Chapter 130: Harmful Tradition (2)

 

“...I consider it a harmful tradition. What are your thoughts on it?”

 

“....”

 

I was frozen for a long time, trying to digest the words delivered by the king.

 

It wasn’t just me.

 

Adam Hyung, Sien, Prin, and the rest of the people also silently observed the king.

 

No one could immediately respond.

 

I hadn’t expected the topic of polygamy to come up.

 

It felt like the king had touched a framework I thought was unshakeable, especially with his negative approach.

 

Yet, I sensed a gradual shift in the atmosphere.

 

The Lizardmen of the Pantora family and the Dwarves of the Dom family, initially surprised by his remark, soon sided with the king and looked at us.

 

It seemed like a matter that didn’t affect them.

 

Prin blinked and asked,

 

“...Is it because of our family that you speak of this?”

 

The king nodded slightly and replied,

 

“It was a catalyst. But I’ve always thought of it as a bad custom.”

 

He paused as if organizing his thoughts before explaining,

 

“You might not know, being out of the loop, but as a king, I hear many stories. It’s recorded in our kingdom’s history too. There’s no race that has fought over succession as much as the Humans. I believe this issue stems from polygamy.”

 

He took a sip of water from the glass in front of him and continued,

 

“Sure, succession issues can arise even among full siblings. But such cases are rare. Normally, in the absence of a will, the eldest inherits. But among half-siblings, succession issues arise even if it’s predetermined. Perhaps it’s because they don’t share the same mother, their relations always seem strained.”

 

Prin listened quietly to the king’s words.

 

The king asked,

 

“Prin, tell me. Were the wives of Mr. Jackson on good terms? Didn’t their relationship lead to this succession fight? Could this be the result of years of pent-up emotions?”

 

Prin answered with a shy nod,

 

“...They were not on good terms.”

 

“Of course. That explains the foolish choice made by the one I executed. Behind every foolish choice, there’s usually a mix of emotions involved, not just foolish beings.”

 

Then the king turned to me and asked,

 

“Berg, what about you? Are your wives on good terms?”

 

The spotlight was suddenly on me.

 

Sien glanced at me from the side.

 

“....”

 

I couldn’t answer.

 

Sometimes it seemed like my wives got along, but then again, they would share each other’s backbiting with me.

 

The king looked straight at me and said,

 

“See? Even those who haven’t been together for more than a year act like this. How much less so for others? Especially if the wife isn’t from the humans, it’s even harder to accept.”

 

“...”

 

“The issue of fairness among wives is also a problem. They say they’ll love them equally but... how can you love them the same? Even among children, there’s always a ranking.”

 

The king took a deep breath and continued,

 

“It’s the greed of the humans. These poor women shouldn’t suffer because of it.”

 

I briefly thought of Ner and Arwin.

 

Was this really just my greed?

 

Though the situation had developed this way, I had thought I could manage it well.

 

“...”

 

Suddenly, Ner and Arwin’s words that they couldn’t love me came to mind.

 

Their reasons were different, but they had both said it to me.

 

Could it be that my greed had made them both unhappy?

 

...I wanted to believe not. I wanted to believe it was just a transitional phase.

 

“Even if we put aside the succession issue, the problem remains.”

 

The king’s words were relentless.

 

“With polygamy, Humans have many children. Of course, there are exceptions, but they’re rare.”

 

An aide next to the king handed him some documents.

 

The king leafed through them and continued,

 

“Naturally, they have to feed and raise all those children. But those humans who can’t, they end up abandoning their children on the streets. Sure, it varies from person to person, but everyone vaguely knows there are many abandoned humans, right? It’s a natural consequence when children are born to those without the means to support them.”

 

The king’s gaze turned to me.

 

“Berg, you were an orphan, weren’t you?”

 

“...”

 

His eyes then shifted to Adam Hyung.

 

“Adam, you were an orphan too, weren’t you?”

 

“...”

 

Adam Hyung silently closed his mouth.

 

The king continued nonetheless.

 

“Think about it. There are many negative words associated with the human race. Barbaric, cruel, heartless, selfish... and so on. But is this really characteristic of the human race? It could just be a trait of those who are uneducated, the abandoned ones. If they disappeared, such evaluations might vanish too. The humans are interesting beings, just look at those in front of me.”

 

The heads of the Pantora and Dom families, seated there, nodded slightly in agreement.

 

As if to affirm the king’s sentiment.

 

Silence fell for a while.

 

Still, no one dared to speak up.

