Chapter 496: An Unexpected Reward
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 496: An Unexpected Reward
In reality, the vote counts weren’t that different. Interestingly, the factions aligned with Ratga and Laveua had mostly chosen the leaders of their respective camps.
Those who had lived under Ratga or Laveua had also come to appreciate their temporary chieftains’ style of rule. Since they had spent their days not just fighting but living closely together, I figured they must have discovered many good qualities in the children. However, it seemed the impression Lapura had made with the Demonic Tree was so powerful that the majority of the regular clan members had cast their votes for her.
Strength.
They must have felt that this alone was worthy of respect.
If I had to point to another reason, it would be that there were still those who did not wish for change. Since Lapura’s disposition was focused on inheriting what already existed, most of the elder Green Skin mothers and those who valued the tribe’s traditions had voted for her. The clan members had not yet managed to shake off my shadow.
‘Hmm…’
It wasn’t as if I had sold the Green Skins to others or ruled as a tyrant, so their choice was understandable. I spoke softly to Lapura, who stood before me.
“Are the preparations going well?”
“Yes, Father. Thank you for entrusting me with this work right away. I’ll do my best.”
“I didn’t give you this job to pressure you. I gave it to you so you could learn under Uncle Hakajin, so you don’t have to push yourself too hard. For now, it’s more important to get a feel for things. In fact, letting your ambition get the best of you is a surefire way to mess things up.”
“Yes. O-Of course, I know that.”
A smile crept onto my face as I watched her blush and grin shyly.
The first task Lapura was given was preparing for the tribe’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony. I had originally intended to give the job to Lee Wanyong, but that plan fell through when Jang Ye Ri formally requested to borrow him.
‘L-Lord Blood Dagger… please…’
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I’ll come for you as soon as I can.’
‘I’ll be waiting for you, sir…’
He had looked so pathetic as he followed Jang Ye Ri to handle administrative duties in Garia. The Blood Dagger Clan has plenty of talented people. To be honest, it didn’t have to be him, but after hearing from the Goff Clan and the Black Spear Clan, I thought it was a relief that Lee Wanyong was out of the picture. They had entrusted the preparations for this Coming-of-Age Ceremony to their own successors. Swept up in a strange sense of rivalry, I, too, had impulsively appointed Lapura as the person in charge.
Of course, I had only given her the title; in reality, she would receive help from many others. But allowing her to gain experience was incredibly important.
Since the three clans were holding the ceremony jointly, she would also have a chance to meet Goff’s son and Black Spear’s daughter, so I judged it wouldn’t be a bad opportunity for them to build friendships. And, of course, my prediction was spot on.
“F-Father.”
Lapura spoke up slowly just as I was fondly reminiscing about various things.
Instead of answering, I simply stroked her head, and a huge grin spread across her face. This was probably what she wanted.
“Hee… heehee… heh… heh heh…”
She wasn’t openly showing her delight, but the way she lowered her head and let out a slightly sinister chuckle looked frightening even to me. Still, it was her way of showing how happy she was. I could tell from the way the bud on her head had fully bloomed.
“What about Shakara and Gogh…?”
“Ah! Yes. I met them yesterday. We have another meeting today. Actually, I just stopped by for a moment before the meeting.”
Shakara, Black Spear’s daughter. She was a bold Troll girl who had been winking at me since she was young. Of course, once I drew a firm line, she didn’t try to get any closer, but when she sent a message openly asking for a meal together, I realized she was truly something else.
I remember the last line of her message being particularly impressive.
‘Please don’t tell my father.’
As for Goff’s son, Gogh, he was still suffering at his father’s hands. I heard that Goff’s expectations were so high that ever since his son was designated as the successor, screams could be heard nonstop. It had gotten to the point where people were saying the title of “Giant Scream” should be changed. It seemed Goff was raising his son even more intensely than I had thought.
“Was the meeting all right?”
“Yes. Uncle Goff’s son didn’t seem as foolish as his uncle always makes him out to be. Of course, his martial strength… seemed quite high. I think he has a thing for Shakara.”
The way things were unfolding was quite amusing.
“But you know, Shakara just kept asking about you, Dad. It was like she had no interest in the meeting at all. ‘How have you been lately?’… ‘What are you up to these days?’… something about seeing you once from a distance. That she knew you’d become the Great Tribe Leader… that she’d reward me if I arranged a meeting… that she wants to have a meal together, and so on. Honestly…”
“……”
Her voice was filled with dissatisfaction. Of course, this was a reaction the old Lapura would never have shown. After being chosen as the successor, she had learned to be a little more childish, and she had suddenly become much more talkative. This change in Lapura was, of course, a very positive thing.
She still showed a cold side to others, but what mattered was that, at least in front of me, she could act like a child.
“And do you think that was all? It really felt like she wasn’t concentrating on the meeting at all. I couldn’t understand why her uncle chose her as his successor. And Gogh-oppa… was hitting on Shakara… I was worried for the future of the Brother’s Land.”
“I see.”
In truth, the Shakara I knew was an extremely meticulous and capable Green Skin. There had been some signs, but the news that Gogh was interested in Shakara was quite entertaining. I was sure I remembered him approaching Kim Yoora before… It seemed he was a womanizer who didn’t consider his own physique.
But apart from that, I was relieved that Lapura had gotten close enough to them to call them ‘unni’ and ‘oppa.’ I had been worried because of the significant age gap, but it seemed she was having no trouble adapting.
