9 Chapter 2 (1/7)

Benil, is the capital city of the Dryardian Empire. Lucius Flavonius Acilianus, the Blue Dragon-kin Saint-tier Dragon Knight Warrior, current Emperor of the Dryardian Empire, was sitting on his throne nodding his head due to the great news he had just heard.

"Ateia, including that, how many Saint-tier Warriors do we currently have?" Emperor Acilianus asked Ateia Ordia, the Tiger-kin Eleventh Stage Saint Warlord Warrior, Prime Minister of the Dryardian Empire, as he stood up to flex his dragon wings.

"Emperor, we have six thousand four hundred and eighteen (6418) Saint-tier Warriors. I have carefully checked and we have a thousand and five (1005) Saint Warriors that have reached the Eleventh Stage." Ateia respectfully answered Emperor Acilianus.

The Eleventh Stage is the highest Stage a Saint Warrior can reach.

Emperor Acilianus nodded his head and continued to ask, "Hmm... What about tenth-tier warriors?"

"Approximately four million one hundred forty eight thousand six hundred and eighteen (4,148,618). We are still counting."

"Kakaka, I'm glad to know we have that many. What about the total number of all troops?"

"More than one hundred million. This is the total troop number just for our army, not counting other armies commanded by the Kings and Queens. I have sent letters to our Kings and Queens requesting that they send us the total troops number of their armies."

As Ateia reads the military report, her eyes keep looking up to see Lucius' expression. As expected, Lucius was eager for another war against the humans to invade their lands. It has been over a hundred thousand years since the Dryardian Empire invaded other nations. If the Mages Council of Bifjorkian Theocracy had not sent five hundred high-level Saint-tier Mages to Sungaria, then that nation would now be part of the Dryardian Empire.

"Ateia."

"Yes, Emperor?"

"What is your view on Tarlakalian Theocracy?"

"Since separating themselves from Bifjorkian Theocracy, they have no intention of uniting again."

"What about the Mages Council? Did they take any kind of action toward them?"

"No, Emperor. The Pope of Tarlakalian Theocracy even offered to build a bigger temple for the Mages Council if they consider moving the headquarters from Bifjorkian Theocracy to Tarlakalian Theocracy."

"Ateia, do you think the Bifjorkian Theocracy will send aid to Sungaria again?"

"Most likely, as long as Sungaria remains vassal to Bifjorkian Theocracy and offers a portion of its tax money annually. However, there is another concern."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"The King of Sungaria has been actively recruiting magic casters to work for him. My intel stated Sungaria has been working toward the borderline to improve defense against our full-scale invasion using the seaway."

"Kakaka... Was that your concern? A group of weak Intermediate Mages won't be able to withstand our mighty army."

"Emperor, I'm afraid it won't just be Intermediate Mages this time."

"What do you mean? Isn't the Mages Council prohibiting higher-tier magic casters from joining the military rank?"

"That is correct, but the King of Sungaria adopted a girl to be his daughter twenty-five years ago. The adopted Princess of Sungaria had just graduated from the Mages' Academy of Emberun as a Master Black Mage. Our human slaves reported that she is going to form a Mages Guild to legally assist Sungaria by offering rewards for the guild members through quests given out by Sungaria. If that is the case, the Mages Council can't deny her right to do so. By using the front of a Mages Guild, Sungaria will indirectly employ high-tier magic casters to work for them. Also, the King of Sungaria just became the tenth-tier warrior so he will be able to live up to two thousand years."

Emberun is the capital city of the Sungaria Kingdom. In Toria Continents, people who were born without an Elemental Soul can still get stronger by following the path of the warrior through training their physical strength, agility, stamina, and endurance. However, it is extremely hard for warriors to advance into higher tiers. There are ten tiers in the warrior path. Similar to Legend Mages, the tenth-tier warriors will be able to live up to two thousand years. However, they are much weaker compared to Legend Mages. One thousand tenth-tier warriors can not defeat even one Legend-tier magic caster. Warriors who break through tier-tenth will step into Saint-tier warriors. Similar to Saint Mages, they will not age or die of old age. But still, a hundred Eleventh Stage Saint Warriors can not be compared to a single level 100 Saint Mage.

Other Continents such as Westoak Continents and Norelf Continents focused on specialized training warriors while their magic casters are much weaker compared to Toria Continents. An Eleventh Stage Ghost Warrior from Norelf Continents can easily assassinate two or three level 100 Saint Mages of Toria Continents. An Eleventh Stage Paladin Warrior of Westoak Continents can fight with three levels 100 Saint Mages of Toria Continents without shedding a drop of blood due to their absolute defense and ability to heal themselves without using magic.

