Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1659: Sowing Conquest

Timira. The village of Tullal.

"Tullal... Tullal... Tullal-la-la..."

Humming a light tune, Elara walked barefoot down a strange cobblestone path. Morning light filtered through the canopy of ancient trees, casting a golden glow over the small orchard just beyond her cottage.

It had been a month since Elara arrived in Timira. After she, Grand Magus Rhazuun, and the Gnoll, Anubis, settled in this idyllic village, they purchased a modest cottage shaded by a massive oak. The property even came with a tiny orchard.

Elara loved it here. The locals were simple and lacked ambition—which meant they were incredibly easy to manipulate.

"Your Highness. The orchard is cleared. I’ve tilled the soil three times and fertilized it, just as you ordered." Anubis emerged from the trees to greet her. To humor his master, he had temporarily played the role of a peasant.

"What’s with those two?" Elara pointed at a pair of brothers kneeling outside the orchard. If memory served, she had just seen them a few days ago. They were Timiran natives, villagers of Tullal.

"Your Highness, they wish to be your followers. They want to serve a knight who commands a Snail-Dragon. They believe you will become the greatest lord in this world!" Anubis sounded proud, yet disdainful. In his eyes, not just any stray dog was worthy of serving his Highness.

"A lord? What do they mean?" Elara frowned, a dark glint flashing in her eyes.

"According to them, Your Highness, every Snail-Dragon knight in this world is considered natural nobility. A knight can claim a territory, building a sanctuary around the Snail-Dragon’s nest to shelter the people," Anubis quickly explained to prevent any misunderstanding. "While this world hasn’t seen large-scale war, slaver bands are rampant. They want your protection."

"Is that so?" Elara tilted her head, studying the two villagers. She beckoned with a small finger. The brothers, who had been watching closely, immediately scrambled over on their knees.

"What are your names?"

"My lady, I am One-Horn!"

"My lady, I am Three-Horn!"

Bizarre names for such timid men. That was Elara’s first impression. Staring at the brothers, she pointed to the single antenna protruding from One-Horn’s head. "Don’t tell me you were named after the number of antennae on your heads?"

The brothers nodded fervently, marveling at the knight’s brilliance for guessing it.

"Yes, my lady!"

"Yes, my lady!"

Antennae were a defining trait of the world of Timira. The natives here were born with varying numbers of them. Generally, the more antennae a person had, the more superior they were considered—a mark of noble blood.

"Why do you want to follow me?" The dark glint vanished from Elara’s eyes, replaced by a warm, radiant smile.

"Because you have a Snail-Dragon, my lady. When a Snail-Dragon matures, it is immensely powerful. You can build a sanctuary. We will have roofs over our heads, food in our bellies, and we won’t be taken by the Reavers."

"My lady, our parents were taken by the Reavers!"

Elara nodded inwardly. That made sense. Losing their parents to slavers had instilled a deep fear in the brothers, naturally driving them to seek out a powerful protector. In a small village like this, Elara and her Snail-Dragon were the strongest beings they knew.

"Stand up. You’ll be on a six-month trial. You must be on call at all times. No room and board, and no wages!" Elara beamed, using the most innocent tone to announce her terms of absolute exploitation.

"Thank you for taking us in, my lady!"

"Thank you, my lady!"

Elara nodded. Waving a hand, she signaled the brothers to wait outside. Only then did she step into the orchard, accompanied by Anubis.

At the center of the orchard, Elara crouched down, dug a small hole, and personally buried a blood-red seed.

"The seed is planted. Now we just wait for it to bloom."

"I hope Sister Aina’s method works. To quickly rule a people and conquer a world, spreading Father’s bloodline is the fastest shortcut."

Elara stood and patted down the dirt over the seed with her bare foot, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Your Highness, isn’t your way of thinking a bit naive?" Grand Magus Rhazuun materialized beside her. It was his first time hearing that planting a tree could conquer a world and subjugate its people.

Elara turned to look at Rhazuun, a half-smile playing on her lips. "Grand Magus, not to insult you, but your knowledge in certain areas is dreadfully shallow."

"Don’t tell me the demigod powerhouses in your Order of the Dandelion achieved their strength through step-by-step training and daily accumulation?"

"If that’s the case, I’ll be terminating our partnership."

Elara was smiling, but it was a deadly serious smile. To Rhazuun, she suddenly felt like a stranger. He could even sense an unmistakable trace of disgust from her.

"Your Highness, I don’t understand what you..." Rhazuun tried to explain that he wasn’t looking down on her or her methods.

"Forget it. You don’t understand, and explaining it won’t help."

"You’re merely an Arch Lord!"

