At the mont, the mages were maintaining a do-like barrier over the infested area to prevent the locusts from spreading further. They had been holding the spell for hours. Whenever a mage began to tire, another would step in to take their place, allowing the exhausted mage to rest in one of the nearby tents. This rotation was the only way to ensure there were no gaps in the containnt field.
Unfortunately, there were no magical tools available to lighten their burden or supplent their mana. That ant the mages had to remain physically present and manually feed mana into the spell at all tis. It was a grueling process, and they all knew it couldn’t last forever. Eventually, even the strongest of them would collapse from exhaustion.
This is why magic tools are essential, to ease the burden and strain on mages. But unfortunately, they didn’t have the ti to craft one now. And so, the cycle continued. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure.
It was also the reason Elric and the Royal Advisor were in such a rush. Once the locust swarm spread deeper into their territory, the situation would spiral out of control. Containing it would require thinning their already-stretched forces across multiple fronts, none of which could afford to be idle.
In their haste, even the usually composed Royal Advisor was on edge. Beneath his calm facade, he was nothing but a bundle of nerves. And perhaps it was that tension that caused him to slip, because now, he had clearly offended the Tigren Chieftain.
Elric could see it clearly; the Chieftain’s brows had narrowed so sharply, it looked like he could crush a fly between them.
"What’s a two old n like you doing here?" the Chieftain said, his tone laced with mockery. "I feel no urge to listen to a single word you say."
A smirk curled at the corners of his lips, mischievous and calculating. Then he added with deliberate provocation, "I heard your Royal Princess has returned. They say she used to be the strongest warrior in the kingdom... and that she has a majestic big wolf. I’m curious to see for myself just how impressive she really is."
He leaned back slightly, eyes glinting with amusent. "Maybe we can talk about negotiations after that. After all, who wouldn’t prefer speaking to a beauty? Depending on her... skills, I might even lower my demands."
He shot both older n a glance so disinterested and lazy it was almost insulting, clearly dismissing them as unworthy of his ti.
Archmage Elric and the Royal Advisor exchanged a look. They understood what was happening. The Chieftain was only making things difficult because of a slip in their approach, and perhaps, because he believed that since their princess was a woman, she would be easier to manipulate and intimidate.
Elric and the Royal Advisor exchanged uneasy glances; the tension between them was so obvious they could see it in each other’s eyes. They both knew the truth about Addison’s condition. There was no doubt she was a formidable woman, but without her wolf, if things went south, she could easily find herself in serious danger.
Worse, what if the Chieftain was planning to use her as a hostage?
Before, they might have dismissed the Tigrens as free-spirited and straightforward. But now, they saw the truth: this Chieftain wasn’t just cunning, he was dangerously bold and ruthless.
Beads of cold sweat began forming on their brows as they noticed the Chieftain’s expression grow more serious, his gaze sharper than before. He wasn’t backing down; if anything, he looked like a predator that had just found a more interesting prey.
"But we’ve already prepared to et your demands. Wasn’t it a hundred beef cattle—" the Royal Advisor began, trying to steer the conversation back to the Chieftain’s demands.
But before he could finish, the Chieftain cut him off with a low, commanding voice.
"But I’ve just changed my mind," the Chieftain said coolly, reclining with a smug expression. "I want your Royal Princess to lead the negotiations from here on."
He waved his hand dismissively, as though shooing away a couple of pesky flies. "You may go now."
As if on cue, two Tigren warriors entered the tent, not to escort them out, but to haul them away like sacks of potatoes. Without ceremony, they hoisted Elric and the Royal Advisor onto their broad shoulders and turned to leave.
The Royal Advisor, a proud werewolf, bristled at the blatant disrespect. His pride wounded, his anger flared despite his usual calm and refinent. Just as they stepped out of the tent, he let out a low, nacing growl and bared his fangs. Before Elric could stop him, the Advisor was already mid-shift, fur bristling and claws unsheathed as he launched himself at the Tigren warrior.
Elric stood frozen, dumbfounded. ’How did things spiral so fast?’ He thought, and instinctively took over, and he raised his hand and cast a blast of wind spell without thinking.
The spell hit its mark. The Tigren warrior flew through the air, straight back into the tent, then crashed at the feet of the Chieftain.
A heavy silence followed.
The Chieftain’s gaze turned murderous. His fury exploded in a roar so loud the tent trembled.
Elric and the Royal Advisor looked at each other, wide-eyed, a single unspoken ssage passing between them: ’Look what you’ve done!’
Without a word, they turned and bolted.
A war cry echoed through the camp as Tigren warriors poured out in pursuit. Elric, slower on foot, struggled to keep up until the Royal Advisor growled in frustration, grabbed him by the collar of his mage’s robe, and hauled him under one arm like a sack of flour.
"Put down!" Elric shouted, red-faced, as he struggled to cast a spell one-handed.
"Shut up and open that portal!" the Advisor snapped.
Elric fumbled the incantation, sparks flying from his fingers as he desperately tried to create a portal while being jostled like cargo, all while the entire Tigren camp stord after them.
The two older n looked completely disheveled as they sprinted across the grasslands, an entire army of furious Tigren warriors thundering after them.
"Hurry up, you old fossil!" the Royal Advisor barked as he looked over his shoulder and picked up his speed.
"Old fossil?!" Elric snapped, wheezing as he felt his whole body aching from being mishandled. "You’re the one past a hundred! I’m barely in my seventies, thank you very much! This is all your fault, we’re in this ss because you lost your temper!"
The Advisor shot back, not missing a stride. "Says the genius who blasted the warrior right into the Chieftain’s feet!"
"And you were brawling like a wild mutt!" Elric gritted through his teeth as his fingers glowed, hurriedly finishing the portal spell. He punched in the coordinates, straight to the Alpha King’s side in the Royal Palace.
The portal shimred open, just in ti.
With zero ceremony, the Royal Advisor grabbed Elric by the collar and hurled him through the glowing portal like a sack of potatoes.
"Hey—!" Elric’s voice echoed as he vanished into the swirling light.
The Royal Advisor didn’t pause, he dove in right after, Tigren warriors just inches from tackling him.
The mont he crossed the threshold, the portal snapped shut behind him.
The Tigren warriors skidded to a halt, glaring at the now-empty space where their prey had vanished, a collective growl rising in frustration.
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