Demi-Humans of Toria Continents came from other planets. Their ability to reproduce is far faster compared to human races which is why they have to constantly find new planets to conquer or they won't have enough lands for their people to live on. Similar but even better compared to Westoak Continents and Norelf Continents, Demi-Humans of Toria Continents are specialized training warriors through many different classes. Each class of warriors has a different type of fighting skills, abilities, and techniques. This was why Emperor Acilianus wasn't afraid much of the Mages Council and constantly declared war on other human nations every once in a while.

The Dryardian Empire was created by Demi-Humans. Demi-Human is half-beast, half-human. They possess incredible strength and greater advantages in combat compared to the human race which helped them step into Saint-tier warriors a thousand times easier. Despite their powerful physical strength, they can not learn or use magic.

"Ateia, I think it's time we shift our focus on the Commonwealth of Krorg, the Shota Empire, and the Grand Duchy of Macmalian."

"Yes, Emperor. King Nerius Pacuvius Denter and Queen Pescennia Agapta have been reporting about their territories being harassed by those three nations."

Despite this, there was no major war going on. Some Kings and Queens of the Dryardian Empire normally launch small-scale invasions toward human nations. Every time they lost the small-scale invasions that they caused, they called it harassment from the human races and sent letters to Ateia asking her to speak with Emperor Acilianus about launching full-scale invasions for revenge.

Nerius Pacuvius Denter, Black Dragon-kin, Eleventh Stage Saint Monk Warrior. He is the King who controlled four cities to the North of the Dryardian Empire. Despite being a Dragon-kin, King Denter trained as a Monk Warrior instead of a Dragon Knight.

Pescennia Agapta, Lion-kin, Eleventh Stage Saint Berserker Warrior. She is the Queen who controlled eight cities to the Southeast of the Dryardian Empire.

Each city has at least seventy villages surrounding it. The population of each city including surrounding villages could be more than a hundred million Demi-Humans if not counting the human slaves.

As Lucius was thinking, Ateia said, "Emperor, Commonwealth of Krorg, the Shota Empire, and Grand Duchy of Macmalian have been allied for more than ten thousand years. They have never made any big moves toward us. However, they do have enough manpower to resist our invasion. It would be very fun."

"Kakaka... very well. Ateia, pass my order down to all Kings and Queens. Ten years from now, we will crush those three nations. I can't wait to see them struggling to fight back our mighty armies."

"Yes, Emperor."

Nosh, the capital city of the Commonwealth of Krorg. Twenty-three days have passed since Rogal Caligarus left to investigate Kain Almos's background. He returned to Nosh and immediately went inside the Principal's office to provide the fifteen-page report.

The Principal, Myriam Starag, a Legend Ice Mage. After reading the report, she said, "Thank you, Rogal. I'm glad that we have another genius in our Mages' Academy. Nonetheless, are you certain Kain Almos is an orphan?"

"Yes, I am. I have traveled to all the villages near Lylrionha city to confirm this. His parents were killed when he was fifteen months old during the raid of King Denter's army at Lylrionha and Ellonnorra cities. Kain was lucky to be rescued by a seventh-tier warrior of Lylrionha. I have spoken to that warrior as well to confirm if this was true or not. Kain was then placed into an orphanage in Nathonrin city until he turned three years old. After finding out he possessed a Conjurer Soul, Duchess Graylock adopted and raised him for seven years. At the age of ten, he was sent to Mages' Academy of Lylnesle."

Lylrionha and Ellonnorra are two cities near the western borders of the Grand Duchy of Macmalian. Nathonrin City is the home city of Duchess Sybell Graylock. Sybell managed Lylrionha, Ellonnorra, and Nathonrin cities, as well as seventy-one villages surrounding it.

"Why would Lylnesle allow such a talented Student Mage to leave their Mages' Academy? Was there an odd reason?"

"It was decided by the Mages Council. They do not want a lowly Duchess to possess such a talented magic caster. Especially when she was just his foster mother."

"Hmm? Why would the Mages Council do something like that? Are they going to prevent him from being able to return to the Grand Duchy of Macmalian after graduation? Unless there is a bound contract between him and the Mages Council, then they have the right to do so. But if they don't have any bound contract with him, then Kain Almos has the right to go wherever he wants to after graduation.