Primordial Villain With A Slave Harem - Chapter 611

Chapter 611: Heading to War
“You’re back, future wife,” I greeted Vex. “How was the journey?”

“I am,” the white-haired, kendo-wearing woman nodded while sporting her trademark beautiful smile. “The journey went seamless for the most part. I brought 3,000 rare-rarity crossbows, fulfilling your promise to Kargrim about providing arms for the resistance’s aerial forces. I also managed to find the rest of our team.”

As the one tasked with leading the diplomatic portion of our Consortium-given mission, the way my relationship functioned with Vex, the one tasked with leading our group, was strange.

She could tell me what to do at all times, except if I was actively talking with a beastkin representative. During those times, not only was she expected to give me total freedom, but even help me. This was why it was not me but she who went back to the Vraven Kingdom to gather the weapons I promised Kargrim, the hulking bearkin who led the resistance’s assault unit.

“Nice. Hello, Ignis,” I greeted the Ashbringer.

“Yo, super rookie.”

It seemed he suffered no injuries during the time he spent leading his own expedition. As for the rest of his team, namely Ryker’s gang, they were all banged up, with Chicken, the woman whom Raika nearly executed, not being present at all. I didn’t know if she died or not, and neither did I care enough to ask.

Instead, I returned my attention to Vex. “You said the ‘journey went seamless for the most part.’ Would I be correct to assume the reason why it wasn’t entirely seamless is related to the woman you’re dragging behind you?”

I asked while wryly examining Raika’s near-lifeless form. She was barely breathing. However, based on the fact Vex was dragging Raika by her long, black hair, I could guess the woman’s injuries were not stemming from her battles with the lionkin.

As if to confirm my thoughts, Vex’s cheery smile turned up a notch before she replied, “Your assumption would be correct, future hubby. Raika didn’t want to come here when I asked nicely… I had to nudge her a bit.”

After chuckling a bit to myself, we moved toward the conference room. It was early in the morning, and our plan to launch an attack on as many lionkin settlements as possible was on the horizon. A final meeting would take place between the leaders to ensure we were all on the same page.

Beastkin were not known for fanfare, which was evidenced by the very barebones meeting place set up for such an important meeting. We were in the underground tunnels of the resistance base.

“Red-Eyed Demon, Grim Reaper,” Kargrim greeted us when we stepped through the doors. It seems my given title by the aerial unit, ‘Grim Reaper of the Skies,’ has been shortened.

“Kargrim,” I greeted the large bearkin before examining the other occupants of the room.

There was a large ‘table’ made from dirt, around which a few people sat on treetrunks—when I said beastkin don’t tend to care about fanfare, I wasn’t lying. There was a wolfkin, tigerkin, dogkin, Sova, who was the birdkin woman who gave us a small tour of the base, and Kargrim himself sitting around the makeshift table. Kargrim, due to his large size, elected to sit on the floor instead of a trunk, but even then, he was comically towering over the rest of them.

The other occupants of the room, the subordinates of these leaders, I assumed, stood behind them.

Vex and I were the last two to take a seat while the other Vesper Consortium members stood behind us—or just lay face-planted in the dirt in Raika’s case.

“This’ll be quick. Time is of the essence,” Kargrim started. “The Vesper Consortium has donated 3,000 rare-rarity arms to our cause. 2,400 of them have been transported to other resistance forces. Sova, has the aerial unit been armed with the 600 remaining weapons?”

“Yes, Lord Kargrim,” the birdkin woman replied before continuing, “It’s truly unfortunate our riders can’t practice more with these weapons, but as you said, time is of the essence. I sent them all to the practice range in the meantime, they’re getting familiar with the items.”

“I brought crossbows instead of other weapon types on purpose, they’re considered to be the most beginner-friendly,” Vex spoke up.

“Your consideration is appreciated,” the bearkin nodded diplomatically.

“I don’t like this…” the fearsome-looking tigerkin sitting next to me grunted. “All of us fighting together is already shameful enough, accepting arms from humans makes me feel like my ancestors will spit on me in the afterlife.”

“Thank you for your input, Toraq, but your opinion on the matter is irrelevant.” Kargrim didn’t seem to be willing to tolerate any such notions when time was of the essence. He would listen to our important thoughts but didn’t have the luxury to care about cultural problems.

Based on the fact Toraq immediately shut his mouth up, the giant bearkin must’ve been very well-respected even among other apex predators.

Having something on my mind, I decided to speak up. “I don’t wish to slow the talks down, but truth be told, I’ve been concerned about the whole operation. We destroyed the lionkin army about 10 hours ago; they should be aware of the fact there’s something problematic happening on the borders. I fail to see how they wouldn’t be competent enough to send a bigger and more prepared army to defend their borders.”

The large bearkin was quick to reply in a matter-of-factly manner. “An understandable concern you harbor, Grim Reaper. We’re not alone in this undertaking; there are four more such forward bases set up at other parts of the lionkin borders. The other resistance armies have been raising hell in their given parts of the region; the lionkin armies are stretched thin. However, that’s not to say our plan is foolproof. If you’re not ready to put your life on the line for our cause, there’s no shame to be suffered at all. This is not your fight. I’ll report your generous donation to my lord, the leader of the bearkin people.”

I shook my head. Knowing this was a much more serious undertaking than I assumed thus far with five big beastkin armies coordinating together, my worries that this was some random attempt the beastkin made out of arrogance have been placated. “We’ll participate. Thank you for addressing my concern.”

We then created three teams; each team would be about equal in strength. As the lionkin were tribal people, most of their settlements were small, storming them with our whole army would be a giant waste of time.

The entire Consortium entourage was put into the team led by Kargrim. As the apex predators struggled to fight alongside other apexes, the tigerkin and wolfkin led the other two teams. Dogkin, birdkin, rabbitkin, and other non-apex races were spread to make the teams equal in strength.

Due to our addition, Kargrim’s team was the smallest in numbers. Vex, Ignis, and Raika tipped the scales too much in our favor.

With that, we headed out.

I was given BunBun once again, the rabbit girl whose brain functioned on a room-temperature IQ level outside of combat, but when it mattered, she proved to be a trusty steed. She was the mount I rode during the previous battle with the lionkin. Seeing how great of a duo we formed, her previous rider was given a green hat—I mean, he was benched.

Due to my newly acquired mastery over the wind element, I no longer required an aerial mount, truth be told. However, I didn’t know how I could break the news to Vex and the rest that I somehow upgraded from an intermediate Elemental Sovereign to someone who could control the four elements with supreme freedom. I was no longer restricted by constraints presented by the pre-made nature of spells.

Queen Morgana should be at least one or two steps above an intermediate Elemental Sovereign, but even then, she shouldn’t have such a deep affinity for the elements as I did.

I had to be careful with what I revealed.

Although I didn’t know it at the time, I would get to go all out much sooner than expected, and even better, I would not have to mask my true nature as someone who grew beyond the Elemental Sovereign class much longer, either.

While we were traveling toward the lionkin borders, a sudden voice sounded in my head. <Quin, I think Black Fang wasn’t being truthful…> Ayame murmured.