My Kingdom Building Done Right!

As he watched Zed grow more talkative, to the point of even giving Leone real life advice, Gundar couldn’t stop himself from chuckling internally.

’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.

Zed was currently sharing more information about the other tribes, and Leone continued to listen . The young man even thanked him for this piece of information, making Daedalus laugh internally.

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!

"Leone, at the end of the day, you will be regarded as a spy and a puppet ruler of the Kingdom of Britannia,sent to the Borderlands to sow discord among our people," Zed declared, his gaze sharp.

"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.

"So, do not think that the Darkmane Tribe will care about losing face for attacking you and your people. They have every justification they need to start another war. While that happens, the other tribes will just watch you burn without batting an eye."

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

The Great Shaman of the Grimhowl Tribe held power. However, if the other high-ranking tribes banded together to keep the Grimhowl Tribe in check, they would not be able to help their ally even if they wanted to.

"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.

"The high-ranking tribes will no longer underestimate you. They will attack you with full force. They will bring their shamans who wield magical powers. They can and will destroy your fortress walls.

"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."

Brann and Vlad quietly looked at Leone, who seemed deep in thought. A moment later, the young man smiled back at Zed faintly.

"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."

"Mmm." Zed nodded. "You do that."

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

Leone then returned to his own quarters and laid on the bed alone.

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

"Good work earlier, Master," Daedalus said. "You have definitely made a good impression on our guests."

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

"Do not be afraid, Leone." Daedalus laid right beside its Master. "No matter what happens, I’ll always be on your side."

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

A few minutes later, Leone finally fell asleep. It had been a very long day, and he was both physically and mentally exhausted.

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

Within seconds, it flew out of the fortress, eventually arriving at the forest. Once there, the grimoire decided to clean up the corpses of the dead. If they were left behind, they would rot, which would cause infections and diseases to spread in Leone’s territory.

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

————

Inside Brann’s room...

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

He might not have gotten an opportunity to talk to Leone in private, but what he had heard and observed during dinner allowed him to get a better grasp of the young man’s character.

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

However, the way he looked at people and the way he spoke with his heart laid bare made him want to serve him more as his advisor.

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.

If he were to join their faction, he needed to present himself as a competent person who was willing to take important assignments from Leone.

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.

It was then that he thought of an idea.

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.

’I’ll bid him farewell after breakfast and return to my tribe as soon as possible,’ Brann thought. ’After that, I will convince my people to head to Grimjaw Mountain. Good thing I already asked them to prepare in advance."

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.

The Elders understood that the war was a turning point for the low-ranking tribes, so they promised to be ready before Brann returned.

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.

However, when he saw Leone smile earlier after hearing this piece of information from Zed, Brann noticed that there was not even a trace of anxiety in the young man’s eyes.

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.

It was a quiet confidence that made Brann feel like Leone had an ace hidden up his sleeve. The kind of ace that would help him and his people overcome that kind of tragedy.

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

As for Leone being a spy or a puppet ruler of the Kingdom of Britannia? The possibility existed, but Brann believed this to be highly unlikely.

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.

After all, it takes one to know one, and Leone was far from being a schemer. He might be naive and ignorant of the world, but he could be decisive when it mattered the most.

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.

Brann closed his eyes for a few minutes as if fighting an internal battle. When he opened them once more, there were no longer any signs of hesitation.

Only conviction remained.

He had originally planned to leave after having breakfast, but soon, he changed his mind.

’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.

Although he wanted to speak with Leone before he left, he decided to just play it safe for now.

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

He was even looking forward to the day when he reunited with the young man who had left a good impression in his heart.

————

Somewhere in the Frontera Viscounty...

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

Once she was done, she folded it and stamped it with the seal of their duchy, a symbol of a lion roaring to the sky.

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

"Find him, Hassan," the beautiful woman said. "Find my son and give this to him."

"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.

Left inside the room, the beautiful woman remained seated, her hand resting on top of the table.

"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.

Eyes that would not hesitate to commit regicide in order to avenge her beloved family member, who was sent into exile... far away from home.