Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 168

Aleon left the conference room, leaving them speechless. For the past few years, there was a place he visited almost every day without fail: the nest beneath the Assembly.

Grrrr…

A breath like the roar of a beast.

A dragon was breathing with its eyes closed.

It was Dragon Lord Ayletreoneid, but not him.

“You look comfortable.”

Aleon illuminated the nest with light made of mana.

“Karkas.”

At his call, the dragon slowly opened its eyes.

Golden eyes with vertical pupils, just like Aleon’s.

“How is the body?”

– Good. Very good.

Karkas, who was inhabiting the Lord’s body, twisted his mouth.

Aleon thought he was smiling.

“Then pay the price.”

– Is this something I need to deal with?

“The successor to your body is being a bit of a nuisance.”

###

Pantonia.

A plain once inhabited by orcs and goblins.

On the once jade-colored land, two armies faced each other.

Whooooosh—

Amidst the fierce wind, the army in the north consisted of the old gods and their slaves. It was also an army of four races who were unaware that they were slaves.

Elves, dwarves, nagas, and lizardmen.

Each of the four races led their own army and took their positions.

On the other hand, the army in the south consisted of only one race: humans. Under the banner of the Human Empire, an army composed solely of humans stood in formation.

One hundred thousand infantry, one thousand artillery, and ten thousand Familiars [magical creatures bonded to humans].

Compared to the opposing enemy, their numbers were less than half.

However, they were not pushed back in terms of momentum.

Thump, thump, thump—

As the drums sounded, a kite landed.

“······.”

Calliope looked at the kite perched on her left shoulder with a blank expression.

Following her, all the Familiars around her looked at the kite. The bird did not utter any chirps, but she nodded slightly as if she understood.

Daga, daga…

She rode her horse forward.

There was an open space of several hundred meters between the armies of different races and humans. It was a distance that could be reached by firing a cannon, but both sides were only confronting each other, taking no special action.

As she moved alone into the open space, one Familiar followed her on horseback.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

She was wearing a helmet, so her face was not visible.

“······.”

Calliope did not answer or even look at her.

“Come here.”

As if not expecting a reply, she smiled slightly and gestured with her hand to the kite on Calliope’s shoulder. Then the kite looked at her and quickly turned its head forward.

Kee-ook—

And rubbed its small head against Calliope’s cheek.

“That’s too much.”

As the two Familiars and one kite stopped in the middle of the open space, the opponent reacted. Three elves rode out from the enemy lines towards them.

“Long time no see, monkey.”

Raeragon, accompanied by two guards.

He, who was called the Elven Prince, looked pale and withered.

“Meeting you like this reminds me of when we first met.”

Raeragon smiled, but his eyes did not.

Calliope received that gaze without any expression.

“Where is your master?”

“······.”

“Are you deaf? I asked where your master is, monkey.”

Calliope’s pupils shifted slightly to the left. Raeragon noticed the movement of her eyes but frowned, not understanding its meaning.

“Are you scared? To be absent at such an important moment?”

“······.”

“Did you think you could easily win this time because you’ve won until now? Or did you run away knowing you would lose? Either way, I must say it’s very monkey-like.”

She did not budge at his provocation.

Like a statue, without the slightest tremor, she only faced the elf in front of her.

“It’s not like I’m talking to a blind person.”

Raeragon, who heard the mutter, glared at the Familiar wearing the helmet.

“Are you talking to me now?”

“Maybe?”

“Don’t play games, monkey.”

“I didn’t know you would call me a monkey.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know because you covered your face with a helmet? I can smell the monkey on you. A nauseating, thick smell.”

“Is that so?”

The Familiar took off her helmet, revealing a neat face with short crimson hair.

Then one of the guards muttered.

“Twins?”

It was Calliope with a different color.

They looked exactly alike, like twins, but their hair and eye colors were the opposite.

Calliope had deep blue, and she had deep crimson.

“We weren’t born from the same womb, but you could say we are.”

“So? Are you trying to say that you’re not a monkey but a doll?”

“A doll?”

“A doll made by the monkey called the Emperor. Everyone knows you’re dolls made by a monkey. But in the end, you’re all equally nauseating.”

“You’re still only looking at appearances, little boy.”

“Little boy?”

She smiled.

A face full of emotions, unlike Calliope.

“You said it earlier. Long time no see.”

Raeragon narrowed his eyes.

Anxiety began to stir deep within him.

A forgotten something was about to be recalled, causing frustration.

As he glared at her, trying to figure out what it was,

“I should be the one saying that.”

“What?”

The flow of mana changed.

The calmly flowing mana surged, as if she had released the mana she had been suppressing within her. Reacting to this, the surrounding mana was pushed away, and like the wind, it enveloped Raeragon and his guards.

“Th, this is···.”

Raeragon’s eyes widened.

His pupils trembled more violently than when he was angry.

“You shouldn’t forget me when you’ve become this weak.”

How could he not know, why did he only realize it now.

Clench…

Raeragon gripped the reins tightly while blaming himself.

“Y, you··· h, how···? Y, you’re human···.”

“I wasn’t human, not before.”

The flow of mana she emitted.

It was a flow he could never forget.

It was something he should not forget, and above all, it could not exist.

Because she should be sleeping at the end of the world.

“Heok···!”

“N, no way···.”

The wind stopped, and only the sound of the horses retreating could be heard.

The horses of the three elves instinctively backed away.

At the same time, a guard muttered.

Tiamar.

He said her name silently, only with his mouth.

“Hello, little boy. Long time no see, right?”

Raeragon’s pale skin turned blue.