“If you give up, the match ends there.”
There was a way to survive even after being attacked by a tiger.
It was still too early to throw everything away.
No, in fact, this was a perfect opportunity.
I had probably been too tied up in fixed ideas until now.
When I think about it…
Escaping doesn’t have to mean being fired, does it?
***
The idealistic talk felt like a dream.
The ancient dragon hesitated but eventually spoke up.
Of course, it wasn’t a declaration of support for me.
“I’ve always been on your side, but I can’t just watch you waste your life chasing dreams that can’t be achieved.”
She truly cared for me.
Even though she worried that opposing me might lead to my dislike, she prioritized protecting me from harm.
“Deep-rooted discrimination can’t be erased easily. People will never forgive them. Even if we make systems to help those children, that’s the limit.”
Her words were undeniably right.
She must have known from personal experience, having witnessed war firsthand.
The Beastman Alliance had struck a deadly blow to the Empire.
In modern terms, it was like the Nazis…
No, it was even worse than what the Nazis had done.
If I said that, you might begin to understand the seriousness of the situation.
The torture methods in this fantasy world were varied, to say the least.
Of course, the real criminals had all been executed.
Now, the remaining Beastmen were the descendants of the innocent.
They had been burdened with the sins of others simply because of their birth.
It wasn’t right to hate them just because they were born Beastmen.
But that was the way the world was.
They were avoided everywhere and could never get proper jobs.
Even if they were hired, there was no way they’d get paid.
Providing only food and shelter was considered enough.
This led to a high crime rate.
It wasn’t that Beastmen were inherently criminal.
The ones too kind to even pickpocket had already been weeded out and died starving on the streets.
It was an error in the statistics, you could say.
It wasn’t the Beastmen themselves, but the environment that was at fault.
Yet, people still cursed the entire race as if it were evil.
They were seen as a despised, problematic race.
That perception had taken root in everyone’s mind.
Because of that bad perception, their treatment was bad.
And because of their poor treatment, the crime rate rose as a means of survival, and because of the crime rate, public opinion worsened once again, creating a vicious cycle.
I had briefly experienced the backlash of public criticism.
Just from that alone, it was clear how much the Empire hated Beastmen.
“I understand that you feel sorry for those children, but you can’t always chase ideals. Wouldn’t it be enough to make sure they can live without starving?”
While Sion’s words had some merit…
I made a firm expression and spoke in a tone as if scolding her.
“That’s exactly the problem, Ancient Dragon.”
Sion was caught off guard by my sudden outburst.
But I didn’t stop and continued.
“You’re saying, ‘We’ve given them food, so be satisfied.’ Dreaming of an equal relationship? Isn’t that the attitude of treating them like dogs instead of humans?”
I didn’t need to embellish my words.
I was simply expressing my thoughts a bit more forcefully.
“Even if laws are made through power, the problem won’t be solved. The root of the issue needs to be cut off.”
The Ancient Dragon’s power was immense.
But that power needed to be handled carefully.
With great power comes great responsibility, after all.
Beastmen were being severely persecuted.
But this was a world from a novel.
It was certain that something related to the Beastmen had happened in the original story.
‘So, I must proceed with caution.’
Suddenly, the rights of Beastmen were rising.
Beastmen went from being persecuted to becoming a privileged class.
This sparked a huge backlash, leading to conflict.
A civil war broke out in the Empire, and many lives were lost.
‘Could I be sure that such a possibility didn’t exist?’
Though it may have once been a fictional world, the people living here now were real.
I wasn’t a psychopath.
I didn’t want people to die because of my actions.
Therefore, the approach I had to take was moderate.
Not through law, but by changing people’s perceptions.
“Isn’t it strange? Beastmen are also human, but everyone draws a line to separate them.”
Beastmen think and feel just like humans.
They are essentially the same as us, just with different appearances.
But the problem is the line that’s drawn.
By defining them as something different from us, we view them as enemies, keeping our distance and hating them.
