Chapter 316: Surrender Or Die [Part 2]

"Stop," Godwin said. "Any more than that, and he will die."

Osteon lay bloodied and bruised on the ground after the beating he received from Troy. If not for the Lionkin still holding back, the Chieftain of the Bonegnash Tribe might have already died long ago.

Troy clicked his tongue in response, reluctantly lifting his foot from the head of the bastard who had schemed to take over his tribe while he was away.

Osteon cursed both Troy and his subordinates, the latter of whom didn’t inform him about what happened back in Grimjaw Mountain.

If he had been informed, he would have mobilized his army or escaped while he still had the chance.

Unfortunately, Otto had already killed all of Osteon’s subordinates.

When Rhogar had revealed himself to Troy and acted condescendingly, they no longer needed to keep any witnesses alive.

In fact, Otto prioritized killing the cloaked men first before he focused on dealing with the other monsters.

After all, the last thing he wanted was for any of these men to escape and warn their chieftain on how the battle at Grimjaw Mountain ended.

"Lock him away," Troy ordered.

He didn’t trust any of the chieftains, especially Hagen. For now, he decided that the one who would take care of Osteon would be his people, preventing him from escaping even if he wanted to.

The chieftains had secured Osteon’s house and were using it as a temporary headquarters.

At the moment, the chieftain’s family was being questioned by Gundar. The shaman wanted to know if Osteon had shared his plans with them or just kept them to himself.

When the investigation ended, Gundar confirmed that they had no idea that the chieftain had collaborated with the Monster King to kill the other chieftains of the Borderlands.

"They are innocent," Gundar said calmly. "They have no idea what Osteon was planning."

"So?" Troy sneered. "Ignorance is not an excuse. If Osteon succeeded, then the other tribes would have suffered under his hands. I suggest that we remove his rights as a chieftain of the Borderlands."

Hearing those words, Godwin, Hagen, and Malik could not help but glance at each other.

The moment Osteon’s right as a chieftain was revoked, two things could happen.

One, he would immediately be succeeded by one of his sons.

Two, the Bonegnash Tribe would be absorbed by another tribe.

Meanwhile, the three chieftains of the middle-ranked tribes only watched from the side.

Frankly, their opinion didn’t matter in this discussion. And they had no interest in meddling in muddy waters either.

Even so, they wanted to know how this incident would end.

In any case, Osteon would be punished. This was already set in stone.

No one would defend him. If anyone dared to try, they would be lumped into the same garbage as the Bonegnash Tribe and would receive treatment deserving of such.

Even Hagen, who believed that keeping Osteon alive would benefit him, remained quiet. Saving Osteon would force him to take a risk.

A risk he didn’t know if it was worth it or not.

To become the Barbarian King, he must gain the acknowledgment of all the chieftains.

And if saving Osteon would cause his reputation to take a hit, then that would be a very bad move on his part.

After all, Hagen wouldn’t allow his reputation to suffer a blow. He had been cultivating it for many years and was well-versed in maintaining it.

Nevertheless, he decided to test the waters.

"This matter is not something that should be taken lightly," Hagen stated. "How about we discuss this in the Tribal Gathering?"

"Why wait until then? All the people who have the power to decide are now inside this room." Troy chuckled. "Or are you planning to make Osteon promise that you would save him in exchange for his voting rights?

"I’ve already promised you that I will give you mine, but you probably need one more to gain an absolute advantage. I admire your tenacity, but don’t think that everything is going according to plan."

The moment Troy admitted that Hagen now had the Darkmane Tribe’s vote in the upcoming Tribal Gathering, the faces of Godwin and Malik turned solemn.

"I vote that the Bonegnash Tribe be stripped of their rights in the upcoming Tribal Gathering," Godwin declared. "Those who agree to this proposal, raise your hands."

Troy and Malik raised their hands in response.

Duncan, Oswald, and Garen also raised theirs, making their voices heard. Although their votes didn’t really matter in the bigger picture, they wanted to show their resolve by voting against any pardon for Osteon.

