Chapter 264: The Unwitting Ally

Kellar nodded slowly, fixing his cold gaze upon his personal guard’s face.

"Indeed, Grok," the shaman said, before turning toward the rest of the commanders. "Do you truly believe we are their equals? Do you think they believe we even deserve a single extra glance? Would they stoop to offer us a piece of bread if they saw us in misery? On the front lines of battle... do you think they would share their food, their weapons, and their shields to aid us? Or will we merely be their cannon fodder waiting to be slaughtered?"

The silence within the longhouse grew suffocating. Not a single man dared to articulate a response; neither Lennis, nor Brak, nor any of the captains.

"Even worse... what if we win?" continued Kellar, his voice rising in volume. "Why have they failed to advance past this forest’s border? Why have they not attempted a direct strike against us? That is perhaps the question none of you have stopped to ask."

The shaman leaned both hands against the strategic map, pressing forward.

"Because the Golden Rose Realm holds them back," declared Kellar with certainty. "At this moment, the Kingdom is not merely non-enemy territory, but our unwitting ally. Without realizing it, they are shielding our rear. The day they fall, we are next, along with every soul dwelling in this forest. To Aethelgard and Valoria, we are nothing more than raw resources and cheap labor; the lives of our men mean nothing to them. If we march to this war, we will serve as bait. And if we survive... we will become the loot. This is a war we cannot fight."

Kellar’s words detonated like a thunderclap across the chamber.

"Those treacherous dogs view us as mere cattle!" roared Garik, drawing half of his wind sword from its sheath, sending sharp gusts of air slicing through the chamber. "I will march to the villa this instant and sever that Cedric’s head before he even finishes his banquet!"

"Don’t be a fool, Garik!" yelled Thorin back, slamming both hands onto the timber table. "If we execute them here, Aethelgard and Valoria will march with their full might against our forest! We must dispatch envoys to the Golden Rose capital this very day! Offer them a non-aggression pact and crush those northern rats together!"

"Ally ourselves with the very same bastards who slaughtered our hunters at the border?" interrupted Brak, stepping into his face with bloodshot eyes. "Never! I would sooner burn this entire forest to ash than bend a knee to the King of the Golden Rose!"

"Then they will destroy us all!" shouted Lennis, striving to make himself heard above the tide of screams while adjusting his spectacles. "If the Kingdom falls, we are next! This is a matter of military and economic survival!"

The clash of arguments, the pounding of fists against heavy timber, and the wind cutting from Garik’s blade echoed off the longhouse walls, turning the strategic council into a powder keg ready to detonate.

The arguments threatened to tear the hall apart when two crisp, resonant claps sliced through the air like a crack of thunder.

Kellar applauded slowly, a calm expression resting on his face that contrasted with the uproar.

"Good," said Kellar, the echo of his voice instantly smothering the protests. "That is precisely what I wanted to see. I wanted you to grasp the gravity of what unfolds and the difficulty of our position... Yet all of you are mistaken in one aspect."

The longhouse fell into a hush. Garik slowly resheathed his wind sword, as the slicing air dissipated into the room.

"This is a war we cannot blindly fight... yet one that we must fight," declared the shaman, sweeping a calculating gaze across each of his commanders. "Sitting on our hands and doing nothing will likewise render us a military target for either side once the conflict concludes."

Brak took a step forward, pressing his right fist against his chest and lowering his head with humility.

"Tell us what to do, Great Shaman," expressed Brak in a steady voice. "Our wisdom and vision do not compare in the slightest to yours. Guide us."

"We must play both sides," declared Kellar with a subtle smile. "Neither of those kingdoms knows the true count of our forces. We can feign that we lost more than half of our troops in the last battle, projecting an illusion of weakness."

Kellar sat upright on his throne, resting his hands upon the armrests.

"Right now, we must await the reaction of the Golden Rose Realm," continued the shaman. "Those northern kingdoms have spies embedded within the human capital, and it is inevitable that news of their outreach to form an alliance against them will reach the King’s ears. At that moment, if the Golden Rose decides to negotiate with us to secure their rear flank, we shall negotiate with them on our terms. Should they choose to attack, we will have no choice but to hold our ground."

Kellar paused, letting the strategy crystallize within his captains’ minds.

"However, we will never pour our full strength into this war. We will utilize our ’new allies’ from the north to absorb the brunt of the damage on the front lines. Instead of fighting with all our might, we shall contribute only what is necessary. Always on the defensive, maintaining a stance of resistance, and never risking the true heart of our tribe."

"I understand," said Thorin, a smile forming on his bearded face. "If we feign vulnerability, we can justify withholding large contingents from the front lines. I will order the men to lower their guard at the outposts. We shall make our patrols appear disorganized and weary, as though our victory against the Golden Rose left us on the brink of collapse."

"Indeed," agreed Lennis, adjusting his spectacles while making notes on his parchment. "I can alter the ledger records. We will make it seem as though our grain and iron stores are nearly depleted."

Kellar raised a hand, cutting off his commanders’ enthusiasm before it spiraled too far.

"Do not exaggerate," warned Kellar in a stern voice. "Should you try too hard to appear weak, those diplomats will suspect us instantly. Cedric and Lucian are no fools; if they catch the scent of a lie, they will know we are being hypocritical and doubt our sincerity. The act must be subtle."

Grok took a step forward, crossing his massive arms over his chest.

"Master... what shall we do with the gifts they brought?" inquired the giant. "The gold, gemstones, and land deeds remain in the main hall."

"We shall accept everything," answered Kellar coldly. "Refusing their gold would only breed suspicion. We will lead them to believe greed has won us over, yet inform them that we require time to reorganize our ’devastated’ forces before marching north. We will feed them false hope while observing how the Golden Rose moves its piece across the board."

Brak pressed his fist against his chest, a fierce grin breaking across his face.

"Let them believe they hold us in the palm of their hand... while they throw themselves against the kingdom’s walls," muttered the warrior.

"Precisely," declared Kellar, rising to his feet atop the dais. "Prepare everything for tomorrow’s meeting. It is time to deliver to those ambassadors the very answer they so desperately crave to hear."