As the soldiers of Gaal City welcomed the return of their princess, on the other side in the forest, chaos erupted. The death of the Beast God was sensed by countless monsters, especially by his sister, the Forest Goddess who co-ruled the forest with him.
Feeling her brother's death, the Forest Goddess tore apart the three-eyed white wolf that had devoured the Beast God, holding onto the blood-stained fur. Her face twisted in a fierce grimace, her eyes filled with resentment as she stared in the direction of Gaal City.
"I will make you pay with blood!"
"Brother, I will use a city as your sacrifice, so you can rest assured leaving!"
With the Forest Goddess's words echoing, the entire forest became restless...
Meanwhile, as Princess Talisha of Gaal City entered the city, Bexia watched the cheers she received along the way. This seemingly unremarkable princess was surprisingly popular.
"You seem quite beloved?"
"It's all because of my father!" Talisha's face showed a displeased expression.
"I don't want to live under my father's shadow. I am determined to surpass his achievements!" Talisha declared with determination.
"High aspirations!" Bexia smiled and remained silent.
Guided by Talisha, the Golden Lion walked up to a grand castle building. As news of Talisha's return had spread, there were people waiting to greet her.
"Let's go! My father is here, I will introduce you to him!" Talisha jumped down from the Golden Lion.
"Why do I feel like I'm meeting parents?" Bexia chuckled.
"Get lost!" Holding back the urge to kick Bexia, Talisha watched as a tall elder with a golden crown approached with guards.
"Talisha, how dare you wander off without any sense of being a princess!" A stern reprimand was issued immediately, to which Talisha rolled her eyes.
"I am not a commodity. As long as you don't arrange a marriage for me, I won't wander!" Talisha's response left Bexia stunned, who had already suspected such a soap opera-like possibility.
He even wondered if Talisha would pin the blame on him next, claiming to like him. But Bexia was overthinking; Talisha had no such intentions.
"You're of a marriageable age now. Do you plan to wait until after my death to marry?" The old king sighed in helplessness.
Bexia couldn't help but mock silently. Talisha appeared to be in her teens or twenties, but the king seemed at least sixty. Could he really be her biological father?
"I will marry the one I love. I won’t marry if I don’t like him!" Talisha muttered stubbornly, expressing her unwavering will.
"Fine! I won't meddle in your marriage affairs for now, but you should take it seriously!" The old king then turned his gaze to Bexia, asking, "Is this your friend?"
"Yes! His name is Bexia, a powerful mage!" Talisha decided to highlight Bexia's importance by giving him the identity of a mage.
Yet, Talisha felt it was insufficient and proceeded to prove Bexia's strength.
"Furthermore, he helped me subdue the Golden Lion!"
Upon hearing this, the king looked at Bexia more seriously; the world lacked not mages but powerful ones. Especially as one of the envoys of the Beast God, the Golden Lion's strength was undoubtedly exceptional, particularly in helping to subdue it rather than kill it.
"Thank you for assisting Talisha!" The king graciously expressed.
"If she considers me a friend, then it's a small matter!" Bexia replied with a smile. Though the king was polite, he seemed guarded, a common trait of those in power. Talisha, on the other hand, didn't bother with such thoughts.
The king's smile widened slightly at Bexia's words. He ushered Bexia into the castle and personally hosted a banquet for him.
The banquet had a slight twist— the commander of the city's mage legion proposed a duel with Bexia, adding an entertaining element to the event.
However, to everyone's surprise, the mage commander was soundly defeated by Bexia without the latter even lifting a finger. He stood there as the commander exhausted his magic until finally conceding defeat!
Although this outcome was expected, the mage commander had just touched the threshold of a sovereign level, while Bexia's physical body had already transcended into a divine form where attacks had no effect!
Soon, word spread of the princess subduing the Golden Lion and returning with a powerful mage, adding to the buzz in Gaal City.
In this world, strength commanded respect because it could protect the weak, especially in faithless cities. Gaal City's peaceful environment was maintained largely due to the old king's efforts and powerful strength.
However, as the castle buzzed with the start of a lively banquet, a terrifying army emerged in the forest on the other side. Comprising countless monsters and tree spirits, this monster army advanced ominously towards Gaal City, with the Forest Goddess flying above, casting hateful glances towards the city.
