"Marin has promoted you to the position of group leader." Haden's words settled heavily in the hut.

Lara and Rion blinked a few times, and their smiles cracked as the meaning behind his words unfurled in their heads.

Lara shot up from the fur bed and snapped, "What are you talking about?!"

She pointed her slender finger at Rion and continued furiously, "Group leader? He is just sixteen years old!! How can one even suggest something so stupid? Has he gone mad?!"

Haden placed a hand on her shoulder and explained calmly, "Our son is the one who saved everyone. He is the one who fought The Remnant."

His gaze shifted towards Rion, and he continued, "The tribe is drowning in sorrow. Marin wants you to reignite their determination and turn their sorrow into fuel for the battle next year... He wants you to become their new hero."

"I see..." Rion nodded and mumbled as his thoughts churned.

Seeing her son's troubled expression, Lara bit her lips and glared at Haden before storming out.

Haden watched her leave and shook his head before he stepped closer to Rion and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Rion turned his head towards him and breathed, "Father..."

"Son," he regarded and said, "I know that you don't want this. You were never fond of chains, even if they came as duties, but I want you to wear this chain... not for our people but for your mother and me."

Rion's eyes stirred slightly as he realised what Haden was getting at. He wasn't talking about his duty as the group leader but his duty as the last descendant of the God of Throne.

His — Monarch of The Crimson Throne — bloodline was the merger of his God of War and God of Throne bloodlines, so even though he no longer had the same bloodline as Lara, he could still fulfil the royal duty.

'There's nothing to ponder over,' Rion thought before he made his decision.

He lifted his head and looked into Haden's red eyes before he declared, "I'll do it."

Haden smiled slightly. He patted his shoulder, sat beside him and added, "You've always wanted to see the world beyond these mountains, and we have always tried to stop you... both out of fear and love, but now I fear what you would do to others once you leave."

Rion's eyes widened, disbelief clear in them as he asked, "Are you allowing me to leave?"

Haden chuckled and stood up.

"I would have never stopped you if you had tried to... I never stopped Haria, either; she was the one who gave up," he said while taking off his dark cape.

Rion's expression darkened, and he asked, "Then why do you stop others from knowing about the outside world?"

Haden placed his cape onto Rion's shoulders and answered, "What makes you think that others can stay as stable as her after going through the same?"

"Barely anyone..." Rion responded in a low voice.

Before Rion, Haria was the youngest to become a squad leader and a group leader, which alone was enough to prove her hard work and talent. Yet she still had trauma from what she had been through by daring to step beyond the mountains.

Haden finished strapping the cape around his shoulders and said, "No matter what, I will always be by your side."

Rion gripped the dark cape and mumbled with a bright smile, "I know, Father."

Haden also smiled brightly and muttered, "It's time for you to meet others."

Rion nodded with a serious expression and took a deep breath as he stepped out of bed.

The heavy, dark fur cape fluttered as he walked towards the hut's door and pushed it.

Creak!

The door creaked open, and Arok, Yuura, Dora, Jura, Nena, Haria and many more tribesmen fell into his vision.

At the front were the gods' descendants, after them were the squad leaders and squad members and at the end were the members of Redwood Basin.

He blinked his eyes, and suddenly, the god's descendants placed a hand on their hearts while the remaining knelt.

"Honour to the Gods!"

"Honour to the man!"

Their chants echoed throughout the mountains, and Rion's heart pounded loudly with them.

Nena stepped forward and offered her hand to him.

"Take my hand, little king."

He looked at her wrinkled hand and held it with his own before he mumbled, "It's good to see that you still haven't kicked the bucket."

She hit his leg with her cane and scoffed, "Don't worry about me, brat. I am not dying before you gain what you were promised."

Confusion appeared on his face, and she pulled him out of the hut.

He followed without a word, and she stopped before Haria, who had a wide grin on her face.

"Big sis..." he mumbled. She nodded and pulled him into a tight hug as she remarked, "What's up with you breaking all of my records? Are you still mad at my teasing?"

His lips curved up into a wide smile as he answered, "Yeah, I am," and hugged her back.

Seeing them both hug each other, Yuura whispered in Dora's ear, "Why aren't you scared of Haria taking him away from you?"

Dora shot him a furious glare and spat, "I don't have to be scared of anyone." She crossed her arms before her chest and added, "My Rion would never leave me for anyone."

Yuura knit his brows together and mumbled, "Isn't she stronger than you? Why would he choose you instead of choosing her?"

She pressed her lips in a thin line, and her dark eyes stilled on Haria as she thought her with clenched fists, 'I can't lose MY Rion to her.'

Felling her gaze, Haria looked at her from the corner of her eye and mumbled mischievously, "I think your girlfriend is mad."

Rion glanced at Dora and mumbled bitterly, "She is not my girlfriend... not yet."

Haria clicked her tongue and shook her head as she let go of the hug and patted his shoulder before she said, "You should man up."

He chuckled and mumbled, "I wouldn't want to hear that from you..."

She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Hmm? What's wrong with me?"

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