I had an epiphany. Since I have limited knowledge of English yet my intention to make this work perfectly, I’ve decided to open the editing permission to all readers.
ANYONE who sees or finds any wording or grammatical problems and is eager to help out can click on the link below and make edits.
I kindly ask you to use the “Suggesting” mode on the top right corner, and in the meantime, I’m open to any critics.
Don’t abuse it
Editable original Text of this chapter:
Translated by Tianic, edited by Crimson Zair
Characters in this chapter:
Cohen Kheda: The main character. Marfa, Jack, Wilder, Moya: Cohen"s childhood friends and firm supports. Fischer Summers: Cohen"s friend and the prince of the Swabia Empire. Martin Luther: Cohen"s Dark Army commander. Tyrant Pauley: A Portaria (Porta: One of the Protoss-Allied empires) commanding general. He was self-important, arrogant, but in reality, a sucker. He was later beheaded due to a shameful failure. Courbet: The prince of the Rivalz Empire. Climos Summers: King of the Swabia Empire. Nashor Summers: Queen of the Swabia Empire.
I ran for G.o.d-knows how many laps. By the time the thundering sounds of cheer and horse clops came to my ears, I was literally dying of exhaustion.
An elf warlock relieved me with a floating spell. I watched as they took off my gloves and was incapable of saying a word.
I looked down and found the Portaria reinforcement. Thousands beautifully suited heavy armored knights rushed forward in a perfect formation. The beasts were outnumbered and qualified to be trampled on.
I was set on a minor platform at the peak of the shrine. Fischer pillowed my head while asking about my inquiries. I was thirsty as h.e.l.l so I couldn’t say a word.
After the applied buffs wore off, the following weariness overwhelmed me. My bones itchy, muscle sore as if I was poisoned. Winding up not groaning was the best I can do.
The Rivalzian female commander approached, then saw my dry and cracked lips. She fetched a water bag from her waist, dropped my helmet then wet my lips in order to feed me sips of water.
I gazed at her blankly.
"I admit that you are one brave viceroy&h.e.l.lip;" She said by my ears, "However this can"t change my view about you from earlier."
"Cohen!" Luther arrived. He ran quickly towards me and asked, "Are you hurt?"
"Not really." Jack said, "He can"t speak now, that"s all."
"Sounds fine. It might be the aftermath of the buffs&h.e.l.lip;" Luther flicked on my numb face, "Take more rest!"
I gazed deeply into Luther"s eyes, then looked at the direction where Fischer was.
"Easy, I know." Luther said, "I"ll take care of him!"
Hearing he said that, I leaned away my head and fell asleep.
It was a terrific dream. I was on my way back to Swabia when I woke up. I felt fine except minor fatigue within my body.
Our caravan kept advancing. The Rivalzian had offered me with a comfortable carriage. The one belonged to the idiot prince Courbet, it was mine now.
I asked someone to lift the curtain and enjoyed the view around the carriage, while several obedient maidservants ma.s.saged my slightly numb body. They have been doing that since I was asleep.
"Hey~" I yelled at the female Rivalzian commander, "You wanna talk?"
Her helmet-wearing head humphed and shared no glance at me then rode away.
"Haha! She got you!" Fischer"s voice came, "Let me do the talking!"
He strode across right from his horseback, walked in while telling a guy to put down the curtain.
"Awake?" Fischer sat beside, "Everything went well so far?"
"Not too shabby&h.e.l.lip;" I said.
"d.a.m.n you&h.e.l.lip;" Fischer must think I was hopeless, "Always wants stuff in exchange for your work&h.e.l.lip;"
"Glad you know." I said, "Who gave me this kicka.s.s carriage? He"s got a clue!"
"The Temple!" Fischer replied with a smile, "Those white priests."
That was unexpected. When did those idiot priests become this smart?
"You didn"t see that coming, did you?" Fischer continued, "More to which, one of the priests insists on coming along. He wants to award you a big pile of medals and t.i.tles, so many more than enough to kill you underneath."