"He is indeed just an Arch Lord. His knowledge is limited. He doesn’t understand, nor should he!"

A deep, confident male voice resonated outside the orchard. Elara turned to see a middle-aged mage striding through the trees, draped in a silver-trimmed purple-gold robe. His amber eyes burned like stars, and a ceaseless holy flame flickered between his brows.

That was Elara’s first impression of Aednor. He observed her with the clear, expectant gaze of someone watching a sunrise.

"Lord Vice-Master!" Rhazuun blurted out. He hadn’t expected the Order of the Dandelion to deploy Vice-Master Aednor himself.

"Your task is complete, Rhazuun. Stand aside," Aednor said. He stepped forward, taking Rhazuun’s place beside Elara.

"I sensed a terrifying, thrilling presence from miles away. Your Highness, this seed you’ve sown intrigues me. Care to enlighten me?"

Elara studied Aednor. For a fleeting second, his suffocating aura reminded her of her mentor, only deeper and far more cryptic. The man standing before her was no Grand Magus—he was a Divine Magus.

"Your Excellency’s arrival settles a long-standing doubt of mine," Elara smiled sweetly, looking every bit the innocent village girl. "It seems the Order of the Dandelion isn’t a half-baked guild after all."

"Compared to the Saint Gran Council, our Order is a modest operation," Aednor replied with humble confidence. As he spoke, four more Divine Magi entered the small orchard. "Your Highness, allow me to introduce the four Archelders of the Order of the Dandelion: Thaddeus, Naya, Braham, and Anya."

"They are the Divine Magi of the Four Elements, commanding Wind, Fire, Water, and Lightning. Together, we are the Order’s support for you. From this moment on, we are at your command."

Aednor smiled. If the Order of the Dandelion wanted a foothold on the Titan continent and a slice of the Titanion Realm, they needed to show true sincerity. Helping the eldest daughter of the Stoneheart Horde conquer a world and merge it into the Titanion Realm was their greatest olive branch. In any alliance, the weaker party had to build the bridge. Mid-level pawns like Rhazuun missed the bigger picture, but Vice-Master Aednor understood the stakes perfectly.

His presence meant the Order had chosen a side. They were backing the Stoneheart Horde’s invasion of Timira and helping Elara secure this Snail-Dragon world.

"Thaddeus, Naya, Braham, Anya?" Elara muttered. "Wind, Fire, Water, Lightning?"

She glanced between Aednor and the four elemental masters. They merely offered her polite smiles.

Elara giggled. "I’ve finally found the missing pieces to my puzzle!"

Aednor frowned, confused by the remark.

"It’s perfect," Elara whispered to herself. "Daddy always said victory requires the right timing, the right terrain, and the right people. All the pieces were on the board—I just needed the final catalyst."

Realization dawned on Aednor. Elara had been waiting for them all along.

"Do you know what this is?" Elara pointed her bare toe at the dirt beneath her feet, her voice swelling with pride. "This is my Daddy’s bloodline seed! The Stoneheart Titan bloodline—forged by him!"

She tilted her head back, flashing a brilliant, toothy grin. She wore her heritage like a crown.

"When this seed sprouts, it will bloom and bear the most alluring fruit. Any mortal who eats it will find their constitution enhanced and their innate talents evolved." Her clear eyes gleamed with vanity. "Even mages can eat it."

She wasn’t bluffing. Given Orion’s current power, even a Divine Magus who carelessly ate the fruit would be warped into Orion’s blood thrall.

"But I assure you, the fruits I share with you will only yield positive growth," Elara said, her tone dripping with reverence. "You won’t suffer the Bloodline Curse, nor will you be bound to Daddy or me."

She spoke of absolute subjugation with the gentle innocence of a saint. Yet, Aednor didn’t flinch. Instead, his amber eyes darkened with profound intrigue.

"It seems Your Highness came fully prepared," Aednor noted. "Had we not arrived, I assume you had a contingency plan?"

Elara shrugged. With a flick of her wrist, a glass vial filled with a viscous crimson fluid materialized in her palm. Under the watchful eyes of the Magi, she poured the blood-red liquid directly over the buried seed.

Roots took hold. A sprout breached the soil, unfurling leaves at a visible rate. The bizarre sapling, pulsing with blood-red, tadpole-like runes, drank the crimson fluid greedily.

"Blood and bones are its finest fertilizer," Elara whispered. "The larger the tree grows, the more fruit it bears, and the more it can elevate the insignificant wretches begging for power."

She stared down at the writhing sapling. "I will use it to shackle the people here, and then, I will conquer this entire world."

Her gaze was fiercely devout, as if she were looking right at Orion himself.