Chương 250

"Lord Rudra!" Jace shouted, leaning over the stone watchtower wall. The guard looked incredibly nervous.

"We have a situation at the gates! A massive group of... of Beastmen just arrived!" Rudra paused. He stood by the hot grill in the courtyard. The premium steaks sizzled loudly over the iron. He didn't look panicked. He just wiped his hands on a clean towel. He tossed the towel onto the wooden prep table.

"Watch the meat, Piaro," Rudra said.

"Don't let it burn."

"Understood, My Lord," Piaro nodded. The Sword Saint stepped up to the grill, holding his hand plow in one hand and the cooking tongs in the other. Rudra turned toward the main street leading to the front gates. Mumud quickly fell into step beside him. The silver-haired mage adjusted his plain shirt. He was still getting used to the feeling of walking on solid ground with a beating heart.

"Beastmen?" Mumud asked quietly.

"They rarely travel in large groups."

"We're about to find out why," Rudra said. They walked down the main thoroughfare of Stormbreak. The city was busy and loud, and seemed to be completely over the little panic caused by the appearance of Vritra. Near a bakery stall, a Siren merchant was arguing loudly with the local baker. The Siren held out a handful of wet, live crabs. He looked genuinely confused as to why the human baker refused to accept the snapping crabs as payment for a loaf of fresh bread. The baker just rubbed his face and sighed.

A little further down, two young witches sat on a wooden bench. They were using low-level levitation magic. They lazily floated a half-eaten apple across the cobblestones, inching it toward a trash bin just so they didn't have to get up and walk. Near the militia barracks, things were even weirder. A group of confused recruits stood in a circle. They held heavy leather armor straps. They were trying to figure out how to strap the armor onto a heavily protesting, loudly bleating sheep.

Piaro had casually mentioned to them that "everything on the farm must be ready for war." The young recruits had taken the Dual Legend literally. Rudra shook his head and kept walking.

"Hey! Give that back!" a young voice cried out. Silas's junior clerk was currently hiding behind a wooden rain barrel. The poor boy clutched a stack of trade ledgers to his chest. Kratos was happily stalking him around the barrel. The tank-sized Imperial Lion kept swiping a massive paw at the boy, genuinely thinking the clerk's fluffy feathered writing quill was a giant cat toy.

"Leave the clerk alone, Kratos," Rudra called out.

"He's teasing me with the feather," Kratos grumbled. The lion left the terrified clerk alone and trotted over to Rudra's side. They reached the massive iron portcullis at the front of the city.

"Open the gates," Rudra told the guards. The heavy iron chains groaned loudly. The thick wooden doors swung open. Standing on the dirt road outside the city was a massive army. There were easily three thousand of them. They looked battered, exhausted, and incredibly fierce and wore piecemeal leather armor and carried heavy bone weapons. They were the Beastmen of the eastern peaks. Amelda and Icarus stood at the front of the crowd. The two Red Knights looked incredibly tired.

Their armor was covered in thick travel dust, but they were smiling proudly. Icarus jogged forward. He stopped in front of Rudra and offered a crisp salute.

"My Lord," Icarus reported.

"We brought them."

"Good job," Rudra smiled. He looked over the vast crowd of animal-eared warriors.

"You managed to convince them in just a couple months, huh? I thought it would have taken longer." Amelda walked up. She rested her hand on her sword hilt.

"I-It was difficult, My Lord," Amelda sighed, brushing dust from her shoulder.

"They have inhabited the high mountain range surrounding Stormbreak for decades and they are fiercely xenophobic. They usually kill any human who enters their woods on sight." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"So how did you get three thousand of them to walk up to my front door?" Rudra asked.

"Patience," Amelda said.

"It took us a full year of delicate diplomacy. We spent months just leaving food and supplies at their borders without asking for anything in return." Icarus nodded in agreement.

"The Saharan Empire drove them into the barren peaks years ago causing them to starve up there. They refused to trust us due to the precedence of the Empire."

"What changed their minds?" Mumud asked.

"They saw the city," Icarus explained. He kept his voice low.

"We finally convinced their scouts to look at Stormbreak from the hills. They saw Sirens trading in the markets. They saw Witches walking freely. They saw that humans and non-humans were living here in peace."

"Once they realized Stormbreak wasn't like the Empire, they finally agreed to talk," Amelda finished. Rudra crossed his arms.

"I see." The Beastman coalition was divided into seven distinct groups. Rudra could see massive Bears carrying heavy iron axes. Sleek Tigers and Lions standing tall with crossed arms. Skittish Foxes, heavily scarred Wolves, and even a few Roc beastmen with giant wings wearing cloaks made of dark, molted feathers. A single figure stepped out from the front of the crowd. He was a Panther Beastman, standing nearly seven feet tall. Thick silver fur covered his muscular arms and neck.

