Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Elanor gazed at Balor the Giant for a moment before pulling her eyes away.

"Faelar, hurry back to our clan and report everything here to our king. Then bring a contingent of troops to help out. Remember, you've only got two weeks. Make sure you're back by then. Our enemies from the north will also arrive in about two weeks."

She said this in front of all the Legendary-level powerhouses, giving orders to another Legendary-level Blood Elf on purpose.

Elanor was trying to calm everyone's nerves. A smart woman, she knew that if a lot of the northern invaders' forces could be whittled down right here in the giants' city, it would be a real bonus for the Blood Elves. By the time those northern outsiders reached the Blood Elves' City of Blessings, their numbers would be cut back. The Blood Elves would not only keep their territory safe but protect their honor as well.

"With five Legendary-level fighters against six northern lords, we'll have a pretty decent shot at winning."

Elanor was stunningly beautiful, especially when she was lost in thought and the soft white bangs on her forehead fell naturally around her face. She looked breathtaking.

Of course, Balor the Giant, Boarion the Boarfolk, and Brimli the Gnome didn't share the human sense of beauty, so they weren't really moved by her looks.

…

In the human kingdom, Princess Ava had led her Rose Knight Regiment on a perilous route but finally managed to rendezvous with the empire's regular army.

Inside a tent at the temporary camp, Princess Ava and King Harold stood facing each other.

"My dear sister, it's such a relief to see you before heading to the battlefield!"

King Harold produced a pink rose from who knows where, gently tucking it into Princess Ava's hair.

"Our Kingdom's longtime crown princess—still as lovely as ever. You're our kingdom's pride and joy!"

Hearing her beloved older brother praise her like that, all the gloom that had followed Princess Ava these past days—from bounties on her head to multiple assassination attempts—seemed to vanish instantly.

"Brother, you're the true pride of the empire! You brought together the dwarves, the Blood Elves, the half-dragons, and the merfolk. Without your efforts, we humans wouldn't be able to hold off those southern invaders on our own."

King Harold shook his head. Sure, it was a good thing they had formed a united front, but it came at the cost of all kinds of promises and concessions from the human kingdom. At the core, it all came down to tangled interests.

"I heard you were attacked by the half-dragons several times. Were you hurt?"

Princess Ava gently shook her head at her brother's concern.

"My guardian knights have shown their bravery and absolute devotion in protecting me. But, wait—did the half-dragons defect? Didn't you strike an alliance with them? Weren't they supposed to be our friends?"

King Harold heaved a sigh and shook his head once more. He walked over to the small window flap of the tent and lifted it, watching his royal guards patrol outside and the imperial soldiers cooking by the campfire. After a long pause, he spoke in a hushed tone.

"Ten thousand years ago, the lands of our current human kingdom belonged to the white dragon Frostsire. Back then, legions of half-dragons already lived here. After our ancestors sealed Frostsire away, the half-dragons withdrew north with him and went into hiding.

"The half-dragons we've allied with are basically mixed-blood half-dragons. They're nowhere near as powerful as the ones sired by Arch Lord White Dragon Frostsire himself. That's also one reason half-dragons haven't taken over this fertile southern land."

Before heading out to face this invasion, King Harold had pored over many ancient histories and secret records. If you trace it far enough back, humans were the outsiders here.

Ten thousand years ago, the humans had legions of mages and griffin riders. But about six thousand years ago, for unknown reasons, this continent's humans got cut off from their homeland on another continent.

That allowed dwarves and the Blood Elves to rise, forcing humankind to shrink its territory. Over time, they turned into the three major races sharing the south.

After reading a ton of old documents, King Harold concluded that the changes starting six thousand years ago might not have been such a bad thing after all. At least when the northern invaders marched down now, the dwarves and Blood Elves had no choice but to do their part in resisting. They understood the concept of "sharing each other's fate." They were all plenty smart.

"Brother, have you been studying a lot of old history and digging up all sorts of secret records lately?" Princess Ava asked, eyes bright with curiosity, clearly excited.

"I have. Why, is there something you're dying to know?"

Knowing his sister's personality well, King Harold turned around and smiled as he spoke.

"Yes, absolutely!" In front of King Harold, Princess Ava dropped her formalities. The two siblings felt like they'd time-traveled back to their childhood days.

Princess Ava pulled up a stool for him, her eyes full of anticipation, practically begging for a good story. "Brother, what can you tell me about knights? What's the big deal? Dish!"

King Harold nodded and took the tea she offered, letting out a small, wry chuckle.

"Oh, if you mean the eight knights who dreamed of slaying dragons, yeah, I've been reading about them. Every knight upholds eight virtues: humility, honor, sacrifice, valor, compassion, spirit, honesty, and justice.

Each dragon-slaying knight has their own way of passing down traditions. They're not in it for fame or fortune. They chase freedom, true love, and self-fulfillment. Whatever they choose to protect, they do so with their own lives. According to legend, the Eight Great Knights shared some special connections among themselves…"

…
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Elsewhere in the same camp, in a stable:

"This is a beast-blood mount, and it's yours now!"

Arthur held the reins of a strange-looking steed, passing them to Galahad.

"Beast-blood mount" was a human term referring to horses crossbred with swift beasts.

After generations of selective breeding, humans finally produced a breed of particularly strong horses carrying beast blood. That was how these so-called beast-blood mounts came to be.