Archer grinned, ''Well, if you don't care about your son dying, then I can recover the money, but if not, you'll have to pay me out of the profits, including the kingdom's tax, which the officials will explain.''
Philis looked at him with narrowed eyes before retorting, ''Aquaria treats us well regarding their taxes, but why should we pay more? What do we get out of it?''
''Protection, help, support from the state, I will personally send out teams of hunters to collect rare specimens,'' Archer answered with a smirk that shocked the old couple whose eyes were wide.
The old couple nodded before spinning on their heels and rushed down the road, causing Teuila to laugh at the spring in their step. She looked at Archer, ''Why are you helping them out?'' she asked.
''Well, it will bring in another revenue for the kingdom while pleasing the people who will visit when they get the time,'' Archer answered as they followed the old couple. ''Plus, I am creating a Monster Breeding Program for the army, and these two will be useful when it's up and running.''
Teuila nodded, ''I understand. The Swarm ravages lands all over Plouria, so I bet Draconia will get an influx of people fleeing.''
''Yeah, we're getting thousands of refugees seeking a new home in Draconia,'' Archer answered as they passed a merchant's caravan guarded by adventurers.
When an adventurer called out to them, ''Oi elf boy, how come you're walking around with such a beauty on your arm? Share her with the real men.''
Archer stopped walking, but Teuila calmed him down, ''Let me deal with this husband,'' she said while pecking him on the cheek. ''Plus, don't stain your claws with this filthy human's blood.''
He nodded and watched as she approached the large human who had a cocky smile, ''Seen sense by yourself, I see? We can have fun once this quest is complete.''
Before the man could say anything else, Teuila took out her sword and decapitated him with a flick of the wrist. When the other adventurers saw this, they were ready to fight, but then a swarm of men in armor rushed in.
They quickly took out the offending adventurers while kneeling before her; the commander spoke respectfully, ''Princess Teuila, I'm sorry about these scoundrels. They will pay dearly for thinking about striking you.''
Teuila nodded while flicking the blood off her sword, ''Execute them for their crimes to show the people what happens if they target a royal family member.''
The guards nodded while ignoring the adventurer's protests. The merchant leader rushed out, ''What is going on here? Why are you attacking my guards!''
Archer turned to the human male, ''Fuck off, old man, or I will rip your head off and feed it to a monster.''
The man's face went pale when he heard Archer's threat, and he quickly rushed off as the couple continued following the happy couple for a couple more minutes until they reached the western gate.
He noticed the city was relatively quiet, and there weren't many people on the streets, but that was to be expected as the siege had recently ended. After walking for twenty minutes, Archer and Teuila arrive at a zoo entrance.
When they got close, the couple could hear all kinds of roars and calls from the different monsters. Amond stopped walking and turned around, ''Welcome to our Monster Zoo. It's quiet now, but it is usually bustling.''
Archer nodded understanding and followed the old couple through the entrance, only to see a few staff members rushing around with monster food. Teuila saw this and spoke with a smile. ''I remember this from when I was a little girl.''
''Well, when this comes to Draconia, can we go on a date here if you'd like?'' Archer suggested with a charming smile.
''Of course, I would like that, darling,'' Teuila answered with a smile as she leaned over and lovingly pecked his cheek.
Archer got goosebumps all over his body when he felt her soft lips, ''You're going to get it tonight, you naughty princess.''
A lewd smile appeared as a response before Philis called for them, ''Come on, lovebirds. We need to get to the office?''
He stepped forward, but a voice he hadn't heard in a while said, ''Arch! Please help me. The Swarm is besieging the city, and the guards are failing to hold the wall.''
When Aeris's voice rang out in his mind, he turned to Teuila, ''Teu, stay with the old couple and organize for the 3rd Legion to pack up the zoo. After they do that, order them to take everything to the transport ships when they arrive.''
Teuila looked concerned, ''Where are you going?'' she asked in a worried voice.
''Aeris is in trouble. The Swarm is attacking her home, so I will get her before meeting with Leira and Mary.''
