The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 223

The Allied Nations of Different Races.

Since the Elves and Giants don’t actually form countries, it’s more accurate to call it the ‘Alliance of Different Races’ rather than the ‘Allied Races’.

Of course, Rael doesn’t really know what the difference is.

And he doesn’t particularly want to know.

Because there’s no way the places where Reina and Gent are kings could be running smoothly.

Today, he was just planning to show his face out of courtesy. His real purpose was to greet Gent and Reina.

“…This is it?”

The morning after sharing heated drinks with the Empire’s Three Heroes.

Rael shook off his hangover with magic and came to the place where the guide for the Allied Nations of Different Races was supposed to be.

“Greetings, benefactor of our race.”

“Long time no see, Erenorg. So, you’re the guide?”

Bagus had said that if he went to the meeting place, a guide would be waiting, and it seemed that guide was Erenorg.

Even though he looks like that, he should be the leader of the Elves, but it was always strange how he appeared everywhere Rael went.

That probably meant the Elves considered him that important.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But is this where the Allied Nations of Different Races is located?”

“Yes, benefactor.”

“…This place?”

Rael looked around.

Actually, he had felt a sense of familiarity since he started coming this way.

Rael’s vision was filled with green trees.

Well, this was just the forest where the Elves lived.

All he could see were trees, no Allied Nations of Different Races or anything.

“Erenorg, isn’t this just the forest where the Elves live? I came to see the Allied Nations of Different Races.”

“Haha, let me reintroduce myself, Rael-nim [a term of respect]. I am Erenorg, the Grand Councilor of the Alliance of Different Races.”

“Grand…what?”

“Grand Councilor. You can think of me as an elder.”

“No. I don’t care about the Grand whatever… this is a forest. Don’t tell me you guys live here?”

Looking around the forest, he surprisingly saw different races here and there.

Did they just decide to live together in the forest?

It was too shabby to be called an alliance.

At that moment, he felt a familiar magic approaching nearby.

“Ah, Grand Councilor Bestia… !”

Erenorg’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the approaching Beastman.

Rael sighed as he watched that.

“Rael. I heard you were coming today, so you were here?”

Bestia winked one eye at Rael.

She seemed to be trying to act cute, but it just gave him a headache.

“Bestia-nim. I heard you were badly injured, but you look healthy.”

“It would be a great loss to the different races if I were injured. I have to take good care of myself.”

“…”

He had heard that she was injured fighting at the front lines during the Great War, but she looked quite healthy.

Wouldn’t it have been better if she had just stayed in bed a little longer?

“Erenorg, I’ll guide Rael. Is that okay?”

“Yes, Grand Councilor Bestia-nim. Then I will go take care of the World Tree.”

Erenorg quickly bowed and left the spot.

Bestia wagged her tail, looking happy about something, and started walking ahead.

“Alright, follow me, Rael.”

“Where are we going? No, in the first place, why are you here, Bestia-nim?”

“Didn’t you hear just now? I’m the Grand Councilor of the Alliance of Different Races.”

“Is this the Alliance of Different Races?”

“Well, it’s similar. Nature is the territory of the Alliance of Different Races everywhere. Let’s go inside. We have to greet the Giants and Beastmen too.”

Bestia wagged her tail and moved her steps.

Rael blinked and followed behind her.

“Greetings, Bestia-nim. And, and… Rael-nim!”

“It’s Rael-nim! Rael-nim has participated in the festival of the Alliance of Different Races!”

As they went deeper into the forest, they saw Giants and Beastmen as Bestia had said.

They recognized Rael and immediately approached with delighted expressions.

“Rael-nim. Please bestow blessings upon the Alliance of Different Races.”

“Give greater power to the strongest Giant race on earth… .”

“Hey, big guy. The strongest are the Beastmen.”

“Huh? What did that beast just say?”

And then, they immediately started headbutting each other.

They were truly headache-inducing guys.

“They seem energetic, right? It’s because they’re full of energy.”

“Didn’t the Giants go under the Beastmen during the Great War?”

After the battle between Bestia and Genul.

He had seen the Giants who lost the fight following the orders of the Beastmen.

“Not anymore. Genul Kidsleeper stepped down from the position of chieftain. The current chieftain is Genul Stormheart, but he is the king of the Alliance of Different Races, so you can’t touch him.”

“…Ah, Gent? That’s right. They’re important. Bestia-nim. Where are Gent and Reina?”

He didn’t care what the other guys were doing.

Rael just came to see Gent and Reina’s faces.

“It’s not Gent and Reina, it’s His Highness Gent and Her Highness Reina.”

“Oh, come on. I get it, so where are they?”

“Wouldn’t they be inside there?”

Rael walked towards the place Bestia was pointing.

Based on his experience from last time, it seemed like the path towards the World Tree.

“Ah, Rael-nim-!”

And after walking for a while.

Rael saw Elves, Giants, and Beastmen mixed together, praying towards a statue.

That statue was a very familiar face.

Because it was Rael.

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Ra-men [a play on ‘Amen’, incorporating Rael’s name].”

“…”

Rael stared blankly with his mouth open as he watched the different races shedding tears and praying.

His divine power kept increasing even after the war ended, so he wondered what it was, and it was because of these guys?

“What is that?”

“Ah, it’s called the Rael religion. It’s a religion created by the different races who used to believe in the main god Gaia-nim or the indigenous gods. Most of the different races worship power, so they were fascinated by the divine power you showed during the Great War.”

