The leaders of the village gathered at Verc’s words after being notified by Ashley and Maya.

Though, the family heads of the orcs aren’t present, they’re leading a hunt early this morning. After all--It’s been a while since they hunted monsters, and they need to store more monster meat now before their stock of food lowers even more.

So only Groo and Mamon are their representatives. They sat down at the table, representing the entire orc tribe.

Aodh and Grainne came as well, taking their seats on the opposite side of the table with quiet movements. Then Kuma came, walking into the room with his usual heavy, quiet steps. Then Pwyll and Bernia arrived together, nodding politely to the others before sitting down side by side near the center of the table.

Also, only Tatum and Jed attended the meeting for the kids, the others left it to them as they helped around the territory; the two of them mostly handle major decisions in the first place about their group. The other children were currently busy working in the fields, helping the gnolls clear out the rubble from the broken gates, and assisting with the delivery of basic supplies to the residents. Since Tatum and Jed were the oldest and most experienced among them, the younger kids trusted their judgment completely when it came to major matters.

Verc was already there, watching them as they filed into the room and took their respective places.

"It looks like we can start now."

Verc said, already seated at a small wooden throne specially made for him in this meeting room. The throne was carved from solid, dark wood by the gnoll craftsmen, looking simple yet sturdy enough to show his position as the lord of the castle without being overly flashy.

At his words, the others quieted down. Every single person at the table turned their attention toward the head of the table.

And as soon as they were ready—

"So, as you’ve heard from Ashley and Maya—I’ve called you all to decide what we plan to do with the prisoners."

Verc started the discussion. He looked across the table, his eyes passing over each of the leaders to gauge their initial reactions to the topic, but their expressions remained completely calm and neutral.

"My Lord, isn’t that for you to decide?"

Mamon asked that. His face showing that he will accept whatever Verc decided to do, as if his words were the words of god. He didn’t see any reason for a group discussion when their leader possessed the absolute wisdom and strength to manage the entire village on his own.

And at his question, the others looked at Verc too with the same face. Not a single person in the room showed any sign of disagreement or confusion.

"...?"

Verc noticed this, and an uncomfortable frown appeared on his face. He shifted slightly on his wooden throne, feeling a strange pressure from the sheer amount of absolute devotion radiating from the people sitting in front of him.

’These guys are way too loyal to me.’

He thought, which isn’t a bad thing, he was actually happy that that’s the case. It was definitely a good thing to have a core group of leaders who wouldn’t betray him or question his motives when things got difficult.

’But there’s just no way everyone else in the village is as loyal as them.’

Verc stated in his head.

(Actually, everyone in the village is loyal to him—they’ll follow his decisions and heed his commands in a single heartbeat. They aren’t as loyal as the people inside the meeting room and the others that are personally close with Verc—but they’re loyal enough to sacrifice their lives to protect Verc and the home he gave them..)

"Haaa..."

Anyway, Verc shook his head, trying to clear the awkwardness from his mind, then looking back at the others—

"Okay, let me be direct will all of you; I want to set all the prisoners free and send them back."

He declared that while looking at them seriously. He didn’t want to beat around the bush.

"Then, we will support your decision, My Lord."

Tatum responded without an ounce of hesitation. The young boy didn’t even blink when he heard the plan to release the very soldiers who had just attacked their village. The others nodded their heads right after, agreeing to him completely without asking for an explanation.

"I know you all will."

Verc said with a casual wave of his hand. He appreciated their immediate support, but he needed them to look at the bigger picture instead of just agreeing with him blindly.

"But what will the citizen, the people under you, will say if I just did that?"

He asked. And before the others could even say anything—

"It might cause them discontent, they might be dissatisfied, they might question my decision—and they might think that I’m thinking lightly of them."

Verc stated that.

"The prisoners are invaders, they attacked us—some of our people died. If I just let them free, then what will the people think?"

And then, he quickly followed with that. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the wooden table as he pressed the point.

"..."

The others went silent at his words. The initial look of blind agreement disappeared from their faces, replaced by a sudden realization.

