Brendu's POV:
“Why did you send them back? I’m sure we could have helped them improve for a few more rounds without too many complications, especially you, since you can see everything.” I ask Maki.
“My instincts tell me there’s something more. I don’t feel a danger capable of taking my life, but I do feel that there’s something—or someone—strong ahead. It’s better to avoid risking their lives for a few more training sessions.” Maki looks down the path, more serious than usual.
“I understand... You think I should go back with them, don’t you?” Maki’s eyes give him away. He can’t fool me. I’ve seen that worried look many times.
“Yes... I’d like you to go back with them, not only to keep yourself safe but also to protect them. But it’s better if we stay together. Something feels strange, and I’d rather have someone strong by my side. They’ll be able to solve any problem on their own, and besides, Glia is eager to stretch her legs a little.” The moment Maki finishes speaking, Glia appears beside him.
I approach the wolf-furred jaguar and begin petting her. Her fur is just as soft as ever. I consider her a fundamental part of the family. She’s always with Maki when no one else is.
“Would you stop insisting already? I told him!” I freeze when I hear a voice. I look around trying to find who spoke, but there’s nobody else nearby.
Maki immediately bursts out laughing. What is this idiot laughing about? Someone just spoke. A teenage girl’s voice echoed nearby, and I can’t find anyone around us.
“You don’t need to look around.” Maki winks at me before looking at Glia. “She was the one who spoke. Glia can talk. She just never did because she was shy. I had to force her.”
My eyes widen. I blink several times, trying to process what Maki just said. Less than a second later, I think about it more carefully. Glia is a grade 4 monster and has always been incredibly intelligent. It’s perfectly normal that she can speak. Thinking about it now, it’s actually strange that she couldn’t before.
“Hello, Glia. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, little sister.” I give Glia the warmest smile I can.
“Hello, Brendu... It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” I can see a hint of nervousness in those wise eyes of hers. I practically jump with excitement inside when I see how shy she looks. She’s adorable.
“Communication will be much easier now. Before, we had to tell everything to that idiot Maki, and then he had to relay your thoughts to us.” I pull Glia into a tight hug.
“She always understood everything. She just couldn’t answer.” Maki comments.
I’m stunned for a moment. She always understood? All this time? Glia listened to our conversations and always knew what we were talking about? There were times when we talked badly about Maki or made fun of all sorts of people, and she understood everything?
Glia looks at me and smiles. “Don’t worry. I usually agree with you girls. You have nothing to worry about. I won’t tell anyone.” I let out a sigh of relief.
“From now on, you’ll be able to participate in our girls’ conversations. They’re going to be shocked when they hear you speak.” Things are going to become much more fun. An extra opinion is always welcome, especially when it comes from the person closest to Maki.
“I’m not even going to ask what you talk about during those meetings because I don’t want to get hurt, and I know you won’t tell me anything.” Maki looks disappointed. “Come on, it’s time to move. I want to finish all of this and get back home quickly. Glia, if something happens, you need to escape with Brendu. I’ll find a way back on my own.” Maki’s voice becomes unusually deep.
I watch Glia open her mouth as if she’s about to say something. Then she simply closes it and nods. She doesn’t argue at all. She understands the situation perfectly.
We move quickly. Without so many guards slowing us down, we can travel at full speed. Most monsters never even realize what hit them. They simply drop dead a few seconds later.
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Nearly an hour later, we find ourselves fighting a much larger group of monsters. There are almost fifteen grade 4 creatures. Maki is handling ten of them on his own, while Glia and I focus on only five.
We’re conserving mana and energy for whatever lies ahead. We don’t know how many more battles await us. Based on the map we’ve built of this maze-like mountain, we should be close to the core. The fact that we’ve only encountered grade 4 monsters is another indication.
“How is it possible for there to be so many grade 4 monsters in one place? This is extremely strange. If they had gathered together and attacked our territory, we’d be in serious trouble. A lot of people would have died.” Maki says after pulling his sword from the final monster.
