Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
Chapter 329: Even if You Get Caught in the Act, There Is a Hole You Can Escape From

King Grandiomor.

One of the Five Sovereigns, who possessed the power to avoid hostility from other humans, was trampled and killed by the overwhelming will of the people.

It was a pitiful death.

Even though the revolution that founded the Military State was planned by the Saintess, the king’s death was solely caused by human hands.

His power to avoid hostility was not enough to overcome the corruption and chaos that had festered inside the kingdom.

While the Princess still lives, it no longer matters.

This proves that simply being liked or not receiving hostility isn’t enough to make someone a King.

Tsk, if it weren’t for the Saintess, things would’ve gone more smoothly.

I couldn’t destroy the Military State, forcing me to sneak around in secrecy…

Anyway, now only four are left.

Next in line was Elric, the king of the Golden Empire. The King of Metallurgy and Technology had the power to grasp and understand all structures in an instant, but even he was devoured by the Golden Lord.

How did it happen?

I’ll figure that out soon enough.

Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Saintess will be interfering this time, so once I read his thoughts, the truth behind his downfall will soon be revealed.

Ah, just thinking about it makes me angry again. I thought I had been lucky to find traces of the Overlord and the Grand Master in the Abyss, but the Saintess once again interfered, preserving the future where the Overlord survives.

How dare she keep meddling with the King of Humans in his quest to understand humans!

As expected, the real problem lies with the Sky God.

They claim to watch over everything, but honestly, aren’t they just stalking everyone?

Someone really needs to lock them up.

It’s a good thing the Regressor appeared.

Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to break through the traps placed by the Sanctum and track down the Five Sovereigns.

It seems that in the past, without the Regressor, I failed to find anything in the Abyss.

Phew, without the Regressor, I would have been in big trouble…

Or maybe not.

After all, if she regresses, everything will just reset anyway.

I might just end up handing information over to the enemy.

Who knows, the Regressor might even be a Saintess herself.

“Ahem. Looks like we’ve arrived~”

Hilde’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up at the direction the Catafract was heading in.

The steel fortress traveled along a path, well worn through the sheer number of people that had come before us. In the end, a striking scene unfolded before my eyes.

“We’re here.”

A vast pasture stretched out before us.

On the natural green carpet woven by nature itself, horses and sheep grazed, tugging at the tufts with their mouths.

Riders atop their mounts kept a sharp eye on the livestock, ensuring they didn’t wander off.

Judging by their focus on the perimeter, it seemed they thought the danger of losing animals came more from outside than within.

Beyond that, hundreds of tents formed a massive encampment surrounded by barbed wire.

The sound of fabric flapping in the wind was loud and the lively energy of the crowd could be felt even from here.

The Regressor muttered under her breath.

“It’s a camp.”

But the difference between this and the ghost town we’d seen earlier showed itself.

The camp here was much dirtier and messier, but that was nature—the leftover residue of life.

Despite being made up of tents, the city felt more alive than I had expected.

“We’re heading in!”

Hilde steered the Catafract toward the entrance between the barbed wire fences.

A gatekeeper was stationed there, though he didn’t look particularly diligent.

He stopped us and asked with a hint of irritation in his tone.

“Stop there. What’s your business here? Staying long or just passing through?”

“We’ll stay just for the day and then leave!”

“You’re leaving? In that case, there will be no fee, but park your vehicle outside the fence and walk in.”

The gatekeeper waved us off as if he couldn’t be bothered to say more.

Hilde, unimpressed by his dismissive attitude, glanced at me for guidance.

｢For a mere camp guard, he’s quite arrogant toward a diplomatic envoy~ What should we do, Father? Should I cut off his head and force our way in?｣

What kind of diplomat are you?

Do you even know the difference between a ceasefire and escalation?

If you want to mess with him, do it when no one’s looking.

“Let’s just follow his instructions for now.”

“Oh well, too bad~”

Hilde steered the Catafract toward the outer perimeter of the fence.

Outside the fence, the wanderers had lined up their vehicles in neat rows.

Fearful of theft, the owners were dozing off while clutching weapons in their arms, leaning against the barbed wire even though the camp was just beyond it.

“Looks like no one wants to leave their vehicles unattended for fear of theft. The camp organizers have thought this through. They’re making sure those leaving soon don’t use up too many resources.”

