As soon as they entered the gates, several pairs of eyes turned in their direction. Some were curious, others surprised, while some held contempt.
It was quite easy to tell who was friendly and who was not. Those who were not openly glaring at William’s group were the friendly ones among the Northerners.
Even Lord Cadell, the Mayor of Northwell, had shown his dislike openly and didn’t even bother to hide it. The tribes were proud people. For them, being straightforward was their way of life. They hate schemes, and would rather resort to a fight than be forced to pull some dirty tricks.
The tribes of the North all had pale skin and their bodies were quite sturdy. Even the women had lean and toned bodies that boasted enough strength to make the usual thugs think twice before making a pass on them.
They were wearing clothes made from the furs and hides of the Beasts that could be seen within their domain. Wolf, Mammoths, Bears, and other fierce beasts that the warriors of the tribe encountered on a daily basis.
Wendy and Amelia stood out from the group because both of them were beauties. The teenage boys who were of marriageable age whistled at them to show their appreciation.
The two girls were not used to this kind of treatment because both of them were nobles. They had been protected by their families from any form of vulgarity that they were finding it hard to keep the calm expressions on their faces.
Brutus and Bruno flanked Amelia on both sides, while William held Wendy’s waist and pulled her closer to him. This was their way to tell the Northerners that these two ladies were hands off, but the young men of the tribes didn’t seem to get their message.
Aside from the town wall, there were very few solid structures in the town of Northwell. The majority of the residents here lived inside tents made from Mammoth hide.
It was not only Wendy and Amelia whom the residents were paying attention to. They were quite surprised to see a fluffy Angorian Goat, with a coat as white as snow, walking beside William.
Here in the North, only warriors were allowed to rear goats. With a glance, the people could tell that the goat was well taken care of, which raised their impressions of the red-headed boy standing beside it.
After arriving at the Mayor’s Residence, Cadell took them to the living room where it was warm due to a fireplace that was burning brightly.
Sir Jerkins’ guards were not allowed to enter the residence. Because of this, they had no choice but to watch over their carriages that were parked outside the Mayor’s house. The Ambassador didn’t say anything because he already knew Cadell’s temperament.
The Town’s Mayor sat on a big comfortable chair beside the fireplace, while William’s group sat on the sitting mats that were provided for them.
After everyone was seated, the talks finally began.
“You said you came here to talk to the Great Chieftain, right?” Cadell asked. “Are you planning to form an alliance with us so we can become your cannon fodders to fight your enemies?”
Sir Jerkins smiled when he heard Cadell’s inquiry. His face showed a calmness that befited his position as a Foreign Ambassador. However, deep inside, he was shocked that Cadell had known the purpose of their visit.
This was a highly confidential matter and the people that knew about this mission were only a handful of people.
Sir Jerkins was sure that none of these people would betray the kingdom, so there was only one possibility.
‘They managed to get here first,’ Jerkins thought. ‘We may be a step too late.’
It only took the foreign ambassador a brief moment to organize his thoughts due to the many years of experience in handling political negotiation with foreign factions.
“Cannon fodders? Nonsense,” Jerkins firmly shook his head in a righteous manner. “The Hellan Kingdom and the Northern Tribes have kept a good relationship for over hundreds of years. We have already had a few exchanges in the past to promote the strong bonds between our people.
“Two years ago, your Great Chieftain even said that he would seriously consider forming an alliance with the Kingdom. You were there when the Great Chief and I talked, remember?”
Cadell snorted, but didn’t argue with his guest. Just like the Ambassador said, he had been there when the Great Chief was on the verge of accepting the proposal for an Alliance. There were even talks about marriage between the Hellan Royal family and the Chieftain’s family.
However, there was one problem, Noah didn’t have a daughter. The Great Chief requested that a princess marry one of his sons in order to finalize the alliance. This was the way of the North, and the tribes recognized these kinds of exchanges.
Even though Noah wasn’t able to fulfill that specific request, he decided to do the next best thing and played matchmaker for the Great Chief’s granddaughter and his youngest son, Prince Ernest.
The Great Chief considered the matter, but he said that he needed more time to think about it. After all, he loved his granddaughter so much and the thought of her leaving the North to live with the Prince in the Hellan Capital made him sad.
The Great Chief’s granddaughter had just had her birthday this year and was now eleven years old. She was a year older than Ernest and some said that, even though she was still young, her beauty was starting to show. The Elders of each tribe were even in the process of selecting their most promising youth to become the chieftain’s next son-in-law.
Cadell was even thinking of sending his youngest son, who was only nine-years-old this year, to become one of the groom candidates for the Great Chief’s granddaughter. That was how fierce the competition was and everyone was hell bent on taking the initiative to win her good graces.
“The Tribes will have a gathering five days from now,” Cadell announced. “The second eldest son of the Chief is looking for a bride. Because of this, the tribes will have a gathering at the Third Peak of Chivalry. I will be departing tomorrow, so you can come with me, but flying carriages are not allowed.”
Cadell had a gloating look on his face as he scanned the faces that were looking at him. “We also don’t have any available mounts for any of you to use. If you like, you can walk your way up the peak. However, by then, the gathering will already be over.”
Jerkins frowned. The only means of transport used in the North were the War Ibexes, Mammoths, Sledge Dogs, and Llamas. They didn’t allow any flying creatures to fly towards the peaks. Those who dared to do so would be shot down immediately.
The only exception to this rule were the warriors of the tribe that had gained permission from the Oracle that lived on the First Peak of Divinity.
“Can’t you spare us a few mounts? I brought gifts from the capital. I’m sure that the Great Chief will love them,” Jerkins negotiated. “These gifts would also be a good present for the Second Warrior of the tribe.”
(A/N: The eldest son of the Great Chief is called First Warrior. The second son is called Second Warrior, so on, and so forth.)
Cadell frowned, but what Jerkins said was reasonable. However, he wouldn’t allow all of them to climb the Third Peak with him, so he intentionally made things difficult for the Ambassador and his entourage.
“I will provide only one Llama for your group,” Cadell said as he looked at Jerkins. “And you will be the only one riding it. As for the rest? They can walk.”
Cadell was firm in his decision, and was even laughing internally. He really didn’t like the representatives from the Hellan Kingdom and looked down on their attempts to form an alliance with their tribe.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing the expression on Jerkin’s face once he realizes that he’s not the only “special guest” that will be attending our Tribe Gathering,’ Cadell sneered internally.
The Mayor of Northwell felt that this was the perfect opportunity for the Northern Tribes to head South. Not to form an alliance, but to expand their domain and conquer the rich and fertile lands of the Hellan Kingdom.
