Ch. 201..210

Chapter 201

It was late in the afternoon by the time the group of three reached the palace.

With its magnificent size and the regal blue colors, the Frostburn Palace was just as remarkable as Jack remembered seeing in-game. However, his eyes gave him far better graphics than any graphics card.

"Big Brother, is this it? It’s bigger than Mom!"

Jack and Maura both laughed as Lina expanded her horizons. They glanced at one of the palace guards, who in turn approached them kindly.

"Is there something you need?" asked the guard.

"I’m Jack from the association. I’ve come to visit his highness Prince Willim before I leave the country."

"You’re Jack?! Hurry, the prince has been expecting you." The palace guard immediately turned and looked to the other guards in front of the gate. "This is Jack, the man Prince Willim was searching for. Open the gates immediately, and let them pass!"

"Um... Did something happen?" asked Jack, surprised to see that it was so easy to enter.

"No, it’s just that the prince had us search for you a couple of days ago. He mentioned being worried that you didn’t make it during your trip to the Icicle Mountains," explained the guard. "He’ll be happy to know that you’re fine and will be glad to welcome you as guests. Come, I’ll take you to him."

"Thank you. Let’s go girls."

Jack, Maura, and Lina followed the guard, answering Lina’s many simple-minded questions along the way. She wanted to know what everything was, and Jack was fine with explaining it all. He wouldn’t easily admit it, but he liked having a little sister to take care of.

The guard led them through many halls, but oddly enough they were all side halls. They were going a way that Jack hadn’t traveled before. He didn’t question the guard but waited to see what the destination might be.

Eventually, the guard led them up a tower on the west side of the palace. "Behind that door, you’ll find Prince Willim and Princess Erina. Please, go on ahead."

With his job finished, the guard turned and left.

"I guess we’ll just have to knock our selves," whispered Jack.

He gave the heavy door a firm knock and heard a familiar voice yell, "Come in!"

"Excuse us," stated Jack as he opened the door for the two behind him. They entered the room and were surprised to see that it was a bedroom, a girl’s bedroom.

"Jack, it’s really you!" Willim was beside the bed and looked up with a tired smile.

Seeing the bags under Willim’s eyes, Jack could tell that he’d been there for some time. He also noticed Erina tucked up in her large bed.

Maura instantly reached the other side of the bed and put her hand on Erina’s head. "She’s... getting colder?"

"Yeah... it’s been like this for the past few days. Not much has happened since you last saw us, but this is Erina’s third day in bed. She’s been like this before, but never for more than a day or two," explained Willim.

Erina smiled and opened her mouth, but she was too weak to make a sound. This only made her look even more pitiful.

"What did you decide about what I said?" asked Jack.

Willim shook his head. "I didn’t decide anything, but we mentioned it to my father and uncle. My uncle was against believing it, and so was my father at first. Then, two days ago, the same day Erina was bedridden, our father came to speak with us in private. He said that he believed you and wanted to speak with you personally."

Jack sighed, "So that’s why you sent people to look for me."

"Actually, I only did because my father asked. He didn’t want others to know about you and him meeting. That’s why we had a guard stationed outside, waiting for the moment you arrived. He was given specific instructions with a specific path to follow," explained Willim. "No one is supposed to know that you’re in here with us. At least, that’s what father said."

"Really?" Startled that they took so many measures of security, Jack started to imagine what the king may be like.

"Really."

That deep voice echoed from the balcony window. As everyone looked over, they noticed an aging middle-aged man. His black hair was becoming gray and his beard was doing the same, but his eyes were still sharp.

"I’m Wilheim Frant, Willim and Erina’s father. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Jack." The king showed Jack a warm smile and bowed to him, not caring about his status.

"Father..." Willim was amazed to see his father bow to Jack. There were very few people that he had ever bowed to, but Jack wasn’t anything like those powerful old men.

"Willim, it’s fine. This man is completely trustworthy, I’ve confirmed that with Argyle’s help," said the king. "Anyway, I’ve come to ask you a few things. First, is there anything you can do to help my daughter?"

"So, you believe me when I say that she’s being possessed by an ice spirit? Removing something like that can be incredibly dangerous," stated Jack, testing the king’s response.

"I have no capability to remove the spirit and will have to search for someone who can. Since you recognized it, I want to think that you know of a way to remove it."

Jack looked at the king and scratched his head. "I know a way, but I’m not strong enough to do that. And it’ll be hard to even get the needed materials..."

This whole time, Lina has been at Maura’s side. She at first tried to play with Erina, but Maura wouldn’t let her. When Maura explained that there was something cold inside of Erina making her sick, Lina blinked and crawled onto the bed, beside the smiling Erina.

"Lina, what are you doing?" asked Maura, interrupting Jack and the king’s conversation.

"I’ll make Erina feel better," answered Lina with a proud smile. She turned to Erina and asked, "Do you want the cold to go away?"

Erina was still too weak to reply, but she managed to nod slightly.

"Okay, then I’ll make the cold go away," as Lina said that, her eyes started to glow blue. Without warning, Lina’s body and also started glowing as it expanded and grew.

While the king, Willim, and Erina were startled, Jack and Maura shook their heads. They didn’t think that Lina would just transform in front of everyone, they hadn’t considered that.

Ignoring the others, Lina’s Three-headed Glacier Hydra from was shown in all its glory. She was still on the bed, making the bed’s legs give out and crumble under her weight.

Before anyone could do anything, Lina opened all three of her mouths and got extremely close to Erina. She roared, "Devour!"

"Stop, beast!" shouted the king, who drew a sword.

"Wait!" Thanks to Sudden Death, Jack appeared between the king and Lina. "She’s helping Erina! She’s devouring the ice spirit!"

"What?!"

Stopping himself, he looked more closely at his daughter. He smiled when he saw that the hydra hadn’t bitten Erina, but was draining the cold energy out of her.

Jack was baffled. He knew that Glacier Hydra’s were known for their abilities to devour the world, but he didn’t think that the cute Lina would already have the Devour skill. After this, Jack planned to have a long talk with Lina about her many abilities that they would have to keep secret. Also, he would make sure that Maura kept a close eye on her.

A minute passed and there was no longer any cold energy left within Erina.

Overjoyed to never have to worry about it again, Erina started jumping on the bed. She then started petting Lina’s hydra heads and climbing around on her long necks.

"Well... I guess she’d no longer cursed," laughed the king. His eyes were watery, almost brimming over with tears. "Jack... thank you."

"Don’t thank me, thank Lina. But, please, no one can know that Lina is a hydra, so keep that between us," replied Jack.

"That girl only appeared with you after your trip to Glacier Peak, so what was it you found there?" asked the king. "If you don’t want to say anything, then I’ll--"

"Mom and Dad live up there!" Lina blurted out the answer. She was told to keep things a secret before the entered the city, but she was too busy having fun with Erina to remember the warning.

"Mom and Dad..."

The happiness of the king vanished and filled with fear. If Lina was a giant hydra as a little girl, that could only mean that her parents were enormous hydras. That was not something the king would want near the city.

"King Wilheim, don’t worry about them."

"Jack, can you please elaborate on what you found on that mountain? It’s a matter of security for my people, so please tell me," asked the king.

With a sigh, Jack shook his head at Lina. "King Wilheim, can we speak in private before we continue this conversation?"

 

Chapter 202

"King Wilheim, can we speak in private before we continue this conversation?"

The king glanced at the others in the room and nodded, leading Jack to the balcony. Once there, the king cast and silence, making a barrier to keep anyone from hearing them.

"Please, explain this to me, Jack."

"You said I’m trustworthy, why do you say that?" asked Jack.

"I spoke with Argyle concerning you. Since he’s now your father-in-law, I figured that he should know you well enough. After dogging him enough, he finally mentioned that you know Tralon from the Leisure Guild," explained King Wilheim. "I know nothing of the relationship between you and him, but so long as you’re an acquaintance of his then I can trust you."

"Hmm... I know this is going to sound strange, but can you leave me alone in your silence barrier for a moment. I need to contact someone."

"Of course." Thinking it might involve the association, the king stepped just outside of the silence barrier.

All the king saw was Jack pull out a high-tier contact crystal and have a minute-long conversation. After that, the king saw Jack put the crystal away and motion for him to step back in.

"I have permission to tell you, but this will become a state-level secret. If you dare mention this to anyone, I can guarantee that not only but your family and kingdom will be wiped out. Do you understand, King Wilheim?"

Feeling more weight on his shoulders, the king hesitated but he nodded.

"Very well," continued Jack. "That little girl’s name is Linala, and she’s the daughter of Lunara. Do you know who that is?"

"Lunara... the Water Goddess?!" With his heart jumping out of his chest, King Wilheim struggled to say much else.

"Yeah, that’s her. She has granted me the task of helping her daughter become stronger for the time being. I just spoke with her, and she has asked you to come and find her at Glacier Peak. There, you’ll find a cave. Go down through the cave and you’ll find her hidden shrine," explained Jack.

"Lunara wants to see you within one week’s time. She’s curious how the kingdom has become since she last visited. So long as you go as soon as possible, you should be fine," Jack chuckled.

"Really?! The Water Goddess wishes for me to go and visit her?" asked the king. "I-I’ll go! I’ll leave before nightfall!"

"Good! She’ll explain everything else," added Jack. "Now, didn’t you have something else you wanted to ask me?"

"Oh, right! There’s one last favor to ask of you, but this one is much simpler and well within your capabilities. Also, we’ll reward you handsomely since only you can do this for me."