The blue-haired girl nodded, ''Help her. She's lovely and doesn't deserve such a fate.''
Archer stepped forward and kissed the caring girl before summoning his wings. He turned to Philis, ''I will be back soon.''
"Okay, love. Be careful and don't get hurt," the old woman said, surprising him.
He took off and started flying toward the Dunespire Kingdom, using Mana Manipulation to speed up. It only took him fifteen minutes to reach the Summerfield Duchy, where he saw chaos.
Monsters were running wild as people huddled behind walls. Archer shook his head and decided to deal with them while summoning hundreds of Stone Men that dropped to the ground with a crash.
When the creatures saw this, their beady eyes made contact with the faceless stone constructs. The creatures charged forward wildly, swinging their arms, and took out dozens of monsters from the first contact.
Archer watched as his Stone Men eased over the Swarm. The experience poured into his body like a never-ending stream, which was a good feeling as he wanted to level up, and the monsters here would help.
He decided to fight hand to hand using the skill Brooke gave him. Archer summoned his claws, dropped to the ground, and started swiping at the Blightborns and Ratlings, tearing them into meat paste.
When the Stone Men sensed him on the battlefield, they converged on him like a stone wave and annihilated any creature they found. When the current monsters were dealt with, Archer ordered them to flood over the land until the Swarm was destroyed.
The stone constructs rushed into battle without a second thought as he summoned thousands more. It felt like an earthquake was underway as the ground shook due to the Stone Men chasing after the fleeing monster.
Archer watched this with an amused smile, but his dragon senses kicked in, causing him to use Blink to dodge the lunge of a Swarm Assassin who tried to stab him with a poisoned blade as he smelt the substance on the weapon.
He wasted no more time and cast Crown of Stars, which started shooting as soon as it was activated. The Swarm Assassins fell to the violet motes that chased them like a homing missile.
When Archer saw this, he chuckled as the creatures fell to the ground around him like marionettes. Then, he made his way toward Aeris manor in the Dunespire Kingdom on the border of the Summerfield Duchy.
While flying over the land, Archer targeted any monster he saw with a wave of Plasma Missiles that took them out by piercing their hearts with ease. By the time he spotted the city where Aeris had come from, he had killed thousands of creatures.
Archer still felt the experience flowing into his body thanks to the Stone Men still fighting, but he did notice it slowing down thanks to them getting destroyed. But he wouldn't let that dampen his spirits while summoning more.
Thousands of Stone Men rushed into the darkness to gather more experience for him. After he summoned them, he entered Dunemark, where Aeris told him she lived, and followed the girl's mana.
Thanks to being a White Dragon, he could sense the Dark Wraith mana lingering in the city, and soon he found himself in front of a mansion guarded by men in dark grey armor that only showed their eyes that looked unyielding.
But even more, soldiers rushed out of the gates and headed toward the city's walls where the Swarm had just reappeared. Archer ignored them as an army of Stone Men was out there butchering the monsters.
He approached the gate and was stopped by one of the guards, ''Who are you, elf?''
Archer grew annoyed but chose not to kill the human, ''Get Aeris Redcliff. She's expecting me.''
The man stared for a little longer before rushing off while the one who stayed watched him. Archer found this funny and used Mana Manipulation to create a chair to sit on while waiting for Aeris to come out.
This confused the remaining guard, but Archer spoke, ''Can you tell me about some of the rare monsters in the Dunespire Kingdom?''
''Why?'' the guard replied in a nervous voice.
''I'm starting a zoo in my kingdom and need to get some monsters,'' he said. Just as he spoke, a voice full of venom spoke from behind him.
''What is a scumbag like you doing in my allies kingdom? Haven't you done enough damage.''
Archer turned around only to spot his uncle Rylon. With a fake smile, he greeted the older man, ''Uncle! It's good to see you.''
''Shut up, lizard! You stole my wife like a scumbag. What have you done with her!'' Rylon demanded, causing Archer to laugh as the angry man.
[Give my new novel a read and let me know what you think - Level Up: Voidwalker]