novelraw Chapter 91: A King’s Will
Chapter 91: A King’s Will
Leone looked at the contents of his tenth mission, which was completed right after his ninth mission. He wanted to know exactly how he accomplished it before he could even lift a finger.
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[Tenth Mission: A King’s Will - COMPLETED!]
[Description]
A ruler who cannot protect his people is no ruler at all. Strength is not measured by how much one can endure, but by what one is willing to fight for.
When pushed to the brink, a true King does not bow, he stands, even if the path before him is paved with blood and war.
You have chosen to defy those who sought to trample upon your people.
You have chosen to fight.
[Mission Objective]
— Protect your people regardless of the consequences.
— Uphold your authority as a ruler, even in the face of overwhelming opposition.
— Show the resolve worthy of a King.
[Evaluation]
— You have demonstrated the will of a King.
[Rewards]
30,000 BP
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Although the only reward from completing his tenth mission was BP, Leone wasn’t discouraged. After all, it was one of the valuable resources he badly needed right now.
He then shifted his attention to the rewards he gained after upgrading his Territory Rank to Rank 2.
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[Congratulations!]
[Your Territory is now upgraded to Rank 2!]
[Rewards]
— Advanced Work Bench [Unlocked]
— Beast Synthesis [Unlocked]
— All Stone Structures’ Blueprints [Unlocked]
— Wheel of Fortune Second Upgrade [Unlocked]
— Repair Workbench [Unlocked]
— Advanced Medicine Workbench [Unlocked]
— The maximum number of Vassals have now increased to twelve.
— Number of Vassals [6/12]
— Your territory has increased its range to four miles.
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[Territory Name: Aslan Soleil]
[Owner: Leone Frontera]
[Territory Effects – Level 2]
— Grants minor morale stabilization effect on subordinates.
— Increase Health Regeneration by 25%
— Increase Stamina Regeneration by 25%
— Increase Mana Regeneration by 25%
— Increase Production Efficiency (farming, crafting, construction) by 25%
— When the territory is in danger, the Host may use his territory exclusive skill, Call To Arms!
————
Leone stared long and hard at the rewards he gained from his territory’s upgrade.
He wanted to go through these rewards a bit more, but he understood that now was not the right time to do so.
The young man looked at his people, who were all paying close attention to him.
He took off his mask, and then skimmed through everyone’s anxious faces.
"I’m sorry, everyone," Leone said calmly. "I thought I was prepared to make sacrifices to appease the middle-ranked tribes. But at times like these, I can’t help but remember what my father told me a year ago."
The tribe members didn’t reply, instinctively sensing that the young man had more to say. So, they simply looked at him with solemn expressions on their faces.
"My father is a pacifist," Leone stated. "He dislikes conflicts very much. However, he told me that if I want to live peacefully, I must become strong enough to protect that peace. My mother even doubled down and told me that if we want peace, we must be prepared for war.
"Back then, I didn’t really understand what those words meant. But now, I do. If we were as strong as the high-ranking tribes, none of this would have happened. In their eyes, we are weak ants they could easily trample and exploit."
Leone glanced at his vassals, whom he knew would stand by his side regardless of what choice he made, before shifting his gaze back to the rest of his people.
"They are not wrong," Leone added. "We are indeed weak. But even the weak have their own way of fighting. But I’m tired of running away. I’m tired of letting them walk over us. Had I allowed them to take our people, we might be able to survive. But is it worth it when it will haunt us for the rest of our lives?
"What kind of leader would I be if I let that happen? Will you still follow me if I let the middle-ranked tribes take your wives and daughters away from you?"
"We will understand," Otto replied. "After all, the low-ranking tribes had always known that we cannot defeat the middle-ranked tribes. That much will not diminish our respect for you. There might even come a time where we will choose to leave and merge with other tribes whom we believe will protect us.
"What you did today may have doomed us all. However, we also do not blame you for it. We have suffered for many years, and we don’t want to suffer anymore! We will fight!"
"Fight them!"
"Kill those bastards!"
