She Who Became Immortal

We must blend together more deeply.

Those words came from Lex Asuka, the voluptuous lioness woman who serves as the brain of the Beast King. But I, Flat as Board Euphemia Grimwood, didn’t feel as strongly about this as she did.

Mix if you want, or don't mix if you prefer.

I had heard stories about taurus beastwomen getting along well with orc men, and if that’s what they wanted, they were free to pursue it. We had secured more than enough food, and we intended to maintain that surplus. There was enough leeway for everyone to do as they wished within reason. Of course, if everyone acted recklessly, we’d soon face ruin.

But anyway.

What happens if we blend together?

The answer is simple: we evolve.

When thoughts, values, cultures, and traditions clash, new ideas and values are born, and cultures and traditions are reconstructed. Whether this is good or bad isn’t the point; throughout Earth's history, humanity has evolved this way.

We must bring evolution to the beastmen’s realm.

This is why we eliminated the obstacle, Randall.

Now, reflecting on myself, I, Euphemia Grimwood, do not feel any obligation to bring evolution to those who have gathered around me. They can do as they please. They should do what they like, within the realm of mutual respect and consideration, of course.

The essential premise for this is not to let anything be taken away from us. To prevent that, we needed to unite.

So, it's not so much about blending together as it is about collaborating on tasks. The difference might seem subtle, but it’s significant in its own way.

 

---

Since we began constructing the fortress, I’ve been patrolling the Grimoire’s domain in a carriage. Until now, the taurus beastmen stuck together, and the Bernard clan of dog beastmen took care of the horses, transporting goods by carriage.

Exceptionally, in the development of the demon wilderness, kobolds, orcs, taurus beastmen men, lizard beastmen, and demons worked together, led by Biante.

Currently, Grimoire’s domain is a mix of various races—let’s call them races. They are positioned and assigned tasks as needed to achieve our goals. The key is proper instructions and coordination, though there might be other necessary elements. I am not a perfect superhuman; I’m just a very cute girl.

Fortunately, we had capable field commanders. In Sutin Village, the orcs continued farming, grinding wheat into flour, packing it into hemp sacks woven by kobolds, and loading them onto empty carts. Montego, who somehow became the village representative, handled these tasks smoothly.

In the demon wilderness, we temporarily shifted focus from development to hunting, dedicating many people to fortress construction. Hunting was primarily done, with processing as needed, and goods were accumulated on carts.

In the rocky area of Dubil, many people were engaged in mass-producing rebar, with tools like shovels made by Raft, and collecting iron ingots and magic ores from dungeon attacks. Gathering the necessary 'parts' was challenging, but the blacksmiths seemed to enjoy their grueling work.

As the chairman of the committee for promoting adequate meals and breaks, I couldn’t get the blacksmiths to comply. They insisted on keeping the fires burning and refused to stop, preferring to do nothing rather than let the fires die.

I’ll need to find a way to procure alcohol to reward them eventually. Dwarves are synonymous with alcohol, and Dubil was no exception. I should provide drinks for the workers and those involved in dungeon attacks.

Although I probably wouldn’t get drunk even if I drank.

The collected goods were transported by Zonda Pauga and the orcs, pulling the carts by hand like trailer trucks. The carts and axles were made with magic iron to withstand the weight pulled by the over 2.5-meter-tall pig beastmen.

Everything converged on fortress construction, supervised by Biante Grimoire and Regalo, a former mage of Spade territory.

Biante, as I had anticipated, was adept at organizing people and managing tasks. This quality, a blend of leadership and strictness, made her suitable for the job. Regalo excelled at conveying instructions, adapting his communication to suit his audience. He found key figures among the workers, taught them details, and controlled the flow of information, a skill likely honed from his time as a company commander in the mage corps despite being a commoner.

I had to keep an eye on everything. At the very least, Euphemia Grimwood needed to be seen as attentive to everyone’s needs. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I deemed it necessary. I wasn’t noble enough to enjoy leisurely sipping tea while everyone else worked hard.

Thus, I patrolled the sites in my carriage.

Surprisingly, there were almost no significant problems. Given my belief that people inevitably clash, it was curious that there were no disputes.

“You don’t understand your own worth,” said Serena, the idle fox spirit, laughing softly as if she found great amusement.

“You’re not that oblivious, are you, Euphemia Grimwood? Everyone is happy to work for you. Now that you’re finally giving orders, it’s as if they’ve been waiting eagerly.”

“It’s quite odd. Everyone is infatuated with such a young girl... Although, even Carroza is moved.”

With a sigh of exasperation, Maya spoke. These two and Alto Bernard, the coachman, accompanied me on my patrols.

“That sullen woman? I thought she could be useful since she wasn’t as physically inclined as the others.”

