After Being Sold Out By The Empire, I Decide To Assist The Demon King

The heavy snow blanketed the land between tribes, turning everything into a vast, white world... The fruits and magic beasts that could usually be seen everywhere were no longer in sight. Forget about the future, everyone's food supply was already hard to secure now.

At present, almost all the beastmen had gathered near the Furry Tribe, building makeshift shelters, and supporting each other, barely sustaining everyone as they tried to get through this disaster.

For the theocratic country and the Demon King Territory to the south, the temperature in this calamity was no different from any other winter... But for the Beastman Country, or the more northern Duchy, it was colder than a normal winter.

And the most fatal thing wasn't the cold, but the sudden drop that forced the beastmen of the Slippery Tribe into hibernation, along with the heavy snow that was not previously common in the Beastman Country.

The snow covered many things, food included.

The only fortunate thing, or the consolation found in this calamity, was... The Beastman Country didn't rely heavily on agriculture, so there wouldn't be an autumn harvest. As long as they got through this calamity, the next normal winter would be easier.

This was unlike the human nations.

...

"We should head back... Three survivors are ready to be carried."

"Hmm."

The rescue team responsible for searching for the missing in the snow naturally rotated shifts... The beastmen of the Furry Tribe, whether dogs, cats, or birds, would all participate in the rescue efforts in turns.

As for why the members of the Slippery Tribe didn't go... Sending them would just be sending more bodies.

"The last area of the Slippery Tribe's main territory has been fully rescued. Next, we'll check the scattered smaller tribes around... Whew~"

A young female rabbit beastman said this while sniffing... As a female beastman and a rabbit beastman, she inevitably felt unwell in such weather.

Simply put, she had caught a cold.

After all, she was someone with relatively scarce mana within her body. Though slightly better off than a complete novice, she might have frozen to death if she were human.

Still, she participated in the rescue operations.

Though it was very cold and there had been cases where other team members didn't make it back, with a bit of luck... they might save more companions who would otherwise die in the snow.

This was the meaning of the rescue team's existence. It could even be said... Seeking warmth and helping each other were the very reasons for the Beastman Country's existence, a deeply-rooted concept among tribes and beastmen.

"Rubite, how are you doing?"

Beside the rabbit beastman, a beastman with dog ears asked her this... because the rabbit beastman named Rubite didn't seem to be in good shape from the start.

In response, Rubite shook her head decisively. Although she felt uncomfortable, it wasn't to the point of being unsustainable. She replied, "I'm all..."

Before she could finish the word "right," her half-numb leg kicked a hidden protrusion under the snow... A small, frozen tree stump concealed by snow.

"Thump~"

Rubite fell into the snow, leaving a person-shaped hole in the deep snow... Of course, this snow hole also had traces of rabbit ears, unlike a regular person-shaped hole.

Seeing this, the other rescue team members, except for the three carrying unconscious beastmen, turned their attention to Rubite. She quickly got up before anyone could come to help, not looking too bedraggled... The snow on the ground was the dry kind.

Not wet, nor particularly sticky to clothes, it wouldn't soak them—white and fluffy, like tufts of cotton. The tribe's children would probably love it during a normal winter, right?

But in these circumstances, it was hard to find any pleasure.

"Are you okay?"

"Ptooey~ I'm fine... Let's keep going..."

Spitting out the snow mixed with her saliva, Rubite said, looking up at the sky filled with swirling snow... *When would this snow stop?* *The name 'Calamity' was really fitting.*

Then, in Rubite's vision, two black dots flew towards them from the sky.

*In such weather, there were still birds flying... No!* *Those weren't birds!*

Realizing they were two humanoid figures, Rubite was about to alert everyone when the figures landed in front of the rescue team.

Gosh, they were so recognizable that everyone immediately knew who they were... Wasn't it Yila?

Before they could wonder why Yila, who had just completed an unprecedented feat—defeating the "outside context problem," would come to the Beastman Country now, Yila explained her purpose—

"I am Yila, Yila Elkaras. I am currently on my way to the Extreme North to investigate this calamity. I heard this calamity has caused you a lot of trouble, so I passed by... to see if the Beastman Country needs any help."

Yila said...

...

*Did they need help?* *A question that hardly needed asking...*

*Yes, they desperately needed help, whether it was food, shelter, the piercing cold, or lost family members—these were all problems the beastman rescue team wanted to shout out.*

But in a way, representing the Beastman Country and owing Yila a favor wasn't good—not that owing a favor was bad, but it made their country look bad.

Or maybe Yila had some hidden agenda... The best choice would be to return to their territory and discuss before deciding.

But no matter what, there wasn't the luxury of taking time... Every passing second could be the difference between life and death for someone buried under the snow.

*At this point, they had to accept any help happily.*

"Could... Could you help us search the nearby snow piles for any of our people buried beneath? Not here, but near the Slippery Tribe."

At the rabbit beastman's request, Yila and Ernie exchanged a glance...

...

Coincidentally, that was exactly the "only" thing they had come to the Beastman Country to do.

"Yael (the surname of a human woman, previously referred to by the first three letters), we're counting on you."

Ernie said.

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Wenresa: "What agreement did you make with her? Why don't I know?"

Human woman: "..."