Starting Out As The God of Beasts

The Grand Chancellor’s office sat at the highest apex of the newly constructed Supreme Assembly building.

A sweeping hall lined with towering panels of dark Varanite stone and golden trim that overlooked the bustling, expanding borders of the kingdom.

Duke Manuses—now the officially appointed Grand Chancellor of Varania—sat behind a massive desk forged from fresh forest timber.

When the official report was laid before him, a rare, booming laugh rumbled from his chest, his majestic white-gold wings flaring with absolute satisfaction.

”Excellent! Truly excellent,” Manuses breathed, exhaling a deep sigh of relief.

He leaned back in his chair, a genuine smile breaking across his regal face. ”I am glad the leadership of Yeren possesses a shred of wisdom.”

”Are you relieved?” General Trojan asked, he was the one who brought this piece of information to the Grand Chancellor’s office.

”Yes I am” Manuses smiled, ”They weren’t as stubborn as I thought they would be.” he giggled.

”The God of Beasts knows I did not want Varania to waste resources and shed blood in a pointless war against an alliance partner.”

He picked up a heavy, golden-inked parchment, stamping it with the official seal of the Grand Chancellor’s office.

”Send word back to Yeren immediately.” he handed the letter to General Trojan ”Order the four Governors to pack their crests and pay a formal visit to the Holy Kingdom of Varania.”

”We will finalize their integration into the aristocracy right here, under the gaze of the Supreme Assembly.”

”Consider it done, Grand Chancellor,” Trojan responded.

”I’ll order my men to complete the task” he added.

”Your men?” Lord Manuses grinned, ”How could I forget the vibrant lad who was once dedicated to me is now a Varanian General”

”The supreme commander of Varania’s military!”

”Thank you for taking care of me, father” General Trojan bowed his head, now that he is a member of the Ryodor Family.

Grand Chancellor Manuses is officially his father.

Though Trojan possessed the terrifying battle strength of a Martial General, he had not been made a Duke.

Roy had crafted a far more significant destiny for him.

Not only had he been formally adopted into the House of Ryodor, cementing his status as an official high noble of the empire.

But....

Roy had stripped away his old chains entirely.

Trojan was no longer a subordinate under the direct command of Lord Manuses.

Roy had officially appointed him as the supreme General of Varania’s Army, answering only to the King’s domain.

Manuses looked at his adopted son, his eyes filled with a mixture of paternal pride and deep respect for the new chain of command.

The dynamic had shifted, but their loyalty to the kingdom was absolute.

To the God of Beast and Men.

”You have a grand task ahead of you, General,” Manuses smiled, his voice dropping into a low, deadly register.

Trojan bowed his head, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. ”The men are armed, the auxiliary corps is mobilized, and the three internal seas have fully supplied our logistics.”

”For awhile, we have been stockpiling blades forged from Varanium, spears, battle axe, swords and arrows”

”Many more we have listed in the armories”

”We are ready.” General Trojan stated.

”Good”

Manuses nodded, his gaze turning incredibly cold as he looked out toward the western horizon of the desert map.

”Then begin the mission, Trojan.”

Operation: ’Death to Norona’

The second invasion of Norona City had officially begun.

***

Deep within the grand sanctum of Norona City, the air didn’t just smell of stagnant iron anymore—it was completely dead.

The ambient temperature dropped drastically with every step, frost coating the edges of the dark obsidian pillars like jagged teeth.

The heavy thud of leather boots echoed rhythmically through the dim corridor as the two human knight-priests walked side by side.

Neither was clad in their legendary white-gold vanguard armor.

Aradin walked with a slight, rigid stiffness, his sleek black hair framing a pale, taut face, his amber eyes burning with a volatile mixture of humiliated rage and lingering pain from Croak’s spatial poisons.

Beside him, Hector moved with a calm, unreadable serenity, his messy orange hair contrasting sharply against the icy gloom of the corridor, his fathomless black eyes fixed straight ahead.

Together, the two wounded champions of Damascus pushed through the final set of frozen, iron-reinforced doors, stepping directly into the vast, frosty audience chamber of the Troll King.

The grand metallic doors of the audience chamber clanged open, ”It’s good to see your ugly face again”

”Razarak”

Aradin’s voice boomed across the chamber floor, the Troll King laid back on his throne, beneath his altar.

Stood two Troll Generals.

With the Ogre General Ryokan dead, Norona City has lost yet another Martial General.

The Troll King had to forcefully evolve his remaining Troll Generals into Martial Generals in preparation.

”How is your health, Aradin?” the Troll King slowly rose from his throne, the air trembled at the presence of the four meter tall giant.

”Well as you can see, I’m good” Aradin shrugged, ”What about you, Razarak?” he asked.

”I heard from Hector that those Troll priests are dead and you encountered a very powerful beastman”

”Is that true?” Aradin questioned.

”Yes” the Troll King answered, ”His name is Jarden Rome”

”The apostle of the God of Beast” the Troll King added. ”I believe that should tell you a lot right?”

”Ha.....” Aradin chuckled, ”So that bastard Apostle was the mastermind behind that fake Varania Kingdom after all”

Aradin gently careesed his hair, he stepped forward ”How strong is he?” he asked.

”Do you want to fight him?” the Troll King asked.

”Yes, so tell me” Aradin demanded.

”No” the Troll King shook his head, ”That man is stronger than you, Aradin”

”Oh?” Aradin raised an eyebrow, ”Why do you say so?” he questioned.

”He flipped me, a Martial Lord over with a single flick of his finger” the Troll King explained.

”Huh?” Both Aradin and Hector glanced at themselves, not hiding their confused expressions.

”I wanted to kill him” the Troll King clenched his fist. ”But each time I tried to attack him....”

”My instincts begged me not to....”

”I knew for a certain that I was at the mercy of that beastman.” the Troll King’s hands quivered as he recalled that night.

”If I had attacked him then.....I-I would have died!”

”But Norona City is at war with Varania Kingdom. It doesn’t matter how strong our opponents are....”

”We will crush them and create a world perfect for our god to descend into” the Troll King declared.

”Hehehehehehe....very good” Aradin’s eyes shimmered, ”That devotion....this is what we Children of Misfortune needs”

”There’s no need to be worried about that fake Kingdom, we have already sent a message to the Church”

”We should be expecting reinforcements soon”

”Reinforcements?” the Troll King asked.

”Yes” Aradin chuckled, ”Until then, let’s bid our time and wait....”

”When our reinforcements arrive.....”

”We will crush that fake kingdom and plunge this god forsaken desert into chaos!”