No wonder discrimination never disappears.
“I’m not fighting so that Beastmen will be treated the same as humans. I’m fighting to make sure everyone acknowledges that Beastmen are humans.”
It’s not about ‘you,’ it’s about ‘us.’
It’s not about others, it’s about our own kind.
Only when that is acknowledged will true discrimination end.
That’s why I’m doing this…
And that’s half the reason for my actions.
“Please don’t try to help me. You can’t change people’s hearts by force. It has to be done with continuous effort, with the heart.”
The other half of the reason was for my own survival.
Helping those in need is undoubtedly a good thing, but first, I have to survive too.
“From today, I will resign from my position as professor.”
This was my perfect plan.
Rather than being fired due to public anger, I would retire voluntarily for a noble cause.
“I will step down and work as a regular citizen to change the world. I will live on as a ‘Beastmen rights activist,’ not as an Academy professor.”
Sion was taken aback by my sudden declaration.
‘But what could she possibly do in this situation?’
I had said I didn’t want to use power.
Solving the problem through shortcuts wasn’t possible.
Changing perceptions wasn’t something that could be done overnight.
I couldn’t continue my job as a professor while also tackling that.
She might try to stop me, but I could simply refuse.
“The backlash against Beastmen will be beyond what you can imagine. Everyone will call you a traitor to humanity and throw stones at you!”
I made a resolute expression.
And then I spoke, knowing full well what I had gotten myself into.
“Isn’t it a dream, one that may never be realized? Are you really going to dedicate your life to such a thing?”
Without hesitation, I answered.
“Even if it’s impossible, isn’t it worth trying?”
“You’re going to give up both fame and status? No one will acknowledge your sacrifice!”
I smiled bitterly.
That price was one I could easily bear.
Tears streamed down Sion’s face.
With tears in her eyes, she asked me.
“Why was I going this far?”
I had neither received a favor from the Beastmen nor owed them anything.
‘Why was I sacrificing myself for strangers I barely knew?’
I already knew the answer to that question.
There was no other answer.
And so, without hesitation, I smiled and said:
“Do we really need a reason to help others?”
The Empire’s Media King
Pulitzer Lumiere cried like a child.
He couldn’t endure it without sobbing like a little one.
He thought that Cromwell was insane.
Things like being a sage or a true hero — he had always thought they were just nonsense, words uttered by someone who had eaten something wrong.
However, that was no empty talk.
That man… no, that person was not an ordinary human.
A flawless being, without a single imperfection.
A superhuman, more noble and compassionate than anyone else in the world.
And yet, he had dared to doubt such a person.
Without thinking at all, he wielded his power, believing that he had to wake everyone up, that he had to intervene against that person for the sake of caution.
A dreadful sense of guilt coursed through Pulitzer’s back.
But there was still a way to reverse everything.
“……? Why are you here…?”
Professor Riyan, who had finished his conversation with the elder dragon, couldn’t even properly look at the person approaching.
The sound of his own crying was so loud that he couldn’t even hear the words spoken to him.
But there was no need to worry.
He already knew what he had to do.
“Wait a second. Did you… overhear our conversation just now?”
He quickly grabbed the camera.
He poured his mana into the artifact with all his might.
“Pl-please calm down and put that weapon down first!”
He had saved the power of the artifact for this critical moment.
He handled the artifact with utmost care, ensuring it didn’t get damaged.
But now was the moment that mattered most.
There was no need to hesitate anymore.
Even if the camera broke, it didn’t matter.
He braced for the overload and pushed the artifact to its limits.
“What do you want from me? I’ll do anything!”
He was certain that he had been born for this moment.
The middle-aged journalist smiled brightly, convinced of his purpose.
“I’ll pay any price, just please…”
This was why the Media King was called the Media King.
“Please, just not that…”
This was the true beginning of the “report.”
On a sunny morning, The empire’s sky was covered with some kind of footage.
The sheer panic on him. Pfff