Chapter 133: Kingdoms and Temples

In the midst of what seemed to be an endless forest...

A simple shrine that had vines covering it in various parts was located, emitting the divinity of nature.

Inside the shrine, three people were present looking at the altar at the center.

Upon looking closer, one would be able to notice that their ears were pointy while their eyes were a resplendent shade of emerald.

They were none other than elves, the race with the most affinity towards nature.

A race blessed by the world itself.

The elf at the front was a beautiful lady with long silver hair that almost touched the ground.

Meanwhile, the two other elves behind her consisted of a man and a woman.

The elven man had green hair like that of the leaves of a tree while the elven woman had hair that was the color of the earth itself.

At this moment, the beautiful elf lady in the front sighed softly, "He’s summoning us..."

"Queen Elysia, what do you mean?"

The elven man asked in confusion as he slightly tilted his head while the elven woman beside him also had a slight frown on her face.

The beautiful elf lady called Queen Elysia raised her head and looked at the altar ahead.

There were no humanoid figures at the altar, it only consisted of a massive tree that went from the ground and past the shrine’s ceiling.

Elysia then muttered, "The Pope of Lemetina."

"That measly human? How can he even be elected as the Pope? Maybe their Goddess is bli—"

Just as the elven woman was about to finish her words, the elven man beside her hurriedly covered her mouth.

The elven woman glared at him before tearing his hand off her mouth, "What’re you doing, Elwood!?"

"We’re still in the presence of Her Majesty, calm down Sylvanna." The elven man called Elwood calmly responded.

Knowing her blunder, the elven woman named Sylvanna lowered her head.

Elysia also glanced at her, "That’s quite rude, Sylvanna. No matter what, we must still respect them. Some of our brothers and sisters are also serving under the Goddess Lemetina, after all."

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty."

"I forgive you. After all, it’s understandable since the last time we had a meeting with the other temples was more than a hundred years ago..."

After a moment, Elysia spoke again, "They’re the temple with the most believers, so I believe that they have a reason for sending out a meeting request..."

"Therefore..." she closed her eyes as a dim glow shrouded her body, "I, Elysia le Floralith, the current queen of Edenelia and the Pontifex of the Temple of Life, hereby respond to the summons of the Temple of Light!"

WUNG—!!!

The shrine glowed with a soft green light before it shot to the sky like a beacon.

***

In the midst of a grassy plains...

A massive building that was adorned with different claw marks could be seen.

Just the double doors that acted as its entrance was over 2.5 meters tall, proof of the large body of whatever living being used it.

A round table could be seen in the center of an enormous hall.

Sitting at it were six different humanoid creatures bearing some resemblance to humans in various ways.

They were the heads of the different tribes under the jurisdiction of the Beastkin Clan.

Leorio of the Felinia Tribe. A humanoid lion with large muscles as well as a large scar across its face.

Wolfram of the Caninia Tribe. A humanoid wolf that had white fur all over his body with muscles only losing to the lion by a small margin.

Bergus of the Mammalia Tribe. A humanoid mammoth who reached 2 meters despite sitting down.

Felicia of the Aquaria Tribe. A creature with the upper body of a human woman and a lower body of a fish who had her arms on the border of the bowl that was filled with water.

Scralak of the Reptilia Tribe. A humanoid komodo dragon who was only smaller than Bergus.

Harpiana of the Aviaria Tribe. A creature with the head of a beautiful woman and the body of a humanoid bird.

"So? Why did you call us here, Leorio? Surely it isn’t just to catch up, right?"

Wolfram was the first to speak up, a hint of disrespect could be sensed within his voice even with the normal expression on his face.

Leorio didn’t reply immediately and only glared at him in response.

An awkward silence ensued as the four other beastkins didn’t bother breaking the tension that was forming between the two.

Scralak only hissed with his snake-like tongue while Bergus crossed his arms.

Harpiana looked at Leorio and Wolfram with interest, as if excited that a fight could break out in any second.

Meanwhile, Felicia only looked sleepy as she supported her chin with her hands.

Looking at the supposed heads of the different tribes, Leorio heaved a deep sigh before speaking, "The reason why I summoned all of you is because the Temple of Light has requested a meeting..."

His words were able to wake up the other five as surprised expressions appeared on each of their faces.

"Hssss, the worshippers of Goddess Lemetina?" Scralak was the one to break the silence as he leaned over the round table.

The sleepiness in Felicia’s eyes disappeared as she spoke with an enchanting voice, "I wonder what happened~"

"Is there going to be a war!?" Harpiana chimed in with an excited voice.

Bergus had his eyes widened, as if waiting for more information from Leorio.

Meanwhile, Wolfram furrowed his brows, "Did they say anything? Well, we will follow your decision no matter what. After all, you earned the leader position of the Beastkin Clan fair and square through the Blood Bout... though I would like a rematch..."

The Blood Bout was an event where the heads of the different tribes would fight in order to be the Leader of the Beastkin Clan.

Although Wolfram still had some reservations, he still respected Leorio as the leader of the clan.

Of course, showing it on the outside was a different matter altogether.

Their relationships might seem strained, but they know it themselves that they were just a part of one big family.

Knowing this, Leorio let out a soft smile, "Well, we won’t really lose anything if we answer the summons. Besides, I believe that you all are craving for some actions as well."

The heads of the different tribes glanced at each other with smiles on their faces, Leorio knew them too well.

Not wasting any more time, Leorio raised his hand as a faint glow covered him, "I, Leorio van Felinia, the leader of the Beastkin Clan, and the Pontifex of the Temple of Hunt, hereby respond to the summons of the Temple of Light!"

Red light erupted from the building before shooting towards the sky like a beacon.

***

In the mountainous region known as the Bargatana Mountain Range...

The kingdom of dwarves was hidden inside the very mountains that showcased their natural majesty.

At this moment, in the castle that was embedded in the mountain, a conference was currently taking place.

A dwarf with a crown on his head sat on a grand throne adorned with gold and jewels.

It was as if the throne was made of wealth itself, a symbol of how wealthy the dwarves were.

Three dwarves were kneeling just below the platform where the throne was.

They consisted of a dwarven man in the center with two dwarven women on each of his side.

The dwarf on the throne spoke, "The Temple of Light has sent out summons. I believe that it not only includes us, but also the other temples."

"What do you think, Duke Emeraldine, Duchess Sapphirine, and Duchess Amethystine?"

Duke Emeraldine, a bulky dwarven man, raised his head and said, "King Bargadon, I think that it would be wise for us to accept the summons."

"I agree." Duchess Sapphirine, a dwarven woman with bloated muscles all over her body, nodded, "I believe that it would be beneficial for us to connect with the other temples and races. Though I heard that the current pope of the Temple of Light was a human..."

At her words, all the dwarves present subconsciously frowned.

Lastly, Duchess Amethystine, a dwarven woman with a slim body, also nodded, "I also think that it is right for us to answer the summons. The pope is still the pope, after all. Besides, it will be bad if we get left behind just because of us discriminating against humans."

Hearing her words, the expressions of the dwarves that were frowning immediately softened in the next moment.

"Exactly." The dwarf on the throne, King Bargadon, said, "Then I must take it that you are all in agreement with answering the summons."

In the next second, he raised his hand and said in an authoritative voice, "I, Bargadon de Diamondine, King of Gemoria and the Pontifex of the Temple of Craft, hereby answer the summons of the Temple of Light!"

Outside the Bargatana Mountain Range, a rich colored light suddenly shot out of one of the mountain peaks.

The kingdoms of different races were now establishing a connection with each other after many years of no official contact.