Primitive Man
Chapter 191 - 191: Mining village

The group, led by Garnt, marched with purpose toward Baktou's mining village. It wasn't just a simple march but rather a group fueled by the anger of what they had witnessed.

"Even if the patriarch wants, I'm never going to forgive what they did to our people,"

"Yes, they might be seaside villagers, but they belong to our faction. This is unacceptable,"

The crowd kept muttering as they advanced.

The air was thick with tension, and the distant echoes of their battle cries reverberated through the quiet forest. The anger and determination fueled their steps, but as they approached the mining village, a sense of unease settled over them.

The once imposing wooden walls of the mining village stood tall and seemingly impenetrable without many changes. Garnt, eyes narrowed, observed the surroundings, trying to discern any signs of Baktou's presence. However, an eerie silence hung in the air, and the absence of resistance puzzled him.

"Something doesn't feel right," Garnt muttered, his brow furrowed. "Keep your guard up. We might be walking into a trap."

Kara, leading the explosive arrow squad, nodded in understanding. The group halted a safe distance away, and Garnt signalled for Kara's team to unleash their explosive arrows upon the wooden walls of the mining village.

"Show no mercy!" Garnt commanded, his voice cutting through the air.

The explosive arrows soared through the sky, finding their mark on the wooden walls. The impact resonated with a deafening explosion, sending splinters and debris scattering in all directions. The once formidable walls now lay in ruins, revealing the heart of the mining village.

As the dust settled, Garnt squinted to get a clearer view. To his surprise, there was no sign of a defending force. The mining village appeared deserted, devoid of life and activity. The realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

The village looked empty, but Garnt knew there were people inside the houses since most of them looked like someone was living in those houses, not too long ago.

"He's not here," Garnt muttered, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "Does that mean he is in the seaside village? But why would he go there knowing it is too far from his target? I don't get it."

"Neither do I, but we have to do what we got to do," Ayra said, and broke the door of one house cause she wanted to capture the leader of this village that Baktou appointed if they had one but even she realized that mining village was now an abandoned place which barely had any people that could challenge them.

"Please! Don't harm my family, I-I am not a-" Everyone could easily see that man was just frail and had no strength to fight against the power Garnt and his faction had, so they obviously knew this wasn't a war anymore. "I'm just a miner,"

[It looks like Baktou doesn't care about this village that much. Look, even the mines are not functioning anymore and the houses are still old. What did he even do within these five years? Was his only purpose was to defeat you? He collected people and taught them how to mine, but completely abandoned them when he found what he needed. He looks more and more like a piece of shit to me now.]

Eva asked, and Garnt sighed knowing this was the end of the war, at least for now. And for the next few hours, he had to spend in the mining village making sure that none of the natives were trying to oppose him and as he expected, none of them had that power.

"Garnt, what are we going to do now? Are we going to attack the seaside village?" Rona asked as she wanted to prepare her army, but Garnt just clicked his tongue, as if he was annoyed by this whole thing.

"Seaside village is too far. We can leave our main village for that too long when the danger of dinosaurs exists, and if something happens, I know I will regret everything in my life. We will take back this village for now and make sure we have an extra supply of iron." Garnt said with a hard look on his face knowing that he wouldn't be able to take revenge on Baktou at least for now.

[That's intelligent Garnt. If we lose the main village there's no point in taking revenge. We could deal with Baktou anytime, but our priority is people.]

"And our promise," Garnt added to Eva's words causing her to sigh knowing this boy was seriously trying to make her dream come true.

[Yes, our promise!]

***

Weeks passed after the successful reclaiming of the mining village. The once deserted streets were now bustling with activity as Garnt's faction worked on rebuilding and securing the area.

Some of the original people that Baktou collected quickly decided to help Garnt, since they knew he was going to feed them. However, most of Garnt's people were careful enough not to trust them, since they knew that, unlike others, these individuals were just there for the advantage at the moment.

However, the question of who would represent the mining village lingered in the air, creating a sense of uncertainty among Garnt's followers.

After all, the last person who was in charge of this village ended up betraying him, so they knew it would be an important yet hard position for anyone who was going to take it.

Leaving some guards in the mining village, Garnt returned to the main village since he didn't want to be away from it for too long, and at the same time, he had an important decision to make that would be decided how his faction was going to function.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the main village, Garnt called for a meeting to discuss the matter. The gathering took place in the central square, surrounded by the flickering light of torches.

There weren't many people present for this meeting since he wanted it to be among the most trusted people in his village, so except for people from his family, there were only like one or two more that managed to attend this meeting.

"I know many of you are eager to know who will be the representative of the mining village," Garnt began, addressing the assembled crowd. "We need someone trustworthy, someone who can ensure the well-being of the people there and maintain order."

Rona spoke up, "Why not send one of us girls? We've proven ourselves capable in battle and leadership."

Garnt nodded in acknowledgement but hesitated. "I trust all of you, but sending someone from our family is not the best idea, especially when she is one of the girls who needs to be with me."

Ayra, with a thoughtful expression, suggested, "What about my son, Kiriah? He's grown up in these lands, and he knows the mining village well. Plus, he's strong and responsible. He also has the experience since he had the responsibility of managing Rona's people in the past."

Everyone suddenly started to feel that he might be the best choice for this task, as he had been asking about something he could do from Garnt, since Rona's people also joined the main village.

Garnt considered the idea. "Bring Kiriah here. I want to talk to him."

Kiriah was called to the meeting upon Ayra's suggestion. He arrived, looking a bit confused but respectful. Garnt studied him for a moment before speaking.

"Kiriah, I've seen you grow up in these lands. You know the mining village and its people. I need someone I can trust to represent our interests there. Can I trust you, Kiriah?"

Kara who was standing next to Garnt looked at Kiriah with her eyes wide open because she knew, that if Kiriah didn't give a favourable answer she would be ready to beat him up without even considering about how they were brothers.

Kiriah straightened up, a determined look in his eyes. "I would never betray you, Garnt. You've been like a father to me, and I owe everything to you. I'm not like Baktou; I won't abandon my people." He emphasised the last bit of words because he knew how hurt Garnt was when he got to know that Baktou betrayed him.

Garnt smiled, a rare display of warmth. "That's what I wanted to hear. Kiriah, I'm entrusting you with the responsibility of the mining village. Make sure our people there are safe and secure. Can you do that?"

Kiriah nodded with determination. "I won't let you down, Garnt. I'll do my best for our people."

Garnt hugged Kiriah, a gesture of trust and affirmation. "I believe in you, Kiriah. Lead the mining village with honour and integrity."

And suddenly Kara also hugged her brother, but it didn't look like Kiriah enjoyed accompanying him because he looked freaked out by her, and Ayra couldn't help but shake her head since she heard what Kara said to Kiriah.

'Damn it! Kara don't threaten to kill your brother like this. I know you like Garnt, but this is too much'

Ayra thought while Kiriah awkwardly left the meeting, so he could make sure he was prepared for the new job he found.

And so, with the appointment of Kiriah as the representative of the mining village, a new chapter began for Garnt's faction. The debates ceased, and the focus shifted to fortifying their territories against potential threats.