Chapter 1374
The Burden of Legacy and the Cage of Beasts
Truth be told, Caelus's detached nature made him all the more endearing to Lilith. He was exceptional—so exceptional that he treated worldly power with total indifference.
In her quieter monts, Lilith actually envied Violet. That woman spent her days wandering the Tribe territory, tending to her gardens and pruning flowers, yet she commanded imnse respect simply because she was Caelus's mother.
It was proof that in this world, hard work often paled in comparison to simply having the right child.
"We'll treat Caelus the sa as Pallas," Lilith decided, her tone shifting from envious to practical. "We build the skeleton of the city—the walls, the foundations—and let him handle the rest. And frankly, it's ti you gave Violet sothing real to do. She can't just wander the wilds anymore."
Lilith's expression darkened slightly. "The world is changing. The wilderness won't be safe for a lone gardener much longer."
Since Caelus was obsessed with his blade, the burden of managing the city's construction would naturally fall to his mother. The thought of the idle Violet suddenly buried under the sa mountain of logistics that Lilith dealt with daily brought a mischievous, satisfied smile to the Succubus's face.
"And Elara?" Lilith asked.
"She's a girl," Orion began, though his tone held no dismissal, only protectiveness. "As long as she is unmarried, this castle is her ho."
But Orion knew better. Elara's ambition wasn't to be a princess in a tower. She wanted to be a Queen in her own right. The Stoneheart Horde was rely her harbor, a place to refit and resupply before she sailed into the open ocean.
"However," Orion added, "we will build her a city as well. Just because she doesn't ask for it loudly doesn't an she doesn't keep score."
Lilith nodded in agreent. Over the years, she had figured out Elara's temperant. The girl was brilliant, calculating, and possessed a streak of pride a mile wide. She wouldn't beg for power, but if her brothers received fiefdoms and she didn't, the grudge would last a lifeti. Like the ti she had demanded personal guards simply because others had them, Elara demanded equality in all things.
"Once the situation in the Titanion Realm stabilizes, I have other plans for the children."
Orion was letting Lilith in on the long ga. Being a prince or princess of the Stoneheart Horde wasn't a ticket to a life of leisure. Once they were of age, the free ride ended. It was their duty to expand the borders and secure the future. Whether that ant diving into the Abyss or conquering other worlds, they would have to earn their keep.
The Horde would be their backbone, their safety net, but their legacies were theirs to build.
Lilith bead. Talking about the children's future always made her happy. It made all the sleepless nights of administration feel worth it.
"Oh, that reminds ," Lilith said, snapping her fingers as a new thought surfaced.
Orion looked at her, waiting.
"Princess Ariselle of the Blood Elf race is approaching Stoneheart City. Lycanor pulled so strings; she wants Ariselle and Pallas to et," Lilith explained. "They want to arrange a marriage alliance to deepen the ties between our factions. I didn't say no to Lycanor."
She stared at Orion, gauging his reaction.
Lilith was precise with her words. She hadn't refused Lycanor. She hadn't said she accepted the Blood Elves. The distinction was massive. Now that Orion was a Demigod, the Stoneheart Horde was in a different weight class. Truthfully, without Lycanor's personal involvent, Lilith wouldn't have even looked at Ariselle's file.
"Let the kids handle it," Orion waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not playing matchmaker, and I'm not playing the villain who breaks them apart."
Orion's philosophy was simple: He would step in only when it was ti to negotiate the dowry or the bride price. Until then, his children could manage their own love lives.
Lilith nodded, taking his non-refusal as a green light. "And then there's Kronos."
Orion froze. "Wait. Don't tell . A love triangle? Two brothers fighting over the sa Blood Elf? Please tell
we aren't living in a bad romance novel."
Lilith burst out laughing, slapping his chest lightly. "What goes on in that head of yours? No, it has nothing to do with Pallas or Ariselle."
"Oh, thank the gods," Orion exhaled, relieved. He didn't have the patience for teenage lodrama.
"It's Lola, the twelfth princess of the Sea-Drake race. They've been eyeing a marriage alliance with Soaring Bird City for a long ti," Lilith said, her eyes gleaming with political calculation. "Honey, do you approve?"
This match required more thought. While Ava was Kronos's birth mother, she had no political leverage. She could suggest, she could hope, but the decision ultimately rested with the King and his Queen.
Orion shook his head—not in refusal, but in neutrality. "Sa rules apply. I won't get involved unless they ask."
"Fair enough. I'll arrange for them to spend ti together," Lilith said, ntally moving chess pieces. "With the otherworldly invasion looming, centing an alliance with the Sea-Drake race is smart strategy."
Lilith was thinking about the map. The Stoneheart Horde held vast territories along the coastline. If the Sea-Drakes beca family, they would effectively beco the Horde's navy, securing the eastern flank against any threats from the ocean. It would eliminate a massive vulnerability.
"Do what you think is best," Orion said softly. He saw the fatigue behind her eyes, the constant ntal calculus she perford for the good of the horde. "Thank you, Lilith. For everything. I know it hasn't been easy."
"It's not hard," she whispered, leaning into him. "Not really. Compared to us... compared to the others... Kaelen is the one I worry about. He's the one who's truly suffering."
At the ntion of Kaelen, the warmth in the room evaporated. Orion fell silent.
Erald Dream Realm, The Chaos Continent
This place was not a ho. It was a pen.
Watched over by Demigods, the Chaos Continent was a sealed ecosystem, surrounded by a barrier of ancient magic that acted like a high-voltage fence. Everyone inside was livestock.
But even among livestock, there is a hierarchy.
When you trap a herd in a cage, a leader will inevitably erge. To secure resources, to breathe, to survive, the rams must crash their horns together until only one is left standing.
Only the strongest animal gets to eat. The rest are just at.
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