"You’re thinking too deeply into this, Troy," Hagen commented before raising his own hand. "I simply wished to discuss this in a more formal setting."

"Do you really think I was born yesterday?" Troy sneered. "Good luck getting another vote in the next Tribal Gathering, but this is not over yet. I also vote for Osteon’s heirs to be stripped of their voting rights as well.

"We don’t know if Hagen here will take advantage of them while they are in their most vulnerable state. It is better to deal with this now rather than regret it later."

"I don’t know why you hate me so much, Troy," Hagen replied. "Did I do something to you?"

"No," Troy replied. "I just hate your guts. What can you do about it?"

"You talk big, but after being defeated by the Aslan Tribe, do you really think the Darkmane Tribe is the same as before?" Hagen arched an eyebrow. "In fact, I don’t think you deserve to remain as a member of the high-ranking tribes."

"Is that so?" Troy laughed. "Well, that’s also fine by me. I’ll just take over the Bonegnash Tribe, then. Godwin, Malik, will you help me?"

"Why not?" Godwin replied.

"I’ll feel more assured if you’re the one who will take care of the Bonegnash Tribe," Malik stated. "You have the support of the Sandreaver Tribe."

Hagen frowned at their words. It was very obvious that he was being singled out right now.

Troy’s revelation of the agreement about the vote was a sensitive topic. It must’ve made Godwin and Malik feel alarmed, and they were quick to do something about it. After all, they could not allow Hagen to have absolute authority in the Tribal Gathering.

Even if it meant helping Troy absorb the Bonegnash Tribe, they would do it without any hesitation.

"I don’t think that’s appropriate," Hagen countered. "Gundar has already said that Osteon’s family is innocent. They shouldn’t be punished for a crime they did not commit."

"Since you’re so adamant that they are innocent, how about a compromise?" Troy said, his tone filled with malice. "We will exile them to the Aslan Tribe, then. I will also allow anyone who wishes to follow them to leave without harassment."

"No. That is not acceptable." Hagen flat-out refused Troy’s proposal.

He had no idea what Troy was planning. However, what the Aslan Tribe now needed was people.

As long as their population didn’t increase, at most, they would not be able to leave Grimjaw Mountain.

But what if they suddenly gained thousands of people? That would truly become a problem.

After all, Hagen had already recognized the Aslan Tribe as a growing power.

Refusing to acknowledge it was plain stupid. Even he had to admit that the Aslan Tribe was growing at a scary pace.

He left his son Elias there so that he would see firsthand what the Aslan Tribe would do until the Tribal Gathering.

No matter what happened, he would oppose anything that would allow Leone to gain more people.

Unfortunately for him, Leone gave no hoot about whatever he was thinking.

He couldn’t recruit people?

No problem!

He had already asked Logan and Caius to look for Orcs and Kobolds that wished to live with them at Grimjaw Mountain.

The young man had even said that any other race, including Goblins, were allowed to become part of the Aslan Tribe.

However, that wasn’t all.

Duncan, Oswald, and Garen had a serious talk during their journey to the Bonegnash Tribe.

Depending on the result of the Tribal Gathering, they might seriously consider migrating to Grimjaw Mountain and forming a coalition against the high-ranking tribes.

Just like Hagen, they believed that all Leone lacked was people.

If the three middle-ranked tribes joined him, they would easily become a force to be reckoned with.

A force that not even the high-ranking tribes would dare to antagonize unless they had a death wish.

What happened to the Darkmane Tribe was enough proof of the Aslan Tribe’s capabilities.

Leone didn’t need to leave the mountain to burn Darkmane City to the ground.

His vassals were all very capable people, something every chieftain wished they had.

Everyone thought that the Aslan Tribe would lose the war. Yet, they defied all expectations.

To everyone’s surprise, they turned the Darkmane Tribe into a homeless tribe and annihilated more than half of their army.

Because of that, no one inside the room would dare to underestimate Leone and his tribe ever again.

Whether they admitted it or not, Leone was now a permanent member of the Borderlands.

And the moment he left his nest, no one, not even Hagen, would be able to stop him.

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