VOLUME 14: CHAPTER 13

VOLUME 14: CHAPTER 13

After saying their goodbyes, Lark’s group departed for the Kingdom of Lukas.

Knowing that Lark had used a lot of lifeforce when he performed the Primordial Fire spell, Blackie undid its polymorph and reverted to its original form. The Scylla adamantly insisted that Lark sit and rest on top of its body, that he should relax during the rest of their journey.

The last thing they wanted was for Lark to use his remaining mana to fly back to the Kingdom of Lukas.

Blackie felt relieved when Lark agreed to their offer.

“God Evander is asleep,” said the third head.

“This is the first time he fell asleep this fast, isn’t it?” said the first head.

Blackie purposely slowed down its flight. It flapped its wings as minimally as possible, ensuring its body wouldn’t shake and disturb Lark’s rest.

Worriedly, the fourth head said, “Should we infuse some of our life force into him? Maybe it’s possible to replenish the life force he’d lost somehow.”

The Scylla was already nearing the end of its lifespan. It knew that infusing life force into Lark was tantamount to hastening their death, but that part no longer mattered. After losing its previous master, it vowed never to let another precious person die in front of its eyes again.

They should have perished with the Dragon Devourer long ago. It didn’t matter if they were to die now, as long as it would alleviate the suffering of Lark somehow.

While the Scylla was contemplating on how to successfully pull it off, the newest member of their group spoke.

“If transferring lifeforce is that easy, everyone would have done it long ago,” said Arcturus.

The young Dragon flew beside the Scylla in his original form. Like Blackie, Arcturus carefully flapped his wings, afraid of disturbing Lark’s sleep.

“We’re not talking to you, lizard,” hissed the fifth head. “Stop butting in.”

“The word ‘limitations’ does not apply to the Scylla race,” said the first head.

“We’re unlike you,” spat the seventh head. “We’re born gifted! Talented! Even if transferring lifeforce isn’t easy, we’ll make it happen!”

Arcturus was starting to realize why his younger brother and this Scylla always clashed. Both had rowdy personalities, and none of them were willing to compromise.

After witnessing the Primordial Fire spell, Arcturus vowed that he would accompany Lark and learn from him as much as possible. And to do that, he needed to make his relationship with this seven-headed monster somewhat amicable.

Arcturus was unlike his little brother who prioritized his pride above all else.

Pride of Dragons?

Arcturus didn’t give it that much importance, unlike the other members of his tribe.

Even if he had to bow his head, he would willingly do so if it meant he could accompany King Lark.

Of course, Arcturus would never admit this to his family members. He knew what would happen if Vulcan and Vesta found out he showed deference to the Scylla.

“Bah! Lifeforce! Mana! Or miasma! All three are one and the same before a great Scylla!”

“We’ll make it happen, so stop meddling in our matters, lizard!”

“That’s right! Stop butting in!”

“This is something we have to do for the sake of God Evander!”

“Hmm… yes, indeed,” said Arcturus. “I agree you are talented.”

“Didn’t we tell you to stop bu — Eh?”

Arcturus added confidently, “If it’s you, transferring life force should be achievable.”

Blackie had never expected a Dragon to agree with it. Taken by surprise, it took the Scylla several seconds before it could muster a reply.

“This lizard….”

“Is it right in the head?”

“Did we hear correctly, brothers?”

Arcturus smiled, “The Scylla is a great race revered throughout the world. Did you know that the barbarians worshipped your race as deities? And I could completely understand why they do so.”

It was a lie.

Before Blackie came out of the labyrinth, there had been no sightings of a Scylla for the past several hundred years. Even the barbarians, who were considered rulers of the plains, had long been conquered by the kingdoms in the continent. At this point, the barbarians had long integrated with the various countries in the continent, their roots and identities lost with the passage of time.

Of course, Blackie had no way of knowing this.

Being praised by a Dragon was novel, and it was an exhilarating experience for the seven-headed creature.

Even the third head, who was the most cautious of the seven heads, couldn’t help but stiffen its neck in pride when it heard that statement.

“Kuhum… you say we’re worshipped by the barbarians?” said the first head.

“Brothers, I’ve been pissed off when the hatchling suddenly went back to the Lair, but maybe taking this lizard with us instead isn’t so bad?” said the fifth head.

The Scylla felt wronged when Agnus suddenly retreated to the Lair, running away from his responsibilities as their slave. Still, the Scylla permitted this out of worry for their God Evander. They didn’t wish to cause a commotion back then, knowing that Lark’s body wasn’t in a great state.

A part of them wanted to go back to the Dwarven Kingdom and forcefully take Agnus back, but after interacting with Arcturus, they realized this young Dragon wasn’t so bad. In fact, this lizard was a lot more sensible than the other members of the Ancient Fire Dragon tribe.

“I’ve read it in a book inside the Lair,” said Arcturus. He decided to deliver the finishing blow, “According to the book, the Scyllas are proud but benevolent creatures. They’re the very definition of valiance and loyalty. It’s no wonder the barbarians, who valued courage and honor above all, revered them.”

Blackie unconsciously snorted in pride.

By now, Arcturus was certain that the seven-headed creature was a lot simpler than it looked.

The sixth head said, “What a great book! Kekeke! Whoever wrote it is pretty smart!”

“Barbarians!” said the second head. “I wonder when we’ll be able to meet one!”

“They see us as their gods, huh! They’re quite intelligent, unlike those long-ears who keep on worshiping their stupid forest god!”

“Did you say your name is Arcturus? Kakaka! You’re quite likable, unlike your little brother!”

Arcturus inwardly smirked. As expected, this Scylla was easy to please. In order to further establish himself in the group, he decided to go as far as badmouthing the hatchling.

“I hate to say this myself, but Agnus is lacking in several departments,” said Arcturus. “I can see now why the two of you always clashed. He can’t see the greatness of the Scylla race, huh?”

The seven heads nodded in agreement.

It was extremely rare for them to receive praises from a Dragon, and it greatly alleviated their sour mood.

Now that the Scylla was no longer as hostile, Arcturus decided to return to the prior topic. He was worried this stupid snake would really try to infuse their life force into King Lark.

“Blackie, I do not doubt your ability,” said Arcturus. “A Scylla as talented as you would eventually find a way to infuse life force into King Lark but–”

“—But what?”

This time, Blackie decided to hear Arcturus out.

“I’m just worried that it will cause a backlash,” said Arcturus. “I’ve read before in the Lair’s library that the constitution of creatures like us is vastly different compared to humans. Even if you manage to infuse life force, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be usable for King Lark.”

Blackie fell silent for a long time.

They whizzed past the mountains as they continued flying above the clouds.

The third head said, “You have a point.”

The first head said, “But we need to do this.”

“Ten years may be a short time for us,” said the seventh head. “But it’s a significant amount of time for humans. Our God Evander had just lost a substantial portion of his life.”

The fourth head said determinedly, “How can we just stay still when the person we follow is suffering? Even if it means death, we’ll do anything to prolong God Evander’s life.”

Although Arcturus found the Scylla somewhat stupid, he had to agree that this part of it was admirable.

Although a lot of people spoke about loyalty and devotion, very few would be willing to die for the person they followed.

“But Blackie, think about it,” said Arcturus. “Will King Lark be happy when he learns you infused your life force into him?”

“Even if he gets mad at us, if it means he’ll recover the life force he’d lost, it doesn’t matter,” said the third head.

Arcturus shook his head. In order not to anger the Scylla, he began by praising Lark first, “That’s not it. Listen, King Lark is a great person. I understood this the moment we first met.”

The Scylla agreed wholeheartedly with the statement. It let Arcturus continue.

“Surely, a person as great as him understands that there are more important things in this world than a person’s life. Someone like him will never be able to bear the guilt of having his child sacrifice their lives for him. As a father, it’ll be a guilt that will haunt him forever. Think about it.”

Blackie had always considered themselves as the servants of God Evander.

This was the first time someone pointed out the possibility of Lark treating them as his children.

The mere thought stunned the Scylla. After being exposed to the idea, it started entertaining the thought that maybe Arcturus was right.

Did their God Evander see them as his children? Just the mere thought made them shiver from excitement.

“His children….”

Indeed, no father would be able to bear to see their child suffering because of them!

How painful it would be to be ridden with such guilt forever!

“Please think about it carefully,” said Arcturus. “There must be a better way, Blackie. Think about King Lark. Think about your father.”

The eyes of the seven heads glimmered.

“God Evander….”

“Our father….”

“W-We… are his children.”

After that, the Scylla and Arcturus no longer conversed with each other. The Scylla started thinking of alternative ways for Lark to recover the life force he’d lost. They decided to use direct life force infusion as the last resort.  

Their group silently flew until they arrived at the Fork Meadow. After picking up Reginald Vont, they flew again – this time in the direction of the kingdom’s capital.

***

[Kingdom of Lukas – Behemoth City]

“How does it feel, Osmon? Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day?”

Inside the dungeon underneath Lukas Daily’s headquarters, Big Mona watched as an old man was lashed by a torturer.

Crack!

“Ugghh!”

“S-Stop!”

“Please… my granddaughter is waiting for me! Aaahh!”

Crack!

The sound of the whip hitting flesh, along with the old man’s groans, resounded in the dungeon. Whenever the old man was about to die, the torturer would open a vial and feed him a low-grade healing potion.

The old man was the former Vice Guildmaster of the Merchants Guild in the capital. He retired a decade ago and had been enjoying a peaceful retirement life – that was until Big Mona rose to power.

