VOLUME 14: CHAPTER 19

[Kingdom of Lukas – Foreign Affairs Department]

Minister Gregory of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been living the life recently.

Who would have known that in just a couple of years after being instated into this position, he would make it this big?

After the news that even the Great Empire had joined the Coalition spread, the prestige of the Kingdom of Lukas, which acted as its leader, naturally rose. Because of this, the Foreign Affairs Department of the kingdom gained unprecedented power. They started managing not only the foreign relations with the nearby countries, but also the affairs related to the Coalition Army.

From a mere head of a small, insignificant department, the status of Minister Gregory rose. Now, not even the military officials could ignore him whenever they met.

It felt only just yesterday when the budget for department had been cut by half and reallocated to the agricultural sector, leaving them with only crumbs.

Now, after the Coalition had been founded, the budget for their department rose fourfold. There were even nobles and merchants who provided them with funds as a ‘token of gratitude’ for their hard work.

Inside his office, Minister Gregory was currently swamped with work. There were mountains of paperwork needed to be screened and approved by their department, which would be sent to the higher ups later on.

Due to the sheer size of the Coalition, ever since its establishment, their work had been never-ending.

In a sense, their department had been fighting battles hidden from the view of the common people.

“Sir, we’ve received news that the Empire has sent envoys to the Yorkshaire Fortress.”

“Just about time,” muttered Minister Gregory. “They’re trying to formalize everything, huh?”

“Yes, sir. I believe the envoys departed from the fortress over a week ago, so they should reach the capital before the month ends.”

“Then, we must prepare to receive our guests from the Empire.”

“But Sir, isn’t His Majesty—”

“—He’s departing again for the Dwarven Kingdom, I know. But that’s what the Foreign Affairs Department is for. We’re here to take care of such things on behalf of His Majesty, to lessen the burden on him as much as possible. Should we expect King Lark to meet any and all envoys sent to our country? This may sound arrogant, but I believe that at this point, that would be beneath him.” Minister Gregory said proudly, “He’s no longer just the king of our country, but the leader of the biggest alliance in this continent. Of course, things will be different if the one visiting us is part of the allied nation’s royal family or someone of equivalent status.”

The assistant nodded in understanding. “Regarding His Majesty’s retinue for his upcoming journey…”

“I’ve already talked to Secretary Irene about this,” said Minister Gregory. In a determined voice, he added, “We will not allow His Majesty to go out again without proper escorts this time. This isn’t just about security; this is about maintaining face for our country.”

The other officials nearby voiced their agreement with that statement.

“Yes!”

“Absolutely!”

“We should send at least a hundred soldiers and several dozen servants to accompany King Lark this time!”

In his last travel, although King Lark had a lot of soldiers with him – specifically those sent by the Dwarven Kingdom and the Elven Kingdom – he hardly brought any assistants or servants. Minister Gregory would rather jump from the capital’s tallest building than let something similar happen again, that’s why he pleaded with Secretary Irene and the former King Alvis to persuade King Lark to bring a proper retinue on his next travel. Thankfully, the two agreed and successfully convinced His Majesty.

After talking about things related to receiving the envoys from the Empire and the composition of King Lark’s retinue, another news reached the ears of Minister Gregory.

It was about an incident in Lion City.

“…W-What’s this?!”

Minister Gregory’s hands shook as he held the document. If everything written on the report was true, then this incident could potentially put a crack on the relationship between the United Grakas Alliance and the Kingdom of Lukas.

“Valcres, the Lord of Lion City, had been killed by two beastmen?! And they killed him after finding out that the Lord of Lion City had been indulging himself on beastmen meat?!”

It was a stunning news.

Minister Gregory didn’t know how to handle this matter immediately.

It would have been easier if the beastmen simply killed the Lord of Lion City and ran away, but now, it had been found out that there was a justified reason for it. Although slavery used to be legal in the Kingdom of Lukas, even criminals frowned upon the consumption of beastmen meat or cannibalism. They were taboos even the underworld syndicates didn’t dare venture into.

