Our Family Has Fallen

The Misty Mountains are so named because the fog that envelops them never disperses throughout the year. Hence, there’s only a small part of each day when sunlight is visible in the mountains, while most of the time the sky is covered with a gray mist, limiting visibility.

Not to mention, most areas of the mountains are undeveloped primordial forests, and coupled with the continuous, intersecting mountains, this environment has limited the development of the Mountain Tribe while also becoming their Sanctuary.

It is pure fantasy for the external forces to think they can launch a main force attack on the mountains; here, the danger is not just the Barbarian Tribes, but more so the environment—everything will be consumed by the mountains.

Even Count Bastia, who oppressed the Barbarian Tribes, had to halt at the outskirts, giving up on going deeper.

Did he not want to?

He simply couldn’t...

According to Barbarian legend, the mountains were the site of a great war between giants and giant beasts in ancient times; these mountain ranges are the remnants of those powerful beings.

The Barbarian Tribes born within carry great power, as they are the children of the mountains, protected by the mountains.

This sense of identity allows the Barbarian Tribes to exhibit even greater combat power while in the mountains, especially when the power of the Spirit of the Wilderness is even stronger there. Never attempt to challenge the eerie powers of those Barbarian Wizards.

Today, several large tribes took the lead in inviting many of the mountain tribes, and the location chosen was quite clever—at the top of a mountain.

As for why it was clever, it’s because from the mountain top, one could see the city sprawling below.

When Bastia was built, it became a thorn in the mountains’ side, and they have always wanted to seize or destroy that city.

The fact that they chose this location to discuss changes occurring in Bastia speaks volumes.

Chiefs and priests generally do not easily leave their tribes, so the attendees were wise Elders from various tribes.

Not just anyone could come; only large and medium tribes, with populations of thousands or several hundred, respectively, were eligible to receive invitations. As for the smaller tribes of around a hundred people, no one really cared.

However, even with the invitation, there was no guarantee of attendance since there were many internal issues within the Barbarian Tribes, with some tribes harboring animosities towards each other that far exceeded their hatred for the Empire.

Yet there was one tribe among them that attracted particular attention—the Fang Tribe—because the changes in Bastia started with one of their units.

With Count Bastia deliberately obscuring the news of war and driving out Barbarian Mercenaries to enforce a unilateral lockdown, everyone wanted to know more.

However, the Fang Tribe, which had previously caused such chaos, seemed to have gone quiet, and combined with the current situation, this peculiarity only deepened everyone’s curiosity.

”It seems the Fang Tribe doesn’t dare to come; let’s discuss serious matters instead.”

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from outside.

”Who says our tribe doesn’t dare to come!”

The youth wearing a wolf fang necklace burst onto the mountain peak.

”It seems the Fang Tribe has no one left, sending a child here,” someone remarked, with a hint of mockery in their tone.

Since the Warwolf took over the Fang Tribe, it has been full of aggression. Moreover, after offending everyone by destroying the Deerhead Tribe,

without the Deerhead Tribe’s Potion, any illness or injury in the tribe cannot be treated and must be left to fate, to die or endure.

There is no sense of community justice at all!

”A bunch of cowards, even if they’re old, so what? They might as well be buried to save the tribe some food.”

The youth faced the crowd without a hint of fear but with a hint of youthful arrogance, a fledgling with the heart of a Warwolf.

In contrast, the Elders and sages were stunned by this unexpected scene.

”What? Have I said anything wrong? Our tribe has long been fighting the Imperial People; under the leadership of our chief, we easily defeated the Bastia Order of Knights.

Years of ease have made them forget how to fight; those Knight Masters can only mount their women in bed, not even their horses, let alone pick up a lance.

Our Fang Tribe will restore the glory of the mountains, while you people cowering here, afraid of an old fool, are just like those failures, completely losing the courage of the children of the mountains.

What you dare not do, we will! If you lack the guts, then go home. What’s the point of pretending here? A bunch of cowards!”

With that, the youth turned and left, leaving the dignitaries to look at each other in surprise.

This young member of the Fang Tribe is truly overbearing!

But they soon realized that they had been chastised by a youth.

Not that they were angry—the Barbarians have always spoken so directly and rudely—this only made them regard him with more respect.

Even if someone really had opinions, they had to keep it to themselves because in the mountains, opposing the Empire is politically correct—those sitting have no right to criticize those standing.

”This little wolf cub really has a sharp tongue!”

”If they aren’t fiery, can they still be called young?”

”It seems we must act, or even the children will mock us.”

Though they were there to discuss, having come already indicated a leaning toward action in raiding.

Because of the unique environment of the Misty Mountains, even if they were badly beaten by the Earl, they were still unafraid.

They could lose countless times, and since the winter population would dwindle anyway, they might as well give it a shot.