“Don’t forget that every village now has protective barriers... although even then, it would be difficult to prevent casualties, especially if they focused on a single settlement.” I reply.
The barriers were part of the agreement between my kingdom, Marga’s duchy, and the Vichag Territory. It helped negotiations considerably that we’re engaged and that all of us genuinely want to live alongside him in this peaceful place.
“I’ll have to thank your father and Marga’s father when I see them again.” Maki smiles shyly. “Still, this is very strange... My instincts aren’t telling me much about this place. I hope I can eliminate the problem at its root and prevent any future attacks.”
“We will. That way you won’t have to worry about it anymore. You’re going to go bald or turn gray from stress. You need to relax more.” I wrap my arms around my future husband from behind.
“Will you still love me if I go bald?” I can see the teasing smile on Maki’s face. Even Glia looks curious.
I study him carefully. Those beautiful and mesmerizing purple eyes that captivated me from the very beginning. His slightly long reddish-brown hair gives his face the perfect touch. His features are somewhat delicate without losing their masculine charm.
“No, you definitely can’t go bald. You’d look weird.” I answer without hesitation. “That’s why you need to reach diamond rank before that happens. Your body will preserve itself much better, and once you reach obsidian rank, your appearance won’t change with time.” I nod firmly after delivering my verdict.
Both of them burst out laughing. “Then I’ll never go bald. I’ll reach obsidian rank eventually. It’s only a matter of time.” He replies before leaning forward to kiss me.
“Let’s keep going. My instincts tell me we’re close to something important.” Maki looks ahead down the tunnel illuminated by pink glowing stones. These stones are incredibly valuable. Wealthy people often buy them for decoration. The territory could earn considerable profits by selling them, or use them to improve local architecture.
Maki’s father will soon be promoted to Baron. His status will change completely. Luxuries that were once considered unnecessary expenses will become essential. Displaying wealth to other nobles is normal. It’s part of our culture.
Showing prosperity is a fundamental part of creating alliances and securing favorable deals. It demonstrates economic power and influence, creating a certain degree of trust.
It’s time for his family to begin constructing a castle worthy of a Baron. With the economic power they’re gaining and Maki’s support, they could even build a castle worthy of a Count. That would be the most logical choice because they’ll continue rising in rank over the coming decades.
Maki is someone destined for greatness, someone destined to reach obsidian rank. Naturally, his family will benefit from that. Then again, they’re simply receiving the rewards of everything they’ve cultivated. His entire family is intelligent and kindhearted. They deserve a blessing as great as Maki.
His grandmother is the most remarkable of them all. Grandmother Rita is one of the smartest and most cunning people I’ve ever met. It’s a shame she wasn’t born into a more powerful family. She might have reached obsidian rank herself.
We continue onward, encountering only a few more hordes of monsters. Glia and I are injured along the way, though fortunately nothing serious. Maki heals me, and Glia heals herself, although her recovery is slightly slower than the cockroach’s.
“The cave ahead opens into an enormous space. I can’t even cover it completely with my sensory ability. I think it’s the center of this mountain, so be ready to fight.” Maki warns us.
Glia and I exchange a glance and nod. We’re both prepared for whatever comes next.
We advance carefully, waiting for any signal from Maki or any unusual movement around us. Maki is right. The cave opens up in the center as though someone had carved out a massive hollow chamber inside the mountain and turned it into a base. I don’t know whether monsters built it or if someone else created it long ago.
From our elevated position, we continue moving carefully. We peek over the edge without exposing our faces. We even suppress our Imra and mana to avoid revealing ourselves. In the center, we can see several crude houses and massive trees with homes built from wood and vines.
“Look a little farther toward the center. There’s someone sitting on a golden throne.” Maki points with his finger.
We focus our attention where he’s pointing. A ruby rank’s eyesight is perfect for viewing great distances when properly focused. I see the throne he mentioned, and a monster identical to the ones we’ve been killing is sitting upon it while the others kneel before him.
This monster is wearing armor. And is that a crown on its head? Is it some kind of king?