novelraw Chapter 61: Beast Nation [PART 2]
Chapter 61: Beast Nation [PART 2]
Atop a nearby building, Lunaris exhaled heavily.
"Phew. That was close."
He looked down at the street below, where the crowd was still searching for him in confusion.
His gaze drifted to a nearby stall.
A goblin merchant stood behind a display of paintings, currently engaged in heated negotiation with a wolf beastman customer.
Lunaris squinted.
Is that...
A painting of me?
His expression turned strange.
It’s fine to paint me, but...
What the hell are those clothes?
Below, the negotiation continued.
"Fifty Moon Coins," the goblin merchant declared firmly, arms crossed. "Not a single coin less."
The wolf beastman balked.
"Fifty?! That’s robbery!"
"Robbery?" The goblin scoffed. "Do you think the Lord’s image is so cheap? Without at least fifty MC, I am not parting with this painting."
He stroked the frame lovingly.
"Who knows? If you hang it in your house, you might get a thousand years of good luck."
These guys actually dare to use my image like this?
Lunaris watched with an indescribable expression.
The wolf beastman struggled internally, his face contorting through various emotions.
Finally, he gave in.
"Fine."
He reached into his pouch and extended his hand, a single large coin resting on his palm.
"Here."
The goblin snatched it up, his eyes gleaming.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
The wolf beastman lifted the painting reverently, cradling it like a precious treasure.
"Lord Lunaris... I’ve been saving up for the past month."
His eyes glistened with emotion.
"I can finally bring you home."
Lunaris facepalmed again.
I can’t watch this anymore.
He leaped away, bounding across rooftops.
...
As he moved through the city from above, his thoughts drifted.
A lot has changed in the past month.
That coin the man had used - the Moon Coin, or MC for short.
It was a currency he had created specifically for his nation. Different from the human kingdoms’ gold, though not inferior in any way.
He had made the coins by creating metal through his elemental affinity, then infusing it with Eternal Moon mana. Each denomination contained a specific amount of mana, precisely measured.
Unless one was the Eternal Moon herself - or him - it was impossible to forge.
And beyond its use as currency, the coin itself held value as a precious magic metal. It could be used for refining magical weapons and equipment.
He continued across the rooftops, taking in the view of the city below.
Last month, he shared his research on building and architecture with his people. Without the church bottleneck, they were able to develop rapidly.
What lay before him now was finally something worthy of being called a nation.
That said...
What should I name this nation?
He hadn’t actually thought about that.
Also, shouldn’t I visit other nations and have them recognize us officially?
I could use that chance to free enslaved beastmen in other territories too.
His thoughts turned to the Astoria Kingdom.
Back then, I really outdid myself.
He remembered what had happened when he rescued Mira.
He had used his soul link with her to extend his Spatial Domain with her as the base. Within that expanded domain, he had attempted to use Blink across that external domain in conjunction with the domain from his main body but failed.
However, with a few more tries and some mental energy, he successfully achieved something.
Spatial Transfer.
An even greater form of Blink.
A portal shimmered into existence before him.
He leaped off the rooftop and dove through it.
The portal vanished behind him.
...
He emerged in a different location.
"Hmm."
He landed softly on the ground.
"This is indeed useful. Both in combat and navigation."
He looked up at the building before him.
It was a modest structure compared to the cathedral - but well-built and carefully maintained. Through the windows, he could see rows of small desks and chairs.
A school.
He walked inside.
...
A classroom came into view.
At the front stood a small figure wearing a robe that was clearly too large for her. She held a book that was nearly half her size, struggling to keep it steady as she pointed at words written on a board.
"And this word here means..."
She paused, sensing something.
She turned.
Her eyes went wide.
"Mister!"
Lina dropped the book and sprinted toward him, crashing into his midsection with a flying hug.
From the rows of desks, another figure rose.
A girl with wolf features. Her eyes lit up with joy.
"Father!"
Luna rushed forward and joined the embrace, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
Lunaris staggered back a step.
Dammit, these kids are too strong.
What are they eating?
He patted both their heads with his hands.
Then he looked down at Luna.
"Father?"
He raised an eyebrow teasingly.
Luna’s cheeks flushed red. She glanced away and whispered quietly.
"...Dad."
"That’s more like it."
He ruffled her hair affectionately.
He looked toward the classroom.
Dozens of small faces stared back at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Children of all kinds - goblin, orc, wolf, rabbit, cat, and more.
"It’s Lord Lunaris!"
"Lord Lunaris!"
"The Lord is here!"
Their voices overlapped in excited chaos.
Over the past month, beastmen of all types had come seeking asylum. He had accepted them all. Their children now filled this school.
And Lina...
He looked at the small girl still clinging to him.
She was so hardworking. She refused to eat for free, insisting on contributing somehow.
So he had built this school for her to work. She taught the children reading and writing..
He placed a hand on her head.
"You’ve done well."
She beamed up at him.
He cleared his throat and looked toward the class.
"Everyone, settle down."
The children scrambled back to their seats, sitting up straight with eager expressions.
"Since you’re all so eager..."
A smile crept onto his face.
"Today, I’m going to teach you."
The children leaned forward in their seats.
"What are you going to teach us, Lord Lunaris?!"
"Tell us! Tell us!"
His smile turned mischievous.
"Of course..."
He raised a hand, and motes of light began dancing around his fingers.
"It’s magic."