VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 11

VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 11

After his artificial left arm had healed and stabilized, Lark and his group went back to the Kingdom of Lukas.

Gorovir promised that the key materials needed for his next body reconstruction would be ready by the time they returned to the Dwarven Kingdom.

“Welcome back, Your Majesty.”

A woman with golden hair, sun-kissed skin, and a bulging belly greeted Lark the moment he stepped foot into the castle. Just like before, Secretary Irene was among the first people to greet Lark upon his return to the Kingdom of Lukas.

Beside Secretary Irene was Anandra, who seemed to be assisting her in everyday matters after she became pregnant.

“Welcome back, Master.”

Anandra bowed politely to Lark, ignoring the smug grins of Austen and George. The brothers were apparently itching to brag about their journey in the land of the dwarves.

“We’re back.”

Lark nodded at the two of them, his eyes moving toward Secretary Irene’s abdomen for a moment. Her belly was still flat when they’d left the kingdom back then, but now, it looked as though she could deliver her child at any moment.

Lark felt a pang of guilt for leaving the matters of the kingdom to her and the former King Alvis. He made a mental note to address the nation’s matters first before leaving again for his next destination. This way, the royal secretary wouldn’t have to carry all of the burdens herself during such crucial moments.

“Did those two do anything to inconvenience you during your journey, Master?” Anandra shot a sharp look at the brothers.

“Not at all.” Lark shook his head.

Anandra was visibly surprised by the response he received from his Master.

He had already been thinking of ways to punish the two the moment he learned of the problems they’d caused in the Dwarven Kingdom.

The two didn’t cause any trouble?

Impossible.

“On the contrary,” said Lark, “they’ve been a great help in killing the leader of the monsters of the Bottomless Gorge. If not for them, the mining of the adamantite would have probably been pushed back by several more months.”

Austen raised his head proudly, while George rubbed his nose arrogantly.

“Hear that, old man?” snickered George. “We were crucial in taking down that monster. You should’ve seen how we slaughtered our way through those monster-infested tunnels! Hahaha!”

“Hehehe, they couldn’t even penetrate my wind barrier!” said Austen.

Since it was their first real battle with monsters, it was understandable that they were quite proud of their accomplishments.

Even Austen, who normally reined in George whenever he boasted about his feats, also bragged about the things they did in the Bottomless Gorge.

“The strongest shield, and the strongest spear!” said George. “Old man! You should’ve seen how—oh, oops! Kehehehe! You wouldn’t know since you weren’t included in the trip.”

“Hey, he might cry, you know~” added Austen.

Drunk in glory, the two momentarily forgot how scary their senior disciple could be. They kept blabbering about how great their magic was and how they easily pushed through hordes of monsters one after another, eventually meeting the boss monster.

Of course, they left out the part where they pissed their pants from utter terror.

Meanwhile, Anandra simply listened, already thinking of ways to increase the difficulty of their next training.

Anandra vindictively looked forward to these two braggarts begging for mercy once that day came.

“Haaah, that felt so refreshing!” said George.

“I’m really glad I came along on this trip!” said Austen.

Lark sighed. “The two of you. That’s enough. Let’s go inside.”

“Yes, Master~”

On the way to the king’s office, Lark apologized to Secretary Irene for always burdening her with the nation’s affairs whenever he went out.

“This time, I’ll stay a bit longer, at least until you’ve delivered your child. No, I’ll stay even longer than that.”

Secretary Irene smiled. “There’s no need for His Majesty to apologize. My job as the royal secretary is tiring, that’s true, but I love it. Especially crushing the corrupt nobles— hehehe, it’s really thrilling.”

“…Is that so?”

For a moment, Lark felt killing intent from Secretary Irene when she uttered those last few words.

After realizing that Lark truly intended to shield her from any harm, she had become fearless in confronting the roots of evil in this kingdom.

Of course, there were people like Big Mona whom she knew not to touch. Still, the power she currently held was more than enough to crush even minor nobles with just a word.

The royal secretary had been so thorough with her goal of eradicating corruption in the government that she had been dubbed the King’s Sword instead of Captain Symon.

“If you’re worried about my health, please be at ease. I plan on taking leave several days before my estimated delivery date. And during my absence, Mokuva Boris will take on my role. The kingdom will be in good hands, so please feel free to do what you must, Your Majesty.”

How reliable.

She was basically saying that it would be fine even if he left for the southern nations immediately.

Lark could truly feel the fruits of his efforts in recruiting talented people back when he first ascended the throne. Without them, he would have been stuck in the Kingdom of Lukas, drowning in mountains of documents every day.

He was truly blessed with gifted vassals.

Upon entering the king’s office, Lark looked over some pending documents, stamped them, and started inquiring about recent news—not only in the kingdom but on the continent.

