My Kingdom Building Done Right!

Chapter 198: The Most Unpredictable Chieftain Of The Borderlands [Part 1]

"Must I really be here?" Logan looked irritated as he stood right beside Leone’s golden throne.

"Yes," Leone replied. "I’m going to deal with someone nasty later, so watch out and make sure I don’t get hurt just in case they do something reckless. There’s always a possibility that they’ve been kicked in the head by a donkey when they were young."

"You humans are so fragile." Logan scoffed. "Even if Orcs were kicked in the head by a donkey, we’ll be just fine."

Rasta and Khan were also present, but they stood with the rest of the warriors of the Aslan Tribe, who were all waiting for the arrival of their guests.

While they did their best to look calm, deep inside, they were very anxious.

Their Great Chieftain had told them that the Chieftain of the Grimhowl Tribe, the heirs of the Warclaw Tribe, and some high-ranking officials from the Sandreaver Tribe were coming.

They were once part of the low-ranking tribes who grew up in the Borderlands, so it was impossible not to recognize these important people.

In fact, if any of these people were to talk to them, they might even brag about it for years to come.

That alone reflected how highly they thought of the chieftains of the high-ranking tribes.

After all, they were the true leaders of the Borderlands.

A few minutes later, Ulric and Kael, who had come to escort their guests to the clearing, had finally arrived.

Behind them, the long procession of the high-ranking tribes followed.

Oswald, Duncan, and Garen were starting to feel a little anxious at the sight. Though they were not on the stage, they were not far from it.

Since they already felt this anxious before meeting the representatives of the high-ranking tribes, they believed that Leone must be feeling more anxious than them.

Yet, contrary to what they thought, Leone was very calm.

In fact, he was even feeling a little excited since this was his first time finally meeting some real big shots.

And the beauty of it all? He didn’t even need to visit them.

They had come to visit him instead!

Little by little, people started to congregate at the base of the mountain.

It was very obvious who was which since they all bore banners and wore the insignias of their respective tribes.

The Warclaw Tribe’s banner had three claw marks on it, looking as if a wild animal had swiped their claws at the banner, leaving their mark there.

On the other hand, the Grimhowl Tribe’s banner was a wolf head with two swords crossing behind its back.

In comparison, the Darkmane Tribe’s banner was a black sun with black manes on the side.

As for the Sandreaver Tribe, a scorpion with its tail poised to strike could be seen on their banner.

Among the high-ranking tribes, only the Bonegnash Tribe wasn’t coming. Then again, having representatives from all four high-ranking tribes in one place represented real authority in the Borderlands.

"Welcome friends..." Leone said before shifting his gaze toward the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe. "And foes to the Aslan Tribe. I know you had to take a very long journey to get here, so I’ve prepared food and refreshments for everyone.

"But before that, allow me to handle the annoying pests—errr, guests, first. You. That big ugly guy over there. Are you the one whom Troy, that lowly dog, sent here to pay the ransom for his two stupid sons?"

To everyone’s surprise, the young man had pointed at Ivan and called Troy a dog out in public. That was something no one in the Borderlands, aside from Gundar, had dared to do in the past few decades!

At those words, Duncan, Oswald, and Garen drew deep breaths at the same time. They all stared at Leone in shock.

Even Hagen, Godwin, and Malik were caught by surprise.

The representatives of the high-ranking tribes didn’t see this coming. All of them, including the warriors, looked at Leone as if he had gone mad.

Even Ivan, who had come to openly humiliate Leone in front of everyone, was left speechless. He was supposed to be the one doing the insulting!

"Are you... talking to me?" Ivan stared blankly at the young man, who was very clearly pointing in his direction.

If he were to personally visit any of the high-ranking tribes, he would be welcomed with open arms and treated with the utmost respect.

Yet here he was, treated like some kind of errand boy whose master was even called a dog in public!

"If I’m not talking to you, then who am I talking to?" Leone asked in a teasing tone. "I thought Troy had learned his lesson after both of his sons were taken hostage.

"It seems the Darkmane Tribe lacks talented people. Hey, were you sent here because that dog, Troy, hates you? If so, then my condolences. You just got the short end of the stick. Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey when you were young?"

The young man could sense Ivan’s hostility toward him from the start. Naturally, it was also very obvious that the commander of the Darkmane Tribe was planning to mess with him. Since that was the case, what was stopping him from being hostile as well?

If someone were to treat him with respect, then he would treat them with respect.

But if someone planned to look down on him, then he would look down on them first!

Offense was the best defense, so he would go for the offense and force the annoying commander to defend himself.

"You lowly brat!" Ivan finally realized that he was being publicly humiliated! "You really have a death wish!"

He was a prideful man. Plus, his long years in battle had earned him a reputation in the Borderlands. How could he accept being treated so lowly like this in front of Hagen, Malik, and the heirs of the Warclaw Tribe? He’d lose his dignity if he let such an offense be brushed off that easily!

"A death wish?" Leone chuckled. "The Bloodtusk Tribe had come here with over two thousand people, and they were nearly annihilated. In comparison, you only brought five hundred people with you. Between you and I, aren’t you the one who has a death wish?"

Leone snapped his fingers after that, prompting the people manning the ballistas and the repeating crossbows on the fortress to all aim their armaments at the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe.

The atmosphere immediately became tense because no one expected Leone to immediately resort to violence without batting an eye.

"Listen to me, you dog," Leone said coldly. "I don’t care who you are or who your master is. The Darkmane Tribe and the Aslan Tribe are going to wage war against each other sooner or later, so killing all of you here will not make me lose sleep at night.

"The only reason you’re still alive is because I’m giving you a chance to escape from this place with your life. Now, bring forth your ransom so you can go back to the dump you came from."

Since the Darkmane Tribe planned to raid his territory and kill his people, Leone didn’t even bother to act civil with them anymore.

If they were already enemies, then showing open hostility from the start was the best course of action.

It was also a good way to tell every tribe that had gathered there today the stance of the Aslan Tribe against those that would treat them as their enemy.