Chapter 505 – Air Force
It can be said that the relations between the two empires were getting so tense that they were already on the verge of war. Moreover, the Radiant Church was involved in this situation. So with how special the location of Golden Island was, it was common sense for Zhao Hai to not leave for the prairie and instead stay on Golden Island to defend it.
But Zhao Hai didn't think so. After analyzing the situation with Green and Randolph, they came to the conclusion that the two empires wouldn't be able to declare war with each other very easily.
Therefore, Zhao Hai used this opportunity to go to the Prairie and take a look at the situation there. It was now the beginning of spring in the Prairie and the grass had started to grow. The beastmen would return to herding and communicating with each other. This was the best time for Zhao Hai to go to the Prairie.
Additionally, Zhao Hai was also planning about how he would spend his time with his wives. He was now an 8th rank expert, so he would have no issues with spending the night with all of them. However, the women didn't think the same, they were afraid that Zhao Hai would hurt his body. Therefore, they told him that he can only accompany one of them each night.
Zhao Hai was now thinking about how hard must it be to me his wife. He equally loved his wives, but when he spends the night with one of them, he would think about how lonely it would be for the others. This made him feel sadness in his heart.[1]
But it was great that the women weren't showing any signs of envy to one another. This made Zhao Hai happiness instead of guilt.
Although Zhao Hai had been used to living as a person of the Ark Continent, he was still a person from Earth deep inside. Because of this, he still felt distant to how people acted in the continent.
Even if the Rosen and Aksu Empires were in a tense situation and were having small conflicts here and there, they were still afraid to fully attack each other. However, the Rosen Empire was still leading the stand-off due to how they were hampering the Aksu Empire's economy. This made the Aksu Empire feel tense.
This time, when Zhao Hai travels to the Prairie, he wasn't planning on riding a carriage nor sailing on a boat. He was preparing to sit on the back of a Blood Hawk as it flew towards the Prairie.
As the Space was upgraded a few times, the Blood Hawks' strength had gotten stronger and stronger as well. Because of this, Zhao Hai wanted to try to ride one. This was also to make the existence of his Blood Hawk known to the continent.
Zhao Hai planned to bring Laura and the others along, naturally, Shue and Shun were coming as well. On the other hand, he didn't bring Blockhead and Rockhead. He had them stay on Golden Island and manage some matters there. Zhao Hai didn't want the two of them to be his bodyguards forever. He wanted them to be more like Green when they grow up.
The two didn’t disagree, they also understood what Zhao Hai wanted so they went to study under Kun. After all, they still had the Space, they can see Zhao Hai at any time.
While Zhao Hai and the others were sitting on the backs of Blood Hawks, the Rosen Empire was in a stir. After all, there weren't any humans before that could fly on the backs of flying Magic Beasts. This was the reason why Air Forces were nonexistent among human nations. But now, one appeared so it was impossible for people to not pay attention. Even the Monarchs personally asked questions.
Having an Air Force meant that one would have a new avenue in attacking the enemy. It can also do reconnaissance missions. Because of that, people were constantly on the look for any possibilities of acquiring one.
The first person to look for Zhao Hai was Randolph. Randolph didn't think that Zhao Hai would have such Magic Beasts. The moment he found out about this, he immediately approached Kun and had him talk to Zhao Hai. Randolph wishes for Zhao Hai to give a unit to the Calci Family.
Kun felt that this matter wasn't easy to deal with, so he immediately contacted Zhao Hai. Zhao Hai sent over a message to Randolph that basically meant that Zhao Hai was waiting for someone to give word.
After hearing the message, Randolph understood. He was a Patriarch, and he had seen a lot. Because of this he immediately knew what Zhao Hai was talking about, that someone who Zhao Hai was waiting for was naturally the Rosen Emperor.
One must know that nations had always dreamt of having their own Air Force, but they still hadn't succeeded in making one. And now that Zhao Hai had one of his own, this matter had naturally became quite a huge matter in the empire. If Zhao Hai wanted to give some units away, the first one to receive them should be the Emperor. If he didn't, the Emperor would definitely be offended.
After Randolph thought through this point, he didn't disturb Zhao Hai any longer and was now waiting for the Emperor. Before long, the Emperor called for Randolph since Zhao Hai was in the Prairie.
When Randolph received the summons, he immediately knew what was going to happen. He didn't dally and swiftly went to the imperial palace to have an audience with the Emperor inside his study.
After having sat down, the Emperor looked at Randolph and smiled, "Randolph, your granddaughter's husband is truly extraordinary. He really does have tons of good things."
Randolph forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty overpraised. Who knows what that boy has? To tell you the truth, I had no idea that he had an Air Force. I came to find him this time, only to find out that he had ran over to the Prairie. I already approached his clan to send him a message to come back."
