Village Head's Debauchery

Chapter 1146: Veiled Intentions



Aurora walked forward and stopped beside her. "Are you okay, child?"

The tree nymph immediately stood up, wiped away her tears, and bowed toward Aurora. "Thank you, goddess," she said, her voice filled with appreciation.

It was clear she had overheard the conversation between Aurora and Zale.

"Gather everyone in the orchard. I want to speak with them," Aurora instructed.

The tree nymph glanced at the numerous armoured figures lying on the ground in the distance, a look of understanding flashing in her eyes. She nodded quickly and ran excitedly into the forest to call the rest of her sisters. She sensed that today was the day they would finally gain their freedom.

Aurora watched her go, her lips curving into a smile.

....

Within a vast hall of smooth stone supported by four large, thick pillars, the walls were lined with crimson-glowing volcanic tendrils that warmed the atmosphere. Yet, cool air still permeated the environment.

Every corner of the room was adorned with broken weapons from war-swords, shattered shields, spears, and more-some still stained with the blood of their enemies.

Lanterns hanging at various corners illuminated the hall. A wide rectangular table surrounded by eight high-backed wooden chairs stood in the centre.

The Emperor of the Bastion of the Ashen Hope Territory was seated at the table with two women - the Queens beside him and the High Advisors.

At the far end of the table were two simple wooden chairs occupied by Brane and Zara.

"What are the benefits if we pledge our allegiance to this 'Paradise'?" asked a tall, hulking man, around 8ft (2.4m) tall, with grey shoulder-length hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a dark tunic, but the faint brilliance of Vylkr-alloy-forged armour gleamed beneath it.

His name was Gaverick, the Emperor of the Bastion of the Ashen Hope Territory.

Brane nodded in acknowledgement and quickly launched into his explanation. "...Simply put, as long as you pledge your allegiance to Paradise, you won't have to worry about safety or food, and we might even be able to uncover a potential cure for the Death Plague," he explained before falling silent.

However, the hall erupted into a cacophony of noise when Brane finished speaking.

"Even though I don't doubt the existence of this Paradise, you seem confident about its ability to find a cure for the Death Plague despite only hearing about it several minutes ago," said a muscular man with tanned skin and black hair. He wore a sleeveless grey tunic that exposed his muscular physique, with Vylkr alloy-forged armour beneath it.

His name was Robbick, and he was the first-seat High Advisor.

"How did you suddenly discover us? And how are we supposed to believe you when you say our world is a small, enclosed space?" he added, his piercing gaze fixed on Brane.

Brane expertly answered all their questions, no matter how difficult, in a way everyone could understand. His manner of addressing each person made it seem as though he already knew their personalities, which made the group uneasy.

They found it hard to believe he hadn't gathered information about them beforehand, as that would explain his flawless responses.

However, that wasn't the case-it was merely a personal skill Brane had cultivated.

"I don't think your world is small, but when compared to the outside world, there's no comparison. As for the rest of your questions, you won't be able to understand them no matter what I say. The only way is for you to witness everything yourself," Brane responded, shaking his head.

He chose not to reveal everything, subtly implying that they didn't possess the qualifications to know more. Also, showing too much too soon could cause more harm than good.

Robbick frowned at Brane's words, sensing his intentions. He withdrew his gaze, his face a mix of contemplation and scepticism.

"If we pledge our allegiance to Paradise, would we still be in charge of our forces, or would we be replaced?" Gaverick, the Emperor of the Bastion of the Ashen Hope Territory, asked, his contemplative gaze fixed on Brane.

"Naturally, you'll still be in charge of your forces, but your authority will only be second to the Supreme Leader and the Key Leaders, who will be the primary decision-makers," Brane

replied.

A sudden silence permeated the room.

Hearing Brane's response, Gaverick, the women beside him and the High Advisors frowned deeply.

Finally, Gaverick replied, "If that's the case, I'll have to refuse your offer, Great Warrior Brane. We have lived in this ocean for so long. And we will continue to do so and survive. Now that we know there's a world out there, we will stop at nothing until we uncover it."

As he finished speaking, the women and the High Advisors nodded in agreement. It was clear they were unwilling to bow their heads to Paradise. Though Paradise seemed like a place too good to be true-where anyone in a dire situation might be tempted to submit-the thought of losing their authority and becoming just another statistic in Paradise's population made the idea far less appealing.

"Also, nothing good comes for free, and Paradise would not extend its hand to any force, especially one as weak as ours, without reason. Right?" Gaverick added, a glint of suspicion in his eyes as he awaited Brane's response.

Brane sighed wearily and nodded. "Yes. All the Bastion of the Ashen Hope residents would be required to follow commands and cooperate with other forces under Paradise. You would never be given a task too great for you to handle," he replied, his tone filled with pride.

"The Supreme Leader dreams of creating a sanctuary for every race in need in this desolate world, so I guarantee this alliance would benefit your people and the Bastion of the Ashen Hope far more than it benefits Paradise. My companions have already extended this offer to the Tidal Depths Kingdom and the Bastion of the Wailling Gnarled Territory, so I advise you to reconsider your decision."

While many saw Orion only for his potential to become the strongest warrior in the village, Brane was the first to recognize Orion's brilliance and personally pushed for him to become the next Village Chief.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Brane felt incredibly proud of him. If only Orion's father had been alive, he would have rewarded him handsomely for adhering to the village's traditions and raising such a fine

successor.

Nonetheless, Brane had always been generous in rewarding Orion's family from the start. Upon hearing Brane's words, Gaverick snorted inwardly.

He could hardly believe that a man with such power under his command would harbour no

hidden motives. It would have been more believable if this supreme leader had been a power- hungry tyrant offering a slave contract. That would give them room to bargain and find a way

to stand on equal footing.

Instead, he seemed to be handing them water in a desert, promising to quench their thirst without any hidden agenda.

However, after hearing that the same offer had been extended to the Bastion of the Gnarled Territory and the Tidal Depths Kingdom, Gaverick reconsidered his stance.

The room fell silent, all eyes on Gaverick as they awaited his response.

After a moment, Gaverick refocused his gaze on Brane. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes fell on the jar of wine and the bowl of Kalnir fruits sitting before Brane and Zara. Since the meeting had started, they had neither eaten any of the Kalnir fruits nor touched the wine, causing Gaverick to furrow his brows suspiciously.

"Aren't you going to taste our offerings? Especially since you've travelled from such a distant region-it would reflect poorly on us if we couldn't satisfy your tastes," Gaverick said,

masking his concern behind a smile.

Brane frowned. According to Zara, who had used her gift to inform him of potential dangers,

the fruits and wine were poisoned.

Although his robust constitution could withstand it, he preferred not to take any chances. He understood their caution and had planned to address the matter once he had successfully brought the Bastion of the Ashen Hope under Paradise's influence.

After all, he would have consumed the poison if not for Zara's timely warning.

He knew he was powerful, but attacking the Bastion of the Ashen Hope without fully

understanding its depth would be reckless.

Besides, this was the first human force they had encountered, so he hesitated to act too hastily. Yet, after receiving Orion's message regarding the nymphs and learning that the meal had been poisoned, Brane couldn't overlook the offence.

Under Gaverick's watchful gaze, Brane grabbed the wine jar with his right hand, tilted it to the

side, and poured its contents onto the ground.

Gaverick's expression turned to one of shock.

'Did he discover the poison hidden within? How is that possible?' His mind raced, trying to figure out how Brane had uncovered the poison they had meticulously concealed in it. The two women and the High Advisors were equally stunned, their thoughts racing.