Chapter 434 – Prayer

Gently swirling the wine glass in his hand, Ovakain absentmindedly watched the white foam forming inside, observing each bubble slowly expand and burst under the flickering candlelight. His words came softly, as if speaking to himself yet also conveying a quiet confession:

“Your Highness Princess Aisha, at this point I should speak plainly… From the very beginning, from the moment you saved me, there must have been some different considerations in your heart… I cannot say your heart was entirely filled with calculation without any affection for me, but I’m afraid ‘keeping me for the Kingdom’s survival’ occupied at least seventy percent of your thoughts. This confession is no different.”

Quietly cutting a piece of roasted meat with his knife, Ovakain meticulously coated it with sauce before placing it in his mouth. Closing his eyes to fully savor the delicacy, he fell silent.

Having her innermost feelings laid completely bare, even the usually carefree Aisha felt unbearably embarrassed. Particularly after her courageously mustered “confession” had met with failure, all sorts of ashamed feelings made the young girl wish she could disappear into the ground.

Though her thoughts had been completely seen through and the last veil of pretense torn away, what the girl found even harder to accept now was the fact that Ovakain still intended to leave the Huaibien Kingdom. She hardly dared imagine what would become of the Kingdom’s future after losing Ovakain, their last hope.

Watching Ovakain’s tightly pressed lips and resolute gaze, Aisha suddenly recalled King Tandak’s words during their private discussion:

“Aisha, the cruelest thing in the world is gaining hope only to fall into despair again. Our Kingdom’s people have finally managed to kindle a spark of hope. If Ovakain refuses to become the new Kingdom Protector now, the hopes of our entire nation will vanish like bubbles… I must say, regardless of what happened before, after the Breeze Royal Family exhausted our last bit of credibility in promotion, Ovakain has become this nation’s savior. Therefore, your task is singular – you must keep this powerful individual here. Otherwise… over ten million citizens will become food for the goatmen!”

Remembering the helpless look in her great-grandfather’s eyes when he spoke these words, then looking at Ovakain’s handsome face filled with determination, Aisha felt she might burst into tears from anxiety.

Her current frantic worry contained no trace of performance – the nineteen-year-old girl was genuinely desperate. Her Kingdom hung by a thread, while the “savior” sitting before her might vanish at any moment… As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Aisha’s tears began flowing uncontrollably:

“Please… don’t do this. I’m sorry, Lord Ovakain… I shouldn’t have deceived you. It’s all my fault… I beg you, please don’t leave.””This kingdom is on the brink of collapse. Please don’t let these citizens who have finally found smiles lose hope again. It’s truly… truly difficult for them to have a savior. If you leave… this kingdom will truly become a field of corpses under the goatmen’s blades. So… I beg you, Lord Ovakain.”

Aisha, now incoherent, wiped tears from her face while making her final plea through muffled sobs. Large teardrops soaked the girl’s collar. The usual mask of arrogance and audacity had long vanished. What stood before Ovakain wasn’t the kingdom’s next queen, nor the happy maiden about to become a Master-Level powerhouse’s wife. There was only… a helpless little girl, no different from those who wailed over scraped knees on the roadside.

“Sigh, what a cursed fate. Though that fellow hasn’t caught up with me yet, I truly don’t know whether choosing this desert was right or wrong.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Ovakain looked at the girl continuously wiping tears before him, feeling the wound in his soul sting once more. He didn’t know how to answer Aisha, nor whether his resolute decision to leave was correct.

So far, with the help of Legendary Equipment, Ovakain had recovered about half his strength. But remembering those icy, emotionless azure eyes in his memory, his heart still filled with dread that felt like plunging into an ice cellar.

…Turning slightly to glance at the commoners still singing and dancing in the tavern, seeing the tavern keeper’s weathered face, watching young couples embrace and drink with laughter, observing the satisfied expressions of elderly folks… Ovakain ultimately threw back his head and drained the ale in his mug, then spoke to Aisha in a hoarse voice:

“I can stay at most three more days to help stabilize your situation, but… this is my absolute limit. I must emphasize again – my enemy is on their way. My lingering will only bring disaster upon you…”

Rubbing his stiff brow, Ovakain’s voice gradually lowered.

————————Break——————

While Ovakain still sat in the tavern chewing roasted meat and hesitating, simultaneously, in an oasis outside Rock Sand City, deep beneath a lake’s waters, a gaunt old man with withered hair and skeletal frame sat silently on an aged chair with closed eyes, conserving his energy.

If Prince Dick were present, he would immediately recognize this sinister old man sitting in the dim, lightless Basement as the “benevolent sage” he encountered on the carriage. However, the old man now held no glowing white flame in his hand, replaced instead by an extremely twisted and ferocious crimson staff. Perched on the old man’s shoulder was a peculiar raven, completely black with strands of azure feathers.

The old man appeared to be meditating, or perhaps had fallen into deep sleep. Beside his seat, a tall, muscular goatmen chieftain was reporting the troop movements of the goatmen army in a rough voice:”Honorable Lord Sorsend, the loyal warriors of the Iron Hoof tribe have completed their assembly. The shamans of the White Tail tribe are already on their way. The food forcibly seized from the human towns is being urgently transported and expected to arrive within two days. Soon, all minotaurs loyal to the Great Demon God across the entire desert will gather near Sandstone City. The power of the Nightmare Cult is absolutely unstoppable – all who dare oppose the Great Demon God shall be minced into pulp!”

The minotaur chieftain’s fanatical fervor remained completely unaffected by the basement’s gloomy atmosphere. His pupils shone with terrifying bloodthirsty radiance, particularly when he uttered “minced into pulp.” The eerie war patterns on this minotaur chieftain’s body even seemed to writhe and spread as if coming alive.

The old man seated solemnly on his throne – Sorsend – remained unmoved by the minotaur chieftain’s fervor. Only when the dark basement returned to silence did this enigmatic mage speak calmly:

“Excellent, Gangwo. You are the finest minotaur chieftain. You may take your leave now. The Great Demon God has recorded your merits. What remains is simply to watch those foolish heretics bleed rivers beneath our brave warriors’ blades. Trouble yourself with no other concerns… this old man… has everything well in hand.”

(End of Chapter)