novelraw Chapter 1135 - 1134 - Cost of Ruling
Chapter 1135 - 1134 - Cost of Ruling
The 5 beasts were allowed to take up residence on the outer palace grounds but with the understanding they could not pester Lind.
The peace of his life resumed but Chu looked irritated from time to time. Lind knew it was because they were trying to spy on them but the wards were far stronger than normal thanks to Lind's weaving.
He asked for information on them but what he got only confused him more.
He had thought they were some upstarts that swiftly rose to the Crystal Tier by any method to gain power since they felt so weak to him but they were actually the overlords of the 5 main beast areas of the fallen land.
The thunder qilin woman was Lady Hectate and had an amicable relationship with the Rubyfire Kingdom as she knew the truth behind the dragon-phoenix's death.
She was very old but the exact age was not confirmed. Her clan had been close allies with both owners of the Crimson Harmony Law Crystal.
The other 4 were problematic but still just as powerful. The 2 roc sisters were the youngest at 7 million years old but the other 2 were younger than Hectate but far older than the sisters.
Lord Ran, the Blood Bull, was the 2nd oldest . He ruled a massive plains to the west. He rarely had many followers in any kind of structure but his robust strength pulled others to him. He was mainly responsible for several beast tides over his tenure.
Lord Kin, a Nightmare Boa Constrictor, was a rare variant of his race. He used air and light elements to induce horrifying illusions as he captured his prey. He ruled a bog to the south of Lord Ran. They got along well so they often had 'fun' by going to battle with each other.
Hence the beast tides!
The roc sisters refused to give their names but they were known as the Sun and Moon twins. They rose to power in the northern mountains and were the undisputed rulers there.
They had risen to power after their mother died during a battle with Lord Atlan. The man fought anyone! There was some bitter blood there but they unified against the humans as rocs were highly sought after.
Demons were despised by them too.
It was the first time he got confirmation that there was another power on the fallen land.
After the land fell, however, the demons lost a lot of power due to a vicious battle with the roc territory as they were in the north as well.
It was a minor kingdom but it had been carved out of a rather inhospitable region so the Rubyfire Kingdom did not care. The rocs and their allies, on the other hand, really hated them!
The demons had hunted their weaker members to capture or kill for resources.
Lady Hectate of course had the lands to the south and east. She was the natural habitat for the qilin in general and covered a massive area thanks to her good relationship with the kingdom.
The parasitic plant was one of several sneaky bastards that hid in her lands as it was relatively safe. The land was so vast and the Corruption had allowed for more freedom than ever before!
Lind also had records of the beast tides and frowned at how they increased in strength over the last million years.
The leaders got weaker but the tides got stronger? What was going on?!
The mystery bothered him but his immediate concern was what the 5th Prince brought to him.
Katerina sat happily in his lap as the 3 drank tea. The room was pleasant with windows to the outside letting sunlight on the pale stone floor. The intricate carpets were decorated with a depiction of the rubyfire symbol so prevalent in the kingdom.
The black background made the rug stand out neatly on the pale stone even at night. The leather couches were quite comfortable as the dark oak table held the tea set between them.
It was made of fine pale jade with golden edges on the saucers. It was an artifact but nothing too fancy to simply keep the tea fresh once brewed.
Even if Katerina accidently dropped it, she could never hurt anything on the set. She was with him today because the others were training or cultivating as Lind studied the text the kingdom let him go over.
"What brings you to me today, 5th Prince?" Lind had not seen the man since the Crimson Harmony Law Crystal was repaired. Princess Fyre always said her siblings were busy but he doubted the 5th Prince was so busy he could not come by in the near year he had been living in the courtyard.
The young man was in simple robes today which seemed to suit him more than the finery he wore when they first met. The maroon robes matched well with his pale crimson hair.
"The 5 Beast Lords are making demands to see you but Lady Hectate is spearheading them now. She has been a good ally to us all my life but today she added to their demands." The 5th Prince seemed to become sad.
"As part of our bargain against outsiders, there are some conditions they can ask for. The borders are not as easily defended as over a million years ago before the Corruption. Back then, a power had to have the necessary resources to mount an aerial assault or at least invest in a temporary teleportation array." Lind nodded.
