The Real Monster

[ARGH!] Kaiser shouted out loud and released all the pent up energy he intended to use. The result of such an outburst should have been devastating to the land yet when the dust settled, it was as if nothing happened at all. Only the arena disappeared while two patches of it remained. The two patches contained Clay and co, then Kaiser and the four of his retainers.

Caltec and the rest were breathing heavily and were even crouching. Isaac lost an arm while Jon, Mor and Caltec had their arms totally cut off, the effect of focusing all their mana into defense while sacrificing their arms. That"s how devastating that attack was. They were in pain but did not worry about it at all. They were waiting for something just looking at their eyes that seemed to expect something from someone. And true enough, they were waiting for Clay to speak.

"Hmm. It seems you still need work with your team work and control, but it"s already a good sign that you would be able to beat the Dragon Emperor just by surviving this last attack of his. Look at him, he already lost consciousness because that attack was exhaustive. If you were fighting to the death, he would die from fainting and letting his opponent strike the finishing blow.

You guys on the other hand have survived and are still fit to stand up and finish the job, but that"s not what we want to do now do we? So, I commend you for pa.s.sing your graduation from basic to intermediate training. Pop your pills and heal those limbs already. After that, get back to your posts and do your jobs properly." Clay said with a big grin on his face, while he also strode towards Kaiser and brought out a pill to make him recover as well. He had another agenda with Kaiser after all.

"How do I make you eat this… ah, there you go!" He grabbed Kaiser by the collar and pry open his mouth to make him eat the pill and send it to his stomach using mana manipulation. It was very forceful but it worked as quickly as it entered Kaiser"s mouth and so Clay threw him towards Regulus to take care of.

"You guys, since you"re all healed and all, don"t leave the east unrewarded for all the hospitality they have extended to us since day one, go ahead and make them realize who it is that they messed with. When you come back, we"ll have a party to celebrate the unification of the entire human realm and also the establishment of the Village. Go, and bring me good news." He commanded the now healed retainers after just a single circulation of mana throughout their bodies with the help of the pills they popped. It happened almost instantly which totally really made the group of Regulus to open their mouths wide and see the real effect of the pills that they just popped themselves. Jacquellin now knew that the pill she just took was something not even the greatest of apothecaries can ever come up with. It was on the level of Divine power that can heal even lost limbs and regenerate it.

Ak"Aina was flabbergasted while she looked at that scene. Never in her life has she ever found someone so generous as to even offer something that could rival a whole nation"s treasure to just give it like candies, given to servants, and even enemies and opponents. Just how confident was Clay that he would do that without blinking twice about it.

The answer was, he"s un-killable in this continent right now, so he did not need these pills. Besides, with his alchemy skills, he could create dozens of these pills without sweating. Clay had already decided to dispel the he casted the moment he threw away Kaiser towards Regulus and now he had woken up. He was groggy as if he was just recently drunk. He also saw how the pills that the retainers popped into their mouths had such a visible effect as if immediately re-growing the limbs was something natural and given.

[So there really was no chance for me to win against him from the start huh?] Kaiser said so in a mutter only audible to the group, but who was Clay? He had enhanced abilities specially his senses. So he heard what Kaiser said and grinned in silence.

***

Right after the battle and the commotion it brought to all who bore witness to it, Clay"s retainers had already gone back to do their jobs in subduing the east stealthily. The crowd also dispersed after the Dragon Emperor told them that this tournament"s winner was Clay and that the recognition ceremony will happen two days after.

Clay also disappeared to his room where he stayed before the tournament"s start. The group he left behind were surprised that he could also disappear like that without anyone noticing. However, they did not pursue him and just went to their own rooms after that. They were sure that Clay would contact them after settling all that he needed to settle.

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

***

Clay had nothing else to do here than to just appear at the recognition ceremony two days later. So, what he did was contact Jacquellin, Regulus, Kaiser and Ak"Aina to discuss the unification of the entire continent under one rule which is Clay"s Rule.

Establishing the Village, a metaphor for a place that Clay would call home from then on, would no longer be just a plan, but a well-executed and implemented plan that would bring about a new kind of precedence in the history of the World.

On the morning the next day after the fight, Clay called for a servant to bring his message to the Regulus and the rest to gather in one of the cafes that the Dragon Emperor hosts. The café was called Imperial Café which had the Italian café kind of atmosphere. It was good, and the ambiance was explicable. Clay enjoyed their coffee while also eating cake he did not know the name of. The place had a VIP room for business transactions with privacy as the top priority. The room that was reserve for them was set up by the order of the Dragon Emperor Kaiser, when he got the message. It was especially rearranged so that he would not be embarra.s.sed when facing Clay. The way he saw Clay now was a powerful being that could not be fathomed, and his pride could not allow himself to continue to look down on him. He had to admit that Clay was the better man and he could not hold a candle to him. Which was why, admitting that he was better was also a form of pride to him, because through this, he will be able to gain a connection to this powerful being that cannot be easily read.