“Right. If we don’t leave someone behind to guard our vehicle, it’ll be stolen too.”

As if on cue, Tyr stepped up.

“No need to worry. I will leave one of my dark knights here.”

“Uh, you mean the dirt pawns? Isn’t it still broad daylight?”

“…You truly lack trust in it?”

｢While it is true that ever since I reclaimed my heart, I have been failing to control my servant properly… But to be constantly mistreated like this. I need to figure out a solution soon, or this will never end…｣

It’s not mistreatment, Tyr.

It’s a genuine concern.

The point of having a guard isn’t just to stop thieves; it’s to deter them from even trying.

And a pitch-dark knight, from head to toe, might just be mistaken for a statue, like a black obsidian monument.

It could actually attract theft.

Besides, there’s someone more suited for the job than the Dark Knight: our trusty, if not fully reliable, Azzy—the King of Dogs. After all, this is the kind of task Azzy’s perfect for.

“Azzy!”

“Woof? What?”

“Can you watch the car while we’re gone?”

“Woof woof? Watch?”

Yeah.

Azzy has that instinct to guard her territory, which is why humans have always trained dogs as guard animals.

Will she really keep people at bay?

I’m not entirely sure, but her presence alone might be enough to prevent theft.

She is, after all, the King of Dogs—even though she looks like a human with dog ears.

“No need to attack anyone. If someone snoops around or tries to touch the Catafract, just bark loudly, so everyone can hear. That’ll be enough.”

“Woof! Leave it to me!”

“Good girl! Remember, don’t follow anyone even if they offer food and don’t get distracted if something passes by.”

“Food? Passes by? Where? Where?”

“No, not that something will pass by. I mean, like that horse over th—”

Right at that moment, the sound of hooves echoed nearby.

A horse galloped along the fence, its golden mane rippling in the breeze it created.

Perfect timing for example.

Azzy still has a hunting instinct, so I need to make sure she doesn’t get distracted by things like that.

“Like that horse over there, even if something runs past, don’t just…”

“Woof!”

Oops. Azzy’s eyes were already gleaming.

The swaying tail of the horse must have triggered her hunting instincts.

Azzy’s head swung from side to side, following the horse’s tail like a pendulum.

Then, all of a sudden, she jumped out of the vehicle and barked loudly.

“Woof woof! Stand still!”

“Heyyyyy! Don’t do that!”

But Azzy quickly caught up to the horse.

Though she didn’t attack, she barked loudly and playfully swatted at the horse’s tail, while the terrified horse bolted even faster, shaking its head in panic.

Tsk. She’s going to catch that horse at this rate.

And horses like that are expensive.

“Well, I guess I’ll go catch Azzy! Figure out who’s going inside in the meantime!”

“You think you can catch her?”

“I’m chasing because I have to, not because I can catch her!”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go meet with the camp leader. You bring Azzy back.”

I grabbed what I needed and rushed after Azzy’s shadow.

The Regressor, watching me from behind, suddenly had a thought.

｢Wait, why is he taking a rope to go after Azzy?｣

Because the Fallen Dominion adheres to the law of finders keepers.

That horse looks like a real beauty and with Azzy’s help, I could wrangle it.

I may not need a horse while I’m on the Catafract, but humans have this concept called bartering.

If I don’t need it, I can pawn it off for a decent price.

I don’t know whose horse it is, but I’ll put it to good use.

“Woof woof! Woof woof! Don’t move, woof!”

- Neighhhh!

I didn’t have to search long.

Azzy was circling the horse inside a small pen, her gaze fixed on the frightened animal.

The poor horse, now the prey of the King of Dogs, let out a sorrowful cry, trembling in fear.

I hurried to the scene.

“Azzy, you good dog! Well done!”

“Woof? I did good?”

“Yeah! You did great, so you’ll get a meat treat today!”

“Awooooo! I’m happy! Happy!”

“Now stay put until I get there…!”

I quickly tied the rope into a lasso.

Once it’s around the horse’s neck, I’ll tug.

No wait, if I pull, it’ll be dragged along, and that might not be great, so I’ll let Azzy do the pulling.

I spun the lasso over my head and started slowly moving toward the cornered horse.

The horse, sensing something suspicious, pressed itself closer to its owner.

