CHAPTER 76

King Velence did not understand Elric's first suggestion to wait in the next room for a while before Elric started negotiating in earnest.

-You might see an interesting sight.

When he realized what that 'interesting sight' was, his young heart was severely beaten and bruised.

"Wow, Your Majesty."

Elric couldn't help but stomp his feet to soothe the young tiger king's wounded heart.

He had already suspected to some extent that Fury's ambition was growing stronger day by day, and with the arrival of General Winter, an unfavorable trend was brewing among the ministers.

However, he never thought it would be to this extent!

Above all, the biggest shock to Fen was the visit of Prime Minister Norus.

When he heard the suggestion to sell the Body Strengthening Art to Norus, he almost couldn't contain his anger and was about to slam the door and leave.

Who would have thought that the loyalist who managed to save Anthromorph, which was almost collapsing after the Beastmen Alliance was completely disbanded, and even preserved the bloodline of the Tiger King, would act like this?

If he himself felt such betrayal, how much greater would the shock be for King Velence... He couldn't even begin to imagine.

King Velence was already biting his lower lip hard.

He was trying desperately not to cry, but the moistness around his eyes made Fen's heart ache even more.

"I would like to inquire about the price you can offer."

As Elric urged for a response, Fen's composure inevitably crumbled.

"You're acting like such a vulgar merchant! Can't you see how much the king has been shocked? And you still want to negotiate the price!"

"I apologize for interrupting, but I must clarify two things. One is that I am not a mere merchant, but a magician, and the other is that I am not negotiating, but advising."

"What?"

"Do you think politics is child's play? Do you think soothing emotional wounds will improve the situation? In the end, politics is a logic of power."

Elric's expression, which had been jokingly light-hearted until now, became serious.

Fen flinched as the atmosphere within the palace suddenly grew heavy.

King Velence looked at Elric with a strangely mesmerized gaze.

"No matter how plausible the justification or authority may be, ultimately, if there is no power to support it, it will be ignored and everyone will fend for themselves."

Elric knew this fact better than anyone else.

It was a sight he had witnessed since childhood.

Despite being from a prestigious magic family, there were always people busy ignoring him behind his back.

The noble families, which were long-time friends of their family, turned their backs on Elric and his sister without hesitation when they asked for help.

The vassals who betrayed them and disappeared with whatever was left, the Imperial family always busy restraining any potential revival of his family, and the Magic Tower that sought to usurp the authority and legitimacy of the prestigious magic family...

Especially the peers who mocked him for suffering from blockage disease and not mastering magic properly had changed their faces and come seeking him when he emerged as a hero of Lacente, after which Elric had tasted nothing but good fortune, including giving Professor Berex a hard time and catching the attention of Augustine and Gility. Since then, Elric knew all too well how harsh the world could be for someone so powerless.

Elric knew all too well how detrimental it was to be powerless.

"Sharpen your claws."

"Claws...?"

King Velence's eyelids trembled.

Elric nodded heavily.

"Yes. You are a tiger, aren't you?"

King Velence was gradually captivated by Elric's words.

"Sharpen your claws in secret, without anyone knowing. And when they're fully sharpened, strike all at once and seize everything."

Elric slowly approached King Velence, slightly bending his knees to meet his eye level.

"I will assist you. How does that sound?"

As he reached out his hand, King Velence instinctively grasped it.

The small pupils containing Elric's image were now greatly stirred.

[How's this angle? Or is this one better?]

『Seems like he's completely captivated to the soul.』

[This should fetch the highest price. What do you think? Isn't this enough to completely hook him?]

『You'll thrive once you become a demon. Cunning is crucial for demons.』

[Thank you for the praise.]

『Madman.』

Mephisto clicked his tongue while shaking his head ruefully.

'He is not entirely honest in some respects. He's deliberately taking the hard road.'

He knew that, despite Elric's outward behavior, it was a theatrical performance designed to give a strong stimulus to King Velence.

If he really intended to sell at a high price, there would be no need to go through all this trouble.

He could simply negotiate with Prime Minister Norus more aggressively.

But Elric chose not to do so.

Perhaps he saw his past self in the lonely King Velence.

However, the difference is that Elric was able to grow this much without major obstacles because he had a strong supporter named Heize, whereas King Velence had none of that.

Normally, Prime Minister Norus would have played Heize's role.

'But that prime minister became a demon and completely lost his mind.'

To think that demons would become evidence of betrayal. Mephisto couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

In the end, it did happen just like that.

'Anyway, if there is no difference from before even after doing this, then perhaps that's just the fate of the Tiger king.'

Mephisto crossed his arms and looked at King Velence with a cold gaze.

Will that young child truly receive proper stimulation, sharpen his claws through Body Strengthening Art, and once again display the same dignity as his ancestors?

"...There's a report that in the south of the Great Wall, Tiger King Yul left something behind."

King Velence spoke with a firm tone, as if he had made a firm decision.

At that moment, Elric's eyes lit up brightly.

Tiger King Yul was known as one of the fiercest among the past kings and led the heyday of the beastmen. 

There were even times when he nearly turned the northern regions into the territory of the beastmen by crossing the Great Wall multiple times, so he must have amassed considerable wealth.

"Your Majesty! But that should be used when our Anthromorph revives...!"

Fen exclaimed in horror, but King Velence reached out to stop him and continued speaking.

"I'll give you the map with the location marked. In return, please hand over the Body Strengthening Art to me."

The corners of Elric's mouth twitched.

"That's payment afterward, isn't it? Moreover, I can't confirm whether the map is genuine from this side, right?"

"That's true. Then... I also have research materials that our tribe researched to restore Body Strengthening Art. I'll share that with you too."

