Collection 1 Chapter 30 361-370

Chapter 361: Loving Someone Hurts

While William and Takam talked about serious matters inside his Palace, three girls and two boys were also having a serious discussion inside the Great Chieftain's conference room.

"What is your relationship with Sir William?" Princess Sidonie asked Ian.

Ian placed his teacup on top of the table before looking at the veiled princess who was seated opposite him.

"Will and I are close friends," Ian replied.

"Only close friends?"

"Yes."

"Then how come he stayed in your room last night, instead of sleeping in his own room?" Princess Sidonie asked.

Actually, the one in control of Princess Sidonie's body right now was Morgana. She asked Sidonie to switch with her so she could interrogate the good looking boy who seemed to be very intimate with her Darling.

Princess Sidonie wasn't as bold as her other half, so she agreed to her request. Deep inside, she also wanted to know the truth behind William's and Ian's close relationship.

"I don't see anything wrong with Will sleeping in my room," Ian replied with a smug expression on his face. "Also, why do you care about his private business? What is your relationship with him?"

Morgana leaned back in her chair, "The two of us are allies. It is important for me to know more about the person whom I have allied myself with. Right now, I hold an entire Ant Army under my command. This is equivalent to having the military might of a Kingdom. I have more than enough qualifications to know if Sir William is someone I should support wholeheartedly."

William had explained to Ian, in detail the night before, how he and Princess Sidonie met. The Half-Elf didn't hide anything from her, even the part where the Princess offered to make William the King of the Hellan Kingdom.

This made Ian very wary of the Princess, who was rumored to be the most beautiful girl in the Southern Continent. As someone who just recently became William's lover, she understood that the Half-Elf had the uncanny ability to attract beauties left and right.

Ian wanted to tell the Princess that William didn't need her support, but he knew that this was not the right thing to do. Right now, they had no manpower to fight for their side. Having an army that numbered in the millions was a boon to their fight against The Organization that had taken over the Hellan Kingdom, as well as the army of Elven prodigies, and the Kraetor Army.

Brianna and Priscilla sat on the side and just listened to the banter between Ian and Morgana. Priscilla had a serious expression on her face, while Brianna looked like an Auntie that was looking for juicy gossip.

Prince Ernest, who was seated beside Brianna, felt that he was out of place. Something in him was telling him that he shouldn't be there. However, he had no other place to go aside from accompanying Brianna as she did her daily duties for the Northern Tribes.

The Young Prince was quite impressed with how his fiance handled the important matters of her Tribe and Clan during the absence of the adults.

"Sir Ian, I know that you are part of Sir William's personal Knight Squad," Morgana said after drinking her tea. "But, is your excessive clinginess necessary? If you continue this attitude, rumors will fly about Sir William's… preferences."

Ian did his best not to roll his eyes at the Princess' barbed statement. He was very tempted to transform right in front of her and make the Princess understand that there was nothing wrong with William's preferences.

Still, he held himself back and just nodded his head.

"I'll make sure to listen to your advice, Princess," Ian replied.

Morgana nodded. "As long as you understand, Sir Ian. I only have Sir William's best

interest at heart."

Ian pretended not to hear Morgana's words because the images of what they did last night, inside William's Spiritual world, appeared in his mind.

Ian's face immediately reddened.

William had made her experience things she didn't know she could feel before. In fact, she had just woken up a few hours ago due to the spiritual exhaustion that came as a result of their time together.

The corner of Morgana's lips twitched when she saw Ian's blushing face. She instantly realized that the boy's face didn't redden in anger because of her words. Ian was thinking about other things, and Morgana had a nagging feeling that they were about the things that William and Ian did last night.

Her imagination went wild as she thought of forbidden things that could only be done between two…

(A/N: Forgive me for switching pronouns when it comes to Ian. I'm sure all of you understand the hardship. As much as possible, I don't want you guys to feel uncomfortable, but it's hard to "show" these scenes without going out of your comfort zone.)

Brianna and Prince Ernest were clueless about what was happening with Ian. Both of them were still too young to understand the complicated talks about relationships between people.

Priscilla was not faring any better. This side of Ian was completely new to her. Back when they were still at the academy, she often noticed how her Commander and Ian bickered every opportunity they got. William's and Ian's current closeness was something she didn't expect at all!

"Why are you blushing?" Morgana asked in irritation. "I don't believe I said anything that warrants this reaction from you."

Ian gave Morgana a teasing smile and his eyes had a smug expression in them. He had already confirmed that the Princess was quite interested in William. However, he wasn't sure if this was only admiration, respect, or really love.

One thing for sure, William didn't have any interest in the Princess. He only cared about his rightful lovers and the Half-Elf made sure that his feelings were relayed to her when the two of them had their spiritual union.

"I just remembered a very happy memory," Ian replied. His tone was laced with mirth and affection that made Morgana feel more irritable.

She was the Sin of Lust. The matters of the flesh were within her domain. Her sensitive senses had already informed her that William's scent lingered on Ian's body. This could only mean one thing.

'The two of them spent the night together! This b*stard!' Morgana cursed inside her mind.

Princess Sidonie shared Morgana's feelings, so she also understood the source of her other half's irritation.

An awkward silence descended upon the room because the two had stopped talking. The peanut gallery, namely, Prince Ernest, and Priscilla, breathed a sigh of relief.

Brianna, on the other hand, was somehow disappointed because she didn't get to see the fireworks she was envisioning.

After an hour, Morgana returned to the room that was provided to her by Brianna. This was also the room she shared with Priscilla because the latter was her personal guard and maidservant.

However, Morgana explicitly told the black-haired beauty that she wanted to be alone right now. Seeing that the Princess was not in a good mood, Priscilla obediently nodded her head and left Morgana to her own devices.

The Princess removed her veil and stared at the full-size mirror inside her room. An angelic beauty with long, reddish brown hair, and mesmerizing hazel eyes, looked back at her.

She was worthy of her title as the most beautiful girl in the Southern Continent. Wendy, Ashe, Est, and Rebecca were all beautiful girls, but Princess Sidonie's beauty was two to three steps above theirs.

More than anything else, she was very confident in her looks. However, her confidence received a good beating when William didn't show any reaction to her after seeing her face. Although she did see appreciation in the Half-Elf's eyes, it was nothing compared to the gentleness and affection that William had shown to Ian.

'I'm surprised you didn't use your charm on Ian,' the beautiful lady thought as she stared at the image reflected in the mirror with a serious expression. 'If we were in Freesia, you would not allow anyone to talk back to you like that. Why didn't you charm him? Maybe if you make him submit to you…'

Naturally, the one that had spoken was Princess Sidonie. This was one of the ways they used in order to communicate to each other face to face.

'If you were me, would you have charmed Ian?' Morgana asked back. 'Do you dare?'

Princess Sidonie shook her head. She was the brains and Morgana was the brawns. As the smarter one of the two, she knew that if she used her Charm on Ian, the consequences would be terrible.

'I have a feeling that if we do that to Ian, Sir William will hate us for life,' Princess Sidonie replied. 'Also, doing that would make me feel dirty.'

'Right? I feel the same way.' Morgana gritted her teeth. 'Is there something wrong with us? Why should we care about what he thinks? We can just use Ian and Wendy to force him to submit to us. Why should we care about his feelings?'

Princess Sidonie sighed. Meeting William allowed her to feel things she had never felt before. Jealousy, irritation, envy, and a certain possessiveness that made her feel as if she was inferior.

'Because we don't want to be hated by him,' Princess Sidonie answered firmly. 'He's the type that will fight us to the death if we touch his reverse scale.'

'I don't like this feeling, Sidonie. It makes me feel weak.'

'Maybe, this is what it means to love someone.'

'… Loving someone hurts.'

Princess Sidonie closed her eyes because she agreed with Morgana's words. She thought that falling in love with someone would make her feel complete and happy.

She thought that finding someone unaffected by her Charms would allow her to understand what love was.

Princess Sidonie and Morgana hugged each other inside their Spiritual World.

The two most beautiful girls in the Southern Continent were hurting because the Love that they were looking for was very different from the love that they had envisioned in their dreams.

Chapter 362: When A Demigod Sets Up A Flag

"You have very little time, Little Will," Takam said. "In three months' time, the teleport gates that the Elves and the Kraetor Empire are building will be completed. By then, they will be able to bring more of their forces to the Southern Continent."

