Chapter 4175  Unexpected Return (Part 2)

'This way, if in the future Tezka "casually" rids the Kingdom of Jorl and the Black Throne, and takes the mage tower as compensation for his services, the Royals won't have any reason to suspect I'm the one who leaked the information to Tezka.

'They will think it was just a coincidence, and even if they want the Black Throne for themselves, they won't dare challenge Tezka. We'll be free to conduct our research without the Corpse, Lith, or anyone else breathing down our neck.'

The King, instead, found himself cornered by Tezka's logic.

'What he says is true. Many miraculous things happened during the past few months, and those who made them possible are assembled here. This is a perfect opportunity for Tezka to talk with them, yet I bet it's just a ruse.

'Someone as powerful as him and with a good relationship with Verhen could have met him and Fyrwal anytime he wanted. The problem is that without a good reason, I can't turn Tezka away without provoking what the other guests will perceive as rightful anger.

'After all, he has performed a meritorious act by helping the Kingdom against the Upyrs, and I was the one who crowned Tezka a Magus the past year.

'Sure, giving him the title was just a knee-jerk reaction triggered by my survival instinct, but I can't say that out loud without making a fool out of myself.'

"Feel free to join us, Dimensional Magus Tezka." Meron stepped aside, waving the Suneater in. "You are most welcome."

The King and the Queen exchanged a glance, worried about what might happen if Tezka learned about the Black Throne. They weren't aware that the ship had already sailed, and there was nothing they could do about it.

It was a problem for another day that had just dropped on the already meters-tall pile of contingencies they had to prepare for.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty." The Suneater bowed with the most upsetting of smiles on his snout. "And my sincere thanks to your ancestors for picking the deep violet as the Magus robe color.

"It's the same as my dimensional crystals, and I can't help but think that Valeron the First chose violet in my honor. After all, just like there are countless mages but only a few each generation can become a Magus, crafting dimensional crystals requires a person just as rare."

Those words struck Friya, who turned to Menadion.

"Is it true? Is it that hard to create a dimensional crystal?" She had made progress in her studies, but was nowhere near succeeding.

"No, it's harder than that." Menadion sighed. "It's the reason none of my pieces carried a dimensional crystal. Back when I had my tower, it granted me the spatial awareness of a dimensional mage, but not their talent.

"I never succeeded in crafting a dimensional crystal, nor did I meet someone who could make one my whole life. Yet I'm certain that if my life weren't cut short, I would have learned the secret behind dimensional crystals."

The First Ruler of the Flames puffed her chest out with pride, her confidence bordering on conceit like most first-class artisans.

Tezka had just taken a few steps inside the Main Hall when Fyrwal's guest came forward to face him.

"Which one?" Two fluffy ears covered in silver fur emerged from the top of her head while seven long tails, each streaked with a different elemental color, appeared out of the small of her back. "Which one are you?"

"Tezka the Patriarch or Tezka the Suneater? Answer me!" She snarled, revealing a mouth full of pointy fangs.

The ancient Fylgja staggered as if a blow to the stomach had knocked the wind out of him. His poise and mettle evaporated like mist under sunlight, leaving him diminished. His size and power were still there, but his majestic aura was gone.

Until the moment his gaze had met the silver-haired woman, Tezka had looked like a warrior emperor walking among the least of his subjects. Now, instead, he looked like a convict in front of a judge.

"I'm both." Tezka replied after a long moment of silence, after he found the strength to raise his gaze from his own feet. "I'm the Fylgja who invented dimensional magic, taught it to our people, and led them to greatness as their Patriarch."

Tezka had seven of his tails shapeshift to mimic the woman's, removing the black on his fur and leaving only the silver and elemental streaks.

"Yet I'm also the arrogant fool who refused death's embrace and turned against his own kind without even realizing it. I'm the Eldritch Abomination you know as the Suneater." Tezka's fur turned pitch black, and his emerald-streaked tail disappeared.

"The good things I've done don't erase the bad ones, but the opposite is true as well. I am Tezka. A patriarch, an Eldritch, and now an Eldritch-Warg hybrid." Tezka's fur regained its silver and black color, and the number of his tails rose to ten.

"Label me however you like. It can change who I am more than it can change the past, kid. Now that I've answered your question, you should answer mine. Who are you and why do you care about me?"

The silver-haired woman cried when she saw Tezka's magnificent silver fur and seven tails. Then, her tears dried up, and her body stiffened in horror when he turned into the incarnation of the monster of the stories that her parents told her when she was little.

Yet when Tezka found back his strength and regained his true appearance along with all his tails, the woman's knees buckled. She found herself on one knee, her head low in respect despite the conflicting emotions she still had to sort out.

"I'm Lylka the Fylgja, Patriarch Tezka." She replied. "I've come here from Zima, where our Summoner clan now resides, in the hope to meet you."

"Zima." The Suneater pondered. "I had you run to the other end of Mogar to save your lives. It was a wise choice on your part and a monstrous act on mine. For that, you have my deepest apologies."

Tezka brought his right open hand to his heart and gave Lylka a deep bow.

"We've heard about your return to life years ago, but we refused to believe it. Then, we learned of your involvement in the War of the Griffon. Of how you had stepped out of the shadows to save a couple of human kids.

"It gave us hope, but we still didn't dare reveal our presence. It might have been just a whim, and we couldn't risk drawing the attention of our ancient nemesis." She continued.

"It wasn't until we read about you attending Magus Verhen's birthday gala and everyone surviving the encounter that we knew that our Patriarch had truly returned.

"Your involvement in the attack on the young yet already mad World Tree only steeled our resolve to meet you. The Dragons from Zima praised your valor and unmatched power. They told us about all the lives you saved that day.

"The Dragons also told us about your deal with Magus Verhen and how you stuck to its terms even when he denied you your prize."