Chapter 159 - Vol. 3 - Chapter 24
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After things calmed down inside the Kobold Tribe, Mathias was welcomed by Elder Morlk in his house on the mound overlooking the entire extended gallery underground and as he turned to glance at the whole tribe, one couldn't say it was a bad visage.
"It's good to see you again, friend of the kobolds, Mathias. How have you been? The winter outside hit the lands rather badly."
"I've been well, Elder. Just came to visit you and the tribe and keep to my words. What about you, guys? Seeing those people at the bear's lair, it means things went "smoothly" for you." replied Mathias, as he crouched down to dodge the wooden beams that would land squarely on his forehead if not dodged.
"Heh, "smoothy" it is an understatement. Those people behaved exactly as you have told me. Even the requests I gave them for my tribe, they didn't complain at all, well only when I gave them some scraps the warriors didn't need."
"I understand what you mean. And? How's the situation overall with the outlanders?"
With his question asked, from there the old kobold who to Mathias's surprise grew to level 255 began telling him about all the events that ensued after he departed with the girls.
The two guys who were initially with him in the fight against Iljnoks, Anjo and MikeIron, returned with a group of people, trying to fight some monsters, but there was only the kobolds that had a neutral attitude to them.
Then going along, more people started appearing around their home doors, yet, the situation was still under control.
Such that there wasn't much conflict, especially after Elder Morlk began assigning them some tasks when asked for quests, and remembering Mathias's detailed plan, he acted upon that, beginning to use his tribe resources for enticement which made the Players work exactly like dogs.
It was a term Mathias came up with after Elder Morlk tried to tell this phenomenon in a mellow manner.
"Indeed, just like happy dogs waving their tails when seeing food. You've done it well, Elder."
"Haha, I couldn't handle the high number of people approaching my home with the old, recluse mentality of my ancestors. For this, my tribe will be an eternal friend to you, Crimson Lord, Mathias."
"Crimson Lord? What's with this nickname? I kept hearing it from the little kids and even some older kobolds."
"That name? Is something the young warriors placed on you to make it easier for the newer generation to understand the importance of the person who helped the Tribe, and also for those ones still deep in the gallery, who failed to meet you at the Celebration."
"..."
"Why? You don't like it?" asked the Kobold Elder with some worry on his old face.
"It's not that I don't like it. It just makes me sound greater than I am." replied Mathias while waving his hand a bit as if he was bothered by the whole concept of magnifying his image in the eyes of others.
"Maybe you aren't right now a "great" one in human society as I learned more about the outside from the traveling people knocking on my tribe's doors. But for the only reason you are the successor of that great being that helped my Great Ancestor, it means your fire will burn brighter than most of the people I have encountered."
"Ahh, sometimes I really dislike this image people have about how "Grandiose" and "Splendor", but sure, I will play along with this moniker. Let the kids embrace this idea if it's easier for them to understand who I am."
The two start talking about various things, about the tribe and how things have turned better since Mallus and Iljnok's death, also the players who began clearing out the dangers around the forest and at the lower levels of the mountain.
All the old man had to say was good news, while Mathias also brought some interesting information to him with regard to Vek and his development.
The old kobold when hearing all those things about Vek coming from Mathias nodded his head in a satisfied manner, and with a serious tone, he asked Mathias about his overall opinion on Vek's potential.
"He still has a lot to improve, but that kid isn't stupid. He learns rather fast that it even shocked me a bit. His defensive instincts are also there, so I wouldn't be wrong to say that his future if he keeps working on improving himself, will be bright."
"Of course, Lord Mathias, with your guidance, that child can't turn bad, only improving himself."
Then as the point of discussion turned about power, the old Kobold sensed that Mathias's powers changed a lot from the moment they first met, becoming slightly condensed and powerful.
"Lord, your powers have grew a lot more since we first met. Even your gesture of granting those little kids a chance of finding their ancestor powers is something that as an old Sorcerer I can't achieve no matter how much I study the records of the past generations."
"Don't stress yourself about this, my powers will recover, so it is not a bad exchange for me in giving a gift to the tribe to place their trust on me."
"Of course, however, I had a vision when I first saw you step inside the tribe. Surrounding your body I could see a dim Crimson-Red Aura like the flames of the sun and also a Dark-Purple Smoke, giving off such a strong mana that I couldn't keep my eyes for too long at you."
