Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1527 A Prince’s Burden

Far from descending into madness, Rommath brimmed with sheer euphoria.

He ransacked his treasuries, hauling out every valuable treasure, exotic potion, and larva-nurturing supplement, then arranged them all for the broodmother Laito to ravenously consume.

Hahaha... it seems my new master isn't some destitute beggar after all! Look at all this premium stash! Laito mused inwardly as he feasted. As a contracted broodmother larva, he held supreme importance. To this elf, he represented a gem brimming with limitless promise.

Ideal. Utterly ideal, Laito plotted cunningly. This hoard lets me conceal myself, restore my power, and skulk in secrecy to uncover precisely what my ancient enemies scheme.

Hmph... you bastards wanted to ruin me? Now it's my turn to ruin you. I'll start by sabotaging your grand invasion! I'll force your descent early and drag you all into a catastrophic, bloody war. Hehehe!

Rommath observed with unwavering fascination. For the first time ever, he discovered that witnessing a grub devour its meal could prove utterly mesmerizing.

"Everything will turn out fine," Rommath declared at last. He tore his eyes from the devouring larva, rose to his feet, and drew his Queen into a one-armed embrace. "This is just the beginning."

The Queen, as his spouse, readily detected the fresh spark of hope igniting in his tone. "Yes, everything will get better," she whispered tenderly.

Truthfully, apart from their unchallenged rule over a kingdom, their losses weren't so dire. So long as Rommath resisted utter despair, indulging his passion for nurturing a broodmother posed no real harm. Far to the south sprawled the budding city of Sophia.

Constructed wholly from the ground up, the city missed even fundamental facilities. A vast ocean of canvas tents and crude shacks defined the expansive camp. Yet, through the relentless, frenzied toil of innumerable slaves, the colossal outer walls had begun to form. Though only a skeletal outline, it instilled profound safety among workers and slaves alike. No longer could feral swarms slink effortlessly into their camp during slumber.

In the city's core amid chaotic building frenzy, Kaelen guided Melissa into the imposing command tent of his Butterfly Mother, Sophia.

"Mother, this is Melissa. She is a broodmother of the Dragonlouse Race," Kaelen proclaimed with a respectful bow. He then delivered a complete, candid recounting of discovering her during his purge of the southern coastal areas, concealing no details.

Ever since Kaelen and Melissa entered the tent, Butterfly Mother Sophia uttered not a syllable. She merely fixed her stare on Melissa, eyebrows faintly arched, openly unleashing her piercing, probing scrutiny.

Beneath that oppressive gaze, Melissa's skin prickled uncomfortably. This terror starkly differed from the horrifying, suffocating pressure she endured near the royal castle. She wavered between standing frozen or seeking a seat.

Melissa delivered a profound bow paired with a courteous smile, yet Sophia met it with cold indifference. The true agony came from Kaelen frozen stiff at her side, silent as stone.

The choking, tense air stretched on endlessly.

"I am somewhat disappointed in you," Sophia uttered at last, shattering the thick quiet.

She shifted her eyes from Melissa to bore into Kaelen's, her statement bleaching his face of color.

"You have only just returned to the Horde. All of your energy should be focused on eradicating the feral swarms and flawlessly executing the tasks the Horde assigned you. Did you think securing the south was the end of it? What about the central plains? The north? The continental coastlines? Have you ever heard of the commanders of the Third Legion and Fourth Legion halting their crusades?"

This sharp rebuke fell entirely upon Kaelen's shoulders.

Born as a giant prince from an outsider mother, his lineage stood unquestioned, yet claiming full recognition from the Stoneheart Horde demanded a grueling journey. Monumental battlefield feats were essential to craft the prestige and loyalty he still lacked.

Instead, he dragged a woman here for an introduction. Such actions profoundly disheartened Sophia.

Kaelen's elder brothers ranked as matchless geniuses. Though Sophia never encountered them directly, her Horde tenure revealed their epic sagas. The First Prince, Caelus, remained a spectral enigma; even Orion's wife seldom invoked his name. The Second Prince, Kronos, outsider-born like him, had dwelt on this land lifelong and enjoyed far greater Horde embrace than Kaelen.

Regarding the Third Prince, Pallas, raised within the royal keep from a young age, his prestige stood unmatched. Within the Stoneheart Horde, mentioning "the Giant Prince" always pointed to Pallas. Even Caelus earned only the respectful title of First Prince.

Importantly, each of the three princes had been sent to the savage frontlines for tempering. Hardship brought forth growth.

Aware of his vast lag behind them, Kaelen shunned desperate pursuits to close the gap and instead chased after women. This ignited Sophia's rage.

"Kaelen, you're an adult now. I won't try to block you from having lovers or meddle in your personal affairs," Sophia declared, her tone shifting to a severe, authoritative pitch that echoed her strict rebukes from his boyhood days. "But not at this moment."

"You stand as a giant prince of the Stoneheart Horde. Destiny calls you to bear the immense weight of this empire's responsibilities. You need to endure the endless gaze of your myriad subjects. Such is your honor—and the Horde's pride."

Her eyes tightened into slits. "Moreover, you reign as King over our Dark Butterfly Race. The revival dreams of our whole people rest squarely upon you."

Sophia's voice chilled to frost. She advanced and yanked apart the tent's thick entrance flaps with force.

"Gaze outside, Kaelen," she ordered. "See the walls. See our people. Watch them haul massive stones and timber using their delicate frames."

"Master assassins they are. Unrivaled illusionists too. Yet for you—their King—they've set aside their blades, shed their protective gear, and turned into mere builders."

This described the full Dark Butterfly Race. Upon hearing that this fresh city served their King and would bear the name 'Sophia' in tribute to their Butterfly Mother, innumerable warriors wept openly. After years of exile and torment, a true home at last. From vulnerable elders to tiny children, all had flooded the site, eager to offer their toil and lifeblood in its construction.

Sophia whirled back, her blazing stare fixing on the Dragonlouse broodmother.

"And you—if you dream of wedding Kaelen... you fall short."

Her words sliced into Melissa with ruthless precision, sparing no feelings.

A tightly held truth in the Stoneheart Horde lingered: all giant princes held the innate gift to ascend to Demigod rank. Thus, any woman aiming to match Kaelen as his equal required identical Demigod aptitude. Lacking it meant becoming an unbearable load—much like Sophia viewed her own place beside Orion.

Why did grown men like Caelus, Kronos, and Pallas remain unwed? That very cause. To claim the role of giant prince's wife demanded peerless talent, limitless promise, and supreme standing as non-negotiables.