…If you’re going to create a religion that worships me, shouldn’t you at least get my permission?

Rael had a headache for a moment, but soon asked what he was curious about.

“What’s that dog-like… no. What’s that strange ending to the prayer?”

“It’s taken from Gaia-men [a reference to followers of the god Gaia]. Since it’s Rael, it’s Ra-men. How is it?”

“…”

How was it? Of course, it was dog-like.

When it was Cecilia’s idea, he just thought it was strange, but hearing them say it out loud made his head hurt.

And if it’s taken from Gaia-men, shouldn’t it be Rael-men instead of Ra-men?

Rael sighed in frustration, but no one, no different race, understood.

“They’re over there, inside. Can you go alone? I have to go help the Beastmen and Giants who are fighting, so I’ll go first!”

Bestia joined the fight that had broken out far away as soon as the guide was over.

After walking a little further alone, he saw Gent and Reina where the World Tree was visible.

He thought they would be wearing crowns or fancy clothes since they were kings, but the two were no different from before.

“Rael! Over here, over here! You’ve come!”

Reina waved her hand when she saw Rael.

Vermeil III, who was asleep, was visible on her shoulder.

“Long time no see, Rael. I heard you’ve been resting for a week, but you seem to have gotten stronger.”

“…Yeah. Long time no see. But what happened to you guys that you became kings in just a week?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We are the heroes who were by your side.”

“Is that it?”

“What more is needed?”

“…”

Actually, he had nothing to say if he asked back.

Carlson and Lucas were also easygoing to Rael, but they were already being treated as great heroes in the Empire.

It was such a great achievement to have defeated a Demon King with just four people.

It wasn’t strange that Gent and Reina had become heroes among the different races.

“Well, yeah. Let’s say that’s true. But shouldn’t kings have a palace or something? And this forest is too small for the Alliance of Different Races to live in.”

This forest is an abandoned forest on the outskirts of the Empire.

The Elves moved the seeds of the World Tree and it became a blue forest full of natural power.

It was a sufficient forest for the Elves to live in, but it was too cramped for all the Giants and Beastmen to live in.

“This is Elves’ land, what are you talking about?”

“That’s right. Why do you think we live here? We just gathered for the festival this time. When the festival is over, everyone except the Elves will return to their own territories.”

“…Then why are you an alliance?”

“Just because we’re an alliance doesn’t mean we have to live together. We will live the same as usual. However, if a crisis occurs in the different races, then the alliance will exert its power.”

“Yeah, yeah. The alliance will be strong!”

Gent and Reina nodded.

They seemed very satisfied with the Alliance of Different Races.

“Then, nothing is changing from now?”

“That’s right.”

“Kings don’t have any power either?”

“That’s right. Different races are fair alliances, unlike humans.”

“Yeah, yeah. Different races are equal.”

Rael nodded at Gent and Reina’s words.

He was slowly understanding the situation now.

“Then, aren’t you guys just taking on troublesome work?”

“What are you talking about, Rael? Honor. Don’t you know how important that is?”

“That’s right. I’ve become an Elf representing the Elves too. Rael. You can worship me.”

Reina proudly puffed out her chest.

“…”

I see.

He wondered why Reina and Gent were kings, but it seemed like they were just being taken advantage of.

It seemed like the leaders like Bestia, Erenorg, and Genul had passed on all the troublesome work.

“I’ve been very busy for the past week. It was hard to unite the different races into one.”

“Considering that, you were fighting like crazy?”

“That’s integration in the different races.”

“Yeah. Humans originally get closer while fighting, right? That’s our way!”

“…Is that so?”

It was difficult to argue logically.

They were saying it so confidently that it somehow seemed right.

“By the way, Tia-nim is also affiliated with the alliance. Of course, she doesn’t do official activities, but she said she would help whenever help is needed.”

“That’s good. What is Tia-nim doing these days?”

“I heard she’s hanging out with magicians.”

“She’s getting along with humans better than I thought.”

She said that the smell of magic was disgusting to humans and it was difficult to live together.

Did something change in the meantime?

“Then, are there only Giants, Beastmen, and Elves in the alliance?”

“Yeah. Races like Dwarves and Harpies are already living well in the free city of Arconia. Only the races that live in nature have formed an alliance.”

“The Dwarves sent a message that they wanted to join the alliance. It’s something we have to worry about as kings.”

“Hmm… it’s a worry. It’s annoying, should we just not accept them?”

“That’s not bad either.”

“…”

It’s a mess as expected.

Rael chuckled and watched their conversation.

The two were seriously discussing the future of the Alliance of Different Races.

After a while, Gent looked at the sun in the sky and widened his eyes.

“Um, is it already this time? I should go soon. It’s time for cooperative training with the Giants.”

“You do joint training too?”

“After my father stepped down from the position of chieftain, I’m leading the training.”

“Oh, if it’s training, should I help a little?”

Politics is difficult, but Rael can help with training.

He was confident in using his strength.

“No, you have something to help with. Help the Elves check the World Tree. Your divine power may be helpful.”

“That’s right. Rael, you follow me. I have something to do in front of the World Tree.”

“Should I?”

Rael nodded and followed Reina.

Even though he said he wasn’t interested in the alliance, it was human nature to help if there was something to help with.

After Reina and Gent walked towards the World Tree.

Gent, who was watching the scene, put his hands together like a priest.

Gent knew what would happen to Rael.

“Um… good luck, Rael. Ra-men.”

May he overcome this difficulty well.

Gent quietly bowed his head.