And now, solid pieces of evidence that the Lord of Lion City had been eating beastmen meat had appeared after the Lord’s assassination.

“Sir, the two beastmen involved in the murder of Lord Valcres seem directly related to the White Lion.”

Minister Gregory groaned when he heard this.

Now, even the ruler of the beastmen nation was being mentioned.

“The Beast King? Those two, who are they?”

The assistant pulled out a document and read the details of the two beastmen who murdered the Lord of Lion City.

“The first one is Van Bucky, a black rabbit beastman who serves as the Protector of the Rabbit Tribe. Although the Rabbit Tribe is among the weakest tribes in the Alliance, it’s said that their Protector is in an entirely different league. It’s said that the Protector is capable of fighting even against armies on his own, protecting the rabbits from the shadows.”

“A black rabbit… continue.”

“The second is Hatch, the so-called strongest whale beastman in the history of their tribe. According to our intel, those two beastmen won the War of the Three Gods, a tournament held in the United Grakas Alliance that grants one the honor to fight with the Beast King himself.”

The assistant slowly put down the document in his hands. He gulped, “Sir… this is a really serious incident.”

The word ‘serious’ couldn’t even describe how terrible the situation was. When Minister Gregory heard those details, his head started throbbing. He felt nauseous thinking about the events that would cascade later on because of this.

If they were that powerful, how were they supposed to arrest those two?

Although Lord Valcres had committed a crime punishable by death, he was still the Lord of Lion City, and his murderers should undergo due process.

The strength of those two beastmen aside, there was also their relationship with the Beast King that they needed to consider. A fact Minister Gregory couldn’t simply ignore. If handled poorly, this could cause a rift between the two countries.

Minister Gregory sighed, “In this report, it says the two have fled Lion City.”

“Yes, Sir,” said the assistant. “After releasing the slaves locked up in the castle’s dungeon, the two fled the city and were never seen again.”

“Haaah… They’ve escaped, huh? Damn it. How are we supposed to report this to His Majesty? Why did this have to happen now, of all times, just when we’ve started forming a friendly relationship with the United Grakas Alliance.”

One of the reasons why the people believed that the kingdom had entered its golden era was due to the amicable relationship it had formed with its neighboring countries after King Lark ascended the throne.

The last thing they wanted was for the Beast King to hear this news and wage war with their nation because of the incident.

“Sir… what should we do? His Majesty is leaving for the Dwarven Kingdom soon.”

Minister Gregory leaned back on his chair. He stared at the ceiling for a full minute, closed his eyes, and sighed once again.

“I’ll do it,” said Minister Gregory.

“Yes?”

“I’ll report this matter directly to His Majesty.”

Minister Gregory stood up and grabbed the mirror on the nearby table. Looking at his reflection, he realized his face had grown several more wrinkles after the formation of the Coalition.

For a moment, he wondered if he was crazy for loving such a stressful job so much.

Although their job may seem lame to those working in the other departments, Minister Gregory held pride in their roles in the Foreign Affairs Department.

He believed it to be a job worth doing. Even if it meant aging faster due to stress, he didn’t plan on abandoning his position now.

‘Haha. How amusing. Am I shaking? I’m trembling just from the idea of reporting this incident to someone who is even younger than my children.’

In a determined voice, he muttered, “It’s time to report this directly to His Majesty.”

After fixing his garb and combing his hair to one side, Minister Gregory left the Foreign Affairs Department and went to the king’s office, requesting a meeting with His Majesty, King Lark.

***

“Lord Valcres is dead, huh?”

The first few words that King Lark uttered to him after receiving the report baffled Minister Gregory.

King Lark didn’t show even a hint of surprise, anger, or anxiety after hearing about the incident in Lion City. It was as though he’d known about it already before Minister Gregory even came here.

Lark walked toward the windows and stared at the sky outside.

For several minutes, silence befell the room.

Although Minister Gregory wanted to break the silence and ask several questions, he didn’t dare to overstep his bounds.

Although the king was way younger than him, the inexplicable aura of authority he naturally exuded made it hard to approach or question him.

