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Wiping away his tears, Losa stood up from in front of the hammer. The chief who had transformed in an instant, shed the previous flattery and submissive demeanor. The burden of life, forcing him to continuously bend down, disappeared. Now, Losa was making an effort to stand tall.
Although he reverted to addressing Renji as a Sir, there was no longer any pretense in his tone. The distance between them vanished. Subsequently, Losa lowered his head, opened his palms, and extended them in front of Renji.
This was a traditional ritual in almost every demi-human tribe. When Renji placed his hands on Losa’s open palms, the ceremony was complete, signifying the transfer of the highest leadership of the Dread Lizardman Tribe from Losa to Renji.
Completing these actions seemed to ease Losa’s tension. No longer was he the chief worn down by the survival struggles of the tribe; instead, he could now return to being a warrior filled with passion.
“This might be fate. Initially as part of the ‘Seventy-Two Tribes,’ we deviated from the guidance of the Great Sage Karl. We chose to be like cowards, hiding in the rear for survival. Unexpectedly, over time, we abandoned glory, but glory did not forget us.”
In Losa’s nostalgic and murmured words, Renji heard a familiar name and couldn’t help but ask,
” Great Sage Karl?”
“Yes, Great Sage Karl. He was a sage from the same era as our ancestor. Despite possessing immense power, he never found a companion, never established a tribe, always solitary. He roamed among our various demi-human tribes, imparting knowledge and skills, whether it was the art of cultivation, hunting techniques, or the use of strength. Many tribes benefited from his teachings. Hence, we respectfully refer to that Master Karl as the Great Sage”
A deep reverence filled Losa’s face. For the entire demi-human race, the position of the Great Sage in their hearts was extremely lofty. This historical narrative had been passed down from generation to generation and was to be engraved in their hearts.
“When the Great Emperor disappeared and the Empress decided to create the Dragon Nation, the northern lands were fertile and abundant in resources, while the southern region remained barren and infested with remnants of the wasteland era. At that time, the Great Sage Karl volunteered to lead the seventy-two clans and pioneer the development of the southern region for the Empress. This would allow the humans, who were more capable of development, to focus on establishing the foundation of the Dragon Nation in the prosperous northern lands. Meanwhile, we Demi-human were tasked with guarding the borders, eliminating the remnants of the wasteland era, and cultivating the southern region to restore its vitality.”
“In the first two hundred years, while the Great Sage Karl was still alive, everything prospered. The humans, who could develop without worries in the north, continuously supported us by providing food, supplies, and weapons. With humans as our support, we successfully transformed the southern region into the Tribe Forest and the Orc Plain, two large areas that could truly sustain our lives.”
“However, everything changed soon after the passing of the Great Sage Karl when Minister Charl ascended to power. For some unknown reason, it became increasingly difficult for us demi-human to exhibit our inherited abilities, and our ability to transform into beasts rapidly declined. Strong individuals became fewer, and although we attempted to conquer the last Tainted Corpse, we were already too weak. When we sought help from the humans in the north, we were met with refusal. What’s worse, we received one shocking piece of news after another: the humans not only abandoned their role of guarding the borders but also treated us, who inhabited the barren lands, as slaves. We not only lost their assistance but also had to face their armies!”
As Losa spoke, it was evident that he was filled with intense emotions. Eileen, who was also present and more emotionally driven, became increasingly furious as she listened.
“What kind of *humanity is this! the demi-human worked hard to support them, educated them, and relieved them of all the burdens of life. And now that they have achieved success, they kick the elderly and declining demi-human aside? It’s as if their conscience has been devoured by dogs!”
With Eileen’s passionate metaphor, it seemed as though the young girl had forgotten that she herself was also a human, standing firmly on the side of the demi-human, filled with resentment and itching with anger.
Losa gradually calmed down from his emotional outburst. He sighed and continued to narrate the history for Renji:
“In the first century after these events, nearly half of our former ‘Seventy-Two Tribes’ perished causing divisions among us. Three different factions emerged.”
“Eight tribes chose to stand guard on the borders of the Savage Wasteland Miasma, adhering to the duty of ‘Guardians’ bestowed upon us by Great Sage Karl. Four tribes decided to retaliate against the ungrateful Empress, becoming the precursor to the Revolutionary Army. The remaining twelve tribes, including the Dread Lizard Tribe, chose to… escape.” .𝒎
“We no longer fought against the Tainted Corpse, retreating to the already developed Tribe’s Forest and Orc Plains. We chose to survive as best we could. Because of this, I have always felt guilty towards the tribes of the other two factions. So whenever Nozomi sought my help, a coward who escaped to the rear, what I could do for warriors still fighting was probably just to provide support.”
From Losa’s words, Renji gained a new insight into the history of the Dragon Nation. After leaving the chief’s residence, Renji deliberately had Eileen and 86 return to the Revolutionary Army’s camp to bring the news of the successful alliance.
Alone with Nova, Renji now had some questions that could only be clarified by her.
From Chief Losa’s words, there was a clear time point—after Karl’s death.
-‘What happened in the human Dragon Nation’s power structure after Karl’s death? How did this Minister Charl rise to power?’- These were the questions Renji wanted to ask Nova.
However, Renji received a surprising answer. 𝘦𝑎.𝒸ℴ
“Master, Charl was personally appointed by Karl before his death.”
“Appointed by Karl?”
“Yes.” Nova nodded. Perhaps that’s why, at that time, she had trusted Karl so much and had unlimited trust in Charl.
“What happened afterward?”
“Afterward, another thirty years passed, and Miyuki found me. She asked me to enter a deep sleep state to prevent contamination by the Tainted Miasma. After that, I rarely inquired about or knew much about the Dragon Nation’s affairs.”
Renji furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss. He immediately interrupted,
“Wait a moment, thirty years?”
“Let me confirm. Miyuki found you around the three-hundred-year mark, right?” The timing of Miyuki finding people was information Renji initially obtained from Suthia.
With a nod from Nova, it seemed that Miyuki found all five of them at the same time. Renji couldn’t help but frown; while organizing the timeline, he noticed a conflicting point.
“Nova, when did Karl pass away?”
“In the 270th year.”
That’s the point.
Renji’s expression turned more serious.
The Forgotten Spirit Karl, summoned earlier, had told him during their conversation that he had only persevered until the 214th year.
‘However, according to Nova, Karl lived until the 270th year. In the fifty-six years between these points, who was the Karl who had been “serving” alongside Nova all this time?’
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𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