A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

Chapter 577 - A condition

Ankhur chuckled at Erik's ambition. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Then, he raised an eyebrow, "That said… Are you sure those distractions will stop them from coming back for now? That leader of theirs seemed awfully interested in you." Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Smirking, Erik shrugged. "Nothing is certain, Ankhur. But if Imogene wants me, she'd be better served by sending powerful, singular agents rather than an army, and she's not stupid."

Shaking his head confidently, he continued, "Her resources must already be heavily invested in Europe, so if she turned around now to focus on us instead, she'd lose quite a lot as well as risk being attacked in the back by the European Council. There's no way she'll do that when sending agents after me would work just as well."

Ankhur frowned at his seeming dismissal of the obvious problem. Next to him, Naeku also looked at Erik with a worried expression. "You…. don't seem particularly worried about that."

An excited grin spread on Erik's lips. "And why would I be?! Let them come! They'll be useful training for me and my family."

Silence fell as Ankhur's eyebrows twitched. "That's… extremely reckless."

Beside him, to everyone's surprise, Naeku started to chuckle, her eyes shining with amusement. "Hehehe, maybe so, Dad, but… that's probably the mindset that made him our emperor."

"Hehe, I'm glad you understand, beautiful Naeku," Erik winked, smiling as the picture of charm.

A small blush spread beneath her furry cheeks, but she also grinned. She couldn't deny that this part of him was very attractive to her.

Ankhur panned his gaze between the two and looked sullen now. "I'm glad you two are enjoying this, but can we all remember that Runa is a part of that family, too? Not to mention what's been going on between you and my Naeku…"

"…which is none of your business," Naeku immediately said, narrowing her eyes at her father, once again intent on claiming her romantic independence. Naturally, that only made Ankhur more sullen.

"Don't worry, old man," Erik grinned at him. "I'd never let anything happen to Naeku."

Immediately, Naeku switched to him instead. Pointing at him with an accusing finger, she rebuked him with similarly narrowed eyes. "I don't need your protection!" she growled fiercely.

"Oh…?" Erik's eyes twinkled mischievously. "So I guess we can cancel those lessons on affinity fusion…?"

Without saying a word, Naeku's eyes narrowed further, her indignant stare boring into Erik's skull until he chuckled wryly. "Just joking… of course."

"Aaanyway," Erik drawled, turning back to Ankhur, who'd actually perked up a little at his daughter's fierce bite. "Let's get back to the unification. What can you tell me about surrounding factions? Particularly to the south and west of us. I'd prefer to build a stable base from which to expand."

Realizing that the previous topic was over, Ankhur sighed but reluctantly allowed the topic to be changed.

"Fine…" he nodded before frowning thoughtfully. "I do agree that unification is the only way to stand against this threat. Although you might have some trouble convincing the other leaders on this continent of that…"

"Yeah, I noticed a suspicious absence of any allied forces," Erik smirked slightly. "I guess the other factions chose a wait-and-see approach?"

"Essentially, yes," Ankhur sighed as he nodded. Then he frowned, "But that's not entirely their fault… Truthfully, our kingdom was one of the more stable and powerful ones before the invasion. The others have their own problems to deal with, and just pointing to future problems doesn't solve the current ones."

Nodding, Erik indicated for him to continue, and so he did. Over the next few minutes, Ankhur gave him a general overview of what he could expect to find across the rest of Africa.

During this explanation, Elora actually put down her scrolls to listen along. As the planner among them, this was vital information for her. But when he was done, she dove right back in.

"Good," Erik nodded thoughtfully. "Then, here's what we'll do. First, we'll recuperate for a few months. We need to stabilize our foundations, advance those still in the second rank to the third, bring prosperity to the kingdom, and find a way to keep them safe from third-rank beasts."

So far, Ankhur and Naeku nodded along in agreement, but their expression changed quite a bit when Erik hit the next point. "When we feel we're in a stable position, I'll marry Naeku, and she'll come with me as I travel to the other factions to bring them into the fold."

"W— What…?" a wide-eyed Naeku muttered.

"Like hell!" Ankhur immediately exclaimed, jolting up from his chair with a stormy expression.

"Oh, did I forget to ask…?" Erik chuckled, completely ignoring their consternation. Elegantly, he stood up from his chair, only to immediately sink down to one knee in front of a stunned Naeku, grinning slightly.

"I never got this chance with my other wives," he explained mischievously. "But since I know you appreciate the classics…" He produced a ring and held it in front of her. "Would you marry me, Naeku?"

Even now, Elora continued to ignore the proceedings while the father and daughter both looked at Erik with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

"Y— You can't just…! You didn't ask for my permission!" Ankhur sputtered, waving a finger between the dangerous object in Erik's hands and his daughter.

"Oh, I'm sure Naeku won't mind," Erik chuckled, not taking his eyes off the embarrassed werepanther in front of him.

"That's no—"

"F— Fine," Naeku suddenly interrupted her father, looking embarrassed. "I'll marry you… on one condition!"

"Oh…?" Erik wondered, his eyebrows raised in surprise but not unwillingness. "Alright, Naeku. Give it to me."

"Before I say anything, I'm not… doing this as a trade or whatever, alright?" she clarified a little nervously. "I really do like you, and think I might even… you know… so… I think I'd be happy marrying you."

Her embarrassed expression gave way to a stern frown. "But! Duty to my family and my… uhm, husband…" she shook her head to refocus, "Would at most be equal to my duty to the people we rule! And I need a husband who understands that, so… if you can ensure protection from third-ranked beasts without forced relocation or Elora's 'wait-and-profit' approach, then I'll marry you!"