William listened seriously and pondered how he would be able to prevent such a thing. After wracking his brains out, he figured out that it was impossible for him to fight the two foreign invaders alone.

Even if he added the members of the Angorian War Sovereign to his forces, hundreds of children wouldn't be able to fight off against armies that numbered in the tens of thousands.

Naturally, there was also Princess Sidonie by his side. However, William wasn't sure if the Princess would change her mind in the future. Her loyalty didn't belong to the Hellan Kingdom, and the Emperor of the Kraetor Army was her maternal grandfather.

If she wished for it, she could return to the Kingdom of Freesia and become its Empress.

When that happened, William would be left to fend for himself. This is why he was preparing for the worst case scenario.

"An organization that is not well known and two foreign invaders." William sighed. "Do you have any advice for me, Your Excellency?"

Takam chuckled, "As a matter of fact I do. The first thing you need to do is reach a compromise with that Pseudo-Demigod in the Undying Lands. He is the greatest threat that you are currently facing. Of course, if you can't reach a compromise that is fine as well. He won't be going anywhere for at least four more years."

William rubbed his forehead because he felt that he was going to have a headache. According to Takam, the Pseudo-Demigod was imprisoned on the floating island of the Undying Lands. However, it still had a few means in order to make William's life difficult.

The attack he received when he was trying to relocate the Hidden Valley to his own Domain proved that the prisoner on the floating island was a force to be reckoned with.

Takam added that the Pseudo-Demigod also had an army at its command. Although they were restricted to the Undying Lands, that didn't mean that they weren't any less threatening.

These forces could prevent William from gathering resources inside their Domain and make things difficult for him.

"Is there a more effective way of dealing with this Pseudo-Demigod?" William inquired.

Takam pondered before giving the boy his thoughts about the matter. "You have two choices. The first one is to hide the valley in a place where it won't be discovered by anyone. The second is to permanently seal it in the Domain which you currently hold."

William's body stiffened because he hadn't told the Demigod that he had his own Domain. His dumbfounded look made Takam roar in laughter.

"I bet you're thinking, 'How did he know that?'." Takam grinned. "Unfortunately, I can't answer this question."

Takam looked at William with a smirk as he gave him another piece of advice.

"Although the charming Princess by your side has an Ant Army, it will never belong to you. You need to have your own army that will fight by your side."

William nodded. He also understood the importance of building his own private force.

"I don't want to spoon feed you, so you will have to deal with this yourself," Takam said with a smile. "Also, just like last time, none of the Northerners will be allowed to join the war. I will not allow any of the children of the Tribes to step out of the Kyrintor Mountains to fight for you."

William once again nodded his head in understanding.

He would be lying if he said that he hadn't thought about recruiting the warriors of the Tribes. He knew that if he asked Brianna, the latter would do her best to accommodate his request.

Unfortunately, Takam cared for the Tribes' well-being as well. He would not allow the young warriors of the Kyrintor Mountain to spill their blood in a war that they didn't need to fight.

"Your Excellency, can you tell me, aside from the Pseudo-Demigod that is currently imprisoned,

who is the greatest threat that I will face next?"

"The Elves."

Takam didn't even bat an eye when he answered William's question. If they were to think about the overall might of The Organization, the Kraetor Army, and the Elves, The Organization would probably be the weakest among the three.

The Commander of the Kraetor Army was Princess Sidonie's relative. Takam had told William that it would be a great idea if the Princess were to meet them. That way, a proper dialogue could be held and they could come up with a compromise between the two sides.

As for the Elves, they came with the intention to conquer. Takam assured him that negotiation with them was impossible. He even warned William that he was included in their priority list to be captured.

The moment the red-headed boy showed his face to the Elves, the Commander in charge would immediately give an order for his capture.

"Lastly, watch out for the members of the Holy Order of Light," Takam's expression became serious. "They are more annoying than the Seven Deadly Sins put together."

William was surprised because Takam showed a very rare hint of irritation from his usual calm countenance.

"Understood," William replied. "I will not involve myself with them."

Takam snorted, "Even if you don't involve yourself with them, they will involve themselves with you. They are like pesky bugs that won't die no matter how many times you step on them."

"Are they that annoying?"

"Super annoying. If you kill one, another will come. If you kill two, another two will take their place. It's a never ending struggle. Although the chances of them appearing here in the South is slim, the possibility still exists."

"How should I deal with them?" William inquired. If he were really not able to avoid a confrontation, he'd like to have some foreknowledge as to the best way to deal with this pesky organization.

Takam became silent as he seriously thought of a way to answer William's question. Several minutes passed in silence as William nibbled on the snacks on the table, while waiting for the Demigod to finish his thoughts.

"Bury them alive," Takam answered after not talking for a long time. "There is no other way to make them stop coming after you."

William almost choked on the cake he was eating after hearing Takam's unreasonable answer. He hastily drank the tea on the table in order to regain his breath. He then looked at the Demigod in disbelief while the latter just shrugged.

"Well, you can put them aside for now," Takam continued. "Their base of operation is in the Central Continent. Unless you have dogsh*t luck, they won't be appearing here in the South anytime soon."

William wanted to cry bitter tears. A Demigod was setting up a flag, how could it possibly not come true?

—–

"Castilas, how long would it take us to reach the Southern Continent if we left in a week?" a person wearing a white robe asked the person that was right next to him. Although he was wearing a hood to cover his face, his voice sounded young and cheerful.

"We can't possibly leave now, Fides," the voice that belonged to a young lady answered from the side. "The academy is still busy with the upcoming event. Don't think about ditching your work to play."

"Eh? But something interesting is happening in the South. Isn't your sister there as well? Are you not worried about her?"

The young lady raised her head and gave her acquaintance a glare. The man named Fides stuck out his tongue playfully as if to tell her that he was just joking.

"There's no need to rush," the young lady answered. "We will leave in two months. Just focus on your work first and don't think about running away. If you dump your work on me, I won't forgive you."

Fides sighed as he raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. You win, My Lady. However, after the event is over, we are going to the South, okay?"

The young lady hesitated before nodding her head.

"Can we bring Caritas as well? I'm sure that he will be angry if we don't take him with us."

"… Fine."

Fides clapped his hands together and left the room in a good mood. He was the type that couldn't sit still and immediately went to find his friend, Caritas, to tell him that he decided to go on a whim.

The young lady could only shake her head because this was just how her acquaintance was. She resumed going through the documents on her table in order to give the students of the academy a memorable event that they would fondly remember for life.

A little girl, who was only as big as an adult hand flew inside the room from the window.

"That unruly Fides has left to go find trouble again."

"What sort of troublesome agenda is he brewing now?" Another little girl, who had the same features, appeared not long after.

The two fairy-like creatures landed on the young lady's shoulders and sat on them. If one were to look at this scene, they would certainly be surprised.

The reason was because the faces of the young lady and the two little fairies looked exactly the same.

"He's planned to go on an excursion to the Southern Continent and plans to drag me along," the young lady whined. "Claire, what do you think I should do?"

The little fairy that had short green hair, with curls at the end, grinned. "Why don't you let Chloe beat him to a pulp? She can even break his legs. That way he won't be able to go anywhere."

"Nice Idea!" the little fairy, Chloe, who had short blonde hair with curls at the end, clapped her hands. "Wait here, I'll go beat him up for you!"

Chloe was about to fly away when she was grabbed mid-flight by the young lady. "Violence is not the answer to everything. How many times do I have to tell you to not always deal with problems using your fists?"

"Tehe~" Chloe stuck out her tongue cutely.

The young lady sighed and placed her adorable little familiar on top of the table.

"Be good and just help me sort out these documents," the young lady ordered. "No hurting people. Understand?"

""Yes!""

After asking the two fairies for help, the young lady removed the glasses from her face and pinched the bridge of her nose. She then looked towards the South where her sister had gone to live her life in peace, away from the conflicts of her race.

The young lady was worried about her older sister, but she also knew that her sister was not a delicate flower that needed to be protected. They hadn't seen each other for many years due to special circumstances.

Now that an opportunity had presented itself, she decided to take the chance to reunite with her sister after many years of separation.