The aura the young king was exuding felt similar to the Tyrant King who ruled the Kingdom of Lukas several decades ago.

“Minister Gregory.”

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“You said it’s a rabbit and a whale beastman, yes?”

“Yes. It’s what’s written on the reports, my king.”

“I see. Thank you. You may leave now.”

Although puzzled as to why their meeting was too short despite the gravity of the situation, Minister Gregory heeded the king’s command regardless.

“It’s been an honor to be granted an audience. I shall leave now, Your Majesty.”

After the minister had left the room, Lark stared out the window again, his mind weighing the pros and cons of the incident.

Honestly speaking, he didn’t feel anything when he heard that Lord Valcres had perished.

The man was a scumbag, a human filth that delved into taboos even criminals didn’t dare venture into.

Now that the Empire had joined the Coalition and was no longer a threat, and the demons had retreated back into the portal, Lark finally had some leeway to address the issues in the kingdom.

Lark planned on arresting the Lord of Lion City and putting him on trial this year, but then this incident happened.

“Van and Hatch,” muttered Lark.

The two beastmen were variables he failed to account for.

Who would have known that those two would leave the United Grakas Alliance, journey to the Kingdom of Lukas, and discover the atrocities the Lord of Lion City had been committing?

They even acted rashly and murdered the city lord and escaped the patrol.

“Haaah,” Lark sighed. “Maybe this is for the better. Kel.”

“What is it, Evander?”

Knowing that Kel’ Vual was sitting on the rooftop, Lark called out to him.

“How are the other members of your tribe doing?”

“How would I know?” replied Kel’ Vual irresponsibly. “Some of them returned to the Lake to live with Jaraxus, some went to the other cities, while some are staying here at the capital with me.”

Lark nodded in understanding.

Although Kel’ Vual was the leader of the Arzomos, the members of their tribe were quite free-spirited despite their looks.

Before they took on the duty of guarding the portal in the Demon Realm, the majority of the Arzomos were nomadic, with no permanent residence in the Demon Realm.

Just like Kel’ Vual, the other Arzomos were also curious creatures. Just like their leader, they were fascinated by the culture of the humans and the abundant, pristine land in this realm. It was only natural for some of them to leave the capital to explore the other lands.

“But don’t worry, Evander,” said Kel’ Vual. “Although some of them moved to the other cities, I specifically gave them the order to not leave the kingdom.”

“Then how many Arzomos can you mobilize right now?”

“In the capital? Including my son, Luvart, there are exactly fifteen of them.”

“Only fifteen, huh? Kel, I need your help.”

Kel’ Vual grinned. For some reason, he always felt delighted whenever Lark asked for his help.

Although he would never admit it, it was something he always looked forward to.

Evander Alaester was an all-powerful magician revered by all, and he never lacked the manpower and resources to carry the tasks he decided to do.

But Lark was different.

Although the two were one and the same, their current statuses were far different.

“Tell me.”

“I need the arzomos to find two beastmen. They’re quite strong, so it’ll be dangerous if I task the army to capture them.”

“The beastmen who killed the city lord?”

“So, you were listening.”

“Hahaha! Doesn’t it make things easier since I know the story already? A black rabbit and a whale beastman, right? The human who made the report said they are strong, but it should be possible to safely capture them if you mobilize the Arzomos.”

“Do not kill them, Kel.”

“I know. Don’t worry. I’ll tell my tribe to simply capture them.”

Lark believed that what the two beastmen did was justified, but as the monarch, it would sully his reputation if he failed to capture them in time.

At the very least, they should face the consequences of what they did, even if it’s just some light punishment like being forced to attend a trial with an already fixed outcome.

The beastman called Hatch could probably fight evenly with an ordinary member of the Arzomos tribe, but since several Arzomos would be moving to capture them, everything should be fine.

“Thank you, Kel. I’m really glad to have you and the other Arzomos around.”

“Heh, that’s right. You should thank me. It’s not every day a person can order the mighty Arzomos Tribe around! Hahaha!”

