A small nation hidden within a snowstorm, that was the Grandis Kingdom. It was roughly the same size as Ulrum, but a small portion of the nd was uninhabitable. Though a kingdom with fewer nds than its neighbouring province, its might and strength could not be underestimated. After all, it sted for centuries, despite being a small kingdom situated in a perpetual snowfall. Though it was called a kingdom, it was more of a perpetual alliance between hundreds of tribes, overseen by the one they called King. The position of King was not hereditary. It was a position that only the strongest of the strong could occupy.

  Once every ten years, a competition would be held between the tribes. A single combat between each tribe’s representative, a champion. The winner of the competition would become the King for ten years, before another competition was held. If the current King met their demise prematurely, a competition would be held in a month’s time from the time of the current King’s demise. That was the way of the Grandis Kingdom.

  “That does not sound like a kingdom at all,” Henry remarked at the end of Iluna’s expnation.

  “They have a King, and the King has subjects that he rules over. Therefore, by definition, it is a Kingdom. A tribal kingdom, if you will, but a kingdom nonetheless.”

  “Grandis Kingdom…” Henry mused. “That doesn’t sound like a name of a tribal kingdom.”

  “They don’t call themselves the Grandis Kingdom. Grandis is the name given by others. It is the name of the nd.”

  “Then what do they call themselves?”

  “We do not know. The people who propagated their existence and tales were merchants and adventurers. They were no schors. Even if the discoverers were told, they certainly did not remember it.”

  “Well, I got the gist of this Grandis Kingdom, but why will they be funding the barbarians?”

  “The north is a vast nd, an enormous region. It could host more than ten Argon Kingdoms.”

  Henry widened his eyes. “That is… big.”

  “It is believed to be the biggest piece of nd in the entire world. The people of Grandis Kingdom are much like the Zevas. They would rather die than leave their ancestral pce. However, in recent times, there have been rumours that the current King of the Grandis Kingdom has managed to convince his people to abandon their ancestral nd and search for the green nds that are always embraced by the warmth of the sun.”

  “It is no rumour,” said Soren. “Not anymore. The Grandis tribes are advancing. The Zevas’ sole saving grace is the fact that they are not very knowledgeable of the nds outside of their territory. They are most likely using the barbarian tribes to charter the nds for them. They would not need to risk their own people.”

  “So, even if the Zevas managed to repel or kill all the barbarians, you would still have the Grandis Kingdom to worry about.”

  “Yes,” Soren nodded. “That’s our current conundrum. We are more than capable of fending off these measly barbarians, but the Grandis Kingdom is a whole other breed of problem.”

  “Then, your reason for being here is—?”

  “We are not here to ask for your aid, Lord Henry. Not yet. We are simply asking for permission and to be our… contingency.”

  “Eborate.”

  “As thing stands, we are more than capable of handling our own problems. But should things escate out of our control, we may need to temporarily descend from the mountains. When that happens, we request that our move not be seen as an act of hostility or trespass.”

  Henry frowned. “I don’t own these nds. You are free to go wherever you please, as long as you don’t commit any offence against the other tribes or me. And what is this contingency?”

  “As much as it shames us to ask, but we have to. Should our attempts at resisting become futile, we will need your aid, Lord Henry. It is presumptuous and insulting for you to come at our call, but we implore that you—”

  “Save it, I don’t need to hear the rest.”

  “M-my Lord? Does this mean that you won’t—”

  “For the st fucking time, just ask nicely if you want my help, and give me something in return for my help. Spare me all these… formalities.”

  “Ah… I see,” Soren stammered. Henry’s words and tone completely took him aback.

  “Does this mean you’ll aid us when we need it?” asked Damien.

  “Of course, but at a price.”

  “Whatever it is, you can just name it, Lord Henry.”

  Henry hung his head sideways as he deliberated. “...Well, I don’t have anything in mind right now, but we’ll cross that bridge once we get there.”

  “Of course, Lord Henry.”

  ****

  “I’m not going,” Rayne asserted firmly.

  Henry had just returned to his room. All of his girls were here, except Kierra, and Rayne was the first to speak, her arms crossed. “Where are you not going?” Henry asked with a wry smile.

  “Hmm? Where are we going?” Yu inquired excitedly with a beaming smile.

  “I don’t appreciate you pying a fool. You know what my assertion corresponds to.”

  “They are your family, Rayne.”

  Rayne snorted wordlessly.

  “May I inquire about the details of your brief meeting with the priestess and Rayne’s kin?” Sarynn asked.

  “The Zevas have been having some troubles tely.”

  “Yes, tely,” Rayne grumbled on the side.

  “The barbarians near the Zevas have been quite active recently. Iluna and the Zevas believed this may be the work of the Grandis Kingdom.”

  “Ah, those people…” Sarynn had an odd reaction.

  “You know them?”

  “I wouldn’t presume to say I know them. It had been decades since I st encountered a snowfolk.”

  “A snowfolk?”

  “I heard about them too,” Ani chimed in. “The tribal kingdom in the north. Many believe they are still just stories. But I always believed that they existed.”

  “What have you heard about them?”

  “They don’t feel cold? They don’t freeze in the snow. It is how they have survived for so long despite living within snow that never ends. Some said the snowfolk are adepts at magic, which would expin their ability, that is, if they were even true in the first pce. Are we going there?”

