The World Is Mine For The Taking

Chapter 977 - 148 - Bigger Plan (5)

"You’re planning to unite all of the tribes and kingdoms in the Great Forest?!" Artemis looked at me as if I had just announced my own insanity. Her green-colored eyes widened and it was reflecting a mixture of disbelief and something close to what seemed like amusement.

Even Aegis, even though she was usually the calm one, blinked twice, her lips parting as if she couldn’t quite process what she’d just heard.

Yeah... I couldn’t really blame them. What I’d said wasn’t just bold. Actually, it was borderline impossible. It was impossible to the point where even people who have lived a long life already think it was impossible. The Great Forest wasn’t just a place or a forest. It was a vast and untamed world of its own. Countless tribes, kingdoms, and races lived scattered across its endless green expanse, and most of them barely tolerated each other’s existence.

"Are you serious, Leon?" Artemis asked again, her voice heavy with disbelief, almost like she was waiting for me to laugh and tell her it was a joke. But well, it was not a joke. I was more than serious about this.

"Well, I’ve never been more serious," I said, forcing a grin. "And honestly, this feels like the perfect opportunity. With the bandit attacks lately, they might finally have a reason to actually sit down and talk for once."

They needed to understand what was happening—because if things kept going the way they were, sooner or later, those tribes would be wiped off the map.

The Great Forest was home to five main kingdoms, including the Elven Kingdom, there were the Dwarven Kingdom, the Beast Kingdom, the Centaur Kingdom, and the Titan Kingdom. And aside from those major ones, there were dozens of smaller tribes—the Dryads, Sylphs, Lamia, Ogres, Orcs, Nymphs, Goblins, and a lot more. Some were small, almost nomadic, yet each had their own culture, pride, and grudges.

All of them existed within one massive stretch of land that covered nearly twenty percent of the entire world. To put that in perspective—forty percent of this world was made of ocean, while the other one was land, which meant that the Great Forest alone took up almost half of all existing land. If all of those races, kingdoms, and tribes ever managed to stand under one banner... it would be a force unlike anything ever seen.

They could rival the Empire. Maybe even surpass it.

But even I knew how ridiculous that sounded. It wasn’t just ambitious—it was insane. Still, the idea burned inside me like a stubborn fire I couldn’t put out. If I truly wanted to change this world... if I wanted to conquer it... I needed to start here.

And I wasn’t starting from nothing. I already had ties with the Elves. I mean, I already have a relationship with both the Queen and the Princess, and I also have something good going on with the elders. Trill, the princess of the Beast Kingdom, was someone close to me as she’s one of my girlfriends. I’d gained the trust of the Dryad sisters. And with Meria by my side, maybe I could strengthen a bridge with the Ogres too.

The rest was uncertain. I didn’t know how I’d reach the other kingdoms and tribes yet—but I’d talk to Solaris. Being one of the Great Forest’s leaders, she had influence, and maybe... just maybe, she could help me make the first move.

Artemis sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear with that familiar exasperated smile. "You know, I’ve heard you say a lot of crazy things before, but this one? This one’s on another level."

Aegis didn’t say anything, but her face said enough. The disbelief in her eyes, the faint twitch of her brow—she clearly thought I was out of my mind too. And she wasn’t wrong.

Right now, what I was suggesting was pure impossibility. Every kingdom operated on its own, bound only by a thin thread of mutual understanding and that was to don’t interfere in each other’s affairs. That was the only reason the Great Forest wasn’t a full-blown battlefield.

"Oh? You think I can’t pull it off?" I asked, smirking slightly, though there was a challenge hidden in my voice.

Artemis tilted her head, that sly smile of hers returning. "Fufufu. I would never doubt you," she said softly.

Her tone was playful and teasing—but there was something deeper there too. A quiet, unspoken belief that made my chest tighten a little.

Without really thinking, I leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were warm and soft against mine, and for that brief moment, the world around us fell silent. At this point, I didn’t care about shame or appearances anymore. Public affection? Who cared.

Though... Aegis clearly did. She gave me the kind of glare that could melt steel.

"Come here, Aegis," I said with a grin, still holding Artemis by the waist.

"W-What?" she stuttered, her body tensing up instantly. The way her face turned red made her look like she’d just been struck by lightning.

"Let me have a kiss with you too," I said casually.

"H-Huh?!"

She looked like she wanted to scream at me, probably something like ’Why the hell would I kiss you?!’—but she stopped herself. I could see it in her trembling lips, how she swallowed the words back.

Her cheeks were burning as she slowly stepped closer. Then, hesitantly, she leaned in and kissed me. Her lips tasted faintly of mint, and her scent—soft and clean, almost floral—made my head spin.

Before I realized it, my hand had wandered down to her ass, gripping it instinctively. She froze instantly, eyes wide, then shot me a glare that could’ve killed a lesser man.

I couldn’t help but chuckle under my breath. Yeah, I still had a long way to go before fully winning her heart. But at that moment, watching her blush and struggle to hide the warmth spreading across her face, I couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

Bit by bit, I was breaking through. Slowly but surely, I was finding my way inside her heart.