A reunion that would make a certain Half-Elf realize that all of his earlier assumptions were completely wrong.

Chapter 363: I'll Come Running To Hide Under Your Skirt

A day passed after William's meeting with Takam.

He went to find answers, and they were indeed answered. However, a new set of questions arose. One of them was how he would deal with the ticking time bomb that was inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

There was no way he could fight off a Pseudo-Demigod, even though it was imprisoned.

(A/N: Just to clarify, Pseudo-Demigods are beings that are only a step away from becoming a Demigod. One good example of this is Jekyll. Although they are only a step away, that final step is a barrier that many are unable to pass. Right now, there are only ten Demigods in existence in the entirety of the World of Hestia.)

Takam said that he should handle the issue with the Undying Lands first, before he dealt with the other problems surrounding the Hellan Kingdom.

'Maybe I should ask Jekyll for help,' William thought. However, by doing so, Jekyll would discover one of his secrets. Although he trusted the Dentist of Lont to a certain extent, he was still wary of sharing any of his secrets with someone who made his instincts scream in warning.

'No, I can't.' William shook his head. 'I need to think of another way.'

William paced around his room as he tried to come up with other alternatives in terms of dealing with the threat that was looming over his head like a guillotine.

Minutes passed.

Hours passed and he was still unable to find a solution to his problem.

While he continued to contemplate the best course of action to take, a loud knock was heard on his door, which brought him out of his trance.

Soon, more knocking sounds were heard and a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Will, are you busy right now?" Ian asked from behind the door. "It's time for dinner."

William raised his head to look at the clock that was hanging on the wall and was surprised to see that it was already seven in the evening.

"Sorry, I didn't notice the time," William replied as he opened the door.

"It's fine," Ian replied. "Do you want me to bring your dinner here?"

William shook his head. He would probably continue his line of thought if he stayed inside his room, so he decided to join everyone for dinner to have a change of pace.

Brianna, Prince Ernest, Princess Sidonie, and Priscilla, were already at the table. Dave, who had accompanied Ian to travel to the Northern Regions, preferred to eat with his Beast Companion, Lionheart.

Also, he felt uncomfortable casually sharing the dining table with members of the Royal Family like Prince Ernest and Princess Sidonie.

Everyone looked at William when he arrived at the dining table. They didn't know why he had met with the Demigod of the Kyrintor Mountains. Although they were curious, none of them asked him any questions.

They just gave him space in order to sort out his thoughts.

"Brianna, after dinner, the two of us need to talk," William said. "His Excellency asked me to pass some words to you."

Brianna nodded. As someone that was born in the Kyrintor Mountains, the word of their God was law. None of the Tribes would defy a decree that had been issued by their Sovereign.

William then shifted his attention to the Princess whose face was covered with a veil. "Princess, I would also like to talk to you in private. Can you spare some time later after I finish my talk with Brianna?"

Princess Sidonie looked back at him before nodding her head in acknowledgement. She also wanted to talk to William in private and this was a perfect opportunity to do so.

Dinner was uneventful because everyone just focused

on their food. The atmosphere was very formal, and the only sounds that could be heard were the clinking sounds of cutlery.

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts and no one was in the mood to talk. Half an hour later, William found himself inside Brianna's room.

The little loli insisted that the two of them talked inside her room to give them more privacy. William didn't argue with her because he was also curious about what her room [would look]was like.

"You're room doesn't look like it belongs to a girl," William commented after he sat on the seating mat on the floor.

There were no dolls, or any girly colors that would make anyone think that the room belonged to a girl. Instead, there were bookshelves that lined almost every wall that made up her room and all of them were filled with books.

William finally understood why Brianna was so mature for her age. She was someone who loved to read, and the wisdom she had gained from reading allowed her to understand many things like politics, and how society worked.

"Should I decorate it to make it look like a girl's room?" Brianna asked mischievously. "Big Brother, do you prefer girls that are feminine and delicate?"

William briefly thought about his three lovers–Wendy, Est, and Ian. the three of them were girls, but he couldn't place them in the feminine and delicate category. All of them were warriors in their own right.

Wendy and Ian would only show their soft side when they were with William. As for Est, William still hadn't had the opportunity to spend some quality time with him.

For him, the handsome, brown-haired boy was his best friend. Just like with Ian, he was very surprised when he found out that he was actually a girl.

The image of the silver-haired beauty with stunning red eyes appeared in his mind. William wasn't able to stop himself from thinking about that now that they were miles apart.

"Big Brother, it is very rude to think of other girls when you are with another girl, alone in her room," Brianna said with a pout.

William stared at the adorable loli and pinched her cheeks. "You're so young, and already this cheeky. I wonder how you'll be when you grow up."

"Naturally, I'll grow up to be a beautiful lady that will make your heart skip a beat," Brianna patted her chest with confidence.

"Oh? Just where is this confidence of yours coming from?" William lightly poked Brianna's nose.

He didn't know why, but whenever he was with her, he just wanted to spoil her rotten. The two teased each other for a few minutes, which lightened the atmosphere. Ironically, it was Brianna who took the initiative to break the intimate moment and ask William about the message her Sovereign wanted to tell her.

William nodded his head in understanding. His expression immediately became serious as he relayed Takam's order to the temporary Great Chief of the Northern Tribes.

"Tell the surviving members of the different tribes that all of them should gather on the Third Peak of Chivalry," William said. "You are to stay in the designated lodgings where the Tribes stay during special gatherings. Your food, and other necessities will be provided to you by The Oracle.

"His Excellency also added that none of you are allowed to participate in the war. All of the surviving members are not allowed to step out from the boundaries of the Third Peak of Chivalry."

Brianna sighed after hearing the message of their Sovereign. Actually, she was very worried about how the Tribes would take their stand in the chaos that was currently happening in the continent.

She knew that William would be facing off against The Organization, and perhaps the foreign invaders as well, but she didn't know whether she could order her people to fight by his side, knowing that many of them were going to die.

Although she was mature for her age, the fact still remained that Brianna was still very young. This was the first time that she was given the responsibility to govern thousands of people, and the burden she carried on her small shoulders was immense.

William could sense the complicated emotions that were swirling inside the little girl's head, but he resisted the urge to give her a hug and comfort her. Right now, he was talking to the Great Chieftain of the Tribes.

He would give her the respect she deserved when it came to official matters. William believed that Brianna would become an outstanding lady when she grew up. He hoped more than anything else that Prince Ernest would treat her well. If not, William would definitely beat the little shrimp until he shed bitter tears.

"Big Brother, is it really okay for me to not help you?" Brianna asked after a few minutes of silence.

William smiled as he nodded his head. "You can help me by being safe. That way, I will not have to worry about you when I leave the Kyrintor Mountains."

Brianna bit her lip as she looked down on her hands, "Big Brother, can't you just stay here? You can even bring all the survivors from Lont. I'm sure that the Sovereign will welcome them as well. You don't need to fight. Let's just wait until everything is over."

Brianna reached out her hand to hold William's hand. She grasped it firmly. Although she already knew what answer William would give her, she still said the words that were inside her heart.

"Thank you for worrying about me," William held Brianna's small trembling hand firmly. "However, I need to fight so that everyone important to me, including you, will be safe. This is a battle that I can't run away from."

William then pressed his forehead on Brianna's small head. "Don't worry, if the enemy is too powerful for me to handle, I'll come running back and hide under your skirt. Make sure to take care of me when that happens."

"Pffft!"

Brianna wasn't able to hold back a giggle after hearing William's shameless words. The anxiousness in her heart decreased by a big margin as she listened to her Big Brother's teasing.

It was during these moments, when Brianna felt that her heart was truly at ease.

Chapter 364: I Was Born Ready

After ending their meeting, William headed towards Princess Sidonie's quarters to talk about how they should handle their current enemies.

"I know I already asked back at the Antheilm, but are you sure you don't want to see the representatives of the Kraetor Empire?" William inquired.

"Have you already grown tired of me, Sir William?" Princess Sidonie asked in a teasing tone. "Do you love your Knight so much that you want to get rid of the third wheel?"

William shook his head. "Frankly, I need your help. But I don't know if I can entrust my back to you. Princess, be honest with me. What do you really wish to accomplish?"

Princess Sidonie raised her hands to remove the veil covering her face.

