The Tamer Monarch

In a luxurious room, three men sat around a circular wooden table. The first was Edward, the principal of Nawarin Academy.

The second was Riguras, the boss and the local underworld leader of the Nawarin city.

And the third was the most influential among them. Wenton, the mayor of Nawarin City. He was an old man, and a silent authority radiated from his very presence.

"So, you are saying Angelica was not the only reason you decided to stop going after Athar?" Edward asked, his tone slightly bewildered.

Riguras scoffed in response.

"From what you and Vale described, though I may have become somewhat wary of her, she did not frighten me enough to make me back off. Whatever trick she played on you all, I would have found a way to counter her."

Edward nodded and questioned, "Then who is this person that made you decide to leave Athar alone?"

"There is this lady," Riguras sighed in frustration.

Edward narrowed his eyes, beckoning for Riguras to continue.

"What lady? How powerful is she?" He questioned.

"Powerful enough to annihilate the three of us combined without breaking a sweat."

It was Wenton who spoke for the first time since the meeting had begun.

Edward slightly trembled in his seat. To annihilate the three of them? They were not some weaklings. Such person could only be found in the provincial capitals.

"Who is she?" Edward demanded. "What is someone like her doing in this place? And why do I not even know about her?"

Riguras snickered in response.

"Do you really think we are qualified enough to know about her? It was merely by chance that we even found out."

"How?" Edward asked, almost desperate to know about this mysterious woman.

"It was eight years ago," Wenton picked up the explanation.

"During the decadal Mayor's Summit in the empire's capital, the Royal Winged City."

Edward's eyes widened in surprise as he understood where Wenton must have learned about the woman. Every ten years, a gathering was held in the Royal Winged City. It was called the Mayor's Summit. All the mayors from across the empire would gather there. The summit lasted for weeks, and all sorts of important matters and administrative and policy issues were discussed. The emperor personally chaired the meeting on certain few days.

"I took Riguras with me," Wenton continued. "I thought it would be good for my brother to see more of the wider world."

Yes, Riguras acted with such impunity and was almost untouchable in Nawarin City because he was the younger brother of the mayor. That was the reason, even the academy had to overlook the underhand practices being followed by Riguras.

"The summit was nearing its end," Wenton said. "I was curious to visit the Forbidden Forest. Thankfully, I knew a high ranking official of the empire in the capital city."

"He was willing to take me to the Forbidden Forest with him. Thinking it to be a good opportunity, I took Riguras with me toward the Forbidden Forest."

"Perhaps there was a bit of greed too, we thought we might find some treasure or a rare beast core in the outer parts of the forest."

"We had not even gone a few kilometres inside the forest when it all started," Wenton recalled. An expression of awe mixed with fear and panic crossed his face just from remembering.

"A battle had erupted in the forest," Wenton said.

"We were quite a distance away from the battle, yet the shockwaves seemed to swallow everything. The earth trembled, and fissures as wide as valleys were carved into the forest."

Edward felt his heart race at the description.

"Two groups were engaged in a ferocious battle," Wenton went on. "On one side was the emperor himself and his four subordinates. Their beasts were so majestic and powerful that their mere presence forced us to our knees."

"And standing alone on the other side was a single woman," Wenton muttered, fear deepening on his face.

Edward shuddered. He did not need to be a genius to know this was the woman they were talking about.

"That battle was unlike anything we had ever seen. It was a battle of top tier powerhouses. A mere strike from any of them obliterated swathes of forest like it was nothing. Areas surrounding them was turned into a desolate place into moments. Neither the trees, nor the hills nor the rivers were spared."

"It was only because of that high ranking official that we were even able to survive the shockwaves of the battle."

"Although that woman was at a disadvantage," Riguras picked up, "she was not losing."

"She was fighting with all her might, and despite the combined assault of five people, she held her ground bravely. The emperor unleashed technique after technique, strike after strike, but he could not truly push her back. She stood there. Tall, defiant, powerful."

"We were completely engrossed in the battle," Riguras continued. "I think it lasted almost an entire day when suddenly, the presence of two old men stopped everything."

"We did not know what happened after that. We were taken into custody and frightened to our core."

"It was only a few days later that a minister paid us a visit," Riguras added. "He informed us of a few things."

"First, two people, that lady and her master, would be coming to live in Nawarin City. We did not really have to do anything except ensure their presence did not create chaos and that they settled well here."

"Second, we were asked to keep a constant watch and report on a few matters concerning the old man and the lady," Riguras said, though he did not go into detail about what exactly they were supposed to monitor.

"That old man, the master of the lady," Edward pressed. "Is he the same Altuna you recommended for a position at the academy?"

Wenton nodded silently, confirming Edward's question. Edward almost slumped into his chair hearing this response. He wondered if he had anytime offended that old man in the past years, he had been working here.

Although, Riguras and Wenton had only narrated a small summary and most probably were hiding some details, Edward did not need to know more.

A lady who could battle the emperor and four of his subordinates was no ordinary lady. But then the question arose.

"Why would be she be interested in Athar?" Edward questioned. "Is he anyhow related to her?"

Riguras shook his head, "That is what we do not know. But there must be something that had made that lady to make a move. For the past 8 years, I have not even seen her."

Edward was to speak something more when there was a knock on the doors and Axel entered the room. He had an information for Riguras.

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