“Still, we’re preparing everything step by step. To be honest, since I’m the youngest, they might find me uncomfortable. But seeing how well they treat me, they’re definitely… not bad people.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Hee… heehee… heh… heh…”
It was only natural that she looked adorable as she suddenly hugged the arm I was using to stroke her head.
“F-Father.”
“Hm?”
“G-Give me a kiss.”
I’d heard it wasn’t good to spoil children too much, but she was still at an age where she deserved to be spoiled. I gently kissed Lapura’s cheek, and with all sorts of flowers blooming from her stem, she smiled brightly and left the tent.
“It’s almost time for the meeting, Father. I’ll see you in a bit.”
She must have thought we had chatted for too long.
Lately, Lapura has been doing very well.
Before, her efforts were aimless, driven by a simple feeling of ‘I have to work hard.’ But after becoming the successor, her goal seemed to have become much clearer.
Now that the hazy future was coming into focus, she could approach her tasks with more passion. It was just like setting out on an adventure. If you can’t see an inch in front of you, you lose hope, but if you have a specific destination, you find it.
I felt that was Lapura’s current state.
The proof was that her overall demeanor had softened. Thanks to that, I, too, began to seriously contemplate how I should use this ability.
[You have completed the quest.]
[Quest - Choose a Successor: Please select a successor who can lead Blood Dagger in the future. (1/1)]
[Reward - A blessing will be bestowed upon the child you have chosen as your successor.]
“What kind of blessing…”
It was a quest I had received a very long time ago. Some time had passed since I confirmed its completion, but I was still deliberating on how to deliver this. I had pondered what kind of blessing it was and what was important about it, but no answer came to mind, so I had put it on hold.
“Today…”
It was right to accept the quest completion.
At the very least, it wouldn’t be anything that would harm Lapura. In fact, I was more worried about Laveua than Lapura.
There isn’t a parent alive who doesn’t worry about their child’s future.
Lapura would steadily climb the ladder, receiving various lessons until she came of age, and Ratga would become a leader who ruled the East with his mother. I wasn’t worried about those two, as their paths were more or less set, but it was important that Laveua’s chosen path was still a complete mystery.
“Ah… Laveua!”
“Fufufufu…”
“I-If you just let me draw one…”
“Mom! Drawing is forbidden in the tournament.”
“Sob…”
“Woooooah! As expected, Laveua is strong!”
“She’s cornering the Mother of the Green Skins!”
“M-Mev! You can do it!”
“Mev! You have to overcome this!”
“Do it!”
That was the first scene I saw after leaving the tent.
Laveua was playing a brilliant match against her mother in the Greenstone tournament. And Mev was still on the verge of tears. It seemed that even her Unique Ability, ‘Cornered Fairy,’ couldn’t overcome the bad hand she’d been dealt. As countless Green Skins surrounded them and cheered, Mev suffered a miserable finishing blow.
“N-No… way…”
“The winner is Laveua!”
“Laveua!”
Although she showed that she worked very hard, the side of her she sometimes revealed was truly terrifying.
“……”
If this were Earth, there would be countless paths Laveua could take. But here, the ways to make a living were quite limited. I was willing to support her if she could become a pro-gamer in that game currently sweeping the continent, but the very concept of a pro-gamer didn’t even exist here.
Laveua, the Greenstone Pro-Gamer.
“That doesn’t seem right…”
No, that was definitely not it. She was a smart and bright child, so she would forge her own path, but that didn’t mean my worries completely disappeared.
There were so many problems to solve, not just in battle, but also in family and daily life.
The reward for Lapura.
Laveua’s future…
And…
“C-Chieftain?”
“Kim Yoora.”
“Y-Yes.”
Kim Yoora.
“I don’t see Nicole…”
“Ah. I think Nicole is watching the festival with Lady Jang Ye Ri and Wanhee.”
“Wanhee is with them too?”
“Yes… The atmosphere seemed a little scary, so… I couldn’t really talk to them, but Wanhee didn’t look too happy. Nicole seemed to be… trembling a little, too… Lady Jang Ye Ri said it was part of her bridal training.”
“…………”
I couldn’t help but be extremely curious about what kind of bridal training was happening at a festival. I thought it was highly likely that ‘bridal training’ was just an excuse. Of course, Wanhee still passionately wanted to be Ratga’s partner, so she would probably grit her teeth and endure the hardships of married life, but thinking of her facing such harsh trials at such a young age, I found myself pitying her.
“Then…”
“I was just on my way back from the training camp. The Goblin aunties are participating in the card tournament, so I was in charge for a bit.”
Now that she mentioned it, I remembered Choi Hee-chul of the Winter Weasel Clan, who was probably still suffering.
“Hmm. It’s a festival, after all. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for everyone to enjoy it together…”
“Ah. In that case…”
This was really a gesture for those who couldn’t properly enjoy the festival because they had to keep the trainees in line.
For those guys, it would be an unexpected vacation, so they would surely be delighted.
“A-Anyway, Chieftain. Do you… do you remember?”
“?”
“About… about the wish, from before…”
“Of course, I remember.”
There was no way I would have forgotten.
The image of Kim Yoora from that day was still clearly etched in my memory.
“Th-That… I-I… I’m free anytime. Th-Then, I’ll be waiting!”
“…………”
One of the tasks I had to resolve before the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Watching Kim Yoora run far away, I let out a short sigh.