His Breeding Obsession Chapter 189

The red-haired guest from the Dark Realm was seen descending behind him.

 

Hakan quickly racked his brain, trying to figure out what was going on.

 

Malandor stared at Hakan, then whispered something into Grecan’s ear. Hakan felt a cold sweat run down his spine.

 

‘What is this? What is he whispering about?’

 

Meanwhile, the flames of the execution pyre had all been extinguished, leaving only acrid smoke.

 

Silence hung in the air. Hakan smelled death and tension in the silence.

 

Unable to bear the anxious unease, he forced a sly smile.

 

“High Lord, you’ve finally awakened! I had no idea and sent for a doctor… I was so worried.”

 

Grecan nodded to the Dark Realm guest. Hakan grew even more uneasy.

 

To hide his anxiety, he gestured exaggeratedly toward the execution platform.

 

“L-Look at these scoundrels first. I caught them. They threatened you, High Lord. And Lady Mirania too! I was so angry that I acted without your orders. How do you wish to deal with them? Burning them would be the cleanest way, right?”

 

He cleverly shifted Grecan’s attention to the rebels. Before any of the prisoners could speak, Hakan took the initiative.

 

‘It’s fine. The High Lord trusts me.’

 

Hadn’t he worked hard for decades, flapping his wings to earn that trust?

 

As the sweet-tongued and convenient right hand, Hakan had been the High Lord’s trusted aide and the de facto second-in-command of the palace.

 

‘No one is as reliable and useful as me.’

 

Trying to calm his anxiety by recalling his usefulness, Hakan felt his heart pounding so hard he thought he might vomit.

 

He wasn’t the only one.

 

Grecan’s appearance had stirred fear among the crowd.

 

“It’s the High Lord.”

 

“I heard he collapsed, but he looks fine.”

 

“We’re all going to die…”

 

In the rapidly shifting atmosphere, one of the prisoners, who had narrowly escaped death, stared at Grecan with wide eyes.

 

“Mr. Kan?”

 

A voice filled with doubt.

 

It was the woman who had accused Hakan of lying. Minella.

 

“The High Lord?”

 

Hakan glanced at the bewildered woman.

 

He observed Grecan. Though he didn’t acknowledge her, he seemed to know her. Not a good sign.

 

‘I need to shut her up.’

 

“Do you know where you are, you wicked human? How dare you speak! Shut your mouth!”

 

Minella’s eyes turned sharp.

 

“You bastard! That man, Hakan, lied! We didn’t do anything! We just followed the witch’s orders, met with the leaders, persuaded the beast folk… That’s all we did! Why would we harm the witch when she was the one who gave us purpose?”

 

Her voice cracked with emotion, but her sincerity was palpable.

 

Feeling the situation turning against him, Hakan desperately looked to Grecan.

 

“High Lord… you’re not going to believe a human, are you? She’s a human. Humans lie and only think of harming others. That’s all they do.”

 

Grecan, who had been staring intently at him, finally spoke.

 

“Malandor says he smells something on you.”

 

“Smell? What smell?”

 

“The stench of the Dark Realm’s poison.”

 

The feathers on Hakan’s temples stood on end.

 

“It was my mistake.”

 

Grecan sighed, “I underestimated you, thinking you were powerless and incapable of anything.”

 

“High Lord, what are you talking about…”

 

“That almost killed her.”

 

A fierce blue light erupted from Grecan’s black eyes. Hakan turned pale.

 

“I didn’t realize your malice, consumed by hatred, was as vile as any human’s. I must have been the same once…”

 

Hakan’s mind went blank.

 

‘He knows everything!’

 

“Please spare me, High Lord.”

 

Realizing the situation, Hakan dropped to his knees.

 

Excuses were useless. Having been his close aide for over fifty years and having watched him for nearly a century, Hakan knew well that excuses wouldn’t work on Grecan.

 

Hakan wept, rubbing his hands together like a fly.

 

“Please spare me. Hear me out first. There was a reason, a reason!”

 

Grecan said nothing. Hakan’s face turned as pale as death.

 

“I-I-I’ll never set foot on this land again.”

 

“…Alright. It’s not entirely your fault. My complacency played a part.”

