Chapter 116: The Promise of the Highlands
The silence inside Lennis’s workshop grew dense. Mark remained kneeling on the frozen wood with white knuckles pressed against the floor, holding his breath as he awaited his leader’s verdict. The fourteen men behind him didn’t even dare to blink, fearing the slightest movement might trigger the young leader’s wrath.
Kellar walked slowly around Mark, stopping right in front of him with crossed arms and a steady gaze.
"Listen to me Mark," said Kellar, his voice calm yet steeped in absolute authority. "Krag will be the mayor of the mountain base because he has proven his loyalty with blood and sweat from day one. But the Overlord Tribe will not stop at this hill. Soon we will claim the eastern valleys and the riverlands."
Mark slowly looked up, a spark of contained ambition gleaming in his eyes.
"The eastern valleys...?" said Mark in an whisper.
"If you protect Krag, if you secure the iron extraction, and if you prove to me that you can govern your people without a single shadow of betrayal..." said Kellar, leaning slightly toward him, "the mayor of the next settlement will be you. I am giving you a single opportunity to reclaim the honor of your lineage. If you seize it, you will be a true lord under my banner. If you fail or attempt to play both sides, Krag will run a spear through your neck, and there will be no third chance."
Mark felt a chill run down his spine, but the weight of humiliation was replaced by a fierce resolve. He brought his right fist to his chest and struck the ground with his other hand.
"I will not fail you, Great Shaman!" said Mark, his firm voice echoing off the wooden walls. "I will protect Krag with my life and make that base yield down to the very last iron ingot. On my honor!"
"We will answer with our lives, Great Shaman!" said the fourteen men behind him in unison, pressing their foreheads against the wood.
"Everyone stand up," said Kellar, turning toward Krag. "Prepare the supplies, the tools, and the new blacksmiths. You depart for the mountain at dawn."
"Understood, Shaman," said Krag, offering a bow full of respect toward Kellar before looking at Mark with a calculating smile. "Plenty of work awaits us when the sun breaks, noble. I hope your men have strong arms for digging and holding spears."
"My men will work harder than anyone," said Mark, standing up with burning eyes. "You will see, Krag."
Minutes later, once Mark and his followers had left the workshop to gather their belongings, Krag remained alone with Kellar. The veteran hunter approached the workbench and glanced at his leader.
"Great Shaman, do you trust that he will keep his word?" said Krag, patting his mallet’s handle. "Arrogance isn’t stripped from men like him so easily."
"I don’t trust his word; I trust his ambition," said Kellar, looking down at the map drawn on the table. "He knows that with me, he has a real future as a ruler; without me, he is just another corpse in the snow."
Kellar took a few steps toward the workbench, picked up the great Club resting to one side, and turned back to the veteran hunter.
"Kneel," said Kellar, locking eyes with him.
Krag didn’t hesitate for a single second and dropped to one knee before his leader, pressing his fist against the frozen boards. Kellar held the Club over Krag’s shoulder.
"Krag, I name you Mayor of the Overlord Tribe’s first city," said Kellar, his voice echoing with the force of a decree. "You will lead the future of this tribe in the mountain. Upon your shoulders rests the expansion of our entire people. Do you accept the mandate?"
"With my life and my blood, Great Shaman," said Krag, looking up with pride. "I will carry the Overlord Tribe’s banner as far as my feet can march, and I will defend that fortress until my last breath."
Kellar removed the weapon from the veteran’s shoulder and offered his hand to help him to his feet.
"Tomorrow we will hold an official ceremony before the entire tribe," said Kellar, locking eyes with Krag. "But first, I wanted this to be between us. I trust you."
"I will not let you down, Great Shaman," said Krag, squeezing Kellar’s arm with sincere gratitude.
As soon as Krag left the workshop, an intense golden light illuminated Kellar’s vision. System notifications began sprouting one after another with a thunderous metallic chime inside his mind:
[Title Granted! (3/3)] [Mayor of the Overlord Tribe’s First Town]
[DING!] [Congratulations! You have met all the requirements for your tribe to rank up]
[Rank-Up Requirements:]
[Grant Titles (3/3): COMPLETED]
[Totem: COMPLETED]
[Altar: COMPLETED]
[Territory: COMPLETED]
[Wall: COMPLETED]
[Outpost: COMPLETED]
[Watchtower: COMPLETED]
[Population over 1,000: COMPLETED]
[TRIBE RANK-UP REWARDS!]
[3/12 Management Titles available]
[Increase in Divine Power transmitted through the Totem]
["Remote Territory Management" Mode Enabled]
[Active Skill "Eyes of the Tribe Lord" Enabled]
[Slot for Tribe Familiar unlocked]
[Tribe Guardian on the way!]
Kellar didn’t hesitate for even an instant and mentally selected the [Remote Territory Management] option.
Instantly, his vision seemed to soar into the sky. The physical surroundings of the workshop vanished, replaced by a three-dimensional overhead view that encompassed the entire valley and the northern mountains, similar to the forge mode of a strategy videogame. To the left of his interface, a floating menu began to unfold displaying all the buildings and structures available for construction.
Curious, Kellar selected a basic wooden house and saw that he could move its semi-transparent outline over any point on the map with complete freedom.
At that moment, a glowing box appeared before his eyes:
[The tribe leader’s orders are absolute. Your mandate flows through the Totem, and all tribe members can hear your voice at a distance. The orders you place in this mode will be transmitted to the other members of the tribe, who will carry them out with the utmost diligence.]
A satisfied smile formed on Kellar’s lips as he gazed upon the interactive map of his territory.
"This changes the game completely," said Kellar in a whisper, watching as his young tribe stood ready to reshape the map at his command.