Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 281: Divided tribe(1)

Chapter 281: Divided tribe(1)

Geowulf , the Great Knotur of the tribes behind the North's bane, stormed through the stone halls of the Royal Palace of Sarlan, his boots striking the floor with force, the sound echoing through the cold, empty corridors. His jaw clenched tight, his teeth grinding together in frustration as his thoughts churned with bitter anger. How could they raise these issues against him after everything he had done?

He had led them from the brink of death, from the frigid white plains where starvation and frost had claimed so many of their kin. He had fought, bled, and sacrificed, carving a path southward, defying fate itself. Where countless Knoturs had failed, forced to bow their heads and knees to the southerners for scraps, he had succeeded. Geowulf, and no one else, had moved their people to fertile lands, warm and rich, where their bellies could be filled each day and night, their ancestors head's now bowing to what they had achieved.

The grandeur of the palace around him—a fortress once symbolizing the might of the Sarlan kings—seemed to mock him. These halls were his now, their opulence a testament to his triumph. Yet, the weight of that victory felt hollow in this moment, his daughter's venomous words cutting deeper than any blade ever had, as his men now raised an hutt into his own palace.

What more do they want from me? he thought bitterly, his fists tightening at his sides. He had given everything—his blood, his will, his son, his very soul—for the survival and strength of their people. He had turned death and ruin into life and prosperity. Yet, instead of gratitude, he was met with anger, resistance, and scorn.

Pausing for a moment beneath a massive archway, Geowulf exhaled sharply, his breath hissing through his teeth. His vision blurred slightly, not from tears but from the sheer force of his fury. He looked out at the courtyard below, its crumbled stones and soot-streaked walls still bearing the scars of conquest.