Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Orion explained that building the Ice Phoenix Palace had consumed not only a vast amount of rare materials but also a single Lord's Stone.

Most importantly, the loyalty of the palace and the Ice Maidens within was absolute. They belonged completely to Lumi, and to her alone, a private army bound to her will.

"The Ice Phoenix Palace and all who dwell within are now yours."

Orion transferred control of the palace to Lumi and, before she could fully react, wrapped an arm around her slender waist and stepped with her into its crystalline halls.

He had traveled from Stoneheart City well in advance to prepare this gift, a gesture of his genuine affection—one best consecrated in the warmth of their intimacy.

In the south, at the Ironveil Escarpment.

The preliminary work on the City of the Guardian, built upon the escarpment, was nearly complete. After the Stoneheart Horde and the Sea-Drake(seadragon) race finalized their alliance, the pace of construction had accelerated. Even the grand canal, planned to connect the entire territory, was about to be opened.

"Sister Lycanor, the city is in your hands now," Delilah said. She and Lycanor stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the cliff's edge. They had a good relationship, and as Orion's women, they addressed each other as sisters.

"What is that?" Lycanor asked, nodding slightly as she pointed to a tall tower in the distance. When she had first arrived, she had felt a little awkward around Delilah. However, Delilah had proactively broken the ice, speaking of private matters concerning the three of them, and their relationship had naturally grown closer.

Neither Delilah nor Lycanor was a fool. They both knew they had their own positions to maintain and represented different interest groups. But there was no great rivalry between them; they already had status and power.

As for children, with Pallas and Kronos already born, whether they had heirs of their own would not significantly change their standing. Thus, their relationship was a harmonious one.

"It's said that it will be a Mage Tower," Delilah explained. "Orion had it built in advance. In the future, the City of the Guardian will be a special place, connecting the continent and the sea. A large-scale magical ward is a necessity here."

Though the Mage Tower was built, the most crucial step was not yet in place. Inscribing the magical formations and gathering the elemental energies were tasks that only a true mage could complete.

The original plan had been for Orion to petition the Deputy Commander for a powerful protective ward. But that was a one-off transaction, not the ideal solution.

Back when Orion believed a long, drawn-out war with the Sea-Drakes was inevitable, it had been the only option. Now that they had made peace, there was no rush to inscribe the city's wards.

Furthermore, Orion had a new idea: his adopted daughter, Elara. He intended to entrust the task of becoming the Stoneheart Horde's powerful archmage, and of building its army of mages, to her.

The City of the Guardian would be her training ground. This, however, could not be rushed. It would have to wait until Elara was older, until the Deputy Commander himself deemed her ready to take on such a great responsibility. Orion was carefully, methodically laying the groundwork for the Horde's future.

"A Mage Tower?" Lycanor was stunned. "Does your Stoneheart Horde have a powerful mage capable of inscribing its formations?"

Delilah's words were astonishing. Even her own blood elf race had no mages capable of constructing a Mage Tower. Across the entire continent, perhaps only the human kingdoms and the dragons possessed such power.

"Even if we don't have such a rare talent now, the future Stoneheart Horde certainly will," Delilah said with confidence, her thoughts immediately turning to Elara.

Elara was the Horde's eldest daughter, a magical prodigy whose potential far surpassed that of her peers. She was also wise and remarkably adaptable. Delilah believed that if Elara ever grew ambitious, her impact would be greater than that of any of Orion's other children. Pallas and Kronos wouldn't stand a chance.

Delilah's assessment of Elara was high; she understood why Orion doted on the girl and knew that she carried a significant portion of the Horde's hopes on her small shoulders.

"Sister Lycanor, from now on, it is our Stoneheart Horde, not your Stoneheart Horde." Delilah's correction was gentle, a sign that she truly saw Lycanor as one of them now. She knew that with Orion's ascension to Archlord, no one—not even an upper-tier Legendary expert like Lycanor—could hope to make waves within the Horde.

"My apologies. I'm still adjusting," Lycanor said, her apology a mark of respect for Delilah and for the Horde itself. She made a mental note to herself not to act arrogantly toward the Horde's original high-ranking members just because of her own strength.

"It's like that for everyone at the beginning," Delilah said, her mature, melodic voice gentle. "Our two Wardens, Lumi and Soraya, also took time to adjust when they first joined us."

The tone was soft, but Lycanor understood the meaning behind the words. Among Orion's women, you, Lycanor, are not the first at the Legendary tier. It was a subtle but firm reminder from Delilah, a kind gesture if Lycanor was wise enough to understand it. If not, it was an unfriendly warning.

Within the Stoneheart Horde, only experts at the Legendary tier could be called a Warden. Lycanor knew this well. In fact, from the day she moved into the castle, the Stoneheart Horde had gained another Warden, and the news had spread quickly.

So, I am not the only one, Lycanor thought with a sigh. She suddenly felt that the mission her people had entrusted to her was not going to be as easy as she had imagined. The blood elves had calculated that she would gain a certain status and power within the Stoneheart Horde, but they had no idea just how fierce the internal competition truly was.

"Thank you," Lycanor said, and her sincerity was plain.

Delilah knew Lycanor had understood her meaning.

"Over there," Delilah said, pointing to the city's trade district. "Orion has reserved a trade zone for the blood elf race. I'm sure it will be a fine return gift."

The area was vast. In the future, Delilah knew, many of the great factions of the land would fight tooth and nail for a spot within it.

"Yes. I will send word to the City of Blessings."