Wait, owner?

｢…A Dhole… Is he trying to steal a horse in broad daylight? …Even though we’re near a camp?｣

I could sense the owner’s thoughts coming from behind the horse.

Now that I looked closer, the horse wasn’t trying to escape—it had reached its owner.

｢…A person who keeps beastkin as a slave… an irredeemable villain.｣

Tsk. I’m not one to commit crimes if I can avoid it, but I do understand that a strong person can get away with serious crimes.

I’m weak, so I avoid serious crimes.

Unless, of course, the other party is weaker than me.

In that case, relatively speaking, I might commit a serious crime.

｢…Should I melt them down?｣

This isn’t looking good.

I threw the lasso, aiming not for the horse but for Azzy.

“Woof?”

Azzy caught the lasso in her mouth, looking at me in confusion as if wondering why it was thrown at her.

I cleared my throat and quickly scolded her.

“You little rascal, Azzy! What do you think you’re doing, bullying someone else’s horse?”

“Woof woof?”

“Horses are humans’ friends, mounts, and property! You should treat them well, not terrorize them! Didn’t I teach you better?”

Still don’t get it?

I’m scolding you here. You’re being punished right now.

Azzy tilted her head, still not understanding, then suddenly shook her head like she thought it was all a game.

“Woof!”

“Ugh! Don’t pull on that! I’ll fall!”

I was yanked into the air and flung to the ground.

The humiliation hit before the pain did.

Is this what a fish feels like when it gets yanked out of the water?

As I lay there, the horse’s owner approached.

She had rusty reddish hair tied in a loose ponytail and her overalls were covered in dark grease stains and patches of melted metal.

She looked calm, but the bandages scattered across her face made it hard to tell what kind of expression she was making.

Judging by her appearance, she was some sort of blacksmith or alchemist.

She stared down at me and asked,

“…You, her owner?”

“I wish. Do you think any owner would go to the trouble of feeding, clothing, and entertaining their dog? If anything, I’m the one being owned by her.”

“Woof! Woof woof! I’m not an owner! I’m the majority shareholder!”

Isn’t it a bit early for you to claim majority ownership?

Besides, how can you be the owner when I’m standing right here, alive and well?

Glancing at Azzy, the woman asked again for confirmation.

“…My horse, you try to steal it.”

“No? I was trying to stop Azzy from hurting it. It’d be a shame if your horse got injured.”

“…And the lasso?”

“I threw it to catch Azzy, obviously. To stop her before she did any damage.”

“…And the ‘meat treat’?”

“I had to promise her something to stop her from going after your horse, right? It was a distraction tactic to keep the situation safe.”

What do you think of my explanation?

My perfectly logical defense?

The woman remained silent, lips pressed tightly together.

Her resolve was evident in her stance.

**｢That silver tongue… it’s enough to put him in the top 10% of Dholes.｣**

What kind of country is the Fallen Dominion, where making excuses puts you in the top 10%?

I’ll never understand this place.

The woman nodded slightly and turned away.

“…Fine. I’ll let it go.”

“What do you mean, ‘let it go’? If anyone’s at fault here, it’s your horse for escaping. You should take better care of it. What would you do if you lost such a valuable horse?”

The woman ignored my nonsense and didn’t react to any further provocation.

She was the type to brush off unnecessary words.

That makes finding an opening difficult.

She muttered something while petting the horse’s mane.

“…Aurea came to help me.”

“Aurea?”

“…My horse, her name.”

“Oh, I see. So, we’re introducing our pets now, are we? Let me introduce mine. This is Azzy. She has a bad habit of chasing after anything that runs.”

｢…A beastkin treated as a pet…? Should I revise my assessment? Even the worst 1% of Dholes aren’t usually this morally bankrupt.｣

I’ll never understand how this country operates.

Calling a dog a dog dropped me from the top 10% to the bottom 1%.

How’s that for a shift?

Meanwhile, Azzy happily thumped her tail against the ground and wagged it wildly at me.

“Woof woof! This human is good! He lies well!”

“Hey, there’s no need to explain. Everyone here already knows I’m human.”

“Introduction complete!”

“Wait, you introduced me? Am I the pet here?!”

｢…Pffftt. What a funny relationship. These two seem close.｣

The woman chuckled silently, her back turned to me.