  “Not now. Hopefully, we won’t have to in the near future. Things in the Argon Kingdom aren’t exactly calm. If we leave for the north, Ulrum will be vulnerable.”

  “Not all of us have to go. We have Kierra, don’t we?” Ani suggested.

  “Kierra’s a different story. She may be capable, but she cks the trust of the people. The Lavans will sooner face their end, rather than leaving their safety in the hands of a Magus who defected from the Argon Kingdom.”

  “I have a better suggestion,” said Rayne. “We returned to our home and let the rest of the world deal with their own problems.”

  “Youngest dy of the Zevas, the problems will very much be our problem if we let it fester,” Sarynn retorted. “And I’m baffled. Aren’t they your blood and kin? Why are you reluctant to give aid?”

  “Is your ignorance genuine or feigned?” Rayne shot back. “Surely you have heard of my story by now.”

  “I have, but that does not expin your hatred for your own blood and kin.”

  “They sold me off to save their own skin when all I did was for the preservation of my kind.”

  “They did not trade you for their lives. They knew Henry would be firm and just in your punishment.”

  “Say what you want. My people are just getting what they deserve. I have tried. I have tried so hard to find ways to make sure—” Rayne cut herself off, swallowing the words she had prepared. “They brought this on themselves. They have so many opportunities, but they squandered it at every turn. Now, with death looming at their doorsteps, they finally decided to do something about it. What a joke. Even then, they intend to return to their deathbed after everything’s over. We should not be wasting our time and efforts in helping them.”

  “Rayne, you—”

  “Save it,” Rayne said and stormed out of the room.

  “What a tsundere~!” Yu tittered. “She still cares for her people, despite her words.”

  “Tsun what?” Ani frowned in confusion.

  “Oh, it’s a jargon from where my home is. It means people who are not honest with their true feelings, and they hide it under a facade that’s usually… ill-tempered.”

  “That certainly fits her character.”

  “Regardless, we have some time to ourselves now. The construction of the fortress is going splendidly. Our assistance will not be required for these few days. What shall we do?”

  “Train,” said Ani. “The Lavans have many great warriors. It would benefit us to learn from them.”

  “They certainly do,” Sarynn agreed. Smiling, she turned to Henry. “My dear, are you avaible at the moment?”

  “Am I avaible?” Henry raised an eyebrow. “You mean, do I have time to spare?”

  “Yes.”

  “If it’s for my woman, I will always have time.”

  “Splendid. Then, will you accompany me to a certain pce?”

  “Where?”

  Sarynn giggled. “It’s better that I show you.”

  ****

  Ani and Yu wanted to tag along, but Sarynn forbade them. The reason given was, “it is my turn to hog him all to myself.” The two relented and could only watch with brooding expressions as Sarynn left with Henry.

  “Where is this pce?” Henry asked upon arriving at a small valley some distance away from the valleys where the Lavans inhabited. It would have taken them a day or more if they walked, but since Henry could fly, they reached their destination in just a matter of hours.

  “This was my home,” Sarynn answered with a sweet smile.

  “Your home?” Henry looked around. It was not a pce where one would call home. There was no tree or grass in sight for a considerable distance. It was a wastend, so to speak. All that remained were dried, cracked nds, and pnts that had wilted, leaving their husks standing in pce. There was a shallow pit that stretched beyond the horizon, littered with bones, rocks, dirt, and other sorts of dregs. Not to mention, there was an extremely foul odour permeating the air, but Henry tried not to let it bother him.

  “My home,” Sarynn nodded. “It is where I was born.”

  Henry looked closer at the bones in the pit, and he came to realise that those were the bones of some serpentine creatures. “Those bones in the pit… Are they—”

  “Yes, they are.”

  “...What happened here?”

  Sarynn’s smile turned wry. “A titan.”

  “Titan? There’s a titan here?”

  “There was. It’s dead now. My family died protecting my siblings and I. Yes, I had siblings.”

  Henry noticed the emphasis on the past tense Sarynn used.

  “A great bird of prey. It was rger than the hills around here. Its blood was toxic. My siblings and I had just hatched. The adults protected us when the titan attacked. They succeeded, but at the cost of their own lives. As for my siblings, there was not enough food and water for us, and we couldn’t hunt for ourselves.”

  “But you survived.”

  “I did… by eating my own kin.”

  Henry widened his eyes.

  “Don’t worry, it was consensual.”

  “Consensual?”

  “In a way. We realised that in order to ensure the continuation of our kind, we have to resort to drastic measures. The strongest one of us all must survive. So, we decided to fight one another. The victory will use the losers as nourishment for our growth and survival. And I won.”

  “I understand your story, but... what happened to these nds?”

  “As I said, the titan’s blood was toxic. When it died, its blood oozed into these nds, corroding and destroying everything. It caused even the river to dry up. Whatever poison the blood was, it made the water dry up quickly. This entire nd became death. This is my home.”

  “You want me to help restore this nd to its—”

  “No, that’s not my intention. I brought you here because you deserve to know everything about me.”

  “Okay… What’s going on here? You’re acting a tad strange here, Sarynn.”

  “My dear husband.” Sarynn approached Henry and cupped his face. “I am with child.”

  “...What?”