Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 214 - 213 - Cold Reception

Lind had not been wrong.  Only a few days after Nimon, more sons of noble houses arrived to try and collect Lind.  Each time they also tried to rapidly decline his invitation to be his Second while whisking one of the women away.

The illusion was limited but it worked for most of them.  For those it did not, Lind employed some gifts from Cyntilla.  Demonic formations at the Gold Tier were expensive but easily reached with his resources.  She also specialized in poisons so none of the nobles could resist being paralyzed or otherwise incapacitated.

Lind did not like doing that too often as he knew things would be difficult enough with just the Regent.  The rare noble that did not try to take any of the women he made a special note of but did not hold out hope for any pleasant surprise.

The caravan leader had already lost a man that thought he could trick Heaven by 'accidentally' stumbling into a woman's tent during one of their stops.  Lind did not even lift a finger as the fool's cultivation was crippled and his body twisted horribly.  Lind had wondered if all punishments were like that but had been assured they ranged depending on the cultivator.

Karmic retribution and restitution could affect the punishment from the Heavens.

Lind wondered how people knew that but could guess that oaths were broken over enough span of time to get a rough idea.  That or at some point the golden glow and black lightning he had once been told about had come with oath breaking.

It took another couple of months due mostly to the interruptions and some issues at various cities trying to 'improve' his transport method before Lind finally arrived at the capital of the Kingdom of Altair.

Unlike the barely functional cities he had passed through even only a week gone, the capital was a massive sprawling existence surrounded by the first green Lind had truly seen in Altair.

It was not a manipulation of the area either, his Eyes could see the flow of Qi had been largely unaltered where the verdant copse of trees grew.  He did notice heavy guards near all of them though.  Clearly the trees were heavily regulated, likely due to the fact the valley they were in focused the thin Qi to something acceptable here.

Lind felt his elements flow more freely that were not earth or darkness.  Air rarely was stifled but light could be affected due to the many shadows caused by the rocky terrain.  Lind now felt all 6 elements flowing about equally as they came up to the massive gray wall in front of them.

The luxury of other capitals was not present at the wall but Lind had felt for a while now that Altair made minimalistic a point of pride.  While others wasted resources making their walls and palaces decadent, Altair proudly achieved the same strength with simpler results.

He did note, however, the large castle nestled at the center of the neatly arranged streets as they came down into the valley.  It towered above all like a monstrous claw of some unholy monster with its dark stone towers and walls.  Lind had only seen the brief glimpse of beauty in the green and now was back to the drab air he was accustomed to.

"Master, there is something restrictive ahead."  Reya was near his side at all times since they came near the valley.  She had become the leader of his servants and most of them were nearing the peak of the Soul Realm.  Their robes had been adjusted to lower that but in Altair, they would be considered a fairly powerful force for an individual to have.

For a prince, however, they were barely passable.  The son of the Regent supposedly had Sand and Stone Tiers at his beck and call but Lind did not care about that.  He was not competing, he had come to face his trial.

The Trial of Stone's location was not a secret, it was too big to hide as it was on the surface, but it was heavily protected.  Even Lind was not foolish enough to try and skip coming to the capital to simply go in.  He would have to play their game and rituals to a point, but he had a bottom line.

The guards were low Sand Tiers but were very efficient at their job.  They saw the caravan coming and due to the numerous rumors flying around, easily recognized the man in crimson robes standing tall without difficulty on the carriages approaching them.

The near 100 women in similar robes also were part of the rumors and made them frown but unlike the nobles, they were simple guards.  Without even bothering to check, they waved the caravan in.  There was no respect in their eyes but Lind felt it was slightly different from the nobles.

The commoners were milling about but the excitement of his arrival got them really going as the caravan was basically given a large open street to easily advance.  The caravan leader felt exasperated as years of business had often had him stuck for most of the day just to get to an inn to stable his horses.

Now they easily advanced but Lind noticed something different from the other cities he had been in.  In those, there were 99% men only in any direction with a woman only appearing if she was escorting a male child to some place.  Mothers were in charge of their children until they reached the cultivation age in Altair.

In the capital, however, Lind saw several women being led around by leashes attached to men.  Lind at first thought it was yet another degrading thing but instead he saw the reason fairly quickly.  Several men still tried to snatch up some beauties and the collar's leash immobilized them.

Why would they keep trying if they knew the result?  He then recalled that theft operated on the same principle.  Despite complex security standing in their way and a real chance of long prison time, theft still occurred because they believed they could beat it.  He had no doubt the few he saw thought they had overcome whatever that collar and leash were.

Lind really thought the bottom of the barrel had been reached but Altair just kept digging.

Their procession proceeded on a wide street that passed several open markets and areas for horses to be stabled by inns or taverns.  Lind noted the quality in what he presumed to be a fairly poor quarter was much higher than even the closest city.

All the resources flowed to the capital of Altair and it showed.  Lind saw the quality of stonework increase the farther in they went and he also felt many auras focusing on his caravan.  Reya shivered next to him but Lind no longer worried.

The very laws of Altair protected them until the trial was over.  He also had made several backup plans, not the least of which was guiding several of these women into the World Realm.  He had noted not a single woman was allowed to become a World Realm save the Queen.

The only reason that was allowed was to increase the odds of a child.

