Villain in a Fantasy World; I Level Up by Conquering Villainesses-Chapter 87: The Valor Dynasty; the Stoicism of the Sovereign of War

Chapter 87: The Valor Dynasty; the Stoicism of the Sovereign of War

In the North, at the edge of a vast golden sea where the mountains descended into fertile valleys rose Bastion, the City of Giants.

The city spread across the slopes of a colossal hill, with its streets carved from pale stone while its walls were built in layers of massive terraces.

This was the tallest city in the world.

Every building in this city was enormous, shaped for beings that were far larger than ordinary men and Demons. This was a city built for colossal beings.

Massive stairways climbed between districts and towers the size of fortresses rose above the rooftops. From afar, the entire city looked like a stepped and layered mountain of civilization.

And at the peak of the mountain, at the highest point of the city stood the Citadel of Baraka, the palace of the Sovereign of War, the center of power of the Emperor of the Valor Dynasty.

The palace is not delicate like those of sorcerers or demon queens. It is vast, solid, and built to endure centuries of siege hence its name- Bastion.

Massive pillars held up grand halls to the sky while banners bearing the sigils of conquered tribes rippled in the wind, painting a story of Baraka’s conquest. If there was any power in the world known for war and conquest than the Infernal Empire, then it was the Valor Dynasty.

Emperor Baraka built his Empire through aggressive war and conquest, conquering all the land and territory around his capital city across miles.

The architecture of the palace blended giant craftsmanship with barbarian strength, comprising carved stone beasts, colossal shields mounted on walls, and statues of legendary warriors that stand taller than most towers.

Trained Wyverns circled the sky above the city, reflecting the might of the Empire of Giants and Barbarians.

These were not full-blooded Dragons though or such an act would have invited the ire of Dragon’s Tooth.

Some of these Wyverns were wild and barely tamed, while others served as aerial companions to the Giant Clans, soaring across the golden horizon like living war banners.

Their shadows passed over the sprawling districts below where markets, training grounds, and feasting halls filled the streets with life.

This is not a quiet city as in most parts of the city, Warriors could be seen training in enormous arenas where the clash of steel echoed from dawn till dusk.

Betting platforms made a killing daily from the constant endless battles for sport that took place in the arenas.

In these enormous arenas, Barbarian tribes from distant lands in the territory of the Sovereign of War gathered here to test their strength, forming alliances with the Giant clans that ruled the city.

The Giants only respected the strong.

Fires burned constantly in great braziers around the city while the scent of roasted meat and forge smoke filled the air.

At the heart of the palace sat the ruler of this realm, the Sovereign of War.

As the farthest Empire away from the South, it took a few days for the news of Zaratul’s return to reach here and immediately, the Emperor called a meeting of his strongest War Generals.

Afterall, he participated in the Great Battle of Year 1895.

He didn’t just participate, he was one of the main players in the battle whose impact resulted in Zaratul’s fall.

Known as not just the strongest Giant in the world but also the strongest Awakened of the Warrior Class, seated on his throne, Emperor Baraka was huge and looked as broad as a fortress gate but with the calm stoic presence of an ancient mountain.

He was bald but he had thick and long brown beards that sprawled down in a messy manner all the way to his chest, with the rest of it braided into 2 thick strands that reached his waist.

Seated on the stone throne, the entire hall seemed smaller around him, while sitting beside him is his wife, the Empress, a magnificent Harpy Queen.

The Empress was a Level 90+ Warden of the Archer Class.

The Emperor’s authority in this throne room was absolute and it didn’t come from loud commands or deliberate aura oppression, rather it came from a reputation that was built through countless battles.

Every Awakened in Bastion knew the exploits of the Sovereign of War. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

It’s already been 10 years since the Emperor last called a meeting of this magnitude, so it was understandable why his War Generals felt uneasy as the atmosphere in the throne room rippled with tension.

The meeting didn’t start yet though because they were waiting for someone.

Unlike the 2 other empires of Gomorra who had 3 S Rank Sovereigns each, the Valor Dynasty only has 2 S Rank Sovereigns but Emperor Baraka’s might was what singlehandedly classified his territory as an empire.

The other S Rank Sovereign who is also an Awakened of the Warrior Class is known as the Blade Sovereign.

CLANG!

The large metal doors of the throne room were pushed open the next moment as an intimidating-looking Barbarian walked into the room.

This Barbarian was shorter than the Emperor but he still towered like a mountain. His body was extremely hairy and he was bare-chested, wearing only a wild Barbarian skirt that was woven from animal skin.

Strapped to his back was a gigantic blade that was bigger than him. Even while sheathed, the presence of the sword made all the War Generals feel like tiny blades were prickling their skin.

This was Lord Herod, the Blade Sovereign.

"Emperor". He bowed to show his respects before locating his seat.

The moment he sat down, the meeting finally started as the Emperor’s Senior Attendant stood up and began to read out the written articles for why the meeting was called.

Everyone grasped the core message immediately, Zaratul was back!

The implication of that short phrase rippled through the hall like a flame, igniting the atmosphere with tension till Emperor Baraka’s voice reverberated.

Throughout, the look on his face never changed, staying stoic as his eyes gleamed with an intelligence that was uncharacteristic of Giants.

He analyzed the situation with a mind befitting a Mage rather than a Warrior.

After taking his time to share his thoughts with his subordinates in as few words as he could, he finally concluded.

"Zaratul’s return is not the concern," he said calmly. "The concern is that he’s now different, he’s now the first Awakened in the world with dual bloodlines".

"That is significant".

"The normal Zaratul was already troublesome enough, now with dual bloodlines," his eyes gleamed. "He’ll become a problem that may likely exceed our control".

"History has told us that he develops extremely fast, so instead of discussing, what we need to do is to take action".

"Here’s my verdict". He swept his gaze across the hall with quiet authority. "Ragnar, Korgoth," he called the 2 Giants. "The both of you shall act as my envoys to the West to meet Adventus".

"You shall tell him of my suggestion for another joint operation to end Zaratul and Dreadmoor once and for all".

"Tell him my analysis, this is the best chance to kill Zaratul. Explain to him the pros and cons of acting and not acting now".

"Magnus, Gaia," he called and looked at a Giant and a Barbarian. "You both shall act as my envoys to the East to meet Fierna, tell her the same like I instructed Ragnar’s crew".

"Tell her that if she doesn’t participate, this time, she may not be spared".

"Zaratul already showed us how petty he can be with his Fertility Curse Spell, there’s no saying what he can do".

"He’s unhinged".

"Understood Emperor!" The Giant and Barbarian saluted respectfully.

Then Emperor Baraka swept his gaze towards 3 more of his War Generals- 2 Giants and a Barbarian. "Golganneth, Thorgar, Hera, the 3 of you shall be my envoys to the United Alliance of the South".

"It doesn’t matter how united they are and it doesn’t matter how weak he is, I’ve fought against him before".

His eyes gleamed with stoic stillness as he calmly said. "Alone, they stand no chance against Zaratul".

"Your job is to reinforce them and act as the link between me and them".

"Help them in the resistance against the mad Demon till we finalize a plan of action, understood?"

"Yes Emperor!" They all stood up and bowed.

The meeting came to an end.