The Monster King's Legacy

The envoy paused, letting the words settle before continuing. "From across the vast eastern seas, an ancient empire stirs. An Empire thought to have fallen into obscurity long ago, now rises anew. Their ambitions remain unchanged: absolute domination over all lands and peoples." The envoy spoke in a soothing female voice.

Whispers rippled through the room as the council members exchanged concerned glances.

Lance leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing. "And how do I know you speak the truth? Why should I believe that you've come here out of concern for us and not to manipulate us for your own gain?"

The envoy met Lance's gaze without flinching. "Your skepticism is wise, King Lance. I expected no less. But the signs of their resurgence are already visible. Ask your scouts, your allies in distant lands. They may confirm whispers of strange ships sighted off the coasts, of towns razed overnight with no trace of the perpetrators."

"If what you say is true, why come to us? Surely there are nations far larger, far older, and far more established than ours."

The envoy's lips curved into a faint smile. "I mistake me, King Lance. This news, is for all to know, not just for you. As I have visited you, so I will go around until everyone learns of this."

The room fell silent again as Lance processed the information.

Lia stepped forward, her voice quiet but firm. "Even if they are a threat, what proof do you have of their intentions? Words alone aren't enough."

The envoy nodded solemnly. "My words are all I have."

Lance stood, his towering presence commanding the attention of all in the room. "Your warning is not dismissed, envoy. We will carryout our own survey and make adequate preparations."

The envoy inclined her head, a faint glimmer of approval in her eyes. "That is all I ask, King Lance. Time is of the essence. Delay too long, and regret might accompany you for the rest of life."

As the envoy and her retinue were escorted from the throne room, Lance turned to his council, his expression thoughtful but resolute. "Gather intelligence. Dispatch scouts to the eastern coasts and contact the dwarves. I want to know everything there is to know about this matter, and I want it quickly."

The council members nodded, their determination matching Lance's.

…

The day was nearing its end, the sky painted with hues of orange and crimson as the sun dipped below the horizon. Now, Lance stood at the base of the mountain with the twenty elite troops he had been relentlessly training for days. Sweat dripped from their brows, their bodies trembling from exhaustion, but their eyes burned with determination.

"This is nothing compared to what I endured," Lance remarked casually, almost laughing, pacing in front of them as they struggled to maintain their stances upright. His golden eyes scanned each of them, noting their progress. "If you can't push yourselves beyond your limits, you'll never stand a chance when it truly matters."

The dragon-blessed warriors among them gritted their teeth, their abilities allowing them to endure longer, but even they were on the brink of collapse. Rikka, her expression a mix of pride and exhaustion, gave Lance a determined nod.

"We'll keep going, my king. We won't disappoint you."

Lance offered her a faint smile. "Good. Because disappointment isn't an option… Hm?"

Lance said looking at the sky, something catching his sharp gaze. A distant speck in the sky, no, multiple specks grew larger with each passing second. A strange unease settling in his chest.

'This is not the armies of this ancient kingdom, right? I just received the warning today too.' He thought in his mind with a faint sigh.

"Look to the skies," Lance ordered, his voice sharp and commanding.

The elite troops snapped their heads upward. What they saw made their blood run cold. Shapes with massive, leathery wings and elongated necks approached, their silhouettes becoming clearer as they drew nearer.

"Wyverns," one of them whispered, her battle instincts flaring as she could feel that the grou approaching didn't habour any intent of peace.

"And not just one or two. That's a flock, and they're not just passing through either."

Lance looked at the ones he had broken almost completely, they were in no state to assist anyone.

Moments later, the wyverns descended with terrifying speed, their screeches echoing through the skies. The monster capital erupted into chaos as the creatures began swooping down, targeting buildings and scattering civilians.

"You all will protect those who can't fight." Lance said, swiftly healing everyone within seconds.

Aelyndra's form shimmered, and in a flash, she transformed into her full dragon form, her mighty roar shaking the ground. She launched herself into the air, intercepting the first wave of wyverns with a ferocity that made even Lance pause for a bit, recalling the time she had beat up the young wyverns during their travels.

The capital's defenses, though formidable, were tested like never before, especially due to the enemy's size.

On the streets, Rynne led the goblin warriors, their precision and training evident as they used spears and shields to hold the line. Once the elite warriors Lance was training had finished evacuating the civilians, they too joined the fray.

Lance leaped into action after taking one down, his movements fluid and calculated. He grabbed a massive spear from a fallen soldier, hurling it with enough force to impale a descending wyvern and pin it to the ground.

Another wyvern swooped toward him, its jaws snapping. Lance dodged effortlessly, his hand striking out in a sharp gesture. A gust of force rippled through the air, slicing clean through the creature's wing. It tumbled to the earth with a deafening crash, not getting back on its feet.

Above, Aelyndra battled the largest of the wyverns, her fiery breath lighting up the darkening sky. Her claws tore through its thick scales, but their numbers proved a challenge even for her immense power, precisely because she didn't want to kill any.

"Fine, so stubborn." Aelyndra huffed. Stopping her attacks, she just hovered in the air, and in a matter of seconds, several magic circles appeared before her, and before ten counts were up, a huge vine materialized from the magic circles, tangling with the wyvern and soon rendering it useless, nothing but a captive.

The battle didn't last long with Lance and Aelyndra working actively.

As the dust settled, Lance surveyed the damage, and as expected, the city had withstood the attack.

"I wonder what might have caused them to do this? Is it really related to that ancient kingdom?" Lance said, talking to himself.

"We'll find out." Aelyndra said, approaching him, a wyvern she had subdued lying restrained behind her.