The Old Plan

This is the first time Aeryon generated a quest.

Even though he had the knowledge in his mind, this is different from experiencing it himself

He hoped he is not going crazy.

For a moment there is silence

'Am I dreaming?' this thought crosses his mind a couple of times. After all, when he opens his eyes, he is suddenly the character in the book he reads.

He also wonders why he is not that panicked.

but then before Aeryon falls into an existential crisis, the sound of bells ringing rings inside Aeryon ears and then a pop-up notification appears.

'So, this is how it appears'

Floating in front of his eyes is a list of mission he could choose.

He looks at the mission and most of the mission all related to warrior-like action.

Aeryon think if he chooses scholars class what would his mission be? He chuckles at this thought and scroll through the list of mission before suddenly his eyes stopped at one particular mission and he gasped.

'Does this system read my mind or does he also take my thought into consideration?'

Aeryon look at the mission and he click his tongue. He thought of all the items he has and nodded

'I think I could do it. With the card, I could do it' And the more he thought about it the more he became confident of his plans and the wider his smile became

'Hahaha!' he laughed alone in his tent

…..

Outside the tent, the people of the tribe rejoice. Belarion went around the people and told them that the tribe leader had awaken and he is fine.

Hearing this the Elders and the tribesmen is relieved. But then suddenly he heard a shout

'Belarion!'

'Belarion!

The shout is strong and everyone could hear it.

The Elders wanted to go but then one of the Elders, an old woman with hunched back and holding a stick stretch out her stick. She looks at the sky, and the sky right now is clear

The clouds are gently moving, the sky is blue, the wind is gentle and the grass and leaves sways left and right.

She then said

'I sense a change'

'Ashana Shoran'

'You meant us to wait? The tribe leader has awoken. We should once again discuss the matter'

The other Elder is respectful to this woman. This woman is an Ashana. A shaman of the tribe. She is old. And rarely does people get old for in such years of chaos, people die young, men and women.

If not war, or raiding fight, it is diseases. But Ashana Shoran has outlived many of her peers and she is oldest person in the tribe.

Mountains and rivers had changed but Ashana Shoran still lives.

Ashana Shoran look at the sky and nodded, a smile that does not seem like a smile appear on her face and she spoke

'There is a change in the Blue Sky. The Fate of the Tribe is blinding!' she smiles like she seen something joyful

Then she turns to the Elders and spoke

'Listen to me! Let us trust the tribe leader'

The Elders frowned. They look at each other like they mused the idea for a few second before nodded

'We will listen to the advice of the Ashana' the Elders stay in their place and did not rush toward the tent

Belarion on the other hand rushed toward the tent, running swiftly.

He arrives and he saw that his sworn brother is already out and about.

'Andawan Aeryon, what is the matter? Should I call the tribe warrior' Aeryon shook his head. Instead, he gestures for Belarion to come closer.

Aeryon close the tent door. For a moment there is silence in the tent. Aeryon sighed and then he said

'Do you think that we should go to the Northern Lands of the Yan Empire?'

Belarion hearing this question could not help but scratch his head.

'I do not know brother. I follow your order' Aeryon look at Belarion for a few second but then he smiles.

Belarion is known to be a little simple minded but his loyalty is unquestionable.

Aeryon sighed and then said

'I think I made the wrong decision'

Belarion heard Aeryon voices his worries and then he frowned.

He might be simple minded but that does not mean he is stupid. His mind is thinking of many things

He then said

'Forgive me brother but I have something to say'

Aeryon smiles and nodded

'Speak your thoughts'

Belarion shows a determined expression and then said

'You believe that we going to the Northern Land is a mistake?'

Aeryon nodded.

Belarion frowned and then he said

'But you were the one that insisted us on going to take refuge inside the Northern Lands'

Belarion thought to himself, is his sworn brother hit his head and become forgetful?

How could he not remember this?

Why change his mind all of a sudden?

He sighed and then continue

'The Elders even wanted to discuss the matter with you countless time. The Ashana even persuade you with omens that the journey to the Northern Lands would not be good for the tribe'

hearing this it was Aeryon turns to be shocked.

Is there such a thing?

Aeryon tries to think and then the memory came to him.

There is such a thing.

The tribe Elder urged him to stay and fight off the other tribe.

They could win if they maintain their bravery.

