Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain let out a sigh when he found his father and the others and began to heal him. He could tell what had happened since no one of those who left with them had stayed with the beast people. It wasn't like he didn't consider such a possibility, but he still held to the hope that it wouldn't end in a fight.

"It seems that things didn't go as expected," Roan said and then forced a smile. "Don't worry, these are just minor scratches."

"... What happened?" Rain asked while showing a pissed expression. "I am prone to believe that the beast people are our enemies as well."

"... Well, while they didn't look like they liked our big friend and the other demi-humans, they readily welcomed those who were one hundred percent beast people, but they wouldn't let halflings cross the mountains," Roan explained.

"Things got a beat tense when Anna went to talk with them, but when they realized that Alion was her kid," Meiro added. "They didn't hide their displeasure and said some harsh things and insulted her. Things went out of control when he got a bit angry, and they didn't take that well."

Anna was the woman who stopped Rain from killing the big kid, Alion. It didn't seem like he caused the issue directly this time, so Rain couldn't say anything. Still, the beast people were far more stuck in their ways than Rain had assumed.

"What did they say?" Rain asked.

"Well, that is…" Meiro looked away, looking visibly uncomfortable.

"They asked me how I could have given birth to this aberration… I always knew that they wouldn't welcome us with open arms, but I didn't think that they still would be this stupid…" Anna said and then sighed. "They are the same idiots that have always been worrying endlessly about every single thing that might happen and thinking of nothing but protecting their bloodlines."

That seemed a reasonable thing to consider when leading a large group of people, even more so to do those in Power, but prejudice toward those half-bloods was stupid… maybe they were worried that they would get weaker or something If they let half-beast people live among them.

Considering that they hurt Roan, a fair bait, they weren't that weak since he could use Limit Breaker. In any case, Rain felt like sighing when he heard that his father hadn't killed anyone in order to avoid conflict. Still, the conflict was pretty much bound to happen now that they knew that Anna and other beast people of pure blood had been captured and used by humans.

"Did you tell them what is happening and that we aren't on the side of the king?" Rain asked.

"Yes… I am not sure if they believed me, though," Roan said. "They truly came with the intention of killing everyone… just don't think of showing retribution so soon. There is still hope that we can avoid this conflict."

Rain could understand the reasoning behind his father's words. The last thing that they needed was to be attacked from behind… but that was wishful thinking. The beast people now were part of the situation whether they liked it or not.

While returning home, Rain wondered what he should do… it might be dangerous to leave the area now, but Roan said that even if the beast people become their enemies, they will need a large number of people to invade the human lands. That won't happen overnight.

"Don't worry, we can manage things while you are away," Roan said. "Your old man still can kick some asses If I need to."

"Sorry, Rain… I wrecked my brain about this, but I couldn't think of anything that you could say that would make everyone believe you." Branden added apologetically.

"It is fine. Sooner or later some people will realize that things will go to shit if they let the king command them like he wants to," Rain said. "I will just contact them and make them spread the news. Eventually, people will be able to confirm things by themselves."

Rain said his farewells to his comrades, feeling a sense of urgency in the air. Gathering information about the situation with the magic people at the border couldn't wait any longer.

Without wasting any time, he embarked on his journey toward the border. Flying solo wasn't the most efficient mode of travel, so he relied on his Impulse ability to propel himself swiftly toward his destination. The fate of the situation rested on his shoulders, and he couldn't afford to waste a single moment.

Despite the daylight, Rain paid little heed to traversing the territory in this manner. Few would catch a glimpse of his rapid movements, and even fewer would bother to keep a vigilant eye out for him. Currently, he can cover a distance of around three hundred meters with each utilization of Impulse. However, he occasionally had to pause to manage the heat generated by the friction in the air.

Time was of the essence, and he had no choice but to push his limits in his race against it.

After approximately twelve grueling hours, Rain successfully crossed the entire country. Exhausted and with his mana reserves running low, he finally arrived in Teria. His priority was to confirm the presence of a significant army there, which he did. There were plenty of tents on the left side of the city…

However, he still needed to ascertain whether the King's Blade and his former companions were among them. Fatigue and a dwindling mana pool couldn't deter him from his mission; he had come too far to stop to rest now…

While Rain contemplated his next course of action, he couldn't help but notice that the activity around the military tents was rather subdued, and the area remained shrouded in darkness. His curiosity piqued, he entertained the idea of investigating further, but his attention was quickly diverted as a caravan of carriages approached from the border… that was something more worthy of investigating…

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