Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 712

"So, what do you think, Ridd? It's the border wall our Beastman tribe is proud of."

"...Yeah, it's breathtaking."

Johann stood with the towering defensive wall behind him, showing his white teeth in a proud grin.

After arriving at the border point between the Beastman territory and Toga and getting out of the vehicle, we were astonished and overwhelmed by the border wall stretching endlessly to the horizon. The 'Hazama Fortress' on the border between Baldia and Zubera also has defensive walls, but this border wall is an even larger-scale structure.

On top of the wall, armed Beastman warriors stood at regular intervals, monitoring the Toga side, creating a tense atmosphere.

"I'd heard about it, but this is my first time seeing it up close."

As Amon murmured in awe, Tabal pointed smoothly towards the north.

"The border wall continues all the way into the Wolfman territory. Around here, it's only Beastman warriors, but further along, Wolfman warriors and mercenaries also stand guard as security personnel."

"Huh, so you employ not just Beastmen and Wolfmen but also mercenaries as guards."

Mercenaries mainly refer to adventurers. A diverse mix of races must be involved in the guard duties.

As I nodded in agreement, Sekmetos spoke up. "Well then..."

"Let me guide you to the top of the defensive wall. You'll see something interesting.""Something interesting?"

"You'll understand when you see it."

When I tilted my head, Sekmetos grinned fearlessly and started climbing the stone steps. Johann followed behind her, then Amon and I, with Tabal at the rear. The corners of the stone steps were all slightly rounded, suggesting long years and history. Moreover, it was steeper than it looked, with each step being high, making it somewhat difficult for a child's legs to climb.

Sekmetos, who reached the top a step ahead of us, signaled to the surrounding guards to step back a little.

"Stand here and look over there."

She gestured for us to come to the cleared spot while pointing towards the Toga side.

Having climbed the stairs, I did as she said and peered out from the crenelated section. There was no chill like the one I felt at dawn... maybe it really was just my imagination.

"That is..."

Squinting to see the distant scenery better, wrinkles formed on my brow. What I saw in the direction Sekmetos pointed was a large, white defensive wall. It was hard to tell precisely from a distance, but at a glance, it seemed to be about the same size as the border wall we were standing on.

"That's Toga's border wall, Lord Ridd.""...So they also anticipate attacks from the Zubera side.""That might be part of it, but the real purpose is different."

She shook her head and let out a deep sigh.

"We rarely attack. After all, it's a country that considers beastmen inferior to humans. If we attacked, they would likely lure our warriors inside their walls to capture them.""Sek is right. And unfortunately, Zubera doesn't have the military power to destroy Toga. If we attack carelessly, they'll use it as a pretext and gladly invade us.""The words whispered by those at the center of that country are sweet and gentle. Those who visit conflict zones and impoverished areas in various countries under the guise of慰问 (comfort visits/support missions), for proselytizing, are said to be beautiful, regardless of gender. But its essence is like a giant nest built by bees with a ferocious nature. Swatting them away is easy, but if you poke it, it becomes troublesome."

Sekmetos shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'oh well.' In the Empire and Baldia, there are few opportunities to encounter Toga's missionary activities or the Mistina religion. I can't take their words and evaluations at face value, but this is the opinion of the Beast King who rules a nation. I should keep it in mind as a reference.

"...I'll take that to heart. By the way, Lady Sekmetos, what is the true purpose behind Toga building the border wall, as you mentioned earlier?"

After acknowledging her point, I asked, and Sekmetos grinned fearlessly.

"To prevent their own citizens from fleeing.""Eh...?"

As I stood there dumbfounded, Tabal cleared his throat.

"Most of Toga's citizens are devout followers of the Mistina religion. However, those who have been enslaved or come from other countries are different. The class disparity is severe, and before that wall was built, people constantly tried to secretly defect to Zubera.""...That's the first I've heard of that."

I had studied Toga to some extent beforehand, but I hadn't heard much about the class disparity being so severe that people try to defect.

"They probably want to hide history they find inconvenient, history they want to bury. The Pontiff of that country proclaims both domestically and internationally that 'Toga is a paradise.'""So they want to hide inconvenient facts, is that it?""Exactly."