A long, scarred tail swished aggressively behind him and he carried a massive jagged broadsword on his back. The Name Tag above him read Garrick, the Chieftain of the Silver-Mane Panthers. Garrick puffed out his chest and bared his sharp fangs. He fully intended to intimidate this human noble. He wanted to secure a highly favorable alliance strictly on his own terms. Garrick marched up to Rudra. He stopped a few feet away and glared down at the Duke.

"You are the human Lord," Garrick growled. His voice was deep and rumbling. Rudra didn't flinch as he wasn't really affected by this scaring technique, especially after fighting Great Demons and those Sea Monsters. He just put his hands in his pockets and looked right back into Garrick's yellow eyes. Garrick's fierce posturing immediately faltered. The Chieftain's animal instincts suddenly flared. He expected to sense a weak, deceitful human politician.

He expected a noble who would smile to his face and stab him in the back. Instead, Garrick felt something entirely different. Rudra's base Charm and Dignity stats were sitting at astronomically high levels. His Fame spanned the continent. Combined with his 'One Who Became a Legend' title, the effect was incredibly heavy. This was not to mention the effect his core stats had on the chieftain which he could feel slightly through his [Beast's Sense] trait. What Garrick saw wasn't an arrogant and weak human.

He saw a highly distinguished, honorable leader. The aura radiating from Rudra felt like staring at a respected king. It was an overwhelming sense of trustworthiness. His instincts told him clearly: this man does not lie. This man protects his own. Garrick's fur settled down. His shoulders lost their tense, aggressive edge. His tail stopped swishing and dropped lower toward the dirt. The hostile tension gripping the thousands of Beastmen behind him simply evaporated. They felt the heavy, honorable presence too.

Garrick swallowed hard. He forcefully cleared his throat, adjusting his stance to be much more respectful.

"I am Garrick," the Chieftain said. His voice was much quieter now.

"I speak for the Seven Clans of the Stormbreak peaks. Your knights aided us and said that your city is a haven for the hunted. We have come to offer you the Alliance of the Peaks." Rudra tilted his head.

"An alliance?"

"Yes," Garrick nodded. He tried to maintain a shred of his warlord pride.

"We will fight your enemies. We will bleed for your city. In emergencies, our fangs are yours. But we demand our own lands within your borders. We refuse to be leashed by human laws. We answer only to the mountains." Rudra leaned back. He looked at the starving, exhausted families huddled behind the strong warriors.

"I appreciate the offer," Rudra said calmly.

"But no." Garrick bristled slightly. His eyes widened.

"You reject our strength?"

"I reject the alliance," Rudra corrected him gently.

"I don't want allies but rather trustful subjects." Rudra took a step forward. His high Dignity stat pulsed.

"You will not be my allies," Rudra stated firmly.

"You will be my citizens. You will be my soldiers. You will follow Stormbreak's laws, and you will answer to my commanders. If my knights give an order, you obey it." Garrick's claws extended. The Panther Chieftain felt his pride stinging.

"We are not slaves! We are not dogs for humans to command!"

"I know," Rudra interrupted smoothly. He met Garrick's angry gaze without blinking.

"That's why you get the exact same rights as the humans." Garrick froze. The anger left his face.

"What?"

"You heard me," Rudra said. His voice softened, carrying a deep, genuine sincerity.

"You aren't mercenaries here. You are the vanguard of Stormbreak. Anyone who tries to enslave you, cheat you, or treat you like animals will be thrown directly into my dungeon. You will have full access to our doctors, our merchants, our public dining halls, our Magic and Alchemy Towers. You bleed for the city, and the city bleeds for you. Equality." The Beastmen murmured quietly among themselves. A human noble was offering them genuine, enforced equality. It was completely unheard of.

The Saharan Empire hunted them for sport. This man was offering them a real home. Garrick stared at Rudra. The Chieftain's animal instincts searched for a lie. He looked for deceit in the Duke's red eyes. He found none. The Duke meant every single word. Garrick slowly closed his eyes. He let out a long, heavy breath. The last bit of his xenophobic pride washed away. The massive Panther Chieftain dropped to one knee in the dirt. He placed his right fist over his heart and bowed his head deeply.

"The Seven Clans belong to Stormbreak," Garrick declared loudly.

"Our fangs are yours, My Lord." Behind him, three thousand Beastmen dropped to their knees in perfect unison. The sound of their bone armor hitting the dirt echoed across the high stone walls. Rudra smiled warmly.

"Welcome home."