Chapter 154: The Feast [3]

Varok’s eyes rippled with hidden emotions.Seeing that, Valak placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "I know that all scars can not be healed, but they must be treated."

Varok looked at him with a calm gaze and gave him a silent nod before his eyes shifted towards Rion, who was watching the crowd with an even gaze.

At that moment, Rion felt no different from a monolith to him as Rion’s gaze wandered through the crowd as if collecting everyone’s grief from himself.

Varok looked at his hands and mumbled, "The lost prince..."

His words were no louder than a mere whisper, yet Valak heard him. His face turned pale.

"You shouldn’t speak of it, or they’ll hear you," he muttered darkly, images of the slaughter that they had caused passed through his eyes.

Valak’s jaw tightened, his eyes turned sharp like a sword, and he muttered through gritted teeth, "Fine..."

After a handful of minutes, the cries stopped, and silence once again descended at the site.

Rion lifted the red gemstone necklace and said, "To fight them, we must look beyond our grief. To claim our revenge, we must stand united. I will lead you into battle — not because I have suffered this loss myself, but because I know that if I do nothing, I will one day lose those I hold dear. To protect them, I must fight."

Everyone clenched their fists, eyes burning with flames of determination and... hope.

He wore the necklace around his neck, and the group leaders stood up from their chairs.

Everyone looked at them in confusion.

The group leaders gazed at those they were to protect with a calm and took a few steps from the stage and turned towards Rion.

Rion looked at them with a slight smile, and the air around him began to tremble as golden aura flames burst out of him.

Sensing the absurd amount of Rion’s aura and its persistent nature, a few of the former hunters murmured within themselves.

"That’s enhanced aura...?"

"Isn’t it too strong?"

"What the hell is this amount?"

Rion’s loud yet calm voice cut through the murmurs, "In the name of the Sovereign and my father, I accept the prestigious rank of the high commander and promise you victory."

The crowd’s confusion deepened even further.

"High commander?"

"What is that?"

Suddenly, Naqir knelt on one knee and declared while cupping his hands towards Rion, "I submit myself to the high commander!"

"Huh?!" The crowd blinked in disbelief, and their eyes widened as Rhaek knelt as well.

One after another, group leaders knelt.

"I submit to the high commander!" Haria was the last, and the crowd was already staring at Rion with wide eyes.

Rion smiled, raised his fist towards the sky and declared, "Today we feast, and for tomorrow we prepare for our revenge and freedom!"

"Revenge and freedom!" The group leaders roared in unison, and the drums followed.

Bum-bum! Bum-bum! Bum-bum!

’This isn’t enough,’ Rion remarked in his head upon seeing the distress in the eyes of a few.

All of a sudden, a memory of a novel that he had read in his past life resurfaced in his head, and he mumbled under his breath, "Let’s try this."

He took a deep breath, his aura dissipated, and he stepped forward.

"What are you doing?" Marin asked with a frown.

Rion didn’t answer and continued to step forward, but there was no floor for him to step on. He mumbled, "I can do whatever I believe in."

Everyone stared at him with confused expressions and murmured.

"What is he doing?"

"He is going to fall!"

Even Dora, who was watching him with a sweet smile, frowned and yelled worriedly, "What are you doing, Rio—"

Her words halted. Her eyes went wide, she gulped and mumbled under her breath, "What the..."

Rion took a step off the stage, and everyone was ready to see him fall, but suddenly, golden light poured out of his back.

He stepped forward.

The world listened, the air bent down to his authority and became a foothold for him to step on.

Everyone’s eyes went as wide as they could, and they shouted while pointing at him with trembling fingers.

"What the hell?!"

"He... he is walking in the air!"

Bum-bum! Bum-bum! Bum-bum!

The drums echoed with each of his steps, and after his one hundred and eleventh step, a familiar voice rang in his head.

<At last... thou hast learned to make use of it.>

Rion gazed towards the purple fog forest.

The Remnant continued, <Not yet upon the level of The Monarch... I shall use it well, once thou hast become my clothing.>

Rion’s lips parted, and he spoke, "You will try."

His tone was calm, too calm in fact. It was as if... The Remnant was unworthy to anger him.

<KU-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!> The Remnant’s mad laughter rang in his head, and Rion turned back to the stage.

He looked down upon everyone and spoke, "I am not your hope."

Everyone frowned, and a few mumbled with tilted heads.

"What is he saying...?"

"Not hope...?"

His eyes gleamed with a golden glint, and he stated, "I am your certainty for the victory. Believe in me, and we will be victorious."

His words stilled in the air.

Suddenly, Yuura fell on his knee, his head struck the ground, and blood trickled out as he spoke, "O’ great high commander! I offer you my life. Lead us to victory!"

Yuura’s words struck the silence like a hammer.

The tribe that held the blood of gods stared at Rion with bated breath as if he were the incarnation of the god that they had heard the myths of.

Another tribe member fell on their knees, head touching the earth, and as if a dam had broken, more followed.

A mother knelt.

A warrior knelt.

One after another, the whole tribe knelt.

The group leaders, Marin, Zaelyane, Arok, Valak and Varok watched the scene with silent gazes, and Rion announced, "A year from now, we shall have our revenge, our victory and our freedom."

"REVENGE! VICTORY! FREEDOM!" the crowd repeated, and their voices swallowed the mountains.