Chapter 12: Arcane Hermitage
In the tense silence, Kai Xiusu finally spoke:
"I see you have an exceptional constitution—your bones are truly unique, and your mind is sharp beyond measure. You're no ordinary creature. No, you're a true talent—yes, a demon-talent. Will you become my vassal?"
Lanpu let out a sigh of relief, halting the incantation of his Fireball Spell.
"With all due respect, Master," he said, grinning nervously, "I would be honored to serve a mighty being such as yourself. After all, you are a fearsome Red Dragon."
But before the Red Dragon could respond, Lanpu hesitated, then cautiously lifted his head and whispered:
"Still... I'd like to know—what benefits would this bring me? To me... and to my tribe?"
Damn, this Ogre isn’t easily fooled. He’s sharper than most. If this were a real Red Dragon, he’d have been reduced to ash with a single Breath of Fire. Only I, with my unparalleled discernment, could see past his brute exterior.
Kai Xiusu mentally scoffed.
Yet, given the scarcity of spellcasters, the Red Dragon decided to play the part of the benevolent patron. With the solemn air of a veteran leader, he began:
"I can see you’re unlike any other Ogre. You seek knowledge. You hunger for wisdom."
Lanpu nodded, visibly pleased.
Who else understands the agony of living among mindless brutes who only know how to eat and sleep?
"But tell me," Kai Xiusu pressed, his voice dropping to a whisper that slithered like a serpent’s hiss, "are you content to spend your days in this cramped valley—eating, sleeping, rotting away?"
"Would you truly be satisfied with only your kind for company—until some wandering adventurer stumbles upon your valley, slays you, and claims your head as a bounty?"
Seeing the Ogre’s eyes flicker with doubt, Kai Xiusu leaned in, weaving his words like a spell:
"Would you never wish to wield greater power? To see lands beyond the horizon? To have your name sung by bards across the realm?"
"Serve me, and I shall grant you endless feasts, strength beyond imagination, knowledge as vast as the stars themselves—so that your talents may finally be used. I shall build an empire, a legacy that will endure for ages."
He paused, letting the weight of the promise hang in the air.
"Imagine... you becoming a cornerstone of my grand design."
Kai Xiusu’s promises grew wilder and grander—no harm in painting a bigger picture. After all, the more he dreamed, the better.
"I... I..." Lanpu stammered, overwhelmed.
His mind reeled. For the first time in his life, as an Ogre, he was beginning to question: Is there more to existence than eating?
Meanwhile, the rest of the tribe had gathered, crouching nervously, too afraid to interrupt—but when they heard the word “food,” they erupted in cheers:
"Vassal! Vassal!"
"Food!"
They didn’t grasp the full meaning, but they understood one thing: More food.
"Now," Kai Xiusu declared, his voice rising like a war horn, "I need your answer.
Will you become my vassal?"
At last, Lanpu’s eyes hardened with resolve. He rose slowly, his massive, rotund frame half-kneeling in solemn submission.
"By the gods themselves, I, Lanpu, Master of the Gluttonous Valley Ogres, the wisest of my kind—declare myself your vassal. I shall serve you, and together, we shall conquer this world!"
The Red Dragon wasn’t moved by the theatrical display. He just felt a dryness in his throat.
Even with 17 Intelligence, this clever brute has clearly never faced the real world. Still, he’s easy to manipulate. A true tragedy of isolation.
"Kai Xiusu," the Ogre proclaimed, "you are now my sovereign. Remember this name—forever."
"Yes, my noble master," Lanpu replied, his voice swelling with dramatic fervor, "I shall be your blade in the dark, your shield in the storm, your spear at the forefront of every charge!"
He was already lost in the fantasy of glory, envisioning conquests and legends.
"Stop," Kai Xiusu interrupted sharply.
A three-meter-tall, one-ton Ogre speaking in the poetic tones of a minstrel? It sounded absurd.
"Yes, Master," Lanpu said, wiping sweat from his brow, suddenly self-conscious.
"Oh! Ohhh!" The ogres roared again, waving their jagged bone clubs, wooden clubs, and rusty war clubs in chaotic celebration.
They didn’t know what had happened—only that their old leader was gone, and a new one had taken his place.
And according to Daitou, the tribe’s second-smartest member, they’d be eating better now.
That alone was enough to send them into rapture.
"We’ve got a new boss!" Daitou cheered.
"No," Lanpu corrected sternly. "Not a boss. He’s the Master. Or... Your Majesty."
"Fine, old boss!" Daitou grinned, still waving his club.
"Old boss, why are you hitting me?!"
"Ow! Gah!"
---
As the ogres marched into their new domain, Kai Xiusu turned to the Cannibal Magician with quiet curiosity.
"Where did you learn your spells? And where did you get those books?"
Lanpu scratched his head, pondering.
"Months ago... I ate a mage who was riding in a carriage. He was soft and tender—delicious. And inside his carriage... there were so many books."
As he spoke, the Ogre licked his lips, a look of blissful satisfaction crossing his ugly face.
Even wisdom couldn’t erase the primal hunger of an ogre.
"Under my command," Kai Xiusu said firmly, "you must never eat sentient beings again."
"Yes, Master," Lanpu replied, his expression dimming.
Those mage-flesh meals had been exquisite... but for the sake of the grand vision, he would endure the sacrifice.
For Kai Xiusu, it was a necessary rule—not out of pity, but pragmatism.
He planned to gather countless players into his service. If his vassals were known as cannibals, the players might revolt. Or worse—report them.
"Take me to that carriage," the Red Dragon said, his tone oddly strained.
He already had a sinking suspicion.
Following Lanpu to a hidden corner of the valley, Kai Xiusu found the wreckage: a broken, ancient carriage, long abandoned.
Yet even in ruin, its gilded ornamental inlays shimmered with faded elegance.
And on the inner wall, a golden badge remained—its emblem a stylized Eye of True Knowledge crossed with two wands.
"Ah," Kai Xiusu murmured, eyes narrowing. "The Arcane Hermitage. And a Senior Membership Badge, at that."
What a waste.
The Arcane Hermitage—legendary in later history, founded by the famed Archmage Tralfranlo.
Its chapters spanned Ailezegai, with a known outpost in Anzeta.
Members gathered regularly to exchange arcane knowledge, share research, and occasionally take on evil threats.
Kai Xiusu shook his head, marveling at fate’s cruel irony.
A noble wizard’s apprentice—destined for greatness, handpicked for the Hermitage, burdened with the hopes of many—had been arrogant, headstrong, and prideful.
He’d defied his family, rejected their aid, and set out alone to carve his own legend.
Perhaps he’d even declared, "My fate is in my hands, not in the hands of gods!"
He dreamed of slaying monsters, rescuing princesses, claiming treasure, earning glory—building a tale worthy of bards.
But he never made it far.
A single, well-placed club from a hungry ogre sent him unconscious—then into a belly, never to be seen again.
His precious library, his heirloom magical gear—everything was devoured, repurposed, and forgotten.
And ironically, the one who benefited most was the very creature he’d feared: a crude, ugly ogre named Lanpu—now a rare and terrifying Cannibal Magician, the unwitting heir to a legacy he never knew he’d inherit.
(End of Chapter)
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