Chapter 394: The Final Countdown [Part 1]

"I’m sorry, Great Chieftain," Kael said apologetically. "I failed to secure a residence for our tribe even after scouring the entire city."

After learning about the big trouble his clone had caused in Eden, Leone decided to take control of its body until he successfully converted Eden into one of his territories.

There was just one problem.

The Aslan Tribe had no land or space within the dungeon city that they could use as their base.

According to Kael, the Monster King’s invasion forced the middle-ranked tribes to evacuate to Eden for safety.

And, knowing that the Aurelion Empire might invade them from the south, the high-ranking tribes had also mobilized their armies and reinforced their defenses.

To put it simply, the city had a sudden influx of population. Since the Aslan Tribe arrived last, there was no place left for them to stay.

At the moment, they were in Leone’s house-like carriage, which was temporarily parked at the center of the city. They might have to stay there until they secured a residence for themselves.

"Is that the only reason?" Leone asked calmly.

Kael hesitated before voicing his own opinion.

"I have a feeling the high-ranking tribes have a hand in this matter," Kael admitted. "The Warclaw Tribe and the Grimhowl Tribe might have pulled some strings to prevent us from securing a place for our camp.

"Still, it is true that there are too many people in Eden right now. Both due to the Monster Stampede and the Aurelion Empire’s imminent invasion."

Leone glanced at his Great Uncle, who was still inside his carriage.

Gundar nodded to confirm Kael’s statement. "Eden has already become quite full after the middle-ranked tribes sought refuge. The high-ranking tribes summoning their warriors to help defend the city didn’t help either.

"Perhaps you’ll find one. But even then, it will be, at best, a small house that can fit five people. This carriage of yours takes up too much space already. That’s why you can only stay here in the plaza."

After pondering for a bit, Leone came up with an idea. Since there was no space for him to stay within the city, why didn’t he just plant his banner here in the plaza?

Not to mention, there was no better place than the center of Eden to plant the banner of the Aslan Tribe. It couldn’t be any more perfect!

Sure, Eden was a large city.

But it was still smaller than the range of Leone’s territorial domain.

After raising his territory rank to Rank 2, the range of Leone’s Construction Mode was now nearly twenty square miles!

It was big enough to cover the entirety of Eden, and there would still be room to spare.

There was just one problem. Planting his flag then and there might offend people.

Not to mention, the flag needed to be planted for ten minutes straight for its power to take effect.

If he tried to plant his banner right now, while everyone’s attention was still focused on him, there was a high chance he would be forced to uproot his flag.

So what should he do?

Very simple.

Just wait for night to come!

"I’m a genius," Leone muttered.

Kael and Gundar blinked after hearing Leone’s muttering. Sensing the two shamans looking at him weirdly, the young man coughed lightly before asking the great shaman a question.

"Great Uncle, since we have no place to stay, is it possible for us to just make this plaza our base camp?" Leone asked.

"That might be a little difficult..." Gundar frowned at the question. "As you know, this is a major hub of Eden, so they might not allow you to set up camp here."

"Then how about until tomorrow?" Leone insisted. "We’ve traveled far to get here, and we only wish to rest a bit. I promise that after tomorrow, we will leave the plaza. Is that possible?"

"If it’s only until tomorrow, I don’t think anyone will say anything." Gundar played with his beard.

"Great!" Leone was already laughing internally. Once morning came, they would no longer need to stay in the plaza like homeless beggars!

After talking with Gundar, the great shaman finally left. He planned to send out messengers to inform all the chieftains of Leone’s request.

Since the young man only planned to stay at the plaza until morning, none of them voiced any complaints.

Of course, Hagen and Godwin understood that complaining would be unreasonable, especially since Leone traveled far to reach Eden.

The young man might be a rival in their eyes now, but they would prefer to avoid a complete falling out with him, especially at this important time.

They had seen the capabilities of the Aslan Tribe during the Monster Stampede.

With their abilities, they hoped that Leone and Kael would help them defend against the Aurelion Empire with their mysterious powers.

A few hours later, the three chieftains of the middle-ranked tribes visited Leone during dinner time.

They apologized for failing to help him find a place to stay, saying that they would have loved to share if the territory allotted to them had not been filled to the brim.

Also, they told him about a very important matter.

"Leone, before we headed here for the Tribal Gathering, we passed through our camps," Oswald said in a solemn tone. "All of them are completely destroyed and in ruins. Is it possible for us to stay in the city that you built at the base of Grimjaw Mountain for the time being?"

"Of course," Leone replied with a smile. "My home is always open to your tribes."

Duncan and Garen sighed in relief. This matter had been weighing heavily on their hearts, so they were glad that the young chieftain readily accepted them.

They wanted to return to their camps and rebuild them, but it would take months before they recovered everything.

Food was also a major concern.

On top of rebuilding, they also needed to feed their people, numbering in the thousands.

Right now, they didn’t have enough resources to feed their people.

After spending time with the Aslan Tribe, they believed Leone could help cover their shortcomings.

"Since we are all allies, it is only natural for me to help you during your time of great need," Leone stated. "In fact, I have already reserved several districts in my city for your tribes. They’re ready for occupation any time."

The young man smirked as he promised to grant any other request that would help the three middle-ranked tribes migrate to his domain.

"Hahaha!" Duncan laughed. "I’m afraid we might get too comfortable living in Aslan City that we might not want to leave it!"

"Indeed." Garen smirked in response. "The city Leone built is very beautiful. Not only is our safety guaranteed, but it’s also in a very good location."

Oswald nodded. "Last but not least, when our tribes unite, we will no longer have to fear the high-ranking tribes."

"I don’t want to say this out loud, but I feel like this Tribal Gathering will be different from the rest," Duncan commented from the side.

"Leone, while you were still on your journey, we held several meetings with the other chieftains. Godwin, Hagen, and Troy have all agreed that now is the time to choose a King among us."

Garen and Oswald exchanged a glance and nodded at the same time.

"And to make matters worse, the two of them pushed for a vote while you were not present." Garen sighed, understanding that a chieftain of a middle-ranked tribe like him had no choice but to acknowledge the final decision of the high-ranking tribes.

"Hagen nominated himself to be the next Barbarian King." Oswald shook his head helplessly. "Although reluctant, Troy voted for him. It seems that the agreement between the two of them prior to the Darkmane Tribe’s attack on your territory is true."

Leone quietly listened to their story, curious to know how things escalated from there.