*****

Those inside the room were either staring at the two men conversing on the balcony or playing around on the bed. Luckily, Maura had already convinced Lina to revert back to her human form.

Eventually, Jack and the king returned to the room.

"Jack, thank you for agreeing to the task. Please, everyone, follow me." Without another word, the king opened the main door and left the room.

Jack grabbed Maura’s hand and rubbed Lina’s head. "Little Sis, it’s time to go!"

"Ahhh..." Lina sighed and followed as she held their hands.

Erina did the same, grabbing her big brother’s hand and shutting the door behind them as they left.

With the king in the lead, no one dared to stop any of them. Thanks to that, they all entered the giant courtyard with the teleportation relic. The king led them up onto the relic, using it as a stage.

Not ten minutes had passed before a large crowd of people emerged and entered the courtyard. It was almost full by the time people stopped trickling in.

Willim was especially perplexed. He recognized everyone in the courtyard and was surprised that every member of the royal family and all of the royal guards had been summoned altogether. Whatever his father was planning, he was completely clueless.

"Brother, what’s the meaning of this!" shouted a man who was just below the platform.

"Weis, don’t worry, I’m just announcing something," stated the king, easing the tension of the surprise meeting.

"Everyone, I have wonderful news! My daughter, Princess Erina, has been cured of her illness thanks to this young man!" Motioning toward Jack, the king continued, "This is Jack, the rising hero of the Adventurers Association. He has done us an amazing service, for that reason I’ve summoned you all. I’m announcing the betrothal between Jack and my beautiful daughter Erina!"

Applause roared and filled the courtyard. It was sudden, but it made sense for such a thing to happen.

Maura, Willim, Erina, and Lina were all startled, especially Erina, whose face became riper than a tomato.

"I’ve asked Jack to say a few words, so hear him out!"

Jack stepped forward, standing to the left of the king. "Please, just call me Jack. I’m just glad that Erina is doing alright now. To describe it, I think a poem would best explain it, so please let me recite."

With a cough, Jack cleared his throat. He smiled wide and took a deep breath.

"By the fire in hell and the chaos in the earth, I call upon thy power to show me thy follower’s birth!"

Suddenly, pitch-black clouds appeared and loomed over the entire courtyard. Those witnessing this were in a panic, unsure of what was happening.

"As turmoil and blood wash the world over, let my blood guide thy signs as they crossover!"

Jack continued and slashed his forearm. Using the blood, Jack started painting a circle around him.

"Stop that--"

"SILENCE!!!"

Just as the king’s brother was about to order someone to stop Jack, the king’s voice echoed and shook the entire courtyard.

"Those who dare touch Jack or dare to leave shall be marked as enemies of the state!" shouted the king, changing the mood entirely. While guards appeared and lined all the exits, the king looked at the other members of the royal family, noticing many with grim expressions.

"What’s wrong? Speak up!"

"Y-your majesty, that young man is casting black magic. If he keeps this up, then we’ll--"

"Shut up!" retorted the king. "Jack was able to help the Reinolt Kingdom remove the leech that is the Chaos Syndicate, so I asked him to help me do the same. All who dare speak now will be labeled as syndicate members and slaughtered. Otherwise, wait till he’s finished!"

Many people were visibly shaking, terrified of what the king had just said.

For the innocent, it was the king’s admittance that their nation was also under the syndicate’s influence.

For the guilty, it was their death sentence.

The king’s brother was also trembling, though not quite as much as others. He swallowed some saliva and asked, "Brother, how--"

"SILENCE! I’ve given the order, and all who break it will perish!"

Just then, a rush of frost filled the entire courtyard with the king at the center. Though the other royals were strong, King Wilheim was lv. 62 and outclassed them all. They had no choice but to wait in silence or be killed on the spot, even his brother.

Finished with the blood circle, Jack finished up. "Skaryn, reveal thy intent and let the world behold thy servant’s work!"

"Crack! CRACK!!"

Black lightning scattered across the clouds, making those unknowing nobles below quiver in fear.

"Bother--"

"Thy deeds shan’t remain hidden, and thy hands shan’t go berserk!"

Weiss tried to interrupt but Jack paid them no mind. To him, he didn’t care what anyone was saying or doing. With the king standing directly beside him, no one there would be able to affect his performance of the ritual.

"CRACK!!!"

More black lightning appeared, descending into the crowd and blasting into almost one-fifth of the people gathered in the crowd. Both royals and guards were blasted, proving that the king’s fear.

"All who are bathed in black lightning shall perish immediately as traitors to Aazoon! Everyone, pass judgment now!"

All unaffected royal guards took action. Though they knew these people personally, the moment they were revealed as syndicate members, all trust and past relationships were thrown out without prejudice.

"But I’m your brother! Surely, you can’t--"

Weiss tried to talk his way out of punishment but was frozen solid before he could finish his first sentence.

With the king acting personally and the help of all the royal guards and nobles, the syndicate members didn’t stand a chance. They were too ill-prepared for such a circumstance and had underestimated the king greatly.

Within fifteen minutes, all syndicate members were slaughtered and the royal guards started cleaning up.

"Now..." Turning to his son and daughter, the king laughed, "Sorry for not telling you about his, but it had to be done immediately and without flaw. If such threats appear while you’re king, I hope you can act in a similar manner, Willim."

"And Erina, I’m sorry for playing with your feelings like that, but I needed to give Jack a reason to speak that would keep everyone calm. This was the best we could think of."

"So... I’m not..."

"No, you’re not betrothed to Jack, not unless you want to be," laughed the king.

 

Chapter 203

"No, you’re not betrothed to Jack, not unless you want to be."

"I refuse," stated Jack. "Erina is a lovely girl, but I already have two wives and two other female companions. Plus, she’s still young and will find her own love someday."

"I understand and I agree with you," Willim chuckled. "Now, I wish I could travel with you too!"

"Sadly, we can’t. I’ve got too many things to do and most of those things are top secret. Just ask your father how secretive things are, I’m sure he’ll agree with me."

"Willim, he’s right. Maybe in the future, but for now, just focus on getting stronger. If you don’t give your all when leveling, you’ll get left behind and won’t be able to help Jack if the need ever arises," stated the king as he turned back to Jack. "Young hero, I owe you a lot. If you ever need my help, consider the Aazoon Kingdom as an ally."

"Thank you, King Wilheim." Jack bowed, happy that things went as smoothly as planned. "I’ll remember that in the future. For now, I need to leave with my friends. We’ll be passing through Maltor to reach Stladen."

"Sounds like a plan, I wish you the best!" chuckled the king. "But be careful in Maltor, the people and the nobility are very prideful. They’ve been our rivals for quite some time."

"I’ll remember that, thanks!"

"At least take this, as a gift to remember us by."

Jack received a ring from the king and bowed to them. After a couple more minutes of chatting, the small party was escorted through the palace by Willim and Erina. Once back outside, they said their goodbyes and parted with smiles.

It was now evening after everything the king had them do.

With their task over, the small party returned to the inn, letting Lina eat anything she wanted from the food stands along the way.

When they got back, they found Rydel and Maynard sitting at the bar. To make room, they relocated to a table with Jack, Maura, and Lina.

"So, how’d things go at the palace?" asked Rydel.

"They went really well. The king had my reveal the hidden identities of the syndicate members in the palace, and he wiped them all out. We now have a new ally for the future," explained Jack. "However, after dinner, me and Maura are going to have a long chat with Lina about her identity and her powers, since she’s not allowed to show anyone without permission."

"Oopsie..." Lina put her head down, avoiding eye contact.

Maura giggled, "It’s okay, this time you’re lucky it was the king. If it was anyone else, things would’ve been harder to explain, right Jack?"

"Right, so no more transforming without our permission. We’ll talk more after dinner, so for now just order as much as you want."

"Yay! Thanks, Big Brother!"

By the time the food was ordered and brought to the table, the remaining three girls returned with big smiles on their faces.

"Ya all seem happy," said Maynard. "What did ya find?"

"We only found one peak-tier spell for Maura, but we found some good high-tier spells for Maura, Eliza, and I," stated Keela with a proud smile.

"Good, then we’ll discuss paying you back after dinner in the room."

Not wanting to discuss so much money in public, Jack’s party enjoyed their meal first. After they and Lina had their fill, they all gathered back in Jack’s room.

Now in the privacy of their room, Daliea cast silence to let them feel at ease.

Bowzer was let out of Jack’s ring since he was now too big to be carried, a fact that Bowzer didn’t like. The fox laid across his bed and started devouring the meat Jack gave him.

"Before anything, let me check something."

By now, they were used to Jack randomly closing his eyes and tuning out the world. They all guessed it had something to do with Daruun, since it was how Jack found Sterfen and Lunara.

After they found Lunara by accident, Jack made a point to look at all gods at once. He didn’t want to accidentally overlook a god and get his party in trouble.

He had spent some time in Sterfen’s and Lunara’s home memorizing the location of all the gods that they would have to visit, making things a bit easier. However, he was glad that he double-checked his map.

One of the god’s location had changed.

Originally, Jack had planned to go to Stladen because that was where the nearest god on their list was, Kori, the Fox God. Also, going that direction would lead them toward Trodar and some of the other gods anyway.

But now, the location of Kori’s shrine had changed. Kori was now in Fulken, which is the country between Stladen and Maltor.

