"Go on."
Arlo said and waved his hand, signaling him to continue.
"The tribes that enter the realm without my permission will be unceremoniously tagged as invaders, prosecuted, and hunted down to the very last man. But as you already know, I advocate peace and do not like unnecessary bloodshed. I hope you can redirect the hordes and swarms of monsters coming towards my realm somewhere else if you meet any. You don't need to initiate a conversation with them." Ganesha used his trunk to pull out a whistle from the bag strapped to his sides, then brought his trunk above Arlo's hand and released it, causing it to drop on Arlo's palm. "Just blow this whistle using a breath that is injected with aura, and they will understand."
"I understand."
Arlo saw no problem with doing him this favor.
The only thing he was getting out of this were benefits.
The ties he had with them would be strengthened once he completed this quest.
Arlo stored the whistle in a safe place, then raised his head to look at Ganesha questioningly.
"Anyway… I actually have a question for you, why are so monsters leaving the wetlands recently? Has it suddenly become inhabitable?"
Ganesha shook his head and spoke.
"It's still inhabitable. But the dumb mutt is making it inhospitable. It's the cause of all this. It's forcing all the tribes of the wetland to submit to it. Those who refuse to answer its call are killed. News has it that the ones who have submitted to him were brainwashed. They lost their wisdom and sanity, and their intelligence was reduced to the level of a savage beast. Afraid that they might become the next victim of his tyranny, tribes after tribes of monsters are escaping the wetland. What he is doing is against the code of the house of lords. Tell it to stop, or I will invade his realm with the lord of the warm land, a brother of mine, and show him hell."
He asked Arlo to do him another favor.
"What do I get from doing you this favor?"
Arlo said. He didn't want to work for free. They might be friends, but there is a limit to how much you should help a friend for free. Thus, he asked for something in return.
"A reward," Ganesha said with a mysterious smile on his face.
"You know who I am." Arlo scoffed, "There are very few things that can pique my interest. What can you give me to make me feel rewarded? I doubt you have something like that."
Ganesha found him a bit rude and decided to shut his mouth.
"You want to know who Hades is, don't you?"
Hearing his words, Arlo felt so shocked that his eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"How did you find that out? I never told you that. It was supposed to be a secret!" Arlo exclaimed.
Except for him and his brother, no one else knew that he was looking into this matter.
"Everything in this Major Realm, be it mountains or trees, gales or stalks of grass, has the potential to develop spiritual awareness. I am called the mist and clouds for a reason. The breezes from the land that has housed you for years told me that you had launched an investigation on the true identity of the mastermind behind Yama's gate after waking up from your dream."
"I see… the winds and mist are like your ears, and clouds are like your eyes," Arlo said thoughtfully.
Ganesha nodded.
He felt impressed.
Ganesha has impressed him thoroughly!
"Using similar means, I got closer to the truth you have been seeking." Ganesha exposed.
Arlo felt shocked. "Wait, don't tell me you have already uncovered Hade's identity."
Ganesha smiled and said, "I have an idea as to who he can be and proof to somewhat verify my claim, and both will be shared with you if you give a good slap on the face to that dumb mutt for me. And you don't need to worry about getting evidence to back up your claims. The wind will tell me once you complete the task."
"You will hear good news soon," Arlo said confidently.
Then, he questioned Ganesha again.
"Why is that stupid mutt of the wetlands terrorizing the inhabitants of its realm away?"
"It has something to do with his son going missing three months ago."
"16 years ago, he lost an egg, and now he lost a son. His luck is really bad. If I was in his shoes, I would have gone crazy too. It makes sense that he has started lashing out at others for no reason after losing another one of his children."
"Going crazy doesn't mean you can trouble those you shouldn't offend."
"Well, that's true. He needs to be taught a lesson."
…
"Escort them to the border."
Ganesha went away, but not before ordering his subordinates to give them a free ride.
Arlo jumped on the back of a huge monster; it was the personal maid of Lord Ganesha.
"Hop on."
Then, he told the others to hop on the back of a monster too.
Roy Princess carried Amelia onto the back of the same monster, where Arlo could be seen sitting.
Delilah teleported next to them.
Julian didn't want to be left out, so he tried to climb it but found out that he was too weak to do that. In the end, he gave up with tears in his eyes.
"I will help you out."
Arlo pitied him and helped him onto its back.
A twist of the wrist was all he needed to create a wind so strong and stable that it gently carried Julian onto its back.
Julian sat beside them and beamed, "Thanks."
Meanwhile, the twins were being looked at by dozens of monsters.
All of them wanted to be used as their steeds.
Legend has it; the elves were created by the Great Forest.
From the time immemorial, they have tended to the forest and its inhabitants and protected them from the darkness. For some reason, which has become a part of lost history, elves left the great forest in major numbers. Nowadays, only half-elves are commonly seen, and elves have become a rare sight. But even a half-elf was enough to make them feel good. It was the beasts' innate desire to serve them.
The half-elves felt troubled and sat down on the one closest to them, breaking the heart of others.