Even in the Demon Realm, the Arzomos were feared and revered. The other demons would be surprised if they learned that they were being utilized by Lark like this.

***

Time passed peacefully.

Lark decided to finally return to the Dwarven Kingdom.

Hopefully, by this time, the dwarves had already managed to mine some pure adamantite so he could finally undergo body reconstruction.

Of course, he planned on recharging the Sword of Morpheus first and harvesting the elven oaks in the labyrinth of the Forbidden Region.

Lark and his retinue were currently gathered in the courtyard of the king’s castle. Due to the number of escorts this time, and the size of the Scylla sitting at the center, the courtyard looked cramped.

A hundred royal guards.

Thirty servants.

Three butlers.

All of King Lark’s disciples, excluding the recently married Anandra.

Lady Alice.

Arcturus.

And the recently promoted Vice Commander of the Royal Guards, Cherry.

All of these people would be accompanying Lark on his journey.

“Hahahaha! Master is finally taking us with him!” laughed George.

Even Austen and Chryselle looked thrilled.

“What’s more, the old man is forced to stay here with his wife! HAHAHAHA! How perfect!”

George’s boisterous laughter resounded in the courtyard.

The Scylla snorted, finding it annoying that so many people were coming with them this time, while Arcturus gazed at everyone with curious eyes.

“You seem really happy, young master,” said Cherry.

“Hahaha! You bet! We’ve been training every day for this moment! Finally, we can accompany Master!”

Over a year ago, Cherry and George had an altercation that led to the soldiers from Blackstone City and the royal guards fighting each other.

After that incident, the royal guards started taking lessons from Anandra, and they naturally grew closer to the two young masters. Now, Vice Commander Cherry and George were close friends.

“I see. It’s your time to shine then, young master,” said Cherry happily. “Please don’t worry! The royal guards will protect you and His Majesty on this journey! Even if it costs us our lives, we’ll fulfill our duties!”

Behind Cherry, the other royal guards nodded resolutely.

The citizens of the kingdom treated King Lark as a wise king, while the military revered him as someone akin to a deity.

If someone asked the soldiers to whom their loyalty belonged, they would probably answer with King Lark’s name instead of King Alvis’.

“Eh, why are you talking about death so early?” said George in digust. “Stop it. Don’t jinx us, yeah?”

Cherry scratched his head awkwardly. “Haha… that’s…”

“Anyway, I can’t believe this day has finally come! HAHAHA!” said George. “Wait for me, Dwarven Kingdom! I will show you my quick cast! Ah, maybe I’ll earn a monicker this time? Quickcast George or something? Rapidfire Mage also doesn’t sound bad! Hey, Vice Commander Cherry, do you think the dwarves are taller than me? I heard they’re really short, no?”

Just like before, there was no stopping George the Blabbermouth.

Vice Commander Cherry didn’t know how to respond to that question. Thankfully, King Lark answered in his stead.

“George,” said Lark.

“Master?”

“Dwarves hate it when their heights are pointed out by humans. It’s similar to how the elves are sensitive about topics related to their ears. So, once we’re at the Dwarven Kingdom, refrain from mentioning such things.”

George nodded several times enthusiastically. “Yes, Understood!”

Although he was being loud right now, George planned on behaving once they were in the Dwarven Kingdom. The last thing he wanted was to be banned from accompanying his master after this journey was over.

After seeing that everyone had gathered in the courtyard, Lark said, “It seems everyone is ready. Arcturus, please.”

Arcturus adjusted his glasses with his fingers. “Yes.”

Arcturus flew up and undid his polymorph. Slowly, he turned into a fifty-meter large red dragon.

Unlike the other members of the Ancient Fire Dragon Tribe, Arcturus didn’t mind even if humans rode his back. Of course, he would never admit this if the other members of his tribe were around.

“The royal guards will ride on top of Arcturus, the rest will ride on top of Blackie.”

It was Lark’s way of conserving his mana. He couldn’t recklessly use too much mana since he’d yet to replenish the reserves of the Sword of Morpheus, after all.

“Let’s go. To the labyrinth in the kingdom’s Forbidden Region.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”