"I called you all here to ask for your opinions, to think of a way so that what I said wouldn’t happen. You can even object to my decision—I will welcome all of your opinions."

Verc said, his voice calm but firm as he looked around the room.

"Think about the people under us as well, don’t let your loyalty toward me blind you."

Verc said that. His face serious, but his tone was calm. He needed them to act as true leaders of their respective groups, not just as yes-men who followed him around without considering the domestic peace of the territory.

"I apologize, we were shortsighted, My Lord."

Mamon was the first to respond, he bowed his head and said that to Verc. His pale forehead almost touched the wooden table as he expressed his deep regret for not considering the feelings of the common warriors who had fought at the front lines.

And the others followed suit, they bowed their heads and apologized, understanding now why Verc called for them even though he could decide everything by himself.

*****

After Verc cleared his intentions to the others, the meeting continued in a much more productive manner. The leaders sat back up, their expressions now completely focused on solving the issue at hand rather than just nodding along.

First, Verc looked around the table to see if anyone had an outright objection to his core plan of keeping the captives alive.

"Does anyone here strongly object to the idea of releasing these humans? If you think keeping them locked up forever or executing them is a better choice for our survival, speak up now."

Verc asked, his red eyes moving from person to person.

But no one answered. The room remained silent, with none of the faction leaders raising their hands or speaking against the concept of setting the captives free.

"Why is that? If you understand that the citizens might get angry, why does no one object to letting them go?"

Verc asked, wanting to hear their reasoning.

Mamon raised his head and answered for everyone, speaking with a deep, rumbling voice that carried across the meeting room.

"My Lord, if the entire expedition team that was sent by the humans were to be wiped out completely, and not a single soul returns, it will cause a massive problem. The humans will not simply forget about over a hundred of elite fighters disappearing into thin air. They might think a massive, highly dangerous threat exists inside this forest that must be destroyed at all costs. If no one returns, they might just send another group, a much larger expedition force or an elite rescue group to investigate the area."

The orc representative explained, his logic perfectly sound and plausible.

"If that happens, we will be forced into a continuous war that we might not be fully prepared to handle yet. But if we send them back alive, they can tell their leaders how strong we are, which might make them think twice about invading our lands again."

He added, nodding his head.

Verc listened to the explanation and thought that that wouldn’t be the case because Elianna, the saintess, was one of the prisoners. He knew her true identity and the position she held within [The Radiant Church].

’If someone as like the saintess and the entire high-ranking expedition group didn’t come back at all... Then the king of this kingdom and the emperor wouldn’t dare to try explore or conquer the forest again for a while. They would likely assume that the [Cursed Forest] was an absolute death zone that devoured even the chosen messengers of their god, making them too terrified to risk another massive loss.’

Verc said in his head.

But he didn’t voice that out to the group. He chose to keep that specific piece of information to himself for now to avoid causing unnecessary complications or panic among his people. He just nodded at Mamon’s words, acknowledging the validity of the orc’s strategic view.

He then looked at Pwyll and Bernia. But seeing their faces, he figured that they didn’t know that Elianna is the saintess, or the new one.

They’ve been a slave for a while, after all—they probably just focused entirely on surviving day by day until Verc got them out of their miserable situation, completely cut off from the recent news and political changes of the human kingdoms. To them, the captives were just regular human soldiers who had tried to destroy their new home.

"Alright, Mamon makes a good point. Completely wiping them out will only bring more trouble to our borders in the long run."

Verc stated, tapping his fingers lightly against the wooden armrest of his throne.

"Anyway, with that—how should we proceed then?"

Verc asked, shifting the focus of the meeting toward a practical solution.

"We need a method that satisfies our people’s desire while still allowing us to send these humans back alive. We can’t just open the gates and say goodbye today."

He added, looking at the gathering for new ideas.

And with all of them... they started brainstorming for ideas. The atmosphere in the room turned active as the different leaders began throwing out suggestions, debating the pros and cons of each method.

"What if we just kill a few of them?"

