Ten years later.
The ancient dragons, as if privy to some hidden secret, vanished entirely, leaving no trace.
Meanwhile, tensions between the remaining Titan giants and the goblins were on the verge of erupting.
The mightiest of the Titans, the Thunder Titan, once sought to personally crush the treacherous goblin race. Yet, thousands of miles from the Goblin Court, he sensed a lethal threat.
He retreated.
Returning to the Titan ancestral lands, he focused on aiding his kin in healing their wounds.
On the continent, nearly ten million goblins now rallied around the Goblin Court, pledging loyalty to their king, Amigel!
Unlike the Eagle Court of old, the Goblin Court treated its scattered kin with care.
They provided food, helped them settle in new lands, and trained their extraordinary warriors.
As a result, goblin tribes once scattered across the continent, serving various Titans, united under Amigel's banner, hailing him as their king!
The Eagle Court, Snake Court, Half-Blood Giants, Centaur Court, and other races still loyal to the Titans publicly condemned the goblins' betrayal. Yet, they could not deny the goblins' growing power!
The mysterious humans appearing within the Goblin Court sparked even greater curiosity.
The astute suspected that the goblins' rapid rise was intricately tied to these humans.
At the same time.
The reputation of the Winged Man spread across the continent.
Wise races capable of soaring through the skies were rare.
The Winged Man, with their near-universal affinity for light-based abilities and a profession system that included healing powers, were warmly welcomed by the continent's races.
Moreover, in aerial clashes, the Winged Man outmatched the eaglefolk.
Their human-like hands allowed them to wield bows, striking the eaglefolk from afar with devastating precision.
This made Winged archers one of Felander's most formidable forces!
Even extraordinary warriors found facing a disciplined Winged legion a headache.
This strength caught the attention of the Goblin Court!
As the first snowflakes of winter dusted Paradise Mountain, the goblin emissaries arrived as promised!
Paradise Mountain.
A delegation, dressed in what passed for "fashionable" by Felander's standards, ascended the mountain's peak.
In this group, alongside the short, lanky, green-skinned goblins, stood a human woman who looked strikingly like a wingless Winged Person!
As the Winged soldiers escorted the goblin delegation toward Jarius' grand tent.
The goblin emissaries displayed the poise expected of envoys from a major Felander race.
Only the human woman betrayed her curiosity, her eyes darting about.
Her expression lively as she studied the Winged Man, so similar to herself.
At the White Stone Fortress, Jarius's residence.
The goblin emissaries performed the formal courtesies due a foreign king, placing hands over their chests.
"Honored Winged King, we are emissaries sent by our King Amigel, bearing our sincerest respects!" they declared.
Jarius rose, his pristine white wings tucked behind him, his violet eyes sweeping over the goblins before settling on the human girl standing out among them. He smiled warmly.
"Welcome, emissaries of the Goblin Court!"
He meant it, though a strange sensation stirred within him.
These goblins, neatly dressed and impeccably clean, were a far cry from the wretched, scavenging goblins he'd encountered in the Fifth Chapter, barely clinging to life in the wilderness!
Seeing Jarius' friendly demeanor, the goblin emissaries relaxed. Their leader wasted no time, cutting straight to the point.
"For ten thousand years, the Titans and ancient dragons have ruled Felander, enslaving its races, reveling in their brute strength. Arrogant and conceited, they've unleashed wars that could shatter the continent, leaving countless Felanderians dead, turning skies and lands into seas of fire!"
"Today, the continent's races groan under their yoke, their resentment and fury toward the Titans and dragons reaching a boiling point!"
"Led by our Great Sage, High Priest, and Goblin King, our goblin race has united the continent's peoples, preparing to rise and overthrow the Titans' rule!"
"On behalf of the will of these races, we, the emissaries, propose an alliance with the Winged Man to join this grand cause!"
"Winged King, what say you?"
The emissary finished in one breath, lifting his gaze to Jarius, awaiting his response.
Jarius, noting the emissary's directness, matched it with his own.
"The Winged Man are willing to ally with the goblin tribes to topple the Titans and dragons!"
"But," he continued, "what does the Goblin Court offer my people in return?"
The goblin emissary chuckled.
"To overthrow the Titans and claim mastery over our own fates—is that not the greatest reward?"
Jarius shook his head, his tone serious.
"The Winged Man have dwelt by the coast for generations, never bowing to the Titans. Whether we join your cause or not, what difference does it make to us?"
"This…"
The goblin emissary faltered, caught off guard. His intelligence reports confirmed that the Winged Man, emerging in Felander only in the last century, had indeed never submitted to Titans or dragons.
Recalling the Great Sage's directive.
"The Winged Man possess Felander's finest air forces! We must win them over!"
The emissary sighed.
"Honored Winged King, the Great Sage and Goblin King have indeed made promises!"
"Should the Winged Man join the anti-Titan alliance, after the war, you may choose any land as your people's territory!"
"Furthermore, we are willing to share some of our wondrous goblin technologies with the Winged Man!"
"And also…"
The emissary rattled off a litany of offers.
Jarius finally nodded, satisfied.
"Good. Present the covenant, and my people shall bind ourselves to the goblin race, united in striking down the unjust Titans!"
The negotiations concluded.
Both sides were pleased. Jarius ordered his people to prepare a grand feast to honor the goblin delegation!
Nightfall.
Winged Man and goblins gathered around roaring bonfires, feasting on hearty meats, guzzling drinks, and dancing in celebration.
The crimson flames cast their glow on every face, as Winged maidens sang and danced before the towering fires!
In the midst of the revelry.
The human girl who had accompanied the goblin delegation slipped quietly to Jarius' side, her voice soft as she spoke.
"Honored Winged King, I have a question I'd like to ask."
"Speak, emissary."
"May I ask, Winged King… do the ancestors of your people also hail from the Sanctuary?"