Village Head's Debauchery - Chapter 1381

Chapter 1381: Orion’s Bold Declaration
“Besides, didn’t you say earlier that you were willing, as long as I didn’t mind your current dilemma? Don’t tell me you’re suddenly having second thoughts?”

Orion pondered whether the reason the King hadn’t harmed Zymera was because of the child she was carrying.

This made him even more curious about the child that would result from their union, and whether the King had taken interest in her due to the lingering trace of his aura that had spread throughout the territory and its surroundings.

A being of that level could move unseen above the misty clouds, so why would its aura spread and linger for such a lengthy amount of time?

Perhaps it was meant as a message to the other Kings.

A flicker of understanding appeared in Orion’s eyes.

He had finally uncovered the answer to one of the unsolved questions that no one had bothered to look into previously, because they believed it was a futile effort.

‘Let them come. I’ll deal with them myself,’ Orion thought.

Vun-Shei and Yruel were shocked for what felt like the hundredth time. They quickly looked around to make sure no one else had overheard Orion’s words, only to realise their conversation had been isolated from the others.

They let out heavy sighs of relief.

Still, they couldn’t help but stare at the mysterious god before them with strange, unreadable expressions.

Their hearts pounded as they recalled his bold words.

To claim so confidently that he could kill a thousand Kings, those were not words just anyone could say. In all her long life, Vun-Shei had met countless gods.

Some were completely unaware of the existence of Kings. Others knew and still would never dare speak such words, no matter how ancient or powerful they were.

They leaned further into the assumption that Orion was either an insane god who had no real understanding of a King’s power. Still, they were unsure of which conclusion to believe.

Vun-Shei, however, had gotten too deeply involved by giving her word. She knew it would create unnecessary trouble if she tried to back out now, leaving her with no choice but to follow the god before her.

It was either the collapse of her Silver Tide Wolf Faction and fulfilling her role as a King’s bride, or becoming the plaything of the god before her for as long as he lived, or until he discarded her.

Neither option was ideal, but at least with the latter, there was a chance to save her faction and even strike back at a King.

Vun-Shei no longer hesitated. She quickly made her decision.

“Thank you for granting me this opportunity,” she said, bowing her head respectfully toward Orion.

She turned to Yruel and nodded.

Yruel, who was lost in her thoughts, followed behind her in a daze as they flew together to stand behind Orion.

Karli had been quietly observing the scene unfold, but her heart was deeply stirred by the conversation. She knew that many Spirit Beasts here came from far more powerful backgrounds than her own parents, but she hadn’t expected that one of them was the leader of a fallen King-level faction, willing to offer their leader as a bargaining chip.

Nor had she imagined another had been marked by a King to be his bride, only to willingly offer herself up to escape that fate.

But most of all, Karli’s heart trembled at the Supreme Leader’s bold declaration.

She glanced left and right, remembering that their conversation had been isolated. She sighed silently, seeing that two women had also done the same.

Even a Princess feared a King.

Although this was no longer a simple bargain, it seemed the Supreme Leader didn’t care. That could only mean one thing: sooner or later, their force would face the wrath of a King.

What had once seemed like a promising way to ally with a powerful force, to secure her parents’ future, and hers, and gain knowledge about the Seven-Headed Hydra… now made Karli wonder whether she had made the right choice.

‘Why was being chosen as a King’s bride such a terrible thing?’ Karli couldn’t help but wonder.

Her knowledge, as well as that of her parents, only extended to the Duke Rank. That was part of why they had rushed here upon learning about the King’s aura.

There had to be something more about the matter that Vun-Shei hadn’t shared.

Orion sensed it too, but he was already impressed that she had revealed so much in such a short time. He knew he would uncover more eventually, so he didn’t press her further.

The two women nodded in her direction, maintaining a respectful distance.

Karli returned the gesture with a slight nod of her own.

‘There’s no use thinking about it now,’ Karli told herself, pushing the thought aside.

Orion turned his attention to the next group before him.

It was a couple accompanied by a woman who closely resembled them.

She was pale-skinned, with ink-black eyes and hair that draped like a veil over her shoulders. The lower halves of all four limbs were covered in ink-black scales. Her name was Saeryn, a Duke-ranked Spirit Beast.

The couple beside her were her parents.

Their conversation was far simpler than the previous two.

Once it was over, Saeryn silently flew to stand behind Orion.

Next came two women, each from an entirely different Spirit Beast race. The one offered this time had four arms, deep russet skin, and scarlet eyes, with embers of flame subtly flickering around her. She was an Earl-ranked Spirit Beast.

After completing the bargain, she too flew to stand behind Orion with the others.

The next…

…

It took less than thirty minutes for Orion to complete the bargains on his end.

He turned to look at the Spirit Beast women standing behind him. Some had been offered by their parents or relatives for various reasons. Others had been trapped by debt, cancelled the moment they accepted the bargain.

He even encountered a Prince, similar to Vun-Shei, who had put forth his own daughter in exchange. She was also a Princess, several thousand years younger than her father.

In the end, he had only managed to secure two Princesses.

He realised that each woman had her own personal reasons for choosing this method of bargaining.

In other words, most of these exchanges weren’t exactly fair trades. Many were simply trying to take advantage of the situation.

Still, Orion made sure to verify their identities, their willingness, and the legitimacy of their relationships. Although the information he would later share publicly was false, each one of these women was a potential partner who might eventually be welcomed into his family.

That made the background checks a serious matter.

Unfortunately, no one beyond the original fifteen groups stepped forward. No one else was willing to bargain in this way.

“From now on, you will listen only to me,” Orion declared, turning to face the women. “After this meeting, I will speak with each of you personally and formalise the arrangement.”

Their eyes widened in surprise, then quickly calmed as understanding set in.

They nodded silently in acknowledgement.

He could tell what they were thinking.

If they believed this was a temporary arrangement, they were in for a surprise.

Orion returned his focus to the other bargains being made in the distance.

By his estimation, Greta and the others had acquired an incredible amount of land and various resources, more than enough for the White Flame Cosmic Tree to transform into a viable, comfortable habitat where Spirit Beasts could thrive.

They had just resolved one of Paradise’s major issues.

An hour later, the transactions concluded.

Greta’s clones disappeared one after another into thin air, until only the original remained.

Those unable to bring forward a suitable bargain were forced to leave. This time, no one lingered.

They were well aware of the consequences of failing to follow his instructions.

All three women flew towards him and mentally transferred carefully organised and detailed information from their respective bargains to Orion.

As he reviewed one of the sets of information, Orion nodded. “You all did excellent work. I’ll make sure you’re rewarded properly at home.”

“Hmph! I thought you’d be too busy entertaining your new interests,” Gina teased, arms folded and an amused expression on her face.

“Oh! I forgot, you’ve got all the time in the world now to make it happen, you sneaky brother,” she added with a click of her tongue.

Though she knew Orion was doing this for Paradise’s sake, she also understood that even if that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t have refused such a bargain. It would have just come with much stricter terms.

She couldn’t resist taking a jab at him.

Orion scrunched his nose slightly. Fortunately, their conversation remained private; otherwise, his public image might have suffered.

Celeste and Greta chuckled softly at the exchange.

“Let’s go. It’s time to begin the meeting,” Orion said, diverting the topic.

They nodded in agreement and flew toward the awaiting Spirit Beasts.

The gathered Spirit Beasts, who had been waiting for this moment, instantly focused their attention on them.