A Former Police Officer Who Died And Get A Second Life!-Chapter 53: Please Leave Them Be

"I think I’ll head into town for a bit. Is there anything you need?"

He had to handle daily necessities at the inn and report the completion of the guild request.

While he thought he might pick up something useful along the way, he was told there was no particular need since everything here was self sufficient.

Leaving the hideout, he headed into town, first moving the supplies he had stayed with for several days, then making his way to the guild.

"Qiong Xing! Are you safe?!"

"Huh?"

What could they mean?

As soon as he entered the guild, a familiar guild clerk ran over.

Apparently, they had been worried because Qiong Xing and the others had not returned after accepting the request.

After apologizing for making them worry, Qiong Xing handed over the medicinal herbs for the request and received the reward.

"They really are very kind people."

Qiong Xing said this with a smile and Leander and the others silently thought, Well, it’s because it’s Qiong Xing!

After buying some food, undergarments, and other necessities, they left the town.

"You guys! Enough already!"

"Oh, we forgot!"

On the way back to the hideout, they heard a voice and went to investigate only to found out it was the prince who is still hanging from the tree.

His mouth was still active, but his body looked completely drained.

They helped him down, but he still seemed unable to move on his own.

"Have you reflected at all?"

They untied the ropes and handed him some water, but since he couldn’t move on his own, Qiong Xing supported his back while letting him drink little by little.

"I-I did nothing wrong! I only told the truth! And you guys...!"

As the prince tried to get up, he lost the support and collapsed onto the ground.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"I asked you. Did you reflect?"

Despite having had all this time, it seemed he hadn’t even bothered to think about it.

"What are you so afraid of?"

"Afraid? Who? Me? Ridiculous! There’s no way I’m afraid of you beastmen!"

Why did he not realize that the way he spoke already showed how frightened he was?

"It’s true that anyone would be afraid if their soldiers were defeated right in front of them. That much is understandable. But what did they do to you? What did he do to you?"

"Huh?"

Qiong Xing knelt down in front of the fallen prince and took hold of Leander’s hand beside him.

"What did he do to you?"

"W-What did he do...?"

He seemed confused by the sudden question.

Of course he couldn’t answer.

Because nothing had been done to him.

"Nothing, right? He did nothing to you. And yet, just because he is a beastman, you wouldn’t even listen to him, calling him filthy and ugly, saying nothing but ridiculous things. What exactly is different between him and you? He has ears? Humans have ears too, don’t they? He has a tail? That’s fine, isn’t it? It’s cute."

"C-Cute?!"

"There are all kinds of people among humans too, aren’t there? It’s the same thing. Having ears, having a tail, those are just individual traits. Just like how among humans there are people with golden hair like yours, people with black hair, people with blue eyes, and people with red eyes. And yet, simply because someone has animal ears or a tail, why must they be hated and looked down upon?"

"That’s because... because they’re beastmen..."

Because they are beastmen.

With just those words, humans try to explain away everything.

Why can’t they see that it all comes from fear?

They are different.

They are stronger.

And because humans are afraid of losing, they try to force them into submission.

"Are you afraid of dying?"

"Huh?"

Please, understand.

What they are thinking.

What they want.

Qiong Xing is human.

He is human, yet he loves beastmen.

He loves Leander, Elias, Joa, he loves all of them.

"I’m not asking you to understand everything. There may be things I say that you can’t accept. But please, understand this much. They just want to live. They don’t want to harm you. They aren’t trying to take anything from you. Just as you are afraid of dying, they too live every single day, every single hour, trembling in fear of death."

Being forced to work by humans, unable to sleep properly, barely given food, kicked and beaten, and even in death denied proper treatment.

How painful it is to live in fear, knowing that resisting means being killed.

How painful it is to live while trembling at a future where being caught by humans means nothing but death.

"So... could you please just leave them alone?"

"...Leave them alone?"

Perhaps he had expected to be told more.

Qiong Xing smiled gently at the prince who was staring blankly at him.

He was not saying that all beastmen should be treated as humans.

He was not saying that the beastmen who had been made slaves should be set free. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

No, he couldn’t say that.

Qiong Xing had no such right, nor did he have the power to make it so.

But...

"Please, I just want you to leave them be. They’re quietly, desperately trying to live each day. Please."

After lowering his head in a final bow, Qiong Xing and the others left the place, leaving behind only a small amount of food and water.

...

Afterward, they safely returned to the hideout, only to be inexplicably dragged into a room by Leander and the others.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"We have to replenish Qiong Xing."

"Huh?"

Replenish? Did that mean they had been lonely?

Once again, as if it were routine, Qiong Xing was carried to the bed, placed on Elias’s lap and had his legs held by Leander.

Perhaps this had now become his designated position.

This time, Cari was present as well.

"Qiong Xing is amazing."

"Amazing at what?"

"That even when we’re beastmen, nothing changes."