Jane rose to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest. The realization hit her hard, this man, the one she'd thought might be her future, truly had no intention of marrying her. Worse, the idea of not marrying her seed to fill him with a quiet joy.
The flood of emotion was too much for her to hold back. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to keep her composure. Shoulders trembling, she slowly made her way toward the door, each step a battle to suppress the wave of hurt and frustration surging within her.
But just as her hand reached for the door, strong arms encircled her from behind, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"I was just joking," ca the soft voice in her ear. "Why are you crying?"
Jane sniffled, unable to respond at first. But before she could pull away, the man continued, his voice growing more tender, almost apologetic. "Your brother didn't pressure into this, he helped see things clearly. I want to marry you, Jane. I want to give us both a ho. Our ho."
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and for a brief mont, the world seed to stand still.
"Wha; what…?" Jane mumbled through her tears. "You... you really an it?" Her voice trembled as much as her body.
"I do," Logan whispered.
The realization that he'd been serious all along overwheld her. With a mix of relief and pent-up emotion, Jane couldn't hold back any longer. "You... you're so annoying!" she cried, burying her face in his chest. "Why did you lie to like that? Wuwu...!"
Her sobs ca louder now, uncontrolled, but this ti they were tears of joy, not sorrow. She hit his chest weakly with her fists, though there was no real force behind it.
Logan chuckled, wiping her cheeks with the back of his hand. "Don't cry, don't cry. This is your ho now. What would your aunt and the others say if they saw you like this? They'd probably think I was bullying you!"
Jane sniffled again, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Hmph... you are bullying ! If they hear, I'll have Fourth Brother co and beat you up!" She tried to sound fierce, but it only ca out in broken sobs.
Logan couldn't help but laugh at her adorable outburst. "Then I guess I won't marry you after all!" he teased, eyes twinkling with mischief.
Jane's tear-streaked face shot up, her eyes narrowing into a glare. "You dare!" she hissed, with an intensity that could have scared a lesser man.
But Logan only laughed harder, clutching his stomach as he doubled over. "I'm just kidding, just kidding!" he managed to say between laughs, but the sight of her fiery expression only made him laugh harder.
———
The following morning, Logan was all business. He made his way to Abate's residence, where the arrangents were to be made. Abate, reliable as always, had already purchased a small but well-located house just across from the City Hall of Canyon City.
Logan glanced at it with satisfaction. "The Recruitnt Hall," he said, naming it on the spot. It was more than fitting, given the purpose of the place.
Inside, Abate introduced him to the warriors they had gathered. Five sixth-level warriors stood before him, along with thirty-nine fifth-level fighters. Logan inspected them carefully, his eyes lighting up with approval.
The sixth-level warriors, though motivated by gold, had a valuable surprise in their midst; a rare earth magician. Magicians were hard to co by, and securing even one, especially a sixth-level one, was no small feat.
Satisfied, Logan continued his inspection. The group of fifth-level warriors was just as promising, though many were older or had little potential left to grow. Despite this, sixteen of them expressed interest in joining the Silver Mane Tribe, and that alone was worth celebrating.
With a magician, strong warriors, and allies from diverse backgrounds, Logan knew that this recruitnt would bring great strength to the Silver Mane Tribe. It was just the beginning of sothing much bigger.
After watching Abate diligently send off the last of the recruits, Logan allowed a satisfied smile to spread across his face. "Thank you for your hard work, Abate!" he said, his voice warm with appreciation.
Abate, ever humble, shook his head. "Master Chief, it's nothing. This is what I'm here for," he replied, his tone respectful but firm.
Logan nodded, but his expression grew serious. "Next," he continued, "I want you to ramp up recruitnt. We need to focus on bringing in more Beastn with specialized skills, especially spellcasters and craftsn."
Abate blinked in surprise. "Spellcasters and craftsn?" he repeated, as though trying to wrap his head around the combination.
Logan chuckled at his reaction but went on. "Yes, both. The tribe is growing, but we're facing a shortage of skilled hands. Blacksmiths, leatherworkers, builders; you na it. The forge is struggling to keep up with the demand for weapons and armor. With our forces expanding, we can't rely on the scavenged equipnt we've taken from other tribes.
It's old, worn, and frankly, 99% of it is junk."
His frustration was clear, and Abate understood why. While the tribe had managed to outfit its reserves with the spoils of war, Logan was too proud to accept that as a long-term solution. The Silvermane Tribe was not just surviving; it was on the rise, and its warriors deserved better.
"The tribe isn't short of wealth anymore," Logan continued, a glint of determination in his eyes. "But even though we can buy weapons if needed, I don't want to rely on that. Kodiak is looking into so weapons rchants for us, but most Beastn tribes forge their own gear. The market for arms dealers isn't big here, and those that do sell tend to ask sky-high prices."
Abate nodded in understanding. Beastn tribes, by tradition, took pride in their self-reliance. Many simply couldn't afford the high-end weapons that ca from dealers; most of whom got their supply from the fad dwarven blacksmiths.
"Dwarves…" Logan mused aloud. "They're the descendants of the God of Craftsn. Every male dwarf can forge with both hands before he even becos an adult. Their work is second to none."
Abate's eyes widened slightly, impressed by the chief's knowledge of the dwarves. But Logan's expression soon hardened. "Even so, our tribe needs more than just buying from outside. It's not just about the money; it's about our future. If the Silvermane Tribe doesn't develop its own forging capabilities, we'll be forever dependent.
