Hvítreiðr (2)

"Northerners do not enjoy building complex civilizations and maintaining them for generations. They prefer to form large raiding parties, numbering up to tens of thousands, to experience the most glorious moments of their lives, or to become the chief of a clan consisting of a few thousand people. Their wild and individualistic nature makes it impossible to keep them together without tangible benefits or absolute power."

 - Excerpt from a scroll about the North in the Azderos Library

After Ülgen started the meeting, a silence settled over the room. Aside from Ülgen, there were three people present, all of whom, despite their excitement, wore serious expressions and began to ponder. Ülgen's silence was likely due to his desire to observe their abilities. It was a great opportunity for those who had joined the clan during Dromkez to prove themselves and for those who had been rescued five years ago to show how much they had progressed.

The first to continue the conversation was Sven. He held the pearl necklace he had won from Lothi in a bet about the envoy's actions in one hand. Before speaking, he raised his right hand to greet everyone in the room and then turned his gaze to Ülgen. "My lord, before we discuss our plans for Hvítreiðr, may I ask how long you intend to stay?"

His words shocked all the clan members, including the third-degree warrior who had just returned from leaving Linda and her daughter with the other female captives. However, Ülgen's eyes sparkled; his young student's awareness was commendable.

"I can stay for no more than three weeks."

The words of the savior and lord of Beyazdiş caused the excitement in the hearts of those present to wane. But Ülgen continued speaking. "Do not worry, I will ensure Hvítreiðr is fortified enough to withstand threats at my level before I leave."

These words prevented a few warriors, who wanted to persuade Ülgen to stay longer, from speaking. Everyone in the hall understood that their lord's decision was final. Sven then changed the subject. "Very well, the first thing we can do for Hvítreiðr is to strengthen our defenses."

Lothi shook his head. "No, Sven, have you forgotten our people hiding in the mountains so quickly? I believe we should start arranging for our soldiers to bring them to Hvítreiðr first."

Udin, the only third-degree warrior subdued by the clan during Dromkez, spoke up. "We already have five hundred civilians settling in Hvítreiðr. Even ensuring their safety is uncertain; we shouldn't put more civilians at risk."

The last third-degree warrior blessed with dragon blood, like Sven and Lothi, Alric, also shared his opinion. "I agree with Lothi. We have about seven hundred soldiers, and after we clear out the marauders and bring in new warriors, our numbers could reach up to two thousand. With two thousand warriors, seven third-degree fighters, and Lord Ülgen, I don't think the soft-bellied bastards of Vinumregnum Duchy will pose a threat to us."

Sven squinted. "If the Southerners were truly that weak, would the marauders keep dying constantly, Alric? We destroyed Tu'bask, and even if we free two hundred slaves and deliver them to the Vinumregnum Duchy, our plans will be meaningless if they see us as weak. Tu'bask's pathetic walls were nothing more than a flimsy obstacle we could have breached in three hours without any siege equipment, even if our lord hadn't thrown himself forward because he values our lives."

Lothi countered, "Two weeks is not enough to completely rebuild the walls. Even if we mined stone from the nearby hills and melted down our scrap metal, the process could take months."

Sven smiled as if he had been expecting this response. "Brother Lothi, I'm not saying we should tear down and rebuild the walls. We should strengthen them to show that there's a difference between Hvítreiðr and Tu'bask; strengthen them so they don't see us as a weak flock of sheep."

The debate continued for half an hour, but neither side could fully convince the other. When Sven and Lothi were on the verge of challenging each other, the young Fatih raised his hand, causing all the noise to disappear and the focus to shift to him.

Ülgen nodded slightly. "Your ideas are good, but you are too rigid. You need to learn to be flexible according to the situation. Both of your ideas are feasible." The slight surprise his words caused almost made him laugh. "Prepare two hundred and fifty deer cavalry; they should be able to bring all four hundred and fifty-six civilians within a week. In the second week, they will bring the supplies and belongings from the mountains. Lothi, Alric, you two will oversee this operation."