And the shaman, the Ashana even held a Shana ceremony and said to him privately, that the blue sky shows that the journey would be smooth sailing, and life will be peaceful for a few years but calamity is fast approaching.

'I really shouldn't underestimate this world fantasy setting. From what the Shaman said, her words are not wrong at all. Even though she does not know the detail, her prophecy is eerily accurate'

However, when this thought enters his mind, he could not help but think…

"Then does that mean in the original story, the original Aeryon got the warning and even objection of the Elders but still pushes through to go to the Northern lands of the Yan Empire?"

"Ah…"

Aeryon suddenly realized something.

The original Aeryon doesn't have his foresight and so he probably chooses that choice because it is the best choice for his tribe at the moment.

In Aeryon memory, he also knows why he insisted his tribe to go to the Northern Pass. The memory comes to him in an instant and he understand now the reason and motivation of the original Aeryon

Aeryon tribe is engaged in a dispute with the Ghar tribe and the Xewa tribe.

It is a tribe like them, small tribes among the hundred tribes in the Great Steppe.

But the sheep of his tribe cross over to their territory and the sheep was taken by the Ghar tribe and that is the start of the conflict.

As for the Xewa tribe, they wanted to subjugate his tribe.

The subjugation of tribe is very simple.

You kill their tribe leader and force their tribe people to follow him and become slave of the tribe.

Most people of any tribe would resist because once you are a slave of a tribe, you are a slave of that tribe until death.

There is no such concept as freeing of the slaves.

And slave is used for combat.

They were the disposable soldiers of the powerful tribe and usually used as the frontline attacker.

When they are decimated, then the people of that tribe will begin to engage the enemy. This is the core soldiers of the tribe, the most loyal and the most stable.

In the rare chance that the slaves manage to win and survive the war, they would get some benefits

But they are still a slave. When the tribe get bigger, they could even send these slaves to create their own tribe, creating a subsidiary tribe.

Of course, there is always some that would take these enslaved tribes into their own but this kind of practice is rare because that means more food consumption.

All in all, tribe politic is very complicated as each tribe have its own way of governing and determining the status of its people.

But for the Xewa tribe, this is their way.

Xewa tribe wanted to expand toward the West and his tribe is along the way.

Even if his father negotiated safe passage for the Xewa tribe, the Xewa tribe still wanted to subjugate their tribes.

Subjugating another tribe must have a reason.

Because you could easily make enemies if you keep subjugating other tribes

This is the reason why there is no such large tribe in the Great Steppe because everyone is wary against each other.

Any tribe that has any chance of becoming a great tribe will quickly be suppressed.

It does not help that the Yan Empire also fan the flame by making tribes fight other tribes., dividing the people of the tribes.

With all of this problem, Aeryon could understand why the original Aeryon choose to go to the Northern Lands of the Yan Empire.

Then Aeryon also understand something else. And that is why Aeryon doesn't appear in the book.

With the memory he got from Aeryon, he knows Aeryon is a brave man and resourceful.

And when Belarion mentioned it to him before he also got the memory about the elders and the Ashana protesting and he also got the memory of the reason why he did this.

The original Aeryon wanted to go to the Northern lands, recuperate, then buy some slave of the Yan Empire or buy some of their weapons, train his people and join the border army of the Yan Empire.

Yan Empire would use the tribe as slave as disposable soldiers, usually putting them in the army and treat them as a soldier.

Using the tribe people to fight against the tribe people.

The original Aeryon plan was to gain the recognition of the Yan Empire official of the Northlands and then propose a military expedition to the North.

With the soldiers of the Yan Empire, he could also gin back his land and return back to his rightful place.

It is a good idea. But the reason that did not happen in the book probably because in the book, he dies today.

But today, James enters into Aeryon body. And while he applauds original Aeryon plans, his ambition is too small.

His ambition is only to regain his tribes land and that's it. Though James doesn't blame Aeryon. Because he is limited by the world, he lived in.

But James, now become Aeryon.

And he would not choose the same plan.

The plan of original Aeryon might work and James believe it will work very well. And with that plan, their tribe would also be free from the Northland massacres of the princes.

But… it means Yan Empire would also have power to intervene in the matter of the Great Steppes.

And not before long, looking at the attitude of the Yan Empire, they will send their soldiers and killed tribes' people, slaughter people of the tribes

And when that time comes…...who knows how many people these bloodthirsty Yan people would kill?

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