"Ah?" My mouth was wide open out of surprise, "And why is that?"
"Cuz you saved their lives." Fischer said, "Besides, both of us were invited to the Grand Temple of Light."
"So you are saying," I blinked, "we are going to the Heaven Island?"
"Positive! But before that, we have to return to DC." Fischer said, "The treaty has to be properly doc.u.mented."
"How about our troops?" I asked Fischer.
"Our soldiers didn"t suffer many casualties." Fischer said, "As for the others&h.e.l.lip;"
"What about them?"
"Rivalzian army was left with two hundred, give or take. Portaria troops were all but slaughtered without a trace! Their commander, the Tyrant Pauley guy, he was beheaded right there and then."
"How many beasts we killed?"
"Dunno." Fischer shook his head, "However, the battlefield was covered with dead animal bodies, chopped, barbecued, pancaked&h.e.l.lip; The stinks traveled miles apart. Oh, by the way, the big a.s.s Kha"Zix you killed at last was the alpha, no wonder all of the beasts were chasing you."
"Hehhe!" I chuckled.
"The 200,000 heavy cavalries that came later just simply overturned the beast nest." Fischer gesticulated, "With the mages" help, they tore down the dungeon, killed all the remaining animals and stuffed up the hole. What a huge project!"
"Not bad." I laughed, "I guess this place can"t be used for future trials."
Night in the camp, I was taking a walk with my friends.
"Boss, you know?" Jack said, "We"ve earned big time! Porta has compensated us 8,000 war horses, the durable ones!"
"Oh, yeah?" I said, "How could they?"
"8,000 horses." Fischer, "They are nothing compared to a prince."
"Take care of them for me!" I told Jack, "Reserve the best for studs!"
"Got it!" Jack laughed, "You"ve earned those horses by nearly sacrificing your life. But then again, boss, the way you ran dragging that biga.s.s mantis was not looking awesome at all, haha!"
"Screw you." I giggled, "You want me to do that again?"
When we were fooling around, I saw a blackish little thing on the side road from afar.
"Jack, take a look of that." I hinted, "Watch out."
Jack ran over and fetched a tiny living thing a while later.
"Boss, look." He said, "Some sort of a horse, black and dying!"
I took it over and observed. It looked indeed like a newly born foal. Besides for the black skin, it had an uplifted hard spot on the head. The only peculiarity of it was ugly! It looked sick and under-developed.
"Let it go, Cohen." Fischer said, "Though it has your color, it"s dying&h.e.l.lip;"
"Nope, I"ll have it." I unleashed my robe and grabbed its tiny body, "I will save it."
"Don"t you be too stubborn." Fischer said, "Cohen, how are you gonna breastfeed it."
"I"m not." I strode back to my room, not bothering to look back, "You guys think of a way to!"
It was not my whim to do such act. As after going through a cruel slaughtering war, I was inclined to treat a life with kindness. Let alone this creature looked so fragile. It was like if I saved it, I could be able to forget all the awful things in the shrine and down the temple. Call it a psychological compensation.
I named it "Raven Jr.", Fischer"s multiple protests were denied.
There was one good thing about being a boss. Once you made a decision, all you will do is sit comfortably and watch the others getting busy.
I ordered my physicians to treat Raven Jr., and my carefulness has caught the Rivalzian female commander"s eye salute for many times. She later commented "Addictive and incurable".
I sent out for animals regardless of the physical as long as anything that had milk. Those who were caught were all but being hanged in my carriage and let Raven Jr. to suck dry of the last drop of milk then be granted liberty.
This act was once again commented by the female commander as "pervert". I could not but wonder, "Am I any worse than her idiot prince? I guess not!" I decided to let this go because I, as a man, was able to drag an alpha mantis to its death, thus was I capable of doing anything less?
