Chapter 481: The March Of The United Tribes

"Dominic, from now on, you and your men will serve as one of the fighting forces of the Aslan Tribe," Leone stated. "I know that your hearts may still be with the Kingdom of Britannia.

"So, if there ever comes another time when the Aslan Tribe and the Kingdom face each other on the battlefield, I will not force you to fight on our side. All I ask is that you and your men assist me wholeheartedly in repelling the army of the Aurelion Empire from the Borderlands."

A minute of silence passed before the Gryphon Commander gave his reply.

"Whether we like it or not, our lives are completely at your mercy," Dominic replied calmly. "But you are the son of Viscount Marco, so I will trust that you are just as honorable as your father.

"That’s why I will be completely honest with you. I don’t like you. However, I appreciate that you had gone out of your way to bring our families and us to reunite with our partners. For that alone, I will at least carry out your orders unless it goes below my bottom line."

Dominic’s subordinates nodded, sharing the same thoughts as their commander.

They were thankful to Leone for being considerate. However, they had no love for the person who caused their downfall.

Of course, they understood that they were the aggressors in this conflict.

After all, they were the ones who invaded the Borderlands. Leone had every right to defend himself.

Still, they had served the Kingdom of Britannia for many years. Their loyalty wouldn’t be so swayed just because their new master was being considerate toward them.

"Good." Leone smiled. "As long as you obey my orders, I don’t mind even if you hate me. Also, let me make a promise to all of you here."

The young man then pressed his hand over his chest before scanning the faces of every Gryphon Rider that was looking in his direction.

"I swear upon the Earth Mother, the Goddess of Light, as well as the Goddess of New Beginnings, that I will not treat any of you as cannon fodder," Leone declared. "You will not become disposable manpower that I will use and discard when you no longer prove useful to my cause.

"I will also not force any of you to become a part of the Aslan Tribe. But if there comes a time when you truly wish to become part of our family, then I will recognize you as my loyal subjects."

Leone then pointed at one of the districts that belonged to the Bonegnash Tribe.

That particular area remained uninhabited as they did not have enough people to live there.

"All of you, including your families, will live in that location," Leone stated. "Since I still have many things to do, I’ll cut things short. Tomorrow at noon, all of you will catch up with the tribes headed out to repel the army of the Aurelion Empire.

"Your role is to act as their escort and scout from the sky. For now, spend time with your family and assure them that everything is going to be alright. I promise they will be properly cared for, even while you’re on this mission to protect your new domain."

Leone said everything loud and clear. He made sure to tell Dominic and his men what he expected of them, as well as what they could expect from him.

After signing the magical contracts, they and their family had been reduced to war slaves.

Still, Leone never called them that, and he had no intention of doing so in the future.

He wasn’t that kind of person.

While he had full control over their lives, he didn’t plan to treat them as his slaves.

Perhaps there would eventually come a time when Dominic and his subordinates would proudly call themselves members of the Aslan Tribe.

But that day was not today.

Just as a castle was impossible to build without "kingdom building powers" overnight, loyalty, trust, and genuine respect could only be built over time.

And Leone understood that very well.

He could force Dominic and his men to kneel before him. He could even make them swear their loyalty under the threat of their families’ safety.

But what was the point of gaining their obedience if all he received from them in return was resentment?

He wanted to build a kingdom, not a prison.

And if he wanted the people under his rule to stand beside him when the time came, then he needed to give them a reason to do so.

That was what Leone learned from his father, Marco. The person he’d idolized since he was young.

The kind of ruler he aspired to become.

"I will assign a few people to serve as your guides," Leone said. "If you need anything, feel free to tell me what you need. As long as it is not unreasonable, I’ll make sure that you get it no matter what."

A few minutes later, Leone asked Kael to send a message to his Great Uncle, as well as to all the other chieftains of the tribes in the Borderlands.

They would discuss the march they intended to schedule when the sun had set.

Leone’s plan was to make them travel to their destination as fast as they could at night. To save time, he planned to build long enclosed wagons similar to a train cabin, which the Pteranodons would carry to significantly reduce travel time.

Each cabin could seat forty people comfortably, and they would be carried by two Pteranodons each.

The rest would travel by land, riding on Raptors, Drakes, horses, and the other mounts that would be accessible to them.

Half of the Ravage Tribe led by Logan would also head to battle, alongside Khan and Rasta.

The rest would stay to defend Grimjaw Mountain just in case of an emergency.

Half of the warriors of the Aslan Tribe would also stay at the mountain to enforce proper order for their temporary residents.

Although he believed that no member among the tribes staying in Aslan City would be stupid enough to start a conflict, Leone still made sure that if something like that were to happen, there would be enough fighting force to deal with the infighting.

Several hours later, just as the sun had dipped under the horizon, hundreds of Pteranodons took off into the skies, carrying the wooden cabins that housed the warriors of the tribes in the Borderlands.

At the gate of the city, hundreds of horses, Raptors, and Drakes charged out, heading towards their new battlefield.

Just before they departed, Leone’s vassals pleaded with him to remain in Grimjaw Mountain while he took control of his clone using his consciousness.

But Leone shook his head firmly.

"I understand your concern," Leone said calmly. "I know you truly care about me. However, a flower that grows inside a greenhouse will never understand the cruelty of the world outside its walls."

All of Leone’s vassals fell silent at his words. Daedalus made no comment, aware of its primary role. To support its Master. Nothing else, and definitely not to dictate how to live his life.

Leone looked towards the distant horizon, where the last traces of sunlight could be seen.

"I don’t intend to remain behind while everyone else risks their lives for our future," Leone stated. "If I want to become a ruler worthy of their loyalty, I must at least be willing to stand on the same battlefield."

"Great Chieftain, we understand your intentions," Kael said in a respectful tone. "However, you must also understand that your life is more valuable than ours. The Wind Guardian, as well as the elite soldiers of the Aurelion Army, will be there.

"If something were to happen to you, then what would become of the Aslan Tribe that you have worked so hard to build? Sure, it may not crumble in a day, but cracks will definitely appear until everything you have built will all come crashing down."

Leone smiled faintly. "Then, all of you must do your best not to let that happen. Also, I am not as fragile as you think."

The young man took out the charm that would protect him from a fatal injury three times. This was one of the things Aria had won from the Wheel of Fortune, and she had given this to Leone for his safety.

On top of that, after becoming Logan’s sworn brother, a good portion of the damage he received would be transferred to the Orc Champion.

This added a layer of protection to the young Chieftain of the Aslan Tribe.

"Worry not," Brann commented. "I will never leave our Great Chieftain’s side. I’ll ensure that he is safe, even if it costs me my life."

Blitz also landed on top of Leone’s head and patted its chest, as if telling everyone to leave the young man’s safety to it.

Maximus, who was now a Sacred Dragonkin, also patted its chest.

"I will also guard him with my life," Maximus declared. "So don’t worry about him too much."

After receiving their comrades’ assurance, Leone was finally given the go signal to personally join the battle.

And with him at the lead, the warriors of the Borderlands all mobilized to reclaim what they had lost and to make their enemy understand who the real master of the Borderlands was, which the Aurelion Army seemed to have forgotten.