"Are you Artur Morris?"
When that name came from Moku's mouth, Artur briefly thought there might be an error in the translation spell he used. However, his group turned to look at him with astonished expressions, making Artur realize that he was not mistaken or that there was any error in the translation spell.
Pointing at himself, Artur stammered, "D-Did y-you kn-know me?"
But before Moku could answer, Gathjee immediately waved his hand and said, "Wait a minute, Artur. Let me do the talking!"
Artur looked at Gathjee and saw the seriousness in his eyes. He could only nod. Artur realized that the person he was conversing with had strength equal to or even surpassing Gathjee. Such a powerful being could influence a mage like Artur with just his words.
Therefore, it was best if only Gathjee spoke to him. Moku could potentially influence the other members of the group with his words.
"Where did you learn Artur's name?" Gathjee said. There was an aura of agitation within him, a sign that he was setting up mental defenses to resist Moku's words.
If Artur noticed it, then it was impossible for Moku not to. Gathjee's action of setting up mental defenses could be interpreted as a challenge to fight.
But Moku appeared very relaxed and showed no signs of aggression or defense.
In the same tone, he said, "Hmm... If he really is Artur Morris, then that means he is Anna Morris's brother, right?"
"Huh?" Artur, Robert, and Rini exclaimed simultaneously.
Artur's body trembled. He was confused. When the name Anna Morris came out of Moku's mouth, his heart pounded so fast. There was suspicion in his mind that Moku had successfully read his memories and said that to trap them all.
But Artur desperately wanted his suspicions to be wrong.
And Moku's next words turned his world upside down.
"Yes, if you are Artur Morris, then you are my brother-in-law."
"HUH?!!!!!!!"
----------------------------------------------
Artur and his group felt like they were embarking on a journey to another world. What lay before their eyes was truly beyond anything they had seen before.
After Gathjee confirmed that Artur was not under the influence of any mind-reading spell, they all believed that Moku indeed knew Anna well. They were then invited to follow Moku to meet Anna.
Of course, before following Moku and the other arions, Gathjee didn't forget to report this incident to the central headquarters of the Human Alliance. The event was so astonishing that it caused a commotion in the midst of their war with the demon species.
They asked Gathjee to act as a liaison with the arion species and to be polite. However, they also warned him to remain cautious since they didn't know the nature of the arion species.
If they turned out to be predators like the demon species, a new war could potentially break out. Especially with the arions located within the Bog Forest, a war with them could be more dangerous than a war with the demons.
However, Artur felt that it wouldn't come to that. Moku seemed like a man who didn't intend to kill them all. Despite that, Artur couldn't shake off the sense of hidden danger emanating from this man.
Long story short, they were led into the fortress known as West. According to Moku, West Fortress was built recently due to a massive mana upheaval on the surface. The arion species didn't live on the surface but resided beneath the Bog Forest.
They rarely appeared on the surface, but the second mana species war had made them feel the danger. Therefore, they constructed a fortress on the surface to protect themselves from external threats.
ραΠdαsΝοvεl.cοm Despite this, the architecture they created for West Fortress strongly reflected their underground way of life.
Various buildings filled every side of West Fortress. One that particularly caught Artur's attention, as well as the others, was "The Burrow."
The Burrow was a common form of dwelling for the arion species. However, it didn't look like a typical house but rather resembled a mini-fortress.
The Burrow appeared as a large mound of earth dug into the ground. Its roof was made of sturdy animal skins tied together with ropes and wooden branches, and Artur could sense the absorption of mana from the roof, indicating that the material was made of mutated animal skin. The walls of the burrow were made up of large wooden beams and stones, arranged tightly. However, the support beams of The Burrow were made not of wood or stone, but of mutated animal bones.
Artur couldn't precisely determine the location of The Burrow's entrance, but he saw windows lining the structure in long slits. Peering through these openings, Artur and the others could see ballistae that sent shivers down their spines.
At first, Artur was puzzled by the lack of walls in this fortress, but now he understood that even without walls, the Burrows alone were sufficient defense. It would require a great effort to bring down just one Burrow, and the number he saw now had reached hundreds, with many more still under construction.
They also noticed many arions going about their business. Occasionally, the arions glanced in Artur and the others' direction but quickly lost interest and continued with their tasks.
It was evident that they were no strangers to seeing human species. In contrast to Artur and his group, who were currently filled with curiosity.
Despite the arions having green-colored skin, the differences between males and females were quite pronounced. Not just because of the variation in skin tone – males having dark green skin and females having light green skin – but also due to their distinct facial features.
The male arions were undeniably handsome. They had tall, muscular builds, and their masculine faces made them the ideal fantasy of noble women. Rini and Listi had to swallow their saliva a few times, feeling aroused by the sight of the male arions.
However, Artur couldn't help but rebuke Rini, his wife, for being interested in other men. After all, he had to walk with his legs tightly together to prevent something from standing up.
The female arions could be described as the epitome of beauty. They had slender legs, curvaceous hips, and ample bosoms. Their black hair glistened in the sunlight, and their faces were strikingly beautiful.
The small lower fangs protruding from their lower jaws only added to their beauty, making them look endearing.
Their occasionally revealing attire left Artur and the other men unsure where to look. Robert, whom Artur had always considered composed, averted his gaze with a flushed face. Vate, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring without blinking at every arion woman they passed. As for Gathjee, although he appeared calm, Artur could sense something peculiar in his gait.
Until they finally arrived at the largest and most unique building they had encountered in Fortress West: The Great Hall.
The walls of The Great Hall were made of large stones neatly stacked together, and Artur could sense mana swirling within these walls, indicating the presence of spells cast on them. However, he couldn't discern the specific nature of these spells. At certain points, the stones bore ornaments like symbolic carvings or animal horns as decorations, adding the distinctive touch of the arion species to their Great Hall.
Around The Great Hall, large bones of mutated animals supported the structure of the roof. The roof itself was made of animal hide, which also carried traces of mana similar to the supporting pillars. From these mana residues, Artur deduced that the bones and hides likely came from Platinum Tier Danger Mutated Animals.
The entrance to The Great Hall was enormous, allowing dozens of arions to enter and exit easily. The entrance was adorned with symbols Artur had never seen before. Some of them resembled a row of swimming ducks.
Two arions stood at the entrance, observing Artur and the others, inspecting them with their eyes. Then they glanced at Moku for a while before returning to their positions, standing like statues.
Moku then entered The Great Hall and signaled Artur and the others to follow him. Artur was confused as to why they were allowed to bring their weapons into this place. After all, he perceived it as Moku's and his family's residence.
Based on their earlier introduction, Moku was a prince of the arion species. Therefore, the inhabitants of this place should be members of the arion royal family as well. However, Moku let them carry their weapons into his home.
Although Artur realized that whether they carried weapons or not, as long as a mage could still access mana, it didn't make much difference. However, not bringing weapons into someone's home was a form of respect and courtesy as guests.
Artur glanced at Gathjee, who also seemed perplexed. However, they remained silent and followed Moku into The Great Hall.
"Moku, you're back? What happened earlier?"
A woman's voice sounded. The voice was gentle, with an underlying tone of concern. A voice Artur knew very well. Unfortunately, the gentleness and concern in that voice were not directed at him.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter