Brann looked at Leone with a startled gaze. Tears had spilled from the young man’s eyes after he was done reading the letter handed to him.

For the barbarians, crying in public, especially in front of warriors, was considered a display of weakness.

Brann had made sure to wipe his tears before rejoining his caravan for this reason. He didn’t want to show weakness to the representatives of the Aslan Tribe, who had come to them as reinforcements.

And yet, the chieftain of the strongest faction in the east of the Borderlands was doing the opposite. He showed his weakness to everyone.

However, that didn’t make him less of a man in Brann’s eyes.

Leone even looked more human now instead of an unreachable entity who stood above the shoulders of his people.

Blitz crawled up the young man’s shoulder and patted his cheek. It was its way of telling its Master that everything was going to be alright.

At this, Leone carefully wiped his tears with the back of his hand.

He didn’t expect to cry after reading his mother’s letter either. Perhaps he had missed them more than he thought. His mother’s letter was full of concern, touching him in ways that made his heart ache.

Hassan looked at the young man with a faint smile on his face. In his eyes, Leone acted like his age.

After all, Leone had been exiled from the Kingdom of Britannia. He had been forcefully separated from his family and those who loved him.

He used to be pampered, yet he was forced to be independent. How could he not shed tears after reading a letter handwritten by a loved one he hadn’t seen for a long time?

"Thank you, Blitz," Leone said after he regained his composure. "And thank you as well, Lord Hassan, for delivering this letter to me. I can’t thank you enough for this gift that you brought me."

"You’re welcome, Young Master," Hassan replied. "Or shall I start calling you Great Chieftain as well?"

"I give you permission to call me Young Master," Leone answered. "Also, do you know the contents of this letter?"

"I have a rough idea of what it is." Hassan nodded. "Did My Lady state that I should remain by your side?"

"She did," Leone replied. "Please take good care of me from now on, Hassan."

Hassan dismounted from his horse and knelt on the ground. He then placed his closed fist over his chest before bowing respectfully to Leone.

"I swear upon My Lady’s name that I will protect you to the best of my ability, My Liege," Hassan vowed.

"Good." Leone smiled faintly before shifting his attention to Malcolm. "Malcolm, welcome back. Tell me, what is the reason behind your return here to Grimjaw Mountain?"

Although Daedalus had already informed him beforehand, he still asked him for the sake of the people who were around him.

Just like Hassan, Malcolm also knelt and bowed his head respectfully in Leone’s direction.

"This might be an unreasonable request from me, but I wish that you will let me, my wife, and son join the Aslan Tribe, Great Chieftain," Malcolm stated. "I know you may not trust me, but I hope you’ll give me a chance. I swear I will do my best to prove my loyalty.

"All I ask is for my family to be given shelter here, for we no longer have a place to return to in the Bloodtusk Tribe."

Leone gazed at the veteran warrior for a few seconds before giving his answer. "I will allow it. From now on, you and your family will be members of the Aslan Tribe."

Malcolm didn’t expect that he would be welcomed so easily under the young man’s wing. He thought Leone would first give him some difficult tasks to prove himself before he was allowed to officially join the tribe.

Seeing this as a good opportunity to pledge his loyalty, Brann moved to kneel in front of Leone as well.

"I also wish to become part of the Aslan Tribe, Great Chieftain," Brann said decisively. "Please, allow us to become your hands and feet. Command us as you will. All I hope is that you give us all a chance."

Leone didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced at Gromm, who stood a few meters away from his father, his expression extremely conflicted.

"Brann. Are you speaking for only yourself or on behalf of your people?" Leone asked.

"I speak for all of my people," Brann answered. "However, it is also true that some of them have yet to recognize you as their leader in their hearts. I will do my best to convince them. So please, give me some time."

"I trust you, Brann," Leone said. "Do what you think is right."

Hearing the words "I trust you" spoken to him, Brann couldn’t help but feel that his desire to pledge his loyalty to Leone had been recognized.

Although the young man had only said three words to him, Brann felt his sincerity.

"I-Is it presumptuous of me to think that you already consider me one of your people, Great Chieftain?" Brann asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yes," Leone replied firmly. "I recognize you as one of my people."

Leone might not be the smartest person in the world. However, he could tell that Brann truly wished to serve him.

The fact that Daedalus had confirmed that Brann was a vassal candidate proved that he was worthy to stand by Leone’s side.

In fact, Brann’s favorability of Leone had reached 100% after seeing the young man cry a while ago.

This meant that Brann truly wished to protect him, whom he had recognized as his leader in his heart.

"Jason, please take Malcolm and his family to the place where you all live," Leone ordered. "There are still a few empty houses there, so let them choose whichever one they like."

"Yes, Great Chieftain." Jason nodded to acknowledge his command. "Please follow me, Malcolm. Also, welcome to the Aslan Tribe."

"Thank you!" Malcolm finally breathed out a sigh of relief after hearing that. He then bowed to Leone once more before mounting his Raptor to follow Jason.

Leone also decided to return to the fortress with Hassan, whom he wished to talk to in private.

It had been months since he last saw his family, after all. While his mother had written that they missed him, she might have not written about the problems that arose after he was sent to exile.

As such, he wanted Hassan to tell him of any information he knew about his family, as well as any other news that came from the Kingdom of Britannia.