Chapter 2866: Wretched Land (part 4)

"If just the Garleners shared their resources with us, we would retake Jiera like this." He snapped his fingers.

The components of the Wayfinder were greatly exaggerated and Rhom knew it. He just wanted to rile up the crowd and maybe get a few free beers. After the plague, they had become luxury goods since good brewers were a rarity and fermenting liquor took time.

"According to what I've heard, the gods would have graced us with sinking them and their toy if not for the 'Supreme Magus' and those stupid merfolk." Orpal could almost hear the air quotes and he loved it when people talked about Lith with as much spite as him, yet that name sent the stew back to his esophagus.

"They acclaimed him as a hero and helped the Garleners to get rid of the sea beasts." More lies, more cheers. "I believed Verhen a hero as well after he destroyed Kolga but now I know better.

"If he really cared for Jiera, he would have shared his technology and his Void Magic with us. He would help us to get back on our feet instead of kicking us while we are down." An angry roar and a free beer put an end to Rhom's rant.

"Leech- I mean, Verhen is in Jiera?" Orpal asked, afraid that his brother had come to find and kill him.

"Seriously? You know nothing about anything that happened during the last century yet you know that bastard's name?" A bystander said in amazement.

Orpal and Night both cursed his slip of the tongue. Luckily for them, it was a mistake easy to fix.

"No shit, genius. I asked about him after I heard about Kolga's destruction for the first time." The answer satisfied the crowd and Rhom was able to speak again.

"Yeah, he's in Jiera. Why? Do you want an autograph?" More laughter ensued but Orpal remained calm this time, spoiling their fun. "The Garleners have been sighted near the beast city of Hasar. Their Train passed close to it without even noticing."

"Where's Hasar?" Most of the cities of the Beast Empire were built underground and their founding dated to after the plague so Night wasn't familiar with any of them.

Orpal took a map of Jiera out of his pocket dimension and showed it to the guard. nIn

"Around here." Rhom pointed at an area close to the west coast, a few hundred kilometers northeast of Reghia. "It doesn't mean Verhen is nearby. The Train went away and the beasts didn't follow it. Why do you ask?"

This time there was no mockery in his voice, only curiosity.

"Nothing would make me happier than someone teaching that windbag a lesson. Yet even if there wasn't a non-aggression treaty between the Councils, people like you and me are nothing to a bright violet-cored Awakened."

Rohm was centuries old, but like most Awakened without a bloodline legacy, he was stuck at the bright blue.

"I know that." Orpal bit his lip, snarling every word.

His equipment would have been enough to fill the core gap, but even Davross couldn't protect him from Baba Yaga's destruction spell. Thrud had already demonstrated how just a few runes would leave him as helpless as a baby.

A direct confrontation was not an option.

"But let's say that I manage to lure the Black Tide away from us and pitch it against the Garleners. What's in it for me?" The Jierans had named the different monster tides based on the skin color of the most populous tribes since it was the only noticeable thing while observing them from the safety of the sky.

"That would be the stuff of legends!" Rhom cried excitedly. "No matter who wins, we would get some respite and the Garleners would get a taste of what we have endured until now.

"If you pull it off, I'll put you on the top of the house list. You'll get a real place to live instead of those four rock walls you erected in the slums." Actually, Night's mastery over earth magic was more than enough to craft a cozy place.

The furniture, however, no matter how soft or good-looking it was, it would still be a bunch of dirt and rocks.

"And I'll give you a beer for free every time you dine here." The bartender said.

"And I'll pay the entry tax for you so that you can keep your prey for yourself." Another guard said.

More people spoke in turns, offering Orpal commodities and favors. Everyone felt pretty generous since they all made promises they were expecting to never have to fulfill.

***

After over a year on Jiera and countless fights, Orpal was familiar with most monster tides and knew the identity of their leaders. Some he had fought, others he had let be due to their dangerousness.

The Black Tide was among the latter.

He rode Moonlight while wearing his full Davross set, waiting for nightfall before making his move. It was the time when the Black Night was at her strongest and his best shot at running away in case something went wrong.

'Any idea how to convince the old fart?' Orpal asked, receiving no answer.

Baba Yaga's seal prevented Night from hurting Lith, his family, and anyone else who lived in Lutia. Helping Orpal with his schemes, even by giving advice fell within the scope of the spell.

'I'm not going to attack Leech, dammit. You heard me, I want to attack the Train.' More silence ensued. 'Do you really expect me to infiltrate the crew and ask every single one of them where they are from?'

'Yes!' Night said in exasperation, triggering a long quarrel that lasted until the sun disappeared below the horizon.

'Can you at least help me locate the sucker?' Orpal used Life Vision from one eye and regular vision from the other.

His sight as a Vurdalak was no different from a human's and the mystical sense's short range limited its usefulness.

'Let me guess, you can't because you know I'm about to try sending him against someone potentially from Lutia.' He asked after receiving no answer for several seconds.

'Thank the gods you are finally learning!' Truth be told, Orpal had simply gotten used to speaking with Night freely.

Ever since they had left Garlen, unless there was a solid chance of meeting someone from Lutia or he ranted about Lith, the seal wouldn't activate.

'You are such a bitch! If it wasn't for Leech, I would have never bothered picking up a talking piece of shit like you. You two have ruined my life.'

'Oh, please! If it wasn't for him, you would have lived your life as a pathetic farmer in the middle of nowhere. You would have never Awakened, learned magic, or obtained a Divine Beast bloodline.

'I bet that you'd have either drunk yourself to death or pissed off the wrong person and bled out in a sordid alley. Admit it. I am the best thing that's ever happened to you.'

Orpal didn't reply, but he knew deep inside that the Horseman was right. Even if Lith was never born, Orpal couldn't deny that it would have been only a matter of time before the mediocrity of Lutia drove him insane.

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