A skinny black wolf. It looked like they weren’t getting any food.
Its steps were also unsteady at times as it ran towards me. Still, its eyes were sharp and it had a firm grip on me, its prey.
『Fate, you understand, right?』
Greed checked with me just to be sure. That person is no longer a beastman. It’s a monster.
『You’ve already decided what to do, right?』[If it’s a monster, I should probably kill it. But, there’s something I haven’t tried yet.]
『What are you going to do?』
I dodged the black wolf that pounced on me and kicked it in the side.
While I wanted to subdue it, it was quite difficult for me to control the force I’m using. After all, I always defeated monsters with all my might.
The black wolf stood up, its feet unsteady. It was breathing heavily and seemed quite exhausted.
If I don’t catch it quickly, it might die.
[It’s not going to go well.]『Use me, I’ll help adjust your strength.』
I used Greed’s blunt side to strike at the black wolf’s neck when it attacked again.
After a high-pitched howl, the black wolf fell to the ground.
I approached it and checked its condition. It’s still breathing. It looked like it had simply fainted from being hit.
I sheathed the black sword and carried the black wolf on my shoulders.
『What are you going to do?』
[Return back to the Great Wall.]
『Are you going to let the monster in?』
[It’s originally a beastkin.]
『I see, you want to try the reverse of the reincarnation ritual.』
It’s a trial so to speak. It’s worth a try. Georg was always banishing people out of the Great Wall, and it didn’t feel like he had ever done the opposite.
Cecilia was under Georg’s watch, so she probably won’t even try. That’s why I wasn’t so happy about the reincarnation ceremony.
『What if it fails?』
[I’ll take responsibility and intervene.]
『If you’re that angry, I won’t say anything else.』
Even though it was skinny, the black wolf was big. A heavy weight was placed on my feet as I took each step.
I looked up to the top of the Great Wall. An elf soldier was patrolling.
In this situation, I’m sure we’ll be found out sooner or later. I didn’t mind.
Georg already knows that I really took the spirit beast from Zack. If so, he must have expected that I would be able to travel back and forth across the Great Wall.
As expected, the elf soldiers noticed me, but they just watched and did nothing.
When I touched the Great Wall, the same hole popped open just like when I used it to leave the city.
[Let’s go inside. Greed.]
『Yeah, will it stay monster or will it turn back?』
We proceeded through the Great Wall. Then, the black wolf woke up and began to struggle.
I held its mouth to prevent it from biting me, though I still had to endure a few scratches.
『The exit is almost here. Hang in there.』
The closer we got to the exit, the more violent the wolf became. It was so violent as if it had been poisoned.
The screams were getting louder. The beastkin inside must have heard this as well.
[Here is the exit.]
When the black wolf passed through the Great Wall, it stopped moving.
I quickly put it on the ground and checked its condition.
[It’s not breathing…]
『It failed?』
As I was looking at the motionless black wolf, a sudden change occurred.
Its body trembled, its eyes and open mouth began to emit light. The light then spread throughout its body.
Then, it became a dazzling light and stretched towards the sky.
I closed my eyes since it was too bright, and when I slowly recovered my sight, I didn’t see a black wolf anymore.
『Looks like it was successful』
[I guess the ritual can indeed be reversed.]
The beastkin man remained asleep and did not wake up.
After watching the situation for a while, Perth and his friends heard the commotion and came over.
[Fate, this person… should have been banished during the reincarnation ritual. Why is he here?]
[I found him outside as a monster, so I brought him here. Then, after emitting a dazzling light, he returned to his normal form.]
[What in the…]
The chiefs, including Perth, began to make a fuss uncontrollably due to the unexpected event.
As expected, it seems that they did not know that those who became monsters in the reincarnation ritual would return to the Great Wall.
[What should we do…he committed a crime and was exiled.]
[If Georg-sama finds out…]
[No one has ever returned to being a beastkin. There is no precedent to this.]
The clan chiefs were talking about this and that regarding how to treat the returning beastkin. All of them were out of fear of elves.
At this rate, will there ever come a time when beastkin can become independent from elves? I felt a little uneasy.
Just as I was thinking that perhaps it was a mistake to bring him here, I heard the dignified voice of an elf.
[Be quiet. Make way. Fate! Where are you?]
It was Cecilia’s voice. The area was crowded with beastkin who had heard the commotion.
Pushing through the crowd, she came to me.
[I saw an incredible light. That light looked a lot like a reincarnation ritual. What…]
She approached me and asked me as if to push me down. However, when she saw the beastkin sleeping at my feet, she was at a loss for words.
She iImmediately crouched down and checked the beastkin’s pulse.
[He’s alive… but he should’ve turned into a monster.]
I explained the circumstances to Cecilia. She couldn’t believe it when she heard that.
[Those who become monsters during the reincarnation ritual will not change back to their original form even if they return to the Great Wall. This is also written in the elf history books.]
[Well, this one turned back into a beastkin.]
[Once a beastkin becomes a monster from the reincarnation ritual, there is no reverting it no matter what method you use. It was tried many times using beastkin a long time ago…]
『If that history book is true, there are different factors this time.』
When Greed said that, Cecilia looked at me.
Then, she nodded firmly. Even when an elf dived into the Great Wall with a beastkin who had become a monster, they remained a monster.
However, this time I, a human, went.
[So Fate was the factor?]
『At the moment, that’s all I can think of.』
[Yes…]
I said to Cecilia who was deep in thought while looking around.
[The commotion has spread too much. If things continue like this, his treatment will be in jeopardy.]
Also, Georg may perform a reincarnation ritual again and turn this guy back into a monster.
Cecilia firmly answered such a prediction.
[I won’t let him perform the reincarnation ritual again. This man has atoned for his sins and returned to this land.]
[His sins have been atoned?]
[Yes. the moment he underwent the reincarnation ritual, his sins have been atoned for.]
I felt safe enough to trust Cecilia’s words. However, since there was no precedence, will Georg leave it be? I wonder if he would be easily convinced, since he seemed to be having so much fun performing the ritual?
[Maybe it was too soon.]
『Then, do you have the heart to kill this guy when he was still a monster?』
[That’s impossible.]
『You chose to return him to being a beastkin. It remains to be seen whether that was the right answer, right?』
[You’re right.]
I understand exactly what Greed wants to say. From now on, I’m talking about Georg.
I ruined Georg’s reincarnation ritual. The ritual of reincarnation has been burned into the beastkin’s mind as something frightening. Now that it can be reversed, he might be ready to make a move.
[Fate, it’s my brother’s royal guards!]
It was faster than I expected. After I left the Great Wall, it was as if he was expecting something to happen.
While making a clunking sound with their thick armor, they chased away the surrounding beastkin.
What was left behind was the beastkin who was a monster, me, and Cecilia.
The beastkin man’s family was shouting from a distance. Out of both a relief and a worry.
The first of the Royal Guards who stepped forward was seemingly the captain.
[Take that beastkin.]
[Understood.]
The still-unconscious beastkin was held on both sides and taken away. The other beastkin remained silent and just watched.
The captain also addressed Cecilia and me.
[Cecilia-sama, Georg-sama is waiting. Fate Barbatos, I’ll ask you to come with me too. We will not accept refusal.]
