Titan King: Ascension of the Giant
Chapter 826 - 826: Slay Any Who Trespass

"Your Highness, I share Lambert's view. Baron Torin cannot be trusted."

After Lambert had spoken, Garrett added his own blunt assessment. "He is a jackal, waiting for the moment to strike. We would be better served putting our faith in Sir Godfrey."

Ava did not turn. She continued to gaze out at the lights of Soaring Bird City, her hair stirring in the night breeze, her eyes holding a new and profound depth.

...

Half a month passed in a blur of travel and preparation. Prince Theodore and Kronos's party finally reached Soaring Bird City, but they did not linger. They collected Princess Ava and immediately set off, heading deeper into the heart of the human kingdom.

From the city walls, Baron Torin watched their caravan recede into the distance. His eyes narrowed, his gaze flickering with indecipherable thoughts, yet his expression was one of intense focus.

"My lord, what is the princess's meaning?" asked Mike, Torin's former mercenary second-in-command, who had since reached the Alpha-tier of power. Beside him stood Wyatt, the grim leader of his slavers, who had also achieved the same rank.

Since his own ascension, Torin had leveraged his access to the Survivor's Platform, trading rare resources to acquire the means to elevate his most loyal lieutenants. Every Survivor's rise was a tide that lifted their chosen ships.

"Indeed, master." Wyatt added, his eyes following Torin's gaze. "Since the banquet, the princess has sent no word. Does she not trust you? By all rights, we should be her most reliable allies."

Torin let out a long sigh. He could guess what was in Ava's mind. "We built our house on the backs of slaves. They are the true imperial nobility. Of course they look down upon us. There is no wall in this world that can hold a secret forever. The more you do, the more likely it is that someone will notice."

In Torin's mind, Ava was the most powerful patron to court. Behind her stood not only the royal house of the human kingdom, but also the newly ascended Archlord of the Stoneheart Horde. Unfortunately, it seemed that powerful patron was keeping him at arm's length.

"No matter," Torin said, turning from the wall. "Time and patience can weather any stone. As long as we prove ourselves useful, a day will come when Princess Ava has need of us."

He descended from the battlements and walked toward his palace. The Torin of the past would have been consumed by rage. But since tasting true power, a shrewd cunning had taken root in him; he had become far more adept at masking the fires of his ambition.

Far from the city, a carriage rolled along the smooth, official road. The pace was unhurried, the breeze through the window gentle and pleasant.

"Mother, is Pallas really my brother?"

Looking into Kronos's clear, questioning eyes, Ava found she could not summon a single shred of denial. She feared that a careless word might wound this innocent soul who knew nothing of the world's complexities.

"Yes," she nodded, her voice soft. She was surprised to find that admitting it did not bring the pain she had anticipated.

"Then why did you want me to challenge him?" Kronos's voice, though guileless, was innocently relentless.

Ava drew a deep breath, about to confess the petty jealousy in her heart, when Prince Theodore spoke from the other side of the carriage.

"After you challenge Pallas, you must also one day challenge Princess Elara," he said calmly. "Your mother wanted you to understand the gap between you. She hoped it would motivate you, so that you would not grow complacent in your training, blinded by your own talent."

Ava looked at her nephew, her eyes filled with gratitude. In that moment, she felt the true pettiness of her own heart. Compared to the grace of Orion's queen, her own actions felt cheap and dishonorable. After all, Kronos had not only returned safely, but had brought with him a wealth of cultivation resources gifted from his father's house.

"Were they good to you?" Ava asked, her heart aching with a sudden sense of guilt. She stroked her son's head, prompting him to speak of his time in Stoneheart City.

"They were very good to me, Mother," Kronos began, his voice alight with excitement. "Pallas is a bit dense; he's not as clever as I am. But Big Sister is amazing! She knows magic. With just a wave of her hand, she could tie me up, or even make me fly! Mother, I want to learn magic, too. Please, will you find me a magic tutor?"

He barely paused for breath. "And the food! I ate so much delicious roasted meat in the castle, even better than the kind cousin Theodore makes. And… that other mother, she was so gentle with me, just as kind as you are. She gave me so many things. Oh! And I saw Father before I left. He was watching me go."

His flood of words slowed. "Mother… why don't we live in Stoneheart City?"

He trailed off, his voice growing quiet. Through his journey, Kronos seemed to have grasped something profound. There was a rift between his mother and his powerful father, a chasm he could not understand. And the way the other races in Stoneheart City had looked at him… it had left a deep impression. Compared to his life at Rose Manor, he thought he might like Stoneheart City more.

Ava pulled Kronos into a tight embrace. This was her son. He deserved more love, more joy, more everything. She made a decision then and there. Whatever Kronos wanted, wherever he felt he belonged, she would let him choose his own path freely.

...

The North, Lysinthia City.

When Orion's avatar appeared on the docks, Lysinthia, Slagor, and Brakthul were already waiting. Twenty Sea-Devouring Warships floated in the harbor, fully armed and crewed, each one equipped with its symbiotic Giant Kelp Water Cannons and a complement of Ocean Hunters. It was nearly eighty percent of the city's entire military might.

"My lord!" Slagor and Brakthul saluted, their reverence absolute.

"Your talent is not lacking, Slagor," Orion said, looking at the long-serving subordinate who had faithfully guarded Thunderwood Forest during all his campaigns. "When this task is complete, I am sending you to the Emerald Dream Realm. Cleanse the land of the rebellious heretics there."

The environment of that realm, rich with strange energies, was better suited for a warrior of Slagor's potential to achieve a breakthrough.

"As you command, my lord!" Slagor boomed.

"Prepare your gear and do a final count of your men," Orion commanded the assembly. "We set sail at dawn. Brakthul, you will remain here and assume command of the city in our absence. During that time, you will not permit any foreign Sea Race faction to enter Mist Bay."

His voice dropped, becoming as cold and unforgiving as the northern sea.

"Slay any who trespass."