NTR: Barbarian Harem Conquest

Chapter 155: Shadow of the Gods

Morning broke over the ruined temple, painting the frost-covered courtyard in pale light.

Packing the supplies took barely any time at all.

Griselda handled most of the crates effortlessly, easily hoisting the saddlebags while testing the muscles in her back.

Her new wings stretched wide, feathers rustling loudly as she reveled in the freedom of flight.

Securing his personal gear with his good arm, Kane tossed his weapon belt over his stallion.

Drifting out from the inner courtyard, the Saintess appeared to see them off.

Silver veils shifted around her face, concealing her expression completely as she stopped near the stone archway.

"Thanks for the brass bell," Kane offered a nod, tapping the relic tied to his waist.

"Saved my neck up there."

"You are welcome," the Saintess murmured.

"I just hope that overgrown lizard doesn’t crawl down here looking for round two," Kane mentioned, adjusting his armor so it didn’t press against his stitched ribs.

"I left it pretty angry."

"As long as the gods do not come down, you will survive," the Saintess warned, her voice carrying a chilling certainty.

"But make no mistake, Kane. You have already angered them by stealing their familiar’s blood."

Kane just smirked.

He remained entirely unfazed by the threat of divine retribution.

"Well, they deserved it," Kane countered easily, pulling himself up into the saddle.

"If they want to complain, they can come down here and face me themselves. I usually charge a consultation fee for deities, though. Tell them to bring gold."

Misha rolled her eyes, climbing up behind him.

"Let us just go before you provoke another mythical beast, husband."

Riding south felt like a victory lap.

The journey back took half the usual time, primarily because they possessed a personal aerial scout.

Griselda cut through the freezing winds with beautiful precision, her black wings gliding effortlessly above the snow-capped peaks.

Whenever she spotted wandering predators or unstable terrain, a quick shout from above steered them toward safety.

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Very much so, Kane."

"We are making excellent time," Misha noted a few hours into the descent, resting her chin near his shoulder.

"But you seem distracted."

Leaning back slightly to catch her voice over the rushing wind, Kane adjusted his grip on the reins.

"Just planning."

"Planning what?" Misha pressed, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist.

"We just secured a fallen angel. Your arm is shredded. You need rest."

"It’s not this path we should be worried about," Kane said.

"It’s time to wage war against the Elven Kingdom."

Misha stiffened against his back.

"Elves? Why them? They keep to their forests."

’They have the best magic cores in the realm, and they look down on humans,’ Kane calculated silently, pulling up his system interface in his mind’s eye to check his resource tabs.

’If I want Menual to become a true empire, I need to break the world tree and activate the core.’

"Because they have resources we need," Kane finally answered, keeping it simple.

"And they won’t trade fairly. We strike before they realize how strong we’ve become."

"They have centuries of fortified magic guarding those borders," Misha pointed out worriedly.

"Good," Kane grinned, patting his horse’s neck.

"That means they are overconfident."

Two days later, the familiar walls of Menual finally came into view.

Approaching the city gates, Kane immediately noticed the structural changes.

New reinforced ironwood defenses lined the outer perimeter.

Spiked barricades funneled the trade routes securely, creating a formidable chokepoint.

The city looked drastically stronger than when they left.

Trotting his stallion through the main gate, Kane didn’t even get a chance to announce his arrival.

Chaos erupted instantly.

Spotting him from the training yard, Thora dropped her training spear.

Ignoring every shred of military protocol, the tall warrior sprinted across the courtyard, dodging a startled merchant cart to reach him.

"He’s back!" Thora yelled, her voice echoing across the stone walls.

Dropping down from a nearby watchtower, Sira landed lightly on her feet, grinning widely as she jogged over.

Rushing out of the records room, Firlia clutched her ledgers tightly against her chest, her pointed ears twitching with excitement.

Over near the barracks, Nadia barked a sharp command, forcing the new guards to stand down and salute their returning king.

Thora reached him first.

Her joyous smile faltered the exact second she saw his shredded tunic.

Spotting the bloody bandages peeking through the torn fabric on his arm, her relief instantly turned into fierce, protective anger.

"Who did that?" Thora demanded, her hands hovering over his injured bicep.

"Tell me exactly what hurt you so I can go mount its head on a pike right now!"

"Relax, Thora," Kane laughed, sliding carefully off the horse.

"It was just a disagreement with a very angry snake. I handled it."

Pulling Thora into a tight, one-armed embrace, he buried his face in her hair.

She hugged him back gently, careful not to squeeze his ribs.

"You always handle it," Sira chimed in, leaning against a nearby post with a smirk.

"But you usually come back with fewer holes in your clothes."

"I missed you too, Sira," Kane replied, releasing Thora to greet the rest of his council.

Firlia stepped forward, her eyes darting between Kane’s bandages and the sky above.

"Lord Kane, we received your letters regarding the new trade routes, but..."

Her voice trailed off completely.

Landing gracefully in the center of the courtyard, Griselda folded her majestic black wings behind her back.

The entire courtyard went dead silent. Guards stopped in their tracks. Thora’s jaw dropped slightly.

"Is that..." Greta started, stepping forward from the barracks line.

"Yes," Kane confirmed smoothly.

"Griselda got her voice back. And a few extra upgrades."

Griselda offered a polite bow to the stunned council.

"It is good to see you all again," she spoke, her raspy, melodic voice sending a shockwave of surprise through the gathered women.

"You can talk!" Thora gasped, rushing over to inspect the wings up close.

"And you can fly! This is unfair!"

Griselda let out a laugh, enjoying the chaotic reunion.

’They fit together perfectly,’ Kane observed, watching his core group welcome the fallen angel without hesitation.

’No jealousy. Just a unified front.’

"Alright, enough standing around," Kane ordered good-naturedly, clapping his good hand on Thora’s shoulder.

"Let’s get inside. I need real food, a hot bath, and a council meeting."