“Your Majesty is already aware of the formation of the Pendara Coalition. Our intelligence network revealed that they’ve recently started building a large military base at the junction of the Principality, the Three States Alliance, and the Kingdom of Steelwall. We also learned that Rivermouth has started widening the water channels leading from their port city to the Mullgray Sea.”

Lark nodded in understanding. “They’re really intent on incorporating the pirate fleets into their reinforcements, huh?”

“Yes, we believe so, Your Majesty.”

“How about our letter to the Dukedom of Mauko and the Kingdom of Thornforge?”

As though she had already expected the king to ask about these matters as soon as he arrived, Secretary Irene took out two letters from her pocket and respectfully handed them to King Lark.

The first letter was from the Dukedom of Mauko.

“We’ve received a response from both nations, Your Majesty. First is the Dukedom of Mauko,” said Secretary Irene as Lark started reading the contents of the Dukedom’s letter.

“Hm… This is…”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Dukedom said they are open to the idea of joining the Coalition, but under the condition that the United Grakas Alliance concedes their claim of ownership to the Mauko Plains.”

Mauko Plains was the territory where the Rabbit Tribe used to live before. Of course, the beastmen called it by another name.

Although it was a massive grassland, it was fairly barren and unable to grow most types of grains. Still, land was land, and despite its shortcomings, the Mauko Plains was a source of food for their Dukedom.

Like the Aden Region of the Kingdom of Lukas, this territory had been a basis of dispute between the Dukedom of Mauko and the United Grakas Alliance for generations.

Thankfully, the soldiers of the Dukedom never attacked any territories beyond the Mauko Plains. Most of the conflicts were between the human soldiers and the rabbit beastmen, and they were limited to skirmishes or small wars.

Had it not been for this, the Beast King would have waged war with the Dukedom of Mauko by now.

“We’ve learned that Van Bucky and Hatch of the Whale Tribe requested the Beast King to move the Rabbit Tribe to a different territory. The Beast King agreed, and a different tribe is now living in the Mauko Plains, Your Majesty.”

“I see.”

Lark immediately understood the effects of this relocation. The rabbits were the weakest beastmen in the entire United Grakas Alliance, and it would have been easy for the soldiers of the Dukedom to suppress them in the Mauko Plains.

But things would be different if a more powerful tribe took their place.

The Dukedom of Mauko must have been feeling increasing military tension along their borders after another tribe took residence in the plains. Thus, they requested Lark to mediate on their behalf in return for joining the Coalition.

“Your Majesty, our relationship with the United Grakas Alliance might sour if we help the Dukedom claim ownership over the plains.”

“I know that,” said Lark. “And considering the Beast King’s personality, I doubt he’ll agree to their demands. I’ll see what I can do about it when I visit the south. How about Thorneforge?”

“We’ve received a positive response… but…”

“Hm?”

Secretary Irene paused, a bit unsure of how to phrase her next words.

“They are demanding… no, requesting that we solidify the alliance through a matrimonial bond.”

“Hah~”

Lark found the demand amusing but not surprising.

As the King of Lukas and the leader of the Coalition, he was aware of how much power and influence he currently wielded in this world.

Even Emperor Sylvius Lockheart Mavis was willing to throw his daughter to him—it wouldn’t be surprising for others to think the same way.

“They want you to marry the king’s only daughter, Princess Vivienne. I heard she’s incredibly smart and beautiful. The only problem is her age. At thirty-five, she’s way older than His Majesty—”

“—Absolutely not!”

A shout was heard from the corner of the room.

Lady Alice, who had been silently listening to the conversation until now, looked flustered upon realizing what she’d done.

Embarrassed by her outburst, her face flushed but she didn’t avert her gaze.

She muttered, “I mean… it’s unfair. I mean… s-shouldn’t His Majesty marry only the woman he actually likes? Marrying for the sake of politics… it feels very wrong…”

Lark chuckled, “Don’t worry, Lady Alice. I have no intention of marrying someone I don’t like.”

Lady Alice’s face visibly brightened upon hearing that statement.

Secretary Irene smirked. “I agree with His Majesty. Those conceited bastards.”

For a moment, everyone looked at her in shock. Although she had a fierce personality, the royal secretary always maintained decency whenever she met with King Lark. This was one of the few moments she openly cursed.

“Who are they to think of coercing His Majesty like this?” said Secretary Irene, her voice laced with poison. “Does the Kingdom of Thornforge really think they have any leeway on this deal?”

Secretary Irene’s stance and belief on the matter were quite grounded. Even the others in the office found it laughable that they were demanding Lark to marry the princess as a condition for joining the Coalition.

First, the Kingdom of Thorneforge was a small nation. They were only a little smaller than the Kingdom of Lukas, that’s true, but their military was several times inferior.

The Kingdom of Lukas, under the regime of King Lark Marcus, held unfathomable military might right now.

Even the Emperor had to bow his head to King Lark. And even the Emperor failed to pair his daughter with him. So, who did those fools from the Kingdom of Thornforge think they were?

