My Kingdom Building Done Right!

Leone and the members of the Aslan Tribe stood at the ramparts of their fortress.

From a distance, warriors numbering in the thousands stood in formation.

The other tribes also observed this solemn ritual from the safety of the walls that protected them from the monster army.

The sun was about to set on the horizon, and the Darkmane Tribe’s burial rite was about to commence.

The one who would preside over this sacred ceremony was none other than the shaman of the Darkmane Tribe, Jafar.

And standing beside him was a cloaked person.

That person stood over two meters tall. Even from a distance, he looked like a very sturdy fellow.

As Jafar chanted the rites of the dead, the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe wept silently.

They were warriors.

Tough and unyielding.

But at the end of the day, they were still humans.

They could feel happiness, sadness, loneliness, anger, and grief over losing those who were close to them.

Truth be told, they didn’t recognize the person standing beside Jafar.

However, they could feel a very strong presence coming from that cloaked figure.

But this unknown being exuded intense melancholic air. Even though they couldn’t see the face of the cloaked figure, they could tell that he grieved with them.

When the rites had ended, Jafar lit a torch before handing it respectfully to the cloaked person.

Though the cloaked person had accepted the torch, he didn’t throw it right away at the pit where the dead had been laid for their final rest.

Instead, he took off his cloak and tossed it onto the ground.

Soon, a collective gasp spread across the ritual site as the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe saw the creature before them.

It was one of the strongest Beastkin races in the world.

A Lionkin.

A black Lionkin, whose fur was as dark as the night.

The setting sun and the torch in his hand cast an eerie glow on his majestic visage.

This Lionkin was none other than Troy.

The Chieftain of the Darkmane Tribe, whom Leone had saved from the claws of death.

The Lionkin stared at the fortress of the Aslan Tribe as his sights landed on the young man holding a banner that fluttered in the breeze.

As if coming to an understanding, Leone nodded, which Troy reciprocated.

"Warriors of the Darkmane Tribe," Troy said calmly. "Let us send our brethren to the Earth Mother’s embrace using the chant that many have long forgotten. We will send them off with pride, with honor, and with gratitude."

He slowly raised the torch toward the crimson sky.

"Today, we remember this day as not the day that they fell," Troy declared. "Instead, we remember the courage and ‌bravery that they had shown until their last breath."

His golden eyes swept across the thousands of warriors gathered before him, his voice rumbling like thunder, encompassing them with the pride and dignity of a sovereign.

"Today, we do not cry for their parting. Instead, we give thanks, for we had the fortune to fight beside them."

Troy slowly lowered the torch and looked at the massive burial pit that held the fallen sons and daughters of the Darkmane Tribe.

"Raise your voices. Let our brothers and sisters hear us one final time. Let them know that they do not leave this world alone."

Without another word, he then cast the torch into the pit.

The oil-soaked timber caught fire in an instant, and soon, towering flames rose toward the evening sky.

Seeing that, Leone started to thump the banner in his hand on the ground, signaling the Aslan Tribe to help Troy send his people off to the embrace of the Earth Mother.

Then, as if they had been waiting for that exact moment, thousands of voices echoed across the Borderlands in a deep, ancient chant that had not been heard for generations.

———————

(A/N: It is mandatory that you listen to the song "The Last Roar of the Darkmane Tribe" while reading this part. Just search for it on YouTube. The sheer epicness of this scene is something that couldn’t be explained by words alone. Trust me. Let the voices of the Darkmane Tribe resound far and wide!)

———————

Troy’s mournful hymn rolled across the plain like distant thunder, carrying with it the grief, respect, and unwavering pride of a chieftain bidding farewell to his fallen tribesmen.

Troy’s majestic voice reached even those who were on the ramparts of the fortress of the Aslan Tribe.

Hearing his voice, Leone and his people replied with the booming of their war drums and the sound of their horns, playing along to the ancient hymn that belonged solely to the Darkmane Tribe.

Even the warriors of the other tribes watched in silence, instinctively understanding that they were witnessing a farewell that would be remembered for generations to come.

"""The mountain calls."""

"The drums resound," Troy sang. "Our final stand upon this ground."

"""The sky grows dark."""

"The earth shall shake." Troy placed his hand over his chest. "Yet not one step shall Darkmane break."

After that initial chant, the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe remembered this song. With that, they finally started to sing along, thumping their feet on the ground while raising their voices to the sky.

"""We forged our lives with blood and flame."""

"Now history shall bear our name." Troy’s voice was filled with pride as he continued to sing. "Though death may claim both kin and pride, we face the storm side by side."

"""Raise your blades... Lift them high..."""

"Let the heavens hear our cry!" Troy raised both his hands towards the sky.

"""Darkmane!"""

"Roar into the endless sky!"

"""Darkmane!"""

"We were never born to hide!"

"""Steel may shatter, blood may fall."""

"Yet our spirits conquer all!"

"""Should we perish, let them see..."""

"Darkmane lives eternally!"

The Aslan Tribe’s drums and musical instruments gradually intensified, matching the vigor that the warriors of the Darkmane Tribe were emanating.

Even the other tribes, who were listening to this song, couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer emotions they were witnessing with their own two eyes.

"Our sins are carved in stone and bone." Troy started to thump his foot on the ground. "The path we walked was ours alone. Yet on this day no chains remain. Only warriors without shame."

"""The Earth Mother awaits below, to welcome every soul we know."""

"""So if today becomes our last, we’ll make this moment forever last..."""

"Tell our children..." Troy growled.

"""Tell our children..."""

"Tell our sons..."

"""Tell our sons..."""

"We did not flee..."

"""We did not run..."""

"Tell the world..." Troy declared. "The lions came. Not seeking glory... Only a name!"

"""Darkmane!"""

"Raise your voices to the sky!"

"""Darkmane!"""

"""Today we live! Today we die!"""

"If our fortress turns to dust." Troy thumped his closed fist over his chest. "Guard our memories, guard our trust. Should tomorrow never dawn, sing our song... When we are gone!"

"""Darkmane!"""

"""Darkmane!"""

"Darkmane forever!"

"""Ohhhhhhhhh..."""

"The mountain remembers..."

"""Ohhhhhhhhh..."""

"The earth remembers..."

"""Ohhhhhhhhh..."""

"The lions remember!"

"""Darkmane!"""

"Darkmane!"

"""Darkmane..."""

"Darkmane!"

From high above the ramparts of the fortress of the Aslan Tribe, Leone saw it.

Out of nowhere, countless golden orbs of light were flying towards the heavens.

’Daedalus, are those... souls?’ Leone asked.

’You can see them?’ Daedalus replied solemnly. ’Yes, they are souls. And judging from their colors, all of them can pass in peace thanks to Troy and the members of the Darkmane Tribe sending them off properly.

’Through their actions, they would not wander in the darkness anymore, for they shall now be guided by a higher power.’

The grimoire quieted down as if remembering something that happened in the distant past.

Leone didn’t know what Daedalus was thinking at the moment. But right now, he fully understood the weight that came with the title of a chieftain of the Borderlands.

And somewhere out there, the Earth Mother welcomed thousands of brave warriors back into her loving embrace.

A place where roaring laughter replaced the cries of war.

There, within the Halls of the Brave, the ancestors rose to greet another generation of heroes, welcoming them home with songs, feasts, and stories that would be told for all eternity.

For on this day, the Earth Mother did not mourn the fallen.

Instead, she welcomed her children back home.

—————

A/N: It has been an honor writing this War Arc. I thank everyone for following this story so far.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!