Realm of Kings

Jerome Freeman

The man dressed in flashy clothing finally approached them, and Jax managed to catch a clearer glimpse of his face.

And Memories flooded his mind as he recognized the familiar figure leading the horse-drawn army and dressed in extravagant attire.

The man rode until he reached the area where the bodies of the fallen Wolves lay, prompting the soldiers behind him to halt as well.

With a gentle dismount, he lovingly caressed his horse's head before making his way towards Jax and Alicia.

His gaze held a certain charm as he took in the surroundings.

Upon reaching their front, he paused and smiled.

"It's been a long time, little brother!" the fashionably dressed man exclaimed.

In that instant, Jax's memory finally connected the dots.

The flashy-dressed man was none other than his brother, Jerome Freeman, his father's eleventh child.

Jerome ruled the Kingdom closest to Alec's village, as a king there too.

"What brings you here, Jerome?" Jax asked,

his fists clenched as he recalled the mistreatment he had endured from this man in the past.

Jerome had always despised Jax simply because he was born to a woman of lower class in the past.

And He has never accepted Jax as a true member of the family, always demeaning him during their childhood and insisting that they were not meant to share the same father.

While Jax might be considered a "bastard" forced upon their father, that was all in the past.

The new Jax no longer harbored any resentment towards Jerome or desired their supposed father's affection.

He had only one thing on his mind, and that was protection.

He had reflected on his current situation, and he knew that he needed protection since he was still weak and lacked the strength to defend himself, so being under his father who was a king a Tier 4 kingdom was actually his only desire from his family.

However, he also harbored a burning desire for the day he would reach the Tier 4 level also like his supposed father, and be able to make him regret the series of bad decisions he had made.

But for now, he had to confront an old bully along with the added challenge of dealing with his own brother.

Jax's anger and confusion grew as he continued to question Jerome's motives.

"What do you want here, Jerome?" Jax asked again, noticing how his brother seemed lost in his own thoughts.

After a brief pause, Jerome responded, seemingly unconcerned.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, To be honest, I was just wondering how you managed to defend against the horde of Demon Beast Wolves and come out alive, in one piece, they are the leftovers from the wolves we attacked, which is why I have led my army here myself to face them , as I highly doubt you could have survived an attack from the wolf horde."

Jax's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wait, so you're the one who brought those wolves here, intending to kill me?"

Jerome chuckled dismissively.

"Kill you? Don't flatter yourself, You're not worth the trouble, If I wanted you dead, I could have sent any of my captain-level men, and you'd be gone before morning."

Stunned, Jax struggled to make sense of his brother's words.

Jerome sighed, clearly impatient with Jax's lack of understanding.

"Dad aimed to protect you from the conflicts we face with the demi-humans on one side, But it seems he overlooked the fact that you remained unprotected against potential dangers from the other side."

Jax's frustration reached its peak.

"What the hell are you talking about?, How does that explain anything?" His voice grew louder, drawing the attention of the soldiers who stood ready to fight at his command.

Connor's face was filled with anticipation.

It was evident that he was never satisfied with fighting the Tier 2 red striped wolf; he craved more battles.

Jax's soldiers tensed up, their hands gripping their swords and cubs tightly.

The soldiers accompanying Jeromy also drew their swords, displaying their nervousness.

They knew that their king could be killed before they even reached him if anyone acted out of line.

"I just want to talk, not fight!" Jeromy reminded, sensing the killing intent directed towards him.

He kept his eyes locked on Jax, maintaining a nonchalant demeanor.

He knew that Jax would never kill him, unless he was ready to abandon their father's protection—a decision Jax was not ready to make yet.

"Then talk," Jax replied curtly.

Jeromy proceeded to reveal the news,

"The Orcs empire ceased their wars against the Lizardmen kingdoms in the far west, Now, a Tier 5 king from the Orc empire has set his sights on father's land, intending to expand through here and into the wastelands."

Jax's frown deepened upon hearing that a Tier 5 ruler expressed interest in his father's kingdom.

He realized his father would be defenseless against such an attack.

It also dawned on him that he himself was still relatively weak, just a Tier 1 king in comparison.

This realization urged Jax to redouble his efforts.

Jerome noticed the expression on Jax's face and understood what he must be thinking.

"You don't have to worry about the Tier 5 Orc King , He won't be able to step foot in the wasteland unless he wants to face King Iveer, who is a Tier 5 also and someone our father is beneath in these lands."

"So, for now, he is sending his minions to order their smaller level kingdoms to attack the lower-level kingdoms as well, This means that the wars will primarily be fought between Tier 1 to Tier 3 kingdoms, You need to be prepared because a lot of blood will be spilled on your lands, considering you are close to the Orc empire," Jerome explained as he began to walk back towards his horse.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Alec inquired.

"Well, because I know that you won't last long, You don't have enough warriors to face an army from a Tier 1 Kingdom, Just look at your soldiers, they appear like savages, They can't even afford proper armor for protection; they have to make do with sheepskins. I must admit, I really overestimated you," Jerome scoffed.

"Which brings me back to my question: how were you able to kill so many wolves with such a pathetic army?" Jerome turned around, extending his hands and waiting for Jax's response.