The room was filled to the brim with great furniture. A carpet that filled the entire floor, a wallpaper made of some monster"s awesome fluff-able fur, and furnishings that were made from the finest magical wood that could be found in the Imperial Draconic Domain.

Each of the guests arrived with Regulus being the second, while Kaiser was already waiting when he arrived. Regulus tried to have a small talk with the emperor,

"What do you think Clay wants from us, Highness?"

"You can call me Kaiser, no need for formalities. As I see it, after this meeting, we will all be under one banner. It"s just a guess but I think I already have the gist of whatever Lord Clay is about to tell us, by calling us all here."

"It seems that everything will be easier for Lord Clay huh?"

KNOCK KNOCK

"Lady Jacquellin and Lady Ak"Aina has arrived." Said the servant at the entrance. It was arranged by Kaiser that the guest"s name be announced so that those who got here first could ready themselves to receive the guest after them. Especially when Clay arrived.

The door opened and the face of the servant covered the people behind him, then he moved aside and let the two guests enter the room. Right after the two, the servant stiffened, and he stammered as Clay also arrived.

"L-L-Lord Clay has arrived! T-This way Lord!" The servant came and ushered Clay into the room, before Jacquellin and Ak"Aina could sit down. Kaiser and Regulus stood up to welcome Clay in a show of respect to those who are higher than them.

"No need to show such formal customs. I"m an easy-going kind of guy, no need for all the fanciness." Then he sat down and made the rest do so.

"I"ve called us all here for but one purpose only. I"ve already talked about my plans to Regulus, well, a tiny bit of it anyway. So please listen very closely to what I"m about to say, and if you still refuse after everything that I am going to say and propose, you can breathe easy, I"m not going to impose on you. So, let"s start with…"

Clay explained his plans to the rest, and they were at first frowning, then their faces changed slowly every time a proposition was given. From their mouths gaping, to their eyebrows perking up and even the ears of the elf Ak"Aina flailing about. Regulus" tail was swinging happily and Jacquellin was blushing. Kaiser was the only one who kept his gaping expression.

"And so that is it. You have until tomorrow"s end of ceremony to give me an answer, if by then you have not decided, then I"m going to exclude your places from the announcement I"m to make to the whole continent later. For now, enjoy your day. I"ll take my leave."

After saying everything he needed to say, Clay went outside and strolled on the camp that the Dragon Emperor had hosted. He enjoyed a variety of goods and entertainment to satisfy him for a while until the day of the recognition arrived. And those he left behind were slowly recovering from their stupor as if sobered by a shock that they could not just shake off immediately. As Clay left, they also started to discuss among themselves what they would do. To most of them the answer was obvious, while to Kaiser, it was still a hard decision to make. Even though he lost to Clay in terms of power, they still had a chance to overturn this loss and defeat him through their trump card called "Summoning" a hero of their own. However, betting on that would be dangerous, as Jacquellin also shared their experience with the summoned being.

"If you still have ideas about resisting and refusing then we probably won"t stop you, Kaiser. However, do bear in mind that we the demonfolk have already summoned our hero, and that hero dominated us and tried to rule over us instead of helping us. In the end, because of his arrogance, Clay decimated him leaving behind nothing. That was a time, when Lord Clay was not as powerful as he is today, can you imagine the growth and potential that he has?"

"She"s right, Kaiser. Being able to serve under him, is the best outcome for us. Not to mention, he won"t even try to really rule us, but only to supervise our affairs and if trouble comes, he"ll take care of it is what he proposed. All he wants is the unification of the continent under one banner. How hard could that be?"

"I don"t really care about the complicated stuff, but he did say that he will personally take care of our tribe and our lineage, so I"m already sold. Nothing to complain about giving birth to monsters that could potentially surpa.s.s the current Lord Clay."

"It"s easy for you to say. I have an entire empire to rule, and every tribe under me, is full of people that values strength more than anything, if they challenged Lord Clay recklessly, I would not know how to save them. And convincing them would be even harder. They may have witnessed Lord Clay"s strength today, but by the time we return to our empire, they would gain the support of all their troops and their power will multiply exponentially. That would give them a boost in confidence, although, foolish, I know, it still would work as a charm for them to believe that they have become strong enough to resist Lord Clay."

The four were discussing intently and the time kept ebbing away. The day pa.s.sed and evening came, yet the four of them were still discussing. Until, at the very end of their discussion, the Dragon Emperor finally said,

"Fine, I will follow your decision in this and come under the banner of Lord Clay, however, you will have to help me convince my own people. That way, Lord Clay would not have to make a move."

"Naturally, you won"t be disappointed!"

Regulus answered him. Then they all left the place and went to their own resting places to eagerly await the end of the recognition ceremony after tomorrow.