The dark stone wall loomed ahead of them and Lind finally saw low Iron Tier guards at the castle walls.  The fact the Lotus Empire only had Gold Tier at the very head of their royal family to a few noble families, they had far more Iron Tiers than Altair as peak Iron Tiers were used as guards there.

Lind also had only met a handful of low Gold Tiers on his journey here, but most of them were from the founding noble families, or so they claimed.  Lind did know the Regent had not been a Gold Tier when he ascended but had since become so in the intervening years.

"Welcome your Highness to the capital of Altair.  Altair City is the jewel of our kingdom!"  One of the guards seemed to be reading from a script but Lind did not mind yet he found the laziness of the naming of the capital either sad or truly narcissistic.

"Thank you for your help in getting here.  For your troubles."  Lind passed a storage bag to the caravan leader whose eyes lit up in excitement at what was inside.  They had agreed on some World Stones, a very rare thing in that kingdom, but Lind decided to compensate him more due to the constant interruptions.

The caravan crew bowed low to Lind and the women lined up behind him.  The guards frowned but then felt his power.  They could tell it was a high Stone Tier aura but the power was above them!

"I have come to rest before my trial.  Is the Regent in the main hall?"  Lind did not know the layout exactly but after being in many places of power, the castle in front of him was simple enough.  The guards nodded with more respect as Lind proceeded in the black gate.

The grounds were actually bright green which surprised Lind but he saw with his Eyes that formations kept the lawns green and vibrant.  He also noted there were no herbs which while not too surprising was still disheartening as it was merely decoration, not functional.

The guards and servants were all men as expected but Lind noted a few rooms after several meters that had a low tier Soul Realm woman inside and he felt sick.  Reya saw his discomfort and merely looked more firm behind him.  Lind drew strength from it and found his way to a massive steel door.

It was the first use of metal he had truly seen in Altair but wood was sparse enough so using it for a door was just insane.  Chairs were borderline crazy but Lind could at least accept it.

The guards did not move but Lind did not stop.  As he was closing in, the guards became nervous but then the power of Lind washed over them and emerald flames lit up the arrays in their shock as they creaked open.

He noted them and moved forward without pause into a massive long hall that led up to an empty throne.  It was a garish black stone that shined with no padding at all but the arm rests were carved in a tasteless fashion.

Rather than simple supports or plain arrays to allow Qi to gather, it was detailed female forms holding up the person on that throne.  Lind knew it was a repressive society but who in their right mind would commission such a chair?!

Next to the chair was a low Gold Tier man and a boy behind him that shared his looks enough despite the blonde hair being much brighter in the younger, Lind knew he had finally come before the Regent.

The dark blonde hair of the man was closer to his own dirty blonde hair, but Lind did not pause as the many nobles he had already met on his journey pretended not to see him as they chatted away.

Lind may as well have been invisible so far as the room was concerned but the pale amber eyes were staring daggers at him from the boy behind the Regent.

"So, you have finally arrived, Prince Lind Frey."  The Regent's voice was cold but Lind noticed his Qi was slowing even as they looked at each other.  His face was heavily wrinkled but vitality remained.  Lind realized the man was near the end of his life.

"I would have come sooner if an appropriate Second had volunteered."  The dig at the nobles that had come to meet him actually made the Regent smile.  The various nobles around them looked coldy down at Lind.

"I see your…entourage…is rather indulgent.  I have real servants that can serve you here–"  The Regent was about to summon some servants when Lind waved him off imperiously.  A deep frown came across his face but Lind only smiled wide.

"I have fully helpful servants with me.  They are also well versed in my needs at this point so it would be a waste to teach more.  However, I understand that personal servants are a bit troublesome for the castle so if you could assign an appropriate place to me for all of us to settle and I can prepare for my trial."  Lind left no avenue for leverage or escape.  Lind was the prince.  He was the only royal and his choice of words were perfect.

The Regent and his son's fists cracked but they could not deny Lind had full rights as they had set him up to be the heir of their own volition.

"Of course, you are welcome to the royal suites as is your right.  However, female servants only have one use so I must insist on REAL servants for your Highness."  The Regent was now looking smug but Lind only smirked at him.

"Reya."  He spoke only one name but she unleashed the robes false display and her true power came forth.  She then demonstrated perfect use of her Arts at the peak of the Soul Realm.  Tier 9 arts were never taught to women but Lind had taught them everything he knew.

The entire room was looking coldy but in some fear at Reya as Lind was clearly sending them a message.  He had his own people and they were not just decorations or playthings but fully autonomous people.  His royal status was untouchable so they could do nothing!

"ENOUGH!"  The Regent stood up in anger and Lind waved Reya back to him.  The flush of red to his face did not seem to improve his health but the young man behind him was livid as well yet remained silent.  "Very well, a guard will show you the way.  Please take a rest and we will call for you when the trial is ready."

"No, you will prepare the Trail of Stone in 5 days or I will assume you are fine with me ascending the throne after that."  Blood drained from all in the room.  There was precedent for such a thing in their history and the fact Lind knew about it worried them.  Thankfully, the Regent was long prepared.

"Very well, in 5 days you will face the Trial of Stone. I hope you are ready, your highness."  A mocking tone did not affect Lind and he followed a guard up the main tower at the center of the castle to the royal quarters.  The audience hall was cold as winter but Lind did not care.  He had no more time to waste in that backward place until he had the authority to change it.