"What do I want to accomplish?" Princess Sidonie asked back. Her mesmerizing hazel eyes stared straight into William's own as she made her true feelings known. "I thought I knew what I wanted to accomplish. However, reality is very different from my expectations."

Sidonie's eyes glowed, not because she was using her charm, but because of her overflowing feelings that were rising up to the surface. The Seven Sins had their own specialty and she was born to be the embodiment of Lust.

She was happy and sad that her powers didn't work on William. Princess Sidonie finally found what she wanted, but she was not what he wanted. This made her feel hurt, because she was used to being the apple of everyone's eye.

Even the Crown Prince of the Hellan Kingdom, Lionel, would do anything to have her good graces.

"Sir William, I want to know what Love is," Princess Sidonie said softly. "I want to know what it means to fall in love with someone, and be loved in return. Can you give me what I want? In return, I will give you my everything."

William looked back at the Princess with a serious expression before shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I cannot give you what you want."

Princess Sidonie lowered her head and clenched her fist. She was not disappointed, because she had already expected this answer. In fact, it would be her who would be disappointed if William had nodded his head and agreed to her request.

< As expected of Darling. >

'Yes. we didn't choose the wrong person.'

< However, you also understand what we need to do, right? He will never look at us the way he looked at Wendy. >

'I know,' Princess Sidonie replied. 'Since I can't be his favorite then I just have to be his…'

William and Princess Sidonie talked, but the two couldn't come to an agreement. Knowing that nothing more would happen in their discussion, William respectfully asked to end their talk.

Princess Sidonie was in agreement and even bid William goodnight.

As soon as the door of his room closed, a single tear slid down

the side of Princess Sidonie's face. She felt regret that things had to end this way, but she and Morgana had already resolved themselves with their decision.

—–

"Are you sure, Princess?" Priscilla asked as she opened the door of the flying carriage.

"Yes," Princess Sidonie replied. "We're going back to Freesia. It's time to return home."

The Blade Wyvern opened its wings and flapped them a few times in order to warm them up. When it felt that everything was ready, it soared up into the air, pulling the flying carriage behind it.

It didn't utter a screech because the Princess wanted to leave silently. Due to the dark clouds in the sky, blocking the light of the moon and the stars, it was quite easy to leave undetected.

Princess Sidonie glanced at the ground one last time before closing the curtains of her flying carriage.

'Goodbye, Sir William.'

< If we can't make you pay attention to us as your ally… >

'Then we will become your enemy.'

< Let's see if you still ignore us when our Army comes knocking on your door! I will look forward to the expression you're going to make then, Darling! >

Princess Sidonie smiled at the thought of the man she liked thinking about her all day as she devastated his precious Hellan Kingdom. Since she couldn't use the soft approach to make him submit, she would use force in order to get him to kneel.

She was one of the Seven Deadly Sins afterall and it was perfectly fine for her to commit a sin. Princess Sidonie had long embraced her true self and she would not shy away from using her God-Given talents to have her way.

Hundreds of portals appeared beside the flying carriage as countless numbers of Winged Ants appeared and flew in a formation with it at its center.

Princess Sidonie knew that the next time she would meet her beloved Half-Elf was when they faced off as enemies. For some reason, the mere thought of it thrilled her, making her heart beat wildly inside her chest.

Morgana laughed loudly within their Mindscape because she and Princess Sidonie were connected. She clearly felt that one of the seals, that bound their powers, had been broken the moment Princess Sidonie fully embraced the source of her Sin and Power.

< I wonder, will Darling be disappointed when he finds out what we are planning? >

The corner of Princess Sidonie's seductive lips curled up into a smirk as her eyes glowed with power. She didn't bother to answer her other half's question, because she didn't care whether William would be disappointed or not.

The only thing she cared about was the moment when she sank her fangs into William's tender heart.

—–

William watched as Princess Sidonie's entourage disappeared in the distance. Ashe, who was currently merged with him, appeared behind his back like an apparition.

'Although I don't like it, I would have endured if you made her your lover in order to gain control of the Ant Army under her command,' Ashe said with regret. 'Right now, we are lacking in manpower. I'm sure that Wendy, and Young Master Est, would understand."

William sighed as he turned his head to look at his mermaid lover. "I don't want to do things half-heartedly, especially when it comes to relationships. This would be unfair to her, and to all of you as well."

Ashe caressed the side of William's head as she nodded her head in understanding. "Let's face that Pseudo-Demigod together. I will not let you go alone."

"Okay," William replied as he focused his attention towards his Thousand Beast Domain.

Soon, he disappeared from where he stood and reappeared in the valley where the monument stood.

Although he felt sorry for Princess Sidonie's departure, now was not the time to worry about her.

"Ready?" William inquired.

"I was born ready," Ian replied.

"That's not what you said last night," William countered. "Last night, you said you were born to be with me. Were you lying to me back then?"

Instead of answering him, Ashe pinched his ears out of embarrassment. "Stop talking nonsense. Let's go!"

William stopped his teasing as he took deep breaths in order to calm himself. When he was ready he took the sheathed dagger out from his storage ring and placed his hand over the monument.

A bright flash of light appeared that would send William and Ashe into the domain where a strong adversary was waiting for them.

Chapter 365: William's King's Legion [Part 1]

William stared at the floating island in the sky. No matter how much he sent his senses towards the floating island, he couldn't feel anything.

The Domain itself was void of any animal life. There were no howls of beasts, no chirping from the birds. Even the subtle sound of insects couldn't be heard in this Domain, which made William very uncomfortable.

After looking at the floating island in the sky for five more minutes, William raised the sheathed dagger in his hand. A gentle wave of red light washed over his body.

Soon, his feet rose from the ground as the power of the dagger guided him towards the floating island. It didn't take long before his feet were once again firmly planted on the ground.

'Beautiful,' the apparition of Ashe, that was floating above William's back, said as she stared at the imposing fortress that had existed since the time of the Ancient Gods. The structure that held back the attacks of the Dark Beasts that tried to wipe the Human race from the face of the Earth.

The last stronghold of Humanity, Avalon, stood in front of William in all of its ancient glory.

William admired the fortress for a full minute before running towards its massive gates. He had already summoned Stormcaller in order to be ready for any unexpected surprises.

Ironically, when he was halfway to the gates, they opened on their own. The sound of rattling reverberated in the air as thousands of skeleton warriors poured out through the massive gates. With a glance, the red-headed boy could easily tell that they weren't there to give him a warm welcome.

William stopped his charge and used his appraisal skill to check the undead army that was in front of him.

—-

< Skeletal Knight >

— Undead

— Threat Level: D (Low)

— Cannot be added to the herd

—–

< Skeletal Archer >

— Undead

— Threat Level: D (Low)

— Cannot be added to the herd

—–

< Skeletal Mage >

— Undead

— Threat Level: D (High)

— Cannot be added to the herd

—-

< Death Knight >

— Undead Champion

— Threat Level: A (High)

— Cannot be added to the herd

< Bone Dragon >

— Undead Dragon

— Threat level: S (Low)

— Centennial Beast

— Cannot be added to the herd

—–

"The only real threat is the Death Knight and his Bone Dragon mount. At least that is what I'd like to say, but their numbers cannot be scoffed at." William narrowed his eyes. "There are at least four thousand of them."

Ashe took a fighting stance above William. She was currently merged with him, so she needed to coordinate with his will.

"Remember, you can't fight for a long time," Ashe reminded. "We don't know if we will be fighting more

monsters once we get inside. It is best to conserve your strength."

William nodded. He agreed with Ashe because there was still the Pseudo-Demigod to deal with. He couldn't possibly waste his limited time fighting against the skeletal army.

"Join me on the battlefield," William ordered as he pointed his spear at the army that was approaching him. "Come forth, King's Legion!"

Several portals appeared behind William as his Small Beast Army came forth to aid him in battle.

Ella led the Angorian War Ibexes and flanked William's right side. Fenrir led his troop of Trollhounds and formed the vanguard in front of William.

Scadrez, the Blood Eagle, the Rainbow Birds, and the Cercopes Monkeys flanked William's left side.

Suddenly, two giant portals appeared in the space several meters above the red-headed boy. Soon, two mighty screeches resounded in the Domain as a Wyvern, and a Gryphon flew out of the portals. The two magical beasts circled around William once before hovering several meters from his left and right sides.

