Titan King: Ascension of the Giant
Chapter 819 - 819: A Profound Loneliness

As for Pallas, he could only stare, his eyes wide with utter adoration for Elara.

Magic, to Pallas, was the greatest power in the world—a force of pure wonder.

"Sister, it's dark now," he whispered, tugging on her sleeve. "Mama will be looking for us! And… and Pallas is hungry!"

He felt a pang of sympathy for the bound figure of Kronos, having learned this was his brother. More than that, Pallas felt a strange, instinctual connection to him, a quiet hum of kinship in his blood. He wanted to plead for Kronos, but he knew Elara would not listen to him.

The night grew deeper.

Kronos, all of three years old, was starved, parched, and exhausted.

"Does… does calling you '(big)sister' get me meat?" he finally asked, his voice a fragile thread of sound, laced with a stubbornness that was quickly fading.

The simple, primal need for food was eroding his defiance. Hunger, after all, is the beginning of all things, be they sin or salvation.

"It does."

"Fine, then. Sister."

"Hehe… good," Elara giggled, a triumphant little sound. "That's a much cuter little brother."

With a flick of her hand, the thorny vines binding Kronos vanished, and he collapsed onto the flagstones in a heap.

Just then, a shadowy figure materialized before the three children. It was one of Lilith's succubus guards.

"By order of the Lady," the succubus announced in a silken voice, "Prince Kronos and Prince Pallas, for engaging in a private squabble, demonstrating a lack of brotherly amity and youngerly respect, are, after they have eaten, to be punished by kneeling in the square until dawn."

She turned her gaze to Elara. "Princess Elara, for instructing her two brothers in their duties, is rewarded with ten new gowns and three jars of a specially prepared magical plant salve."

Lilith's judgment had arrived, swift and precise—a cause for joy for one, and misery for two.

"Huh? Why is Mama punishing me?" Pallas cried, his eyes welling with tears. "Pallas didn't do anything!"

To be punished by kneeling meant his mother was truly angry. "Sister…" he looked to Elara, his expression pleading for help.

"Don't be afraid," Elara said, patting his head. "I'll bring some treats and keep you company tonight. We can count the stars together. You didn't finish last time, remember?"

Hearing this, Pallas found that the prospect of kneeling in the square suddenly didn't seem so bad after all.

Kronos, meanwhile, watched the two of them with a curious expression. He was, for now, willing to accept that this girl was his sister and this boy his brother. He made a mental note to demand a full explanation from his own mother as soon as he returned to the human kingdom.

"I'm hungry," he grumbled, his stomach growling loudly. "Where's the food? I want meat!"

Elara turned, looking him up and down. "Call me sister," she said coolly. "And be polite. A little more affectionate, I think."

Kronos fell silent. After a few seconds, he spoke again, the reluctance thick in his voice. "Sister… I'm hungry. I want to eat meat."

The address was like music to Elara's ears. A delighted smile bloomed on her face as she turned to the succubus guard. "My brother wants meat. You may bring their food here."

"As you command."

Moments later, platter after platter of roasted meat appeared in the square. Elara watched, a strange, unreadable smile playing on her lips, as Kronos and Pallas scrambled to devour the food.

In the castle's reception hall, after bidding farewell to Aldous the Ogre, Orion met with his final honored guest of the day.

"Jorik, welcome to Stoneheart City."

At Orion's arrival, Jorik the Glacial Dragon immediately rose and performed an ancient, formal draconic greeting.

"Orion," Jorik's tone was warm and familiar. "It has been some time. Your deeds and your name are known across the entire continent." He was deliberately trying to establish a rapport, to treat Orion as a friend rather than a superior.

Orion, far from being offended, appreciated the gesture. The warmth of it surprised Jorik, who took it as a sign that Orion still valued the camaraderie from their old alliance, when they had marched south to invade together.

"Sit," Orion said with a welcoming gesture, settling into his own chair with a relaxed posture. "We've known each other since the northern campaigns. You know I have no patience for ceremony. There is no need for it between us."

"Hah! It's still incredible," Jorik said, relaxing slightly. "To think you are now an Archlord. I could never have imagined it. I remember when you defeated the Giant Balor in this very place to become the Giant King."

"I learned a phrase in another world," Orion said with a small smile. "The turns of fate. You yourself are at the peak of the Legendary tier, Jorik. Fate has not been unkind to you."

They both laughed, but a subtle gulf lay between them. Jorik, it was true, was only one step away from becoming an Archlord himself. That knowledge gave him a sliver of confidence, a foundation of pride. But only one who had crossed that threshold could truly comprehend the sheer, cosmic vastness of the chasm between the peak of one tier and the bottom of the next.

Orion did not point this out. He did not wish to shatter the fragile bond of friendship that remained.

Since his ascension, a profound loneliness had begun to creep into Orion's existence. Friends and allies who had once treated him as an equal now kept their distance. He felt like he was becoming a myth in his own lifetime, shedding the bonds of the mortal world to become a cold, distant star, admired from afar but no longer touched. His power and his perspective were outgrowing his world, and his friends in it were becoming fewer and fewer.

And so, he cherished this rare chance to speak with a former comrade-in-arms.

Of course, if Jorik hadn't faked his own death to flee during the North-South War, Orion might have chosen to forge a deeper bond with him, a true friendship like the one he shared with Aldous.

A shame, he thought to himself.

Raising his goblet, Orion gestured to Jorik. After a long drink of the strong spirit, he decided not to play games.

"I won't hide it from you, Jorik," he said, getting straight to the point. "The Sea Folk have made the Stoneheart Horde an offer we cannot refuse. The war between my people and the seadragon race will end."

He held up a hand before the dragon could react. "But I want to be clear: this does not affect the friendship between the Horde and the dragons. Our alliance remains. As I understand it, your people are invading the Starfall Sea. Your enemy is the Reverse Whale race. The Starfall Sea is a great distance from the Trident Sea region. There is no direct conflict of interest between you and our new… associates."

This was Orion's new stance. He was an Archlord, and the Stoneheart Horde was now a true power on the continent of Titanion. It was a time to consolidate power, to build their foundations. Peace and stability, management and growth—that was what Orion now pursued in his home realm. War could be saved for other worlds.

Jorik listened intently, and when Orion had finished, the dragon nodded slowly. "Orion," he said, his voice grave. "My progenitor shares this sentiment exactly."