**Kuro**
'Res Publica.' In Latin, it was a phrase that loosely meant 'public affair,' and in etymology, it was the root phrase of the word 'republic.' As many were aware, a republic was a type of government where people elect their 'representatives' to represent them in government institutions, like a congress or a parliament. It was in direct contrast to monarchy, where governing was handled by a single person ruling through a series of decrees that only the heavens could bend.
In Chersea and the Other Realms, the word 'republic' became synonymous with the Federal Demon Republic, which the Princess Noir and I established in the aftermath of the Demon Unification Wars back when Cherflammen was still 'connected.' The demons' escape to Chersea brought the republican ideals with them, thus, inadvertently spreading its concept throughout the realm of humans and the lands beyond.
Cherwind is of no exception.
With the subsequent opening of borders, human ideas flooded into the land of the beastfolk. Along with it came the republic, to which, the beastfolk saw as something 'strange.' For a race that was under tribal rule for many generations, a government that works with the 'opinions' of the people was simply 'foreign.' In Chersea, the republican philosophy was kept under control by the perception that it was the demons who 'invented' it. See, even when there was general peace and harmony throughout the land, there still the lingering bad feelings between humans and demons stemming from the eleven wars they fought. I could understand that; after all, no matter how amicable everything was nowadays, the history of death, suffering and destruction between successive generations of humans and demons was hard to erase.
Nevertheless, that issue was for the humans. In Cherwind, it was a different matter. The beastfolk did fight for the humans during the Human-Demon Wars, but they never suffered destruction in that conflict. Sure, there were those who got killed, but those beastfolk died in Chersea…which, for the common beastfolk, was remotely related to them. So, when the demon ideas came to their lands, it was more of a 'curiosity' than that of a 'repulsive concept' they should silently abhor.
And years of letting it fester finally surprised the Queen of the Beastmen, Ursura. She arrived at the Holy Palatial Gardens' train station one day, without her grand clothes and armies of guards to accompany her. A proof that her unexpected visit was spontaneous.
"Hey, Kuro!"
"What?!" a nearly spat the tea I was drinking as she appeared at my room. "What are you doing here?"
"I did greet the Human Saint on the way here," she replied. "But yeah, I'm sorry for suddenly showing up."
"No, I was surprised, yes," I reassured her. "Though it's not like I don't like you to come over. I mean, I was just taking a break before heading to Cherwind to check on matters."
"Hmm…I guess I shouldn't have bothered traveling here then," the Beastman Queen scratched her head.
"Well, you're already here, so we can talk," I pointed out. "But, you'll have to explain to me what's with your getup."
"Huh? I thought you've already become a god? It's what the rumors are saying," she was annoyed. "You still can't read my thoughts?"
I shook my head. "There are still some more rituals I need to do, and I'm in no hurry. Being a god is already a heavy burden, but I do have all the god-powers with me."
"Eh, so you'll still going to solve this the old-fashioned way, huh?"
"Wait, 'solve' what?"
The beastman Queen then let herself fall down my bed, indulging herself on the soft, fluffy blankets and pillows, before saying, "I got some troublesome beastmen once again."
"Troublesome beastmen? What's going on back in Cherwind?"
"Remember the villages we didn't take under our kingdom before? Those that are outside the Outer Walls that marked our kingdom's border?"
"What, they're fighting a war against you?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. As far as I could remember, those beastfolk villages scattered across the region called 'Plains of Cherwind' north of the Beastman Kingdom preferred to rule by themselves when we offered to 'absorb' their territories. Simply put, I couldn't imagine those settlements rising up against the rule of Ursura, for they were not only militarily weak, they were so disunited to put up an organized war.
"No, no! Quit assuming things, you idiot!" Ursura chuckled and threw a pillow at me, which I caught before it hit my head. "There's no war…though, well, the tension is high it can end up like that."
"What is Ruro doing?"
"Her Holiness the Beastman Saint is doing as she pleases," the queen revealed. "W-Well, she did try to mediate between us and the representatives of the beastmen villages, but halfway through the negotiations, she gave up and just said 'ah! I'll let my master deal with this' and disappeared."
"Yeah, that's really Ruro," I could only shake my head in amusement and disbelief. "Any case, the situation isn't clear to me. Can you tell me the background of your problem so I can figure out what I should do?"
"Okay," Ursura took a deep breath and a short pause, as if gathering her thoughts, before continuing. "Those beastman villages outside the Outer Walls, right? Well, they formed a confederation aimed against me."
"What? They are trying to wage war against you?"
"Why are you always assuming it's a war? No!" the Beastman Queen laughed. "Do hear me out; remember that troublemaker, Ciriacus?"
"That bear-man we kicked out of your village?"
"Yes, that damned fucker. So, apparently, he didn't learn his lesson. When, someone found and freed him, he took it upon himself to oppose me."
"Seems like he forgotten the army he faced before, huh?"
"Kuro, look," the bear-woman showed her cute, bear-ears to me. "I'm a bear-woman, from the Ursus tribe. Unfortunately, that idiot hails from the same people as me. We may be unrivaled in our physical strengths, but I got to admit, we're not the 'sharpest tools' in the shed. And to add to our woes, the dog-tribes and rabbit-tribes he convinced to 'unite' and fight against me are famous for their loyalty, not critical thinking."
"What would you like me to do? Shall we give them a demonstration that if they don't shut up, I'll whip up a powerful storm to destroy them?"
"As if you can do that!" she threw another pillow. "Well, I know you can, but like Her Holiness the Lady Ruro, I trust that you can solve this peacefully. Besides, have you forgotten about your fight against the Seductress?"
"Well, true. But, honestly, we have to get rid of that Ciriacus. As long as that guy is alive, he'll just repeat the troubles he created to spite you."
"You need not to worry about that; the fucker's dead."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he choked on his food. Not the glorious death, but it definitely served its purpose."
I threw a suspicious stare at the bear-woman, which Ursura quickly picked up. "Oi, if you're thinking I had him killed, I'm not like that! I told you, I'm just the brawn! Between us, you're most likely the suspect, since you got the brains!"
"I don't even have a sliver of an idea of your troubles, and yet you accuse me of a crime related to it?"
"Of course not! I'm just illustrating our different approaches in solving a problem. Any case, Ciriacus is dead."
"Then why are those beastfolk still mad at you?"
"Various reasons."
"Eh?"
"Now that their 'leader' is gone, these guys need something to fill in their reasons for their anger towards me. Silly reasons include 'not protecting them from leviathan hordes,' 'not trading with them,' or 'corrupting their children with human influence.' Those kinds of bullshit."
"Yeah, those are just plain stupid," I couldn't help but sympathize with her plight. "In the first place, it's them who refused our protection."
"That's why I'm here to ask for your help solving this matter," Ursura reiterated. "They've been demanding help from us, or they will attack."
"Excuse me?" Good lord, this situation is getting weirder the longer I listen to the beastman queen's story. "Help them for what?"
"Those peeps don't want to submit to me because they want to form a new 'kingdom,' one that is similar to the demons' republic thing."
Ah, now I'm really confused.
----------
So, acting on the Beastman Queen's information, I set out to Cherwind to learn more on the situation. It was not like I had no trust with Ursura's story, but in dealing with these kinds of matters, I'd like to get the 'whole picture' of what was going on. And to provide myself with an authentic experience 'on the ground,' I disguised my identity, just like how I entered the Demon Republic before. As this was an 'intelligence operation,' I preferred to go 'undercover' so as not to distract my focus from what I set to do.
"You're…Lawrence Beatty?" the leader of the guards for the merchant caravan I was to travel with, asked upon my submission of my identification papers to her. A fox beastwoman of a considerable stature and 'years' of experience in the battlefield, shown by her multiple scars, the warrior-lady thoroughly inspected my bag for anything suspicious. Nevertheless, it was another concern that she pointed out, "You look like our Eternal King, His Most Holy Majesty, Kuro."
"Haha…I get that all the time!"
"I still remember that great god-king, when he was still human, giving our forces generous terms of surrender," the fox-lady returned my papers to me. "I won't forget his face; because of him, my family got to lived to experience the prosperity in the Kingdom of Cherwind. Are you sure you're not him, only without the mustache, with shorter hair?"
"D-Don't be silly," I tried laughing it off. "Why would he even go to a merchant caravan like this?"
"Hmm…you may be right," she nodded. "Well, in any case, you have your weapons with you?"
