Princess of the Beast Kingdom

I watched Yuri’s retreating back, my mind racing. My sister Elu, one of the Beastmen he’d just rescued, was hovering at death’s door with a catastrophic wound. The question burned in my mind: How can I secure this man's cooperation?

The Huge Beast Kingdom had fractured into three primary factions.

First, there was the eldest son, Guiche. He was an adult and a classic Beastman—a physical powerhouse who led through strength.

Second was the middle son, Lennon. Though physically frail, he possessed a tactical resourcefulness rarely seen among our kind.

Then there was the eldest daughter, Elu. She was still a child, but her natural charisma and loveliness had earned her the overwhelming support of the common folk. However, Elu had a dangerous ideology. Despite being a royal of a Beastman nation, she publicly advocated for "coexistence with other races." It earned her no shortage of enemies. No matter how many times I admonished her, she refused to back down.

As the son of a concubine, I held no right of succession to the throne. But Elu looked up to me like a true older brother, and for her sake, I had decided to put my life on the line.

In the Royal Capital, an assassin’s blade could find you at any moment. That was why we had fled to a Hidden Village near the border—a place where it was difficult for the other factions to reach us. Our plan was to slowly gather supporters from the shadows. By staying away from the capital, we were signaling to her brothers that we had no interest in the throne.

The strategy had worked for a few years. We lived in peace.

Until the Demon Race arrived without warning.

"A certain individual finds you rather... inconvenient," the intruder had said, his voice cold. "Reflect on your meddling and die."

Before we could even process the threat, magic tore through the village. The Hidden Village was half-leveled in an instant. By some cruel stroke of misfortune, one of the many spells hit Elu directly. It was a fatal wound. Our village Healer had been critically injured in the initial blast and couldn't provide more than basic first aid.

As the demon prepared for another Attack, the remaining villagers formed a living shield between me and the enemy.

"Lord Kamil, leave this to us! Run!"

"I won't leave you behind!" I roared.

"If you stay, Lady Elu dies! We’ll hold the demon back and catch up as soon as we can!"

"...Forgive me. Survive! You must survive!"

I choked back my tears, trying to drown out the screams erupting behind me. I lifted Elu’s limp body and fled into the woods with what few soldiers I had left.

---

We managed to slip away, but we were aimless.

Elu’s condition was deteriorating. I knew we couldn't travel far, but our Hidden Village was isolated; the nearest Beastman town was leagues away.

"Huff... huff... Brother..." Elu’s voice was a ragged whisper. "Let’s go... to the human lands..."

"But I’ve heard the Kingdom of Inraku treats our kind like slaves," I countered, my heart sinking.

"Brother... among Humans... there are good people too..."

One of my soldiers chimed in, panic coloring his voice. "Kamil! The only settlements nearby are Human villages!"

I gritted my teeth. "Fine. Beggars can't be choosers."

If they tried to enslave Elu, I’d kill every last one of them or die trying. But I figured the Demon Race wouldn't expect us to flee into a territory as infamously anti-Beastman as the Kingdom of Inraku. It was a gamble, but it offered us a place to hide.

Or so I thought.

---

"W-What is this?"

I had expected a cluster of hovels, typical of a village in the Frontier Region. But the moment I saw the City Wall surrounding Alf Village, I realized how wrong I was.

"There wasn't a fortress here before, was there?" I asked, stunned.

"Definitely not," my soldier replied.

"This is the site of Alf Village... right?"

"Yeah. No mistake."

It was Alf Village, yet the presences I felt coming from behind the gates weren't just Human. I sensed Kijin, Dwarves, and even other Beastmen.

Is this an independent territory where all races coexist?

The very dream Elu had been chasing was right here. I was nearly overwhelmed by the irony, but the sudden prickle of the demon’s presence nearby snapped me back to reality.

"No time to hesitate."

I spotted a young girl walking near the gate.

"You there! A moment!"

"Nn? What’s up?" the girl asked, looking puzzled.

"Please, take this child to the Healer in this territory! We have to buy some time!"

"Uhm..." She looked hesitant.

"I'm counting on you!"

We didn't wait for an answer. We charged back toward the approaching demon. My heart felt strangely light. I had found hope. Even if we fell, if Elu was sheltered behind those formidable walls, she might finally be safe.

---

I had resigned myself to a final stand, but then the Lord of the territory appeared—a young boy. To my absolute shock, he dispatched the demon we had been fleeing from as if he were swatting a fly.

