A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

Panning his gaze around at the crowd, Erik noticed they were looking at him with awe and respect… and he felt good. He never believed himself to be a vain person, or someone who cared about other's opinions, but… having a crowd of hundreds look at you like you were a warrior-god of legend felt like nothing he'd ever felt before.

Previously, the only time he was looked at similarly was back in Kirkenes, after he solved the war between the Silver Enclave and the Dominion. Unfortunately, the respect and deference they gave him back then was merely because of his identity as Runa's son.

If Runa went back there now, he could only imagine the shapeshifters would look at her no differently than these Enkarians looked at him now. Part of it was due to his aura and Nora's preaching, but mostly it was because his thundersnow barrier had never been invisible.

Although the Enkarians near his battle had been mostly focused on their own battle, many of them still caught glimpses of Erik's battle with Lilith… and it left an impression. Especially because Erik had been the main attraction, and their warrior-king took a support role.

After the fighting was over, the third-ranked battle had become the mostly hotly discussed topic, and the details had already spread far and wide, only becoming more fantastical with every new person to hear them.

As more and more people made way for the advancing Erik, many of them seemed at a loss for how to act. They felt respect, awe, and a hint of fear. They also knew their king had subordinated the kingdom to this man, and he was supposed to be their emperor now.

But what did any of that mean when the man was right there in front of him? None of them considered kneeling, as the Enkarians were an inherently prideful people, but there were plenty of other options.

Perhaps they should at least bow? Should they praise him? Even talk to him at all?

Erik himself, however, was barely aware of their thoughts. He just continued moving, and his three targets soon noticed his approach.

"Master!" two joyful cries echoed as Nora and Anne moved to meet him, a more subdued Serahpina trailing behind them. The latter looked relieved at his arrival, but the why only became clear when they met up with him.

"Can you please send me back now…?" she growled in frustration. "These people won't leave me alone! And these damn clothes don't help!"

Before Erik could respond, Nora narrowed her eyes at Seraphina threateningly, soon joined by Anne. "Who are you asking, Seraphina…?" she growled.

Seraphina groaned and glanced at Erik, but there was no relief there. He simply smirked at her. She sighed. "Would you please send me back, Master?"

Chuckling, Erik didn't plan to torture her more than this, so he nodded magnanimously and waved his hand. Instantly, she disappeared into his dimension, and the surrounding people looked on with awe.

Meanwhile, Nora and Anne each wrapped themselves around one of his arms. Their bodies were bloody, grimy, and tired, but their eyes sparkled with joy. Unlike Seraphina, they'd well and truly thrown themselves into their servile roles.

After she was gone, Nora looked around smugly at the Enkarian warriors surrounding them.
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"Look! Witness the power of your emperor!" she exclaimed, spreading one arm wide as the other remained wrapped around Erik, her tone bombastic and prideful. "Your king, in his wisdom, accepted the rule of my master as inevitable, and, in turn, His efforts saved you all from death by hunter! Accept him in your hearts, and be saved forevermore!"

Her voice, enhanced by runic power, rolled over the people's heads, stunning them into silence for a moment. There wasn't any kind of special power imbued in her voice, but there was a soul-stirring fanaticism that infiltrated her listeners like an insidious thought-worm.

At the same time, Erik's eyes widened slightly. He just came here to see how they were doing, but this kind of took an unexpected turn. Turning to look at Nora with a raised eyebrow, he was about to tell her to cool it a little… when the crowd had a surprising reaction.

They started to cheer.

"I'll accept him into my heart!" one yelled excitedly, weapon raised high.

"Me too!" another joined in enthusiastically. "Let our warrior-emperor lead us to victory!"

"In the name of the Silver Emperor, we march!" a third added, surprisingly giving Erik a new monicker.

And… it was quickly picked up as everyone raised their weapons high and joined in.

"The Silver Emperor!"

"The Silver Emperor!"

"The Silver Emperor!"

Their chanting rose into the air and propagated rapidly throughout the crowd. Enthusiasm, excitement, joy, and even hints of Nora's infectious fanaticism were mixed into their voices in such a way that shocked and stunned the object of their admiration.

"What the hell is happening…" he muttered in his mind, unconsciously opening a channel to the person most likely to be able to explain this.

Because, naturally, Elora was watching this all with amusement from inside his dimension.

"Hehehe," the fairy chuckled, eyes twinkling, as she looked at the wall-turned-screen inside the main hall of Erik's dimension. "It seems like Nora has somewhat of a talent for preaching. It's kind of like manipulation, except the manipulator believes their own manipulations…"

"As for the crowd's reaction," she continued her explanation with curious excitement. "It's not that strange. They may have won today, but the hunters almost wiped them out."

She pursed her lips into a sly grin. "The fact is that, no matter how much they trust their king, how proud they are, or how confident they are in themselves and their warriors, it is the nature of most sentient beings to seek protection and security in uncertain times."

Pursing her lips, she shrugged, "And it seems even vampires and shapeshifters aren't immune to this. You really need to reward little Nora. She's pushed your legitimacy among our new subjects to new heights."

At the same time, a flash went through her eyes as she realized that perhaps Nora could take up a very particular role in the future…