After ensuring his subordinates fully understood, he continued, "The filth of Tu'bask's marauders will be eradicated by sunset. We will have twelve hundred men capable of fighting. Sven, Udin, you two are responsible for getting these men in line. I will personally interrogate Erik, Gray, and Aral." He paused for a moment. "Additionally," he said, pulling out a parchment. Since everyone in the room was literate, they could see that the parchment detailed plans for a tower. Using his aura, he sent the parchment flying into Sven's hands and finished his instructions. "Gather all experts in building construction from Hvítreiðr and have them start laying the foundation for the tower. The foundation should be laid by the end of this week. After that, I and the architects of Whitefang will take over."

As Ülgen concluded the meeting, all the warriors stood up respectfully and saluted. Then they quickly began to leave the hall, aware that they couldn't afford to waste even a second if they were to complete their tasks in the given time. Some even thought that the real Dromkez was just beginning.

After they left, Erik, Gray, and Aral entered the hall one by one. However, the intense pressure they felt as soon as they entered forced them to their knees. Their eyes were filled with shock and terror.

Erik gritted his teeth and tried to speak. "Fifth degree!"

The oppressive aura intensified, completely stifling any chance of speaking. They lost track of time under the pressure, feeling themselves inch closer to death with every passing second. Realizing the monstrous nature of the being before them so late didn't lessen their suffering.

But they were fortunate. "Stand up." With these words, the oppressive aura vanished, and they collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Still, too terrified to defy Ülgen's command, they struggled to their feet again.

Standing with their heads bowed, they found breathing to be an incredible relief. As they tried to regain their balance, they waited for Ülgen to continue.

"I've just reached the fifth degree, which is why my control over my aura is still a bit lacking." Although the trio nodded in understanding, they knew Ülgen wasn't telling the truth.

This realization terrified them even more. A man who had fought a life-and-death battle against four fourth-degree warriors just the day before now had aura control akin to someone with years of experience at the fifth degree. Such a talent was unprecedented in the North.

"You will wait a little while. My men are gathering information about you." The trio was about to speak, but Ülgen's words left no room for discussion.

A disturbing silence settled over the hall, and Erik noticed that the aura surrounding Ülgen continued to grow stronger. He couldn't know that as Ülgen's control over Hvítreiðr increased, the young Fatihs true form was accelerating in growth.

As a Fatih, Ülgen had achieved his first true conquest, and as long as he held onto his lands, his power would continue to grow. The initial stages saw the most significant increases in power, but over time, the rate of increase would stabilize, and the gains would become less noticeable. This was why no Fatih ever focused on just one piece of land.

Naturally, Ülgen could not be satisfied with possessing only Hvítreiðr. However, he had to settle for it until he established his foundation. Because his dragon form was his true form, spending time in his human form could never help him fully develop his real power. Yet, the news of an immature dragon being near the center of Azderos would not end well for him. Many warriors above the 10th degree, where the difference between the weak and the strong was most pronounced, would form teams to hunt him or, worse, attempt to "tame" him. It was crucial for him to remain hidden until he became an adult white dragon. Even then, the danger would not completely disappear, but he would have more resources to defend himself.

Therefore, once he finished his business here, he would return to his mother, where he could freely strengthen himself. Additionally, he had four younger siblings who played a significant role in his future plans. With their current power, they were difficult to defeat among the sixth degrees, which was quite good for their age. But it was not enough.

While Ülgen was deep in thought and analyzing various scenarios, the door opened, and a Whitefang clan warrior entered the hall, presenting a bundle of parchments to Ülgen. There was no need for the warrior to approach to hand them over; as he raised his hands, Ülgen's aura enveloped the parchments and brought them to him.

This level of manipulation was something even wizards, who dedicated themselves to bending mana, would find challenging to achieve at the same degree. However, such feats were considered normal for Ülgen, belonging to the Fatih race, with his advanced mind.

Seeing the scrolls float one by one and being inspected by Ülgen made Erik, Gray, and Alar extremely nervous. What made it even worse was that they couldn't read the expression on the young Fatihs face, leaving them uncertain if their lives were in danger.

The silence lasted for another hour. After the last scroll passed before Ülgen's eyes, he extended his hand towards them as the lord of Hvítreiðr. Under their anxious gazes, he opened his palm, revealing three drops of blood enveloped in an intense dragon aura. "I have an offer for you."