Is this boy really just a Lord?

With that kind of power, he had to be planning to establish an independent nation. The dream my sister held—the one her brothers had tried to crush—required absolute, crushing power to survive the inevitable enemies it would create. Elu lacked that power.

But this boy? He had it in spades.

Why else would such a powerful mage be lurking in the Frontier Region? He was fortifying a multi-racial hub to build something new.

I looked at the young Lord and spoke my heart.

"Lord of the Humans. I have a request. Will you lend us your strength?"

I knew the risks. Sheltering targeted Beastmen offered him zero benefit and a mountain of trouble. I expected a rejection. Instead, the boy agreed without a second thought.

Compared to the Beastman Princes who spent every waking moment plotting to tear others down, this boy’s soul was vast.

---

We returned to my territory just as the Beastman girl was stabilized.

"Lord Yuri, this is the best I can do," Emilina said, her voice tired. "I'm sorry I couldn't heal her completely."

"No, you've done enough."

The girl’s color had returned. She was sleeping soundly.

"Thank God... thank you so much..." The Beastman—Kamil—clutched her hand, tears streaming down his face.

"We shouldn't talk out here," I said. "Let’s get inside. I’ve had bedding prepared."

"I... I don't know how to thank you."

"Don't worry about it. I’ll just have you pay me back by working."

I made sure to emphasize the "work" part. I needed to keep things transactional. If I didn't, I risked triggering that specific game event: 'Save the Beast Kingdom'.

There was no way I was doing that. My Level wasn't high enough, and I didn't have the manpower to take on an entire nation. I absolutely could not let these Beastmen ask me to help them reclaim their kingdom. By framing this as "sheltering laborers," I was setting a boundary. It wasn't the heroic answer they probably wanted, but it was a compromise I could live with.

Once we moved the girl to the bed, she finally blinked her eyes open.

"Where... am I?"

"Alf Village," I said.

"Eh?" Her eyes went wide when she saw me. "A... Human?"

"That’s right."

"...Eat?"

"Food? Just wait a bit. We're cooking some up now."

"N-No... my brother said... Humans eat us..."

"Why would I eat a Beastman when I have perfectly good food? Honestly. And Fee, stop acting so shocked!"

Fee was cowering beside me, looking genuinely rattled.

"I-I knew it! Lord Yuri would never eat Fee!"

"The way you phrase that is going to lead to misunderstandings," Fritz muttered with an exasperated sigh. Only I caught the double meaning.

The girl looked at Fee. "A Beastman... other than us?"

"Yeah. This is Fee. I think you're around the same age."

"Fee is the big sister," Fee announced, puffing out her chest.

"I-I'm already eight years old, you know! My name is Elu, of the Beast Kingdom."

I know. My Appraisal had already flagged her profession as Princess of the Beast Kingdom.

"See? Fee is definitely the big sister," Fee said, smiling.

Having Fee there was the right call. Elu’s tension visibly drained away. Then, she suddenly gasped.

"Wait! My brother! Is my brother safe?!"

"Relax. He's fine," I said. "He and his men were pretty banged up, so they're getting treated. After they've had a chance to clean up in the bath, they’ll be over. It’ll be a little while."

"They're safe? They actually escaped that Demon Race member?"

"Ah... about that. I kind of accidentally killed it."

"Killed... it?" she repeated, staring at me as if I were a monster.

"It tried to attack my territory. I only meant to give it a light warning, but..."

My Magic Power had clearly grown beyond my expectations. Constant practice until exhaustion, combined with my high natural Aptitude, was paying off in a scary way.

"I see... We’re really safe."

"You've been through a lot. For now, just focus on resting. You can stay in this territory as long as you like."

"Thank you... truly."

Perfect. Event avoided. I was mentally pumping my fist.

"But... this is the Kingdom of Inraku, right?" Elu asked tentatively. "Won't having Beastmen here cause trouble for you?"

"Haha! This is a wasteland in the middle of the Frontier Region. Forget trouble—I need all the help I can get. If I'm going to become independent, I need people."

"Independent? You mean... an independent nation for all races?"

"Yeah. That’s the plan. I don't care if you're Human or not."

"I see..."

Elu went quiet, lost in thought. After a moment, she looked me dead in the eye, her gaze burning with a new resolve.

"That independence... please, let me help you build it."