Chapter 45: Ambassador of Tempest [1]
The massive sandstone gates of Yeren City groaned under the weight of their own ancient iron fixtures, partitioning the brutal, lawless expanse of the Hudeii Desert from the beating economic heart of the western wastes.
They were stopped and searched by the armored watchmen.
The moment they announced themselves as the official Ambassadors of the new Tempest City.
They were immediately granted access.
Stepping past the threshold, and the silence of the dunes was instantly obliterated by a wall of sound, color, and shifting energy.
"This....this is beautiful" Alisa mumbled.
Yeren City was built like a chaotic, multi-layered terraced amphitheater, with its legendary grand marketplaces spiraling down into the center of a massive natural basin.
Thousands of stalls, covered in vibrant crimson, indigo, and saffron silks, stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The air was a thick, intoxicating fog of roasting desert spices, unrefined mana oils, and the metallic tang of freshly unearthed ore.
Here, commerce was a contact sport. Merchant guilds from all corners of the continent shouted over one another, displaying glittering displays of low-tier beast cores, enchanted scimitars, and rare desert herbs.
Overhead, complex networks of thick ropes and wooden pulleys crisscrossed between the sandstone structures, carrying crates of goods and messages across the tiers of the market, silhouetted against the dusty, sun-drenched sky.
But....
Despite the superficial chaos of the bazaars, the security running through Yeren City was terrifyingly tight, structured with an iron efficiency that kept the cutthroats and bandits from tearing the city apart from the within.
The Governors’ insignias was visible on every corner, enforced by distinct classes of elite beastmen guard
The Ordained Sentries consisting of Rhino-kin and Hippo-kin were stationed at the primary gates and major intersections.
These towering, broad-shouldered brutes stood clad in thick, heavy iron-plated armor, holding massive halberds.
Their sheer physical presence acted as a visual deterrent; one step from a Rhino-kin guard could crack the stone pavement beneath their boots.
Jackal-kin and Fox-kin were Market Enforcers who weaved seamlessly through the thick crowds of the bazaars.
Dressed in light, flexible leather armor and wielding twin curved daggers, these agile watchmen were hyper-alert.
Their slit pupils darted across the hands of buyers and sellers, ruthlessly tracking pickpockets, illegal spice traders, or any sign of a brewing faction brawl.
The High Watchmen consisting of Falcon-kin and Hawk-kin perched high above the city on stone minarets and carved sandstone ledges.
With their hyper-developed eyesight and light wind-enchanted bows, these avian marksmen kept absolute surveillance over the entire perimeter, ready to rain down precision sensory-deprivation arrows at the first sign of an unauthorized magical flare.
Roy observed how smoothly they operated, for the first time, he truly felt envious of this mortal men.
He desired every single one of them.
Through this heavily guarded labyrinth walked hundreds of beastmen from every conceivable tribe.
"This is my first time entering Yeren City but wow" Alpha Eurenia exclaimed, "If I knew Yeren was like this, I might have pressured father to seek refuge with them" she mumbled under her breath.
Ragged but proud Lizard-kin, nomadic Boar-kin merchants, and sleek Panther-kin mercenary cells were spotted vibing, laughing, and walking around the plaza, enjoying the rare safety that Yeren’s strict laws provided.
Roy, Eurenia, and Alisa moved through the dense crowds without drawing unnecessary attention, their Striggar carriage parked securely in the inner courtyard of the Oasis Grand Hotel.
A multi-tiered, luxury clay fortress catering exclusively to high-profile foreign dignitaries and wealthy trade tycoons.
The hotel attendants, sensing the terrifying aura of a Martial Master naturally radiating off Eurenia, immediately led the trio up a flight of sweeping stone stairs into a lavish, top-tier private suite.
The room was expansive, insulated from the street noise by heavy velvet drapes and cooled by high-grade water-attributed arrays that kept the air crisp and refreshing.
They didn’t come empty handed, they brought bags filled with mana cores from slained Beast-stage F-class abominations, Orcs, Ogres and Goblins.
The mana cores taken from fallen beastmen remained in the City.
Mana cores is the only form of currency known in the Hudeii Desert.
It could also be considered a mana reserve, a living mana core of an awakened Martial Warrior could continuously generate mana.
But a dead mana core only contain the mana residue left behind by the dead, it can be shattered and absorbed during cultivation.
A mana core with little mana residue was extremely dim, making its value drop massively.
But a mana core with vast mana residue was known through its brightness, with its value skyrocketing.
They both brought different sets of mana cores with them.
Roy sat casually on a sprawling, silk-cushioned divan, pouring himself a cup of chilled mint tea.
Alisa immediately stood near the corner of the panoramic balcony, her eyes scanning the streets below to map the local guard rotations for Mandraxx, while Eurenia stood directly behind Roy’s shoulder like an unyielding silver shield.
"Eurenia and Alpha" Roy whispered to them, "Soon, the representative of the Governors will be sent to us"
"You guys are free to roam the city and make contacts, Eurenia, gather as much information as you can and Alisa.." Roy stared at Alisa for a second, "Kill as much Orcs and Ogres as you can"
"Erase every single trace of you and make it look like a mistake, an accident" Roy instructed.
The ladies bowed their heads before the sitted Roy, their faces laced with a gentle smile, Alisa was excited the most.
Roy’s permission was all she needed, she was always ready to wipe out every Orc or Ogre she could track.
Ten minutes later, the heavy mahogany door of the suite clicked open.
A tall, impeccably dressed feline beastman stepped into the room.
He was a Cheetah-kin, sporting a sleek, patterned coat beneath an elegant, tailored robe of dark-purple silk embroidered with silver thread—the official colors of the Yeren Government.
His golden eyes swept across the room, pausing significantly on Eurenia’s high-tier cultivation ripples before locking onto Roy, who remained completely unbothered on the couch.
The official closed the door behind him and offered a practiced, diplomatic bow.
"Greetings, Ambassadors of Tempest." The Cheetah-kin smiled, "I am Representative Vane, speaking on behalf of the High Governors of Yeren City," the Cheetah-kin spoke.
His voice smooth, refined, and entirely devoid of the gritty roughness found in the streets below.
He straightened up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Roy.
"I hope you don’t mind but the Governors sent me here to fetch you all." he paused for a second.
"They would like to have a word with the delegates of the new Tempest City"