"Yes," I showed my bolt-heater revolver and dagger to her. "Friends back in Malvette did warn me of the possible dangers."
"That's true, and I'll repeat what they told you as per standard operating procedures," the fox-lady took a pause, as if trying to remember her training. "Alright, you'll be hitching a ride with this merchant caravan to the interior of the Plains of Cherwind. Be warned that unlike the armored and armed trains that ply the Malvette-Border Crossing route, this caravan is relatively vulnerable to leviathan hordes, and groundworm attacks. As the leader of the guards of this group, me and my foxes will do our best to ensure everyone's safety, so please follow our instructions, including those from the caravan master himself. The company whom we and the caravan master represent shall not be held liable to the damages or the loss of life for any passengers along the travels, as you are not forced to join the caravan. Am I clear on this?" She gave me a piece of paper, where the contract she just told me was written.
"Yes," I signed my name on it without hesitation.
"Okay then," the fox-lady folded the 'contract' and put it in her bag filled with similar agreements. Then, she pulled a map, and laid it in front of me. "If you still don't know, this caravan would go to the town of Yugoz, a Canus tribe settlement at the edge of the known area of Cherwind, just a few miles east of the Border Crossing. However, this is a trade caravan, so our company tasked us to pass other beastfolk villages along the way, including some from the Hare tribe. Excluding the external threats like the leviathan and groundworms, we estimate that the travel will take at least a week to reach Yugoz."
As I plan to 'research' on the situation about the 'pesky' beastfolk that was pissing Ursura off, the stops of the caravan were actually advantageous to me. It was not like I wanted to actually reach Yugoz; once I deemed the information I gathered to be enough, I would travel back to Malvette immediately.
----------
It was a group of about twenty domesticated leviathans, one among the five caravan routes that go into the interior of the Plains of Cherwind at a regular schedule. As such, our guards were experienced in fending off groundworm attacks, and rampaging leviathan hordes. Aside from the precious cargoes of the merchants, there were other passengers that went along with me. Think of this like my world's 'airplane flights.'
Upon crossing the Outer Wall, the big gap in technology between the Kingdom of Cherwind and the settlements outside were clear. When I was king, I rarely visited these areas, as I was too busy with fixing the issues of the kingdom before. Besides, the people here refused to submit to Ursura's authority, so we were under no obligation to share our knowledge with them. As the railroad tracks pass through the mountains to the west, the settlements in the Plains were near-isolated from any technological advances that was now propelling the Kingdom of Cherwind to unprecedented prosperity.
"…"
But, dang…looking at these beastfolk villages brought me back in those times Ursura and I were struggling to prop up the Chicken tribe. The primitive architecture of these settlements was so nostalgic, I silently wished I could go back in those simpler moments!
As our group moved further inland, the sentiments of the beastfolk we encountered slowly turned from amicable to downright hostile. No, not the kind of 'hostile' where they would ambush our group and kill all of us; it was more like a 'suspicious'-type of animosity. For the safety of the human members of the caravan, the leader of the guards took us into the middle leviathans, where it was relatively safe. And the tribal sentries of the village we're about to enter never hid their hate on the Beastman Queen.
"Curse Ursura the Whore!" one of the dog-guards greeted us with that. The caravan master, riding in the lead leviathan, just nodded to acknowledge the salute, and said nothing. As we went past the 'gate' of this beastman settlement, one of the caravan guards informed us that we were in a beastman village called Juna.
"This is a village ruled by Chief Leta of the Canus," he added. "Chief Leta is one of the leaders of the Outer Beastmen who hates Her Majesty, so you humans should be careful of your actions around here."
Well, talk about great luck. I immediately found someone I need to talk to.
The caravan master then informed us that the caravan would stay for the long sleep in this place. While the Canus beastfolk living here were suspicious of human presence, they would still tolerate us, since we would pay them for the accommodations. And really, from what I gathered, this place turned hostile only recently, maybe after the poison that Ciriacus spread. If anything, I could say this was similar to arriving at a foreign country, only to be met with hate and discrimination.
"…"
Still, I'd like to take my break, even for a short while. Juna's experience in entertaining human guests was clear with its tavern in the middle of the village. This was where most of the warriors, along with some human passengers, went into after the caravan settled in for the long sleep.