Hearing the vision of the old kobold, he didn't know how to take it, if it was serious or not, nor Haycien had an idea, but his comment made some sense to him.
{The kobolds, since they have inherited some of the dragon's blood, can also gain Clairvoyance Abilities. An insignificant amount of Clairvoyance, but they can see some fragments of the future, or so it is said. But, it is just a fragment of a specific timeframe that can be changed or not.}
'I guess, but it is not as if that vision was something foretelling an ominous sign. Wasn't that about my Red Energy and Arcane Power? A combination of abilities?'
{You tried that. Doesn't work. Your control over both Red Energy and Arcane Power is too tiny to bind them to your will.}
it made him smile a bit seeing this old kobold looking to serious when he revealed that vision.
"Elder, I can't see no aura around me or a dark-purple smoke flying like sparks. You shouldn't take things so seriously at times especially visions that can be fleeting. As people we should focus on the present. Future is something nice to dream about, but all the attention is placed on the present."
"You might be right. Most of the time I had visions is not as if they happened. So it must be my old mind playing jests on me."
Moving on from this "deep conversation" where it didn't end in any direction for both old and young, and with a conflicted tone, Elder Morlk mentions how he also got some bad news for him with regard to something Mathias mentioned in the past.
"Besides the good news I told you about the people visiting the tribe. I also have some bad news, but not to the point is harming the tribe."
This makes Mathias curious about what the kobold might have for him, and once he heard the news, he didn't show any emotions as if he wasn't bothered.
"Young Lord, I still remember about how you wanted to acquire the Lake on the mountain, well, from what the adventures that came to me to claim their rewards for the tasks I've given them.
They mentioned about how a group of adventures claimed the Lake area for themselves, and how they started acting aggressively around the ones who tried to approach the lake."
"Those adventures that came to me, complained about how I should go to the Lake and teach those adventures a lesson since the mountain is my own territory, but in fact, my ancestor has rights only to this small part of the mountain, and this has been passed since ancient times until today."
Seeing the worried face of Elder Morlk as he mentioned about some idiots who claimed the lake, exactly as he expected it would happen, it made him start laughing, taking the old kobold aback, confused, yet Mathias was having a good laugh at how things began unraveling the way he foreseen.
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'Would I be damned? I can predict the future or something? Talk about Clairvoyance, Elder, it is I who sees the future.'
'Haha, amusing, it must be some guild who saw the benefits of the Lake.'
{Don't get it to your head, you just know what to expect from your people.}
'Hah, indeed. I must have some calling for a psychologist. Anyway, at least some people aren't such fools in this day and age. But they are fools to think I will allow such actions in the land I claimed from before those idiots even knew about this world.'
Saying that to himself, Haycien was pleased by how Mathias no longer was bothering showing all the time his good side that was down to assist most people, instead, he was selective in his acts of grace.
The old Emperor knew that with time Mathias's personality would mature, and his actions would turn more calculated and precise, where he would weigh in all the benefits and losses he would gain from his actions, as befitting a True Successor to his legacy.
'[It seems my nagging starts sprouting a little sapling. This boy still has parts of foolishness in himself, but overall, he has the potential of being a strong Emperor who wouldn't allow anyone to step on his feet. Or ignore his show of kindness by spitting in his face.]'
'[The change is noticeable. He isn't always looking around like a bee wanting to collect nectar from flowers, and instead is evolving. The changes will be more concrete as he grows older since he is only a young boy, a 22 years old lad.]'
'[My, my, I really can't wait to see how my little boy turns into that conqueror Justinian. The one to carry on his back the heavy legacy of a dying Empire, and such, it could be for my own Empire]'
As he was thinking to himself about the changes that Mathias was undertaking in regard to personal growth, he couldn't help but be pleased.
He couldn't wait to see how he would turn in the future, and he had a feeling that once Mathias would begin his Reign as Emperor, the changes would be Chaotic, just like that fragment of his personality that thrives in conflict and pressure.
'[As the kid says, Pressure makes Diamonds. I don't know if this is right, but the worrying feels natural]'
.
.