"Dave Cornwell, reporting for duty, My Lord."

"Conrad Kent Carlton, at your service, My Liege,"

"This looks interesting. Count me in!" Psoglav declared as he also appeared on the battlefield.

A small, rainbow-colored, Anteater also appeared and looked at Avalon with nostalgia. "It's been thousands of years since I saw Avalon. It's like having a reunion with an old friend."

"Oh? Are those skeletons your friends as well?" William inquired.

"I can't really tell," Kasogonaga answered. "I can't possibly remember the faces of all the Humans I've met in my lifetime. Besides, if they are really the ones I know, I will gladly send them off to end their suffering."

William nodded his head in understanding. Kasogonaga was right, it would be best to let these undead warriors return to the Cycle of Reincarnation and put an end to their suffering.

"Dave and Conrad, the two of you handle the Death Knight and Bone Dragon," William ordered. "The rest of you, smash that skeleton army apart!"

A series of bleating, screeches, and howls, answered William's orders.

""Yes, Sir!""

Dave and Conrad led the charge of William's legion as they descended upon the skeletal army, leaving skeletal parts in their wake.

Arrows and spells flew in the air as the skeletal archers and mages fought back. Most of their attacks hit the Trollhounds, giving them serious injuries. They were the initial impact of William's forces, but they numbered less than a hundred.

After fighting against the Goblins in the Goblin Crypt and resting inside the Magic Crystal Cavern, each of the trollhounds had increased their rank and were now all Rank C (Mid) Beasts. Fenrir had also crossed the threshold and became a Rank B (Low) Beast.

A few seconds later, these injured Trollhounds stood up and growled in anger. Because their bodies had mutated, their regeneration ability had become as powerful as the regeneration ability of a Mountain Troll. No, it was closer to the regeneration ability of a Hydra.

William had also blessed these Trollhounds with the power of Rhongomyniad. Because of this, all of their stats and latent abilities increased drastically. Their regeneration ability was only two stages short of the Gigantic Trollhound that William had fought back in the Barony of Bradford.

Fenrir roared mightily as it thrashed the skeletons in front of it. Right now, Fernrir was a meter and a half tall, which was as tall as an adult horse.

He was slightly bigger than the Trollhounds that were a meter tall and were currently fighting bravely by his side.

William couldn't help but remember when the skinny Trollhound, who had been on the verge of death, agreed to become part of his herd. Right now, that same skinny Trollhound was looking more and more like that Legendary Wolf who had swallowed a God whole.

The Half-Elf was eager to see the day when Fenrir would become powerful enough to pave the way to allow him to emerge victorious in the battles that he would have to face in the future.

No matter who it is. Whether it is a mortal, immortal, a Demigod, or a God, William hoped that his Beast of Conquest would swallow all opposition that would block his way.

Chapter 366: William's King's Legion [Part 2]

Not far from Fenrir and his troops were Scadrez and the Rainbow Birds, whom William had given the nickname, Angray Birds.

Just like Fenrir, Scadrez was also a Rank B (Low) Magical Beast. If Fenrir was the captain of the Trollhounds, Scadrez was the leader of the birds in the Thousand Beast Domain. Several Wind Blades emerged from its wings which cut off the body parts of the Skeletal Archers that were aiming at it.

The Angray Birds weren't ones to back down either. They rampaged across the battlefield and rammed the skeleton warriors with their bodies. Only this time, their bodies didn't explode like they used to. William had forbidden them to self-detonate, and ordered them to only do it as a last resort.

Thanks to training in the Goblin Crypt and the Magical Cavern, the birds had found new ways to fight using their beaks and talons. However, even though they listened to William's orders, the Half-Elf was unable to stop the birds from…

"Fck off!" a Red Rainbow Bird screeched as it headbutted a Skeletal Warrior's head, smashing it to bits.

Arrows flew in its direction so the bird had to forcefully fly to its right side to evade.

"What the fck?!" The Red Rainbow Bird was forced to fly away because of the concentrated fire that was aimed at it.

Suddenly, a blue bird soared past his red comrade and flew in the direction of the Skeletal Mages. It was holding two Indigo Lollipops in each of its talons.

When it was only a dozen meters away from the Skeletal Mages it pointed the lollipops at them and said…

"Fck off!"

Immediately several magical missiles flew from the lollipops and hit each of the skeletal mages one by one.

Soon more magical missiles rained down from the sky as the Rainbow Bird Cavalry descended with a vengeance. Each of the birds were holding Indigo Lollipops in their talons and a series of magical bombardments commenced.

"Not bad," William muttered softly as he rubbed his chin with great interest. This was the first time he had tried to incorporate Lily's Lollipops with his subordinates. So far, he was quite satisfied with the results.

William then shifted his attention to the meter tall Cercopes Monkeys that were holding Hollow Concrete Blocks in their hands. They were also Class C Beasts Mid and their forte was brute strength. However, for some reason, all of them had become interested in William's Alchemy.

One time, out of sheer boredom, William tried to make some bricks to test his Alchemy Job Class. The first thing he made were bricks, but he failed miserably. Instead of making bricks, what he made were Hollow Concrete Blocks.

He tossed these Concrete Blocks aside and thought of them

as useless. However, the curious Cercopes Monkeys took the Concrete Blocks from the ground and started playing with them. Soon, they were throwing them at each other as if they were playing catch.

Seeing that the Monkeys were having fun, monkeying around, William decided to craft more bricks for them. Soon, all of the monkeys had a Hollow Concrete Block of their own. What William didn't know was that the Hollow Concrete Blocks that he had made were late bloomers.

When he appraised them, his appraisal skill only stated that they were normal Hollow Concrete Blocks. However, a day later, William was pleasantly surprised to see that the Concrete Blocks had suddenly gained two abilities.

The first surprise was that the Hollow Concrete Blocks had become as hard as steel. The second unexpected surprise was that they had become Soul Weapons for the Cercopes Monkeys!

All in all, William had thirty Cercopes Monkeys inside his domain. They were fast and agile melee fighters that could use the terrain of the forest to their advantage.

Due to the Cercopes Monkeys' superhuman strength, the Steel Concrete Blocks in their hands became powerful cannonballs that could obliterate almost everything in their path. The scary part about this Soul Bound weapon was that the monkeys could instantly summon them back with just a thought.

Basically, they were the all rounders in William's army that specialized in ranged warfare as well as close combat.

Originally, the Half-Elf wanted to name the Leader of the Cercopes Monkeys, King Kong. He wanted to pay tribute to the monster that became infamous in William's world, the Giant Ape that developed an infatuation with a beautiful human girl.

It was then when William realized that the Cercopes Monkey might develop a tendency that would match its name. After careful consideration, William decided to scrap his first choice and decided to name the Cercopes Leader, Mohawk.

The reason? Because the monkey had an unusual hairstyle–that resembled an axe on its head. Instead of naming him Tomahawk, which was a mouthful, the red-headed boy opted for the shorter version which was Mohawk.

William then shifted his attention to Ella and the Angorian War Ibexes. They had been with William the longest and were the ones who had stayed with him through the hardships of his younger years.

Ella's battle strength was now at the peak of Rank B, while the rest of the Angorian War Ibexes were now all Rank B (Low).

Just as William expected, the Skeleton Army didn't stand a chance against their powerful charge.

In the beginning, William was forced to choose between the Strength Path and the Spirit Path for the first members of his herd.

Back then, he just focused on their physical strengths because he wasn't confident that a High Breed Build would make them stronger.

All of those worries disappeared with the help of the Magic Cavern, and William used it to its fullest advantage. Because of the Magic Cavern, he had been able to access the Spirit Path and upgraded some of the skills in that Skill Tree to make the War Ibexes more versatile.

Benevolent Shot was one of the skills from the Spirit Path that William had chosen for the goats. Now they had other skills like Magical Armor, Shield, and Protection Against Good and Evil.

These magical buffs heightened all of the Angorian War Ibexes' defenses, making any attacks below their Rank unable to even graze them.

William was already confident about Ella and the others' offensive prowess, however, their defensive abilities were non-existent. This was why he used all of their skill points to upgrade all three of these defensive magics to their fullest.

With this, the War Ibex Heavy Cavalry was finally complete!