Jack started thinking about what this meant. He didn’t know how a shrine could move, nor did he understand why Kori would now be even closer.

"We’ll keep our course for Maltor and we’ll readjust our course after that if we need to," stated Jack, bringing his attention back to the party.

"What do you mean readjust? Did something change?" asked Rydel.

"I’ll give you a few details about our current plans," explained Jack. "For now, our main goal is to get you all pledged to your chosen god. Whilst doing that, we need to keep leveling up and preparing to enter Trodar."

"Which gods are we visiting first?" asked Eliza, hoping she wouldn’t have to wait too long to pledge to her god.

"I’ll tell you where they are, but don’t mention any of this to anyone, got it?" Jack continued as they all nodded, "Dragas is in Limneer, so that will be the last one we visit, being the furthest from us."

Keela frowned, not too happy about being last.

She was now starting to feel like she was always getting overlooked by Jack. Since Daliea was closer to him on a personal level and the other two girls were his wives, this was the mindset she was starting to get, making her a bit more desperate in her future attempts to get Jack.

"Jin is in Prachten, so he’ll be the second last god we visit. It’s actually very convenient because I wanted to investigate both Prachten and Limneer already since they had broken off from Trodar and are currently warring together against Trodar," mentioned Jack.

"So those trips will also be about reconnaissance," stated Rydel. "We’ll make sure to remember that."

"Good," Jack continued. "The most complicated part of the trip will be our visit to Korten. At first, I thought we could go there after Trodar, but that’s changed. We must find a way to gain entry into Korten before then."

"Gain entry... into Korten?" Eliza laughed. "You do realize that not even the king of Stladen, the only country with a trade agreement with the elves, is allowed to cross the nation’s borders."

"I know. It was always hard for humans to enter, and it’s only gotten harder after the Holy War. But we have to enter Korten, no matter what. Inside Korten is where we’ll find both Eedaj for Daliea and Lyrun for you, Eliza."

Stunned by Jack’s statement, the party realized how serious Jack was, especially Eliza and Daliea.

"I may be able to get us in, but it might be a stretch. But for now, let’s focus on the next god we’ll be visiting," stated Jack. "Kori was in Stladen, so we had planned to go through Maltor and Fulken to get there, but that’s changed."

"Why has it changed?" asked Maura.

"You said Kori ’was’ in Stladen. Does that mean he’s no longer there?" Rydel caught what Jack was leading up to.

"You’re right, Kori’s shrine is no longer in Stladen. It has moved to Fulken now," Jack said as he shook his head in disbelief.

Everyone went wide-eyed, confused as to how that was possible.

"The shrine moved... but how?" Maynard asked, wondering if the know-it-all Jack had an answer.

"I have no clue, but I’ll be keeping tabs on Kori’s shrine as we travel," replied Jack. "Hopefully, the shrine won’t move further away. If it does, then we’ll have to give up on meeting Kori till later."

"Does anyone have any questions?"

Keela raised her hand. "Jack, what are we doing after we enter Trodar?"

"That’s not something you should worry about. I’ll explain that after we finally enter Trodar. For now, don’t bother thinking about it," answered Jack.

Since no one else had any more questions, Jack added, "I also wanted to give you guys a heads up. Now that you know who I really am, I’ll probably start doing some unusual things like I did in the past. I just wanted to warn you."

"Really?! Can we help?" Eliza asked with a bright smile.

The moment they realized that Jack was the same Jack J., the Legend of Trodar, each of the girls viewed Jack differently. They were all certain that no one else would be better to marry than Jack, even if he had multiple wives.

Each of the women, including his wives, made it their goal to get Jack to fall in love with them. And if they got to make history alongside such a legendary figure along the way, then it would be even better.

 

Chapter 204

"If you want to join my crazy antics, I may stop you depending on what it entails," stated Jack.

Jack just wanted to experiment with his achievements to see if he could find a way to earn more unique rewards. The more unique rewards he could get, the more skill points he could acquire, and the more skills and spells he could finally get for himself.

"Whatever it is, I’ll join you!" shouted Eliza. "I’m your wife, after all, so if anyone should join you it’s me."

"H-hey, don’t forget about me!" Maura chimed in, startling Jack.

In the back of Jack’s mind, he cried, ’Not you too, Maura... Who’s going to help me now...’

"We’ll all help him!" shouted Keela, not wanting to be outdone.

"Yes, all of us," stated Daliea, adding herself to the mix.

"Sounds like fun to me. Ya can count me in!" laughed Maynard, curious to see what might happen.

"I guess I’ll join your strange antics, too," added Rydel.

Before Lina could join in, Jack put his finger to her mouth. "You’re still too young to try some of the things I’ll do. But if you’re able, I’ll let you try too, okay?"

"Okay!"

Jack felt a mix of emotions. Part of him didn’t like how willing the girls were to join him, suspecting that they were up to something.

But deep down, Jack was glad. If his whole party joined in, he wondered if his chances of gaining a unique reward would go up. It was worth a shot.

At the moment, Jack had forty skill points, but that was nowhere near enough. He gained a new achievement, [Friend of Aazoon] and gained thirty skill points, however, Jack was determined to milk the system for all the skill points he could. With the party’s help, Jack thought he’d at least have a better chance.

"For now, get some rest because we leave early in the morning," said Jack. "We need to hurry through the tundra and reach Kori. We don’t want to miss him."

With that settled, everyone dispersed to their own rooms.

Eliza and Keela offered to stay behind and help Jack unwind, but he turned them away. He wanted to speak with Bowzer alone.

’Bowzer, did you hear what we were talking about?’

’Uh-huh, Me heard everything.’

’Than, do you know Kori, the Fox God?’ asked Jack.

He had spent a lot of time thinking about why Sterfen was so insistent about speaking with Kori. In the end, the only reason Jack could think of was Bowzer. Why else would Sterfen insist that they visit him immediately when no one could pledge to him.

’Kori... Me don’t know Kori,’ replied Bowzer, shaking his head. ’There’s Fox God?’

Jack sighed. ’Yes, Kori is the Fox God. But, according to Sterfen, Kori is also one of the rebel gods, no longer listening to the main god he’s under.’

’Weird... But why visit Kori?’ asked Bowzer.

’I’m not sure. I thought it was because of you.’

’Me?’

With a nod, Jack explained, ’If the Fox God wouldn’t be interested in you, then why would he be interested in anyone else in the party? My guess is that Sterfen thinks Kori wants to meet you.’

’Meet me, but why?’

’I have no clue.’ Following his last line of thought, Jack asked, ’You never did tell me what happened before we met. Mind telling me now, since no one will interrupt us this time?’

Hesitating, Bowzer took his time to think before he nodded. ’Story not long but hard to say.’

Jack suddenly had an idea. ’Bowzer, wait just a moment.’

Using his forty skill points, Jack upgraded his companion telepathy to lv. 3. He thought that Bowzer would speak better after evolving, but since that didn’t change anything, Jack wanted to test his telepathy skill.

’How’s that?’ asked Jack.

’That’s much better! I don’t feel much strain talking to you now!’ replied Bowzer, startling Jack with the sudden change in speech. ’Now I can really tell you what happened!’

’My mother was on the run and she was protecting me. We ran for a long time and eventually reached Reinolt. My mother was always fighting, using her flame body nonstop,’ explained the fox. ’One day, she was injured a lot, but she finally killed the beasts that were chasing us. After running all day when she was weak, we hid in a tree.’

Bowzer continued, ’That’s when I met you. The reason you could kill her was that her flame body was heavily injured, otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to kill her. She told me that she wouldn’t last much longer and hoped that I would be alright...’

With some sorrow in his gaze, Jack asked, ’Do you know why you were being chased?’

’Nope, my mother never told me that.’

’Do you remember what was chasing you?’ More than anything, Jack wanted to know what had the capability to chase a matured Hell-flame Fox across Kartonia. It had to be something terrifying.

’Dragons.’

Jack’s mouth opened, but not a sound was made. His mind wasn’t ready for that kind of mental bomb. ’Y-you’re saying that dragons were chasing you and your mother? And your mother was able to kill them?’

’Yeah, she killed four dragons during the trip. She let me eat them too.’

Laughing, Jack tried to make sense of this. ’So, to recap, you and your mother were chased for a long time by dragons, which your mother defeated by was near death after doing so. And in her fragile state on death’s bed, I killed your mother and took you away?’

’Yup!’ Bowzer nodded.

’Are you sure you don’t know why the dragons were chasing you?’

’Nope, I have no clue.’

’Do you remember what kind of dragons they were?’ asked Jack.

’There were two dragons with lightning and two dragons with fire. The ones with lightning were the first to die, but the dragons with fire were the ones who gravely injured my mother.’

’By any chance, did those dragons with lightning have four wings instead of two?’

’Yeah! That’s right!’

Jack’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. ’And the dragons with fire, they didn’t also be able to spit magma, did they?’

"They did! How did you know?’

With Jack’s heart trying to sink further into his intestines, he felt like he wanted to cry. He held up his hand to Bowzer and looked away, wanting a moment to think to himself.

’Storm Dragons?! They were chased by Storm Dragons?! And Magma Dragons too?! What on in Halmut’s beard happened for ancient dragons to appear and chase a Hell-flame Fox?!’

’Bowzer,’ Jack looked back at the fox, ’I’ll be honest. I have no clue how to connect the dots or why you were chased by dragons. Maybe meeting with Kori will help explain why.’

’Okay, then I’m excited to meet this Kori, the Fox God. I wonder what he’s like?’