"Agreed."

Elric had partially restored the Body Strengthening Art, but there were still many gaps.

There were many pieces of information that couldn't be found no matter how hard he tried from his side.

However, if he could fill those gaps, he might be able to recover everything, including the advanced forms like ultimate technique and secret art.

"Ah, ah...!"

And finally, Fen shed tears of joy at the fact that Body Strengthening Art was returning to the king.

"I will also open the Temple of the Flowers for you."

"I heard it was closed because of the General Winter?"

"The Tiger kings have always volunteered to be the guardians of the Temple of the Flowers through generations. Since there's a connection from the ancestors, if I personally ask, it shouldn't be difficult to open the doors."

Elric could sense that this meant Tiger king wanted him to safely extract himself from Anthromorph.

'Well, there are many eyes here, so it might not be good to secretly sharpen his claws.'

It seemed like it was better to hide his intentions and wait for an opportunity.

'You look cute, but you are quite clever, aren't you, little guy?'

While thinking this, Elric refrained from making any rash moves that could be seen as disrespecting the king, if Fen had known, he would have been outraged.

Elric squeezed the hand of the young but mature Tiger King.

"The deal is done. I will ensure your safety."

He smiled slightly.

* * *

"..."

After all the transactions were completed,

King Velence slumped to the ground as if his legs had given out.

"Your Majesty!"

"It's okay. I just want to rest for a moment, don't worry."

Fen was startled, but King Velence waved his hand dismissively, shaking his head as if it was nothing.

But knowing the deep concern on the king's face, Fen couldn't say anything.

How could this frustration be alleviated?

At that moment, Heize quietly approached.

"And you are...?"

Fen tried to stay cautious about what humans might do, but before that, Heize pulled King Velence's small frame into a tight embrace.

"If you want to cry, cry as much as you want. Forcing yourself to hold it in isn't good."

A warm voice.

Gentle strokes on the head.

For a moment, King Velence's face flushed red.

"I-I am the King of Anthromorph, no matter how young I may seem...!"

As Heize continued to pat his head, King Velence found himself momentarily speechless.

It was because that touch reminded him so much of his mother who had passed away when he was young.

Eventually,

"Waaaah!"

King Velence found himself shedding tears while being embraced by Heize.

* * *

"Come to think of it, they say cats love it when you scratch the back of their heads. Is that why?"

"But isn't he a tiger?"

"Same family of felidae, so maybe it's similar?"

As Elric and Augustine exchanged a moment of unproductive conversation,

King Velence finally lifted his head, his face turning as red as his eyes, seemingly embarrassed.

Despite that, Heize continued to gently stroke his head, smiling reassuringly, as if comforting a much younger sibling.

King Velence seemed to be in a good mood too, as his tail wagged incessantly.

"Hmm."

Elric couldn't help but feel annoyed by this strangely endearing sight.

"Your eyes seem a bit swollen, don't they?"

Feeling Heize's touch, King Velence briefly yawned like a cat before being startled by Elric's words, quickly burying his face in Heize's embrace again, his ears turning even redder.

"Elric, you!"

But before Heize could respond, Elric swiftly changed the subject.

"I think it's about time we set off. Do you plan to bring the Royal Bodyguard with us?"

Watching King Velence with concern, Fen quickly regained his composure as Elric directed his question towards him.

"No, it won't do. Irina, the captain of the Royal Bodyguard, is the adopted daughter of the Prime Minister Norus. At first, I thought she swore allegiance to the royal family for generations, but she's actually acting as a spy appointed by the Prime Minister."

"Huh? Then doesn't that mean the Prime Minister already knows you're here?"

"We managed to slip out of the palace without the guards knowing. But... by now, they might have figured it out."

"Hmm! It's indeed difficult to slip away unnoticed."

It was clear that not only the Prime Minister Norus but also other ministers and officials had their eyes hidden near the palace.

Moving would surely expose them. They had to find another way.

'Maybe invisibility magic...? No, that would be too suspicious. Most guards are very sensitive. They'll notice right away.'

Elric scratched the back of his head.

'Should we just make a bold move and charge out?'

He didn't think it would be too difficult to resort to force. Despite Anthromorph being a kingdom, it was just a fallen city, whereas they had powerful allies, including the great sage of 9th-circle.

'If worse comes to worst, we can just fly away into the sky. Alright. Let's make a run for it after causing a ruckus late at night.'

As long as they escaped into the Black Snowfield, they wouldn't be pursued recklessly, especially with the General Winter on move.

Elric intended to convey this decision to the others.

But then...

Ding-ding-ding!

Suddenly, alarms rang out from various parts of the city.

"It's an emergency alarm! What's going on? Could it be Fury attacking?"

King Velence looked around in surprise, and Fen hurriedly rushed to the window, pulling aside the curtain.

Elric and his companions were aware from the outset that Fury was the beastmen tribe with the most conflict with Anthromorph, so their surprised expressions were understandable.

Hadn't it been said that when General Winter arrived, all cities and factions would cease fighting and lock their doors? Was someone taking advantage of that?

But if Fury had attacked, it was obvious that King Velence wouldn't leave the city.

Elric threw the window wide open, revealing the chaos and explosions happening throughout the city.

Then, two large figures soared towards them like projectiles.

"W-what's happening?"

Elric began to raise his mana in haste, thinking it might be an enemy ambush. But soon, he heard a familiar voice that made him widen his eyes.

"Elric? Is it really you, Elric?"

Thud!

Someone leaned into the window sill, and as their face came into view, they greeted him enthusiastically.

"Isabelle?"

[T/L: Read more chapters here: - https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]