Chieftain Kuruck strode into the dining hall with a booming presence, his deep laugh preceding him as he opened his arms wide.
"My children!" he bellowed warmly.
One by one, he walked down the length of the table, placing a firm hand on each of their shoulders or giving them hearty pats on the back. His greetings were rough but affectionate, not like a courtly noble, but like a seasoned warrior. There was no mistaking the pride in his voice as he welcomed each of them personally.
But when he passed an empty chair, he tilted his head.
"Where's Nocren?"
Looking at the time, the two hour period had already run out. The siblings glanced around at each other, each silently wondering who would speak up, until a voice called out from beyond the hall.
"I'm here! I'm here!"
Nocren, rushing at full speed, barreled into the room. Once inside, he raised his right hand proudly, holding up the stiff body of a large Ironbeak. Its head bore a clear crystal horn, something only the flock leader would possess.
Seeing that he had made it in time, Kuruck nodded approvingly. "A little slower than usual, but a fine catch nonetheless. Good work."
"Yes! I'll bring this to the kitchen then." Nocren, clearly relieved, hurried past the butler orc who had come to collect the prey, leaving the servant rather confused. The butler didn't say anything as he silently followed Nocren to the kitchen as well.
"Why is he—?"
Rodgul began to ask, but stopped when Orla subtly signaled for him to keep quiet. Everyone, except Rodgul and Kuruck, knew what Nocren was really up to.
Nocren intended to personally deliver the Ironbeak to the kitchen so he could discreetly dispose of the Vicious Frost Glider. He knew Kuruck would notice if there was one beast too many, so he needed to get rid of the evidence of his failure and replace it with the Ironbeak.
Rodgul, though unsure what was going on, decided to stay out of it upon noticing the shared knowing looks among his siblings, everyone but their father.
While Nocren busied himself in the kitchen, Kuruck finished greeting the rest of his children and eventually made his way to the head of the table, beside Sol and Reena. As he sat down, his commanding presence filled the space. It wasn't oppressive but it felt as if he had a complete grasp of everything in the room. His gaze turned to Sol.
"So, you're the Savior. Sol, right?"
Sol turned toward him and offered a respectful nod. "Yes. It's good to finally meet you, Chieftain Kuruck. I've heard a lot about you."
He spoke with calm professionalism and a polite smile, habits he had learned during his knight captain training. The truth, however, was that he hadn't heard much at all. What little he knew came secondhand, either from passing mentions by orcs or from the mission briefing during the expedition into the Orna Mountains in search of the legendary fruit, Winter's Kiss. Kuruck was known as a powerful leader and a respected warrior, but beyond that, Sol's knowledge was limited.
Kuruck grinned knowingly. He saw through the formal tone, he'd dealt with all sorts of people over the years.
"I'm sure you have." He said, leaning back in his chair with a slight glint in his eye. "But I've definitely heard more about you and your exploits, beyond what you've done for me and my people."
"I heard about the role you played during the vampire assault," Kuruck continued. "Even the things you accomplished before becoming a knight. It's impressive what you've managed to do in just a single year."
Sol's eyes widened slightly, caught a little off guard. But after thinking it over, he realized it was something he should have expected. He had played a crucial role in the deal between the Frostaxe Clan and Orna, and was tasked with finding a method to produce Life Clusters to help them pay off their debt. In doing so, he bought them time, and Crestelia's aid, to locate the ancient dwarven city and recover the Life Condenser. If Sol were in Kuruck's position, he would have thoroughly investigated the person who caused it all to happen.
The mention of vampires made Reena blink. 'Vampires? He was there when it happened?'
She had heard about the vampire attack on Crestelia's capital. It had been far too massive an event to remain local, news had spread across the entire continent within days. Not only were vampires, long thought extinct, confirmed to still exist, but a magical red and shadow moon appeared, alongside a mysterious Shadow Dragon, a Chosen, and even a Harbinger. Even without taking into account the aftermath which resulted in many nobles that were part of the rebellious faction to lose their land and title, any one of those would have made news that reached other nations. All of them together had caused ripples throughout the continent.
She turned her head slightly, casting a questioning glance at Sol.
He didn't notice. He was still focused on the Chieftain.
"Thank you." Sol said after a brief pause. "But it wasn't something I did alone."
"Spoken like a true leader." Kuruck replied, leaning forward slightly, his voice taking on a more serious edge. "You remind me of how I was in my younger days. Clever, determined, and good at making the impossible happen. But I have to say, unlike me who mostly stayed in the mountains... you're attracting a lot of attention. If you keep this up, you might get a visit from them soon."
Sol raised an eyebrow, curious. He knew he'd been acting rather high profile lately, mostly because, with multiple law techniques, he could now defeat most A-Rankers with ease. While gods were still a concern, most of them, like Orna, were inactive, so as long as he didn't go out of his way to provoke them, he felt relatively safe.
Wanting to understand the Chieftain's warning, he asked, "What do you mean by—?"
But before he could finish, a group of orcs rushed out of the kitchen carrying large trays of food. Kuruck's attention immediately shifted.
"We can discuss this later." He said, his voice full of anticipation. "But now… it's time to feast!"