 

Grecan muttered as if realizing something.

 

‘I might live!’

 

Just as Hakan’s face brightened slightly.

 

With a cold expression, Grecan raised his hand.

 

“So I’ll make it painless.”

 

His finger calmly drew a horizontal line.

 

Hakan’s eyes widened as a gurgling sound escaped his throat. He trembled as he touched his neck. A red line appeared where there had been none.

 

With a slick sound, his head fell from his body and rolled to the ground.

 

A fountain of blood erupted belatedly.

 

It was the end of one who had accumulated hatred for decades and wielded it to become a monster.

 

The crowd fell silent.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Minella, who had braced herself for a scuffle, looked stunned.

 

Grecan gestured to the executioner.

 

“Release them.”

 

The executioner, startled, began freeing the prisoners. Grecan turned his back on 

Hakan’s corpse and faced the crowd.

 

Faces filled with terror.

 

Grecan spoke, “The palace is finished.”

 

That was all. Expressions shifted rapidly. 

 

As Grecan left, the sound of people collapsing echoed loudly.

 

Her head felt refreshingly clear. The strong sunlight, which had been subtly exhausting, now made Mirania’s expression relax.

 

“Shall we catch some fish?”

 

“I’m not hungry. By the way, where are you going?”

 

Mirania pointed with her eyes to the strange backpack Grecan was carrying.

 

Grecan playfully tapped the bottom of the bag.

 

“A trip.”

 

“What?”

 

“Just a trip.”

 

Grecan, who had scooped water to wet Mirania’s smooth calf, sat down beside her.

 

Under her piercing gaze, he ruffled the back of his head with one hand.

 

“Let’s just go on a trip like last time. If the last trip was to see how people live, this one is for healing.”

 

“…Just out of the blue?”

 

Mirania’s eyes narrowed, and Grecan grinned sheepishly.

 

“The destination is the Bridge of Coexistence.”

 

“…”

 

“You said you wanted to see it. So let’s go see it now.”

 

Mirania had said that.

 

Currently, the busiest human was Grangel, who had officially become the representative of humanity. 

 

Despite his busy schedule, he often visited Mirania for advice or to explain his plans.

 

The Bridge of Coexistence was a topic he had mentioned several times.

 

According to him, the construction was progressing smoothly.

 

The Water Dragon, which had once blocked those crossing the sea, had agreed to restrict passage only to those with impure intentions or hostility.

 

As a divine beast, the Water Dragon could discern the purity of a being’s heart by its color, making it an ideal guardian.

 

‘It was surprising that he even convinced the leaders of First Continent.’

 

To build the Bridge of Coexistence, the consent of First Continent was necessary.

 

Though she had said it was required, she had privately thought it would be difficult.

 

The Great Witch, Chera, and numerous minority tribes. It was unlikely they would readily accept renewed interaction with Continent 2 after a thousand years of isolation.

 

Even the relatively human-friendly witches would find it hard to welcome such a change.

 

[They weren’t entirely opposed. Of course, they were wary, but I kept persuading them that they would spare no effort in providing manpower and resources for coexistence. Especially regarding medical skills, which only a few beast folk possess. I also promised that if Continent 1 was disrespected or if unauthorized structures were built for personal gain, they would have the right to retaliate, regardless of the reason.]

 

Grangel was more enthusiastic and excited than she had expected.

 

[I want to see it too. The Bridge of Coexistence as it’s being built.]

 

She had given him a vague promise when he spoke so passionately.

 

‘I didn’t think I’d be going to see it so soon. They probably haven’t even set the pillars yet.’

 

Still, touched by Grecan’s thoughtfulness, a soft smile spread across Mirania’s face.

 

Grecan, who had been scrutinizing her expression, smiled as well.

 

The lively Grecan jumped into the lake and looked back at her.

 

“Let’s rest here. Even if you’re not hungry now, you will be after flying. I’ve packed rations, but still.”

 

“Alright. Let’s eat something light and then go.”

 

Excited, Grecan began preparing for the hunt.

 

💫

 

The construction site of the Bridge of Coexistence by the seaside.