’For now, let’s just get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll head out.’

Bowzer nodded. ’But remember, since I can’t ride on your shoulders, I want you to ride on mine.’

’But the snow--’

’The blizzard around the mountains didn’t’ affect me, so how could the tundra?’ reasoned Bowzer.

’Fair enough, but we’ll take turns riding your back,’ stated Jack. ’Alright, sleep well, okay?’

’You too! Goodnight!’

Bowzer slept easy, but Jack struggled to fall asleep. After learning that his fox companion had been chased by four ancient dragons, he wondered what might happen in the future.

Morning came slowly for Jack, who still had bags under his eyes.

"Good morning!"

Earlier than the usual wake up call, the door opened to reveal Eliza and Keela entering the room, still in their pajamas.

Eliza saw Jack struggling to get out of bed and smiled. "What’s wrong, dear? You didn’t sleep well? Let me help you."

"That’s okay, I’ll--"

Faster than lightning, Eliza was sitting behind him and started rubbing his shoulders. As her hands danced over his back, the tension and worry Jack had all night started to gradually fade.

He said nothing, but Jack’s satisfied sighs were enough for Eliza to understand that he didn’t want her to stop.

"You know, if this helps, I can give you a massage whenever you need it. I am your wife, after all," Eliza giggled, trying to seduce him a little.

"Well... I... This does feel nice..."

Unable to disagree with all the relief he was feeling, Jack couldn’t stop Eliza from pushing the conversation further.

"Then how about we do this every morning? I can guarantee that I’m the most capable of your wives in terms of massages. Plus, I think you need the relief as often as you can."

"Not... every morning..."

"Fine, but for now just relax and let my hands do the talking," said Eliza, proud to finally make a kink in Jack’s emotional armor. "Keela, can you go get Jack his breakfast? To save time, I think it’s best you if you feed him during the massage."

"I don’t think..."

"Sure, I’ll be right back!" Keela took off for the kitchen without any hesitation.

Knowing that he was caught in the girl’s trap, Jack gave up that morning. He was far too stressed and such care was the perfect medicine.

Besides, he knew it was too late to go back from the moment he realized that Eliza was an expert masseuse. There’s no way he wanted to give up the best stress reliever he’d found during his entire time in Kartonia.

Chapter 205

After his massage and his breakfast, Jack hurried out of bed. He was determined to now let it go any further.

Soon, everyone else was up and finishing their own breakfast while Jack spent time thinking about the trip. With breakfast not taking long, the party quickly left Frostburn City.

They made sure to go southeast. That way, they would eventually reach the capital of Maltor, Scorch City, which was surrounded by the Molten Mountains.

Opposite Aazoon, Maltor was known for its heat. Every mountain in the Molten Mountains was a volcano. Together with the Aazoon Kingdom, the two nations formed what looked like a rough symbol for yin and yang on the map, one side covered in ice and the other covered in desert.

Jack wanted to avoid going directly south, but not only to make it easier to reach Trodar.

The main reason he avoided going directly south was because the second most powerful holy god had a temple on the other side of Maltor. Jack wanted to avoid that half of the country at all costs.

But he didn’t tell the others that because he didn’t want them to worry.

Thanks to the weather, their travel speed was quite slow. It took them almost three weeks to reach the Aazoon-Maltor border. Though they did stop multiple times to play with Lina in the snow, no one complained about that.

The border was more guarded than the Reinolt-Maltor border, but it didn’t take them too long to get through the border patrol.

Both nations were rivals, but they hadn’t had a war in over two hundred years. Due to that, the party didn’t have much to worry about.

Jack’s party stopped in the nearest border town and made sure to purchase better supplies. Now that they were crossing a dry desert and not a frozen tundra, it called for a change in clothes and supplies.

Like the tundra, they took their time traveling. Unlike the tundra, it took them a bit longer because of Lina not being used to such weather. After the first few days at a slow pace, she grew more accustomed to it and they finally picked up the pace.

In the end, it took them almost eight weeks, or two months to reach Scorch City starting from Frostburn City.

Along the way, everyone under lv. 34 had managed to level up once, including the beast companions. It wasn’t much, but it was progress nonetheless.

But when they finally got there, the party was glad to see that Scorch City also had an artificial environment created within its city walls. Inside the city, they could finally relax and enjoy a cool, fresh breeze.

Covered in sweat, the party all agreed to get rooms, bathe, eat, and turn in for the night.

After getting a good night’s sleep, they all felt much better. At breakfast, everyone was asking Jack what it was that they should do now since they all thought they were just passing through.

"We’ll be staying in Scorch City for a while," replied Jack, startling everyone. "I don’t know why, but we have to stay here for the time being. It shouldn’t be more than a few days, but I’ve already paid to stay here for the next two nights in the meantime."

"Can we go around and check the market for anything good?" asked Eliza with a seductive smile.

"Sure, go ahead and buy any peak-tier spells or any items that you think are worth buying."

"Great!" Eliza sprung to her feet and grabbed Jack’s arm. "Let’s get going."

"Wait, I thought--"

Maura got up and grabbed Jack’s other arm, surprising everyone. "Can’t you give us some time too? Since we’re staying here a few days, you’ll have some free time anyway..."

Jack knew that he couldn’t escape their two-pronged attack. "Fine, but only for today. I’ve got other things--"

"Yay! Big Brother’s taking us shopping!"

During the trip, everyone would make sure to teach Lina about everything they could. And the girls made sure to teach Lina all about the joys of shopping. They also made sure that Lina knew that Jack was loaded and could afford almost anything that Lina could want.

With a long sigh, Jack stood up and let his wives take him away. They were followed closely by Keela and Daliea, leaving the samurai and the hunter behind at the table.

"He’s finally starting to open up again, isn’t he?" Rydel laughed as Jack was dragged away.

"Yeah, it’ll do him good though. I wonder how long he’ll last," commented Maynard.

The two chatted while having an early drinking session. In the end, they started betting on how long it’ll take for Jack to crack and who’ll get him first.

While Jack was now being dragged in the streets of Scorch City, he checked his map to verify something. He was right to check the map because his thoughts were confirmed.

After they reached Scorch City, Jack had contacted Sterfen and Lunara to give them an update.

At that time, Sterfen told Jack that he needed to stay in Scorch City for the time being and offered no explanation. All Sterfen would say is that the party needed to wait at least three days and that within that time period, something good would happen.

Jack’s hunch was that it somehow involved Kori, the Fox God.

According to the map, Kori’s shrine was now in Maltor and it was headed for the capital. The only possible explanation that Jack could think of would be if Sterfen had somehow contacted Kori and the Fox God was determined to meet them, no matter what.

Unable to determine why, Jack could only wait and see what happens. He trusted Sterfen, so Jack was confident that Kori wouldn’t do anything bad to them.

"Jack!"

Suddenly, a cry for his name brought Jack back to reality. He was now in a tent surrounded by clothes. "What is it, Eliza?"

"You’ve been staring off into space for a while now and you won’t tell me which dress you like more!" pouted Eliza, holding up two dresses against her body.

"Really? Why do you need--"

"Jack, what do you think?"

Turning around, he noticed Maura doing the same thing with two more dresses.

That’s when Jack realized that all five girls, including Lina, were each browsing some of the most expensive dresses in the entire tent. Normally, those were only purchased by nobles and royals, but they were dragging him into spending a fortune on dresses alone.

"Ladies, do you really need such dresses? It’s not like there’s any occasion for them."

"Well, maybe we can make an occasion," laughed Eliza. "We’ve yet to go on a date even though we’re already married. I think you owe Maura and me that much."

"But--"

"Look, Big Brother! Big Sisters all look so pretty! I want a pretty dress too!" Lina’s eyes were twinkling as she cut him off. "Please, Big Brother? Pretty pleeease?"

Jack bit his tongue, unable to say no to Lina’s cute face. He had fallen into the women’s trap.

Patting Lina’s head, Jack looked her in the eye. "For now, you can only get one dress. Okay?"

"Okay!"

It wasn’t only Lina that responded, but all five girls.

Eliza got closer to Jack and pouted, "So, will you tell me which one you like most or not?"

"... I like the blue one. It goes well with your blonde hair..."

"Thanks! Then I’ll get the blue one for our first date!"

"I never--"

"Jack, which one?" Maura pouted, following Eliza’s example.

Wanting to cry, Jack looked at her puppy dog eyes. "The red one..."

One by one, Jack gave his opinion on each of the girls’ dresses. They all chose the one that Jack liked the most. Except for Lina, who convinced Jack to buy both dresses, making the other girls jealous.

From that point on, Jack paid attention to everywhere they went. At all costs, he would avoid getting trapped again.

They spent all morning browsing the market. Other than a few trinkets to go with the dresses, they didn’t buy anything else.

Jack wasn’t able to find anything worth buying, so he dejectedly paid for a few small things to keep the women from dragging him into any more major purchases.

For lunch, the group found a local restaurant.

Excited to try the local cuisine, everyone made their orders. Like always, Jack gave the waitress an early tip to keep them from cutting off Lina’s many orders.

With satisfied stomachs and happy faces, the party made their way to the local magic shop.

Inside, everyone split up and started searching for whatever suited them. With Jack there personally, they planned to splurge and get anything they wanted.

Maura was helping Lina browse too, teaching her to not read or use the items without purchasing them. That had already happened, though Jack was lucky it was with some cheap trinket in the market and not a peak-tier spell.

Jack was browsing the fire type and lightning type spells, hoping to find a peak-tier spell.

In the end, Jack did find one, but there was a problem. The peak-tier spellbook was in the arms of a middle-aged man who was also browsing the fire type spells.

 

Chapter 206

That middle-aged man noticed Jack’s gaze and smiled. "Let me guess, you were wanting to see this?"

"I mean, who wouldn’t," joked Jack, glancing back at the peak-tier spellbook.

"I’m about to purchase it, but I don’t mind if you check it out. In fact, you can have it, but I’d like to chat with you in private first," said the man.

Jack gave him a strange look. "Are you serious?"

"Completely. But your wives and the others can’t know about this, Jack."

With a serious face, Jack stared at the man. He knew that this mysterious man would only recognize him if he had been informed by someone.

"Who told you?"

"I’ll tell you when we’re alone. Come," the man replied, turning toward the front desk to purchase the spell for almost thirty thousand gold. "What are you waiting for? If you don’t hurry, they’ll notice."

Then, the man left the shop without giving Jack another look.

Torn about what to do next, Jack took a moment to think before he quietly left the shop.

Thinking about it, Jack knew that it could either have been Sterfen or the champion of the association that had sent this man. And since it was most likely Sterfen, there was a chance of it being that person.

The moment Jack exited the store, a hand grabbed him from behind and pulled him into an alley.

"Shhh..."

Slowly, the hand uncovered Jack’s mouth, but Jack said nothing. It was the man he had just spoken to.

The man quickly wrapped Jack up in heavy-duty rope and pulled him into a run-down shop at the end of the alley. Once inside, the man waved his hand and red energy filled the space. He had cast silence.

"So, Jack, got any ideas on who I am?"

"Are you Kori?"

"Bingo!"

Suddenly, the man’s appearance changed. His average looks became sharper and more defined. Now his physique was lean yet powerful. The smile on his face felt intoxicating as if it had some sort of bestial charm.

"I’m glad you could figure it, but please don’t break free, not yet."

Confused by everything, Jack nodded and kept listening.

"Now, please bring out that fox companion of yours. There’s something I need to know," stated Kori, still showing his bewitching smile.

The next moment Bowzer was summoned from the ring and saw Jack tied up. Without hesitation, Bowzer leaped forward to break the ropes. But suddenly, Bowzer found himself unable to get closer to Jack.

Looking back, Bowzer saw the handsome man who was holding tight to his tail. "Who are you and what are you doing to Jack?"

"Trust me, I have a reason for this."

That’s all he said before he suddenly vanished. Before Bowzer could do anything, Kori was behind him and had already wrapped that same rope around Bowzer’s legs and tail, rendering Bowzer immobile.

"Now that the hard part is over, I can finally get down to business."

"What do you want!" roared Bowzer.

"By any chance, little fox, did you ever consider why I can understand you even though you can’t yet speak with telepathy?" Kori sat down in front of his "hostages" and propped his head on his fist.

"I..." confused, Bowzer stammered.

"I’m Kori, otherwise known as the Fox God," Kori introduced himself to the now silent Bowzer. "And you, little fox, have been very hard to find."

"But, honestly, that’s actually a good thing," added Kori.

"Were you the one hunting me down?! Were you the one who caused my mother’s death?!" Furious, Bowzer snarled and bared his fangs at Kori, despite knowing that he was too weak to threaten the god.

"I’m definitely a part of that mess, but I never would’ve wished that fate on your mother... In fact, I wish I could’ve found you sooner. If I had, then maybe she would still be here with us," replied Kori, whose smile was now self-mocking.

"W-what do you mean?" asked Bowzer.

"I don’t have much time, so I’ll be brief," stated Kori. "Little fox, I’m sorry that I, your father, was unable to protect both my wife and my son when they needed me most. I’m a failure as a father and I won’t bother begging for forgiveness. All I can offer is this."

While both Jack and Bowzer were frozen in disbelief, Kori stood up and snuck a ring into the ropes holding Jack bound.

"That’s a special ring that will stay with beasts, even after they take their human transformations."

"But how can--"

"Like I said, I don’t have much time," Kori cut Bowzer off and shook his head. "Since I’ve said my piece and have passed that to you, I should get going. Take care, little fox. And boy, take care of my son."

Kori then placed his hand on Bowzer. At the same time, golden light filled the closed-off room and was absorbed into Bowzer.

Jack’s system instantly recognized what was happening. Kori had just made Bowzer into a demigod like Sterfen had done to him.

"But you said you were--"

Suddenly, more ropes were wrapped around Bowzer’s mouth, keeping him from saying more.

"Someday, you’ll understand why I did this."

Just then, a pounding was heard at the door. When there was no answer, the door was destroyed, revealing the five girls from Jack’s party.

They looked inside to see the same middle-aged man they had seen inside the magic shop. Also, they were livid to see Jack and Bowzer tied up.

Kori nodded and dashed through a window, shattering the boards that had covered it up.

As he vanished, a whisper reached both Jack’s and Bowzer’s ears. "Don’t tell anyone, or you’ll regret it."

The girls hurried to untie Jack and Bowzer, struggling with the ridiculously strong ropes. Surprisingly, none of them could break them. Eventually, the ropes were untied and Jack and Bowzer were free.

Eliza recognized that the ropes were used for hunting high-level beasts, meaning that man should’ve been stronger than everyone, yet had run away all the same. It was baffling.

"Jack, what happened?!" Maura was the first to pull Jack up and latch onto one of his arms.

"We’re fine, don’t worry about us," answered Jack, quickly storing the ring that Kori and passed him. "Really, he didn’t do anything but tie us up. We don’t even know why he did that."

"You get kidnapped and you tell us not to worry?!" Eliza grabbed his other arm. "You might have been forced to marry me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, Jack! Stop acting like you don’t know us, even after we’ve been traveling together for months now. That’s even longer than you knew Slivia."

"Eliza, that’s--"

Interrupting Maura, Eliza continued, "But am I wrong? You’ve already married us and I’m pretty sure you’re already used to being around us. So stop acting so distant!"

Her breathing was heavy and she clutched her hands against her chest. "Jack, all my life I’ve been dreaming about being with the man of my dreams like every other girl. Sure, I didn’t know you, but you were still him! And now that I know you even more, I know how great of a person you are, I was lucky to marry you, and then you disappear and get kidnapped right in front of my eyes."

"You may not think so, but I was scared to death when I saw you tied up, about to be taken away from me..."

"...Eliza..." Jack mumbled, even more perplexed now than he was earlier getting fake kidnapped.

"Jack, don’t act stupid now," added Keela. "Sure, we make act desperate at times, but we all do care about you. It only lasted for a second, but I think we were all terrified to see you like that."

"..."

Unsure of what was the best thing to say, Jack said nothing. Kori warned them to not mention the truth to anyone, but even the truth wouldn’t help him out now.

"Jack... we really were worried about you. And that’s going to happen whether you like it or not..." Maura averted her gaze, trying to hide her teary eyes and her red face.

"I’m sorry, okay."

"Don’t just say that!" shouted Eliza, still trying to get over her rampant emotions. "If you’re sorry, then treat us like any other man would his wives."

"... I guess I can do that much," stated Jack. "I would pat your heads or hug you, but you’re not really letting me."

Instantly, the girls released him and helped him up.

He did exactly what he had said and gave each of them a tender hug, thanking them for coming to find him.

Jack returned Bowzer to his ring and left with the girls. For the whole afternoon, he let them shop for a few more outfits and items.

After that, the ladies were all feeling better, including Lina, who only understood what had happened after they explained it while shopping and she had burst into tears of the thought of losing her big brother.

Chapter 207

By the evening, Jack and the girls all returned to the inn to get some food.

They were soon joined by Rydel and Maynard, who had left to do some weapon shopping. Maynard wanted to find more peakp-tier lv. 35 swords, but nothing he found was better than the two katana that Jack had given him.

Both of the men were surprised to see that all the girls were now closer to Jack, yet he didn’t force them away like usual.

"What happened while we were gone?" asked Rydel. "By the look of things, it seems that things are finally heating up between you all and Jack."

"Stop it." Jack waved his hand, not wanting to talk about it.

Eliza grunted. "Well, if someone hadn’t been kidnapped, then maybe we wouldn’t have been so worried. Why didn’t you call for any of us with telepathy."

"It’s already in the past, so let’s not worry about it."

That entire day, while most of the girls were accepted Jack’s many apologies, Eliza had hounded him for details. Rather than spill the beans, Jack had just been avoiding such invading questions, proving that he wasn’t willing to talk about it.

"Jack, I’m your wife. If you’re not going to explain yourself, you’ll have to do something to make up for it."

"And that is?"

"Let me sleep with you tonight."

"Pffew!" Jack choked on his brundy. "Eliza, you know that I--"

"Yes, I know that you don’t care about your wives. You won’t explain yourself to them and you won’t even try to comfort them physically," stated Eliza, not budging at all.

"Eliza, please, forgive me but I’m not in the mood to talk about the kidnapping anymore, okay?"

"Then can I sleep with you tonight, or not?"

"Eli--"

"Or will you sleep with Maura tonight instead?"

"E-excuse me?!" Jack stuttered, startled by the sudden change in the conversation.

"B-but Eliza, why--"

"Jack will you be sleeping with Maura or with me tonight, which of your wives?" repeated Eliza. "To make sure that you won’t get kidnapped again, one of us should share your bed to guarantee your safety. If you say neither, I’ll make it my point to join you regardless."