Chrono and Aslan didn't even bat an eye as they charged through the rain of arrows and magic spells that descended upon them. Their bodies glowed due to the effects of the spells that were currently protecting them from the attacks that would have harmed them otherwise.

William nodded his head in satisfaction as he looked at this scene.

'Maybe I should have negotiated with Takam and asked for a thousand War Ibexes from the Northern Region's Tribes,' William thought. Sadly, the Demigod of the Kyrintor Mountains was very firm in his decision to not involve the Northern Tribes with the upcoming war.

However, that didn't mean that he wouldn't extend his hand to help William. Takam promised the Half-Elf that he would appear at the crucial moment. Until then, he told William to do his best to survive as he took part in the war that would rearrange the balance of power in the Southern Continent.

Chapter 367: William's King's Legion [Part 3]

After seeing that the battle on the ground was going smoothly, William then shifted his attention to the great battle that was currently happening in the sky.

Dave and Conrad were currently waging war against the Deathknight and its powerful mount, the Bone Dragon.

William's two knights had Chocolate Lollipops inside their mouth which prevented them from getting intimidated by the fearsome aura of the Death Knight and the Bone Dragon. At first, the Bone Dragon activated its special skill, Dragon Fear.

However, due to the Chocolate Lollipop's ability to grant Immunity to Fear and increase Resistance against Mind Affecting Spells, the two boys were able to battle without being affected by the Bone Dragon's powerful aura.

Dave, the Crusader of the Sky, and Conrad, The Dragon Knight of War, worked hand in hand to prevent the most powerful threat on the battlefield from aiding the Skeletal Army on the ground.

Each time the Bone Dragon would try to dive towards the ground, one of the two boys would activate the skill Duel-Ex to force it to clash with them, which frustrated the Death Knight.

"Careful, it's going to use Dragon's Breath!" Conrad warned Dave, who was currently in the Bone Dragon's line of sight.

Black flames erupted from the Bone Dragon's Jaw and flew straight towards the annoying Gryphon and its rider.

Dave summoned a spear into his hand and took aim. This was the same spear that William had used to "tame" Lionheart back at the Southern Forest.

Although the spear had been tainted due to William's unique way of taming, it was still a good weapon and Dave had no other option but to wield it.

"Light that shines upon the world, bathe us all in your Eternal Glory!" Dave roared as the spear in his hands shone with a radiant light. "Grand Cross!"

The chubby boy threw the spear directly in the path of the Dragon's Breath. Soon, the two forces collided. One Light, the other Dark. Both countering the other.

The collision lasted for a few seconds before both attacks cancelled each other out.

Lionheart charged forward as Dave reclaimed the spear mid-air.

Conrad wasn't being idle either, right after the Bone Dragon used its Breath Attack, he had activated one of the special abilities that he had gained after he

had obtained his Job Class from William's Knighting Ceremony.

"Flames that were birthed in the Heavens, make your mark now! Conrad shouted. "Dragon Meteor!"

A five-meter wide flaming fireball descended from the sky and slammed directly into the back of the Bone Dragon, hitting the Death Knight in the process.

The Bone Dragon roared in anger, but it managed to keep itself airborne despite the fact that some of its body parts had been destroyed.

Dave and Conrad exchanged a glance with each other. Both boys nodded their heads simultaneously as they prepared to finish off their opponent once and for all.

"Tornado Descent!" Dave ordered.

Lionheart started to spin, mid-air, as it obeyed its Rider's command. Soon, a green tornado enveloped the Gryphon as it flew towards the Bone Dragon.

"Dragon Descent!" Conrad ordered his Wyvern to initiate one of its special moves that coincided with Dave's Tornado Descent.

Instead of spinning, the Wyvern folded its wings and descended from the sky like a missile. Its body was enveloped with purple flames as the mighty roar of a dragon echoed across the heavens.

The Death Knight cast a magic barrier to protect itself and its mount from the collision. However, the barrier broke seconds after the two powerful attacks collided with it.

A powerful explosion erupted, sending shockwaves in all directions.

William's robe fluttered as he looked at the sky with a serious expression. Ashe was doing the same as well, because this was the first time she had seen Dave and Conrad fight together.

It was an eye-opening experience because the mermaid didn't know that the two boys were very capable fighters.

Although the majority of the students in the Magic and Spirit Divisions looked down on the Martial Division, Est, Ian, Isaac, and Wendy were some of the few students who recognized their potential.

Seeing the two boys face off against a powerful opponent made Ashe realize that she still had greatly underestimated the knights under William's command.

"They are the only knights I have in my current King's Legion," William said softly as if reading Ashe's thoughts. "In the future, I plan to add more. I look forward to the day when all my knights can sweep over the battlefield and turn the tides in my favor."

Ashe pondered for a brief moment before nodding her head. "I want to see it, too. However, I also hope that the day arrives when you don't have to fight anymore. I don't want you to get hurt."

William felt something warm spread in his chest as his mermaid lover wrapped her arms around him. The union between their souls held a very intimate feeling. It was as if both of them really were sharing a single body with their hearts beating as one.

"I can't promise you that I won't get hurt," William said as he continued to look at the sky. "However, I will do my best to come back in one piece. I don't want you to cry a river when something happens to me."

"You're too full of yourself."

"Thank you."

"I'm not praising you," Ian nagged, but she still kept her arms wrapped around her handsome lover. She was already used to William's teasing and knew that it was already part of his character, one she had unknowingly fallen in love with.

"It's over," William said as Dragon bones fell from the sky.

The two Knights circled in the air once before joining their comrades, who were still fighting on the ground.

William knew that this was only the beginning of his battle against the Pseudo-Demigod that was imprisoned within the fortress of Avalon.

A mere appetizer for the true battle that was about to come.

Chapter 368: Entering Avalon

The entire battlefield was littered with broken bones as William's Legion decimated the Skeletal Army. Although they were lower in numbers, their fighting strength was overwhelming. It was an epic example of a battle between quality versus quantity.

After the Death Knight and the Bone Dragon were defeated, there was no one in the enemy's forces that could oppose the rampage of William's Elite warriors.

Of course, there had also been several casualties and serious injuries on William's side, all the Rainbow Birds had died in battle, and the Trollhounds suffered serious injuries from their enemies, and most of them were hacked until their limbs were severed from their bodies.

Fortunately, the Rainbow Birds would start respawning after a day, and the Trollhounds could regrow their limbs due to their strong regeneration ability. The Cercopes Monkeys were injured as well, but all of their injuries were not fatal.

The goats were mostly unharmed and only received flesh wounds during their charge into the enemy's ranks.

"Mass First Aid," William said softly as he healed his herd. He cast the spell five times to ensure that his forces had recovered from their injuries.

After making sure that everyone had been treated, William glanced at the gates of the Fortress.

"Dave, Conrad, scout the interior of the fortress," William ordered.

""Yes, Sir!""

Dave and Conrad urged their mounts to fly over the wall of the fortress. William didn't know if there were any other forces waiting for them inside the fortress, so he ordered his most mobile fighters to investigate to see if there was anyone waiting to ambush them from inside.

The two knights circled the fortress three times to ensure that they didn't miss anything. After making sure that the area was safe, they waved their hands to William to tell him that the coast was clear.

"Let's go," William ordered as he walked towards the fortress. Fenrir and the Trollhounds took the lead, while the War Ibexes and the Cercopes Monkeys walked on the Half-Elf's left and right sides, protecting him.

Right after William's Legion entered the interior of the fortress, the giant gates immediately shut themselves, trapping them inside.

Moments later, a hoarse and contemptuous voice welcomed the guests that had entered one of the last surviving fortresses of Humanity that had been built during the Era of the Gods.

"Wel… come… to Ava… lon," the hoarse voice said in greeting.

The contempt and the ridicule within the speaker's voice were not lost to William. However, he didn't mind it one bit.

William ignored the voice and led his legion to explore the fortress.

Although he was dealing with a Pseudo-Demigod, it was currently imprisoned and as long as William didn't do

anything stupid, the restriction that bound his adversary would keep it in place.

Right now, William held the Relic of the Oathkeeper in his hands. Anyone that had this relic in their possession was given the title of Steward of Avalon.

Their duty was to keep the Pseudo-Demigod in place and prevent it from escaping its ancient prison. After thousands of years, the power of the seal was gradually weakening.

