Chapter 136: Know your place

In the barren lands of the Beastmen, where life continued as usual despite the many changes happening across the world, a man sat upon his throne. Estoa the Beast Emperor remained still, his gaze fixed upon the ten Beastmen standing before him, each one dressed in expensive clothing and carrying the presence of individuals who held considerable power within the kingdom.

The meeting room was filled with silence as several documents were placed upon the long table before them. Reports regarding weapons, resources, magic stones, and military preparations had been gathered, and Estoa had been studying them for several minutes before finally raising his head.

"Increase the production of steel, magic stones, and any other weaponry," Estoa ordered.

One of the Beastmen standing before him hesitated before speaking. "We can, sir, but the location where most of the magic stones are found is currently owned by Merchant Apeq."

His gaze shifted toward another gentleman sitting among the others. Apeq was a large Beastman dressed in extravagant clothing, his fingers decorated with several golden rings as he calmly looked toward the Beast Emperor.

"I can’t really give up those lands without a generous return," Apeq said, leaning back against his chair. "So how about our dear king buys them from us?"

Estoa’s expression immediately darkened.

"Do you really think you have a choice?" he asked coldly. "This is not a suggestion. This is an order."

Apeq’s expression hardened, anger beginning to burn within him as he stared directly at Estoa. "You can’t just do that. Even if you are currently the king, you can’t simply do whatever you want."

The room grew noticeably tense as Apeq continued, his voice becoming quieter but far more insulting. "Besides, you aren’t even a Beastman. You’re a druid. That’s exactly why you don’t understand how precious those lands are to us."

A Beastman standing nearby immediately slammed his hand against the table. "That’s right! We are tired of having a druid ruling over us Beastmen!"

Several others nodded in agreement, emboldened by Apeq’s words. For a moment, it seemed as though the room had finally gathered enough courage to challenge the ruler sitting before them.

Estoa slowly closed his eyes, remaining silent as their voices echoed throughout the chamber. The irritation within him was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal, yet instead of shouting, he simply took a slow breath.

"Then how about this..." His eyes opened.

"If you can kill me in this room right now, I’ll give you all the power you need."

The room fell completely silent.

The Beastmen who had been shouting only moments ago stared at him in disbelief. None of them moved, and the confidence that had filled their faces moments earlier seemed to disappear almost instantly.

Estoa rose from his throne and slowly began walking toward them. With every step he took, the atmosphere seemed to grow heavier, and those who had challenged him instinctively stepped backward as fear began replacing their previous arrogance.

Estoa stopped before them and looked across the group. "I may be someone who doesn’t share blood with you, but deep inside me runs the heart of a Beastman."

He paused, his voice becoming quieter. "I may be an outsider in your eyes, but I have lived here all my life. I have fought for this kingdom, bled for this kingdom, and watched countless people within these lands grow while I struggled alongside them."

His gaze settled upon Apeq.

"I spent my life fighting and battling while you fatasses spent your days sitting comfortably beneath a roof." Estoa’s expression remained calm, but his words carried the weight of years of experience. "I earned everything I have through my struggles, and even a god has acknowledged what I have accomplished."

He leaned closer toward Apeq, forcing the merchant to meet his eyes.

"And you tell me that I’m not worthy to rule?"

Apeq’s body stiffened as Estoa stared directly into his eyes. The merchant who had spoken so confidently moments ago could no longer find the words to respond.

Estoa straightened himself and turned toward the others. "I am a kind ruler, so I won’t take your heads."

He returned his gaze to the group, his voice becoming cold enough to silence every remaining objection. "Though this time, I won’t expect something like this to happen again."

No one answered.

Estoa turned away from them and walked back toward his throne, leaving the ten Beastmen standing in complete silence. None of them dared to challenge him again, because they had finally remembered the difference between someone who possessed a title and someone who had actually earned the right to stand at the top.

"Now, let’s talk business again. Tell the whole kingdom that we will be holding a competition. Those who stand among the top five will become my students and will be given all the resources they need to become powerful warriors."

Outside the chamber, the Beastman kingdom continued moving as usual, unaware of what had just occurred within the throne room. Yet preparations for the coming conflict had already begun, and under Estoa’s command, the kingdom would soon begin producing weapons and gathering resources at a scale it had never attempted before.

--

In the High Heavens, where the Angel race resided far above the clouds, the revelation of the Entity had also reached them. However, unlike the Pantheons and the Beastmen, their revelation contained a different purpose.

They were not being asked to prepare for an invasion, nor were they expected to march alongside the forces that would eventually enter the enemy’s world. Their task was far simpler, yet perhaps more important.

They were to become stronger.

The Entity had shown them the possibility of the worst-case scenario, a future in which their forces were completely wiped out and the enemy managed to reach their world. If that happened, there would be no army left to stop them and no Pantheon capable of protecting every corner of the planet.

The angels were to become the final line of defense.

No matter what happened, no matter how many enemies arrived, and no matter how hopeless the situation became, they were to defend the planet until their final breath. Their role was not to seek glory, nor to conquer another world, but to remain behind and protect the Creator’s greatest creation.

Across the High Heavens, thousands of angels began preparing themselves.

They had been created to serve the Entity. Now, they would become the shield that stood between his world and its destruction.