Frowning, Jack looked Eliza in the eye. Then, he looked to Maynard and Rydel for help, but they either looked away or were busy looking to the bottom of their mug.

He sighed, "Can’t we--"

"Do I really need to make a scene, Jack?" stated Eliza with a poker face. "I’m your wife, so I’m pretty sure everyone else in the bar will side with me on this one."

Finally, Jack looked to Maura sheepishly. "Maura, can you stay in my room tonight?"

"S-sure, I can do that," Marua blushed as she agreed.

"Not just in the same room, but in the same bed. If I find that she’s not sharing your bed, I’ll join you in the middle of the night," said Eliza, not backing down an inch.

"I--"

"Okay!" shouted Maura, not letting Jack use her shyness as an excuse.

This surprised them all. Everyone knew that Maura was slowly getting more daring, but it still startled them to hear her agree to actively agree to share a bed with Jack and not give into shyness.

What Jack first thought would be his only way out had become a simple change of circumstances.

"Good, then me and Keela will be off to bed early. We should probably start heading back to Polt tomorrow, early in the morning," mentioned Eliza.

Jack asked, "And why’s that?"

"Don’t you remember? We’ve got the yearly auction coming up," replied Eliza. "We’ve got a month and I’m sure you want to be there, right?"

"How could I forget!" Jack laughed at himself. He really had forgotten all about it.

"But I thought ya said we should stay here?" asked Maynard.

"Sterfen already told me that we can leave. I’m not sure why, but he said he’d explain it later."

In reality, Sterfen hadn’t contacted him. He only knew that Sterfen needed them in Scorch City for that strange kidnapping situation to take place.

"Well, then let’s all head to bed. We’ve got another two weeks till we reach Federal City," stated Rydel. "I hope you two love birds enjoy the night!"

"Hey, that’s--"

"You’re lucky Maura, but you know you’ll have to share him eventually," added Keela.

Eliza also spoke up, "Good luck, Maura! I’ll just wait my turn."

Lina was taken up by Daliea, who only blushed and led the innocent girl to their room.

Alone, Jack and Maura smiled awkwardly to each other. "Um... Maura, I--"

"Jack, we don’t have to if you don’t want to." Maura’s statement eased some of the tension in Jack’s heart until she added, "But, if you want to, then I’d like for you to be my first."

With a heart pounding so hard all he could hear was his heartbeat, Jack swallowed some saliva and blushed. Just because he hadn’t agreed to do anything prior, doesn’t mean he was tempted.

Tonight would be a great test for his willpower.

*****

Outside the city on top of Magma Summit, the tallest peak of the Molten Mountains, a middle-aged man was overlooking the city.

That man remained there for most of the day, just watching the city as time passed. Soon, another man appeared behind the middle-aged man.

Dressed extravagantly, the man who just arrived squinted at the middle-aged man who was ignoring him. "Kori, what’s the meaning of your little visit?"

"Do I look like Kori to you? Who could ever be so handsome?" whined the middle-aged man, still not bothering to turn and face the newcomer.

"Kori, just stop with the act already. How could I not recognize the god I helped banish?" laughed the well-dressed man.

"So, you finally admit to it, huh?" Finally, Kori turned around, now looking like his true self. "How long had you all been planning it?"

"Ever since you abandoned us during the Holy War, to be honest," replied the man. "If you had joined the final battle, the losses wouldn’t have been nearly as bad as they had been. I would’ve joined Halmut in killing the scourge of the underworld."

"Instead, Halmut was forced to seal him at a great cost. Even after five hundred years, Halmut still hasn’t fully recovered. For that, I blame you!"

Kori laughed, "Sure, find the easy way and blame the man who wasn’t there. That’s definitely your style."

"Now answer the question, what bring’s you to my territory? You were banished to that forsaken pit, yet here you are."

"You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you, so why waste my breath." The Fox God shrugged, toying with his fellow god.

"You know, I have my own eyes all over my territory. So, why did you try and kidnap that young hero from the association? Is this your way of getting back at us?" questioned the man. "That hero may be young, but he shows great promise and will be a valuable asset to the champion in the future."

"Blah, blah, blah... All you guys ever talk about is the champion." Making a puppet with his hand, Kori mocked the man. "When was the last time we ever did anything as holy gods worth mentioning? How come we’re not allowed to act in public since the Holy War?"

"That was by order of Halmut, so don’t you dare question his orders!"

"It’s not that I’m not complying, I’m just curious as to why he gave the order," reasoned Kori. "Was he afraid that one of us lower gods would betray him?"

"Shut up!"

"Why, if anyone has anything to benefit from the situation, then it’s you!" Kori chuckled. "Now, thanks to Halmut’s absence, you’re the acting head of the holy gods."

"I said--"

"Yet, you abuse it and banish me instead? I just don’t get why," Kori sighed, scratching his head. "But what would I know, I’m just an idiot who only knows about good looks. You’re Naparn, the Molten God, you’re far wiser than a silly fox like me."

"Get to the point, Kori," stated Naparn, giving him a little leeway after being praised.

"I just want to know why."

"Why what?"

"Why did you do it? Why did you not only have me banished, but you had my family killed?" asked Kori in a calm, relaxed tone.

"It was the decision of all of us, not just me," reasoned Naparn. "You know that we won’t make a move unless either Halmut orders it or we all agree to do so together."

"So that’s why both you and Torian sent your fellow dragons after my wife while I was with the council during the decision?" Kori fiercely stared into Naparn’s eyes.

"I have no clue what you’re talking about. After the decision was made to have you banished, our men did hunt down your wife. I will give her some credit though, she at least took them down with her. She was a warrior through and through," stated Naparn. "If things were different, she would’ve definitely made a strong god, probably stronger than you."

"Yeah... If things were different..."

"So, are you going to hurry back to the hole you were banished to crawl in for the rest of your life, or will I have to take you there myself?"

"It seems that I’ve lost my way. Do you mind guiding me?" Kori smiled coldly.

"It will be my pleasure."

 

Chapter 208

Jack struggled that night.

In the end, he was able to keep himself from taking advantage of Maura, but he also felt more hallow in the morning when he thought about it. He was honestly happy to have her with him, even if it was only to be there.

Without realizing it, he had embraced her in his sleep, leading to a beautiful scene for Eliza to find in the morning.

When she found out nothing happened, Eliza frowned, but she was glad that Jack had at least made progress. The thing she didn’t like the most was that Jack was more willing to act with Maura then he was with her.

Soon, everyone was downstairs early in the morning for a good breakfast before they hit the road.

But it was strange, almost the entire bar was filled, despite it being so early.

They didn’t even have to ask why either because everyone was talking and gossiping about the same thing.

"Did you hear about what happened to Magama Summit?"

"Of course! If you go to the south side of town you can see what happened."

"Really?! I’ve gotta go see it!"

Taking a table due to the lack of seats at the bar, Jack’s party paid close attention to the strange news.

"What can I get you this morning?" asked the waiter, who much much busier than normal.

"Breakfast specials for everyone, and by the way," Rydel sudden flicked the waiter a gold coin, "what can you tell us about Magma Summit? We’re new here."

Gladly accepting the coin, the waiter smiled. "Everyone’s talking about it. Apparently, the top of Magma Summit, the tallest mountain in the Molten Mountains, was blown to smithereens. If you head south, you’ll be able to see that a fourth of the mountain is now missing, melted away."

"Seriously?"

It’s one thing to hear crazy rumors, but for the waiter to state it so clearly and say that it could be seen from the city meant it was most likely true. But what on earth could do something like that?

"Any idea on a cause?"

"It’s hard to say. The issue happened late last night, so few people even heard the distant explosion," explained the waiter. "At first, people thought Magma Summit was gonna erupt, but they soon noticed the top of the summit melting away."

"Hmm... Thanks for the info."

"You’re welcome, I’ll bring your specials and some drinks right away."

With the waiter gone, Jack’s party chatted little about the mountain and more about the sudden trip to Polt.

Maura was excited to go see her father, especially since he should’ve already been cured of the poison.

Eliza was happy to see her father again, but even more excited to see what kind of a ruckus Jack would cause at the yearly auction. It was clear to her how what would be available at such auctions, and she knew that Jack would always find a way to get what he wanted.

Rydel and Maynard were indifferent, only curious about what the yearly auction would offer this year.

Keela was actually a little worried, hoping that she wouldn’t accidentally run into her family while she was there.

Daliea and Lina both enjoyed their meals, just happy to follow Jack along for the adventure. And with Jack opening up more to the girls, Daliea was getting more curious if she would ever get a chance with him.

Within the hour, they had eaten their breakfast and canceled the third night’s stay at the inn. Now, they were riding horses through the desert, the same horses they had traded for the snow stallions at the border.

The trip was fairly simple and straightforward. Nothing unexpected happened since it was the most common travel road in the Maltor, the one leading to the Polt Federation. Also, it helped for their entire party to be over lv. 30, it was a good way to keep bandits away.

There were a couple of nights where Maura slept with Jack, allowing them both to feel closer and closer each night.

Eliza had also managed to sleep with Jack along the way. Once, in the middle of the night, she crept into Jack’s tent and was mistaken for Maura. Jack only noticed in the morning, when he woke up to groping her chest by accident.

With some luck, they reached Federal City sooner than expected, giving them two weeks till the auction.

The city guards tried to search them, but Eliza flaunted the crest of the Fat Goose and bypassed it altogether.

