Chapter 74

The Body Strengthening Art consists of a total of five preliminary forms and three advanced forms, and secret arts and ultimate techniques that apply them.

Among these, what Elric managed to recover were the first five preliminary forms.

Due to the scarcity of existing materials, many of these were theoretically conceived and added by Elric himself.

He filled in the gaps while mastering the mana circulation of Magic Martial Arts.

However,

Elric could be confident.

Even if the real Body Strengthening Art were to appear, it wouldn't be much different from the form he currently demonstrated.

Boom!

The beastman, who appeared to be of the wolf beastmen tribe, suddenly twisted his body sharply to the left as if sensing something.

Five sharp winds narrowly missed the space where his upper body had been, slicing into the floor and walls.

"...!"

"...!"

"Th-That, that, that is...!"

"Could it be...?"

Not only the warriors but also Irina, the royal bodyguards, the ministers, and officials all exclaimed in shock.

Their senses were far more acute than those of humans, allowing them to instinctively recognize the intense tiger aura emanating from Elric's movements!

Even King Velence had to widen his eyes as he recalled something he had once seen in the ancient books left by his ancestors.

As if to put an end to their astonishment,

Elric demonstrated a new movement.

Body Strengthening Art.

Tiger Slash.

The second preliminary form, like its name "Tiger Slash," consisted entirely of relentless, offensive chains of movements.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each punch released mana that burst continuously in the air, and with every step, the ground seemed to tremble.

Although the movements were not particularly fast, each one was threatening enough that the warrior could barely manage to fend them off.

Considering that he was a promising talent within the royal bodyguard, this was hard to believe.

Moreover, the fierce cold wind swirling around as if to block others from approaching made it difficult for the other royal bodyguards to come close.

Furthermore,

Grrr!

The unknown killing intent deeply embedded within that cold wind was gradually triggering primal fear.

Their instincts kept screaming.

Do not awaken those who seem to be enjoying this game.

Body Strengthening Art.

Black Tiger Hunt.

Finally, when the tiger finally landed heavily to end the hunt.

Boom!

"Argh!"

The warrior couldn't withstand the accumulated impact of the fierce mana and had to collapse, coughing up blood.

"Fel!"

As Captain of the royal bodyguard, Irina, finally lost her patience and was about to charge at Elric herself,

"Stop!"

King Velence's thunderous voice echoed through the central hall.

Irina's sword, which was about to strike Elric, halted mid-air.

Elric, who was preparing to counter with his hand, also paused and slowly lowered his hand.

Then, he turned to face King Velence, who was grinning and having a very stern look on his face.

"I have shown you the authenticity of the art. Do you truly have an interest, Your Majesty?"

The fierce aura that had filled the central hall disappeared as if it had never been there.

King Velence remained silent, and the ministers and officials, still in shock, were unable to speak for a moment.

"How... Did you do it?"

The young Tiger King's question carried a lot of weight.

It implied curiosity about how a human could possess the Body Strengthening Art, which had been lost even among his own lineage and the beastmen tribes.

"Magic."

Elric thought it best to embellish his answer a bit.

『This guy, he's starting to sell his snake oil again.』

Only Mephistopheles, who had experienced Elric's antics many times, saw through him and muttered in disbelief, but unfortunately, no one else could hear his astute observation.

"Ma...gic?"

"Magic penetrates all truths. It can unveil the mysteries of nature that humans have yet to discover and combine the principles contained within."

"So, you restored the Body Strengthening Art in such a way?"

"You could say that."

"Incredible!"

Elric smiled inwardly as he saw King Velence's eyes sparkle like those of a seven-year-old child who had discovered a fascinating new toy.

'This is working?'

Initially, it seemed like the king had an interest in magic, so Elric decided to mix it in casually.

It appeared to hit the young king's heart perfectly.

'After all, the beastmen are far removed from magic. If I wrap it up with a lot of mystique, they'll take care of the rest.'

There are many, many journals in the Magic Tower where humans trampled on the habitat of your beastmen, took away records, made some of them slaves, and studied various things. So he restored it based on that information.

No way in hell Elric could say something like that in front of them, right?

Meanwhile, the others in the group wore expressions of unease.

[This, well, it's ultimately a good thing, so we can't really complain….]

[He's selling snake oil, isn't he, Young Master?]

[Honestly, that guy's smooth-talking... you just can't beat him with words.]

[Hehe! But isn't it all good since things are turning out favorably?]

[But it seems like it's not just the king who's hooked, doesn't it?]

Augustine and Gility shared the same wry smiles as they watched, just like King Velence, how the other ministers and officials seemed completely taken in by Elric's speaking skills.

Their eyes sparkled just as brightly, and some, realizing their mistake a bit too late, cleared their throats awkwardly but couldn't stop sneaking glances at Elric.

'Could it be that the king wasn't swayed because he's young, but because it's just a racial trait?'

This common thought flashed through the minds of the group.

『The beastmen are inherently too pure for their own good.』

Mephisto chimed in, seemingly to dispel Elric's doubts, with a snort.

[I've heard that too, but this seems a bit extreme, doesn't it?]

『That's why they're in such dire straits.』

A very cynical response.

Elric could only chuckle bitterly.

[Is it really that bad?]

『Sometimes reality is even more of a mess than what you read in books.』

[They're ripe for exploitation.]

『Even the most hardened con artist would feel some pity in a situation like this, but you seem to be the exact opposite.』

[What can I say if that's how it appears?]

『Utterly shameless.』

[Tap dance?]