If King Lark was going to have a political marriage in the first place, then the obvious choice would have been Princess Luna of the Great Empire.

“I see that everyone is clearly against the Kingdom of Thornforge’s proposal, but political matters like this should be handled with care. Secretary Irene.”

“Your Majesty.”

“Send a message immediately to Thornforge. Tell them that I am greatly flattered by their offer, but I cannot marry the princess. Include in the letter how Emperor Sylvius wants to pair me up with Princess Luna, and that if we proceed with a political marriage with Thornforge, it might anger the Empire. I’ll leave it up to your discretion on how to write our response.”

“Understood.”

It may seem like a cowardly move to include the Empire in the marriage proposal’s rejection, but it was the safest way out for now.

“How about the Dukedom? Should I also send a letter to them, Your Majesty?”

“No. I’ll visit the Dukedom personally soon. Of course, I’ll drop by the United Grakas Alliance first and discuss the Dukedom’s demands with the Beast King in person.”

The Dukedom of Mauko’s demand may seem preposterous, but maybe it would be possible to find a compromise if Lark discussed the matter with the White Lion.

Later, Lark would drop by Blackstone City on the way, visit the United Grakas Alliance to meet with the Beast King, and head to the Dukedom of Mauko to discuss their proposal to join the Coalition.

***

[Demon Realm]

It was uncertain at first, but after several months of absence, it had been confirmed that the Demon Lord Barkuvara had left the Demon Realm.

The Demon Lord’s absence, coupled with the Fire Elemental Lord Candela’s grave injury, pushed the Lord of the Red Tower to become bolder.

“Master… I’m afraid that the plan this time is a bit too risky.”

Muuka muttered as he watched millions of demons under their command marching toward the Volcanic Region.

After seeing the Fire Elemental Lord Candela’s injuries through the vision crystal, Elrenar felt a surge of greed in his heart. He ordered the demons they’d managed to subjugate to prepare for war and march toward the Volcanic Region, where Candela was currently recuperating.

“Muuka, I understand your concerns,” said Elrenar. “But with the Immortal Demon gone, this is our only chance of claiming absolute reign in the Demon Realm. If we don’t move now, Candela will eventually regain its previous strength. If it manages to fully heal its injuries, even if we combine all our forces, it’ll be impossible to take it down.”

After defeating the Demon Lord Barkuvara in battle, the Fire Elemental Lord Candela had become the undisputed strongest existence in the Demon Realm.

Luckily, Candela was currently severely injured. Although it had won the battle, the wounds it had sustained were so severe that it was on its last breaths.

Still, as tenacious as it was, the Red Tower knew that the Fire Elemental Lord Candela would eventually recover its strength given enough time.

This was the reason Elrenar ordered his army to strike now.
If they waited any longer, they would miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

“Hehehehe… Hahahaha!” laughed Elrenar. “I’ve absorbed only a little bit of the flesh we obtained from Candela, but look at how strong I’ve become! A little bit more, and it’ll be possible for me to completely assimilate with the head of Agreas!”

The flesh of the strongest existence in the Demon Realm was like a miracle drug.

Like a potent tonic, the assimilation rate of Elrenar and Agreas’s head hastened after he absorbed some of Candela’s flesh.

Moreover, they found that Candela’s flesh was capable of strengthening the overall prowess of the one who consumed it.

The Fire Elemental Lord was no different from a living, moving elixir.

“It’s a shame we didn’t manage to obtain the flesh of Barkuvara due to Plagas’s betrayal, but no matter. If we manage to kill Candela while it’s severely weakened, we’ll have enough flesh to strengthen our army.”

Once that happened, making the other demon tribes who had yet to submit to the Red Tower bow down would no longer be a dream.

By then, the Red Tower would become the ruler of the Demon Realm!

“Go, my army! For the great cause!” shouted Elrenar. “Bring the Fire Elemental Lord Candela’s head to me!”

While the Human Realm was enjoying its temporary peace, the life of Evander Alaester’s teacher was about to be extinguished.

The demons under the command of Elrenar continued their march.

And soon, they reached the Volcanic Region where Candela was recuperating.

“Stop! You cannot go past this point!”

An army of imps blocked the Red Tower army’s path. Although there were nearly ten thousand of them, their numbers looked pitiful compared to the millions of demons under the Red Tower’s banner.

The peace-loving fire imps, more benevolent and kinder than any other demon tribe, raised their arms to defend Candela in its vulnerable moment.

“We’ve been receiving Candela’s protection for generations! Now, it’s our turn to protect the fire spirit! You’ll need to go past our dead bodies if you want to touch even Candela’s fingers!”

The imps looked close to crying. They were trembling.

They were smaller than even the flesh eaters, and the weapons most of them carried weren’t suited for a war as big as this one.

Still, despite their apparent fear, they didn’t back down.

The fire imps had already resolved to protect Candela this time, no matter what.