Way of Overlord-Chapter 631: Anxiety

Chayun had always loved and respected his father

His father did not seem to be, like a chief of a small tribe but like an overlord of the world. And in a way, Chagai tribe truly has a power to be reckoned with and Chadha could be considered an overlord.

The fact that Aeryon, that young chief who have never suffered a loss since his debut would bring so much force to besiege the west shows how much of a power that Chagai tribe has over the west

Then there is also Khagai tribe.

His father always suspected that the Khagai tribe has long surrendered to Brolgadhr tribe and his father had to make sure that the western area of that region is reinforced with men stationed the nearby settlement.

Even though Khagai tribe took over Bolghar tribe, it is not like the rebellion there would just suddenly stop

The Bolghar has connections.

And it is not like the Khagai tribe eradicate every single person of Bolghar tribe.

In the past such actions are normal. But since Aeryon started his conquest, he rarely massacres an entire tribe.

It would only happen when it reached a certain line or cross certain boundaries that the Khan had decided

The Khan always gave the people he fought a choice. Surrender and you could survive. Resist and you would be eradicated.

It is this combination of mercy and force that won him many battles. If the outset of the result of a fight, the outset rule from the beginning is death, whether they surrender or not, then the tribe would fight to the bitter end

Because if surrender also means death, then at least if they fight there is hope of winning. There is chance for things to change.

If both choices lead to death, people will choose to come down swinging

But if one could surrender, and still gain fame, fortune and power.... then some people would not fight to the bitter end

The Khagai choose the same way. And there are advantage and disadvantage of not killing the enemy of you tribe

And even if Khagai tribe had killed all of the Bolghar tribe, there would still be rebellion

Because those tribes under Bolghar all have their interest tied to the Bolghar tribe. The Bolghar tribe is just the representatives of this interest.

This is one of the reasons why the Khagai tribe forces did not seem to enter this war. His father had always been worried that this is just a ploy. If Khagai wanted to send army, he could still send it

The fact that then Khagai tribe did not yet send any army probably just means he is waiting for the right time

And if that is the case, the western route must be monitored. Chadha did not want to be surrounded on all sides.

This is something that his father had told Chayun many times.

If that happens, his father could only centralize all the power, reinforce the interior, abandon the exterior.

That would be the last measure

Everyone by now knows Aeryon ambition and his father has the ability to create a slogan that could unify the hearts of his people

Resist the Brolgadhr, established the Western regime!

It is a slogan but also a mission statement.

With an objective, they could focus. His father had told him, the reason why some tries scattered and unable to form a cohesive unit is simply because their objective is too vague or non-existent

As long as you could give them a direction to point towards, great force could be unleashed and as long as they could guide that force wisely, they could form a cohesive power

The chiefs and the warriors under the chiefs of the western border tribes in the Southern Great Steppe knows that if Aeryon manage to unite the west, then all of their interest would be stripped away.

Because then they would be the losers. And losers could not dictate

Yes, Aeryon treatment toward those who surrender is quite lenient and quite benevolent.

It did not change the fact that whether to be benevolent or tyrant depends entirely on Aeryon mood

How could the chiefs and the warriors who have been accustomed determining the life and death of others feel good now that their position is reversed.

Hence his father has many supporters. Some of the tribes support him quietly and some support him openly

What his father has managed to do is to bring the entire west to defend with him against Aeryon

Chadha look at his son, and he could see his expression

"He must have a lot in his mind" Chadha thought and he smiles

"Why are you losing heart? Are you not confident?"

Chayun look at his father and for a moment he did not know what to say.

But then he thought that his father would not be in the world any longer and he knows he must say some words he never dares say before

In the past, he was always afraid of only one thing.

He was afraid of being replaced.

But then as he grows older, as his father teaches him, he no longer fears of being replaced. Instead, sometimes he wishes others would become the chief and not him

When he was young, he only sees the power. When he learns of responsibility, he fears the power.

Chayun possess something that most of the sons of the chief in the Steppe did not possess

A kind heart. And while he is ambitious, he is also kind toward his men and his people. It is by nurture.

In Utgard, the son could kill the father for the title, and the brothers is about to kill each other

Then there is Kazan. All of them think about being the sole chief, unifying the Kazan. But none of them felt and fear the weight of responsibility

Instead, their ambition soars more than their sense of responsibility

His father teaches him; power always changes people.

Even he had been changed.

You need power to be chained so that it would not harm others.

Others and yourself

It is like a tiger.

But for someone to chain his own power, his own heart must be good.

His father is very merciless toward the enemies of the tribe but for the tribe, his father had done no wrong.

In the years his father had reigned, he had made sure that no enemies would attack them. They have peaceful relations with everyone that is peaceful and repel all those who is trying to do them harm

His father collects tribute, but when there is bad winter or when there is failure in getting resources, his father would open his own storage and give what is necessary to the people

He did not give too much or too little just enough so that one could not see that his father fiercely loves his people.

But to the eyes of the chief, this must be his father simply buying the hearts of his people. And probably his father preferred the chiefs to think like that of him

Only those closest to him knows the kind of man his father is.

If he did not love them, with his father talent he could surely become n overlord in the west when he was young

If he did not care about the death of the tribesmen, he could have waged war when he was young and regardless of how many of his tribesmen died, if his father really wanted to....he could have carved a place in the west.

But his father said, he himself is not a man with great ambition. His ambition is small. He wanted to protect the tribe because the tribe had protected him

He wanted to live in peace. And his father said to him, that he himself overestimated the chiefs and underestimated his own talent

His father had jokingly said, if he knew how stupid the chief was, in the past, he would probably attack them

Chayun has his own assessment in this matter

Chayun realized that smart people sometimes underestimate themselves. They are humble and they even think that there are people better than them

Because truly wise person, knows that they know nothing. And the more they know, the more they are humbled.

But stupid people think they know everything.

Hence, they become confident. Smart people when facing stupid people like this would be cowed into submission

Because in the minds of the smart people, they overthink things.

They believe that the stupid man must have some measure to be that confident. But the stupid man only moves because he is confident

Smart men sometimes think everyone is as smart as them. When in reality most of them did not

(check Dunning Krueger effect)

Hence, the world belongs to the bold and not the smart. The most fatal attributes is a bold and smart leader.

Thinking of this, he felt regret for his father youth. But his father alone did not feel any regret.

And now, that his father is about to be gone Chayun could not help but feel that he needs to say something and reveal all of that is in his heart

Because what he fears now is no longer being replaced. He fears that his father would be disappointed in him

..