Chapter 279: Illusions of War
Kellar did not remain still for a second. Even with Prince Caelen and General Valerius advancing without combat troops, the shaman could not afford the luxury of trusting them. The calculations inside his mind simply did not add up; he had estimated that, upon releasing the envoys from the Aethelgard and Valorian kingdoms, it would take half a month for news to spread and for Golden Rose to dispatch a diplomatic party. Given that the diplomats remained under guard within the village, this march was no coordinated response with the alliance, which heightened the mystery.
Despite his doubts, permitting them entry into the tribal perimeter remained the superior strategic choice: it was better to hold them contained within his territory than to risk a diplomatic or military clash where elite foes like the silver-masked swordsman would hold the spatial upper hand.
"Grok, move!" commanded Kellar in a sharp tone. "Rally all fighters and non-combatants alike. We cannot afford carelessness under any circumstance. Retrieve all spare weaponry from the storehouses and distribute it among the villagers. I do not require them to shoot or fight like veterans; I merely need them holding steel and looking like an army primed for slaughter."
"Understood, Great Shaman!" barked Grok, sprinting toward the tribe’s armories to mobilize the populace.
While controlled chaos swept across the plaza, Kellar darted toward the royal residence to check on his inner circle. Stepping across the threshold, the outer tension dissolved against the warm atmosphere inside, where his women were sharing a pot of herbal tea amidst laughter.
"Did you see how massive Kellar’s shaft got last night?" commented Maya with a smirk, leaning back against the furs.
"Do you think it could grow larger?" chimed in Meli, Mila’s mother, adjusting her position with effort as the rest burst into laughter. "I am aware I am no virgin, yet every time he drives into me, it leaves me breathless. I cannot even bring my legs together from how wide open he left me this time..."
They continued laughing and enjoying the moment, oblivious to the arrival of the Golden Rose convoy along the village borders.
"I love him with all my heart..." sighed Mila, cradling her cup with both hands, "but the silver lining is that he went out to handle his duties, and I hope he stays occupied for a few days. My body needs a breathing spell."
"Pardon the disappointment..." cut in Kellar’s voice from the chamber’s threshold, a smirk on his lips. "I returned to take you for three more days just to make sure you do not miss me."
All seven women turned pale at once, letting out gasps as they jolted in surprise upon the furs. Kellar burst into a laugh at their reaction, but composed himself, stepping forward to pull them into an embrace.
"Follow me. There is no time to lose," instructed he them, recalled to the urgency that had driven him inside.
"What is happening, Kellar? You are frightening us..." asked Maya, catching the shift in her husband’s gaze.
Kellar’s expression turned grim and commanding, sharper than they had witnessed before.
"The Golden Rose Kingdom has dispatched another contingent. They claim they arrive in peace and without combat troops, but I cannot take a chance. Should the situation sour and they manage to take any of you hostage, they would hold my greatest vulnerability in their hands. I am moving you to a secure location."
The lighthearted mood inside the room vanished. Grasping the gravity of the threat, the women asked no further questions; grabbing their immediate belongings, they hurried after the shaman toward the outside.
Kellar guided them with swift strides toward the reinforced stone stronghold at the village’s core—the largest defensive structure where all civilians, elders, and children were being secured under the watchful eyes of the guards.
"Remain inside and do not step out under any circumstance," instructed Kellar before they crossed the threshold. "I shall return for you shortly, do not worry."
The massive timber doors bound with iron straps slammed shut with a thud, sealing the compound. At that exact second, a rumble echoed along the path: Ignis, the elemental fire bear, came charging at speed from the stables to join the defensive line, while Freyja, the white cat, leaped from a neighboring rooftop to settle atop Kellar’s shoulder, her fur bristling.
Kellar stroked the bear’s flank and locked eyes with the creature at his side.
"No matter what unfolds out there... not a single hair on their heads is to be harmed."
Although Fenrir was already escorting the caravan through the valley, the Golden Rose Kingdom’s contingent would still require a couple of hours to reach the village’s main gates. That window of time was a blessing Kellar had no intention of squandering.
Lacking the heavy battery of fifteen Garnis cannons on the immediate perimeter, the remaining engineers and artisans pivoted to a ruthless asymmetrical defense. Within minutes, the tribe began seeding thousands of miniature explosive charges and contact-detonated traps along the central avenue.
Small timber cubes packed with black powder and fragments of Fire-Earth stone were disguised as waste barrels, storage bins, and even embedded inside fake walls and false flooring covered by makeshift wooden framework.
The entryway into the village was re-engineered into a funnel. The main path was partially sealed and channeled to force Golden Rose’s caravan to advance through a single corridor flanked by hidden ordnance. Should Prince Caelen or General Valerius attempt any betrayal or unleash a magical ambush, a single shamanic command from Kellar would trigger the detonation grid, obliterating the convoy into ash and rubble before they could take a step toward the settlement’s heart.
Kellar took his post atop the upper palisade, watching the road with a cold gaze. With the populace sheltered, the traps primed, and his elemental beasts stationed beside him, the Overlord tribe stood ready for any outcome.
The dusk wind blew across the palisade, kicking up curtains of dust along the fortified corridor. In the distance, the outline of the Golden Rose supply wagons broke against the horizon, escorted at a deliberate pace by Fenrir’s imposing form.
"Here they come," declared Kellar in a low tone that echoed along the wall. "Everyone, prepare yourselves."