Carrying Aishi on his back, Genasar hurriedly searched for Goli.
โMaster, Master, Master! Take a look at herโwhat happened to her?โ
Seeing the flustered Genasar come running in a mess, Goli tilted her head, bent down, and examined Aishi carefully.
Then she straightened up and sighed helplessly, complaining,
โI told you already, sheโs been cooped up for too long. Just take her out for a walk and sheโll be fine.โ
โAh? Oh, alright then, weโll be going.โ
Calming down, Genasar carried Aishi towards the teleportation array.
Goli watched them leave, put her hands on her hips, and sighed again in exasperation.
โThis kidโฆ Tsk. Well, I might as well go check on how little Karu is doing with her lessons.โ
At the foot of the mountain, in the tribe.
Genasar found a quiet open field and lay down with Aishi still on his back.
Looking at the cattle and sheep grazing in the distance and feeling the breeze scented with fresh grass.
โHow about we catch a sheep tonight for a barbecue? Hmโฆ hm?โ
Lost in such random thoughts, Genasar suddenly turned around, a few question marks popping into his mind.
โWas that just my imagination? Why does it feel like someoneโs watching me over there?โ
Squinting, he carefully studied the empty patch of ground behind him.
He walked over and took a closer look, but found nothing at all.
โProbably was just my imagination. How weird.โ
Having discovered nothing unusual, Genasar returned to Aishi, whose face still wore a look of wisdom.
Meanwhile, in a different corner, Jesia and his apprentice were lying low behind a slightly taller patch of grass, letting out a long sigh of relief.
โWe were almost discovered. As expected, the Crystal Sageโs students are no ordinary folk.โ
They stayed quietly in hiding, when after a while, the apprentice spoke up in confusion:
โTeacher, how long do we have to keep lying here?โ
โDonโt you have any patience at all? Just keep watching. I donโt believe he wonโt show a single flaw.โ
โYesโฆโ
Having no choice, the apprentice could only obey his teacher, continuing to lie hidden and observe Genasar and Aishi.
After a while in the breeze, Aishi gradually snapped out of her state.
โFeeling better?โ
โMuch better.โ
After answering, she simply sat quietly, saying nothing more.
The silence grew awkward, so Genasar picked a random topic and pointed at the wooden huts of the nearby tribe.
โAishi, lookโthis is the land I, your emperor, have conquered for you.โ
โโฆโฆโ ๏ฟฃโณ๏ฟฃ
She looked around in confusion, only to have Genasar pull her face back by the cheeks.
โThat part isnโt conquered yet. Weโll deal with it when we have time.โ
โUmโฆ By the way, have you given this tribe a name?โ
โHuh? Does it need a name?โ
โโฆโฆโ
Aishi looked at Genasar, full of resignation, and explained,
โThis tribe is already a union of two races, and you, a dragon, are the leader. Do you really think you can still call it the Lizardman Tribe?โ โ_โ
โOh~ youโre right, we really do need a new name. Letโs call itโฆ Blackwind Fortress.โ
Genasar blurted out the name almost without thinking, full of confidence.
Aishi: โฆโฆโฆ
Seeing her expression, Genasar started to feel a bit guilty.
โDoesnโt sound good? Ah, names are just names, they arenโt that important anyway.โ
โโฆโฆโ๏ผแโณแ๏ผ
โReally no good? Alright then, Iโll change it.โ
โHow aboutโฆ just give it a proper city name. Forget the tribe name.โ
While they were talking, the two hidden in the shadows were starting to get restless, especially Jesiaโs apprentice.
โTeacher, why donโt we look elsewhere for clues? Their conversation has nothing to do with our goal at all.โ
โThen you go look somewhere else. Iโll keep watch here.โ
โโฆโฆโ
Hesitating for a moment, the apprentice finally couldnโt take it anymore and was about to leave.
โIโll go somewhereโโ
โCome back.โ
Just as he was about to slip away, Jesia grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
At that moment, the Lizardman priest walked slowly past them, heading toward Genasar.
โSomethingโs happening, letโs see whatโs up.โ
With a worried look on his face, the priest came to Genasar, who was still rattling off possible names.
โWakanda, Nazarick, Penghu Bay?โ
The priest tried to speak, raising his claw as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
โUhโฆ tsk, this, thisโฆโ
Aishi raised her claw to stop Genasar before he could say anything more, and the two of them turned to look at the priest.
โWhatโs the matter?โ
โWell, lately weโve noticed some sneaky characters prowling near the tribe. But with our abilities, we canโt catch them, so I came to report.โ
โSome sneaky character?โ
Genasar could guess who it was with a single toe, so he waved his hand dismissively.
โItโs definitely that dumb kid, donโt worry about him. Let him do what he wants. Heโs probably trying to see if Iโm still dealing with demons.โ
Genasar waved his claw, not giving the matter any further thought, focusing instead on the more important issue.
โI still think Blackwind Fortress sounds best. Should we just use it for now?โ
โโฆโฆโ
Aishi glanced at the priest, then at Genasar, who was brimming with sincerity.
Her exasperation was written all over her face. After a moment of hesitation, she muttered,
โRedโฆ Red City? Thatโs a good name, letโs go with that.โ
โWait, no, I meant Blackwindโโ
Before he could finish, Aishi clapped a paw over his mouth and turned to the priest.
โThis place will be called Red City for now. If youโre not happy with it, you can change it later.โ
The priest was stunned for a moment, then quickly agreed. This meant their home had transformed from a primitive tribe into a civilized city.
โAlright, Iโll go spread the word right away and not disturb you any further.โ
The priest hurried away, while Genasar squinted as he watched him go.
โThat old manโs body gets tougher by the day. The first time I met him, he looked like he could croak at any moment, and now he runs faster than a rabbit.โ
With a shrug, Genasar let the matter drop and turned back to chat with Aishi.
They looked completely at ease, but the two in hiding were nowhere near as relaxed.
โWhat is this? I thought weโd uncover some secret, but itโs just this trivial stuff. Teacher, I canโt take it anymore. Iโm going elsewhere.โ
The impatient young apprentice tried to sneak away, but once again, he was dragged back by his collar.
โYoung people shouldnโt be so restless. How many times have I told youโif you canโt handle this kind of small thing, what will you do when you have to stay motionless and focused for days? Youโll go mad.โ
But Jesiaโs earnest teaching went in one ear and out the other.
โTch, if it ever came to that, Iโd rather die than suffer through it. Besides, the doctrine says that those who sacrifice for justice will be taken by the gods to become envoys, so what do I have to worry about?โ
โโฆโฆโ
Jesia wanted to say more, but in the end just closed his mouth, muttering under his breath,
โThatโs beside the point. Staying alive is always best. Anyway, youโd better remember what I say and keep a steadyโWhoa! What is thatโโ
Jesia suddenly jumped up and shouted.
Ahead of them, they saw Genasar holding the Dragon Emperor Pearl and releasing the Lich. Jesia knew at a glance what that was, and without thinking of hiding anymore, he rushed out with a shout.
The apprentice next to him was stunned.
โWait, whereโs all that talk about staying steady? Youโre exposing yourself already? Doesnโt count if you donโt finish your lecture?โ
Muttering to himself, he had no choice but to follow along.