The First Legendary Beast Master

Chapter 1046  Toward The Swamp

The Naga seemed enthralled by the experience of riding on a carriage pulled by a behemoth, and Thor was moving much more quickly than his people could constantly move across the grass.

Naga were extremely fast in burst movements, like the snakes they resembled, but for long distances, they werenʼt all that impressive.

They were faster than many of the bipedal species, but compared to the Behemoth, who was casually jogging along with the carriage, they were far slower. This speed would be nearly as fast as they could sustain for a few minutes, not a casual all-day pace.

”How have things been in the swamps? I know that Gabil is a special case, and we have information to relay to them about exactly what seems to be happening. But how much of that has been spreading east across the border?” Karl asked, striking up a conversation with the lounging Naga.

{Things are pretty good in the swamp. The Shaman Goddess protects the swamps, so most of the spawned monsters stay away, unless the incident started in the swamps themselves. But sometimes that is a good thing. We had a Crocolisk spawn not long ago, and that will be food for many months. Itʼs not the most common outcome, but when the monsters or beasts are an edible species, it is a huge windfall for the tribes of the entire region.

Itʼs not just Naga, you see. The Lizardmen have many tribes in the territories around ours as well. Then the various Fae tribes. Many types of Fae like to live in the swamp, especially the Wisps and the Witches.}

Karl was confused. ”I thought that the witches were a System Class? Like, not their species, but their specialization?” The Naga laughed. {Oh, yes, those are witches too. But I mean the various types of Fae Witches. Water Witches, Swamp Witches, Forest Witches. There are more, but those three all live in the swamps. Mostly the Swamp Witches, who are the only Dark Fae out of the three.

Theyʼre a nasty piece of work, but theyʼve got powers that can really help if you find a way to negotiate with them.

Usually, we find a Witch Doctor among the Trolls and send them to do it. The Swamp Witches and the Witch Doctors seem to have an understanding, and they can usually work out some sort of deal that isnʼt open-ended or with surprise payments due.}

Karl chuckled. ”I know a human Witch Doctor. She has her whole body covered in tattoos of power. Itʼs quite the sight.”

The Naga chuckled. {The Trolls only wish that they could use such an ability. Itʼs part of their class skills, but you canʼt tattoo or scar a Troll, so none of them can practice it.}

”That has to be frustrating. Such a powerful skill, and they canʼt even use it. But can you imagine a passively buffed troll that has twice the usual strength and stamina? They would be unstoppable.” Karl laughed.

The Naga shook his head in dismay. {Donʼt go giving them ideas, they might just find a way.}

Karl was reasonably sure that he knew the way already. Instead of tattooing them, you could paint it on, and just refresh the ability when the paint wore off. The Trolls probably already did it, as he had seen them wearing war paint in the past.

They idly chatted through the day, and when the sun started to go down, Thor stopped the wagon to be swapped out for a giant Dire Bear, who would pull them through the night.

{This really is efficient. By morning, we might have to switch to something aquatic. Our destination is actually on the east side of the Swamps, so if weʼre going to take the most direct route, there will be many muddy roads along the way.}

”Thatʼs alright. Weʼre already making good time, Iʼm sure nobody will be too upset about a slower rate when things get muddy. Are there actual roads, or would we be needing a boat? I have the ability to make a flat-bottomed boat to take us through the swamp.” Karl suggested.

The Naga considered that. {If we alter our course a little, we can reach the headwaters of the Gund Fork long before we reach the swamp. Then we can follow that almost all the way to the Temple. Itʼs only a few kilometres from the river.}

[Hawk, do you see a river in front of us somewhere?] Karl asked.

[Northeast. The road doesnʼt go anywhere near it, but it should be easy to get to.]

”I can turn the carriage northeast toward the river now.” Karl offered.

{Northeast? No, it should be east, past the road, closer to the village of Nararam.}

Karl shrugged. He didnʼt know any of the river names.

[Oh, I see it. Thatʼs still a hundred kilometres away. You will be there tonight sometime.]

”My scout says that he found the one you mean, itʼs a hundred kilometres away. Your group must have been searching for some time.” Karl explained.

The Naga nodded. {We were sent out over a month ago, expecting trouble in locating anything within the wilds of Gabil.}

Karl sighed. ”Thatʼs quite the adventure. I can only imagine how many times you had to double back, searching for a target that kept moving. Weʼve been all over the place in the last month or two.”

The Naga laughed. {Fortunately, we have the seers linked to us, so they can give updates. They tell us where weʼre most likely to find what weʼre looking for, and we adjust our position. But until we met Queen Remi, we didnʼt know exactly what we would find.}

Karl nodded in understanding. ”Remi is an interesting one, and it would be hard to expect someone just like her, even if you knew that it would be a Naga Queen her age. Sheʼs gone through a few major changes as she advanced as well. Some of that is the new skills that I have taught her using the talents of my class, most of it is her own hard work and dedication to studying.”

The Naga looked impressed. {She is remarkably studious for a young Queen. It is somewhat more common for them to live a few decades as a spoiled debutante after they rise from the rank of Princess. But then, even the Princesses are notoriously spoiled, as they are expected to become the next leaders of their tribes, even if they canʼt advance and become true Queens. Though our people have advanced past the state where we were unable to deny the will of our leadership Caste, they innately hold a huge amount of power and respect among the Naga, simply for what they are. Leading us is literally ingrained in their genetics.}