"Alright!"
Aldous nodded in agreent.
"It seems I'll have to cut short my journey to inspect my territory this ti!" Orion stood up and withdrew his gaze from the distance. "Go on ahead and wait for . I'm going to inform my subordinates."
With those words, Orion turned into a flash of lightning and disappeared across the grassy field.
"Five-Race Alliance… trade routes… peace…"
Murmuring these words over and over, Aldous stood gazing in the direction Orion had left, lost in thought for a long while.
Stoneheart City, inside the castle.
In a bedroom, Princess Ava looked out at the unfamiliar city, her eyes filled with worry.
Suddenly, a succubus maidservant opened the bedroom door, and Lilith followed her inside.
"Your Highness, please forgive our neglect these past few days! If there's anything you need, just let
know. We'll make sure you get it."
Lilith wore a bright smile. She bore no real malice toward Princess Ava.
When Orion decided to imprison Ava, Lilith had understood that this woman wouldn't remain by Orion's side for very long.
"Since when has the Stoneheart Horde been so kind to its captives? Save your phony courtesy. If you have sothing to say, just spit it out."
Princess Ava's words were sharp and unwelcoming. After all, here—especially around Orion—he ca and went as he pleased, and whenever he felt like it, he would abuse her, treating her purely as an outlet for his sexual desires.
As a princess of the human kingdom, Ava felt her dignity was being trampled underfoot, the humiliation unbearable.
"Your Highness, you may not be aware that among the great tribes of the north, any woman from the defeated side is seen as a slave, rely a spoil of war. Is it really wrong for the victor to enjoy what they've conquered?"
Lilith still wore that confident smile, unaffected by Ava's derision. Then, switching gears, she extended an invitation.
"Your Highness, Blood Elf Lycanor ntioned she was your old acquaintance. Wouldn't you like to step out and see her?"
"Who?"
"Lycanor!"
"Lycanor… the bloodthirsty one from the Blood Elf clan?"
Lilith nodded, her eyes flickering with curiosity about Lycanor's moniker "the bloodthirsty one."
"Lady Lilith, please show
the way."
Lilith nodded again, her smile deepening. That Ava would say these words proved she'd already yielded, at least for now.
---
In the castle's rear garden, several magical plants were about to mature, bathing the area in a distinct floral fragrance at every mont.
"Seeing you unhard puts my mind at ease," Lycanor said, taking Ava's hands in hers and speaking gently to comfort her.
The instant Ava heard Lycanor's reassuring words, her eyes brimd with tears. She clung to Lycanor's hands, tightening her grip as though afraid to lose her last lifeline.
The look on Ava's face made Lycanor sigh softly.
"I never expected King Edward would send you all to help in the Blood Elf territory. Our clan(tribe) ended up dragging you into this," Lycanor went on. "But rest assured, I ca precisely for this reason."
Ava couldn't hold back; she suddenly threw herself into Lycanor's arms, weeping quietly.
Lycanor placed a hand on Ava's back, offering whispered consolations.
"Prince Theodore is already on his way to Stoneheart City. You'll be able to return ho very soon."
Ava sobbed even harder, her body trembling. She had waited for days for a mont like this: not only had a friend arrived, but a family mber was on the way as well.
"I apologize. Ava's emotions are running high today—please don't take it personally, Lady Lilith," Lycanor said with a reassuring smile.
Lilith, seated at a round table in the garden, shook her head, smiling but remaining silent.
"This place has magical plants that are about to mature, filling the air with a dense magical essence," Lycanor said softly. "Calm yourself a little and keep
company as I watch them bloom. So things are best left behind once they've passed.
"We still have tomorrow; tomorrow will be better, and tomorrow will bring us even more hope."
Under Lycanor's gentle words, Ava's sobs gradually subsided, and she slowly regained her composure.
From her seat at the round table, Lilith noticed this and frowned, puzzled. She could sense no direct application of mind-based magic, sothing in Lycanor's words clearly had a soothing effect.
"Could it be so secret technique of the Blood Elf tribe?"
Lilith pondered, pouring a fresh cup of floral tea for Lycanor and Ava.
---
Vagrely, on the border between giant territory and ogre territory.
Prince Theodore rode a lion-headed, horse-bodied beast, leading the kingdom's envoy as they followed behind Thundar.
Prince Theodore glanced at the wide, packed road stretching far into the distance, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't giants supposed to be nasty brutes who adore slaughter and violence? So why do these giants sent to greet us show not even a hint of dullness?"
He looked again at the road—a flat, solid path that wound ahead like a tan ribbon—and then turned his gaze to the squad of Raptor Knights before him.
Their armor was uniform, their mounts vicious and intimidating, and among the giants leading them stood an Alpha-level commander—as well as Alpha-level dark creatures serving under him.
No matter how Theodore looked at them, they radiated a faint sense of civilization.
anwhile, among the human kingdom's envoy, the coal knight Galahad was scrutinizing Thundar. From the mont he first laid eyes on the giant knights, his mind was flooded with dark mories, as if ghosts from the past had awakened. He saw again the image of Arthur, who stayed behind to hold off the enemy. He recalled the Rose Knight Regint falling under the giants' and ogres' assault, their pained cries echoing.
Galahad gripped the hilt of his sword, fighting the urge to draw it and strike.
Godfrey reacted imdiately, pressing down on Galahad's right hand. "Steady yourself and face everything with composure. That's the way of a knight," he said in a low, urgent tone. "Galahad, you are a knight, not a butcher lost to bloodshed."
Godfrey's quiet counsel drew Lambert's attention as well.
"Any problem is best resolved under a balanced order," Lambert said gently. "Galahad, violence isn't the surest solution—especially when you're weaker than your opponent. Turning to carnage will only bring about your own doom.
"And I assu you still want to see the princess safely returned?"
The na "princess" might as well have been a magical incantation, yanking Galahad back from the brink of madness.
"Yes, Sir Galahad," soone else chid in. "Trust Prince Theodore—he's her family and the future of our kingdom."
Taking several long breaths, Galahad steadily dispelled his murderous impulses.
"I'm alright now, Sir Godfrey. You can let go."
Godfrey watched him carefully for a mont before finally releasing his hand.
"Rember, this is giant territory. If you cause any trouble here, not even Prince Theodore can save us."
Galahad nodded in silence.
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