『Therefore, it's a highly desirable stance.』

Elric inwardly clicked his tongue as he watched Mephisto, who had now started to put an iron plate on his face.

[Well, considering their racial traits and their isolation in the Black Snowfield with limited interaction with other groups, it's understandable they're all like old men from a remote mountain village. Still, this is a bit much to see.]

Even if it was understandable for the young King Velence, it was disconcerting to see elderly ministers looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Feeling it was time to bring things to a conclusion, Elric adopted a serious tone.

"As I understand it, Body Strengthening Art is a secret art of the great royal family. Although I may have retrieved it through my study of magic, how can it shine brighter than when it is in the hands of its rightful owners? A fine sword should always find a worthy master, should it not?"

Elric skillfully wrapped his message: 'See, what I've mastered is already strong enough to defeat a warrior. But, young king, if you take it, it will be much more powerful.' And the already half-swayed King Velence and his ministers seemed ready to be fully convinced.

"Thus, through this transaction, the royal family will lay the foundation for a new era, and allow us a good opportunity...!"

"That's enough."

At that moment, Prime minister Norus, who had been silent until now, interrupted Elric's speech.

"In simple terms, you're saying you want to sell us the Body Strengthening Art, which we have lost, for a high price, aren't you?"

Unlike the other elders, this one seemed to be a tougher opponent.

Elric instinctively felt that.

"Yes, that's correct. If possible, I would also like to receive some information."

"Information?"

"I want to know the way to the Temple of Flowers. It would be even better if we could get a guide."

For a moment, the ministers and officials became restless.

"The Temple of Flowers? Why would a human want to go there...?"

"I'm amazed a human even knows it exists here."

"Hmm! But what can we do? That place is...!"

They whispered among themselves, thinking they were being discreet, but Elric's keen senses caught almost everything.

However, Prime minister Norus raised his hand and cut them off at a critical moment.

"We could detain you by force until you reveal everything about Body Strengthening Art without paying anything."

"I think I could easily escape, though."

Elric subtly shook his wrists, referring to the mana restraints that had broken too easily.

Prime minister Norus gave Elric a sharp look, clearly displeased with his unflappable demeanor, but soon waved his hand dismissively.

"Fine. Since you've insisted so much, we have no choice. But we need to discuss the 'compensation' among ourselves, so step aside for now. Captain Irina, escort them to the side palace."

With Irina and the royal bodyguards approaching, the negotiation came to an end.

"Then, I look forward to a very wise and useful decision that will satisfy both parties."

Prime minister Norus had a look on his face that seemed to say, "What kind of person is this?" but Elric maintained his smile.

Elric's companions all shook their heads and let out faint chuckles.

As they turned to leave the central hall, following the guidance of the royal bodyguards, Mephisto, arms crossed, spoke up.

『That guy.』

He continued with a serious tone.

『He's a demon.』

* * *

"..."

"..."

"..."

Even after Elric and his companions left with the royal bodyguards, the central hall remained engulfed in silence, unable to shake off the impact of the appearance of the Body Strengthening Art.

"Let's accept it."

The words, casually thrown out by someone, disrupted the silence once more.

"We should accept it. Isn't it obvious? This is an opportunity to restore the greatness of the royal lineage! What is there to hesitate about?"

"But..."

"What are you all worrying about? Is it because we're joining hands with humans? Of course, I detest humans as much as anyone. But I find 'Fury' even more abhorrent. What should we do about that?"

As soon as the name of Anthromorph's long-time nemesis and thorn in the side was mentioned, the expressions of several ministers and officials stiffened.

"My dear king, please accept their deal. They may request the opening of the path to the Temple of Flowers as a condition, but I believe that's a concession we can afford."

Fen, the leader of the White Raven Tribe with impressive white feathers, kneeled before King Velence and bowed his head.

"The pretext always used by 'Fury' was 'the lack of the tiger king's spirit.' If we can fill that lacking spirit, they will surely waver."

For a while, King Velence couldn't find the words.

His voice was stuck in his throat.

Fury was originally the center of the "Beastmen Alliance'' along with Anthromorph.

Especially the Spirit Fox Tribe, which originally belonged to the royal family and was akin to the two arms of the royal family, along with the Black Wolf Tribe to which Norus belongs.

However, the separation of the Spirit Fox Tribe occurred when the royal family, the Tiger Tribe, lost the Body Strengthening Art and began to decline.

The Body Strengthening Art was not merely a secret art exclusive to the royal family. It was a symbolic force that unified the various tribes of the Beastmen and served as a means to prevent their separation.

Having lost such a crucial aspect, the Fury could assert their independence by claiming that the Tiger Tribe no longer had the qualification to lead the Beastmen.

Other city-states followed suit, declaring their independence one after another, leaving only a few minor cities around Anthromorph remaining in the Beastman Alliance.

To make matters worse, even the royal family continues to fall, and now only King Velence remains.

Pointing out such a tumultuous past inevitably shook the King himself.

-Rebuild the royal family.

It was as if the final testament of the late king, who succumbed to illness in his twenties, was echoing.

In the end, King Velence tried to steady his wavering resolve and nodded with a firm expression.

Indeed, the Body Strengthening Art presented an opportunity for Anthromorph to rise again, as Fen had stated.

However...

"No, we must not."

Before King Velence could respond, Norus, with his deeply sunken eyes, intervened with a decisive tone, looming over the king with his piercing gaze.

"Dealing with humans is absolutely out of the question."