Groo suggested, leaning forward.

"Or we can send a messenger to their borders and demand gold or resources in exchange for their safe return."

Pwyll added.

"Still, we should keep our existence as hidden as possible."

Kuma stated firmly.

The leaders continued to talk back and forth.

"What if we make them pay for what they did through manual labor right here in the village?"

Grainne suddenly spoke up, her voice clear and thoughtful as she looked toward Verc.

"The citizens are angry because the invaders broke our property and caused harm. If the people see these very same executioners working hard to rebuild what they destroyed, their anger might turn into a sense of victory."

She explained.

"That could actually work."

Aodh muttered, his eyes widening slightly as he processed the idea.

"We can force them to carry the heavy stones, clear the debris from the battlefield, and help the gnolls with the basic construction work around the outer walls. Our warriors will see them sweating and serving the village as punishment for their crimes."

The orc added, a look of approval appearing on his green face.

"We can handle the security for that."

Jed joined the conversation, speaking with absolute confidence.

"Me, Tatum, and the other kids can divide into shifts and watch over them constantly while they work. If we use our speed and skills, none of those human soldiers will be able to escape or cause any trouble during their labor duty. We can ensure they remain completely compliant."

He declared, looking at Verc for approval.

"That’s still not enough... But let’s do that as well--make them work."

Verc said, nodding his head with a small smile on his face.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

Then finally, after about an hour--with the help of Tatum, Bernia, and Mamon—they thought of something that might work.

"That is a solid plan."

Verc said, his frown finally disappearing as he looked at the three who had come up with the strategy.

"Thank you, everyone. Your insights were exactly what I needed to resolve this matter properly."

Verc thanked everyone, genuinely pleased that his leaders had stepped up to provide a real solution instead of just relying on his own judgment.

Then looking at Grainne--

"Grainne, I want you to take care of the wounded prisoners. Ensure their basic injuries are treated so they are physically capable of performing the labor."

He ordered that.

"And if any of them turns violent—isolate them and don’t feed them for a day."

Verc added, his tone hardening slightly to show the strict boundary.

"We will provide them with basic medical care and food, but we will not tolerate any rebellion or disrespect inside our walls. If they want to eat, they must follow our rules."

He stated clearly.

"Until all the prisoners are healed, they will stay, have them work as well with Tatum and the other kids as the guard."

Verc concluded, finalizing the operational details of the arrangement.

"I understand, My Lord. I will prepare the necessary herbs and coordinate with the others right away. We will monitor the prisoners closely while keeping a strict boundary."

Grainne replied, nodding her head as she made a quick note in her small book.

"Good. The details are settled."

Verc said, standing up from his wooden throne to signal the end of the gathering.

"The meeting is over. Return to your duties and execute the plan accordingly."

And with that—Verc dismissed everyone. The meeting was done.

The leaders stood up from their chairs, bowing deeply to their lord one final time before walking out of the 5th-floor room in an orderly fashion.

Verc watched them leave, feeling a sense of satisfaction that his inner circle was becoming more capable of handling the heavy responsibilities of managing a growing territory.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

The daily routine of the village returned to its usual busy rhythm, with construction expanding further into the forest and the defense lines becoming even more secure than before.

And just like that—four days had passed after the meeting.

And today... It was the time to free and send back the prisoners.

"..."

Verc was outside the village’s gate. Every citizen was behind him, inside the village, their eyes on him.

It was currently morning.

And in front of Verc--

"..."

All the prisoners are kneeling down on the ground, looking at him with eyes filled with mixed emotions. Though, most of them were consisting of confusion and fear.

And surrounding the prisoners--

"Don’t try anything, we’ll kill you in a heartbeat."

Were all the important figures of the village. People that are directly under Verc--the king of this place.

"Prisoners."

Verc called, his eyes cold, looking down at the prisoners. And at his words, every single one of them turned to him.

And seeing that their attention was on him--

"Heed my words, and deliver my message to your leaders."

Verc muttered that, his words echoing thoughout the clearing of the forest.