10. The Hot-Headed Minotaur Old Man

After Ze Lus, the little fox midget, escaped from in front of me and Kefier, Gu Er and Grom, the two green-skinned beastmen brothers, also came out of the room where the Austro-Hungarian tribe’s chieftain was staying.

From their dejected and spiritless appearance, it seemed that my script about them was correct.

“Sorry, big brother.”

The two brothers, who came to our side, kept sighing, “We apologize for keeping you waiting, but we still didn’t manage to see the chieftain earlier.”

It was reasonable that the Austro-Hungarian tribe’s chieftain didn’t appear in this conflict, giving orders and direction to the beastmen. So, even if Gu Er and Grom had gone to request an audience with the chieftain, it would have been futile.

“No need to apologize. Instead of getting upset, let’s think about what to do next.” I looked at the two beastmen, “I’ll ask, if the chieftain doesn’t appear, how will your tribe’s beastmen resolve these conflicts?”

Earlier, I had also tried to get some information about the chieftain from Ze Lus, but unfortunately, I was ridiculed by that little midget and she ran away. Now, not only the beastmen but also I had to think about the next script and plan.

Gu Er’s face turned even greener due to his silence, becoming more ferocious, as if he was worried about something. On the other hand, the straightforward Grom told me everything without hesitation.

“That would be troublesome, because if the chieftain doesn’t give us orders, it would be up to the high-ranking beastmen warriors from each clan in the Austro-Hungarian tribe to fight it out.”

Grom paused, looking at me with difficulty, “But in that case, it would be a bit… unfriendly.”

“?”

At that time, I was still puzzled by Grom’s carefully chosen word “unfriendly,” but… accompanied by Kefier, I had already decided to intervene in this matter, and after following Gu Er and Grom to a meeting called the “High-Ranking Beastmen Warriors’ Council” the next day, I finally understood the implications of Grom’s hesitation.

The next day, Kefier and I, who had already decided to take action, ignored Grom and Gu Er’s objections and insisted on attending the council. However, the atmosphere here was…

The open-air tent, surrounded by various beastman warriors standing far away, was set up directly in the center of the Austro-Hungarian tribal town. It looked quite majestic, even with a hint of Hawaiian flair, and this was the “meeting site”. The high-ranking beastman warriors who came to attend the meeting sat on the ground, but even when they sat down, they were still taller than me and Kefier. In this environment, Kefier and I, the two “weak and small humans”, stood out even more, especially with the presence of Grom and Gu Er, the two beastman brothers who were supporting us. At the front of the tent, the position representing the great chieftain of the Austro-Hungarian tribe, Sal, was empty, but the flames illuminated a massive and terrifying shadow that seemed to be pressing down on all the beastmen, keeping the atmosphere on the verge of collapse.

Grom’s words about “not being friendly” were not just an exaggeration, after all, not every beastman in the Austro-Hungarian tribe was as kind and enthusiastic as the two brothers. At least, from what I could see, the second-in-command of the Austro-Hungarian tribe, the great wizard, had been staring at us with an unfriendly gaze, his eyes rolling around in his head.

[The great wizard harbors hostility towards Euklid!]

The next moment, the drama unfolded, but I was already used to it. The important issue at hand was not the time for us to back down.

“Hey! Grom, Gu Er! Who are those two hairy human worms next to you!?”

A cow-headed warrior, who was sitting but still much taller than me, stomped his hooves on the ground. “This is a meeting of high-ranking beastmen, don’t bring unrelated humans here!”

Grom’s fist, which was about to rise, was pressed back down by Gu Er.

“They are friends from the Dahe Empire who have come to help us resolve our conflicts! We high-ranking beastmen have argued many times but still haven’t resolved the issue, so we need a third party to mediate. You cow-brained fool, can’t you understand that!?”

The cow-headed warrior’s nostrils flared in annoyance, but was eventually stopped by the great wizard.

“Silence! The great chieftain has not appeared, so we will continue to discuss and resolve this conflict. Moreover, if we drag this out, it will only give those elves an opportunity to infiltrate. We should have a result by now!”

The great wizard tapped his staff on the ground. “As for mediation? Ha! We noble beastmen of Austro-Hungary don’t need any mediation. I have decided to launch an attack on the elven border on a chosen day, and let those long-eared, cunning women experience the wrath of the beast god!”

[The Austro-Hungarian tribe launches a conflict against the Prussia Kingdom!]

The drama unfolded, and this was the worst-case scenario. It would not only lead to conflict between the elves and beastmen but also affect our search for the fairy.

I had to avoid this dramatic decision at all costs! But the problem was: the great wizard had been offended by me before, and ordinary persuasion would not work. Moreover, looking at the other beastmen, they were all eager for battle, and their warlike attitude was evident.

In this rigid and hierarchical place, it was difficult to change the decisions of the high-ranking beastmen.

Time was passing, but unlike my thoughts, the next moment, Grom and Gu Er, the two brothers, spoke up without hesitation.

“Great wizard, wait! I think there’s a problem here!”

Gu Er said righteously, “I reacted after being reminded by our two human friends: I think the ones lurking around the temple might not be traitors from our tribe, but rather wild beasts or sub-humans! Their goal might not be espionage, but rather to escape from our tribe!”

“Is this reason enough to choose conflict, great wizard? Are our decisions too hasty?”

Gu Er’s words attracted the attention of the other beastmen, and although the two brothers were not following the mainstream and were instead speaking up for us, for the truth, I was happy and grateful.

However, Gu Er, you still lack consideration and patience. By speaking up here, you’re not only putting Kefier and me in a difficult position but also risking your own and Grom’s standing.

[Grom and Gu Er are suspected by the high-ranking beastmen!]

The drama… it’s come, just as I expected. These beastmen are not the kind of people you can reason with!

“Grom, Gu Er, are you saying… you’re opposing because you