The Grimfang Tribe was a middle-ranked tribe.

To be frank, Leone had no grudge against them. He understood that they had also suffered repercussions from the war, for they had sent their warriors to aid the Bloodtusk Tribe.

For this reason, when they were chasing the Stormhorn Tribe, his orders to Otto was not to kill but to neutralize.

If anything, the ones who did most of the killing was the enraged Stormhorn Tribe led by Brann.

Leone even pitied them secretly because they definitely got the short end of the stick.

Even if they didn’t bring enough provisions in exchange for their prisoners of war, Leone had already planned to let them off the hook. However, since the other tribes were nearby, he had to be professional.

The warriors of the Darkmane Tribe were still there, but all of their weapons had been confiscated. He didn’t plan to have them taken away since he wanted them to become witnesses on what was going to happen next.

"I have received your ransom in good faith," Leone replied. "Kael, please bring the warriors of the Grimfang Tribe here."

"Yes, Great Chieftain!" Kael rode on Arion’s back and flew toward the river where members of the Grimfang Tribe were waiting for their release.

The gathered tribes waited patiently, already looking forward to seeing what abuse the prisoners had suffered under the Aslan Tribe’s custody.

However, the moment the warriors of the Grimfang Tribe appeared, the image of the pitiful and hungry prisoners of war in everyone’s imagination disappeared completely.

Theron led his men to where everyone was gathered. He neither looked starved nor ill-treated.

In fact, he looked like he had just undergone a glow-up.

Yes, Leone had sent them to work in the tunnels. But in order to use them to their best potential, he decided to buy the Martial Skill called "Gold Diggers Unite!"

It was a Martial Skill meant to increase the progress of miners, with the breathing technique increasing their vitality and stamina. This gave them more strength to work overtime without feeling fatigued whatsoever!

The prisoners even bulked up a bit and looked stronger thanks to it. They also had this sense of unity that could be seen at a glance, making the other tribes wonder if they had been fed some kind of pill to make them look this impressive.

Yet, that wasn’t all.

Behind Theron, two warriors sat on top of two Raptors.

These Raptors weren’t the Forest Raptors that the warriors of the Aslan tribe used nor the Blood-Crest Raptors that Leone’s vassals favored.

It was called the Grim-Fang Raptor.

In order to motivate the miners, Leone promised to give two Raptors to the miners who would get Maximus’ approval.

Sensing this was a golden opportunity, the warriors of the Grimfang Tribe, including Theron, worked really hard.

With motivation, good food, enough rest, and all their hygienic needs met, there was no choice but for them to look more impressive than before.

The Grim-Fang Raptors were quite intimidating. They weren’t like the Forest Raptors meant for long-distance travels.

Their stamina wasn’t that high, and they could only run in short bursts.

But they made up for all of that in pure brutality.

The Grim-Fang Raptors were built to kill. They were like tigers that could kill their enemies as long as they didn’t need to chase them for a long time.

In a way, they were similar to Fury. Their stats were focused on strength and vitality, making them perfect for head-to-head battles.

Although they wouldn’t admit it, some of them had actually started feeling at home while at the Aslan Tribe.

"I’ll miss you, Boss!" One of the warriors who had the Grim-Fang Raptor held Maximus’s hand. "Thank you for everything!"

"Gau!" Maximus patted the warrior’s shoulder in response. It was telling him that he did a good job as a Gold Digger during his stay in their domain.

The other warrior who also got the Grim-Fang Raptor also thanked and bade goodbye to Maximus.

He might’ve been a strict project manager, but they all now looked up to him.

Leone even wondered what kind of food his Kobold had fed the warriors. All of them were oddly looking at him like he was their brother-in-arms.

"All of you are free men now," Leone declared. "Let it be known that I hold no grudges toward the Grimfang Tribe. I know that you and I had done what we thought was right at that time.

"Moving forward, I hope we stay as good neighbors. Last but not least, those of you who have worked hard in the mines will receive proper compensation for your work."

The young man then pointed at the wagon filled with ores brought by the Darkmane Tribe.

"Since all of you have mined high-grade iron ores in the mines, it is only proper that you get a share of your hard work," Leone added. "As such, this is my gift to all of you. Take that wagon filled with iron ores back to your camp. If you ever wish to trade high-grade Iron, feel free to approach us anytime."

At the mention of high-grade iron ores, the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe, as well as Wayne, looked at Leone with shock.

Currently, the Darkmane Tribe had a monopoly on iron ores, making it their main source of income.

However, Leone just said that they had high-grade iron ores, which were better than ordinary iron ores!

Perhaps knowing what the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe were thinking, the young man shifted his attention toward them.

"You heard that right," Leone stated. "The Aslan Tribe have stumbled upon a deposit of high-grade iron ores with the help of the Grimfang Tribe. Now, why do I still need you guys to pay the ransom of twenty wagons of iron ore? The answer is really simple.

"Because that’s the price of your chieftain’s arrogance. If he doesn’t want to pay, then so be it. I’ll just kill his sons, and you guys won’t be returning home either. If that dog Troy wants a war, then so be it. Let it be known that Leone Frontera is not afraid to meet him on the battlefield!"

"D-Did you just call our chieftain a dog?!" one of the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe shouted.

"Ulric..."

"Yes, Great Chieftain!"

Ulric didn’t even bother to wait for orders. He simply lunged at the man who spoke and pummeled his face with his fists.

After two blows, the warrior crumpled on the ground with a bloody mouth. He felt aggrieved, but none of his companions dared to help him.

"What’s wrong with calling a dog a dog?" Leone asked. "Let it be known that I called Troy a dog. What can he do about it? Ah, right. Warriors of the Grimfang Tribe, feel free to spread the news of everything you see and hear here to the other tribes. I’m sure they are dying to hear some good gossip."

The corner of Theron and Hugo’s lips twitched. They were very tempted to tell the young man that they weren’t gossiping aunties who liked to spread rumors to the other ladies!

Leone had no idea what the two were thinking, so he shifted his attention back to the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe and ordered his men to take them away.

He and Daedalus weren’t the least bit worried of them rebelling against him. The underground tunnels were now rigged with traps. The moment they dared to do anything stupid, they would be buried where they stood!

"Leone Frontera." Hugo finally found the courage to say something. "You have openly challenged the Darkmane Tribe. Earlier, you said the Aslan Tribe won’t win, but you will also not lose. What do you mean by that?"

"It just means that even if the Darkmane Tribe wins in battle, they will still be the losers in this conflict," Leone answered. "Of course, words are cheap. You’ll understand once that dog chieftain orders his men to march to our domain."

Leone was deliberately enticing Troy to declare war on him out of anger.

What the Aslan Tribe needed was one big battle against a high-ranking tribe.

This would cement their reputation and make the other tribes understand the consequences of fighting them.

After thinking things through, Leone came to a conclusion.

There was no need to be afraid of the Darkmane Tribe.

The one who needed to be afraid was them.

With Blitz, Otto, Arion, and Hassan by his side, they could practically start a killing spree right after the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe left their city gates.

Even Blitz, Otto, and Hassan were enough. If they employ guerrilla tactics, they could kill hundreds, if not thousands, of warriors during the enemy’s march to Grimjaw Mountain.

The scary part was that they could even target the commanders of the Darkmane Tribe. In fact, they might even be able to assassinate Troy if they were lucky!