VOLUME 11: CHAPTER 5

Real life was a bit busy lately. Sorry for the delay. 

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VOLUME 11: CHAPTER 5

“Such a wonderful day!”

The Scylla happily flapped its wings as it flew southward, toward the direction of the United Grakas Alliance. Every now and then, it would glance at Lark and at the golden throne he was sitting on.

“We’re really glad we’ve made a golden throne for you, God Evander! How was it!”

Lark chuckled. He could feel the pride within the Scylla’s voice. “Thank you for preparing this for me. It’s quite comfortable, Blackie.”

Hearing this, the Scylla’s entire body stiffened for a moment.

“T-To hear such words!”

“W-We are unworthy!”

“T-This much is natural, G-God Evander!”

Lark had gotten used to the quirks of the Scylla by now, and he’d already learned to distinguish between its expressions. And currently, he was certain that the Scylla was broadly smiling after receiving his praise. Its tail wagged as it flew in the sky.

“Hey, King Lark,” said Agnus in a low voice almost akin to a whisper. “Are you sure about that?”

Lark looked at him quizzically. “About what?”

“That thing,” Agnus pointed at the golden throne Lark was sitting on. “Are you really going to visit United Grakas Alliance while sitting on that throne?”

Unlike Lark, Chryselle, Anandra, and Agnus were sitting on the Scylla’s black, iridescent scales. The ostentatious throne made it seem like the three were Lark’s servants.

Lark said confidently, “What’s there to worry about? I like it.”

Lark could understand where Agnus was coming from. They were going to a hostile nation while riding a seven-headed creature. Moreover, the beastmen would see Lark sitting on an extravagant, golden throne. If Lark was in their position, even he would find it overbearing.

Lark would normally refuse to arrive in such a fashion, but he deemed that Blackie’s intentions and feelings mattered more than the opinions of the beastmen.

“Hey, lizard,” growled the first head. “Do you have a problem with the throne we’ve made for God Evander?”

Although Agnus spoke in a low voice, the Scylla clearly heard it. All seven heads murderously glared at Agnus. They took the young dragon’s words personally.

“Appearances are important in diplomacy matters,” Agnus didn’t cower. “I’m simply worried of what the beastmen would think of King Lark if he arrived while sitting on that ostentatious throne.”

“Bah! Appearance this! Appearance that!” said the first head. “What do you know, hatchling!”

The first head moved closer to Agnus and stopped just a meter away from him. It hissed, “Listen, kid. A God does not need to mind the opinions of mere mortals. And this truth applies to God Evander. Do you understand?”

“You damn fanatic,” Agnus clicked his tongue. He crossed his arms and turned his head away. “Do what you want.”

The first head snorted.

The fourth head gazed at Lark. After several seconds of hesitation, it cleared its throat, then said, “God Evander. If you ever find yourself thirsty, please open the box below the throne’s seat. We’ve stored several refreshments there.”

The Scylla was meticulous. When Lark opened the box, he found not only elven wines but also several fruits and cured meat. There were also tableware made of gold inside. And there were even napkins made of fine silk.

“I’ve ordered the elves to offer me the finest wines stored in their Palace’s cellar,” said Blackie. “Those wines should be of the highest quality, God Evander.”

“Elven wines?” said Chryselle.

As the daughter of one of the richest merchants in the entire nation, Chryselle had tasted the finest wines the Kingdom had to offer. But even she hadn’t tasted elven wine before.

“Want one?” said Lark.

“I’d love to, Master,” said Chryselle.

“And you, Anandra?” said Lark.

“I’ll pass,” said Anandra.

Agnus curiously looked at the bottle Lark had just taken out. “Hmmm… elven wine. I’ve tasted dwarven wine before, but never those made by the elves. Let me have some, King L—”

“—They’re not for you, lizard,” interjected Blackie. “Don’t you dare take a single sip.”

“Hmph! Dwarven wine is incomparably better anyway!” said Agnus. “King Lark, if it’s just wine, I can ask Lerenon for centuries-old wine if you want. I’m sure they’ll taste far better than the ones made by those stupid long ears.”

“Kakaka! They’ll taste better? Keep talking, hatchling!” Blackie laughed mockingly. “What does a kid like you know, anyway? Dwarven wine is better than elven wine? Hah!”

Agnus didn’t back down. He smirked, “Dwarves are known not only for their blacksmithing skills, but also for their insatiable desire for alcohol. The entire nation is composed of alcoholics! Even Rugard, the Dwarven Capital, is named after the best ale in their nation!”

“Naming their capital after a mere ale! How pathetic!” sneered Blackie. “The wines I’ve given to God Evander were offered to me by the Elven King himself! I’m certain it’s of higher quality than the ones those damn mountain dwellers drink all day!”

While listening to the squabble, Lark opened a wine bottle and took out two golden goblets. He filled two cups and handed one of them to Chryselle.

“Thank you, Master,” said Chryselle. Her gaze moved toward the scenery below. She, too, started ignoring the bickering of the Scylla and Agnus. “That’s the famous Valley of Witches, isn’t it?”

Their group had already reached the Aden Territory, the place that served as the border between the Kingdom of Lukas and the United Grakas Alliance. The Valley of Witches was a walled fortress located inside a valley, right at the heart of the Aden region.

Lark sipped his wine, amplified his eyesight with mana, and looked at the fortress below. From here, he could see the tall and wide walls and the soldiers stationed on the battlements. He could also see the ballistae and the other defensive mechanisms installed on the walls.

“I believe so,” said Lark. “It’s the only fortress in this area.”

According to Secretary Irene, Sword Saint Alexander had already resigned as the Mercenary Guild leader and returned to the Valley of Witches. The Sword Saint was already old, and it seemed he planned on spending his remaining days there. Currently, he held the highest authority in the fortress. He was in charge of facilitating the training of the soldiers, fortifying the fortress’ defenses, and he also took part in its administrative affairs.

“You damn lizard! If you don’t stop yapping that mouth, I’ll throw you off my back!”

“Hah! I can fly myself there! And if needed, I can even carry King Lark on my back!”

“This hatchling! I’ll kill you!”

“Try it! Let’s see if the tricks you used on my father will work on me!”

The squabble between the two mythical creatures started escalating. Agnus even started preparing to undo his polymorph to fight against the Scylla.

“Master, aren’t you going to stop them?” said Chryselle. She was worried that the two would really start killing each other.

Lark put his goblet down. “That’s enough. If the two of you don’t stop fighting, I’ll leave both of you behind and just fly to our destination myself. Of course, I’ll take my two disciples with me.”

Lark’s threat was extremely effective. Without uttering another word, the two immediately stopped fighting. Agnus crossed his arms, snorted, and closed his eyes to calm his anger. Blackie, on the other hand, lowered its head apologetically.

Finding the two pitiful, Chryselle said, “It’s alright. Master isn’t fond of alcohol anyway. Don’t you like sweets more, Master?”

All seven heads rose, and their eyes opened wide. They expectantly looked at Chryselle.

“Is that true, young lady?!” said Blackie.

Chryselle gazed at Lark and waited for him to confirm those words himself.

“Well,” said Lark slowly, “it’s true that I prefer sweets over alcohol.”

“Ohhh! Then!” Blackie’s eyes lit up. “We’ll make sure to prepare them next time, God Evander!”

Chryselle was quite shrewd. There shouldn’t be much competition this way, as neither the dwarves nor the elves were famous for their desserts.

Lark smiled. “I’ll forward to it.”

“Yes, God Evander!”

“Of course!”

“Please leave it to us!”

Their journey became peaceful after that. For hours, they continued flying, until eventually, they arrived at the Bull Tribe’s territory.

According to history, the Bull Tribe and the Gorilla Tribe used to live in the Aden Territory before the Lukasians annexed that region. But after the United Grakas Alliance lost the war against the Tyrant King, the Bull Tribe was forced to move to these hills.

From the sky, Lark’s group saw hundreds of dome-shaped stone houses scattered about in the hills. There were also several dozen wooden watch towers strategically placed in various locations. Unlike humans, the cities of beastmen weren’t enclosed by walls. This was probably among the reasons why the beatmen lost the Aden Territory to the Tyrant King, despite the beastmen’s superior strength.

“The city looks too peaceful, Master,” said Chryselle.

There didn’t see any commotion below. And they didn’t see any army gathering nearby.

“The news of the portal opening probably hadn’t reached this place yet,” said Lark.

Although the rifts probably passed through here before reaching the southern part of the United Grakas Alliance, the bull beastmen probably dismissed it as nothing but a strange phenomenon in the sky.

Otherwise, the Bull Tribe would have already rallied their warriors by now to participate in the war.

“Should we go down, God Evander?” said Blackie.

“No,” said Lark. “Keep flying. Even if we go down and inform the Bull Tribe of what’s happening, it’ll take some time before they can even gather their army. It’ll be nothing but a waste of time.”

“Understood, My God,” said Blackie.

The Scylla continued flying southward. They passed through the territory of the Gorilla Tribe, they flew past the rocky region where the Ogre Tribe lived, and eventually, they reached the City of Magna – the place where the War of the Three Gods was currently being held.

The City of Magna was surprisingly large. If Lark was not mistaken, it was probably twice as large as Behemoth City, the capital of the Kingdom of Lukas. Although it wasn’t enclosed by walls, there were twelve large stone towers surrounding it from all directions. And right next to these towers were massive barracks filled with beastmen warriors.

The houses were made of stone, and the roads were paved, with numerous horses and burrcats pulling carriages.

It was a bustling city that housed several hundred thousand beastmen.

And at the center of this city was a massive coliseum where a tournament was taking place.

***

[Magna Coliseum]

“And now! We’re finally on the second to the last day of the tournament! The semi-finals!”

The Coliseum Master’s voice resounded in the Magna Coliseum. The crowd cheered and started chanting the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!” in unison.

The tournament should have ended long ago, had the arena not been destroyed by Hatch during his fight against Van in the second round. Due to that incident, the tournament was postponed by a couple of days.

Fortunately, the fight was so fierce and memorable that none of the spectators uttered a word of complaint. The audience was willing to wait several days if they could witness such a battle again.

“Four beastmen have successfully reached the semi-finals!” said the Coliseum Master. He started announcing the names of the semi-finalists one by one.

“Van Bucky of the Rabbit Tribe!”

The crowd frenzily cheered the moment Van started walking toward the center of the arena.

“It’s Van!”

“Hope you make it to the finals, rabbit!”

“Fight against Hatch again!”

“You can do it, toothface!”

Van’s popularity reached great heights after his battle against Hatch. Even the Coliseum Master could confidently say that he was the most popular participant right now.

There was something novel about a rabbit reaching the semi-finals. Moreover, this same rabbit was strong enough to fight on par against the so-called strongest whale beastman.

It was something unprecedented, and it was no wonder the audience were all hyped up.

The Coliseum Master announced the second semi-finalist.

“Garkawi of the Gorilla Tribe!”

A massive gorilla beastman with black and silver fur walked toward the center of the arena. He was one of the favorites to win the tournament this year. The son of the late General Urkawi who led the Third Legion.

Garkawi stood a few meters away from Van and didn’t utter a word.

The Coliseum Master announced the name of the third semi-finalist.

“Urza of the Bear Tribe!”

Urza, a bear beastman with numerous scars on his face, was the last tournament’s previous winner. After winning the tournament, he evoked his right and challenged the Beast King in a fight. Unfortunately, the gap between the two were wide. It was a humiliating defeat back then. The Beast King defeated Urza in just a single strike.

Still, that defeat didn’t dishearten Urza. For the past four years, he trained every day without rest, and he even participated in numerous skirmishes.

