When Tanya returned to Verdant Gardens it was already afternoon, and Count Gressil and Glenn had just left. Only Ezra was still at home, waiting for her.Entering the mansion, Tanya removed her veil and took off her disguise. She then went straight to Ezra’s room to relay the outcome of today’s meeting with Aleena.Ezra was happy to hear that Tanya had managed to gain Princess Aleena’s trust and get better acquainted with her. However, the fact that Aleena was always accompanied by her guardians created a critical problem.As long as those two were around, there was no way Ezra or Tanya could talk politics in front of the princess or learn anything useful about her bedridden mother. To even suggest replacing her father as the new ruler of Valaria was equivalent to treason and it was suicide to plan something like that while the king’s loyal servants were watching them.“So, how do we talk to the princess in private?” Ezra asked after listening to everything.“I handed her a note before
The orcs and the humans had a long history of bloodshed and violence. In fact, apart from the elves, the orcs were the only civilization of humanoids who had waged three wars with the human kings. However, just like the elven kings, even the orcish chieftains were defeated and compelled to surrender.Over two hundred years had passed since the last great war with the orcish tribes, and no human settlement had been attacked in the last few decades. But one could always hear rumors of caravans being ambushed by orcish raiders and travelers getting lost inside the forests and brutally slaughtered by the orcs.While the elves had chosen to honor the peace treaty and co-exist harmoniously with the humans, it was impossible to establish such friendly relations with the orcish tribes since they lacked empathy for all other species and lived for the love of battle.Ezra and Count Gressil knew the orcs could never forget their animalistic instincts and co-exist with the humans, but Marquis Desm
The convoy passed through the western gate and left Magaravia without raising any alarms. The guards quickly pulled the lever again, slamming the iron grate and closing the gate.Ezra and Zala watched from their cozy spot on the balcony but did not make a single sound. They knew if they stepped outside at this moment, it would alert the guards and make them suspicious. Instead of making a sudden move, they waited for fifteen minutes before leaving the tavern.Once outside, Zala approached the two guards manning the gate while Ezra hung back.“Stop right there!” one of the guards shouted.“Where do you think you are going?” another demanded. “Step away from the gate and turn back. All citizens have been advised to stay indoors after dark.”“I am actually new to this city, so I was unaware of the rules,” Zala replied, lifting his hood. “That does not matter. You will obey the laws of Magaravia, or we will throw you behind bars!” the older guard reprimanded. He was about to reach for his
Hissing like vipers, the Undead Nagas approached the convoy with malicious intent. The knights pulled out their battle axes and tugged at their reins, making the horses neigh and raise their forelegs off the ground. It was an intimidating gesture meant to scare off smaller animals, but the Nagas paid no heed to it.“They are undead. You can’t scare them off. We have to fight!” the leader thundered and charged at the largest Naga. With one swift blow, he hacked off the creature’s left arm and sent it reeling back. The others quickly followed suit and joined the fight.Meanwhile, the foot soldiers on the other side of the bridge were forced to adopt a more cautious approach since they were stranded without any mounts. The ones in front raised their halberds to form a defensive barrier while those at the back readied their crossbows.As the soldiers guarding the carts became occupied with the Undead Nagas, Ezra flew down and landed softly on a patch of brown grass. Cloaked by the invisibi
The following morning, Count Gressil was called away by Marquis Sullivan, and Tanya was summoned to the shrine by the High Priestess. It gave Ezra the perfect chance to sneak out of the mansion and head to the Arcadium.Since Ezra arrived early, the Arcadium was still empty save for the City Guards patrolling its periphery and a few elite Gunners who had close ties with the organizers.Among the elite Gunners, there were three humans, two half-breeds, and one of elven descent. However, despite their differences, they treated each other with mutual respect and maintained a sense of decorum.But the moment they laid eyes on Ezra, things quickly turned south. The fact that Ezra was still wearing his mask and had decided to keep his identity a secret, even behind closed doors, annoyed them tremendously.The tall, golden-haired elven Gunner cast a disapproving eye at Ezra and mocked, “You must have a truly hideous face if you need to hide it even from us. I am guessing you are a lowly basta
Ezra’s shocker of a performance in the last round had raised the stakes even higher, and that match had quickly become the talk of the city. This drew in an even larger crowd for the third round in which the contestants were set to participate in six different dungeon raids.With the spectators shouting and cheering them on, the contestants entered the arena in pairs. Apart from Ezra and Sam, there were five other pairs, consisting of the best Gunners on this side of the world.“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to another exhilarating round of the Grand Dueling Tournament! Today, our contestants will fight in pairs again, but they won’t be dueling each other. Instead, each team will choose a dungeon and clear it before nightfall,” the announcer’s voice boomed across the Arcadium as trumpets blared in the distance.Moments later, six stone arches appeared in the middle of the arena, each carved out of a different kind of material and having its unique distinguishing features.The one
The forest seemed to close in around them as Ezra and Sam headed down the snaking path winding between the trees and hedges. Apart from the occasional chirpings of birds and insects, they could sometimes hear distant howls.Ezra scanned the shrubbery as he trekked through the looping vines and overhanging branches leaning over their path. So far, the coast looked clear, with no enemies in sight. But the complete absence of smaller animals and snakes indicated something was amiss.“Why couldn’t we just be teleported straight to the dungeon? Why would they make us search for this grotto?” Sam asked in an annoyed voice. It was clear that despite coming from a family of peasants, he wasn’t used to long walks through the forest.“They are giving us time to prepare,” Ezra replied promptly before increasing his pace. “I swear these people just take pleasure in—”Snap! Grrr!A twig snapped behind them, followed by a low growl. As Ezra and Sam turned around, they saw a pack of Black Wolf Dogs
Sam’s breath stuck in his throat as he looked at the colossal monstrosity standing in the darkness. It was well over fifteen feet tall, and its arms were as thick as tree trunks. In its left hand, it held a wooden torch, while its right hand was gripping a massive wooden club with a bulging top.“That does not look good. That does not look good at all,” Sam gasped, his voice reduced to a squeaky chirp. “How are we even supposed to get past it? Do you think there’s another way around it?”Ezra pulled out the cork from a filled vial and gulped an Awakened Shadow Wraith Potion. As the bitter black liquid went down his throat and mixed with his blood, it boosted his reflexes and sharpened his senses.Tossing the vial away, Ezra replied, “We are not going around it. We have to kill it.”Sam’s eyes widened at the mere thought of going up against that humongous brute. The troll looked like a giant hunk of muscles, and the club in its hand could easily smash through any armor.The leather wrap