The Emperor nodded and said, "Good" Then he carefully asked, "What kind of Magic Beast does this Air Force use?"
Randolph smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty, he isn’t using Magic Beasts, but instead, Phantasmal Beasts."
The Emperor stared, then his expression changed, "Phantasmal Beast? That's impossible. With how Phantasmal Beasts were, you should know that they aren't capable of carrying people. We have already researched having Phantasmal Beasts as an Air Force before, but didn't it fail?"
Randolph forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, of course I know. But what they were using were indeed Phantasmal Beasts, I saw them with my own eyes. They rode those beasts as they flew into the sky and when they went back down, they transformed into armor."
The Emperor found himself unable to sit still, he stood up and asked, "What? Is that true?"
Randolph smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I wouldn't dare lie to you about this. I asked housekeeper Kun about this matter and he said that those Phantasmal Beasts are things that Little Hai personally raised. The physical properties of those Phantasmal Beasts aren't very different from Magic Beasts. Moreover, not only can they turn into armor and carry a person on their backs, they also don't need to absorb energy from humans. Feeding them meat was enough to sustain them."
The Emperor stared, then he said, "So there was such things. Those Phantasmal Beasts may be good for us. A few thousand of them would certainly benefit us greatly."
Randolph forced a smile as he replied, "Your Majesty, you shouldn't overestimate them. After all, a Phantasmal Beast is still a Phantasmal Beast, they cannot carry people that are too heavy. Moreover, they also cannot be equipped with a lot of things. At most, Knights can carry two quivers of arrows as well as a bow and a short sword."
The Emperor smiled faintly and said, "That's already quite good. Right, go discuss this with Zhao Hai. Do you think that he would be able to give me several thousands to play with?"
When Randolph heard the Emperor, his smile got more bitter. His Majesty was a good ruler, but there were times where he would act just like a spoiled child who wants to have all his whims accomplished. Randolph can only smile and said, "Your Majesty, you also know that training Phantasmal Beasts isn't very easy. I'm afraid that Little Hai wouldn't have a large number of them."
The Emperor snorted and said, "What's to be afraid about, if he can't train them, the empire will lend him a hand. With the strength of our Rosen Empire, it would be impossible for us to be unable to train Phantasmal Beasts. In any case, tell him to give me Phantasmal Beast eggs, the more the better."
Randolph forced a smile and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Rest assured, I will immediately talk to him when he comes back. Right, Your Majesty, I also heard that in their armor form, those Phantasmal Beasts could still use their wings. When someone wears the armor, they would be able to fly at a low altitude for a short distance."
Then Randolph stopped since he could feel that with each word that he said, the Emperor's heartbeat would get louder and louder. One could see clearly how exhilarated the Emperor was just by thinking about the beasts. But nobody can blame him, generations of rulers have always dreamed of having their own Air Force. Randolph was afraid that the Emperor would ask for more Phantasmal Beasts from Zhao Hai if he spoke more words.
Just like what Randolph thought, the Emperor immediately said, "Fantastic! That's great! Go, go, quickly send a letter to Zhao Hai. Tell him that he has five days to send me the Phantasmal Beasts."
Randolph bitterly smiled and then gave a bow before asking to be excused. He still didn't know whether Zhao Hai can provide the beasts in five days. Can Zhao Hai get back from the Prairie at that time?
After he returned home, Randolph immediately wrote a letter for Zhao Hai. The letter was sent through Kun who immediately told Zhao Hai about this matter. Zhao Hai naturally didn't oppose, he also sent a reply that he would send the beasts in five day's time.
Actually, this buzz about his Air Force was deliberately set up by Zhao Hai. He knew that his Air Force wouldn't be hidden for long. Additionally, if he didn't reveal this matter, the Rosen Empire would feel dread when he revealed it in the future. Because of this, Zhao Hai decided to just let this matter out. As long as he provide the Rosen Empire with a few Phantasmal Beasts, the Emperor wouldn't feel to bad about him.
Five days later, Randolph brought 300 Phantasmal Beasts and 1000 eggs to the Imperial Palace and handed them over to the Emperor. At the same time, Randolph also handed instructions about how to handle them; what to do when they hatch, how to take care of them after birth, how to raise them up and how to train them. Every detail was carefully written.
These things were naturally the work of Ni'er. Ni'er liked raising animals the most. Although the Phantasmal Beasts can be hatched by the Space, Ni'er was still curious and had gotten herself a few eggs to study. She found the way to hatch them normally, as well as how to raise them properly. At the same time, she also recorded the weights that the Blood Hawk can manage, the distance of flight in accordance to the load, and many other statistics.
Zhao Hai also asked Ni'er before he went and made copies of them. He didn't change anything and just had every single one of Ni'er's findings written down.
