My Kingdom Building Done Right!

Leone had no idea what the two chieftains of the high-ranking tribes were thinking. But it didn’t matter to him, so he continued his speech.

"Actually, I feel a bit flattered. To think that the true powerhouses of the Borderlands actually consider me as a threa—awww!"

The young man raised his right hand to massage his head, which had just been smacked by Gundar.

"A pipsqueak like you thinks you’re a threat?" Gundar scoffed. "I can easily strangle your neck in a heartbeat. You’re just a small-time villain in my eyes!"

Seeing Leone’s aggrieved expression, Godwin, Hagen, and Malik couldn’t help but chuckle.

They had completely forgotten that the person they viewed as a threat was only a young man who had just finished his coming of age ceremony.

Even so, they had to admit that he was worthy to be recognized as their rival, for he now had a significant stake in the Borderlands.

"Still, what you did to the Darkmane Tribe will have repercussions even we cannot foresee," Gundar replied. "Have you thought about the consequences of your actions when you ordered your vassals to attack Darkmane City?"

Godwin, Hagen, and Malik also suspected that this was the case.

They didn’t know that Otto was one of Leone’s vassals since the only ones they had seen stuck by his side were Ulric, Kael, and Jason.

At the great shaman’s question, a faint smile appeared on the young chieftain’s face.

"One person’s tragedy is another person’s opportunity," Leone replied. "After this war, the Darkmane Tribe might cease to exist. So, what happens after that? It’s really simple."

The adults looked at the young man because they finally realized what he was hinting at.

"The defeated tribes have two choices," Leone said as he raised a finger. "One is to become the vassal of another. The second is to be absorbed by another. As to who among the high-ranking tribes will be able to absorb the Darkmane Tribe... that will all depend on your abilities."

"You’re talking as if the outcome of this war is already a foregone conclusion," Hagen said in a dissatisfied tone.

"It already is a foregone conclusion," Leone stated with confidence. "Didn’t I say it before? Even if we don’t win, we won’t lose. I am not underestimating the Darkmane Tribe. As a high-ranking tribe, I’m sure they have many tricks under their sleeves.

"However, the moment they left their city, they had already lost the war. In fact, the Bonegnash Tribe is already preparing to absorb the survivors as we speak."

This news alarmed Godwin, Hagen, and Malik. The Bonegnash Tribe had been very low-key as of late. No one had any idea what they were thinking.

But as one of the high-ranking tribes of the Borderlands, they indeed had the capacity to absorb the Darkmane Tribe if they so wished!

"You said that you planned to make this place the Eden of the East, right?" Hagen smirked. "Then win. I will only recognize you as a rival if you win this war."

Godwin and Malik were both shocked to hear his words because Hagen had truly recognized Leone as their equal.

What did this mean?

It meant that Hagen was no longer looking at Leone and the Aslan Tribe as a middle-ranked tribe.

No.

Instead, he was now treating them as a high-ranking tribe!

Leone finally turned around to face the gathered chieftains. There was neither fear nor hesitation in his eyes. If anything, there was only unwavering resolve.

"I will," Leone replied. "And when this war is over, everyone in the Borderlands will understand one thing."

The wind blew across the balcony as the young man pointed toward the distant campfires of the Darkmane Tribe.

"The greatest mistake Troy ever made was having his army march to the Aslan Tribe," Leone said calmly. "Because the moment he did that, he had already lost the war."

Those present there couldn’t refute his words.

Gundar had brought them the news of the Darkmane City’s tragedy earlier. Since the news had been personally delivered by the great shaman, everyone had already accepted it as truth. That was how credible his words were.

Godwin, Hagen, and Malik also knew that the moment Troy realized that his city had been burned down to the ground, he wouldn’t be able to forgive Leone no matter what.

Even with Hagen’s and Gundar’s protection, the Chieftain of the Darkmane Tribe would try to kill Leone in any way possible... even if it was the last thing he did in his lifetime!

Leone then saw Kael approach the ramparts of the fortress. Now that the Darkmane Tribe had arrived at their territory, they could no longer delay the inevitable.

Soon, Kael slowly raised his hands toward the sky and started to chant.

The warriors of the Darkmane Tribe then started to beat their war drums.

"What is he doing?" Godwin asked.

"Just watch," Leone replied. "Kael will create a miracle right before your eyes."

As if waiting for that cue, the shaman then made a slashing motion with his hand.

Right in front of everyone’s eyes, something unbelievable happened.

At the base of the mountain, where the barracks once stood, stone walls began to rise from the ground.

Countless stones stacked and merged to create ramparts and staircases that allowed people to climb on top of it.

The spectators coming from the high-ranking tribes looked at all of this in disbelief. Their reaction was exactly how Leone thought they would react.

Seeing this scene, he couldn’t help but feel smug internally because he had been itching to do this ever since they had stepped into his domain.

The banners of the Aslan and the Ravage Tribe then appeared along the long stone wall that circled around Grimjaw Mountain, informing everyone of their alliance.

The stone wall was thirty meters tall and had a thickness of fifteen meters. Even if the Manticore of the Darkmane Tribe tried to attack it, it would not break so easily!

Catapults were then stationed at the ramparts as piles of round stones were gathered in place, waiting to be used as ammunition.

The banners of the Aslan and the Ravage Tribe fluttered in the breeze, as if taunting their enemies to try their best to scale up their mighty walls, which would not easily be destroyed even with siege weapons!

’Kael is really enjoying the spotlight.’ Daedalus chuckled.

’I know, right?’ Leone stated. ’Now everyone thinks he’s the one responsible for creating this fortress.’

Leone gave Godwin, Hagen, and Malik a sidelong glance. The three chieftains were looking at Kael as if he was a beautiful chaste maiden who was up for grabs!

Meanwhile, Gundar only smiled faintly. He understood that Leone was only using Kael as a smokescreen to hide the fact that he was the perpetrator behind this miracle.

He had already seen Leone’s ability before, which he had also kept hidden from Hagen.

This power was something that he wished to keep a secret for as long as possible.

When the wall was finished, Kael turned around and bowed respectfully toward Leone.

"Well done, Kael." Leone praised. "As expected of my vassal!"

Kael blinked once, then twice, before he started laughing out loud. With this, he not only protected his Great Chieftain from the prying eyes of the other tribes, but he also made himself look good in their eyes.

A glance was enough for him to know that Hagen and Malik were looking at him as if they wanted to recruit him to their side no matter what it took.

He was once the chieftain of a low-ranking tribe.

Someone who didn’t really hold any merit nor value in the eyes of the high-ranking tribes.

But now, he was a changed man.

Serving Leone had been the best choice he had made in his life. Even if the high-ranking tribes offered him the highest positions and benefits that any barbarian could dream of, Kael would remain in the Aslan Tribe because he would only serve one King.

A King that would rise above all and create a kingdom that would take the world by storm!