 

The progress at the construction site was advancing faster than Mirania had imagined.

 

Nearly a hundred workers bustled about, each with clearly defined roles.

 

Twenty bat folk, their black, membrane-like wings spread, divided into two groups of ten, each holding onto ropes. They wrapped the ropes around their wrists several times and flapped their wings.

 

At the end of the ropes was a sturdy canvas, and atop it sat a large barrel.

 

At first, the barrel didn’t budge, but as the twenty bat folk took flight simultaneously, it slowly began to rise.

 

When one of them lagged behind, a bat folk supervisor overseeing the operation raised his hand and waved.

 

“Match the speed, slow and steady!”

 

The lagging bat folk adjusted their height to match the others. The twenty bat folk, now keeping an eye on each other, moved more slowly than before.

 

The barrel moved steadily, flying over the sea. Below, on the rocks, were mermaids.

 

Three mermaids spun in circles at one spot, raising their hands and stirring the water.

 

The bat folk nodded and moved above them. The mermaids drew circles with their arms and then swam out from under the shadow of the barrel.

 

The bat folk released their grip. The heavy barrel fell precisely into the sea.

 

Once materials were stacked on top, one of the bridge’s pillars would be complete.

 

The bat folk and mermaid clans, confirming the barrel had landed without error, clapped their hands.

 

On the high cliffs overlooking the sea, the leaders of each clan observed the progress of the construction.

 

Though the construction had been underway for several days, most of them still wore awkward expressions, as if they couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing.

 

“Well, I never thought I’d live to see something like this,” Leverianz said, clicking his tongue as he swept back his long, golden hair that reached his nape.

 

“Same here,” replied Natalia, the Great Witch, crossing her arms.

 

“Once the bridge is complete, the impact will be huge.”

 

Leverianz glanced at her.

 

“Of course. But isn’t that what we expected?”

 

His languid tone suggested he wasn’t particularly dissatisfied with the current situation. 

 

Natalia nodded calmly.

 

“There will be a big impact, and problems will arise, but that’s something both sides can manage. There’s a lot to gain, too. The harmony between humans and beast folk has its downsides, but the benefits are significant.”

 

Chera, who had been enjoying the sea breeze on the cliff, suddenly turned to Natalia.

 

“Did I mention the Zoin clan sent a message?”

 

Natalia tilted her head curiously.

 

“No, you didn’t.”

 

“The clan with the red-striped birds wants to participate.”

 

“There are quite a few clans who dislike us because of Hakan…”

 

As Natalia stroked her chin, Grangel, who had been sitting on the cliff, stood up and dusted off his pants.

 

“So what? If they want to work, let them join.”

 

The gazes of several clan leaders turned to him.

 

“Lady Mirania said we shouldn’t turn away those who want to participate unless absolutely necessary. Haha, the more people who join voluntarily, the greater the meaning of the bridge.”

 

Grangel, raising his hand cheerfully, used flying magic to lift himself into the air.

 

“I’ll go check the site up close. It seems Smith might have trouble managing it alone.”

 

Grangel flew off toward the seaside.

 

Leverianz watched his retreating figure, his lips twitching.

 

“Mirania…”

 

Chera, hearing his murmur carried by the wind, tied her windblown hair and quipped,

 

“If you miss her, why not go to the palace? It’d take about a week of flying to get there.”

 

Leverianz’s expression twisted into something between a frown and a smile.

 

“No. If I see that Grecan brat, I don’t know if I’ll throw a punch or a kick. I can’t even predict it myself.”

 

Raising one hand, Leverianz moved his fingers as if playing a piano.

 

“Vanessa told me Grecan sent some medicinal herbs. The essence of the fire lizard, apparently quite effective. That’s why I was able to come here.”

 

“So what? Should I thank him? Do you think old grudges can be resolved with something like that? Giving poison and then medicine—thanking him for that would be absurd.”

 

Leverianz snorted, and Chera stifled a laugh.

 

“Oh my, you’re so principled.”

 

Chera turned her head away from Leverianz, who dismissed her with a wave, and smirked.

 

“I think I’ll go see her. Lady Mirania.”

 

Leverianz’s shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly.