Chapter 435 - Ancestor
"It's because they are all cowards! None of the other temples, nor the other races have the balls to start a war!" The head warrior suddenly shouted.
"The truth is we don't know much as well. Based on what the people from the outside are saying. The reputation of the Holy Kingdom and the Temple of the Goddess of Light seems to be beautified. No one knows of their true face. Well, I guess the other temples should know some things, yet they haven't done anything about it. As for the normal people, well those that don't live in the Holy Kingdom all think that the place is a paradise for everyone." The Chief explained as he sighed.
"So what's your plan here?" Valdel suddenly stepped forward and spoke.
"We will continue t save those that need to be saved from the bastards of the holy kingdom."
"You talk as if you have saved everyone that should be saved. If that were true then why are there still people like those children?" Valdel's eyes were filled with ridicule and anger.
"What do you want us to do? This is the best that we can do at the moment. We just need to wait it out for a while and gather our strength, that is all we can do at the moment. Once we have enough strength, we can show the Holy Kingdom or mettle." The chief responded with a despondent look on his face.
"That's it, that's all you can say? Tell me why do you call yourselves, the Fangs fo Katar?" The sudden change in question confused the Chief, but he still answered.
"Katar is the name of the father of all beastkin. We name ourselves the Fangs of Katar as we wanted to show the Holy Kingdom that we are not ones to back down, and like the fangs of the mighty Katar we will bite down on the Holy Kingdom." The Chief replied with a passion. The other beastkin present were also getting inspired. Just the mere mention of the name Katar had made their blood boil in excitement.
"I see, as expected you guys are..." Valdel started to mumble to himself as a long-forgotten memory came back to him. As the leader of the Lycans, Kir had many offspring, yet most of them were unable to survive the trial to become the heir to the Lycan throne. Well, except for one, the child's name was Katar, he was the only child Kir had that was powerful enough to somehow manage to survive the trial. Unfortunately, as a demon lord, Kir had many enemies, and one of them was a powerful demon lord like himself. It was his old former friend the Vampiric Lord Darius, who took his son as a hostage.
Darius demanded that Kir, that he should give all of his subordinates and his part of the demon lands to him. Of course, Kir was a leader first before he was a father and denied Darius. After that incident, Kir thought his son dead.
'It turns out that fool of a vampire wasn't able to kill you... So you were able to survive... Hmph, well that's to be expected. Still, what's with these descendants of yours, they're weak and had lost their pride and honor. Even though their blood is so thin and they can no longer change back and forth to their human forms and into their wolf forms, they are still the offspring of the Lycan tribe!'
"Ren can you and Lara please leave for a while. I need to talk these people on my own."
When Ren heard Valdel's request he couldn't help but shrug his shoulders as he answered. "Normally I would be very irritated by you ordering me around, but I guess I can understand where you're coming from here. I myself experienced something similar a while back. So sure, I'll look around the city and see if I can spot that big brother that's supposedly a stronger warrior than me." After Ren said those words, he and Lara disappeared from everyone's sight.
The head warrior could still somehow smell them, but it was a vague scent and after a few seconds the smell started to slowly disappear. Even though they didn't want to, they had no choice but to allow Ren and Lara to do what they want within the city, as they had no way of detaining them. They couldn't even spot them much less detain them.
Once Ren and Lara were gone, Valdel looked at the Chief of the beastkin and then at the other beastkin present. Now that he knew the truth about these guys, seeing them like this made him feel annoyed. He felt a bit offended that these people actually share the same blood as Kir, even though it was a distant relationship, knowing that they were kin was making Valdel boil in anger.
"So you're simply planning to wait here, cowering underground like frightened little rabbits? While you only go above to save a few of those that are screaming for help. Can you not hear the cries of your Kin?! Have all of you lost your pride and honor, and became such disgusting frightened little pups?!"
When the beastkin heard what Valdel said they got really mad. Even the calm Chief was now growling at Valdel.
"What do you know human?! Even if we wanted to save them, we don't have the power to do so now! Don't you think we don't know the suffering our kin are going through?! If only we had power like yours and those friends of yours then we would gladly charge onward! We would never hide in this hovel. Yet if we go now, no one will be saved and all of us will die." One of the warriors spoke as he bit his lips in anger.
"Hmph, all I hear are excuses! Since when has this mighty tribe, descendants of the Lycans cower before anyone?! Even back then against the strongest of demon lords, the Lycans fought! Even against the might of the human heroes, the Lycans fought! There was no fear of death, only fear that their honor and pride will be diminished! Are you honorable wolves, or cowardly dogs that tuck their tails when they're told?!"
When the Chief heard what Valdel said he was truly surprised. Even most of the other beastkin didn't know of the history between them and the Lycans. In fact, they were not just descendants of Lycans, but of the werewolves and Kitsunes as well. They were technically the same as the half-demons, but over time that was forgotten and they became a different race entirely, the beastkin.
"How do you know so much about us?" The Chief asked as the anger subsided and the curiosity burst out. Valdel didn't respond with words and instead, he unleashed his mana and made the beastkin present feel it through the blood and soul.
Unlike when Ren was pushing them down with his overwhelming mana, now they were kneeling on the ground for a different reason. Valdel's mana wasn't as overbearing as Ren's and couldn't make them kneel with its force alone, but what they felt through their blood and souls made them kneel.
It is said that mana is the soul itself. So even though Valdel had changed forms, his mana would not.
"It can't be... Who are you?" The Chief looked at Valdel with a torrent of emotions. The others were looking at Valdel confused as to what was happening.
"Do you still ask that question, despite feeling my mana? It seems that the blood in your veins is so diluted that you can't even understand who I am."
"A-are you, are you Lord Katar?" When the other beastkin heard what the Chief said they couldn't help but look at him then at Valdel. Did the chief suddenly go insane? Why did he call this human, this pure human as their progenitor Katar? Still, despite them denying it with their heads, their very blood and souls seem to be telling them that there was a truth in that.
"Hmph, you're actually comparing me to that mutt who got himself kidnapped and never returned home?"
Normally the moment they heard Valdel insult their progenitor by calling him a mutt, every beastkin present would've attacked. Yet despite hearing those words coming out of Valdel's mouth they did nothing. Instead of feeling anger, they actually felt ashamed.
"Then who are you?"
"I might be a human now, but before I was a human, in a past long forgotten I was once known as the strongest among five demon lords. I was the ruler of all the Lycans, the one they called the Mighty Lord Kir."
When the beastkin heard this name, all of them didn't know its significance. Even the Chief who was the oldest and most knowledgeable in the group had no idea who that was. Seeing their reactions, Valdel sighed.
"It would seem that my past life's name has been lost in the flow of time. Then let me tell you who I was in a way that even you would understand. I was the father of your Lord Katar."
When they heard Valdel's response the beastkin present were astounded. The father of the forefather, that would make him the ancestor of their ancestors. Even though they heard it, even though they felt it through their blood, some of the beastkin couldn't believe what was said.
"Are you guys believing this?! This person is a human! How is he the father of our Lord Katar?! Even if he were reincarnated, the father of our Lord would never become one of those humans." One of the beastkin suddenly shouted.
"Then how do you explain the reaction of our blood, of our very souls?"
"It must be a trick of sorts. You know the humans, they're a crafty bunch, full of nothing but lies."
"Yeah, that must be it. This guy is just insane, who can believe him?!"
"Yeah, that's right. A human claiming to be our ancestor. He's just trying to fools us." After one of them started denying it the others who were still shaken by the revelation joined in as well. It was at that moment the Chief shouted in a loud voice that echoed throughout the halls.
"ENOUGH!"