Chapter 360: Settle this the old way
The mocking laughter of the men failed to discourage Ilya, nor did it earn them so much as a reaction from her.
She held her ground, waiting with quiet patience until their amusement had run its course.
Regath studied her for several moments before finally speaking.
"The little fox has grown up and now speaks for you, eh, Kalish? What next? Are you going to send her to fight me?"
Ilya hummed softly. "I would have loved to fry a bear, but I hardly believe you would be foolish enough to offer yourself up for a death match."
The laughter died instantly.
Regath’s eyes narrowed as he regarded the woman before him. The pressure of his magic intensified, turning colder and heavier, weighing upon those who lacked the strength to resist it.
Ilya did not so much as flinch.
She met his gaze without hesitation and spoke calmly.
"I’ll make this simple for you. Send your three best warriors to fight our three. If we win, you leave. If we lose..." She paused, her expression remaining composed. "Well, you already intend to kill us anyway. Father might as well give you the consent you need to make our people believe you have a legitimate claim to leadership."
Regath snarled.
"Why should I wager anything when I already have the numbers?"
His eyes darkened, an ugly grin stretching across his face.
"I’ll simply crush you all and be done with it."
Ilya shrugged.
"You can do that. Then you’ll have to deal with every unit serving the council back in our village. You know how difficult that would be, and there’s a very real chance you might lose too."
A faint smirk touched her lips.
"My father may be the greatest obstacle standing between you and leadership, but removing him won’t win you the war."
Silence descended upon the crowd that had been roaring with laughter moments ago.
Luke, who had been observing the entire spectacle from a distance, couldn’t help but nod in appreciation.
Despite standing on the far weaker side of the confrontation, Ilya had kept her composure. She was thinking clearly, meeting the threat with an unwavering front rather than allowing fear or intimidation to dictate her actions.
The mockery hadn’t shaken her. Neither had the laughter. She had simply stood her ground and forced the enemy to reconsider his initial approach.
Beauty, brains, and strength.
The thought crossed Luke’s mind as he watched Kalish step forward.
"Your tribe is renowned for training warriors through the brute method, making a single warrior equivalent to ten ordinary men. This should be considerably easier for you than chasing villagers around and burning their homes."
Regath snickered.
"I can see the trap you’re setting. And yet..."
He rose from his seat, spread his arms wide, and roared.
"I accept it!"
"Raaaaaahhh!"
The warriors behind him erupted into cheers, their voices rolling across the camp as they celebrated what they clearly believed to be another victory for their leader.
Regath slowly lowered his arms, a smug sneer settling across his face.
"But don’t think you’ll be taking part in this, Kalish. I want you alive and well when this is over. I’ll take you to the council myself and force them to surrender the ruling seats."
Kalish nodded calmly.
"You have my word. If you defeat us, you can take whatever you wish."
Regath grinned before settling back into his seat.
"Clear the place! We shall end this the old way."
At once, the men behind Kalish began moving to the sides, forming a wide circle that left a large open space at its center. Warriors gathered around it, their attention fixed on the coming confrontation.
Regath rested his cheek against his knuckles and spoke lazily.
"Whoever steps forward first will be your first challenger. And don’t worry. I won’t be participating myself."
At his words, the warrior commanding Kalish’s unit stepped forward.
"My lord, let me face him. He threatens your safety, and as your loyal guard, it is my duty to eradicate the threat."
Kalish exhaled quietly upon hearing that.
The men he had brought with him were all strong and experienced. But, as he had said before, those trained under Regath were a different breed altogether.
The only reason their tribe had managed to survive despite the sheer disparity between their forces was the overwhelming difference in numbers. In a direct confrontation, that advantage would vanish entirely.
There was no other option.
Ilya has somehow found a way to prevent too much bloodhsed and getting the innocents involved in this.
If Regath given them his words, he would back away if they won here. So, someone has to step up and take the challenge.
"Yes..."
"Chief Kalish."
The short man beside him suddenly stepped forward.
"Let me be the first challenger."
Kalish frowned.
"Lord Baldon? Why would you risk yourself in a battle that concerns us?"
Baldon shook his head.
"These people are standing outside my village, threatening the lives of my people. What kind of chief would I be if I refused to stand for them now?"
His words left Kalish momentarily speechless.
Baldon was right. Regath had brought his warriors to their doorstep and threatened the entire village. As its leader, Baldon had a responsibility to protect his people, even if doing so meant placing his own life at risk.
But Kalish still hesitated.
"You have a family, Lord Baldon. Are you certain you want to take this risk?"
A faint smile touched Baldon’s lips.
"I wouldn’t be able to look them in the eyes if I refused to step forward now."
He turned toward the open battlefield.
"So let me handle this."
Luke watched with interest as Baldon held his battle axe and took a step forward, heading to the battlefield.
’Let’s see how devoted you are to your village.’
~~~~~
A/N:- The story is going down, like really down. Support me as much as you can. I was planning to mass release next month but now, my motivation is gone.