Back to Elder Morlk and Mathias's conversation, the young man dismissed such notions about the players owning the land around the lake, explaining to Elder Morlk what the process of acquiring land inside the Saharan Empire looked like.
Going on with the "easy" route which he shared with the kobold, being achieving the Status of an Red Knight, while the hard way is a complicated debacle of politics and schemes for achieving the status of Noble, a Baronnete and going up the nobility ladder by showing great feats.
Elder Morlk had no clue about this information and breathed out in relief knowing that Mathias didn't lose the piece of territory he wanted to claim for himself, which in his opinion was the best case scenario for his tribe, since having a decent understanding of the human society, Morlk had a feeling that Mathias would develop this piece of territory.
And with the tribe already being on good terms with Mathias, it would be advantageous for them if Mathias became the Ruler of this mountain their ancestor settled down in the Hegemon Wars Era.
Ending the discussion about the group of players that took over the lake without even understanding the legal system of the Saharan Empire, Mathias also gave Elder Morlk another piece of news, which on his end was good.
He brought into the discussion about how he received that box of jewelry stones from Elder Morlk and how he was entrusted by them to acquire weapons and armors for the tribe, and with some suspense that was playing with the old man's heartstrings.
He revealed how he bought a large quantity of weapons and armors that would suffice in fitting all the tribe's warriors, while the Elites also could receive some of the best quality gear items he could get his hands from Nelson's Shop thanks to Young Ralph's swaddlers hands.
The old kobold gets excited like a little kid, jumping on his feet when Mathias ended his news, and looking around himself and the rooms he had, he asked him if he could bring them out from his magic dimension.
"This place is too small. Don't you have a better place to house the weapons and armors? A place rather safe from the prying eyes of the adventurers who might want to take advantage of you?"
"Can't we place them at the Nursery?"
"... That would be in the eyesight of everyone. Don't you have another place, hidden from the view of people, even your own kobolds.
Elder, you have to view these weapons and armors I bring, as your most important possession, these will be the ones that will protect you from the evil hands of some deranged humans, or monsters who might descend from the mountain to hunt." explained Mathias in a calm tone, to the old kobold who didn't know better.
After some minutes of talking, the old man slaps his forehead and mentions as if he was enlightened. "By the Godfather Dragon, we can use the Temple. Hurc and Jaffu might complain a bit, but once I tell them the reasons, they will immediately understand my reasoning."
Mathias thought about the relatively small temple, and in his mind, he started visualizing the square space and how he could order the items so the kobolds would have an easier time in organizing themselves in case of an attack.
{Why are you making things hard for those poor kobolds?}
'Why complicate things for those kobolds? I guess I will simply have them separated in wings, right wing for weapons and left wing for armors.'
{Yea, but have you thought if the way you are thinking works for their minds? They are still tribalistic. Don't me a smartass. What's more, I am shocked at how susceptible they are to improvements in technology and information. They aren't bad in that regard.}
Such that when he walks toward the Temple and sees the two shamans of the tribe, who look at him rather surprise, meeting again this familiar face, but yet they had mixed feelings about Mathias.
" მორლკი, რას აკეთებს ადამიანი ისევ ტაძარში? " (Use google translate for Georgian: It will be quite a nice side-twist to the draconian since I can bet in most cases, you guys didn't even guess the language)
(TL: Morlk, what is this human doing in the temple again?)
The shaman with brown-red skin with white braided hair, called Hurc was the first to ask the Elder using his draconian tongue about something Mathias had no idea about.
'Old Hay?'
{No idea, son. I know Elven, not Draconian. But I think I remember a word, ადამიანი which means human. So… they probably have some beef with you.}
"უფალი ტომის დიდი მხარდაჭერით დაბრუნდა. გახსოვს, როცა გითხარი, რომ ჩვენ მიერ შეგროვებული ქვები მას აჩუქეს? ისინი მოთავსებულია კარგი გამოყენებისთვის."
(TL: The Lord has returned with great support for the tribe. Do you remember when I told you how the stones we collected were given to him? They were put to good use this time instead of collecting dust.)
Morlk used his own draconian to explain the situation to the two shamans who stared at Mathias with some hostility, and as they went back and forth, the conversation between Elder Morlk and the shamans got slightly heated up, where Morlk raised his voice at the other two old mans who stepped back, especially when around Morlk fire started appearing around him.
