Building An Empire Starting From The Labor Camp In Exile-Chapter 318: Elder Youn

Till night, nothing happened.

The Akatsuki began to settle and tear down. They built tents, and a portion of the wall was getting torn down. Each stone that fell seemed to make Atrox jolt.

He didn’t sleep much, and his appetite was immediately lost. Indeed, this was the first time in his life that he’d been without hopes of what would happen.

At first, he thought that he or others around him—especially his trusted advisor, Tiber—would come up with something, but it seemed everyone had hit a blank wall.

Atrox didn’t take it well. "...My ambition is gone... just like that? But how? Why? How did I get to this situation?!"

But he knew the answer. Atrox had begun to care. He didn’t know when it started, but the Clan that he should have torn down and rebuilt was still standing.

He was changing the means by which he wanted to achieve his goals. He laughed bitterly. "Armies? Allies? When did I start to burden myself with such things? I swore to myself that I would reach my goals no matter what. And yet...

"And now? I’ve been putting a clause on it. I care about how many people get killed. Just... when did I start?"

He could remember when he went after his goal like a hound back in the Borderland. And now he had left all that behind and was going at his ambition the wrong way.

"My Lord... you have some guests."

Suddenly, he heard the voice from outside. It was Eryndor’s voice, and Atrox was familiar enough with the man to know that something was wrong.

But before Atrox could reply, Tiber entered the tent that he was using. His face was serious. "My Lord, Elder Youn is here, and he wants to talk with you."

Atrox raised his brows. That was a surprise. "The lead Elder?"

Tiber nodded. "The one and the same. He said he needed to talk with you, and he brought a Master Knight-rank guard with him."

Atrox gestured. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think he’s here to negotiate with you. And if he’s going to be our ally, then it’s not a bad thing—as long as he can pull his own weight."

Atrox nodded. "Bring him here."

The Elder Youn, whose father had been the Leader of the Elders, entered. The Elders were branch family members of the Soryu. They carried the blood, but not directly—at the very least, they didn’t have enough power to become the Clan leader.

The main Soryu had always forbidden the others from starting sub-clans, something that the Elders always seemed to resent the main branch for.

This Elder Youn had faint purple eyes, a mark that the Soryu blood still ran in him. He was a Knight-rank, but he walked as if he were the Clan leader.

Behind him came a young man. He had white markings on his body—lines that ran across his skin—and since he wasn’t wearing a shirt, it was visible to all. He carried two swords with him. He was the Master Knight.

Eryndor stood directly behind this Master Knight, and his tattoos glowed faintly. He had marked the man as the highest threat to Atrox.

Atrox was leaning against his chair when the man entered, and his green eyes shone like a gem. Heat rolled off him in waves, and his hands were folded in front of him. "Tell me one reason why I should not kill you now, Elder Youn."

The old man was tall, and his spine was still straight. The wrinkles on his face didn’t hide the sharpness of his eyes. "Because I might just be your only saving grace here against your enemies?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Atrox scowled. "You are my enemy."

The older man chuckled. "Only if you want us to be. I have never been an enemy. I stand by the Clan always."

Atrox snorted and looked at the Master Knight instead. "Why don’t you join me, Master Knight? I can assure you that it’s way better than serving the old man."

Elder Youn showed his teeth. "How shameless can you be, Atrox Soryu? I was the one who picked him from the street and helped him get to where he is now. Don’t think you can buy loyalty."

Atrox dismissed him with a wave and was still focused on the Master Knight. "Eh? Then that means he owes his loyalty to the Clan. You trained him with the resources of the Clan, after all. In a way, he belongs to the Clan."

Elder Youn hissed. "You...! And what about me? I don’t belong to the Clan?"

"You did. But now? That remains to be seen. You turned your back on your Clan and your Lord. What do you want now?"

Elder Youn sneered. "I turned my back on the Clan? Did your father not turn his back on the Clan? And did he not turn his back on me?"

Atrox frowned. "And he’s dead for it. What else do you want to happen? But you—you turned your sword against the Clan. You set a Grandmaster on us, and now the Akatsuki will tear down what remains of the Clan. You have what you wished for, Elder Youn."

The Elder stiffened. Maybe he thought he wouldn’t be found out that easily, or he expected Atrox to welcome him with open hands.

"You are a fool if you turn your back on me, Atrox Soryu. Will you really turn your back on help? Even a single Master Knight will change the war on both sides. Do you really want to see the city burned down around you?"

It was Atrox’s turn to stiffen. Tiber looked at him, and Atrox could easily read the look on his face. Atrox sighed. "Tell me what you want, Elder Youn."

"I want you to remove the law on us Elders creating sub-clans of the Soryu Clan! This is what every Elder since the foundation has been trying to do. Remove it, and I will throw my support behind yours.

"Do not forget, Atrox, that you were a single stroke away from being an Elder yourself and creating a new line of Elders."