After the Emperor received the beasts and the notes, he immediately had a trusted aide raise the Blood Hawks according to the notes provided. At the same time, he also had the already grown up Blood Hawks train with Knights.
Our boi low-key wanted to have one room for all of them 😉
Chapter 506 – Welcomed by the Tribe
It didn't take a long time before the news about the Buda Clan giving the Rosen Empire some flying beasts spread out to the continent. The people became curious about how the Buda Clan had managed to train those flying beasts.
The most enthused people regarding this matter were from the Rosen Empire. Almost all of the Rosen Empire nobles had turned their heads towards Golden Island. These people had one goal and that was to see Zhao Hai and ask whether they could get their hands on some of those flying beasts.
But unfortunately for them, the answer that they all got was the same. Zhao Hai was currently in the Prairie, he wasn't in Golden Island.
Naturally, the nobles became disappointed. However, it didn't take them long before they shifted their sights. All of them turned to Randolph, since the Calci Family was Megan's home. They wanted to see whether they can get a flying beast there.
But it was a pity that Randolph also didn't have any Blood Hawks. But this didn't disappoint Randolph at all, on the contrary, he was very satisfied with Zhao Hai's methods.
The Rosen Emperor was very satisfied with how Zhao Hai handled this matter as well. It may seem like he doesn't involve himself in any matters, but it was impossible for him to not know about what happens inside the empire. If Zhao Hai gives some Blood Hawks to Randolph, even in secret, it wouldn't take a long time before the Emperor hears about it. This made the Emperor appreciate Zhao Hai more.
The Emperor knew that it was impossible for Zhao Hai to not give Randolph any Blood Hawks. But the Emperor was very clear that Zhao Hai would only give Randolph the Blood Hawks later in the future. Because of this, the Emperor can use this time to train a more skilled Air Force, this was equivalent to having a big step ahead of the others. This step might be small, but it can definitely play a crucial role in future battles.
Zhao Hai naturally knew about this, but he wasn't thinking about it right now. At this time, he was riding the Blood Hawk and was heading towards the main camp of the Herculean Bulls. However, he also wasn't thinking about the Prairie, he was currently focused on handling the Markey Family.
The Markey family is very big. Moreover, there were a lot of matters to attend to when managing them. Also, with how they do their businesses in the past, they had managed to offend a lot of people.
After Laura took over the leadership of the Markey Family, some small clans began to bring trouble. Because of this, they needed to deal with a lot of things.
Most importantly, the Markey Family's headquarters was placed on a small island, it was not a safe location. In the end, Zhao Hai decided to move their headquarters over to Golden Island then have the Rosen Empire as their main business joint. As much as possible, they wouldn't do business with the Aksu Empire.
This matter made them very busy. It was good that Zhao Hai had eliminated the other competitors for power, this made the transition much smoother.
Three days after the Air Force matter, the Blood Hawks were finally flying in the skies of the Prairie. They can arrive at an earlier time, but Zhao Hai deliberately chose to slow down so that people wouldn’t have a lot of suspicions.
After coming out of the Space, Zhao Hai immediately released Alien and then had it walk towards the Herculean Bull camp. They were currently inside the Herculean Bull's domain so their travel went by smoothly.
Moreover, when the Herculean Bulls were dealing with the Fighting Bulls, they had already seen Alien. Because of this, Zhao Hai didn't bother to set up any flags in fear that people wouldn't recognize Alien.
Sure enough, a group of Herculean Bull cavalry came. When the group saw Alien, they immediately became happy. They had their bulls charge towards the undead making the newcomers, Megan and Lizzy, very worried. Looking at the two of them, Laura immediately comforted, "It's fine, don't worry. These people are here to greet Brother Hai. They treat Brother Hai as their benefactor."
Just as Laura's voice fell, the cavalry arrived by the side of Alien. Then the group dismounted and gave a bow. A person took a step forward and said, "Is His Highness the Prince inside?"
Zhao Hai smiled and walked out of Alien's mouth. He looked at the beastmen and gave a big laugh, "I didn't expect you to still remember my mount. How is the tribe doing? Is Big Brother Busy? Did he miss me?"
When the Herculean Bull saw Zhao Hai, his expression turned into delight as he answered, "This one has seen the Prince. The Patriarch is in the main camp, he always talked about the Prince daily."
Zhao Hai laughed and said, "Alright, good. I haven't drunk with Big Brother for a long time. Go lead me to him immediately. I want to have a good drink with Big Brother." The Herculean Bulls smiled and then issued a loud cry before having their bulls head towards the main camp.
