Chapter 218: The Gale Kingdom

“Please… follow me.” She continued in that very difficult-to-understand official continental language.

Wu Qingsong then placed the giant octopus corpse on the reef and instructed Beck and the others to carefully lift Bernar and follow her into the island.

If there was anyone here who could save Bernar, it would probably be this queen.

The harpies and birdfolk clearly didn’t need roads, but since there were so many penguin people on the island, Wu Qingsong and his group didn’t have to hack their way through.

Wu Qingsong cautiously gathered dozens of soul fragments and kept them quietly under his control.

One shouldn’t harm others, but one must be vigilant. Even though they could now consider these birdfolk as friends, the lesson from Dark Moon was still fresh in his mind, and he didn’t want to repeat that incident.

A large group of harpies circled above them, seemingly observing and monitoring them. Red Moon was trying to communicate with the harpy who had invited them, likely attempting to influence and guide her into revealing more about the island. However, the language barrier made it difficult to gain much useful information.

They learned only that the island was called the Gale Kingdom, and their queen was known as the Gale Queen. The birdfolk had lived and reproduced on this isolated island for thousands of years. To them, the only outsiders were the sea tribes, or fishmen, who constantly tried to eradicate them and dominate this sea region.

The Gale Kingdom barely managed to fend off the invasions of the sea tribes thanks to the wind magic talent of the harpy race. However, Wu Qingsong thought the real reason the sea tribes hadn’t completely wiped them out was probably the sheer cliffs surrounding most of the island. Those powerful shellfish and giant octopus monsters might dominate the beaches, but navigating these cliffs would be difficult for them.

Almost everywhere on the island, as far as the eye could see, were trees that looked like coconut palms but bore many fist-sized fruits. After the strong winds, many of these trees had toppled over, scattering their fruits all over the ground. Many penguin people were gathering the fallen fruits and trying to replant the trees.

It was clear that these fruit trees were very important to them, possibly a significant food source.

“Please, this way,” the harpy said.

She led them deeper into the island. Wu Qingsong noticed many harpy nests on the rocky mountain, but it was evident that the storm had caused considerable damage. After the battle, many harpies flew back to repair their homes.

The harpy guide, speaking in broken sentences, angrily explained that the sea tribes always attacked after a storm because the storms affected them far less, as they could hide in the deep sea.

Wu Qingsong also noticed that the penguin people seemed to lack nesting habits and instead gathered in groups under the fruit trees. Some penguins had probably been crushed by falling trees during the storm, and orphaned chicks were crying mournfully.

“Wu, they are so pitiful,” Ling couldn’t help but say.

“Others will probably take them in,” Wu Qingsong replied.

However, he had to admit that these fluffy little creatures did indeed look more adorable and endearing than beastmen cubs.

At this point, Red Moon asked about the orphaned chicks, and the envoy explained that the kingdom would entrust these orphans to young adult penguin people who had not yet started their own families or to those who had lost their children in the storm.

“The number of orphans is always high,” she said sadly. 

After talking with Red Moon along the way, her speech had become much smoother, though still difficult to understand. “If the sea tribes didn’t take advantage of our misfortunes, many of our kin wouldn’t have died. Every time they invade, thousands of our people perish.”

It seemed that the bird people were on the losing side of this prolonged war and lived in very harsh conditions. Wu Qingsong glanced at Red Moon, who nodded slightly in response.

This was unfortunate for the bird people, but it was good news for them. Normally, the bird people should be eager for help, which would be the foundation of their interaction with them.

As they ventured deeper into the island, the previous type of fruit tree gradually became less common, replaced by another, taller variety. These trees also bore numerous fruits and had many harpy nests. Many male harpies, whom Wu Qingsong had initially mistaken for feathered people, were busy repairing the nests.

Apart from these two types of fruit trees, there were hardly any other kinds of trees on the island. This was probably out of necessity. Under the constant threat from the sea tribes, these bird people, who should primarily feed on fish, had to rely mainly on fruits. To sustain such a large population, they had to plant every inch of usable land with these two types of fruit trees.

A gigantic tree suddenly appeared amidst the forest, with an obviously enormous nest perched on it. Above this nest was a structure made of wood that could barely be called a house. Wu Qingsong and the others guessed that this was the so-called queen’s palace mentioned by the envoy. To be honest, this palace was quite shabby. However, considering that the harpies and birdfolk had talons instead of hands and the penguin people had short legs and moved clumsily, being able to build such a palace in such a resource-scarce place was quite an achievement.

“Please follow me,” the envoy said once more.

A thick, vine-like plant spiraled around the giant tree, serving as their staircase. This was the third widespread plant species they had seen on the island. Many harpies and sirens stood on the branches around the tree, curiously and suspiciously observing their group. 

When they finally ascended the vine to reach the palace” they saw a crown-wearing queen, who looked far from young, standing on the nest platform. She was accompanied by a group of young harpy women, smiling and waiting for them.

“Welcome, prophesied warriors,” she said. 

Her command of the common language was noticeably better than the envoy’s, making it easy for Wu Qingsong and his companions to understand her. They used elven etiquette to bow and show their respect.

The platform of the nest was spacious, but the house was too small to accommodate so many people. It was evident that this platform was where they usually gathered and discussed important matters.

“Your Majesty, please save our companion!” Ram immediately pleaded after bowing.

This was clearly against protocol and etiquette, but the problem was that Bernar couldn’t hold on much longer.