Chapter 545 - 15: Dream and Reality

Chapter 545: Chapter 15: Dream and Reality

The moonlight filtered into the room. Though it was already autumn—practically winter on Madar Mountain—Prince Odoruo felt hot and found it hard to breathe.

He opened the window and looked outside.

Prince Odoruo’s residence was situated high on Madar Mountain. From his window, he could look down upon the vast and beautiful lands of the Purple-blooded Beastmen.

In the past, this sight had often filled Prince Odoruo with a sense of heroic pride, but now, he only felt a profound loneliness.

A strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

Ever since returning from the eastern front, Prince Odoruo had remained confined to his estate.

He had lost his army, and having never held much power to begin with, he was now completely helpless, able to do nothing but gaze out his window day after day.

Day by day, he watched as Madar Mountain drifted toward a state that was becoming all too familiar.

It was the dream he’d often had while on the eastern front.

A mountain of skulls, massive explosions, war cries and agonizing screams... all of it reduced to smoldering embers on a burning Madar Mountain.

"Your Highness."

"Someone is here to see you."

A maidservant knocked on the door from outside, calling out to him.

"To see me? Who is it?" Prince Odoruo asked, puzzled.

’At this hour, who would come to visit me?’

"Your Highness."

"It is I."

Hearing that voice, Prince Odoruo shot up from his bed in shock and went to open the door himself.

There stood an elderly Purple-blooded Beastman in a worn Priest’s robe, smiling at him.

Despite the Priest’s shabby attire, Prince Odoruo dared not show any disrespect.

"High Priest, what brings you here?" Prince Odoruo asked.

This was the true High Priest of the Beastman Empire. Ordinarily, he should have been in the temple of the Beast God, in service to the Beast God.

"I felt the Great Steppe Mother weeping.

I have come at the god’s command."

"The god?" Prince Odoruo was confused.

"What did the god command?"

The High Priest chuckled.

"Child, you’re not as clever as you were when you were young," the High Priest said with a smile.

"Huh?" Prince Odoruo was puzzled.

"When you were a child, you always said that great men don’t need anyone’s orders, that you would forge your own path," said the High Priest.

’Did I say that?’ Prince Odoruo couldn’t remember.

The High Priest was still smiling.

"I have come to tell you a few things," the High Priest said.

"What things?"

"It is time for you to leave."

"Leave? Why? Where would I go?"

The High Priest sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Prince Odoruo.

"Has anyone ever spoken to you about your mother? About her origins?"

"Wasn’t she from the Kuma Tribe?" Prince Odoruo asked.

He had never met his mother; she had died when she was young.

The High Priest shook his head.

"Not the Kuma Tribe. In fact, she was not one of the Imperial People."

"Perhaps over the years, some people have helped you under the banner of kinship, but they are not from your mother’s clan."

"But..."

It all made sense to Prince Odoruo. No wonder no one had ever been truly willing to help him all these years, not even his supposed maternal kin.

’I’m a Prince! Even with my mother dead, I should at least be a Prince in my own right!’

So I was never truly their kin. The Beastman Empire places great importance on bloodlines.

"Your mother... came from the north."

"A place further north than Madar Palace, beyond the Empire’s borders, past the mountain ranges..."

"The Northern Territory?" Prince Odoruo exclaimed.

’Past the mountains, beyond the Empire’s border... isn’t that the Northern Wasteland? That’s where the northern tribes live.’

"High Priest... surely you don’t mean my mother came from there?" Prince Odoruo was in disbelief.

The High Priest nodded.

"It is shocking, I know. But it is the truth."

"Years ago, to fight against Louis I’s final expedition, your father and I went to the Elf Empire to request reinforcements...

We never expected that we would stumble upon a primitive tribe of Purple-blooded Beastmen..." the High Priest reminisced.

"There are Purple-blooded Beastmen in the Northern Wasteland too?" Prince Odoruo asked, confused.

He didn’t know much about the Northern Wasteland, only that it was a forbidden zone for the living.

To his surprise, hearing this question brought a desolate look to the High Priest’s face.

"To be precise, the Northern Wasteland is actually the only place where Purple-blooded Beastmen are still found."

"The true Purple-blooded Beastmen, with their true faith in the Beast God. They haven’t been tainted by our later traits—all that nonsense like bloodlust. They are just like humans and elves."

"Oh, and they call themselves Beastmen. From now on, you should drop the ’Purple-blooded’."

As he spoke, a hint of reverence appeared in the High Priest’s eyes.

Prince Odoruo’s pupils widened.

"You’ll understand when you get there," the High Priest said, shaking his head.

"I have to go to the Northern Territory?" Prince Odoruo exclaimed.

"Isn’t that just running away?"

"I should stay with Madar Mountain, with my father’s people..."

"No, Your Highness." The High Priest shook his head.

"This is not running away."

"You will return eventually."

Prince Odoruo was not an emotional being. Understanding the High Priest’s implication, he fell silent.

"I don’t understand..."

"What don’t you understand?"

"I don’t understand a lot of things. Why has Madar Mountain become like this, and yet there is no movement from the Divine Hall," Prince Odoruo asked.

The Divine Hall was the religious heart of the Beastmen, situated at the very peak of Madar Mountain. It was home to the most powerful individuals in the Beastman Empire.

"The humans are too strong. Right now, the Divine Hall is focused only on driving them back.

Remember, it was the undead who overturned the continent a thousand years ago," the High Priest said.

"Then why am I the one who has to leave? Wouldn’t the Eldest Prince be a better choice? He has more support."

Prince Odoruo had assumed this was a plan to preserve their strength—to prepare an escape route, or at least a contingency, because they knew they couldn’t win.

But why him? Eldest Prince Widam was the one everyone looked up to, right?

The High Priest gave a mysterious smile.

"The Eldest Prince is not one to listen to advice."

"As long as there’s a sliver of hope, he will always want to try."

Prince Odoruo was about to ask another question when a flock of crows suddenly appeared outside the window.

The High Priest’s expression changed.

"Enough, child. You will learn what you need to know in due time."

"The Eldest Prince and I have prepared an army for you. You must leave at once. Do you remember what I told you?"

"Remember, you are not a Purple-blooded Beastman anymore. You are a Beastman. Understand?"

"Is it that urgent...?"

"If we don’t hurry, it will be too late. Do you have anything to pack?" the High Priest asked.

"I don’t think so. Oh, wait."

Prince Odoruo walked to the wall and took down a scimitar.

It was a coming-of-age gift from Kemal.

"Ah, my foolish old head."

The High Priest also slapped his forehead and placed a massive tooth in Prince Odoruo’s hand.

"What is this?" Prince Odoruo asked.

The object looked somewhat like the fang of a Purple-blooded Beastman, but it was far too large.

"It belonged to your mother. When you find that tribe, give this to your maternal grandfather.

You will be protected."

"There, you must study hard and gain true understanding."

"Now, go quickly. There’s no more time," the High Priest urged.