Fortunately, it wasn't to the extent where the captive would be able to break free from its bindings. Even so, it was only a matter of time before the ancient runes would lose their power and set the Eternal Harbinger, Malakai, free to terrorize the world once more.

Takam had told William that Malakai was an ancient being who had cheated death. Originally, he was one of the original dragons that first roamed the world, since time immemorial.

However, its fear of death made it pursue the unholy arts, which had given birth to an abomination that was stripped of its former nobility, and given eternal life at the expense of damnation.

He was Malakai, the Eternal Dracolich who ruled the undead, who had been sealed inside the fortress of Avalon.

William had already asked the System to map the interior of Avalon. He wanted to know where Malacai was located, so that he could prevent anyone from mindlessly wandering to its location.

According to Takam, the seal that bound the Dracolich would still be in place for two to three more years. The best it could do was create undead creatures from the corpses that once thrived within the Undying Lands.

Yes, the Undying Lands was once a thriving land where Humans and beasts lived together. However, after Malakai finished his transformation, everything went South and the lives of all those who lived there had been extinguished, forever to accompany him through Eternity, unless their souls could escape the Domain and return to the Cycle of Reincarnation.

< Host, I have finished mapping the interior of the fortress. I also labeled everything to make things easier for you. >

'Thank you,' William replied. 'Please, show it to me.'

< Understood. >

A map of Avalon appeared inside William's status page. The Half-Elf was surprised because it was bigger than he originally thought it was. William's gaze focused on the red dot at the center of the Fortress. The Dracolich was sealed in the[delete underground] basement of the fortress, but that didn't stop it from gathering the Dark Energy that had accumulated inside the Domain for thousands of years.

This was how it attacked William when the latter was trying to merge the Hidden Valley with the Thousand Beast Domain.

Malakai thought that it was being sealed away again, so it used the available Dark Energy within the fortress to prevent William from having his way.

William looked at the blinking red dot for half a minute before he shifted his attention to another place. The Pseudo-Demigod was not going anywhere, so it would be best to take the things he needed first.

"Follow me," William ordered.

"Where are we going?" Ashe asked William through telepathy. "Are we going to fight with the Pseudo-Demigod?"

William shook his head, "We can't possibly beat it now. There is a place we needed to visit first. However, it's not going to be easy.

The Half-Elf stared at the countless orange dots that were currently headed in their direction. Just as he expected, Malacai intended to play with them and sap their strength through continuous battles.

Takam had warned him that dealing with Malacai wasn't going to be easy because it could infinitely reanimate the skeletal army no matter how many times they broke apart.

Even now, the undead army outside of the fortress, that William and his legion defeated, was starting to reform again. As long as they were inside the Undying Lands, the forces that Malacai had at its disposal were infinite.

This was a battle of attrition that William had no way of winning. Fortunately, he didn't come here to fight the Dracolich in a straightforward manner. His purpose for coming inside Avalon was to gather some precious items that would help him deal with Malacai at a later time.

William only hoped that he and his legion would be strong enough to retrieve these items before they were overwhelmed by the Skeletal Horde that numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Chapter 369: Flames of Purification

"Icycle Realm!"

A sound similar to hundreds of tinkling glasses reverberated in the surroundings as William activated this Icycle Realm. This spell was one of the most powerful spells in the Ice Wizard job Class.

It allowed William to create a zone where Icicles protruded from the ground. However, it didn't stop there. Within this battle zone, hundreds of sharp icicles crisscrossed in the air, attacking those that the red-headed boy deemed to be his enemy.

Simply put, it was a slaughterhouse that was designed to prevent others from entering, while keeping its victims inside as they got cut down with blades made of ice.

William decided to go all out because he was not confident that he could prevent anyone from getting seriously hurt from the swarm of undead that had appeared from the depths of the fortress.

A hoarse laughter echoed within Avalon as Malakai watched its guests get cornered by his minions from his underground prison. It had been many years since he had seen something entertaining. The hollow sockets of its eyes glowed eerily as it watched the battle that was taking place above ground.

"Do not bother fighting them," William ordered. "These cannon fodders are just here to sap our strength. Just follow me and don't lag behind!"

William waved his hands as several walls of ice blocked the advance of the undead army. He knew that the walls wouldn't hold for long, but it was more than enough for them to gain some distance from the skeletons, who were determined to make William, and his entourage, part of their undead army.

Ashe, who was residing inside William's Sea of Consciousness, was monitoring the changes in his Spiritual World. This was the first time that William had fought for an extended time, and the beautiful mermaid was there to ensure that her lover wouldn't overtax himself by going past his limit.

'Twenty more minutes,' Ashe reminded William. 'After that, I will start to supply you with Spiritual Energy. If possible, do whatever you need to do within that span of time.'

'Understood,' William replied as he cast two Glacial Lance to pierce through two Draugrs that suddenly appeared in front of him. These warriors were a higher form of undead.

A Draugr was often referred to as a revenant or ghost that had gained a physical body.

Unlike zombies, with a decaying exterior, Draugrs had dark-blue skin and possessed immense strength. They were classified as Class C (Mid) Undead, which were as strong as the Angorian War Ibexes in William's herd.

The two Draugrs' were pinned against the wall where they growled in anger. They smashed their hands on the Glacial Lance that had pierced their chests in an attempt to break free from it.

William didn't even bother to give them a second glance as he ran through the spacious hallways of the fortress. Unfortunately, these hallways were also infested with the undead, so William had to use brute force in order to clear the way, so that they could pass.

Fenrir and the trollhounds had positioned themselves to guard the rear, while Ella and the other War Ibexes charged at the front. The Cercopes monkeys were at the center, throwing their Hollow Concrete Blocks that were as hard as steel at any Undead they saw along the way.

In time, even these strong monkeys felt their arms getting heavy from the non-stop throwing that they were doing.

Mohawk understood that his subordinates were reaching their limit and ordered them to just keep pace with William.

Dave and Conrad were also by William's side because

the two were not used to fighting multiple enemies at the same time.

The Trollhounds did their best to stop the undead's advance as they used their limited numbers to block the hallway, giving William time to flee.

William understood the Trollhound's mindset, so he didn't stop them from staying behind. The Half-Elf had already blessed them with the power of Rhongomyniad, making their bodies stronger than before.

Right now, Fenrir and his pack of Trollhounds' only had one weakness and that was an acid strong enough to melt Adamantium.

Although the Undead Army could hack them to pieces, they could still regenerate themselves if given enough time, like what happened to the Gigantic Green-Scaled Trollhound that William had faced in the past.

Fenrir growled as he used his special ability to turn himself into a three-meter tall, Silver-Gray Trollhound with bloody eyes.

He clawed, bit, kicked, and swiped any Undead within his strike range. Fenrir had long decided to hold on until he fell from exhaustion. The Trollhounds under his command had the same intention.

They would hold down their line of defense no matter what, and not allow a single Undead to pass through them.

—-

"Those dogs are very loyal," Psoglav commented as it ran behind the Half-Elf.

William snorted, "Yes, unlike you who only accompany me to pillage for resources. By the way, our contract is set to expire next month…"

"Hahaha! What are you talking about, Partner? Of course, the contract will be extended!"

"… But, what if I don't want to extend it?"

"William, you shouldn't think like that. Where will you find someone as strong and as smart as me to handle the dirty work for you?" Psoglav asked. "You don't need to do anything, just tell me what to do and it shall be done. I can even promise to stop eating Human meat for five years if you like."

William sighed as he glanced at the shameless Demonic Dog who was looking at him with its single eye. "Meaning, you will eat Humans again after five years?"

"Of course. Ah, but I will compromise. I will only eat the bad guys. That's fine, right?"

"… Fine. Just make sure to do your duties well."

"Naturally! You can count on me, Psoglav, to get things done right."

Right now, the Demonic Dog was a bonafide Class A Beast after enjoying the resources that he had obtained from being William's business partner. Because of this, he had become the strongest Ruler of the Forest among his comrades, and this made them very jealous.

Some of them even asked Psoglav if he would introduce them to William. Clearly, they also wanted to experience the benefits that Psoglav was enjoying through the red-headed boy's company.

