Free Web NovelChapter 642: Stonefangs follow Flying Man.
"That is correct."
Half of our tribes are already with us, as for the other half...
They have lost all their warriors, the only warriors who remain are the ones who came to attack me and they...
They will no longer resist me either."
Kael spoke as Imperia told him everything that was happening in the settlements far away. The Stormcallers, the Ironbloods, the Shadowstalkers and the Frostveins, all four of these tribes were ready to follow him.
The other tribes were different.
They obviously had no idea what was happening, unlike the four mentioned tribes, who still had a few warriors left to take charge and calm the situation—
These people were scared.
Their warriors had left, their chiefs moved without saying any words, only the weak remained, if something went wrong, how were they going to survive?
These questions made the fear grow.
And that alone was more than enough for Kael to see how vulnerable these people were, all he needed was to appear, offer them food and protection and they would follow him as well.
This was no arrogance.
It was just... simple facts.
Honestly, if he put it bluntly, following him was the only way these people could survive.
It was already set in stone, as long as he made the move, uniting all of the Heights was only a matter of time.
And he—
He was going to make a move.
"I will provide food, I will provide materials, wood, stone, minerals, metals, warm homes, shared roads, fresh water, healing houses, smithies, schools—
Everything.
Every single thing that a known Kingdom provides—
I will create a place where every single tribe will have access to it all.
But—"
Kael then looked at every person gathered here and—
"In exchange,
I want peace."
He declared as his blue eyes shone with an intense light.
The Translators translated his words for their leaders, and the moment Gruumak understood what Kael meant, his expression changed.
"Peace not easy."
He spoke in his language.
"I know."
"Old blood not vanish because Flying Man says vanish."
"Yes, I know that."
Kael did not deny it, but then, he looked at Gruumak with a cold look on his face and—
"But old blood will no longer be used as an excuse."
He declared in a frosty tone.
Then, he turned back to the rest and continued in his own tongue—
"From now on, only current crimes will be judged, tribe names will no longer matter in conflicts, the only thing that will matter is right or wrong.
And the wrong will face consequences."
"Who will be the judge of right and wrong?"
Morvain questioned directly and Kael—
"I will."
He spoke without any hesitation whatsoever.
The leaders looked at him, they wanted to counter, to argue but...
What could they even say?
This was the only practical solution.
Kael was the only person who held authority over every single tribe, especially now, when every Alliance soldier was looking at him like he was a divine being.
"If there is a fight, I will investigate. If someone is at fault, they will be punished according to what they did. If both sides are at fault, both will answer. If no one is at fault and it is a misunderstanding, then the misunderstanding will be cleared."
Kael then looked at the rest of the Tribe Leaders and—
"No tribe will be punished for one person’s mistake and no person will be protected just because their tribe is useful."
"And... what about those who don’t follow you?"
Morvain asked in a low voice.
"What would you do with them?"
"Hmm? Why would I do anything?
Matriarch Morvain, I am not forcing anyone to follow me, if there are tribes who are unwilling to follow me, I will simply let them be.
I will not attack them, neither will I restrict their movements, the Heights belongs to the tribes here more than it does to me.
As long as they do not attack me or the tribes who chose to follow me, they can do whatever they want."
Kael answered honestly. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Sure, the plan was to unite everyone, but he wasn’t going to initiate another war just to fulfil it.
He would do it without raising a weapon, by providing resources the tribes wouldn’t have otherwise.
But then—
"And..."
Kayden spoke up.
"What if none of us follows you?"
He asked the most uncomfortable question. All this while, Kael talked about it like he had a base here in the Heights but he...
He did not.
Sure, he was loved by the people, but he did not rule them.
Kael did not rule him.
At that question, Kael looked at Kayden, then he just shrugged—
"If that happens, it would mean that even after all this while, I have failed to win people’s trust.
So I will leave."
Kael announced and Kayden’s expression changed. The Translators widened their eyes as well, the Tribe Leaders asked what Kael just said but before the Translators could translate, Kayden snorted.
"You know you are invaluable, you control the food people eat here, some worship you like a God, people here cannot survive without you—
Aren’t you just taking advantage of that?
Everything you say may sound warm, but aren’t you indirectly forcing us to submit to your rule?"
Kayden questioned directly, calling out Kael’s hypocrisy. Lavinia wanted to say something, to counter those words, but before she could—
"So what would you have me do?"
Kael questioned back as he looked right into Kayden’s eyes.
"I feed people, many look up to me and rely on me to protect them. It isn’t just the Velmourns, the Stonefangs, the Borealis, all the tribes that have lived inside the Wall, even if it was for a few days, all the tribes whose warriors have bled together with me—
I feed and protect them all.
Now what do you want me to do?
If I do bring them all together, do you suggest I let things be like they were before? That I let them return to their homes?
Then what about me?
Who should I go with?
Do I stay with the Velmourns? Or do I follow any of the other tribes?"
"..."
Kayden didn’t have the answer.
Kael didn’t stop.
"Let’s say I don’t follow anyone in particular, I just stay wherever I like, while providing food to all.
Then what about the time when two tribes that look up to me are at war with each other? Who should I help then?" freeweɓnøvel.com
"Help who you feel is right."
"And what do you think I am trying to do?"
Kael smiled.
"That is different."
Kayden did not back down.
"What you are doing is trying to rule us.
What I am suggesting is you help improve people’s quality of life, without interfering with the Heights’ politics."
"I am doing what I am doing because I belie—"
Before Kael could complete his words—
"Stonefangs follow Flying Man."
Gruumak spoke up.
