The Great Wish - Chapter 40: I Can’t See an Inch Ahead (4)

The king, wearing a triumphant expression, delivered the verdict.

“Hysilo, I hereby strip you of your title as Chieftain of Hotu and exile you immediately beyond Homan.”

Hysilo, kneeling with his hands bound behind him, refused to accept the decision.

“This cannot be! Everyone is conspiring to frame one man! How can I prove my innocence in this travesty?”

He screamed furiously, glaring at the man with black hair and a golden turban standing next to the king. It had taken less than two weeks for Hysilo, heir to the chieftain, to receive such a severe sentence of exile. This was unheard of. He was convinced that Rad Chieftain, Kuhn, was behind everything.

“Rad! You bastard!!!”

As Hysilo lunged toward Kuhn in a desperate rush, he was immediately grabbed by the collar and slammed onto the floor.

“Let me go! Do you even know who I am?!”

No matter how loudly he shouted at the warriors roughly binding him, none of them showed any fear. A warrior took a sack and pulled it over Hysilo’s head. Blindfolded, Hysilo let out a wild scream and thrashed about. Kuhn looked down at him coldly.

If Kuhn had shown even the slightest hint of a smirk, Hysilo might have had a small chance of pleading for his life. But Kuhn never smiled at those he had decided to eliminate, even if he could easily fake it.

Kuhn turned to the king and spoke.

“The trial is over. I will take my leave to report the outcome to the envoy.”

“Very well.”

“The envoy is growing concerned about the delay in their mission. Please make arrangements as soon as possible.”

“Understood. I will convene with the Grand Chieftains to set the schedule.”

Kuhn left the courtroom, navigating through the labyrinthine corridors of the palace. These winding paths were designed to prevent assassins from sneaking in or escaping easily. He passed through several doors, but as he approached one, his eyes narrowed. A group of people had gathered just ahead.

Sensing his presence, they turned to look. Among them, Kuhn recognized a few faces, one of whom was the Grand Chieftain of Hotu.

The Grand Chieftain had left the courtroom as soon as Hysilo was sentenced, and Kuhn assumed he had gone straight back to his residence. But it seemed he had stayed behind, deep in conversation with his advisors. The group included several warriors, while Kuhn was alone. There were no others nearby.

Kuhn’s approach was calm and unhurried. As he passed by, the Grand Chieftain of Hotu called out.

“Such boldness, Raad Chieftain.”

Kuhn stopped and turned.

“Grand Chieftain of Hotu. Do you have something to say to me?”

The Grand Chieftain stepped forward, his warriors spreading out to surround Kuhn. The chieftain laughed heartily as he looked at Kuhn’s unchanged expression.

“It’s truly a pity, Raad Chieftain. Things could have been much more amicable between us. Perhaps you’ve reconsidered? Surely I’m a better choice than that fool who died on a woman’s belly.”

“Show respect to the late king.”

“Respect?” The Grand Chieftain scoffed.

“He was never fit to be king in the first place. If I had been king, none of this chaos would have happened.”

“There’s no point in discussing ‘what ifs.’”

“True enough. So why don’t we stop talking about hypotheticals and have an honest conversation? I have some fine wine back at my house.”

“Thank you for the invitation, but I must decline. I am on my way to meet the envoy.”

“Oh! The envoy.” The Grand Chieftain’s eyes widened dramatically in mock surprise.

“Raad Chieftain, your skill is truly remarkable. You have the king of Pero in one hand and the imperial princess in the other, all dancing to your tune. You’re quite the man after all. I was beginning to wonder if you were incapable, seeing as you kept sending back all the gifts I offered.”

Although the Grand Chieftain was always blunt, he had never been so provocatively insulting before. It was clear that Hysilo’s exile had enraged him.

“I heard the imperial envoy is quite the beauty…” he trailed off suggestively.

Kuhn’s expression finally shifted.

“Are you curious to see how much I can tolerate?”

The Grand Chieftain’s brow furrowed. Kuhn crossed his arms, a smirk playing at his lips.

“Go on, keep talking. I’m curious to see how much I can hold back.”

“Insolent wretch!”

One of the warriors behind the Grand Chieftain stepped forward, enraged, but the chieftain held him back. He let out a derisive laugh, glancing Kuhn up and down.

“Do you think I can’t touch you just because we’re in the palace? Do you believe that cowardly king hiding inside will protect you?”

Kuhn chuckled.

“This is why you never became king. You don’t understand the situation.”

“What did you say?!”

Kuhn glanced at the warriors surrounding him.

“Do you really think these men can protect you?”

“All talk.”

The Grand Chieftain spat his words as he stepped back, giving the signal. His warriors immediately rushed Kuhn, swords drawn.

