My Kingdom Building Done Right!

Chapter 113: In Their Eyes, You Will Always Be The Enemy [Part 2]

’Is this what they call charisma?’ Gundar thought as he gulped the mead on his mug while continuing to listen to Zed and Leone’s conversation.

Unsurprisingly, this action of his made the other representatives present look at Zed like he was some kind of traitor who was leaking all their secrets to the enemy!

"And when that belief takes hold, neither the truth you speak nor the noble intentions you may carry will matter. In their eyes, you will always be the enemy.

Zed then glanced at Gundar, who was quietly sipping from his mug by the side.

"And you should also not count on the Grimhowl Tribe for help when that happens," Zed added. "You must prepare for a war, thinking that you are on your own. That war will also be far different from the war you won just now.

"And when your defenses fall, their strongest warriors will start a massacre, sparing neither the old, nor the women, nor the children. You will be forced to watch as they execute the survivors one by one, and they will execute you last."

"I understand." Leone nodded. "I will expand my domain with the belief that we will be fighting the high-ranking tribes in the future. Thank you for your words of wisdom, Lord Zed. I will keep your teachings in my heart."

An hour later, the feast finally ended, and their guests had been shown to their respective rooms, where they could rest.

Daedalus landed by his side and looked at its Master, who now looked very exhausted.

"I hope so." Leone covered his eyes with the back of his right hand. "That took a toll on me."

"Thank you, Daedalus." Leone sighed. "I’m glad I have you to watch my back."

Daedalus observed that its Master was sleeping peacefully before flying out of the room.

After storing the last corpse in its pages, Daedalus returned to its Master’s room inside the fortress.

————

The chieftain looked outside the window of his room, looking up at the moon and the stars in the sky.

There was no doubt in his mind that Leone was still young and ignorant about many things in the world.

He also quietly observed the power dynamics of the people within Leone’s inner circle. For now, he had Ulric, Kael, and Jason. They all held high positions within the Aslan Tribe.

He had wracked his brain, trying to figure out how he could stand out and join that inner circle, which would make Leone rely on him more than his current vassals.

The idea was so simple that Brann was surprised he hadn’t thought of it right away. It was something only he could do, making him stand out from the young man’s retainers.

Before Brann left his tribe with his son, Gromm, he had summoned all the Elders and urged them to tell their people to prepare to evacuate their camp as soon as he returned from Grimjaw Mountain.

Brann was also worried that after they chose to become part of the Aslan Tribe, the Darkmane Tribe and the other high-ranking tribes would march toward Grimjaw Mountain.

It was as if he didn’t mind the idea of his fortress being attacked by the combined powers of those who wanted to burn everything he had built to the ground.

"I will either lead my people to prosperity," Brann muttered. "Or send them to damnation."

Brann had been forced to learn how to scheme to survive in the Borderlands. That made it very easy for him to spot a fellow schemer.

The fact that he personally killed Ragan and Varus instead of letting his retainers do it for him proved that he wasn’t afraid to bloody his hands like some kind of saint.

Only conviction remained.

’We leave at dawn.’ Brann headed toward the door. He would order his son and his retainers to prepare for departure after resting for a few hours.

After he had tossed all the doubts inside his head away, Brann felt lighter.

————

A robed figure knelt in front of a beautiful woman, who was busy writing a letter.

She then handed it to the kneeling robed figure by her side.

"Yes, Your Grace." The robed man accepted the letter and bowed once to his Master. "I will find him without fail."

A second later, he disappeared, turning into a black mist that melded with the shadows.

"You better pray my son is alive, Augustus Vi Britannia," the beautiful woman said coldly. "Because if he’s not... I will end your entire bloodline."

The torches that hung on the walls of the room flickered before all of their lights went out.

Within that darkness, a pair of red glowing eyes shone faintly.