My Kingdom Building Done Right!

Chapter 107: An Inevitable End [Part 3]

The battle at Grimjaw Mountain reached a conclusion after a few hours.

The stench of blood permeated the entire forest, a stark contrast to its original state.

Somewhere within its depths, the Alpha Wolf, Lucan, howled toward the sky, calling out its clan members to come to its side.

Today, they shall eat their fill. The war had gifted them a grand feast.

The wolves hidden deep inside the forest answered their leader’s call, howling in response to signify they would heed its orders.

Soon, the wolf pack ran across the forest floor, eventually arriving where their leader was waiting for them.

"Eat."

Lucan only gave one word. Its subordinates then started devouring the bodies of the slain warriors on the ground.

Just as the wolf pack enjoyed their meal, Blitz appeared on one of the tree branches and squeaked at the leader of the wolves.

*Squeak!*

"Very well," Lucan replied to the flying squirrel. "We will no longer hunt the barbarians."

*Squeak!*

Blitz nodded before flying toward the mountain, where its Master was waiting for its report.

The battle had finally ended, and he had accepted the surrender of those who managed to survive the bloodshed.

Out of 2,850 warriors, only 628 remained.

If Leone wished for it, he could’ve annihilated every single one of them. However, he didn’t want to completely burn bridges with the other middle-ranked tribes, as well as the Darkmane Tribe.

He also wanted to be regarded as a merciful ruler who staunchly defended his people from those who wished to harm them.

Fortune favors the bold, and barbarians love heroic stories.

Leone planned to spread his prestige in this manner, gaining the acknowledgment of not only the middle-ranked tribes but also the high-ranking tribes.

Out of the 1,500 warriors from the Bloodtusk Tribe, only 213 remained. These warriors would then spread the horrific events of that day to their tribesmen, who would also spread them to more people until the other high-ranking tribes.

As for the survivors from the two middle-ranked tribes, the Grimfang Tribe and the Ironhide Tribe, they would certainly spread the word just the same.

Now that the battle was over, Leone had ordered them to gather at the base of the mountain, where the barracks used to stand.

He then ordered Ulric to fetch Gundar, as well as the other representatives of the high-ranking tribes, and escort them to the mountain.

Since he didn’t have enough men to handle the prisoners, he would simply use the prestige of the high-ranking tribes to handle the situation.

He would ask them to serve as witnesses while they calculated the compensation the middle-ranked tribes would need to pay for the return of their men.

"Thank you for your mercy, Lord Leone," Silas said in a flattering tone. "I really apologize for this incident. The Ironhide Tribe has no grudge with the Aslan Tribe. I hope we can put this incident behind us and become good neighbors."

Leone didn’t reply. He only smiled faintly, which made Silas feel anxious.

Two weeks ago, he and the other representatives of the middle-ranked tribes strutted toward Grimjaw Mountain like they owned the place.

But now, he was acting so humbly as if he were talking to the chieftain of a high-ranking tribe.

Leone then glanced at the representative of the Grimfang Tribe, Theron, who had asked the young man to add Raptors to their tribute.

Just like Silas, he was kneeling on the ground, doing his best to hide the anxiety on his face.

The Ironhide Tribe had sent 300 warriors to this war, where only 123 survived. Then again, compared to them, the Grimfang Tribe suffered heavier losses.

Out of the 600 warriors, who marched with Theron to Grimjaw Mountain, only 263 remained.

Theron was already dreading the moment when he had to face his chieftain and explain the events that unfolded during their failed invasion.

"Both you and your men are only alive because of our Great Chieftain’s mercy," Kael said with his arms crossed over his chest. "You came here pleading for your lives, but you still haven’t thanked him for giving you the opportunity to share an audience with him. Where are your manners?"

Kael was feeling drunk due to their victory, so he acted arrogantly in front of their guests, who had come to ask for mercy and forgiveness.

Leone gave his vassal a side-long glance, but made no move to stop him from doing what he wanted.

Daedalus had told him that the less he spoke, the more mysterious his image would seem to the representatives of the other tribes.