Our growth will be lopsided, and that's a problem we can't afford to ignore."
Abate's brow furrowed. "A deformity in the forging industry…" he murmured, already understanding where Logan was headed.
"Exactly," Logan said, his voice firm. "We need to be self-sufficient. A powerful tribe can't rely on outside sources for sothing as vital as weapons. And that brings us back to why we need to recruit craftsn; blacksmiths, leatherworkers, even architects. We need to build, Abate."
"And what about the spellcasters?" Abate asked, still puzzled.
Logan's face lit up, a gleam of excitent flashing in his eyes. "Ah, yes! I'm thinking of creating sothing similar to what the human kingdoms have; a school, or an academy. A place to train our own spellcasters."
"An academy?" Abate's surprise deepened. He had heard of such things from the human world, but to imagine one within the Silvermane Tribe was beyond what he had expected.
Logan nodded, smiling at Abate's amazent. "Yes, an academy. We'll train our own mages, healers, and elentalists. Why should we depend on outsiders for magic when we can cultivate that strength within our own ranks?"
Abate's mind raced as he tried to process the chief's vision. Logan wasn't just thinking about the present, he was looking to the future, to building a self-sustaining tribe that could rival the powerhouses of the land.
"I didn't expect this, Chief," Abate finally said, shaking his head in disbelief. "But… it's brilliant."
Logan clapped him on the shoulder. "Then let's get to work, my friend. We have a tribe to build, and it's only just beginning."
"In fact," Logan began, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips, "I've had the idea of establishing a tribal academy for quite so ti now. But, as you probably understand, the real foundation of any academy lies in its ntors. Without experienced spellcasters, it's near impossible to create sothing on the level of the human kingdom's academies. And spellcasters?
Well, they're almost nonexistent in our tribe."
Abate nodded solemnly, taking in the weight of his chief's words. "Master Chief, I understand completely. But don't worry, I'll find a way to recruit more spellcasters." His expression was resolute. Abate knew that this academy could be the cornerstone of the tribe's future strength.
He thought back to the human kingdoms, where academies flourished. "The human kingdoms," he murmured, almost to himself, "they have so many academies. It's their secret weapon, really."
Logan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Abate's musings.
"You see, humans may not have the long lifespan of elves, nor the natural talents in magic or combat that other races possess. But what they do have is sheer numbers," Abate continued, his mind clearly racing with ideas. "They've filled their lands with academies; schools that cover every aspect of life, from spellcasting to swordsmanship.
And through these schools, they've trained legions of spellcasters. Even the elves, with all their grace and skill, are amazed at how quickly humans can churn out such numbers."
Logan nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. Humans compensate for their shorter lives by multiplying their talent pool. For every thousand humans, there's bound to be a gifted one among them. And with so many colleges, they've turned that sheer potential into terrifying strength without even realizing it."
Abate's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Exactly! And it's not just humans. Even so of the stronger Beastn tribes have started copying that model, establishing their own academies. Look at the Mashar Tribal Alliance in the northern wilderness. Under their leader, the boar warlord, their strength has skyrocketed, and much of that growth can be credited to their academy system."
Logan leaned back, impressed. "Mashar, yes. They've made incredible progress, that's true. But only the biggest, wealthiest tribes can pull off sothing like that. The rest don't have the resources to establish a proper academy, especially when it cos to finding competent tutors."
Abate's expression darkened briefly. "That's the real challenge, isn't it? It's easy to build a school, but where do you find the teachers? And Beastn; well, we're not naturally inclined toward magic. Most of our talent is in physical strength, combat. Only a small fraction of Beastn have the magical aptitude that humans or elves do, and that makes it even harder."
Logan let out a small sigh of agreent. "You're right. Beastn spellcasters are rare, and when you find one, their talent often pales in comparison to what you'd find among humans. That's our biggest hurdle."
Abate suddenly straightened, his eyes bright with an idea. "Master Chief, what if we set up a talent recruitnt center in the rchant camps?"
Logan tilted his head, intrigued. "rchant camps?"
"Yes! rchant camps are like crossroads for rcenaries. They're everywhere, spread across the wastelands, the Caesar Grasslands, and all the major regions. If we establish a Talent Recruitnt Hall in these camps, we'll have direct access to every rcenary that passes through."
Logan's expression shifted as he considered the suggestion. "Hmm… You're right. The rcenary traffic in Canyon City has been rather thin, especially when it cos to spellcasters. Setting up recruitnt hubs in the rchant camps could broaden our reach, casting a wider net."
"Exactly!" Abate said, his excitent growing. "We'd reach the rcenaries where they already gather. So of them might be spellcasters or know where to find them. The camps are a lting pot of talent; we'd have access to warriors, spellcasters, craftsn, anyone we need."
Logan grinned, clearly impressed with Abate's quick thinking. "That's an excellent idea, Abate. Not only will we increase our chances of recruiting spellcasters, but we'll also tap into the broader pool of talent passing through these camps. It could be the key to finally establishing our academy."
Abate nodded eagerly. "I'll start making the arrangents imdiately. We'll need to position the halls strategically in the most frequented camps. This could change everything for the tribe, Master Chief."
Logan clapped him on the shoulder, a rare glint of hope in his eyes. "It very well could. And once we have the spellcasters and craftsn we need, the academy will beco a reality. The Silvermane Tribe will be stronger than ever."
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