Chapter 182 Offended The Chieftain
At the moment, the mages were maintaining a dome-like barrier over the infested area to prevent the locusts from spreading further. They had been holding the spell for hours. Whenever a mage began to tire, another would step in to take their place, allowing the exhausted mage to rest in one of the nearby tents. This rotation was the only way to ensure there were no gaps in the containment field.
Unfortunately, there were no magical tools available to lighten their burden or supplement their mana. That meant the mages had to remain physically present and manually feed mana into the spell at all times. It was a grueling process, and they all knew it couldn’t last forever. Eventually, even the strongest of them would collapse from exhaustion.
This is why magic tools are essential, to ease the burden and strain on mages. But unfortunately, they didn’t have the time to craft one now. And so, the cycle continued. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure.
It was also the reason Elric and the Royal Advisor were in such a rush. Once the locust swarm spread deeper into their territory, the situation would spiral out of control. Containing it would require thinning their already-stretched forces across multiple fronts, none of which could afford to be idle.
In their haste, even the usually composed Royal Advisor was on edge. Beneath his calm facade, he was nothing but a bundle of nerves. And perhaps it was that tension that caused him to slip, because now, he had clearly offended the Tigren Chieftain.
Elric could see it clearly; the Chieftain’s brows had narrowed so sharply, it looked like he could crush a fly between them.
"What’s a two old men like you doing here?" the Chieftain said, his tone laced with mockery. "I feel no urge to listen to a single word you say."
A smirk curled at the corners of his lips, mischievous and calculating. Then he added with deliberate provocation, "I heard your Royal Princess has returned. They say she used to be the strongest warrior in the kingdom... and that she has a majestic big wolf. I’m curious to see for myself just how impressive she really is."
He leaned back slightly, eyes glinting with amusement. "Maybe we can talk about negotiations after that. After all, who wouldn’t prefer speaking to a beauty? Depending on her... skills, I might even lower my demands."
He shot both older men a glance so disinterested and lazy it was almost insulting, clearly dismissing them as unworthy of his time.