"T-Thank you very much for granting this lowly servant an audience!" Silas immediately took the hint and spoke before Theron could beat him to it. "You are truly a magnanimous and merciful chieftain, Sir Leone!"

"That’s Lord Leone to you!" Kael shouted.

"R-Right!" Silas nodded his head repeatedly like a chicken pecking rice. "I, Silas, only have admiration for your greatness, Lord Leone!"

"I, too, thank Lord Leone for granting us an audience and showing mercy upon our people." Theron was finally able to speak his mind while bowing toward the young man seated on a golden throne.

Of course, the throne wasn’t really made of gold. It was only a replica made purely for aesthetic purposes! However, it truly looked marvelous, making the young man look like a dignified ruler as he sat on it.

Even Yuni fell into a daze after seeing Leone sit on the throne for the first time, wearing the ceremonial clothes meant for a prince.

The young man was already good looking. But now, he truly looked like a prince that ruled the entirety of Grimjaw Mountain, even if he wasn’t wearing a crown.

Seeing Yuni’s fervent gaze in his direction, Leone thought that buying the throne for 1,000 BP was worth it!

"Silas, Theron," Leone spoke calmly as he rested his right cheek on the palm of his right hand while looking down on the two representatives. "I’ll only forgive both of you once. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, Lord Leone!" Silas replied. "Thank you very much for sparing our lives!"

"It will be difficult, and I cannot promise you anything. But I will do my best to convince my chieftain to drop any thoughts of revenge against you, Lord Leone," Theron answered in a serious tone.

Unlike Silas, who was only doing everything in his power to return home alive, Theron wanted to leave a good impression to the young man by telling him the truth.

Now that the middle-ranked tribes had suffered in the hands of the young man, they would naturally keep a grudge in their hearts.

"Do your best, Theron." Leone gave the man a brief nod of acknowledgment. "But remember this. Grudge also works both ways. If your chieftain doesn’t put any effort into fixing our relationship, I will continue to hold a grudge against the Grimfang Tribe."

Leone’s tone lacked any arrogance of the victor. He was merely stating facts.

"I will do my best," Theron replied. "But I can make no promises."

Silas remained quiet. He had nothing ear-pleasing to say, for he was certain his chieftain would be angered once he received the news of what had transpired in Grimjaw Mountain.

However, he was also certain that after thinking things through, his chieftain would realize that warring with the Aslan Tribe would not give them any benefits.

Although he would have to bottle up this shame and frustration, unless the high-ranking tribes were to declare war against Leone, he would not send his men to charge to their deaths a second time.

At least on the surface, he would form an amicable relationship with the Aslan Tribe while waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Leone also understood that his relationship with the middle-ranked tribes would be strained. He would have to come up with a way to deal with this matter after the aftermath of the war had been dealt with.

What he didn’t know was that Gundar had already come up with a solution to this problem.

After the war ended, the great shaman would recognize and declare the Aslan Tribe as a middle-ranked tribe in front of the representatives of the high-ranking tribes that had come to observe the battle.

He would also take the initiative to offer an alliance to Leone on behalf of the Grimhowl Tribe, giving the young man another layer of protection.

This meant that if the middle-ranked tribes were to attack their ally, the Grimhowl Tribe would have the excuse to annihilate them as well!

Of course, Gundar didn’t know if his chieftain, Hagen, would allow this alliance to happen.

But he was fine with that.

He would simply blackmail Hagen by telling him that if he didn’t declare the Aslan Tribe as their ally, he would jump ship!

Gundar could already imagine Hagen flying into a furious tantrum the moment he heard the proposal. But despite the expected outrage, he was certain of the outcome.

The Chieftain of the Grimhowl Tribe might roar, curse, and resist with everything he had. But in the end, he would yield.

Faced with the resolve of his Great Shaman, Hagen would have no choice but to swallow his pride and accept the alliance with the Aslan Tribe whether he liked it or not.

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A/N: Two more Chapters will be posted 3 hours from now.