"Not convinced, are you? Let me tell you why I said he’s a cut above the two of you combined," Gundar said calmly. "Like I mentioned earlier, the two of you and Leone are born privileged.

"You have everything. The love of your people, the respect of your friends, the wealth of your family, and the backing of one of the high-ranking tribes in the Borderlands. No matter where you go, people would not dare to harm you in any way.

"No one will hinder your path, and everything will be smooth-sailing. Now, what if all of those things were taken away from you? What if you suddenly lost everything and fell from grace? Where would the two of you be, hmm? Where will you be, Marcus? What would you have become, Elias?"

Both men couldn’t come up with an answer right away. They had been too used to their privileged lifestyle that the mere mention of losing it made them unable to conceive it as a possibility.

Seeing that they were unable to give a reply, the great shaman scoffed.

"Unlike you two, Leone was stripped away of everything he had," Gundar stated. "His family, friends, his wealth, and his background. All of it, gone. He arrived in the Borderlands with only the clothes on his body. And where is he now? What are the things he has accomplished?

"He is now the Chieftain of the Aslan Tribe, who has also united the low-ranking tribes. He fought against the Bloodtusk Tribe and their allies and won. He built his faction from scratch. Now do you know why I say that both of you combined can’t even compare to his achievements?"

The great shaman then shifted his attention towards Elias, who also shrank back at his stare.

"I had no expectations that your brother would go to Grimjaw Mountain," Gundar said. "You are the smartest heir here, Elias. And yet, you didn’t even bother to check what is happening in the east with your own eyes. I’m truly disappointed in you."

The great shaman once again poured himself a glass of water and drank all of it.

"I planned to help Leone if the Darkmane Tribe declared war on him. But do you know what he told me? He said that I shouldn’t interfere in this war. He said that this is a war that should happen. He wants this war to prove once and for all that the Aslan Tribe isn’t a lowly tribe that anyone could bully or step on." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

He finally set his sights on Hagen, who had remained quiet all this time, listening to every word the great shaman was saying without any interruptions.

"It reminds me of the early days of the Grimhowl Tribe," Gundar declared. "Those days when the chieftain was still burning with determination to build a safe haven for his people. The days when he has chosen to fight in order to prove to everyone that the Grimhowl Tribe was a strong tribe.

"A tribe that will forever make his mark in the Borderlands. However, those days are gone. It is already in the past. The current Grimhowl Tribe is enjoying an era of prosperity and stability. No one will dare to wage war against us because they know that doing so will be similar to courting death.

"However, keep in mind that I cannot stay much longer in this world. At most, I can only be here for two or three more years. When I’m gone, the Grimhowl Tribe will lose one of its fangs. I hope that when that time comes, I can head to the afterlife knowing that this tribe will continue to exist for another century."

He then lowered his head before sighing deeply. After that, he gave Marcus and Elias a side-long glance.

"But after seeing those who will take over the tribe when I am gone, the future doesn’t look bright." Gundar sighed a second time. "I will be going into closed-door meditation. Unless it’s a matter of life and death for the Grimhowl Tribe, no one is to disturb me.

"And last but not least, do not forget that we won’t participate in this war. We will merely be observers as we watch an event that will be written down in the history of the Borderlands."

After saying those words, Gundar walked toward the door without a second glance. He knew that he was in the wrong for venting out the frustrations he felt in his heart towards Hagen and his sons.

He shouldn’t have talked to them like that. However, that was what he truly felt. Even now, Gundar felt anxious of what fate would befall the Grimhowl Tribe after he was gone from the world.

If Marcus and Elias didn’t change themselves, the future of the Grimhowl Tribe would be bleak.

They might not be able to withstand the waves that Leone would bring to the world.

When the great shaman was really gone, a sigh escaped Hagen’s lips.

"That old bat just scolded us because of that brat, Leone Frontera." Hagen pinched the bridge of his nose. "I think I’m going to have a headache."

"Chieftain, what are we going to do with the upcoming war?" one of the Elders asked.

"Didn’t you hear him earlier?" Hagen replied helplessly. "We will just watch from the side. I don’t know where the confidence of this brat, Leone, is coming from. To think that he’s taking the initiative to poke the hornet’s nest and not even ask for help. He either has a plan or he is just that stupid."

Suddenly, Marcus stood up and looked at his father with determination.

"Father, please give me permission to go to the Aslan Tribe!" Marcus stated. "I want to see this man Great Uncle thinks too highly about!"

"Father, please allow me to go as well!" Elias also asked for permission.

"Very well." Hagen nodded. "However, the two of you will not be going there alone. I will go with you as well."

"What?!" One of the Elders of the Grimhowl Tribe looked at their chieftain in disbelief. "Why would you do that, Great Chieftain?!"

"Because I want to see with my own eyes what that brat looks like," Hagen answered. "The brat that made that old bag of bones feel so impassioned as if he had regained his youth.

"Also, I want to know where the brat’s confidence is coming from. Elder Yun, you will be temporarily in charge of the affairs of the Grimhowl Tribe. If the messengers of the Darkmane Tribe arrive, tell them that we will not lend any help to the Aslan Tribe!"

"Yes, Great Chieftain," Elder Yun replied.

Hagen then listed out a couple more orders after that to set things in motion.

One thousand warriors were called to serve as their escorts, while a caravan was hastily prepared so that they could depart as soon as possible.

The next day, Hagen and his two sons left the city gates and headed toward Grimjaw Mountain.

They wanted to meet the person who not only touched Gundar’s heart, but was also the reason why they had been scolded unjustly by the great shaman.

It would still take the representatives of the Darkmane Tribe some time to return to their domain. Yet, the fact that the Chieftain of the Grimhowl Tribe had departed to head to Grimjaw Mountain already started to spread like wildfire.

The members of the Grimfang Tribe, who had also managed to return to their camp, shared the news of what had happened in the Aslan Tribe to their neighbors along the way.

The two middle-ranked tribes, which were the Redmaw Tribe and the Ironhide Tribe, were very surprised with the news Theron and Hugo shared with them.

A war had just ended, and yet, a new war would begin anew.

Every tribe instinctively knew that this faceoff between the Darkmane Tribe and the Aslan Tribe would bring about a change that would shake the very foundations of the Borderlands.