Though Eliza wanted to visit the Fat Goose first, Jack made it a point to go to the Heavenly Palace Inn first. Since Zariff was better now, he wanted to see for himself.

It was late afternoon when they reached the inn, so they stored their horses in the stables and went straight to the restaurant.

"Maura! Sweetie!" Marisha instantly spotted her daughter while she was waiting for tables. "How come you didn’t tell us you were coming?"

"Well, we couldn’t miss the yearly auction, so here we are. Can we have one of the big rooms?" asked Maura.

"Of course, in fact, there are a couple of people here who would love to see you all. Follow me." Marisha led the way, but she also glanced at Jack. "So, Jack, how are you treating my daughter?"

"Maura’s been amazing. She’s also a big sister now!"

Expertly dodging the impending awkward conversation, Jack pushed Lina forward. "This is Lina, my little sister."

"Really?" Marisha was baffled and didn’t know what to believe.

"Lina, come and say hi to my mom," laughed Maura, taking Lina by the hand.

"Hello, Maura’s mom!"

Marisha chuckled from Lina’s impromptu greeting. "So, are you really Jack’s little sister? Where did they find such a cute girl like you?"

Maura answered, "We came across her in Frostburn City."

"Frostburn City?! You went to Frostburn City, the land in an eternal blizzard?"

"Yup, and then we crossed over to Scorch City on the way here," Eliza added, not wanting to get left out. "After the auction, I’m not sure where we’ll go next, but I’m sure it’ll be fun."

Recomposing herself, Marisha knocked on a private room’s door. "Please, everyone pile in. There’s plenty of room and some people would like to see you."

One by one the party entered. Maura and Eliza immediately showed beaming smiles and ran in.

Inside, Argyle and Zariff were chatting over some wine.

As Jack’s party arrived, Zariff laughed, "Leave it to the brat to show up uninvited. Hurry up and sit down so we can order already. Maura, how are you?"

"Mhm, I’ve been great Papa." Nudging Lina forward, Maura introduced her, "Papa, this is Lina, Jack’s new sister. We found her in Frostburn City and she’s been with us ever since."

While Lina was admiring Zariff’s hulking stature, Eliza ran and hugged her father.

"Eliza, have you been doing okay during your new life of adventure?" asked Argyle with a smile.

"It was very different at first, but now I’m used to it. I’m making lots of progress," chuckled Eliza as she gave a chick glance to Jack.

Marisha went back to work, finishing up her tables so that she could come and join them later.

That night was rather wild for Jack. Split by his two fathers-in-law, who each wanted to know about the progress of the relationships of their daughters, Jack was bombarded with awkward comments, death threats, and blunt warnings.

Worst of all, the pressure only increased after Maura’s grandfather finished cooking and joined in the conversation.

After that conversation finally ended, Jack heard of some major news from Marisha.

Apparently, the entire Adventurers Association has been going through a screening process. They’ve doubled down on the requirements to enter and making sure to squeeze out any possible spies in the association.

Jack never heard about any of that since he had a special role in the association, nor did he bother to learn much else about it.

Also, Jack learned from Martha, Maura’s grandmother, that the party was very lucky to be family. If they weren’t family and had guessed that Jack’s party would return for the yearly auction, then the cost of an inn would’ve been beyond increased.

With all of the royal families in town and most of the noble families, each of the famous inns were packed and charging extra. This happened every year because all three of the major auction houses would join hands to hold the yearly auction, this year hosted by the Fat Goose.

Once the night came to an end, Jack decided something.

It was the first night where Jack requested for Eliza to join him. Of course, he only wanted it in order to get a full-body massage, but she only agreed if he let her stay all night.

Needing the massage, and knowing that it wasn’t the first time, Jack gave in and let her share a bed with him. However, he still gave no consent beyond holding each other, though she did sneak in a couple of kisses on his cheek that he struggled to fight against.

 

Chapter 209

While waiting for the auction to begin, Jack spent a lot of time with Argyle. The lv. 71 auction house owner would take Jack around Federal City, showing him the ins and outs.

Also, Argyle would answer all of Jack’s questions pertaining to the dozens of visiting dignitaries.

Fifteen of the royal families had come from all over the continent, just for this auction. And it wasn’t the princes or advisors who were sent this time. The kings and rulers of each nation came personally to bid on the items.

Since Jack was one of their rarest of patrons, like the many visiting kings, Argyle hinted to him about some of the more valuable items that would be up for grabs.

Jack committed that information to his memory. This time, Jack couldn’t be as greedy since he would be bidding against the kings themselves, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t go after the things he wanted most. It only meant he couldn’t take everything and leave the kings nothing like Jack wished he could do.

With so many visiting kings, the entire city was in an uproar and it only grew more frantic as the auction date neared.

After Jack got the information he needed from Argyle and had learned the general layout of Federal City, he didn’t bother roaming the crowded streets.

He or the girls would only leave when they needed something or a few of them would go and check the market to see the new wares. Since kings and noble family heads were visiting the city, most of the market stands would finally bring out their most valuable goods, making it the perfect time to search for some good items.

Maynard and Rydel spent their time in the Heavenly Palace Inn, drinking away with Zariff.

They told Zariff all about their journey, minus their meeting with Lunara and Sterfen. While drinking with their old friend, both of them were elated to no longer be seen as the two old men of the group.

One morning, the girls left together to the market to search for more goods. Lina went with Maura and Daliea, who was using her illusion to appear human, while Eliza went with Keela, who had bundled herself up and covered her face with a veil to conceal her identity.

It was extra early, just after the stands opened and before the crowds became unmanageable.

Like always, the girls had tried to bring Jack along. But he would always refuse, not wanting a repeat of what happened in Scorch City.

Instead, he took the day off to drink with Rydel, Maynard, Zariff, and Argyle. It had been a while since he was among only guys, so Jack cherished the moment while he could.

Of course, the room was already silenced. Like all of the Heavenly Palace Inn’s private booths, there was a stone on the wall that could cast silence upon activation.

"So, Jack, of all the things I mentioned, which one catches your attention the most?" asked Argyle.

"Hmm... That’s hard to say. I’m not like most people who go after the equipment with the highest level. I’d rather find peculiar and unique items that might only be useful in certain situations," answered Jack.

"Like..." Rydel added. He and everyone else were all curious about Jack, especially after they had learned about what Jack did during the last auction he participated in.

"To be completely honest, I hope that you or the other auction houses put up some mythic-tier or legend-tier items by mistake, like last time," laughed Jack. "Know that if there are any legend-tier items, I won’t care who I offend to get my hands on them."

"Jack, isn’t that a little too much?!" shouted Zariff. "You can’t be that crazy, do you realize what might happen if you offend too many people?"

Zariff spoke up, but he was surprised to see that none of the other three men appeared surprised by Jack’s statement. If anything, they were acting like they expected nothing else.

The other three men were smiling on the inside. Each of them knew who Jack really was, Jack J., the Legend of Trodar. In the past, Jack J. was the most unusual hero yet also the most accomplished. He had offended entire nations and guilds in the past, so why wouldn’t Jack dare do so while his identity was concealed during the auction?

"Don’t worry Zariff, I won’t go overboard, not unless someone forces my hand. At that time, I’ll be seeking the help of my powerful father-in-law for help to keep things under wraps," stated Jack.

"Well... I guess I can’t blame you if they really are legendary items. But just be smart and don’t cause too much trouble. You’re known for that," Zariff sighed.

He found it hard to berate Jack for too long. After helped get him healed and even gave him the new pact with no EXP loss, Zariff was finally starting to acknowledge him as more than a brat. Also, the fact that his entire party was now almost as strong as Zariff helped with that.

’JACK!’

Suddenly, Jack heard a shout go off in his mind.

’Jack, come quick! We’re at the market!’

This wasn’t the first time Eliza had suddenly called him for help during their market errands. It had happened before and Jack had fallen for it.

Normally he would ignore such a plea, but Eliza seemed frantic and a second voice soon sounded off, followed by a third.

"Jack, please hurry to the market! Keela and Daliea need you!"

"Big Brother! Big Sisters are in trouble!"

With Maura and Lina also asking for help, Jack hurried to his feet. "Guys, do you mind coming with me? The girls are in trouble at the market."

Argyle stood up but sighed as he did so.

It was a common occurrence during this time of year for some haughty nobles to pick on commoner women, boasting about their noble blood. It was also known that some would be quite forceful upon rejection since commoners wouldn’t be able to do anything.

Without exception, they all got up and followed Jack out of the room. The band of men hurried through the streets, emitting an intimidating aura to get the crowd to open a path.

Within fifteen minutes, the band of men came to an abrupt halt around a large gathering of people. The intimidating aura wasn’t quite as effective this time since most of these people were around Jack’s level and were busy watching something going on in the middle.

Jack glanced at Argyle, who nodded.

"Out of the way!"

His voice rumbled and shook the marketplace. Those men who previously didn’t budge gladly got out of the way. No one dared to stop Argyle after they felt his unmatched strength.

The group hurried to the front and entered the ring of people.

Inside the crowd’s circle, there was another smaller circle made up of well-dressed young men and their guards. All of those people in the smaller circle were now staring at Jack’s group or more specifically Argyle.

"Sir, we’re sorry to trouble you but this is the business of the Maltor Kingdom. Would you please forgive us for disturbance?" declared one of the young men with a humble bow.