It made sense that falling to the surface had opened the Rubyfire Kingdom and its neighbors up to unprecedented issues. The beasts, while not close, chose to act in cooperation against greedy or dangerous outsiders in lockstep with their neighbors.
So why was the prince looking like his puppy just died? The man in question sighed but both froze as Katerina hopped down and then hugged his leg while looking up at him fiercely.
"It be ok! Uncle make it ok!" Lind felt his heart melt at her belief in him at only a little over a year old! She was going to be 2 soon but her intelligence far outstripped her body. It was just taking time for things to find a balance.
She would be a staggering powerful Soul Realm!
"Thank you, little one. I merely came to find solace." The dead look in the prince's eyes did not sit well with Lind. What was going on?
"Piercer of the Veil Immortal does not know you are here, does she?" The flinch came but then a strange resignation came with it.
"She likely knows I am here or guesses. Her visions are not so petty to be used lightly but after the request, I have not had the confidence to see her." The prince set down his jade tea cup and picked up Katerina.
He played with her a bit and Lind let the man sort through his thoughts before his quiet pressure brought him back to the point.
"I and one of my sisters are to be wed to the beast lords." Lind did not react much. Royal and noble lives are dictated by their status and leaders. If a leader emphasized freedom, then arranged marriages were rare, but more often than not, allegiances were forged by such connections.
A ruler had to weigh the costs but Lind found it distasteful. His wives nagged at him about not setting up his children but he wanted them to have the freedom to love or choose what they wished.
If someone earnestly tried to woo them, he would not stop them unless his own child asked. Still, many of their relationships ended up being beneficial for the Clan. He simply was glad they smiled with their partners and enjoyed their lives.
"I take it you were not consulted on this matter?" The 5th Prince nodded but then looked up at Lind.
"I will go but my heart is shattered. I thought with your hints and help, my Father understood. I want, I just want–" Lind sighed as his emerald eyes looked with sympathy at the prince.
"What does Piercer of the Veil Immortal want?" Lind knew the answer but he wanted to know if the prince had asked. The once forlorn smile briefly cleared to a smile of joy. Well, at least they had more than talked!
"The cost of ruling is knowing you don't get to make the choices you want so much as the choices you need. Even supreme powers can't escape that. What I do not understand is why? If they came for me, why are they now requesting 2 royals?" Lind was truly confused on that point but the 5th Prince seemed to glance around nervously.
Lind casually let his fingers glow as weavings popped up around them for privacy. He could practically make them without looking now although he was running out of materials regarding elemental crystals for the more complex ones.
"You likely noticed the oddity of the auras on the 5 Beast Lords?" Lind nodded as it was his current avenue of research. History was helpful at times but it could be so massive that delving into it was fruitless unless a specific clue was sought.
The prince swallowed his saliva as he lowered his voice. His pink eyes were dead serious about his words not spreading outside the barrier.
"In order to safeguard future generations, Immortal beasts have sacrificed their foundation once they reached the Crystal Tier. While this keeps their numbers up, it weakens the leaders and shortens their lives." Lind was shocked. No wonder they felt so weak but then why go so far?
What was the point of it? While the unborn were at the most risk, the fallen lands were much better even without a Law Binding due to the harmony crystal.
It was only then that Lind recalled the many defenses to protect the crystal. While it had an effect on the lands, the power would not be strong the farther away someone got from it! Lower realms would be safe but only if they were alive!
The Corruption would rob the beast clans and tribes of their next generations the same as everywhere else. He had just lectured the prince on the cost of ruling and here was a prime example.
It also made his eyes narrow. If Lady Hectate was the oldest, didn't that mean she was going to die soon? He then slowly looked at the prince as new understanding flooded him.
"You and your sister are to become cultivation resources?" It was a harsh way to put it but the prince neither nodded nor shook his head. Anger flared in Lind. Anger he had not felt in millennia.
The wards exploded away and only the pair in front of him were spared as his aura flared outward.
[YOU 5 COME HERE NOW!]