Chapter 176: Galorians

Tega nodded as he turned his attention toward Lan’ka, who sat upon the makeshift throne and was clearly the current Chieftain of Vaal’kor. The Gnoll straightened his posture before speaking, his expression becoming more solemn as he addressed the kobold leader.

"We, the people of Galora, came here to thank your tribe for alleviating us from the attacks of the Ashmork Clan. At first, its main forces withdrew from our borders alongside several commanders, and a month later, the remaining forces withdrew as well. We kept our guards up for two months, expecting another attack at any moment, but no one came. At that time, we were confused as to why this happened, so we sent scouts to investigate. They returned with shocking news of the destruction of Ashmork Village."

The other Gnolls nodded firmly, their expressions carrying a mixture of relief and gratitude as the memory of those months came back to them. For them, the disappearance of Ashmork’s forces had initially been a mystery.

"If that’s the case, why did it take you guys six months to thank us?" Tu’ka asked directly, his bluntness cutting through the solemn atmosphere.

Tega turned toward him and answered without hesitation. "Only a month ago did our spies manage to capture a goblin from their new settlement and bring him back to our homeland. There, we interrogated him and found out that their village had been destroyed by the kobolds of the south and that eighty percent of their population had been slaughtered. Our Chieftain quickly prepared these gifts and sent us down here to show his appreciation to your people."

Tega gestured toward the large piece of animal skin lying on the floor before them, its edges wrapped tightly around several objects.

Layla stepped forward and untied the bindings, carefully spreading the animal skin across the floor. Ka’z’s eyes widened slightly as the contents were revealed. Large chunks of gold and silver immediately caught the light, but there was far more than precious metals.

Several weapons, trinkets, pieces of jewelry, and other valuables had been carefully arranged inside the bundle, clearly selected as offerings rather than simply gathered together at random.

Tega reached down and picked up one of the longbows before raising it for Lan’ka to see. The weapon was longer than the bows normally used by Vaal’kor’s warriors, its body carefully crafted and reinforced in a way that immediately suggested it had been designed for trained marksmen rather than ordinary hunters.

"This is our clan’s Galora Longbow. In combat, we mostly rely on our speed and our Galorian Longbows to strike enemies from as far as four hundred yards."

Lan’ka’s body jerked on the throne, his eyes widening at the number. Tu’ka instinctively leaned forward as well, although his expression remained far more controlled.

The distance alone was enough to make the implications obvious. A weapon capable of reliably striking enemies from that range could change the way Vaal’kor fought.

Ka’z was not surprised by their reaction. He already understood one of Vaal’kor’s greatest weaknesses. The clan possessed capable warriors and a growing number of magi, but its military structure remained painfully incomplete.

Its infantry was currently the most reliable conventional force, while its magical units gave it the greatest offensive potential. Its archery unit was practically nonexistent, with only two or three master archers at best. It had no cavalry and no artillery.

In truth, Vaal’kor’s army was still extremely weak.

The only reason the clan had survived this long was because it existed within southern region of Evergreen Forest and relied heavily on the presence of its magic beasts. People like Kong’gong, Tong’a, him, Tud’or and the rest acted as a natural barrier against outside threats, but Ka’z understood that this protection could not be treated as permanent. If the they were removed from the equation, Vaal’kor could easily be overrun by a sufficiently organized force.

His eyes moved over the gifts once again. There were approximately ten Galorian Longbows among the weapons, enough to equip roughly two squads of trained archers. It was not enough to transform Vaal’kor’s military overnight, but it was certainly enough to give them the foundation of an actual ranged unit.

Ka’z’s expression remained calm as he finally spoke. "What is the true purpose behind bringing all these gifts?"

The atmosphere immediately changed.

Every eye in the chamber shifted toward Ka’z. Even the Gnolls seemed to understand that his question was more important than the gifts themselves.

"Are you not afraid that we may turn our eyes toward Galoria just like the Ashmork Clan did?" Ka’z asked calmly. "You are giving us weapons, gold, silver, and other valuable resources. What makes you believe we will not eventually become the threat you feared from Ashmork?"

Layla stepped forward and immediately shook her head. "It’s nothing like that. Our clan truly wishes to thank your Velmora Clan..."

Her voice trailed off, and Tega stepped forward before she could continue. He moved toward the center of the Chief’s Court, his expression becoming increasingly serious. After taking a breath, he lowered himself onto his knees and bowed deeply in Lan’ka’s direction.