Another did the same. "This is also a matter involving the Fulken Kingdom."

"As well as the Zuran Empire," added a voice familiar voice. That particular young man then noticed Jack and frowned. "What are you doing here? This has nothing to do with the association, so hurry and leave."

Jack stepped forward, walking straight toward those young men without any hesitation.

"I said leave before you offend not only me but the Zuran Empire!"

The princes and their guards all readied weapons, not attacking but showing no fear to act if pushed.

"Step away!"

Suddenly, a wave of heat filled the square and the princes started to sweat. They were dumbstruck when they saw Jack suddenly become the embodiment of fire and grow to a ridiculous size.

Not wanting to lose, the Zuran prince shouted, "I said leave before--"

Just then, Jack disappeared from in front of them and reappeared on the other side of them, now inside of their circle.

"Are you alright?"

That gentle toned question reached the ears of all people in the crowd. For most spectators, especially the women, it was heartwarming. For the princes, however, it was bone-chilling.

"If you were any later, that man would’ve forcibly taken Keela away!" shouted Eliza, the most unfazed of the women. "And those two were arguing over who could have Daliea first and second. Then, they--"

A finger was then pressed to Eliza’s lips. Jack had dropped his flame body and stopped her from saying more. He turned to Keela and Daliea and asked, "Is that true?"

"Yes! It’s the same pig who tried to force me to marry him!" shouted Keela, not caring if she offended the Zuran prince.

Daliea nodded. "It’s true, they didn’t care about me and immediately started bickering about who got me first..."

"Also," added the hot-blooded Eliza, "they mentioned me but I showed them the Fat Goose emblem. After that, they didn’t mention me, but they did mention seeing if Maura’s husband was worthy of her and tried to coerce her too."

 

Chapter 210

"Is that so..."

Jack looked back to the princes, who were no longer feeling so confident. "Since you’ve troubled not only the members of my party but my wives as well, normally, I wouldn’t think too hard about sparing you, but I’ll be nice today. Begone!"

Prince Tyrel growled, "You... That woman is betrothed to me, so I won’t be leaving without her!"

"And what relationship do you have with her? I don’t see why you would want to become an enemy of both Maltor and Fulken?" added the Fulken prince.

"And you want to be enemies with me?" Jack smiled coldly, not hiding his malicious intent.

The guards all frowned, unhappy with the princes’ behavior. Clearly, they were in the wrong and the entire crowd could understand that. And now that it involved the rising hero and his wives, this was beyond what it ever should have been.

"I’m going to give you till the count of five to be out of my sight," stated Jack in a crystal-clear tone. "If I can still see you by then, I’ll take it that you want to fight. One..."

"Your highness, please, reconsider," a guard whispered to the Fulken prince.

"Nonsense! He wouldn’t dare to be that stupid!" laughed the prince.

The Maltor prince also chuckled. "I’m curious, just how ballsy is this guy I’ve hear so much about. If he’s not too strong, then maybe I will take his wife. That way, I won’t have to share."

"Your highness!"

Infuriated, Jack yelled, "Five!" He then vanished without a trace like before.

"See, he just ran away-- AAAAAHHH!!"

The Maltor suddenly cried in pain, grabbing at his wrist to feel for the hand that was no longer there.

On the ground laid the prince’s hand, pouring blood onto the ground.

"Sorry, it seems that I skipped a few numbers. I got a little riled up and got ahead of myself. Here, let’s restart the count. One..."

Jack, who had reappeared behind the Maltor prince, was now casually walking back to the center of the circle, unfazed by the stares of the guards or the crowd.

"Two..."

Both Prince Tyrel and the Fulken prince were wearing ugly faces. This was beyond anything they expected.

"Aaahhh... You... You dared do this to me!" shouted the Maltor prince. "Guards kill him!"

"But sir--"

"I said kill him!"

"That won’t be necessary."

All eyes went back to Argyle. Thanks to Jack’s shocking antics, they had forgotten all about the unfathomable man who had arrived with Jack.

"So, you talked lightly about my daughter and are now threatening my son-in-law... If I didn’t know any better, I would guess that Fulken, Maltor, and Zuran don’t want to participate in this year’s annual auction."

All guards froze on the spot, completely reevaluating their impressions of Argyle.

Prince Tyrel also froze, not daring to move after he realized who Argyle was. He also cursed his terrible luck.

The Fulken prince wasn’t frozen in fear, but he lost all intention to continue his antics.

Still in the heat of the moment after losing his hand, the Maltor Prince wasn’t so easily calmed. "What!? That’s ridiculous! We, the Maltor Kingdom, are one of the three strongest kingdoms! You can’t just kick us out, especially after what that despicable man has done."

"Your highness--"

"It’s too late!" The Maltor prince retrieved a dazzling red sword and charge toward Jack at full speed.

Staring coldly at the charging prince, Jack scoffed and shook his head. He didn’t even bother reacting.

"I, Argyle Wittam, hereby declare that the Maltor Empire has violated the International Polt Treaty and shall not be allowed entry in this year’s annual auction!"

As Argyle’s voice filled not only the marketplace but the entire central portion of Federal City, the Maltor prince finally stopped. Only now did he realize what he had done.

"What is the meaning of this!"

Another shout was heard in the distance, responding to Argyle’s shout.

The crowd was speechless, unsure of what was about to take place due to the prince’s rash actions. But at the same time, they understood his anger after they saw Jack cut his hand off without any hesitation.

Soon, the crowd opened up again, letting a few select men enter the circle. Each of the men was dressed nobly, showing off their pinnacle social status.

The one with the ugliest face stared at Argyle. "Explain yourself, Argyle!"

"Why don’t we let your son, the crown prince, explain things?"

"Randall, what is he talking about?" The king quickly noticed the prince’s missing hand. "Who did this?!"

"I did." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Don’t blame me, I gave him a fair warning after he insulted my wife, claiming that he would take her from me."

"And you are?" Realizing that this was more complex than he thought, the king no longer showed any anger.

"I’m Jack, the same one from the Adventurers Association and also Argyle’s son-in-law."

When Jack mentioned that he was with the association, the king remained unfazed. It was when Jack called himself Argyle’s son-in-law that he frowned and stared at his hesitating.

"I’m sorry for the trouble that my son has caused. I hope that you can forgive his behavior," stated the king emotionlessly, looking Jack in the eye.

"He brought it on himself. In my eyes, he’s paid for his comment and I’ve already given him another chance to leave. He’s the one who keeps pushing me," replied Jack, glancing at the angry prince.

"Randall, apologize, immediately!" ordered the king of Maltor.

"But Father--"

"I said apologize!"

Randall groaned and quivered from his anger, but he managed to bow his head and look away from Jack. "I apologize for my rude behavior."

"Don’t apologize to me; apologize to my wives and my party members. I was only acting to protect them."

"You..." Randall mumbled under his breath before he complied. "I apologize to all of you. I was out of line."

"Good, now begone!" shouted Jack. "My wives shouldn’t have to bear seeing you."

"Randall, hurry back, now!" yelled the king.

Without a word, Randall tried to stare holes into Jack’s eyes before he followed his father’s orders.

Turning to Argyle, the king bowed his head slightly. "Argyle, I apologize on behalf of my son. He is too foolish to attack a member of your guild, especially during such a time as now. Please, I ask that we, the Maltor Kingdom, be allowed to participate in this year’s annual auction."

With a nod, Argyle replied, "The entrance fee will be doubled and the crown prince will be banned from the Fat Goose Auction House, but you’ll be permitted entry."

"That you for kindness. We’ll gladly pay." Next the king turned to Jack again bowed his head slightly. "I really do hope that you harbor no ill-will toward Maltor. I know it’s not enough, but please accept this as my apology."

As the king of Maltor held out his hand, a blazing sword appeared. It was similar to the one Prince Randall had used but it was lv. 40, not lv. 30.

"Thank you, your highness. I humbly accept your apology and remember your generous gift." Jack bowed deeply and took hold of the sword.

"Good, I look forward to you and your party visiting us in Scorch City. Until then, I have important matters to take care of."

Just like that, the king of Maltor left with the other noble figures.

"Jack!"

Suddenly, Jack felt his arm being grabbed. He saw Keela in tears, smiling in between her sniffles. "Jack... Now they know..."

"Relax, they just know that you’re currently in my party and that’s it." He patted her head. "Just calm down, remember, I said you would be fine if you traveled with me."

Someone then grabbed Jack’s other hand, interlocking their fingers with his.

"Jack, thank you."

"Don’t worry about it, Daliea. You’re in my party, so how could I let someone just take you away like that?"

"Still..." Catching Jack off, Daliea leaned in close and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

Jack chuckled as a tinge of red appeared on his cheeks.

"No fair!" All of a sudden Jack’s other cheek was met with the same sign of gratitude. Keela grunted, "I was going to do that too..."

Eliza looked at them, feeling a bit jealous but totally fine with the situation. How could she get mad at them if she would be doing the exact same thing?

"Let’s head back to the inn and get some lunch, okay?"

"Okay, lead the way, Jack!" shouted Keela, who refused to release Jack’s arm. She wanted to take advantage of the opportunity for as long as she could.

That was the day that Jack became regarded as a ladies man. Rumors, like always, spiraled out of control. In the public eye, Jack had gained two new identities. Everyone would either regard him as a knight in shining armor or as a womanizer who wasn’t satisfied with only one or two women.

Even though it was far from the truth, Jack’s reputation as a womanizer was sealed in stone that day.