be disastrous. So, he had to fight at a disadvantage, then at the critical moment, use the mana arrows to finish them off in one go.

Keter, having taken the remaining arrows from Luke, fired without hesitation.

Ping.

At Garan, who was facing Jordic.

Thanks to Karn’s foolish act, they were now in a life-or-death battle, but Keter wasn’t angry. In fact, he was smiling.

Fighting wasn’t the best solution, but if they had to fight, he wouldn’t back down.

Survival of the fittest. Survive and grow stronger.

This was his life.

The source of his strength.

Garan, leaving the nearly dead Jordic aside, sent steel feathers flying at Keter. To him, Keter seemed insignificant compared to Jordic.

Keter smirked and released the bowstring.