"We also came to beg the Velmora to combat the growing threat of the Halflings of the north!"

The words immediately changed the atmosphere.

Tu’ka and Kurg exchanged confused glances, neither appearing to understand what Tega meant. Lan’ka, O’nil, Tong’a, Ka’z, and Lady Zira, however, all frowned deeply. The mention of the Halflings carried a weight that the younger kobolds did not yet understand.

Ka’z felt a familiar heaviness settle within his chest.

Only the previous night, he had discussed the Halflings with Kong’gong. They had spoken about their power, their allegiance to humanity, and the death of the northern guardian. Ka’z had hoped that threat was still distant.

Now it had walked directly into his village.

Ka’z exhaled slowly before asking, "What about the Halflings?"

Kurg and Tu’ka immediately sprang to their feet, landing several meters away from Ka’z as they instinctively positioned themselves closer to him. They could feel a strong killing intent from him.

Everyone’s attention turned toward Tega.

The Gnoll swallowed hard before answering. "They... A delegation from the Halflings came to our land, demanding that we step aside and allow them to mine our gold, silver, and diamonds for their humans. They told us that if we refused, they would personally remove us from the region."

Tega’s body visibly shuddered as he recalled the encounter.

Layla immediately moved toward Ka’z, dropping to her knees before him and bowing deeply. "They know the guardians will only act if humans are involved, so they intend to do the mining themselves for the humans. They even have the audacity to demand that we provide workers who will join their people in mining these resources. Please help us, Great Magus!"

The remaining Gnolls quickly followed her example. One after another, they rushed forward and fell to their knees, bowing deeply before Ka’z.

Ka’z’s frown deepened.

For several seconds, he said nothing. His gaze shifted toward Lan’ka, silently waiting for the Chieftain to respond. Yet Lan’ka remained seated upon his throne, his expression dazed and visibly shaken.

He knew.

From the look in his eyes alone, Ka’z could tell that Lan’ka understood exactly how dangerous the Halflings were.

It was not surprising that he was afraid.

Ka’z looked back toward the Gnolls.

"I refuse."

The words landed with brutal simplicity.

The Gnolls slowly raised their heads, horror spreading across their faces.

"Great Magus?" Layla whispered, tears already beginning to form in her eyes.

Ka’z rose to his feet and looked down at them directly. His expression remained firm, showing neither anger nor hesitation.

"Since the destruction of Ashmork, I have spent several months building this village so it can become a force capable of withstanding the Halflings and human invaders. We are not there yet, and I will not lead my people into a war we are not prepared for. I will not throw myself or my people into a battle simply because the enemy has arrived before we are ready."

Ka’z turned his gaze toward Lan’ka.

"With the Chieftain’s approval, I will happily invite the Gnolls to migrate south and build a new home here, where we can work together to build a force capable of repelling this threat. That is all I can do. Beyond that, you are on your own."

With that, Ka’z turned around and began walking toward the exit.

Lan’ka remained silent, still visibly shaken by the request and Ka’z’s response. Tong’a and O’nil, however, exchanged a brief glance. They had heard Ka’z’s conversation with Kong’gong, and they understood what he was trying to accomplish even if they still did not completely agree with every part of his vision.

Ka’z was attempting to build something far larger than Vaal’kor. A kingdom where the different races of Evergreen Forest could stand together.

The arrival of the Gnolls was simply another step toward that future.

"How can you tell us to abandon our home?!" Layla suddenly screamed, her voice shaking with desperation.

Ka’z stopped in his tracks.

For a moment, he remained with his back toward the Gnolls before slowly looking over his shoulder.

"A home is not a place. It is the people." His voice remained calm, but every word carried weight. "Wherever you go, you will forever remain Galorians, no matter what. That land you are dying to protect is not worth the blood of your people."

Tega, Layla, and the other Gnolls shivered at those words. They stared at Ka’z’s back as he finally continued walking away, leaving them to wrestle with the decision he had placed before them.

Behind him, Kurg and Tu’ka exchanged a glance before revealing small smiles. Neither spoke, but both slowly nodded at Ka’z’s words.

They understood that his refusal was not born from cowardice or indifference. He simply refused to sacrifice the people he was responsible for protecting before they were ready to fight.