Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 472: Sheep, Shepherd, Shepherd’s Shepherd

There exists a threshold—a natural, invisible boundary drawn not by human hands but by the laws of nature itself.

At a certain altitude, tall trees struggle to survive. The cold, the thin air, the lack of water—each of these factors combine to make survival nearly impossible. Even plants have a social nature, and when they find themselves alone in an unfamiliar landscape, they wither from loneliness.

Where the towering trees retreat, grasses take their place. Once stifled in the shade of great trunks, they now stretch and flourish, competing among themselves to reach the sky.

That’s how the threshold is painstakingly drawn over time, a boundary shaped by centuries.

If that threshold was just a simple line in the landscape, I might have followed it while humming a tune. But I still had common sense—I wasn’t about to walk in plain sight along a vast, open ridge where not even a single tree grew.

Bilitaire had expected me to walk there. She had wanted me to be seen.

But I wasn’t about to fall for that.

Even without mind-reading, it was obvious that stepping out onto the open plains while ignoring the cover of trees was a stupid move. Instead, I kept myself just below the boundary, hiding within the tree line as I moved cautiously. At the first sign of danger, I was ready to bury myself underground.

After what felt like an endless walk, I finally spotted it—the peak shrouded in clouds. The mist seemed to hover mid-slope, as if it had climbed up only to be blocked by a sudden cliff, sighing in exhaustion.

Normally, I’d admire the view. But not today.

Instead, I carefully examined the summit.

“That must be the peak where Collie the Hound is.”

Sure enough, in the distance, I could make out faint shapes moving about. A vast, sprawling white mass, shifting and flowing like the clouds themselves—a flock of sheep. Among them, figures stood, scattered yet distinct.

Vampires. Humans. And the shepherds who tended them.

“If he’s a Hound, does that mean he raises humans? A flock of sheep. A shepherd. And... a shepherd’s shepherd?”

From what I had read, Collie the Hound was Ain to Elder Runken. A beastkin of notable lineage, said to be remarkably intelligent for his kind.

Essentially... a superior version of Azzy.

I couldn’t glean his exact abilities or weaknesses from surface-level thoughts. But one thing was certain—

I can’t win.

I had barely managed to scrape by against a Yeiling. But an Ain? Even the Six Martial Lords struggled to outright kill one. At best, they could claim a technical victory.

For me? Even a technical loss would be lucky.

"Which means... I need to avoid being seen at all costs."

Then—

A chill crawled up my spine.

It wasn’t something I learned. It was an instinctive, primal fear.

Without hesitation, I ducked low, my body responding before my mind could process why.

Half-buried in the ground through earthcraft, I peeked out cautiously—

Beyond the summit, across the vast plains—something was moving.

A pack of floating beasts, drifting effortlessly over the terrain.

I squinted to observe them closely.

“...Wolves.”

Not all wild beasts hostile to humans.

But wolves always are.

It’s as if dogs had taken all the friendliness for themselves, leaving nothing but resentment in their estranged cousins.

I held my breath, waiting for them to disappear. The pack lingered, eyes glancing toward the summit, before silently slipping away into the wilderness.

Only after I was sure they were gone did I exhale in relief.

“Phew. That was close. If I had run into them on the plains, without earthcraft, I’d be dead.”

For now, I had earthcraft.

If I noticed them in time, I could escape.

If.

The real problem was that I couldn’t read the thoughts of animals. Wolves could ambush me from the brush.

They could wait for days near my burrow for me to come out.

They could bite my limbs off before I even had time to react.

Throughout history, wolves had been one of humanity’s greatest threats.

Even for the King of Humans, that fact hadn’t changed.

"Ugh. Crossing the mountains is too risky."

The mountains themselves were dangerous. But on top of that, there were vampire patrols. Wild predators. Natural hazards.

Tunneling through the mountain?

I considered it.

But even with earthcraft, it would take at least a month—and navigating underground would be near impossible.

Not to mention, if I hit an underground river, I’d drown.

If the tunnel collapsed, I’d become a fossil of the King of Humans.

"Still... better than facing an Elder at the border."

Of course, I hadn’t come unprepared.

The Principality wasn’t a large country. It wasn’t particularly invested in training livestock. It had no incentive to produce strong humans.

Yet, occasionally, exceptional individuals emerged—people with unusual magic or vitality.