"თქვენ არ გაქვთ უფლება, როგორც შამანებს, მითხრათ რა არ გავაკეთო. სანამ თქვენ ევედრებით მამა დრაკონებს, მე დაღლილად ვმუშაობ მომავალი თაობებისთვის მომავლის შესაქმნელად. თაობა, სადაც კობოლდებს შეეძლებათ სიცოცხლე და მზე მოფერება. სამყარო, რომელიც ეკუთვნის უფალ მატიასს."
(TL: You have no right as shamans to tell me what not to do. While you pray to the Father Dragon, I work tirelessly to create a future for generations to come. A generation where kobolds can live and trive in the sun. A world that belongs to Lord Mathias,)
Shouting at those old shamans, Elder Morlk skin started showing signs of burning with the temperature of the Temple increasing, while on his forehead two horns started sprouting which made the two old shamans to back off, and lower their hostility.
{Impressive for an old kobold. He actually has some potent dragon blood inside his veins and can muster them and even control it. Not bad, not bad. Little Mathias, you got yourself a good henchman.}
'Stop it, he is not my henchman.'
While he and Haycien were having their talks, Mathias could see the change inside Morlk and he liked what he was seeing. Starting observing the red flames coming from the old kobold body, both him and Haycien were talking about what some of the Elder's abilities might be.
After the fiery conversation and with a cough from the old kobold, he informs Mathias that he can bring out his weapons, and without further waiting, he starts bringing out the armors on the left wing of the temple in a larger room, he brought out the armors that shocked the shamans and even Elder Morlk.
However, this wasn't all, and once they saw the weapons, a cold air was instilled inside the temple, where the old shamans were quiet, not speaking a single word, only the kobold Elder engaging in the conversation he had with Mathias, asking him all sort of questions about the weapons.
Explaining what they should know about those weapons, giving them a basic tutorial while wielding each item brought himself, except the armors, he started giving them a showcase of his weapon techniques, from swords to daggers to even bows and crossbows.
"We will select the best candidates for each weapon. Don't worry, Lord Mathias. Thank you for the support." thanked Elder Morlk, someone who only felt that he kept to his word, not worth thanks, but knowing that it would be hard to settle the old man, he allowed them.
.
[Ding!] [You have cleared the quest 'Assets of the Kobolds' gaining the following rewards]
[The relation with the Gravelmark Kobold Tribe has increased to 50] [50/100 status]
[The relation with the Kobold Elder Morlk has increased to 65] [65/100 status]
Then after dealing with the weapons and giving the older kobolds some suggestions on how to deal with the equipment he brought to their tribe, he walks along with Elder Morlk preparing his departure from the tribe, rejecting the old kobold's invitation of staying for longer.
Understanding that Mathias was busy, he didn't bother him with his attempts at housing Mathias, and before he left his tribe as he was taking him to the exit, Morlk had a suggestion.
"Lord, since you are on a mission to challenge yourself. I can suggest you a place that might be of interest to you."
"Hmm? What do you mean, Morlk?"
"Since those adventurers started visiting the tribe I started gathering information from them using the Warriors and those who desired to have contact with the humans … you call them "Merchants". They informed me about how a group of adventurers who in their search for beasts stumbled upon another cave on the western flank of Gravelmark, but couldn't explore the place, constantly suffering a quick defeat."
"Those people said so?" inquired Mathias, finding this short of information rather tempting for him, a High-Difficulty Dungeon, he wanted to see it for himself.
"This is what the young ones have found out while talking with the adventurers. It seems there is some hostility between some of those groups of adventurers and that hostile group shared the information about the cave failures." commented Morlk on the information he gathered from the players.
"I see, it should be something good for me."
"It also makes it a curiosity for me. I wonder what could be there that would make so much trouble for a group of strong adventurers?"
"Monsters." replied Mathias calmly, while glancing at the old kobold.
"Should be dangerous if those monsters get out of their cave and start descending the mountain. I heard there's a lot of smaller human settlements at the base of the mountain, but I don't fear that they will get out from there, especially if you Lord Mathias, are on the look out."
"Well … my plans…"
[Ding!] [You gained a new quest 'Explore the mysterious Cave']
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