Chapter 341: Boasting
"This place is so small." Virj looked out from the carriage as it rolled into the village, his expression twisting with disdain.
Beside him, his mother wrinkled her nose. "The smell is awful. Was there truly no better place than this?"
Across from them, her mate let out a quiet sigh. "The two of you need to stop complaining. They have agreed to welcome us, and that alone is reason enough to be grateful. I don’t want either of you causing trouble now."
"They should be grateful that we’re staying here," Virj scoffed. "Everyone here looks so unruly. Just like that worm."
The venom in his voice made it clear that he had not forgotten what happened in the forest. Nor did he intend to let the matter go anytime soon.
The older man could only shake his head in annoyance.
When the carriage finally came to a stop, he stepped down first before turning to help his mate out.
A small group of villagers was waiting outside the large house.
"Lord Kalish," the short man greeted with a broad smile.
"Chief Baldon." Kalish returned the greeting with a nod. "I am grateful that you have allowed us to stay in your village."
Baldon chuckled. "There is no need to mention it. We are honoured to have you and your family here."
His gaze shifted toward Mara before settling on Virj, whom he looked over with quiet curiosity.
"Your son?" Baldon asked.
Kalish nodded. "Step forward and introduce yourself."
The younger man was visibly annoyed by the exchange, but he did not dare contradict his father. He stepped forward with clear reluctance.
"I am Virj. Now, can I get something to eat?"
"Of course. We’ve prepared plenty for the young lord," the woman accompanying Baldon replied.
"Ah, allow me to introduce my mate, Thea."
Thea stepped closer with a warm smile. "You must all be exhausted after such a long journey. Come, let’s go inside first."
Kalish nodded, then glanced at his family. One by one, they began making their way toward the house.
"I heard you have a daughter, Lord Kalish. Is she not traveling with you?" Baldon asked, glancing toward the carriage.
No one else stepped out.
This time, Mara answered instead.
"Forget about her. She has a habit of wandering off whenever we travel."
Kalish chuckled softly before adding, "She’s a free spirit. Always eager to explore new places. Even when she’s traveling with us, we barely see her."
Baldon exchanged a brief glance with Thea.
Neither of them commented further.
As they stepped inside the house, Virj immediately wrinkled his nose.
The place was smaller than the shed where they kept their horses.
And what was that pathetic excuse for a rag draped over the chairs?
Virj’s expression darkened. He was already beginning to regret coming here. At this point, he would much rather return to the carriage and spend the night there.
"Please, have a seat," Baldon urged.
A few servants soon arrived with drinks, placing them before the guests before quietly retreating.
For a while, the two chiefs discussed various matters that kept them engaged, while the other three contributed little to the conversation.
Then Kalish brought up something that finally caught everyone’s attention.
"Baldon, I heard your village was recently attacked by a magical beast. Is that true?"
Virj raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A magical beast around a village this small?"
Baldon laughed. "That’s always the reaction of those who haven’t seen that monster with their own eyes. But yes, it’s true."
His expression grew more solemn.
"We were ambushed by that thing, and it was so powerful that every man in the village was rendered helpless when we needed them most. In the end, if not for Luke, none of us would have survived. Not even Claw."
Kalish frowned slightly. "Claw... the second son, I believe?"
Baldon nodded in confirmation.
"How big was it?" Virj asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Three times the size of this house," Thea replied, noticing the young man’s eager expression. "It took the villagers several days just to tear it apart and clear the remains."
"It was fortunate that you and your family survived," Kalish remarked.
Baldon nodded. "Indeed. We were blessed to have such a fine young warrior serving as the guardian of our village. Without him, all you would have found here would have been ruins and corpses."
He laughed lightly at the end of his words, prompting Mara to roll her eyes.
Who laughs while talking about something like that?
Kalish, however, seemed more interested in the warrior himself.
"This guardian of yours, Luke... He sounds like a promising young warrior."
Baldon instantly nodded. "He is. Not only did he single-handedly slaughter that magical beast, but he was recently invited by the Head Chief to join the tribe and serve under him. His recent achievements have brought him considerable attention, yet the young man is so devoted to this village that he never even considered leaving."
Thea nearly rolled her eyes.
Her mate had a talent for embellishing stories, and he was making Luke sound like some selfless village devotee who would willingly throw away every opportunity for the sake of duty.
In truth, there was a good chance Luke would leave in the near future.
"Then we would be most pleased to meet such a fine young man," Kalish said. "Perhaps Virj could learn a thing or two from him."
Mara clearly wasn’t pleased by the suggestion, while Virj simply ignored his father’s words.
Baldon, however, seemed delighted.
"Yes, of course. Call him inside."
He gestured toward a servant, who immediately hurried outside.
Not long after, a brown-haired youth entered the house. Kalish’s gaze swept over him from head to toe, quietly assessing the young man.
"So, this is the one?"
Baldon chuckled. "No, no. He’s one of my warriors. Dart, go and bring Luke here. Lord Kalish wishes to meet him."
Dart was taken aback.
"Asking Luke?" he muttered under his breath.
He already knew exactly how that conversation would go.
Baldon, however, remained firm. "Yes. Go and bring him here. Do you hear me?"
The stern look on his face left no room for hesitation.
Dart could only nod before stepping out of the house.
Once outside, he let out a long sigh.
"Hopefully, he won’t kill me."
Dart knew Luke hated being ordered around. That was precisely why he had never agreed to serve under anyone, not even Baldon or the Head Chief.
Luke simply wasn’t the kind of man who accepted orders from others.
And, considering his strength, it was difficult to argue with his attitude.
He didn’t need anyone’s protection, even when things became difficult. He was more than capable of protecting himself and his family on his own. So why should he lower himself to seeking a lord’s favor just to secure his future?
Yet here he was, being dragged into Baldon’s plans.
The chief was clearly using Luke’s reputation to elevate his own standing.
Dart sighed as he walked away from the house.
"God, why am I the one being used as bait here?"
~~~`
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Check my new story and add it in library.