Chapter 1323: Seeds of Discord ( 1323 )

Meanwhile, at a distance.

Garius stood on a thick branch of a massive, ancient tree, his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the scene below. Alf stood on a branch to his right, a faint smirk on his lips. Erinette sat gracefully on her pekko nearby, while Giddie, the king of all pekko, scratched at the ground below, his golden feathers gleaming under the sun. Armand Special Forces and Beastkin Royal Special Forces were positioned around them, hidden among the foliage, watching the scene unfold.

Alf smirked, his voice low and amused. "It looks like the mission is a success, Your Majesty."

"Yes, Alf." Garius’s smirk widened. "And the cleverest part was when Javier let Jaigar absorb Gorak’s divine weapon. Now their so-called ’goddesses’ will notice that the power they blessed has been stolen and absorbed by another hero, one not under their own blessing."

He paused, his eyes glinting with cold calculation.

"This will create discord among Zeyrinda, Maekaria, and Rafazelia. They will begin to doubt each other, suspect betrayal among their own chosen heroes. Trust will fracture, and their alliance will weaken."

Alf nodded, his expression approving. "A masterful move, Your Majesty. Prince Javier has a keen understanding of psychological warfare."

Garius chuckled softly, his gaze returning to his youngest son, who was still squirming under Liana’s ’punishment.’

"He is suitable to be my heir for the next throne. Not just because of his strength or inventions, but because he understands that the greatest victories are won not on the battlefield, but in the minds of your enemies."

Garius kept his gaze on Javier, who was now playfully evading Liana’s ’rage’ with exaggerated dodges and sheepish grins. A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"Alf?"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"We’ll give them some time to themselves before we move in. Just make sure our personnel are ready. Inform everyone to stay on standby, even if we all know how strong Javier and his girls are, and how he has his puppet knights and inventions to fall back on."

"Understood, Your Majesty." Alf smirked before tapping his mana talkie, relaying the command in a low, steady voice. "All units, stand by. Maintain positions. Do not engage unless ordered."

Just as Garius was about to say something, his mana talkie crackled, and a booming, familiar voice echoed through.

"Yo, Garius! You finished there yet?"

Garius exhaled, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "What now, Lioness?"

"Aw~ Since you’re already here, you should stop by the royal palace. I’ve got some good drinks waiting. I already contacted Veldrac to come and celebrate our friendship together."

Garius exhaled again, rubbing his temple. "You called Veldrac and told him I’m in your nation right now?"

"Of course! He’ll be arriving within an hour or less. He’s using one of those demon drakes, so he’ll be fast."

Garius let out a weary sigh, shaking his head. "Why did I ever give you all mana talkies?"

"Hey, hey! At least we can easily contact each other now without waiting days for a letter to arrive! Progress, my friend!"

Garius smiled, shaking his head. "I’ll see what I can do."

"No, no~ You will attend." Lioness laughed, his voice warm and booming. "It’s been so long since we’ve all hung out together, my friend. I’ve already sent extra soldiers to escort and guard you along the way. Besides, the location you’re at now isn’t that far from the royal palace, especially with those fast pekko of yours."

Garius let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. I’ll contact Francesca and let her know."

"Ah! Right! I believe my wife also wants to spend time with your wife. Call her now! Heheh~ I’ll have my staff prepare a grand feast for everyone. Oh, and I should contact Veldrac too. Tell him to bring his wife along."

Garius exhaled again, glancing down at Javier, who was still playfully dodging Liana’s attempts to ’punish’ him. "I don’t think I can stay long at your place, Lioness."

"Ooo~ Don’t worry, I know. Hey, we’re all rulers here. I know how heavy responsibility can be. But at least we can hang out before the world gets busy and forces us all to move. We all know what’s coming in the next few months. So let’s take this chance to strengthen our bonds while we still can."

Garius smiled, a hint of warmth in his eyes. "If you insist. What you said is true. We should enjoy the calm before the storm."

"That’s my friend! And don’t worry, I’ll prepare a feast for all the pekko too!"

"Alright. See you at your place." Garius shook his head, a faint chuckle escaping his lips.

"I can’t wait! We’ll drink until morning!" Lioness’s voice boomed with excitement before the call ended.

Garius glanced at Alf, who had been listening with an amused expression.

"Looks like we won’t be going home for a few days."

Alf smiled, placing his palm over his left chest in a respectful gesture. "Shall I arrange for another unit to come and collect the prisoners and bring them to Armand, Your Majesty?"

Garius nodded. "Yes. Have them secured and taken to the holding facility. We’ll deal with them later." He turned his gaze back toward the scene below. "Let’s move. I believe my son has already had his fun with his wives."

Meanwhile, at the scene.

Javier glanced at Marcor and Garak. "Hmm... do you think these bastards will fit in the carriages?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Garak smirked. "But they won’t feel comfortable during the journey, that’s for sure."

"Well, that’s their problem. Not mine." Javier shrugged before glancing up at the huge tree in the distance. "We’ll move once my father and the others arrive. I believe he’s ready to meet me."

Liana and the others watched as Javier stared off into the distance, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Young Master?" Liana tilted her head, her eyes following his gaze.

"Ah... nothing. My father will be here soon." He glanced at the line of captives, all cuffed with magic restraints, special cuffs he had designed that bound their mana and prevented them from using any magic or skills.

"And I believe..."

He sighed, looking at Felicia and Mimi, who still looked confused. "Your father will invite my father for a drink. And I’ll have to deal with these bastards... again."

He let out a tired sigh.

"Damn."

He glanced at the weakened Gorak, who was now bleeding from his nose, his face bruised and battered.

"Not so tough now, are you? Hmm?"

Gorak gritted his jaw, glaring up at Javier, his hands cuffed tightly behind his back.

"Just you wait till my Supreme Leader Julius hears about this! Once he knows, you won’t be able to lift a finger against him! His power is different, far too strong for a beggar like you to handle! He can summon divine warriors, command an immeasurable presence... you have no idea what true power is!"

( End Of Chapter )