After King Lark ascended the throne, Big Mona utilized all the forces available to him to suppress all of the smaller merchants in the kingdom.

In the span of just one year, numerous merchant groups had either disbanded or surrendered themselves to Big Mona. Now, only the large merchant groups in the capital like the Vont Family remained.

Big Mona’s goal was to take revenge on all the people behind the death of his father.

Today, the former Vice Guildmaster of the Merchants Guild was the target of his vengeance. Big Mona chuckled as he watched the old man suffer without being granted the mercy of death. Every scream and plea for mercy was music to his ears.

How long had he waited for this day!

Finally!

“Osmon, Osmon,” said Big Mona. “You should have fled the capital the moment my precious partner ascended the throne. Why did you stay? Did you really think I’d just let you be? After what you did to my father?”

Due to the flawless administration of Secretary Irene, former King Alvis, the retired General Carlos, Arzen, Mokuva, and of course, Big Mona, the Kingdom was prospering.

Despite the turbulent era, the Kingdom of Lukas was experiencing significant economic prosperity, relative political stability, and flourishing cultural output, including advancement in arts, research, literature, and philosophy.

The Kingdom of Lukas had started entering its golden era. The people even started heralding Lark as the greatest king in the history of their kingdom.

Naturally, Big Mona greatly benefitted from the rise in power of the kingdom. Even the nobles had to tread carefully around him. Through his connections, he even had a certain degree of control over the kingdom’s army.  

After reaping the fruits of his labor, he’d become somewhat untouchable in the kingdom.

Well, Big Mona believed he deserved at least this much.

During Lark’s absence, Big Mona did everything he could to keep the Kingdom as prosperous and as stable as possible. He culled any forms of rebellions before they fully formed.

Unlike King Alvis and Secretary Irene, Big Mona didn’t hesitate to use violence when suppressing the enemies of the crown. The fat merchant didn’t hesitate to dirty his hands. He’d taken it upon himself to do all of the dirty jobs in this kingdom.

He knew that this would be the key for him to maintain his authority and power.

As long as the kingdom remained strong, Big Mona would be untouchable.

Now that things had become relatively stable, Big Mona started hunting those who’d caused the downfall of his father.

“Osmon, did you know what my father said to us before his death?” said Big Mona.

The old man’s face was so swollen he could hardly keep his eyes open.

“P-Please spare me. I was wrong… please!”

“He said he regretted it,” said Big Mona, not listening to the pleas of the old man before him. “He regretted trusting you bastards!”

Although Big Mona’s father wasn’t a saint, he was the most righteous merchant Big Mona knew of.

But what happened to him?

He met a tragic end after being stabbed in the back by the people he trusted the most.

After his father died, Big Mona realized that playing fair in this world would always lead to losses. On that day, he learned that in order to prosper, one must be ready to push their hands into murky waters. Ripe, untainted fruits would be plucked. He needed to be a poisonous mushroom if he wished to survive in this world full of venomous bastards.

“Hm? Haha! I can still see several nails. You know what to do with them, yes?” Big Mona said to the torturer.

The torturer didn’t reply. Instead, he grabbed several tools from the nearby table and approached the old man.

“N-No… Noooooo!”

The cries of the old man echoed.

For several hours, the old man was tortured and healed – and this cycle repeated several times until his mind finally broke.

Big Mona stared at the limp body of the former Vice Guildmaster of the Merchants Guild for a long time.

They said that revenge would only lead to emptiness, but it was different for Big Mona. The fat merchant felt a part of the void in his chest become filled after he finally destroyed one of his enemies.

What he felt after achieving revenge on the former Vice Guildmaster wasn’t emptiness but satisfaction.

“This is only the start. I’ll hunt all of you one by one… someday… one day.”

Big Mona’s assistant entered the dungeon. After seeing the old man’s mangled body, he froze.

“S-Sir….”

Without looking back, Big Mona said, “What is it?”

“He’s back.”

Big Mona turned around. The assistant almost screamed upon seeing the pleased expression in the fat merchant’s eyes. There was no regret, no fear, only pure satisfaction.

For a moment, the assistant thought of how a person could be so evil that they felt no remorse even after torturing someone.

“Who’s back?” said Big Mona.

“It’s His Majesty, King Lark,” said the assistant after swallowing the lump in his throat. “King Lark has returned to the capital.”

Big Mona broadly smiled.

Ah, his beloved partner.

The person who made all of this possible.

Looking back, following Lark Marcus was probably the best decision Big Mona had made in his life.

‘Ah, my King, my beloved partner. I’ll take care of all the problems in this damned nation for you. I’ll do all of the dirty things those naïve officials are hesitant to do! But in return… All I ask is you ensure the power I wield in this kingdom.’

Finally, his precious partner, the King of Lukas, had returned to the Kingdom.