William summoned his staff and Ashe summoned her sword. The two of them took a fighting stance as they faced the Myriad Beast who had, for some reason, appeared inside the Thousand Beast Domain.
“How did you get here, Your Excellency?” William asked. “How did you manage to enter my Domain?”
This was the first time someone had entered his Domain without his permission. Not only that, the one who entered it was the Lord of the Wilds that had attacked with the intention of killing him earlier!
“Good question,” Cernunnos replied with an amused expression on his face. “Very well. I will tell you the reason as compensation for attacking you earlier.”
The Myriad Beast casually sat cross legged in front of William as if the Domain belonged to him. The other inhabitants of the Thousand Beast Domain had sensed his presence and immediately gathered to William’s side, with the exception of Ella.
Although Ella had sensed the Myriad Beast, she remained inside the Magic Crystal Cavern to watch over the three sleeping beasts. Even so, she was paying attention to the uninvited guest and would immediately come to William’s aid if Cernunnos tried something funny.
“First and foremost, the entire Whimsical Forest is my Domain,” Cernunnos explained. “The moment you entered the forest, you were already inside my jurisdiction. Since this is my [D]domain, I have absolute control over whatever I want to do inside it.”
William was surprised to hear this. He never thought that the forest, that could be visited by anyone in the Hellan Kingdom, was actually a Domain that belonged to a Myriad Beast.
‘I wonder if the Sword Saint is aware of the existence of this Myriad Beast,’ William thought as he looked at the Myriad Beast who seemed to be keen on telling him how he managed to enter his Domain without permission.
“The second reason is because when the entrance to a Domain opens, it will remain open for less than a minute,” Cernunnos continued his explanation. “Even if the entrance disappears it is still there, only invisible. Do you understand?”
William frowned. This was the first time he heard of these things and it made him anxious.
Seeing the red-headed boy’s reaction, Cernunnos chuckled. “Relax. Not everyone can enter a Domain that easily. Even Myriad Beasts and Demigods can’t enter someone else’s Domain that easily. Like I said earlier, you entered my domain then opened the gateway to your own in order to escape my attack.
“This caused a rift in my Domain. As a Domain Master, I have the ability to fix or pry open the rift that appeared in my territory. Ah, before I forget, not all Myriad Beasts and Demigods have Domains. I just so happen to be one of those few beings that has my own Domain.”
William nodded. Although he didn’t know if Cernunnos was telling the truth or not, it didn’t change the fact that the Myriad Beast was now inside his Domain. Based on the information he gathered from his Appraisal Skill earlier, the Lord of the Wilds had two sides.
Right now, it was the good side of Cernunnos that was talking to him. This gave him a little peace of mind, but he knew that this Myriad Beast’s mood could flip anytime, so he didn’t want to act disrespectful to it.
“Your Excellency, is there a way for me to prevent any uninvited guests from entering my Domain?” William inquired. “Those who have the same abilities as you?”
Cernunnos shook his head. “No. The only way to prevent anyone from entering your Domain is by choosing a safe location before you open the gateway that leads inside it.”
The Lord of the Wilds then gave William an appraising stare. He could feel James’ bloodline flowing inside the boy’s body and determined that he was indeed the annoying man’s grandchild.
“Well, even though you made a mistake in allowing someone to enter your Domain without your permission, it wouldn’t change the fact that, if you hadn’t done what you have done, you’d be dead by now. This is also a fact. So, good job in surviving the attack of a Myriad Beast.”
William didn’t know if Cernunnos was complimenting him or pitying him. All he knew was that The Lord of the Wilds didn’t seem to want to kill him right now.
After finishing his explanation, Cernunnos scanned his surroundings. Its eyes, that could see every nook and cranny of the Whimsical Forest, weren’t able to examine William’s Thousand Beast Domain in detail.
This was a normal thing because this particular Domain didn’t belong to him. After seeing that further prying would bear no fruit, Cernunnos once again shifted his attention to the boy who was looking back at him with a guarded expression.
“Boy, unlike the Minotaur race, there are beasts that won’t bat an eye in killing the disciple of the Eternal Guardian,” Cernunnos stated. “Although I will pay a hefty price in doing so, make no mistake that not even you are safe from Beings that far surpass your current level of strength. Even if they were to fall under the jurisdiction of the Eternal Guardian, they would not bow to you and give you face.”
William’s expression remained serious throughout Cernunnos explanation. He already understood that not all Herd Type creatures would get along with him. Even so, he still nodded his head to acknowledge the Myriad Beast’s sincere warning.
“Thank you for the wisdom you have imparted to me, Your Excellency,” William replied.
Cernunnos nodded and stood up from the ground. “Let’s go back to the Great Hall. The Centaur Chieftain is waiting for you.”
The Lord of the Wilds didn’t wait for William’s reply and disappeared from where he stood.
William immediately asked the System to find the Myriad Beast’s location. He also extended his senses throughout his Domain to see if Cernunnos decided to take a stroll inside it.
Half a minute later, the System and William confirmed that their uninvited guest had truly left the Thousand Beast Domain.
“Let’s go together,” Ashe said. “Don’t even think about leaving me here while you deal with that Myriad Beast by yourself.”
William looked at his mermaid lover before reluctantly nodding his head. The thought of letting Ashe stay inside his Domain while he negotiated with the Centaur Chieftain crossed his mind. However, before he could even say his thoughts out loud, Ashe had already shot it down.
“Very well. But, stay close to me, understand?” William asked.
Ashe nodded firmly. She didn’t want to be baggage for William, but she didn’t want her lover to face his challenges alone.
After holding each other’s hands, both of them returned to the Great Hall where the Centaur Chieftain and the moody Cernunnos were waiting for them.
William hoped that the negotiation with the Centaur Race would proceed smoothly now, so that he could leave the Whimsical Forest as soon as possible.