 

Finally, the king broke the silence.

 

“Prin. Let’s hear your thoughts. Tell me why polygamy should be maintained. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”

 

“...”

 

Prin froze for a moment at the king’s words.

 

But everyone already knew what answer he would give.

 

His fate was still undecided.

 

He had no choice but to prostrate before the king.

 

“...I agree with His Majesty the King. Having many stepmothers, my only memories are of suffering. It might be good for those involved but... it was hard for us underneath.”

 

Human noble, Prin, answered thus.

 

The king then asked,

 

“Adam?”

 

Adam Hyung looked at me upon hearing that.

 

He seemed to ponder for a moment.

 

I could sense what he wanted to say.

 

Agreeing with the king would bring us no greater loss.

 

We had lost members trying to bring Ner and Arwin into the Red Flames.

 

Adam Huyng faced forward.

 

“...I think it should be maintained. It’s our culture.”

 

The king maintained a neutral expression. He didn’t seem angry or displeased with the opposing view.

 

“...I see.”

 

The king’s gaze then turned to me.

 

“Berg?”

 

I shook my head.

 

“I’m against it.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I already have two wives.”

 

At that, the king burst into laughter.

 

The king, after a hearty laugh, spoke.

 

“A candid reason indeed. Well, a commoner would hardly wish to let go of two noble wives.”

 

I could feel Sien rustling beside me, gripping her clothes tightly.

 

“But Berg, as I explained earlier, polygamy might also be a harmful custom for the Human race.”

 

I shook my head.

 

“What others do is none of my concern.”

 

The king smiled at my response and nodded.

 

“...You, like Adam, are to my liking.”

 

Then, all eyes turned to the last person.

 

Someone who could represent the human race far more than Prin, me, or even Adam Hyung.

 

Everyone looked at Sien, bearing the emblem of Hea on her wrist.

 

Even the king treated her with more formality.

 

“Saintess-nim, what are your thoughts?”

 

“........”

 

Sien glanced at me.

 

Our eyes met again.

 

In that brief moment, a myriad of emotions were exchanged.

 

“...I...”

 

Sien blinked at me, then whispered, bowing her head.

 

“...I thought it was a harmful tradition, but...”

 

The king inquired further.

 

“But...?”

 

“Now... I’m not sure.”

 

I understood why she responded this way.

 

She had just declared she wouldn’t give up on me.

 

It was surely related to that reason.

 

“...”

 

The king nodded, listening to our conversation.

 

After a moment of contemplative silence, he spoke.

 

“...I’ve listened well. It’s something to think about.”

 

Prin asked the king,

 

“...Will polygamy be abolished?”

 

The king, avoiding a direct answer, said,

 

“That’s not for now to decide. I just wanted to hear your stories. Even if a decision is made, it should be after hearing from various races. It’s not the time to decide such a significant change amidst war.”

 

I listened with mixed feelings.

 

While polygamy’s fate was not yet decided, if it were... it could mean parting from my wives.

 

There was much I wanted to say.

 

But Adam Hyung’s caution and my wives’ feelings prevented me from speaking.

 

Then the king spoke one last time.

 

“However, everyone, even if a decision is made... I hope you won’t be too surprised.”

 

I quietly looked at the king.

 

He concluded,

 

“It’s ultimately a choice made for the kingdom.”

 

****

 

After the meeting ended, King Rex Draigo remained in the conference room, letting out a sigh.

 

He felt the relief of completing another challenging task.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Just as he was about to enjoy a moment of rest, a figure who hadn’t left the conference room called out to him.

 

It was Gale.

 

“I’m listening.”

 

Gale, choosing his words carefully, finally asked,

 

“Is it really because of that? Are you seeking to abolish the Human race’s polygamy because you think it’s a Harmful Tradition?”

 

Rex smiled.

 

Then, leaning back in his chair, he said,

 

“Gale, you always have been quick to notice.”

 

“...”

 

“...And you talk too much. You could have just let it go without asking.”

 

Gale didn’t respond.

 

That was just his nature.

 

He never could hold back what was on his mind.

 

But Rex found that quality in Gale endearing.

 

He was honest and transparent.

 

If only he could get past that slight discomfort, Gale was as comfortable a companion as anyone could be.

 

“It’s not just because of that, of course.”

 

Rex spoke.

 

Then, turning to face Gale, he continued,

 

“You knew, Gale. Why I dislike polygamy.”

 

“...”