I might find some interesting stories here as well…
-----------
I already expected such case…
"The bear queen, sitting comfortably at her throne in Malvette, protected by her armies, would never know how it is for us to live in the fringes of her kingdom!" a drunk beastman shouted the moment he saw humans—especially me—enter the tavern. "They didn't care for us in the past, they will not, even now!"
Many of my fellow humans, wishing to avoid any trouble in 'hostile' territory, preferred to remain silent and just took in the accusations and insults the drunk beastman was spouting. As for me, I also remained silent, though it was because I wanted to listen more than refute his claims.
The dog-man rambled on and on, saying that we from Kingdom of Cherwind left them for 'monster feed.'. Of course, as human, I said nothing to defend my side. I think it was futile to argue with someone out of their wits, and it was also unnecessary; a few of our fox tribe warriors spoke for Ursura.
"Nah, if you think you're forgotten, then why don't you come to Malvette and live there?" said one of our guards. "Her Majesty the Queen, and our Eternal God-King will always welcome beastmen and humans to their side!"
"You don't understand, young fox," the drunkard countered. "My ancestors lived and died in this land. My family was born here. You can't make us leave and live in some other tribe's territory!"
"What do you want us to do, then? Send expeditions weekly to get rid of those monsters? You don't have any idea of the logistical cost of that operation!"
Well, I would always side with the Kingdom of Cherwind in this one. I mean, I wouldn't invalidate the points of the drunk dog-man, but he was asking for the impossible. For one, we did offer protection over them, when Ursura ascended the throne. Yet, they refused to submit to her, accusing the beastman queen of 'pandering to humans.'
But now they were getting devoured by the monsters that roamed the countryside of Cherwind, they expect help from the kingdom. Realistically speaking, Ursura was right to work only for the interests of her subjects, for they allowed her to rule over them. Her actions were not selfish; she was mandated to do it, according to the wishes of her people.
"…"
And yes, I couldn't help but draw parallels to the attitudes of my countrymen whenever there was a natural disaster in our place. These people, out of their attachments to their properties and homes, would refuse to leave those even when floodwaters were about to drown them. They would only ask for evacuation when everything was submerged, they were isolated, and the rescuers would have to put their lives on line just to save these stubborn individuals.
I know a lot of emergency crews who lost their lives attempting such rescues.
"…"
And what these beastmen wanted is the same. They wanted to be saved, yet they would continue to do their ways after they were saved. This can't continue.
The discriminatory legacy of Konka didn't end with her submission to the authority of Ruro after her defeat. This was expected, for we couldn't control the thoughts of people who threw their support to her, and lost their trust in humans, along with their fellow beastmen. Add someone like Ciriacus, who was bent on slandering Ursura's name, and we'd surely end in this situation. However, what we could do as rulers of the Kingdom of Cherwind was to minimize the damage of that deceased bear-man's poison. They would never submit to the bear queen, yet they wanted someone to protect them…
If that's the case, then what they need isn't Ursura, or the armies of the Kingdom of Cherwind. Establishing their own government will help them.
----------
And so, using my influence as the 'Eternal God-King' of the Kingdom of Cherwind, I forced a solution on the tensions between Queen Ursura and the loose alliance of beastfolk towns and villages outside the Outer Walls. As these people never fully submitted to the authority of Ruro, nor do they recognize Ursura's sovereignty, I asked Konka to talk to them for me. Fortunately, the insect-lady gladly obliged.
"I'm happy you finally gave me the permission to see them," she told me when we're waiting for the representatives of the beastmen villages at a random field right outside the Outer Walls.
"You're always allowed to do it," I answered, reminding her that if it was for the good of the kingdom, Konka didn't need to ask or wait for my signal.
"No," the insect-lady countered. "I'm aware that you're open to our own initiatives. However, I did swear never to do anything that doesn't have your explicit approval."
"That'd be problematic on my part, milady." While I got to admire her determination to fulfill her oath of allegiance, I would still want for the Lady Konka to have a bit of independence. "I can't always be with you, see?"
"Won't you become our god in the future?"
I fell silent. Well, if Konka put it that way, then she did make a point. Still, I was no 'manipulator.' If anything, I'd like for people to do and mind their businesses with no worries; as long as it was something that benefits everyone, I wouldn't go against it.
"In any case, milord…"
"Yes?"