Laura and the others, who were still sitting inside alien, chuckled. Only Lizzy and Megan looked dumbfounded. They hadn't seen Beastmen before, but from the descriptions that they had read, Beastmen were vicious beings and were barbaric in nature. But what they saw just now was completely different, the Beastmen who greeted Zhao Hai were actually very respectful.
When Zhao Hai returned to inside Alien's body, they looked at each other's eyes and smiled, "I'm thinking about serving Brother Wales with a roasted Blade-Scale, what do you think?"
Laura smiled and said, "That's good. I think Big Brother Wales would take a liking to it. Come, let's go." Zhao Hai smiled and then had Alien go towards the main camp's direction.
Before long, Zhao Hai had arrived at the camp. The camp was in quite a stir when they received the information of his arrival, almost every single person of the Herculean Bull Tribe came out to welcome him.
When Zhao Hai saw this situation, he knew that it wouldn't be proper if he continued forward. He immediately went out of Alien along with the others. He also received Alien.
When the Beastmen saw Zhao Hai, they quickly gave him a kneeling respect. This seen made Megan and Lizzy feel strange. They didn't think that Zhao Hai would have this much reputation among the Herculean Bulls.
It was not only them, Zhao Hai was mildly startled as well. But he understood the Beastmen, he immediately said to everyone, "Alright, everyone, get up quickly. Go find me Big Brother so we can have a drink."
Upon hearing Zhao Hai, the Beastmen cannot help but laugh and then stood up. An elderly member of the tribe then said, "Everyone, it's very rare for His Highness to come drink with us. You all go home and get something for themselves. Make the Prince feel our hospitality." Then the people became rowdy as they walked into all directions.
When these people dispersed, Megan discovered that the people who gathered here reached about 100 thousand people. This made her even more startled.
At this time, hoofbeats can be heard as a team of cavalry was approaching. Zhao Hai focused his eyes and saw that it was Wales.
Wales came down from his bull about five meters away from Zhao Hai. Then he hurried towards Zhao Hai before laughing and giving him a big hug, "Hahaha, my brother! You finally came, I was dying to see you."
Zhao Hai laughed as well and said, "Big Brother, I also wanted to see you. Let's go and drink some liquor."
Then Wales let go of Zhao Hai and laughed, "Right, right, let's go drink! Brother, did you bring any nice wines for your Big Brother?"
Zhao Hai laughed, "Naturally, how can I forget about you. Moreover, I had also brought some good news for Big Brother. I have been married, these are my wives. You've already met Laura, Meg, and Ni'er. This is Megan and this is Lizzy. Megan, Lizzy, this is Big Brother Wales."
Seeing Zhao Hai and Wales' happy expressions, Megan and Lizzy didn't dare to hesitate as they gave their respects, "Megan(Lizzy) has seen Big Brother Wales."
Wales laughed and said, "Good, good. Sisters-in-law doesn't need to be overly polite with me. You've chosen well, my brother isn't an average person. Marrying him can give you great benefits."
Megan and Lizzy gawked. They weren't used to having someone talk to them like that. Laura and the others were already used to the way the Beastmen talk, they always say what they think. Since he thinks that Megan and Lizzy had gained greatly, then he would definitely not hesitate to say it.
Laura chuckled and said, "Big Brother. Brother Hai is always very good in your eyes. Right, let's hurry along, we're quite hungry."
Wales immediately smiled and said, "Alright, let's go. Having you be hungry for long is not very good." Then he called over some mounts and had Zhao Hai and the others sit on them before they headed towards the camp.
Currently, the camp was very busy in preparation for a feast. Since Zhao Hai, their benefactor, came, they decided to give him the best welcome that they can provide.
When Zhao Hai entered the golden tent, he saw that Yale and Mendez were already waiting for him inside. There were also some high-level members of the tribe present. Zhao Hai gave them his respects as he turned to Wales and said, "Big Brother, I have something delicious to give you. Have the tribe eat it." Then he released ten Blade-Scale Whales. These ten whales aren't small, each one having almost 20 thousand jin(10k kg) of meat. These whales were the biggest ones among the batch that the Space Produced. Zhao Hai took them out this time to have the people of the Herculean Bull Tribe eat it.
The population of the Herculean Bull tribe wasn't that large, about less than a million. But almost 200 thousand jin of Blade-Scale whale meat was still insufficient. However, it would still enough for them to savor the flavor of the meat. Zhao Hai had also released a number of Magic Beasts to be cooked in order to fully feed the entire Herculean Bull population.
Wales didn't become polite, when he saw these things he laughed and said, "You really bring a lot of good things everytime. But there's nobody here who can cook these properly. I'll have to depend on brother for this matter."
Zhao Hai laughed and said, "This isn't a problem. Brother can be rest assured." Then he released some undead to help cook the meat. Having them cook ensured that there wouldn't be a problem with the food.