Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

In response to Agatha's greetings, Kayini reciprocated with both a nod and verbal encouragement.

She asked Agatha a few questions regarding the City of White Raven as well as the things she needed to be wary of now that she was out of the Badlands.

She also seemed interested in Eren's monster army personnel but decided to strike conversations with them in the future.

The Orc Sovereign Kayini wanted to meet Eren directly to discuss a few things. However, Eren had remained unapproachable due to the Lazarus Project. So she had to wait for him inside his city.

The next S-Ranked monster introduced by Ror to Agatha and her entourage was Rawood Khal, an Ogre Sovereign.

In many respects, Rawood bore the appearance of an elderly human mortal in his seventies, but his well-defined musculature suggested that he was used to spending hours everyday in the gym.

His black eyes and shiny golden sclera imparted an intimidating gaze. With ash gray hair cascading down his shoulders and a long beard, he possessed the air of a formidable senior figure, marked by a prominent nose, forehead creases, and scale-like patterns on his face that seemed to eternally convey a sense of anger.

Rawood Khal's arms appeared as though they were constructed by amalgamating several human arms. His broad chest and pillar-like legs further emphasized his imposing presence. Clad in remarkably resilient and cutting-edge metal armor, especially considering its origins in the heart of the Badlands, he stood at a towering height of 8.6 feet as an ogre, resembling a colossal metal tree brought to life.

Despite his formidable stature, Rawood Khal seemed to harbor lingering doubts about accepting Eren's offer. It was as if he contemplated returning to the Badlands to evade the complexities of engaging with the Sages from Edinburgh.

Nonetheless, he maintained an outwardly composed demeanor, posing a few questions to Agatha but refraining from further inquiries. With Loma and Kayini present alongside him, he apparently decided that withdrawing from the arrangement with Eren would not be in his best interest.

Even as monsters, these S-Ranked entities were mindful of their image, especially when interacting with lower-ranked entities and their subordinates.

Next in line for introduction was Parmar, a Gnoll Sovereign. His facial features were mostly concealed by a headgear, revealing only his canine-like teeth and intermittently glowing red eyes as he scrutinized his surroundings.

Parmar's attire was minimal, consisting only of shoulder guards and an ornate necklace artifact. His torso remained largely exposed, with dark gray skin covered by a thick growth of fur. He had wrapped a simple cloth around his waist.

Physically, Parmar possessed a tall and lean build, resembling that of a half beast and half human. His hands, similar in structure to a human's, featured retractable nails that could instantly transform his grasp into a gnoll's powerful grip.

Even though he was the newly evolved Sovereign, Parmar's Elemental Attainment appeared more profound than that of his peers accompanying him. Unlike the others in his group, Parmar had never ventured beyond the Badlands to interact with the broader population of Anfang.

For centuries, he had resided within his governed region, leading his tribe while continually advancing as a monster through Monster Evolution.

Parmar was the most excited to be in Agatha's presence even though he tried his best not to show it. He viewed Eren's offer as an opportunity for personal growth and exploration.

He sought to observe the lives of the native Anfang inhabitants who had fully integrated with the world's customs and way of life. After all, he had received his Clarity as he evolved, which made him aware of Echidna's existence but also alienated him a bit from the Land of the Faithless. As such, he wanted to know where he truly belonged.

Accepting Eren's proposal would enable Parmar to expand his perspective on the world he was born into but had never fully explored due to the fear of the Anfang Alliance. Having achieved the rank of S-Rank just a decade ago, becoming a Gnoll Sovereign, he had decided to step out of his comfort zone and witness the splendor of Eren's city now that he had reached the pinnacle of Anfang's ranks.

Parmar's tribe was very deep into the heart of Badlands. Eren had been the first human he encountered upon attaining this level of power, prompting him to take this opportunity to experience a world beyond his own.

Parmar initiated most of the conversation with Agatha, inquiring about various aspects of societies beyond the Badlands. This meeting took on the character of a cultural exchange program, with Agatha maintaining her composure and patiently answering Parmar's inquiries.

With the initial greetings and casual discussions concluded, Agatha took the lead in guiding her guild members, Eren's monster army, and the four Monster Sovereigns toward the City of White Raven.

These four Monster Sovereigns were not the sole S-Ranked entities Eren had invited to his city. During his decade-long journey through the Badlands, Eren had encountered other Monster Sovereigns, such as the Cyclop Sovereign, Kobold Sovereign, and Illithid Sovereign.

However, these entities had declined Eren's invitation to become his allies. As always, Eren's plans did not yield a complete success, but he would likely have been satisfied with the outcome, given that at least four Monster Sovereigns had answered his call.

***

Agatha took charge of Bisha, who was compelled to accompany her while riding on Kaal's back. Despite being a B-Rank Oni on the cusp of breaking into the A-Rank, Bisha possessed divine blessings that made her stronger than her rank would suggest.

The runic bindings applied by the Monster Sovereigns kept her restrained and non-threatening to the others. Otherwise, she might have broken free long ago, eager to escape the Land of the Faithless and return to her home world, even if it meant exploring the Immortal Plane indefinitely.

Observing Bisha's struggles, Agatha couldn't help but chuckle before addressing her calmly.

"You… you certainly chose an interesting time to come here."

Agatha remarked while regarding Bisha.

AN: Monster's Clarity was explained in chapter 629.