"Uh, I've been studying about this 'republic' you wanted to establish north of the Outer Walls," Konka began. "And really, I guess it's also time for the beastmen independent of Her Holiness the Beastman Saint and Her Majesty the Queen to band together to protect themselves from the monster hordes in this part of the land. However, I'm quite worried, see?"
"Worried? Why?"
"These beastmen you're dealing with, while it is true that they follow my ideals, the ones I already gave up long ago…" the insect-lady paused for a bit, glancing towards the direction she expected the village leaders to appear, before turning back to me. "You see, these folks you're dealing with are stubborn. Don't you think a stronger type of governance, like the one in Malvette, is a better fit to whip these beastmen into proper and productive members of their society?"
"Hmm…on the contrary, I think it will not help them."
"Oh? Why is it so?"
"The difference of cultures between humans and beastmen required a strong leader to unite them," I explained. "However, for this one, we're dealing with a single race, the beastmen…and the stubborn ones at that. A monarch will never suit them simply for the fact that such leader is 'chosen through privilege' rather than 'chosen by the majority.' As I always argued before, if a leader is chosen by the majority, then this majority have no one to blame other than themselves for any fuck ups with that choice. So, they have no option in the end, other than to obey the one they put in the throne of power."
"Makes sense," Konka nodded. "But won't that cause problems in the future as well? I mean, there are two significantly different governments in this part of Cherwind."
"Well, I admit there's that risk. However, a government that is for the people will always weather the test of time." Then, I cited examples from my world's history of governments that endured for thousands of years, or was 'weaned' by the revolutions because of the decadence and corruption of its leadership. The same could be said towards Cherwind; only history could tell if the kingdom I founded in Malvette, or the republic we were about to establish in this random field, would be worthy of keeping.
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***The Foundation Field, Neutral Zone, to the immediate north of the Outer Walls of the Kingdom of Cherwind, thousands of years later…***
Various officials and envoys from all the races connected to Cherwind were in full attendance before the marker that told to anyone who paid attention: 'The Foundation Field is where the legendary Queen Ursura of Cherwind and her adviser, Konka of the Insetus, helped the independent and brave beastfolk establish the Republic of the Beastmen.' The occasion? It was the 'Republic Day,' and the Beastman President was to celebrate the foundation of their state, which could trace its origins from the Heroic Age of Cherwind.
By now, the Republic had already evolved from a 'government that catered only to the needs of beastfolk,' into a truly 'diverse, egalitarian' one. Aside from humans, elves, dwarves, and demons could settle and prosper within its territories. And though it had fought wars against its neighboring Kingdom of Cherwind to the south, the sense of camaraderie towards their fellow human and beastmen under the Queen overtook the hateful feelings as both strived to progress.
From once a motley collection of rebellious villages, the Republic of Beastmen is one of the formidable countries in the land of the beastfolk…something that every citizen appreciates.
"…"
And of course, it extended to their President.
"My dearest friends and neighbors from the Kingdom of Cherwind, our friends from the demon, elvish, dwarf and human races, and to our hard-working and fiercely-independent citizens, I bid you greetings! Today, we gathered in this place to commemorate the founding of our great country, which has endured the test of time, thanks to the benevolence of the legendary queen Ursura of Cherwind. With Her Holiness the Lady Ruro, and the wisdom of Lady Konka of the Insetus, together they brought us into existence, to which, we will forever be grateful."
There was a resounding applause, especially from the dignitaries of the Republic.
"However, our quest for our future isn't over! Indeed, our history keeps on forever changing. Thanks to the efforts of our archaeologists, searching hand-in-hand with the scholars of the kingdom, we inch closer to the true story behind the existence of beloved country. And why do we still need to know the past? For we can never have a future without understanding the lessons of history!"
At that point, there was silence. Even the organizers of the event were bewildered when their president went 'off script.'
But the beastman leader continued, "Today, at this podium, I declare my gratitude…no, Cherwind's gratitude, to the unknown Black God, of which we have proof of his forgotten existence. The artifacts our scholars have uncovered reveals his involvement in the technologies we benefit from, even today. I implore every one of you, citizens of the Republic, of the Kingdom, my fellow demons, elves, dwarves and humans, to come to our museums, and appreciate this forgotten deity, which may have helped our great ancestors in their quest for a better future!"