In this world without communication networks like the internet or electronic devices, information can only be disseminated orally, through written records, or via letters. Moreover, literacy rates among the populace vary greatly by country, and paper is still considered a premium recording medium. If those in power are determined to hide something, inconvenient history can be buried in darkness, rarely leaking out. This is especially true if there's a 'wall' blocking those trying to defect.

The religious nation of Toga, huh? From what I'd heard, I thought it was a somewhat more reasonable country, but it seems best to remain cautious.

"By the way, Lord Ridd. Regarding this defensive wall our country is proud of, don't you notice something?"

Sekmetos changed the subject and looked around. Following her gaze, I noticed some parts seemed a bit worn out.

"...Well, it seems there are signs of aging and weathering on parts of the defensive wall.""As expected, Lord Ridd. You are correct."

Tabal spoke in a bright voice, then narrowed his eyes and edged closer.

"We are thorough in maintaining and managing the defensive wall. But even that has its limits, and it has been causing us headaches.""O-oh. That must be difficult."

I recoiled from the pressure of his smile and stepped back, only to bump into someone behind me. Startled, I turned around to see Sekmetos smiling brightly.

"L-Lady Sekmetos?"

Looking up cautiously, she crouched down, firmly grabbed both my shoulders, and brought her face close.

"And that's where you come in. Would you be willing to teach us that earth attribute magic you used during your spar with Johann yesterday? If so, we should be able to significantly reduce the time, effort, and budget required for repairing, renovating the border wall, and digging the outer moat.""Th-that is..."

As I hesitated and glanced subtly at Tabal, he was also smiling sweetly. So *this* is why the two of them were grinning fearlessly last night when I repaired the training grounds with magic.

"That earth attribute magic? It was a wonderful spell. I'd like you to teach me too, if possible."

Even Johann leaned forward, his eyes shining.

*'When Ridd's magic becomes widely available to the public, what level do you think its military power will reach?'*

Suddenly, Kiel's words came back to me. If I casually teach magic here, it might affect the relationship between the Empire and Toga.

"Ah, ahaha. Unfortunately, 'my magic' is something like a secret tradition of the Baldia family. I cannot decide on my own to teach it to everyone, so I beg your pardon.""Oh? A Baldia family secret? That's a story I haven't heard much about."

As I smiled wryly and scratched my cheek, Sekmetos grinned. She probably saw through my desperate excuse. But, surprisingly, she backed off smoothly.

"Well, if that's the case, so be it. We'll just send individuals from our tribe with earth attribute aptitude to study in Baldia.""Eh, study abroad?"

Tilting my head, Tabal cleared his throat.

"We've heard from Luva. That you proposed studying abroad in Baldia for the Ratmen. We were thinking we'd also like to send excellent personnel from our Beastman tribe to study in the rapidly developing Baldia to broaden their horizons.""Ooh, Father, that sounds like an interesting idea. Mother, I'd like to study abroad in Baldia too.""Haha, Johann, you are the prince. That might be rather difficult."

Sekmetos smiled and shook her head, then looked at me.

"Well now, Lord Ridd. Accepting study abroad for the Ratmen but not for the Beastmen... Do you think that would be permissible?""Ugh..."

Hit where it hurt, I flinched, but soon my shoulders slumped and I let out a deep sigh. "Haaah..."

"Understood. I will speak to my father about the study abroad matter. However, I cannot promise whether we can teach the magic. It seems various considerations are involved.""That in itself is fine. Either way, I want the youth who will bear the future to learn about Baldia."

Just as Sekmetos started laughing heartily, a chill ran down my spine. Startled, I looked towards Toga, but couldn't see anything particular.

"What's wrong, Ridd?"Amon asked, tilting his head.

"Nothing, I just felt someone's gaze.""Gaze...?"

He looked in the direction I was staring."I don't feel anything particularly.""...Yeah. It's probably just my imagination."

The religious nation of Toga... it really gives me a bad feeling.

After that, Sekmetos and Tabal guided us around the border wall area and began listing necessary supplies to me, Chris, and the others. It was probably an indirect way of saying, 'If you sell it, we'll buy it.'

The visit to the Beastman territory ended surprisingly on time, and we set off back to the clan chief's mansion.

Upon returning to the mansion, the explanation about the Beastman tribe's Beast Transformation from Beast King Sekmetos and Tabal finally began.