Like Lir Nightingale.

What did those people do in the Principality?

They had two choices.

Become vampires.

Or escape.

Surely, some must have tried to flee before me.

All I had to do was find their path.

Or... learn from their failures.

Collie the Hound is stationed near the border for a reason.

That place must have been a hotspot for escapees.

Crossing outright might be difficult.

But slipping in unnoticed...

Now that was doable.

Shepherds didn’t live alone.

There had to be a village nearby, some kind of settlement.

I wasn’t as good as Hilde, but I knew how to blend in.

It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was something.

With that, I set off toward the nearest village.

"Woof! Woof!"

...Of course.

I should have been more careful.

A massive dog was growling at me, teeth bared.

Thick brown fur. Sharp fangs. The only difference between this dog and a wolf was that it hadn’t bitten me yet.

Damn it. I can read humans, not dogs!

I hadn’t expected my first major obstacle to be a damn guard dog.

"Rrrrr..."

"Good boy. Good boy. Do you recognize me? I’m human. Your friend."

"Rrrrrrrrr..."

"I know I’m a stranger, but I’m not your enemy. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m your friend. Who’s a good boy?"

"Rrrrrr...."

I kept smiling, kept sending friendly signals.

Slowly, the dog’s wariness eased.

It sniffed at me cautiously.

It seemed... used to humans.

Good. If it wasn’t human-friendly, it wouldn’t be a dog.

At the very least, I wasn’t about to get mauled to death.

"Browny? Where are you?"

Of course.

Of course, it had an owner.

A voice called out from nearby.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The dog immediately turned and ran toward it.

Tail wagging.

Loyal.

Damn it.

"Who’s there?!"

A young shepherd boy emerged. Wide hat. A crook in one hand.

He spotted me and immediately tensed.

The dog’s expression turned fierce.

I couldn’t afford a bad first impression.

Before the boy could speak, I raised my hands in a non-threatening gesture.

"Hello, kid."

I read the boy’s mind carefully, ensuring my words would cause the least amount of suspicion. Keeping my distance, I raised both hands in a non-threatening gesture before speaking.

"This is where Lord Collie resides, right? I have an urgent matter to discuss with him. Could you tell me where to find him?"

"Lord Collie? For what reason?"

Now... how will this play out?

When deceiving someone, half-truths are always better than outright lies.

It’s easier to use what’s already there than to conjure something from nothing.

You don’t flash a fake ace of spades and hope people believe it’s real.

You show two hearts and let them assume they make a pair.

Even if the opponent was just a child, I wouldn’t go easy on him.

I put on a serious expression, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Village Chief Bilitaire sent me. There was an escapee from Black Valley Village."

"An escapee?"

"Yes. A runaway. Some stranger appeared out of nowhere, begging for food. When the villagers refused, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ he snuck into the village and stole provisions. Naturally, the Chief ordered me to report it. After all, there’s no one better than Lord Collie when it comes to tracking down suspicious individuals."

I was a suspicious person to the boy.

Even if Black Valley Village didn’t interact with their settlement much, he had seen the faces of those who passed through. And I was someone he had never seen before.

So I created a fake fugitive and pretended to chase him. That way, the boy’s suspicions wouldn’t fall on me.

The boy mulled over my words for a moment before asking:

“A fugitive? When did this happen?”

“Not too long ago. Just last night.”

“...Really? That’s strange.”

“What is?”

My strategy was working—playing the role of a pursuer distracted the boy from questioning me. His mind was too busy untangling the contradictions in his own thoughts.

Then, he tilted his head and said:

“The fugitive was already captured. Lord Collie took him to the outpost.”

“...What?”

Wait.

I’m the fugitive.

And I’ve been captured?

Now it was my turn to be confused.

What Is a Shepherd’s Most Important Skill?

Is it the ability to communicate with animals?

The strength to fight off wolves?

The stamina to run alongside the sheep?

All important, sure.

But the most essential skill is something else entirely.

The ability to endure boredom.

This boy—though still in training—had talent as a shepherd.

And, more importantly, he had a habit of embellishing stories.

With skills like that, he could survive months alone with nothing but sheep for company.

As we walked toward the village, I listened to his story carefully—reading his thoughts for extra context. And what I discovered shocked me.

“Wait. There’s a bounty on me?”