By the time we were within the Swabia border, Raven Jr. has been well-fed, big, fat and strong. It was capable of running head to head with my horse while its dark black skin shined under the sunlight, which made Fischer and the others yelled "PITY". It was too late to regret, I grinned.
Though I had a giant carriage as well as dozens of maidservants that came along, once stepping in Swabia, I was once again on the horseback.
On one hand, I could tease play Raven Jr., on the other hand, I still favored riding with my brothers.
We rendezvoused with the long-awaited knights on the border then rode straight to the Divine City.
The fame of me and my Dark Army have become well-known overnight. I was not surprised at all. I have always been an all-time celebrity.
Even my guardian knights who were supposed to escort us to DC had the honor to accompany us. They were part of this after all. Though the looks on their faces towards me were a bit weird as if they fear me of sorts.
The day we have finally arrived in DC saw the whole city turned out to welcome us. Everybody came running on the streets to witness the dignity appearance of the national troops. They all wanted to have a view of the guy who left as the rookies who fistfight at the gate but returned as heroes.
And the people will not forget to search for the face of Prince Fischer that"s a million times prettier than seven-color flower and more graceful than the grand priest of DC.
We screwed and laughed all the way to make it to the Imperial Palace and were told to meet the King couple and Darkmoon viceroy couple in the Royal Garden.
"The King said, and I quote "Get those two rats after they"ve done being crazy."" Said the eunuch.
The meeting with the adults was friendly, except for my mother criticizing my clothing.
"What they said was right." My mom said, "Why on earth do you wear that? You"re black&h.e.l.lip; ish&h.e.l.lip; like a&h.e.l.lip; like, I don"t even know how to describe you!"
"Don"t listen to your mother." The King knew me, "Put on whatever you like as long as you don"t go naked!" He blinked at me.
"What was that!" Auntie Nashor glanced at the King, "Nonsense!"
"Well, well." The King chuckled, "Actually, the reason we summoned you two here is to tell you a thing of utter importance."
"Us?" I pointed at myself.
"What is it?" Fischer was also confused.
"It"s a thing you haven"t noticed yet." My father said, "But it"s important to your future."
Fischer and I continued to stay in the dark.
"You should remember, I once have told you two." The King hinted my father, "The two of your are like the two of us when we were young, but with exchanged personalities."
Fischer and I nodded.
"Thus, here comes the issue. Your disposition and ident.i.ty do not fit." The King said, "Why would Visual and I stay on the good ground? That"s because our personalities compensate on one another. I was vigorous, he"s reserved. I was outcoming, he"s introvert. I can fight and he can plan&h.e.l.lip;"
We kept on nodding.
"It"s your nature, born nature." Queen Nashor said, "No one can change it."
Fischer and I kept on nodding like dumbs.
"Thus I was destined to show off." The King finally revealed the point, "As for Visual, he was more the staying quiet type. Fischer, think about it, can you, as a prince, or even a king to stand one of your man or friend more famous, more likely to show off?"
"I can!" Fischer said without even thinking, "I surely can!"
"Why?" All was stunted, including me. I did not expect Fischer to say yes that easily on such a critical issue.
"I&h.e.l.lip; I&h.e.l.lip; I&h.e.l.lip;" Fischer held back his tears and said, "Once I think of the thing he did on the shrine, I just can"t get angry! Haha! Hahaha!"
"What happened on the shrine?" The King asked, "Nothing more than he drag-killed the alpha beast?"
It seemed that the King was not having detailed information on this matter.
After Fischer"s detailed story, I have finally known why those knights looked at me in a weird sort of way.
They all thought me as a pervert. It was said that whatever I fight, I will firstly aim my opponent"s p.e.n.i.s. And I will not miss the target. Once I hit the target, it must break, and I will kill anyone with a broken p.e.n.i.s&h.e.l.lip;
Some said that I had the habit to apologize after I have beaten my opponent half-dead. If anyone rejected my apology, he will be drag-killed by me personally.
Despite I felt nothing to laugh about on this matter, the King couple, as well as my parents, laughed out of breath. Two maidservants who were supposed to stand aside fell into the pond as a result.
