Chapter 58: "With you leading the way, those Golden Gryphon Knights will surely be overwhelmed!"
The Underworld, Kingdom of the Ratmen
Rat King Aubrey sat upon his throne, his eyes barely visible in the folds of his corpulent face, which bore an expression of frightening malevolence. His day had begun well enough. The Golden Griffon Knights from the Golden Oasis seemed aware of the Ratmen Kingdom's power. They had refrained from completely occupying the Shalyn region, even avoiding hunting near the Ratmen's territory, thereby leaving a patch of land where the Ratmen could gather food. This development had slightly eased Aubrey's animosity towards the Golden Oasis.
Originally, Aubrey had planned to go to war if the Golden Griffon Knights seized Shalyn, thereby causing a food crisis in the Ratmen Kingdom. He had two options: rally the Ratmen army to invade the Golden Oasis or seek aid from their great master, Charles. Fortunately, these concerns had been averted.
However, a new threat had arisen. The emergence of stingrays had awakened the undead slumbering in the depths. Drawn by blood and souls, an endless horde of undead creatures had begun invading Shalyn, leaving behind a trail of withered trees and countless corpses of beasts and animals slaughtered by the undead army. As the battles raged on, the undead ranks swelled, bolstered by more awakened undead and freshly killed beasts and animals transformed into new undead.
If this continued, the undead would eventually overrun Shalyn, and only when there were no living creatures left would they return to their slumber beneath the earth. This posed a significant problem for the Ratmen Kingdom, which relied on hunting the beasts and harvesting fruit from the now-withered trees. A food crisis was inevitable.
The kingdom's young could starve and perish; their high fertility meant they could replenish their numbers quickly. But the dragon could not be allowed to go hungry. If they failed to supply enough food for the temperamental Dark Dragon Charles, Aubrey feared he would be the first to be devoured by the dragon.
King Aubrey glared at his court. "You who pride yourselves on wisdom, can none of you solve this problem?" His voice echoed through the hall, causing the assembled Ratmen leaders to tremble and lower their heads, avoiding his wrathful gaze.
Seeing no response, Aubrey's voice turned icy. "No one dares to speak? Very well. When the food crisis strikes, I'll offer each of you to Master Charles as a sacrifice!"
Panic spread among the leaders, and one finally spoke up, steeling himself. "Your Majesty, this unprecedented undead calamity poses a severe threat. But we cannot sit idly by. We must deploy the kingdom's army to cleanse Shalyn of the undead. Simultaneously, we must expedite the collection of food from areas not yet afflicted by the undead to prevent further losses."
Another leader quickly added, "Your Majesty, while our kingdom is strong, battling the undead army will be costly. I propose we send envoys to the Golden Oasis to seek an alliance with the Golden Griffon Knights against the undead. They too would not wish for Shalyn to be overrun, as it would jeopardize their food supply."
"Excellent!" Aubrey nodded in approval. "You, who suggested the war, will lead the army into Shalyn. And you," he said, turning to the second leader, "will act as our envoy to the Golden Oasis. Find out the situation there and propose our alliance."
The assigned leaders nearly wept. Fighting the undead was a perilous task with a high chance of death and transformation into one of them. As for the envoy mission, survival was uncertain. They regretted not letting others speak first.
After the council dispersed, Aubrey tapped his scepter on the armrest of his throne. A figure in a black robe emerged from the shadows. "What is it?" the figure asked.
"Ambassador, my kingdom faces a crisis with this undead disaster," Aubrey began.
The robed figure interrupted, "And what has that to do with me?"
Aubrey's face twisted in rage. This individual consumed their food, used their resources, and even demanded the service of their finest ratwomen. Yet now, when the kingdom was in peril, he acted indifferent, seemingly relishing their plight.
The robed figure coughed. "I would like to help, but my duty is to guard Master Charles, and I cannot leave his side."
"Master Charles is almost fully healed," Aubrey countered. "Besides, this is our heartland, free from external threats. I implore you to aid us. Your powers as an extraordinary grand sorcerer could decimate the undead army. Moreover, your presence would deter the Golden Griffon Knights from disturbing Master Charles."
The robed figure considered this and finally agreed. "Very well, I will help. But remember, you owe me a substantial favor once this crisis is resolved."
"Of course, Ambassador," Aubrey eagerly replied. "You may choose any of our beauties; as many as you desire!"
The robed figure shuddered. "What would I want with your ratwomen? Fetch me the desert dwellers instead!"
"Absolutely, leave it to me!" Aubrey promised, pounding his chest with a chubby paw, relieved he didn't have to part with his kingdom's own beauties.
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