Way of Overlord-Chapter 289: Growing Silently

Yan, Roma, Yindu, Western Zhou

These empires that borders the Great Steppe, each one of them is now in a crossroads.

In the Great Steppe, a unifying process is happening.

When all of these has settled who will get the last laugh?

Who will be the rulers of the world?

Who will create an empire worthy to be passed down through the ages

The people suffers and the ambitious men fight for the world

An age of chaos open its curtain

....

Around a week has passed since Chagai messenger had come toward the Brolgadhr tribe.

As winter’s icy grip gradually loosens, the vast expanse of the Great Steppe awakens from its slumber.

Tender buds emerge, dotting the landscape with promises of spring.

The air, once frigid and still, now carries a subtle warmth. There is the symphony of birdsong that could he heard again.

There is blooming flowers, trees and plants burst into life.

Butterflies could be seen flit from flower to flower, sipping nectars, like a messenger of spring coming to announce its joyful return.

And the Great Steppe itself seems to have come alive. Herds that have stopped during the winter now move again. The horses grazes on the tender shoots of fresh grass

To the people of the Great Steppe, they adore their horses and treats them like family. Seeing them enjoying their food warms their heart.

Their manes ripples in the brazen and their hooves stir the earth.

Camels, yaks, and sheep also emerge from their winter shelters, their thick coats shedding to reveal sleek hides.

Like ink strokes against the azure sky, migratory birds return from distant lands.

Cranes, swans, and geese wing their way across the Steppe, their calls echoing through the valleys.

They nest in the reedy marshes and shallow lakes

Wildflowers carpet the land—pale blue forget-me-nots, golden buttercups, and crimson poppies, their colours harmonizing with the endless horizon.

Wolves, foxes, and lynxes emerge from their dens

Above all, the limitless sky stretches overhead.

It arches from horizon to horizon, embracing the Steppe like a protective canopy.

The sun, now warmer, bathes the land in golden light.

Clouds drift lazily, casting fleeting shadows on the undulating terrain. The Skyfather blesses the people of the Steppe

No matter how many times Aeryon look at it, he could not help but be amazed by it. Clear blue skies like he had never seen before in his life.

He look at it and smiles.

"Winter has ended and spring has come" not all the parts of the Steppe has escaped winter but it would not be long now before the entire Steppe is embraced by the warmth of spring

A week had passed since then

To the people of the Steppe, the feeling of a week passing by is like a languid rivers, barely altering the contours of their existence.

A week was but a fleeting breath—a mere whisper in the vast expanse of their nomadic life. In more accurate way to describe it, it is familiar, it is routine

But this year is different. Aeryon believe that it is not only for their tribe but also the other tribes in the Southern Great Steppe

A wind of change has blown and all those who rides it could feel the changes. The more thing changes, the faster time seems to flow.

And Aeryon who kickstarted such a change in his tribe, just a single week had created such transformation

The half-completed city, once a vision in Aeryon head now had taken shape. It silhouette encircles the land, a city of stones rising from the earth

The city wall, though incomplete, weaves its sinuous path.

Its stones, hewn from the very bedrock, bear witness to sweat and determination. Scaffolding, like skeletal fingers, reaches skyward

Within these walls, life pulses

Aeryon could see the gate towers in the distance, their roof curved like dragon scales, punctuate the walls.

There is warriors standing nearby.

Aeryon knows he had to create some kind of department like the police to maintain internal order but for now, his prestige is enough to deter anyone from doing any crime.

The tribe itself has seen this changes and felt it for themselves.

The market square was one of Aeryon creation to make sure that the businessman in his tribe could easy sell their items and the people to easily get their items is now bustling.

Even before its completion, it is very prosperous and now that it is nearly completed, the market square bustles with people from all over the area.

The area of Brolgadhr that Aeryon had claimed for himself is quite vast and the vastness of this area contribute to the people who is in this area of influence to come to his city.

