Chapter 201: Going into the Solari Empire (1)
Riku stood at the head of the table. His declaration hung in the air. The room was filled with a heavy, serious silence. He had announced his departure. He seemed to have made up his mind.
Then suddenly, Barou burst out laughing.
It was not a small chuckle. It was a deep, booming, belly laugh that echoed through the longhouse and shattered the tense atmosphere completely.
Riku stared, confused. "Chief? What’s so funny?"
Barou wiped a tear from his eye. He slapped his knee. "Oh, lad. You almost had me."
He grinned, his face a mask of pure amusement. "All that talk about finding teachers and seeing the world... just say you want to go on an adventure! There’s no need to make up such a grand excuse!"
Riku’s mouth opened, then closed. "That’s not... I’m serious, Barou. This is important."
"Of course, it is!" Barou agreed, still chuckling. "An adventure is very important for a young man! You’ve been cooped up in this village for too long, solving all our problems. Go on! Get out of here! See the world!"
"But the village..." Riku started to protest. "The Lifewell Project... the paladins..."
Barou waved a dismissive hand. "Don’t you worry about a thing."
He stood up. He began to pace, ticking off points on his fingers. "You think we can’t manage without you for a bit? Lord Gregor and Lord Arnold will handle the new recruits for the academy. I will oversee the construction. Rennan will manage the supply lines."
He stopped and looked Riku in the eye. "And if those golden-winged peacocks come back, we’ll handle it. And if we can’t," he added, tapping a small, rune-etched stone on his belt, "we have these communication stones you made. We’ll call you. And you’ll come back."