“Yes! A most-wanted notice was issued! The Scarlet Duke himself declared that you must be captured alive—so that you may be made to suffer the worst possible punishment!”

...Surely that was an exaggeration.

They wouldn’t actually kill me, right?

“...Who spread that information?”

“The Scarlet Duke’s messenger! He was so cool! He came like the wind and left like the wind!”

I had assumed the Principality ran on a haphazard system...

But Vladimir’s reach was both swift and precise.

I had done my best to flee, yet their messenger had already passed through?

I decided to pry further.

“The fugitive that Lord Collie captured—was that the same one who passed through your village?”

“No. The one Lord Collie caught was found last night. But the commotion in our village happened two nights ago.”

"...Really? That’s strange."

Could it have been Hilde?

No—that wouldn’t make sense.

She was with me two nights ago.

Then... someone else must have tried to escape during the night tide when the security was weakest.

"Did you see what he looked like?"

"Not really... I was out tending the sheep. But I remember Lord Collie rushing out urgently. And when he returned, he looked exhausted. Whoever it was, they must have been a strong opponent."

A strong opponent? In the Fog Principality?

A human that could push an Ain to his limits?

Where had they been hiding their strength?

Aside from me and Hilde, who else could possibly be that powerful?

The boy sighed regretfully before turning the conversation back on me.

"What about your village? What happened in Black Valley?"

"The fugitive snuck in and stole food. But he was caught by Chief Bilitaire—and there was a big fight."

"A fight?! With the Chief?!"

His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

I could see the eagerness for a heroic tale, so I fed it to him—with embellishments, of course.

The boy hung onto my every word, eyes wide with fascination.

"Really?! The Chief lost?!"

"That’s right. Everyone thought the Chief would deal with him easily. But by the time we checked... the fugitive had tied her up and vanished."

Of course, that fugitive was me.

And they had no idea just how dangerous I truly was.

The boy muttered, stunned.

“...Even a vampire chief can lose during the day...?”

"It wasn’t just the daytime. That fugitive was incredibly strong—strong enough to subdue the Chief despite everything."

I was feeling myself a little as I said it.

But then—

"Well, Lord Collie is the strongest!" The boy puffed out his chest. "Chief Bilitaire is just a Yeiling, but Lord Collie is an Ain! To him, a fugitive is nothing but a thrown bone!"

"...That’s the problem."

"Huh?"

Exactly.

I had barely scraped by against a Yeiling.

What chance did I have against an Ain?

I clicked my tongue and changed the subject.

"Never mind that. How much farther to the village?"

"Ah, well—"

"Woof!"

The dog barked.

A New Arrival

"Woof woof! Woof woof woof!"

"Browny? What’s wrong?"

"Woof! Woof woof!"

The dog was suddenly excited.

It wasn’t barking at me.

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No—its whole body was thrashing with excitement.

The boy looked confused.

"What’s gotten into him?"

Then—

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of pounding paws came from up ahead.

Another dog emerged from the path—bounding straight toward Browny.

The moment they saw each other, Browny’s posture changed completely.

He flattened his ears and lowered his body submissively.

There was no hesitation.

Dogs have a natural hierarchy.

And Browny had just met his superior.

The boy frowned.

"Browny? Who is that? Did you make a new friend while I was gone?"

He looked almost betrayed by how quickly his dog had submitted.

But he didn’t need to feel that way.

It was only natural.

Dogs follow their king.

And I already knew who it was.

I sighed.

"...Why are you here?"

"Woof? It’s you! It’s you!"

A familiar canine beastkin wagged her tail wildly before bounding straight at me.

Despite all the time we had been apart, it was as if she had skipped those days entirely—as if no time had passed.

Without hesitation, she rubbed her face against my pant leg.

Dogs that hate humans run straight at them.

Dogs that love humans run straight at them, too.

Either way...

You end up getting found out.

The boy’s eyes widened in shock.

"What? You know each other?"

"Uh, well... that is..."

A beastkin might look like a dog, but they weren’t actually dogs.

Yet, Azzy—a beastkin who acted exactly like a dog—was practically a dog in every way that mattered.

To me, she was just a big, overly excited mutt happy to reunite.

But to the shepherd boy?

It looked like a beastkin circling around me with familiarity.

His eyes widened in shock.

Before I could come up with an excuse—

Another howl echoed from behind Azzy.