When they saw these squares merchants are the one that are most delighted

On the market square, the merchants would spread out their wares like a patchwork quilt. They would beckon passer-by to come and see their wares. There is silk from the south, spices from the east and amber from the north, all kinds of things convergence here.

The merchants that have come here all compete with each other

Aeryon has give many kinds of benefits to his people. Those who follow him to battle is the most loaded.

And there is also many clans and small tribes under him that fought bandits and other small clans and tribes and also gain riches of their own

Hence, there is now rich people in his tribe, even more now than before.

The merchants voices blends all over the square, there is all kinds of trade and haggling between the people selling and buying.

And there is not merchants that is trading in the square. There is also the common people of the tribe.

Some of them are old man and old women, their faces weathered by the sun and wind of the Great Steppe.

Some of them are young, children who hunts in the winter and some of them are youth who follow the Kan to war and to battle, giving them their fair share of the war booty

These people barter the things that they have, they carry hides, woven rugs. Those who follow the Kan have the most interesting things that they took from the war.

Yan porcelains, silks, bamboo slips and many more of such thing that would attract the meconate to buy it and sell it in foreign lands. There is also ducks and chickens that they managed to bring back from the Yan land being reared and cultivated by the people of the Great Steppe, learning from the Yan people that they have captured, kidnapped or bought

The security of the square has also been added by Mayeux. This is to prevent a riot from breaking out.

And children could be seen wide eyed and curious, looking around the square dart and running around between stalls before being shouted at by the merchants that sis trying to sell their wares, laughter of kids and old echoes, the kid curios and excited, the old laugh because of the innocence of children.

They run across the cobbled streets. On another side of the city, is places where industry thrive.

The residential area is separated from the industry so that it would not be too close to each other.

In this places, there is all kinds of blacksmith.

From those that helps you repair your farm tools, to weaponsmith and Armor smith, all of them could be found.

There is sparks of fire like fiery insects that dances all day long in these area

Hammer and anvil create a symphony familiar to the people of this craft.

Since Aeryon began his conquest, these blacksmith had never not have any job.

Warriors that wanted to join the Kan expedition all would buy armor.

In the past, there is no such thing because blacksmith is rare in Aeryon tribe.

But with Aeryon expansion of lands, it also mean the rise in population.

Aeryon did not kill the people of the other tribes and instead absorb most of them making the Brolgadhr tribe quickly expands not only in territory but also population.

Added with the amount of people Aeryon brought from Nurshira and the talents he got form that, now all industry in the tribe has underwent a blazing transformation.

Aeryon also build a large temple not far away from his own grand residence.

This temple would houses the Ashana.

Aeryon had discussed these with the Ashana before he does it and all of the Ashana is very enthusiastic about it

Aeryon envisioned day where all of the Ashaan in the Southern Great Steppe could share their knowledge and formalized it in writings.

From what people knows of Ashana is that most of the Ashan have deep understanding of the rules and stories of the Great Steppe that is passed down.

But they also have their own knowledge that other people did not know about.

Their use of herbs that could heal the sick, their ability to concoct poison that leaves no trace, their knowledge of some ancient and mystical lands all of it is valuable in Aeryon mind

The thing is not all Ashana have the same knowledge.

Some have deep understanding of medicine but have some deficiency when it is in other aspect.

Some others have deep understanding in those aspect but lack in some other things

Aeryon sees them as scholars, but not in the conventional sense of scholars like those in Yan.

They have knowledge and they have expertise of some things that are obscured and not known or mastered by the people of the Steppe.

Some of them are even very adept in politics and they could even act like diplomats between tribe.

Aeryon did not forget how Utgard gain a place in the Southern Great Steppe even though they were outsiders.

Is that not a testament of their diplomatic ability?

Ashana could even convince tribes to put down their interest and let the Utgard tribe to put down their rots in the Southern Great Steppe.

That shows diplomatic ability and persuasion power that must not be underestimated

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