"Okay, well, I merely wanted to tell you two to think about it when you are free." The King wagged his hands and said, "Say no more. Off you go get ready. A journey to the Heaven Island, you two did far better than us."
They laughed hard.
After we walked around a corner, I inquired Fischer ferociously.
"Where did you learn that?" I asked, "Or you were the one who gossiped about me!?"
"I did not&h.e.l.lip;" Fischer laughed, "Anyway, everybody has been saying."
"d.a.m.n! Gosh&h.e.l.lip;" I fell on Fischer"s back, "I can"t take it, carry me!"
"What ya doing? Get off!"
"You said you can"t get angry!"
"I meant the fame and show-off stuff!" Fischer said, "Not your body weight!"
"Makes no difference!" I was once again acting shamelessly, "Why splitting hairs&h.e.l.lip;"
"Get off, pervert!"
"Nope!"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive!"
"I will throw you into the water, don"t you believe me!"
"I don"t&h.e.l.lip;"
Both of us ended up in the water.
During the next day, Fischer and I were granted a bunch of metals by the Divine City Temple. Ribbons, long or short and colorful hung on our chest, made us like clowns.
Fisher and I were granted Medal of Courage, Firm and Devotion by the DC Grand Temple.
Fischer received an additional Outstanding Royal Member metal.
Wilder, Moya, and Jack received only a Medal of Courage for each. But I heard that it has never happened for officers this young and from the same army to be granted a metal from the temple.
Porta and Rivalz t.i.tled me Earl Kheda and officially granted pieces of land for me. Though the lands were merely symbolic and small, lands were lands. They have paid me the first year yields in advance.
I have also pleaded to the temple priest to merge the two granted lands into one and a.s.signed it near my home country, which will be conveniently managed.
This was not a joke. If I was not a celebrity, such demand will irritate them. However Anyway, I was a celebrity.
The King have also promoted my t.i.tle as a third Earl. He did not promote Fischer, that would mean to usurp the throne.
We have earned big to summarize.
"As for the Temple-designated t.i.tle, forgive me for not be able to grant you now." One of the priests announced, "Because I have messages from the Light Temple, you will be t.i.tled by higher ranked priests when the two of you are on Heaven Island!"
We rested for one day. Then I had to think hard about the future development of my Dark City because we will be going for a rather long period.
After dozens of orders were issued, I considered it to be enough.
Thus we set off with my men. This time, I have brought only my IGTs. The IGT troops were expanded to a total of three hundred. Within which included all kinds of races one can name. There were mages, archers, outperformed warriors. They looked absolutely different except for the same pride and unruly look on their faces.
Can you imagine? Skinny elves now looked tough, humble sandmen would rather act confident, dwarfs thought they were taller than the rest of the world, and the orcs though they have humor. I would not mention other bizarre habits of theirs, but I was glad.
My troop was growing and my soldiers were chasing something they were not in possession of.
Although they looked a bit messy this way and rampaged, I will lead them onto the right track.
We traveled on the business route this time, and we were guests of the Light Temple, thus we had the company from the grand priests from the Grand Temple of each country. Wherever we went and whichever countries we have been through, local armies will always let us pa.s.s. It was a smooth and fast journey.
I intended to mess around with the localities on my way, or took chances to test if the medals on my chest were heavy enough to crush a man, Fischer strictly killed my such thoughts.
"If like that," He said, "they"ll say you are a huge deuce!"
I thought he was right.
We traveled north headed toward the Heaven Island and it became increasingly colder. We had to put on heavy coat-robes.
As we traveled to an ice land, the local grand priest gifted us a few furred robes that looked expensive to keep warm. My soldiers have received enough outfits to stay warm.
Finally, after traveling for a little more than a month, we have arrived.
On a giant square in front of an even bigger temple where we saw a circled magic field emitting lights. The Heaven Islands waited for our first visit.