Wildness and Masks

"Father, why won't you let me interact with those goblins and ogres... aren't you an ogre?"

The child's question left me silent.

From a human perspective, demon beasts and mutants are mostly seen as greedy and brutal...

But demon beasts are not humans, so how can matters between different races be lumped together?

Take ogres, for example. In reality, ogres rarely eat humans—ogres eat anything, even their own kind from different tribes.

But compared to the magic lions on the other side of the forest, ogres eat very few humans...

At least, ogres eat humans to fill their stomachs, not for other reasons.

It's just because of their terrifying appearance that humans use them to scare children, and that's how we became known as ogres. I remember the old wizard telling me that humans originally called us Jungle Sub-Trolls.

In fact, in the eyes of most demon beasts, humans are the brutal ones—they invade our homes, enslave and hunt demon beasts, and their actions are not for survival, but for so-called money.

I never understood why humans would wage wars against each other for money... even to the point of killing their own kind.

Of course, I can't tell Ogre all of this directly.

After all, he is human.

"You are human, and to humans, goblins, ogres, and other demon beasts are dangerous, greedy, and brutal. They are your enemies, and you must never feel even a shred of sympathy for them..."

Yes, I hate them too...

But I won't deliberately slander them.

"But aren't you a good father? Aren't there any good ogres or goblins?" Ogre asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps there are, but they probably all died." I pointed to a broken sword not far away and said to Ogre, "The owner of that broken sword was once a kind human woman, and in the end, she died because of her kindness."

Perhaps, that's just how the world is.

But should good people meet such an end?

I don't know, I can't figure it out, and I don't want to understand...

"Ogre, to judge whether someone is noble, you must look at their soul. A race doesn't represent anything, but remember, protecting yourself is always the most important."

"Father, I understand."

***

"Father, Bunny... it stopped moving..."

Magic rabbits have a short lifespan, usually less than three years. When I caught it, it was probably over a year old, so it's normal for it to die.

"Silly child, it's already dead..."

"Dead... but nothing hurt Bunny, why did it die for no reason?" the child asked me.

This left me at a loss for words. I didn't know how to answer because I had never thought about these things.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death seem to be destined from the start.

But in the end, I opened my mouth to explain:

"Death is just returning to the place we were before we came into this world. Even without injury, every life has a limited time in this world."

"But father, why can Bunny only stay for two years..." Ogre asked me.

I know, he's always been so eager to learn.

"I don't know, maybe this world is inherently unfair. The life of a magic rabbit is like this, and to us, it's very short. But if you think about it, our life is also short to long-lived elves and demons. I think the time we live in this world doesn't matter in length but in whether it's meaningful."

I told Ogre.

That was the thought I had after wandering for so long—because Ogre is my meaning.

I don't know how long I can live, but I can vaguely feel that my mind is not as clear as before, and my body is not as strong as it used to be.

I'm not worried about aging and death, I'm just worried that Ogre will lose care.

"Father, I don't quite understand... it just feels a bit uncomfortable."

"Child, one day you'll understand. Come on, let's go bury Bunny." I didn't explain much to Ogre, just ruffled his hair.

One day, he'll understand, but it will be too cruel for him.

For now, he should be carefree.

"Ogre, why don't I teach you the Ogre Language..." I suggested to Ogre.

Perhaps letting him understand the Ogre Language is a good thing.

Recently, my father, the chief of the ogre tribe, seems to be preparing to establish the Ogre Kingdom...

To be honest, I don't have high hopes for him...

***

As expected.

My lack of hope was justified.

The establishment of the Ogre Kingdom immediately attracted a powerful human Professional purge...

Fortunately, it has nothing to do with me, I have no feelings for that place.

But the heightened alert and the chaotic demon beasts made it more difficult to obtain food.

Perhaps it's time for Ogre to leave here.

Since encountering humans, I've realized how vast the world is.

It turns out this world is very big, and there are humans across the sea—I've heard that the continent to the east is more civilized and powerful, though I don't know if it's true.

I also don't know if the ogres there are the same as ours...

But the stronger and more civilized humans are, the better, so Ogre will be safer.

During this time, I've taught Ogre everything I know. This child learns quickly, whether it's hand-to-hand combat or weapons. In this regard, he seems more like a warrior than I do.

***

"Father!!!"

This is the first time I've lain in Ogre's arms. Has he grown so much without me noticing?

Time flies so fast, fourteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. I always wanted to send him away, but in the end, I was selfish.

"It's okay, I knew this day would come..." I tried to smile as I spoke to Ogre, but my wounds made me grimace.

Fortunately, Ogre has grown up, and even without me, he can survive.

"Father, who hurt you like this... it's okay, you'll make it through, the herbs, where are the herbs..."

"It's useless... Ogre, I know my body better than you do... listen to me, let me finish my last words, child, I really want to spend more time with you..."

Only now do I understand.

I really, really can't bear to leave this child...

If only I were an ogre wizard, this injury would be nothing with a regeneration spell.

But unfortunately, I'm not.

I can feel death approaching me, even though it's summer, I feel cold.

"Father!"

This is the first time I've seen Ogre cry so sadly.

I want to reach out and wipe away his tears, but my claws have long been lost in this jungle.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault, if it weren't for me... father wouldn't have..."

"Don't cry, child." I rarely interrupt Ogre, but now I have to.

I don't know if it's the ogre's physique taking effect or that so-called flashback, but my words are becoming more fluent.

I can clearly feel death getting closer to me.

"It's not your fault, Ogre, because... with you, I was able to... make it this far. I remember the first time I saw you, you were smiling, you were so cute then... cough cough."

As I coughed up blood again, I realized my time in this world might really be running out: "Ogre, promise me one thing, okay?"

It's such a pity, I only now realize I have so much to say to Ogre...

"Father, I promise you!" Ogre, this child, is as straightforward as ever...

"Don't go looking for who killed me, and don't harbor hatred for the world. Hatred will only hurt you in the end... I don't want to see that happen."

I forced Ogre to nod with my gaze...

At this point, I was starting to lose my mind, I had to quickly explain what needed to be done... that's why I've held on until now.

"Child, remember what I told you—this world has been unfair from the start, so you must become strong, only then can no one bully you.

Under your bed is a map I prepared for you long ago, it can help you a bit.

Every year, mages come to town to test talents, maybe you can try. The wealth I've left for you is enough for you to go to school...

If you don't have the talent for magic, the Church of Truth is also a good choice—you have such strength, you should be selected...

Ogre, you're too handsome, even as a boy, it's not necessarily safe, so you must be as careful as possible...

I've looked into your background.

I feel you're not like a child from an ordinary family... but I'm sorry, all these years I haven't been able to uncover the truth.

I've only found that the surname Kessing might have some connection to you... if you want to investigate your parents, you can try.

After all, you are human... so you should have your own name...

Ah... Ogre.

I really wish I could watch you grow up bit by bit..."

My life flashed before my eyes like a lantern—eventually, I could no longer see or hear...

So this is death...

I hope Ogre, this child, won't be too sad.

It's not worth it.

After all, I'm just a... lousy and selfish father.