Several blades slashed toward Kuhn from all directions. He crouched low, extending one leg to sweep at his attackers. His intent was clear—he aimed to trip them, but none of the warriors slowed. They were confident they wouldn’t fall for such a simple trick.

But they had underestimated Kuhn’s strength. Three of the warriors collapsed as their legs buckled under the unexpected force, breaking the formation instantly.

Kuhn straightened, quickly retreating just as the blades intended for him sliced through empty air.

Without hesitation, Kuhn stomped on the chest of one fallen warrior, driving the breath from his lungs with a painful cough. The man’s sword slipped from his grasp, clattering to the floor.

Another warrior aimed for Kuhn’s neck, swinging his sword down. Kuhn dodged by bending backward, and in the same motion, he grabbed the abandoned sword from the ground.

The moment Kuhn gripped the weapon, the balance shifted entirely in his favor. This time, he didn’t evade the incoming attacks. He met each blade with his own, deflecting them with a series of sharp metallic clashes that echoed through the hall.

The powerful reverberations from the clashes made the warriors wince as they gripped their swords tighter. Dropping their weapons would be the ultimate disgrace.

Kuhn didn’t miss the momentary openings they left. With ease, he sidestepped two of the warriors and extended his arm. The tip of his sword pressed lightly against the Grand Chieftain’s throat.

He could have driven the blade in, but instead, Kuhn stopped there, his stance mocking. The warriors, realizing they had been too slow, hurried to surround Kuhn again, their swords now trained directly on him, ready to strike from all angles.

“Want to make a bet on who’s faster?” Kuhn taunted.

Kuhn’s words had struck the Grand Chieftain deep, and his eyes wavered. The confidence on Kuhn’s face, as if he knew he’d win any gamble, made the chieftain’s stomach churn.

The Grand Chieftain wasn’t willing to stake his life in such a reckless gamble. Gritting his teeth, he gave the signal for his warriors to stand down. They reluctantly stepped back, creating space between themselves and Kuhn. Only then did Kuhn lower his sword.

The Grand Chieftain’s eyes reflected a mixture of anger and grudging respect. Though they had once been allies during the founding of the United Kingdoms, fighting in different theaters of war, this was the first time he’d truly witnessed Kuhn’s prowess.

‘What a waste,’ the Grand Chieftain thought. Their relationship had soured early on, and now, with Hysilo exiled, there was no going back.

After giving Kuhn one last, complex look, the Grand Chieftain turned and walked away with his entourage. Kuhn watched them leave, clicking his tongue softly.

‘A chieftain who acts purely on emotion,’ he thought.

The mockery from the Llama tribe about Hotu’s “dumb brute of a chieftain” wasn’t far off the mark.

“Kuhn.”

He turned at the sound of his name. For some time now, he had been aware of two presences nearby. He had assumed they were members of the Kaligo squad, lying low to avoid interrupting his fight. He was right—it was Martin, along with another man, and seeing the second person made Kuhn’s expression harden.

The man was slight in build but had piercing eyes. Kuhn sighed and muttered, “Stephan…”

Stephan was the only person Kuhn found difficult to deal with—the financial genius who managed the Raad family’s wealth and an insufferable nag.

“It’s been a while, Kuhn. I’m glad to see you’re in good health, well enough to take on multiple opponents at once, it seems.”

“Yeah… it’s been a while.”

“I’ve told you fifty-six times now not to wander around alone.”

“I’m happy to see you too, but I’m in the middle of something. Let’s talk later.”

Stephan narrowed his eyes, watching as Kuhn tried to make a hasty retreat.

“Martin.”

Martin flinched.

“Ru- Russ is busy with other matters right now.”

Martin tried to defend his brother, knowing that being on Stephan’s bad side meant a life of constant scrutiny. Stephan would likely demand an itemized budget for everything down to a single drink.

“Other matters? Kuhn’s protection isn’t the priority?”

“Well, Kuhn ordered him to guard the Silver King. The imperial envoy is staying in the palace right now.”

“Hmm.” Stephan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“I need to meet her.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve been curious about her. After all, she’s the one who even forced the Elders’ Council into session.”

Stephan had just arrived with one of the twelve Elders, his mentor. Soon, the other eleven elders would gather in Homan, the capital of the United Kingdoms.

Originally, they had planned to meet in the imperial capital, but Kuhn’s indefinite stay in the desert changed things. The elders agreed not to delay the meeting any longer and decided to convene in Homan.

“Uh… the thing is…”

“What?”

“I can’t make that decision. I need Kuhn’s permission.”

“Permission? Since when does Kuhn decide who gets to meet the envoy?”

“Stephan, Kuhn is very serious about this. He doesn’t take any chances when it comes to the Silver King.”

“All the better. That means Kuhn will listen to whatever she says, right?”

“Well, yes…”