 

“Even if you pretend not to know, I’m aware that you do. You know the kind of person I am.”

 

Gale shook his head.

 

“...I only knew you were hiding your intentions, nothing more.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Rex felt a mix of surprise and relief.

 

If Gale had these suspicions, perhaps the others hadn’t noticed yet.

 

“Explain it to me.”

 

Rex shook his head.

 

Then he said to him,

 

“...Better to remain unaware.”

 

It wasn’t a grand story.

 

In fact, it was somewhat cowardly.

 

...Polygamy posed a threat to the royal family.

 

If numerous nobles started forming alliances through marriage centered around one human, it could become a force threatening enough to challenge the royal authority.

 

Rex had been waiting for an opportunity to intervene in human culture.

 

It was true that the Jackson family had caused him headaches, but Rex was not one to miss an opportunity once it arose.

 

Rex sighed.

 

The weight of his royal duties could sometimes be overwhelming.

 

****

 

Ner stroked her white tail while waiting for Berg to come out of the meeting hall.

 

Arwin was with her too.

 

Recently, Ner had started to like her white tail.

 

She felt it while stroking it.

 

It no longer seemed as repulsive as before.

 

It had its own charm.

 

At the same time, Ner felt protected by Berg.

 

Since the mercenary meeting, she had heard whispers.

 

Perhaps because this was Jackson territory.

 

Rumors about Berg, being a human, seemed to have spread more widely.

 

Among those rumors was this:

 

...Berg was very fond of Ner, so no one should tease her about her white tail.

 

Everyone who had ridiculed Ner Blackwood had been trampled by Berg, so the rumor went.

 

Ner recalled blushing uncontrollably when she first heard this story.

 

It was embarrassing because it was true.

 

On reflection, if only Berg saw her in a good light, that was all that mattered... but it also felt like the pain inside her was healing.

 

Her self-esteem was gradually being restored.

 

“Your tail is beautiful!”

 

A woman, apparently a maid from the Jackson family, called out as she passed by.

 

Though it was overt flattery, Ner smiled at the comment.

 

This, too, was a change in her.

 

Compliments about her tail no longer felt mocking.

 

So, Ner had started grooming her tail more carefully.

 

Maybe if she brushed it, Berg would find it even more beautiful.

 

“...”

 

Being touched was still embarrassing, but she thought it wouldn’t be too bad if Berg tried gently.

 

She still remembered when Berg had softly stroked her tail.

 

The shivers from that moment had not yet faded.

 

Just then, the door to the meeting room opened.

 

Ner, startled, lowered her tail and looked towards the door.

 

Berg was walking out.

 

A natural smile appeared on Ner’s lips.

 

But it seemed he had more to discuss with the hero party, as he stood beside Adam, engaging in a brief conversation.

 

“....Strange.”

 

Arwin muttered beside her.

 

“...What?”

 

Ner asked, but Arwin’s gaze was fixed on Berg.

 

Ner followed her gaze to Berg.

 

Upon closer inspection, while Adam was leading the conversation, Berg was exchanging glances with the saintess.

 

“...?”

 

Ner also felt an odd discomfort.

 

Berg, who usually didn’t focus his attention on anyone... why was he looking at that saintess for so long?

 

“...”

 

Reflecting on her own fixation on a mere exchange of glances, Ner was somewhat surprised.

 

Why was she thinking so much about this?

 

Where had her emphasis on freedom gone?

 

Instead, Ner stretched her neck, trying to relax.

 

Though they were still in conversation, Ner decided to call out to her partner.

 

“Berg!”

 

Berg’s gaze shifted towards her.

 

His previously stern expression softened upon seeing her.

 

Ner loved that.

 

The way he smiled at her.

 

Her well-brushed tail began to wag happily.

 

It messed up her careful grooming, but she couldn’t help it.

 

Berg quickly said goodbye to the hero party and started walking in her direction.

 

As Ner smiled, her eyes met those of the saintess standing behind Berg.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

The saintess’ gaze was icy cold.

 

At the same time, her expression seemed filled with disdain.

 

...The unease Ner had felt earlier grew stronger.

 

Soon, the saintess turned and walked away.

 

While Ner was distracted, Berg had approached her.

 

Looking a bit tired from the meeting, he said,

 

“...Let’s get ready to go back.”

 

There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

 

“Let’s take a break…at Stockpin.”

 

“...?”

 

Ner didn’t understand the nature of her growing suspicions.

 

But, like Arwin, she was beginning to sense something odd.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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