The sly Demonic Dog agreed on the surface. But, deep inside, he had no intention of letting his acquaintances hug the Half-Elf's thigh.

He planned to hoard all the resources that he could get from William, and had no plans to share them with anyone!

'Hmp! Trying to steal my game? Not a chance!' Psoglav mused as a devilish grin appeared on its demonic face. It was certain that if it continued to follow William, it would soon step into the Centennial Rank, which had seemed to be far from its reach in the past.

William didn't know that Psoglav wouldn't leave his team even if the Half-Elf were to end their contract. It would shamelessly hug his thigh until he reached the Millennial Rank. Until then, it would shamelessly stick to the golden goose that gave it wealth and power.

Finally, after a great struggle, they finally arrived at their destination.

William raised the sheathed dagger in his hand and the giant gates opened wide to allow him entry.

"Everyone get inside!" William ordered.

The goats, monkeys, the two boys, and Psoglav entered the room without questioning William's orders. William was the last to enter and the gates immediately closed behind him.

"King's Legion!" William shouted.

A brief flash of light illuminated the room before the sound of several bodies collapsing on the floor echoed within its walls.

All the Trollhounds had green blood oozing from their bodies and they were all in a very miserable state. Fenrir was the only one left standing, but its trembling legs soon gave way as the leader of the pack lost its strength.

"Mass First Aid!" William cast his healing spell to treat their injuries without batting an eye.

Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and his breath had already grown ragged. Advancing towards their destination took them two whole hours. If not for the fact that Ashe had merged with William, and was constantly supplying him with spirit energy, the Half-Elf would have long run out of juice and would have been forced to abort their mission.

'Are you alright?' Ashe asked. 'Does it hurt anywhere?'

Ashe had been monitoring William's body and, aside from exhaustion, she couldn't sense anything else that might be wrong with her lover. Still, she still felt anxious so she asked William if he was hurting somewhere.

'I'm fine,' William replied as he tried to catch his breath. 'Just give me some time to rest and recover.'

William took deep breaths in order to calm his nerves. The adrenaline rush had receded, and he was feeling sore all over. Still, he could still count their expedition a success because they managed to reach their destination in one piece.

"Sir William, what's that?" Dave asked as he pointed at something that was floating in the center of the room.

William patted the chubby boy's shoulder as he stared at the white fireball that was hovering in the center of the room.

"That is the reason why we came to this place," William answered. "That white fireball is called Astraea's Tear. However, it also goes by another name."

William walked towards the center of the room before he continued his explanation.

"The mortals that survived the Era of the Gods simply called this flame, born from the tear of a Goddess, the Flames of Purification."

Chapter 370: Eve's Extortion

'Flames of Purification? What does it do?' Ashe inquired.

William smiled as he extended his hand towards the flame. 'Just as its namesake, this flame has the power to purify all things.'

The Flames of Purification trembled as if it was about to wake up. Soon, the flames grew brighter and began to dance around the room.

Everyone backed away in fear of getting burned, but William opened his hand in a gesture telling everyone to stop whatever they were doing.

"Calm down," William explained. "This flame cannot hurt the living."

The flames of purification grew in size until it became a two-meter-tall fireball. William fearlessly extended his right hand to touch it.

"I have come to take you out of this place," William said softly. "I, the Steward of Avalon, need your power. Help me purify the Mortal Lands from those who wish it ill."

Tendrils of white flame wrapped around William's right hand. A few seconds later, the flames extended to his entire body, covering it in white flames.

Surprisingly, William didn't feel any heat coming from the Flames of Purification. Instead, he felt as if he was being embraced by a refreshing breeze that melted away the exhaustion in his body.

Soon an emblem of a white lotus flower appeared on the back of his hand. It lingered there for a brief moment before disappearing completely.

William sighed in relief because his mission was finally complete. It was now time for them to leave the Fortress and return at another time. There were several other priceless treasures, like the Flames of Purification, that were being kept inside Avalon.

William had to gather all of them in order to stand a fighting chance against the Dracolich, that was only a step away from becoming a Demigod.

—–

Meanwhile in Lont…

Eve walked around the garden of the Ainsworth Residence under Leah's supervision. Trailing behind her were seven ducklings who, for some reason, had regarded her as their parent. Eve had accidentally discovered the eggs when they were about to hatch.

When the ducklings had come out of their shell, the first one they saw was Eve and she was automatically registered in their heads as their parent.

Since then, the ducks followed Eve wherever she went, which made Matthew and Leah chuckle from time to time.

Ever since the incident with Prince Lionel, the two decided to remain in Lont to manage the survivors of the three towns that were part of their territory. After having a meeting, they decided to bring all the children back to Lont so that they would all be cared after.

Due to the threat of another Beast Tide, the veterans of Lont had constructed an underground shelter, which could also be called a small town of sorts.

There was more than enough space for the

survivors of all three towns and they didn't need to worry about their food and security.

At first, the kids were terrified of the many Beasts that roamed around Lont like the Golden Ape, the Wyverns, and the Mountain Trolls. However, after spending a few days inside the town, they realized that they didn't need to fear these beasts.

Some of the children from the other two towns even spent their time playing beside the Ourobro because the Giant Golden Ape made them feel safe.

Vlad, on the other hand, mostly stayed inside the Ainsworth Residence. He would just sit there and meditate and not get in anyone's way. James and him were best friends, so he decided to stay and protect the town while the curse on the adults was still in place.

Suddenly, Vlad's eyes opened as he stared at the North. For a brief moment, he felt a surge of power that came from the Kyrintor Mountains.

As the only two Demigods that lived in the Southern Continent, Vlad and Takam naturally knew about each other. They had even met twice and formed a non-aggression pact of sorts.

This was also why James was among the very few people that were allowed to visit The Kyrintor Mountains unimpeded. Unfortunately, this didn't apply to William because Takam didn't even know he existed.

Only when Ella appeared in the Northern Regions did he discover that the red-headed boy was James' grandson.

Because of this, William had become one of the VIP's that could visit him in his palace located in the First Peak at any given time.

"Astraea's Tear…" Vlad muttered. "Avalon has finally appeared."

Vlad sighed and closed his eyes once again. He didn't want to meddle [in]with the affairs of the Southern Continent because he was a Magical Beast. For him, whoever sat on whatever throne was of no importance.

Suddenly, the door of his room opened and an adorable little girl walked up to him with a smile.

"Eyah!"

Eve greeted the black-haired man who was currently staying in her Grandpa's room.

The ducklings following Eve walked in front of her and looked up at Vlad with expectant eyes.

"… What do you want now?" Vlad asked.

"Eyah!" Eve said as she pointed at the ducklings beside her feet.

The corner of Vlad's lips twitched as he looked down at the chirping ducklings who were asking him to give them food.

He, a Demigod[,] who brought terror into the hearts of humans and beast alike, was currently being treated as a nanny by a little girl and seven ducklings.

Leah had momentarily left Eve to get something from her room. She didn't expect that her lover's little sister had the guts to visit the Nightmare Behemoth of the Strathmore Forest and even went as far as to extort him for food!

Vlad was very tempted to step on the ducklings and turn them into meat paste. However, the little girl who was looking at him with expectant eyes was preventing him from carrying out this plan.

In the end, he could only sigh as he rummaged through his storage ring to find something that the ducklings could eat, so that they would leave him alone.

"These are grapes I found in a Domain a while ago," Vlad said with a heavy heart. He then gave the grapes one by one to Eve, who crouched down to feed them to her little ducklings.

Vlad felt his liver itch as he watched the ducklings happily eat the grapes that were rich in spirit energy.

Although he didn't really care about these grapes that he had randomly gathered during his exploration, he still thought that it was a waste to feed them to livestock.

"Thanks," Eve said and waved her hand to bid Vlad goodbye.

The Demigod forced himself to smile and waved back. If not for the fact that James' blood was flowing inside Eve's body, he would not even bother to be nice to her.

'Fortunately, he's not around to see me like this,' Vlad sighed a second time before closing his eyes to meditate.

If James was there to see the scene of Eve bullying his best friend, he would definitely laugh out loud and start praising his grandchild.

After all, aside from Eve, no other child below the age of five was able to extort anything from an existence that could instantly wipe out the Hellan Capital with just a wave of its hand, and get away with it scott free.

Chapter 30 - 361-370

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