Building An Empire Starting From The Labor Camp In Exile-Chapter 277: New Chief

"Do you think he will be back?" Pomora asked. Then she shook her head. "Do you think he will be back with reinforcement?"

Tiber shook his head. "He might seem hot-headed but he’s not stupid. He must have calculated it to come to the conclusion that he came to. Ultimately, I think he put his Clan above everything else in this instance."

Slya sighed. "I can understand all those Clan nobles."

They didn’t have to wait long as they heard footsteps approaching, and then the door opened to admit Terrix, followed by someone else.

"My Lord! You are back, do you bring his head so we can hang it for everyone to see? Don’t tell me you destroyed the body beyond..." Suddenly, Chief Ryvlan Choxa froze, the shock on his face was so big that it was as if he’d seen the impossible.

As if his brain just couldn’t put together what his eyes were seeing. He frowned and said calmly, "My Lord. Why are you playing pranks at such a time? I’ve been patiently waiting through the night to hear the good news!"

Atrox studied him. "You and your Clan have committed a great crime. You staged a rebellion and caused the death of the Clan leader. All of this is punishable by your death and the total destruction of your Clan."

Chief Ryvlan Choxa’s eyes widened. He took several steps back because he knew that it was something Thrain would never say, even when he was angry with him. The total destruction of the Choxa Clan? He looked towards Terrix. "What’s going on, Terrix?"

Terrix shook his head and went to his knees. "Chief. Thrain Soryu lost the duel and is dead. There is only one Clan leader of the Soryu Clan after months. Hail the Clan leader!"

Chief Ryvlan Choxa stood there for a long time. "So I lost. We lost. What do we have to pay?" His voice wasn’t bitter or angry, it was totally devoid of most emotions, but there were hints of fear in it.

Still with his head bowed, Terrix answered. "We are given options. Total destruction of our Clan, and the next Clan that would take over will wipe out our name from history."

Chief Ryvlan Choxa’s face went white. "And the other options?"

"Your death. Your own and the other elders. Also, our military will be taken away for a few years and will become a division under the army for a while. But the Clan will continue to live."

Chief Ryvlan Choxa’s face was frozen. He finally revealed bitterness as he smiled. "Oh? The two options aren’t ones where I come back alive, but in one of them my Clan still remains."

He began to laugh and seemed to be even more relaxed. "Then my Lord, Clan Leader Atrox. Are you really going to keep your word and won’t touch our Clan but instead let us remain after the conditions are met?"

Atrox stared at him. In truth, this was the first time he would be coming with such strong loyalty. ’... if it actually comes down to it... the Soryu or my life... which should I choose...’

It disturbed him faintly that he didn’t have the answer to it. But he nodded. "You are right. I will let the Clan continue under such conditions. In light of this, I name Terrix Choxa as the new Chief of Choxa Clan. Furthermore, there will be a change of Elders! So be it!"

Chief Terrix and Ryvlan bowed. "So be it!"

Ryvlan faced his Chief. "Come do it. I know I’m leaving the Clan in your able hands. What? There’s nothing to say. Only that I truly wish you were my son!"

Terrix’s eyes turned red, but he reached out and gently placed his hand on Ryvlan’s shoulder. His hand glowed a soft gold and then flashed.

It was a simple and easy death. The light that was in Terrix’s hand directly went to the heart to shut it down. But that’s only possible because Ryvlan was a normal person.

Terrix caught Ryvlan before he slumped. "My Lord, what about his family?"

Atrox frowned. "Is any of them a Knight? None? Then let them be. I will let you deal with that as you wish."

Terrix nodded and lay Ryvlan to the side. "Then what are we to do now? Chief Helena Varrow is still there, as well as three more Master Knights, and then there’s the warlord."

Atrox stiffened. "Six Master Knights in total? That’s enough to make war with another Clan in the Hinterlands! Why would Thrain hold back from directly attacking my army? Or me personally. And don’t tell me it’s because he didn’t want to weaken the army!"

Chief Terrix frowned. "I... don’t know. Now that you said it, I’m finding it strange as well."

Suddenly, his face was filled with alarm. "Why did we even attack you yesterday? It’s useless. He should have brought more Master Knights. Now that you point it out, he should have crushed you with that amount of Master Knights!"

Atrox felt a chill and he met eyes with his subordinate. When something was going so well like that, they knew what it meant—someone somewhere is pulling the strings.

Someone terrifyingly powerful.

’... the same person that wiped the whole memory of the Clan from speaking about me being a Forbidden Knight?... and I can only think of one person! Old Man!...’

Atrox gritted his teeth. Someone wanted him on the Clan Leader’s seat and had helped him along the way. He did not like it one bit, but he didn’t let it show on his face as he waved his hand, as if he knew about something that others don’t.

"I see, so it’s like that. Anyway, Chief Terrix. Go to Chief Helena Varrow and explain the situation to her. Let her make her decision. This is a respect given to her as a Master Knight."

The new Chief bowed and turned, leaving the room. Atrox watched him go and he wished he could just bind all of them with the pact binding ability, but the Master Knight rank was standing in the way.

Atrox sighed as the room returned into silence once more. He raised his voice and said to the empty air, "Well? Will you come out now?"