"If we are going to die, then let’s bring as many of them as we can to the afterlife!"
"Kill!"
""Kill!""
"""Kill!"""
The anger that the Alborin Tribe, the Riverfang Tribe, and the Black Wolf Tribe had endured all these years had finally risen to the surface, exploding like a volcanic eruption.
"Yes, we will fight!" Leone declared. "And we will win! We will make them regret the day they set foot here in Grimjaw Mountain!"
""Yes!""
"All warriors, heed my call!" Leone ordered. "From this moment onward, until I order you to stop, keep hunting to increase our food supply!"
""Yes, Great Chieftain!""
"Those practicing the bow, you also must not stop. We will need your skills in the upcoming days," Leone stated. "At most, we only have a week before their armies come marching in our domain. Until then, I want everyone to do their best to train!"
"""Yes, Great Chieftain!"""
Leone took a deep breath before closing his eyes. He then raised his hands, prompting the sound of stones breaking to reach everyone’s ears.
Above the cliff, the stone parapets Leone had installed all shattered, for he had decided to recycle them.
In their place, stone walls rose one by one. Everyone watched in awe as their Great Chieftain slowly created a stone fortress on the mountain!
Eventually, a rampart with over a dozen repeating crossbows manifested before them.
Leone made a slashing motion with his hand. In an instant, the path leading up to the mountain was paved with stone road, with stone barriers lining its sides.
"By the Gods..." Kael muttered. Leone had transformed a third of the mountain into a true fortress that couldn’t be breached without the use of siege weapons!
Since Leone had also ordered Maximus to create a flat area several meters above the entrance of the cliff, a secondary rampart came into existence. Instead of crossbows, Leone placed Mounted Ballistas there, serving as a second line of defense.
These powerful weapons of war shot out projectiles as long as spears, but with stronger penetrating power. Even if the enemies were to use shields, they would be pierced by it without fail!
Even a Gryphon would have to think twice before approaching this defensive area, for they risked getting impaled!
By the time Leone lowered his hands, the defensive fortress he and Daedalus had worked to plan for several days finally became a reality.
They had already designed the blueprint of the fortress days before, and all Leone needed to do was to actually give the command to build it.
When everyone saw the completed fortress, they couldn’t help but feel their blood boil inside their chest.
With this kind of defense, even if the middle-ranked tribes were to try and invade them, they would not necessarily be able to breach their defenses!
"All hail our Great Chieftain!" Kael shouted.
""All Hail!""
"All Hail Leone Frontera!" Ulric shouted.
""All Hail!""
"All Hail Aslan Soleil!" Jason roared.
""All Hail!""
All the tribe members cheered. The helplessness and anxiety they felt earlier vanished completely after watching a miracle appear right before their eyes.
"Everyone, prepare to move to the cave!" Leone ordered. "Chieftains, assist everyone and ensure they climb in an orderly manner!"
""Yes!""
Daedalus hovered right beside Leone. "Well done. You did the right thing by fighting back earlier."
"Daedalus, I have a question," Leone said.
"Yes?"
"Where do my missions come from?"
"I’m afraid I can’t answer that question," Daedalus replied. "All I can tell you is that I am not the one creating them."
"I see..." Leone muttered.
The completion of his tenth mission happened the moment he needed it most. Leone was not gullible enough to think that everything that had happened was mere coincidence.
Perhaps there was a higher being who took pity on him and noticed his desire to protect his people, allowing him to upgrade his Territory Rank to Rank 2.
Now that the die had been cast, the only thing left to do was wait for their enemies to take action and come knocking on their doorstep.
However, Leone wasn’t afraid anymore.
In fact, he even felt a deep sense of peace because he knew what he did was right.
As the winds blew across the peak of Grimjaw Mountain, its Guardian stood tall and proud, looking down at its domain.
"Come, you foolish barbarians," Astravor said in a menacing tone. "Let’s see... which one of you wants to die first."
While the Gryphon had accepted Leone and his people to stay inside its territory, the same mercy would not be extended to those who thought they could come and go through his territory as they pleased.