Despite knowing that Hatch and Garkawi were participating this year, Urza didn’t hesitate to join the tournament again.

Urza silently took his spot next to Garkawi.

“And lastly! Hatch of the Whale Tribe!”

A massive whale that towered over the three other semi-finalists went to the center of the arena. Even the battle axe he was carrying was heavier than Garkawi and Urza.

“It’s been a while, Van,” grinned Hatch. “We meet again.”

“We saw each other just yesterday,” said Van, frowning. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Hatch laughed. “I want to try saying those words in this tournament at least once. Doesn’t it sound cool?”

Van sighed. He smiled.

During the past several days, the two of them had been hanging around with each other. It was surreal that the two, who’d been trying to kill each other during the second round, had become close friends in such a short period of time.

“Hey, Garkawi!” said Hatch.

“Don’t talk to me, whale,” spat Garkawi.

Hatch grinned. “As serious as ever.” He turned to the bear beastman. “Lord Urza, it’s been a while.”

Urza nodded, “You’ve grown a lot, kid. It feels just yesterday when I carried you in my arms when your father gave me a visit.”

“Hahaha!” Hatch laughed. “It’s only natural for whales to grow this big, Lord Urza!”

After the four semi-finalists had gathered at the center of the arena, the Coliseum Master continued with his speech.

“The rules for the semi-finals are simple! Randomly, battles will be selected, and two beastmen will duel with each other!”

The audience already knew these rules, but the Coliseum Master still reiterated them.

“The match will end only after the opponent is thrown out of the arena, surrenders or—”

The Coliseum Master was visibly shaken. “—Eh? B-Beast King?!”

Without warning the Beast King, who’d been watching the tournament silently for several days until now, suddenly jumped from the window of his private room and landed on the center of the arena.

Instinctively, the four semi-finalists took several steps back.

The Coliseum Master immediately bowed his head low. “T-To grace us with your presence this early…”

The Coliseum Master didn’t know what to do. This was the first time the Beast King made an appearance before the finals of the tournament.

His body directly exposed to the morning light, sizzling sound was heard, and smoke started coming out of the Beast King’s body. Other albinos would have screamed in pain by now, but the Beast King didn’t even flinch or utter a groan. He simply stood there and endured the sunlight.

The four semi-finalists observed the Beast King who suddenly appeared unannounced. They noticed that the Beast King wasn’t paying attention to any of them. Strangely, the White Lion’s gaze was focused on the sky.

“Hatch, was it?” said the Beast King.

Hatch didn’t expect the Beast King to suddenly speak to him.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Hatch respectfully.

“Give me your axe.”

“Pardon?”

“I said give me your axe.”

The Beast King didn’t even look at Hatch as he asked for his weapon. His gaze was fixated on the sky, and he seemed enraged for some reason.

Upon receiving no reply, the Beast King finally moved his gaze toward the whale beastman.

“Hand it over,” growled the Beast King. “Now.”

Although Hatch’s body was larger than the Beast King, he felt small and insignificant the moment he met the White Lion’s gaze. This was his first time seeing the Beast King closely, and the aura he exuded was indescribably suffocating. It felt as though an invisible force was forcing him to bow and kneel, to submit to the White Lion without even fighting.

Even the audience, who’d been frantically cheering just moments ago, had turned dead silent at the sudden turn of events.

Hatch’s body moved on its own. Instinctively, he handed his battle axe to the Beast King.

“How impudent,” snarled Beast King. He gripped the shaft of the battle axe tightly. He pulled back the arm holding the battle axe, and faced the sky. “You dare fly over my territory?!”

The Beast King stomped his feet, channeled all momentum into his right arm, and with great force, threw Hatch’s battle axe toward the sky. The force was so tremendous that it created a crater on the arena, with the Beast King right at the center. The battle axe swirled and flew up at a frightening speed –

— its target was the seven-headed monster flying above the clouds.