When looking for personnel to find water sources, I found Carroza conveniently there. She had been considered useless by her fellow demons since her days in Yunofeliza, a testament to the demon race’s violent, merit-based values.

There’s no need for everyone to be exceptionally talented. Even without remarkable abilities, everyone has a role. As the saying goes, people are resources to be utilized.

“But what will you do if someone truly useless shows up? Letting them eat for free isn't something we can afford—”

“We actually can.”

I cut Maya off before she could finish. Her wide-eyed surprise made her look cuter than usual, though not as cute as me.

“Can? We can? We're already struggling to transport enough food as it is.”

“We have enough reserves to feed everyone and still have a surplus. We've been stockpiling food from the very beginning, focusing on securing and preserving supplies.”

“Now that you mention it, you refused to share wheat with the Anti-Lion Coalition, didn’t you? Were you anticipating that we’d grow this much?”

“Not at all.”

I answered Serena's question immediately. It wasn’t as if I had foreseen our confrontation with the humans when we helped Montego and his group. Food was simply vital.

Most asian countries back then before the advent of the all-in-one-food supplements, can't live without rice. In Japan's ancient history specifically, rice production was equivalent to military power. In early economics, it was said that humans engaged in other industries only with surplus food. Without enough to eat, one’s life would be a constant struggle to find food.

That's a life I’d rather avoid.

Of course, if one chose to live self-sufficiently in some secluded forest or mountain without interacting with others, that might be fine. But where in this world is such a place where one can live peacefully in isolation? In this fantasy world, such a place might exist. Perhaps even on modern Global Earth, it could be possible.

Unfortunately, I can’t imagine such a place.

Therefore, a life constantly seeking food is not something I aim for.

Besides, I probably wouldn’t die even if I didn’t eat.

 

---

Upon arriving at the construction site amidst light-hearted conversation, we found half of the workers had ceased their activities.

It wasn’t a scheduled break, nor had the sun set.

This could only mean one thing...

"Did something happen?"

Could it be an accident? If so, the PDCA cycle needs to be implemented. Hopefully, any injuries are minor... Yet, with a project of this magnitude, especially with a group of amateurs, accidents are almost inevitable.

Suppressing a sense of foreboding, I directed the carriage to stop in front of the dormitory and disembarked at Serena’s urging.

"Ah... Euphemia, you're finally here."

Greeting me with a visible sigh of relief was Regalo, a scruffy-looking man with a perpetual five o'clock shadow.

"What happened?"

I asked directly. There had to be a reason for the workers to stop, and from what I could see, a crowd had gathered in what appeared to be the dining area of the dormitory.

As I watched, the crowd parted.

Someone began to walk forward, the gathered people stepping aside to clear a path for them.

"A girl claiming to be the 'Beast King's daughter' has arrived."

Regalo responded succinctly, then added after a moment’s thought:

"Zonda has vouched for her identity. She’s the daughter of Randall Kruger—she’s definitely Randall’s daughter."

"Hmm...?"

I didn’t bother asking Regalo why she was here. It was easier to ask her directly.

The girl walked confidently towards us through the parted crowd. She was much shorter than Randall but probably taller than me—maybe around Maya’s height.

Her hair, reminiscent of a lion’s mane with its tawny hue, bore a striking resemblance to Randall’s. Her thick hair spread out wildly, enhancing her leonine appearance unlike Lex who look more like an hairless lion. She bore similar beastly traits to Brandon, a human with pronounced animal features.

A thick, rope-like tail extended from her back, and she wore plain gym clothes that, while not exactly flattering, emphasized her feline agility.

She looked to be in her late teens, exuding a mix of youthful vigor and feminine charm—like a bud on the verge of blooming.

Her face, brimming with life, was set in a self-assured, almost playful smile.

"You must be Euphemia Grimwood! I am Lapis! Lapis Kruger, daughter of Beast King Randall Kruger."

With a dramatic flourish, she announced herself, puffing out her chest like the sound effect of a booming drum might follow.

I mirrored her bravado, straightening my posture and responding confidently:

"I am Euphemia. Euphemia Grimwood. The leader of this group. What business does the Beast King’s daughter have in my domain?"

"Ah... right, Father has passed away. My brother is now the Beast King. I heard from the she-hairless that you were involved in Father's death and my brother's ascension. She said there might be something for me to gain here, suggesting you were an obstacle in my way!"

Laps laughed heartily, resembling her father more than her brother, Brandon.

"I heard you were allowed to stay in the capital with my father's permission. Thus, you would permit me to stay here too. Besides, Zonda is also here with you."

"Is staying your goal?"

"No, it's not! Staying is just a means to an end! I came to observe, to learn, to think about various things. If I find you all to be worthless, my claws will tear you apart!"

"Leave."

I said firmly.

But she didn’t.