The expedition did not return immediately after discovering the ancient gate.
Kaelen refused to waste the journey.
They had not traveled across dangerous mountains and forgotten lands merely to stare at ruins.
Kaelrith needed people.
Resources.
Land.
Knowledge.
And most importantly— growth.
So after leaving the forbidden mountain valley behind, Kaelen ordered the expedition to continue eastward through the northern regions of Kaelrith.
The force that left the Village of Kaelrith had originally consisted of:
200 trained soldiers
50 archers
30 scouts
20 beast handlers several direwolves supply wagons horses and buffalo
Nearly three hundred people in total.
And every single one of them now moved with greater caution after seeing the black gate.
The atmosphere had changed.
Even the soldiers spoke more quietly at night.
The mountains behind them felt like something watching from a distance.
Kaelen noticed it clearly.
The gate had affected everyone.
But no one dared question his orders.
The northern lands of Kaelrith were far harsher than the fertile southern regions near the village.
Massive forests stretched endlessly across the land while cold rivers cut through deep valleys.
Beast tracks appeared constantly, and ancient ruins emerged more frequently the farther north they traveled.
Broken pillars.
Collapsed stone towers.
Fragments of roads buried beneath earth and roots.
The remnants of something long forgotten.
Kaelen secretly observed every ruin carefully.
Each discovery only confirmed his growing suspicion.
The civilization from one hundred thousand years ago had once ruled this entire continent.
Not small kingdoms.
Not tribes.
An empire.
And somehow— it vanished completely.
That thought disturbed him deeply.
“What are you thinking about?”
Kaelen glanced sideways.
Kael Draven rode beside him atop a dark brown horse while scanning the surrounding forest carefully.
“Nothing important,” Kaelen replied calmly.
Kael smirked slightly.
“That usually means it’s very important.”
Kaelen ignored him.
Ahead, Darian raised his hand suddenly.
The entire expedition stopped instantly.
Ragnar rested his axe across one shoulder.
“What now?”
Darian crouched near the ground silently.
Then looked toward Kaelen.
“People.”
The soldiers immediately became alert.
“How many?” Kaelen asked.
“Hard to say.”
Darian narrowed his eyes toward the forest.
“At least several hundred.”
Kaelen thought for several moments.
Then gave calm orders.
“No aggressive formation.”
The soldiers relaxed slightly.
“We approach peacefully.”
Ragnar sighed loudly.
“So no killing.”
Kaelen looked at him once.
Ragnar coughed awkwardly.
“…Unless necessary.”
Kaelen ignored him again.
They found the tribe before sunset.
Or rather— the tribe found them first.
Dozens of hunters emerged silently from the forest with spears and bows aimed toward the expedition.
The tribe members wore thick animal fur and painted markings across their faces.
Large wolf-like beasts stood beside several hunters growling softly.
But despite their hostility—
Kaelen immediately noticed something important.
They looked starving.
Thin.
Tired.
Their weapons were crude bone and stone tools.
Completely inferior compared to Kaelrith’s steel.
His hair was white, yet his body remained strong despite age.
His sharp eyes locked onto Kaelen immediately.
“You enter Frostfang territory.”
Kaelen calmly dismounted his horse.
The soldiers behind him remained disciplined and silent.
That alone visibly unsettled the tribe.
Primitive warriors rarely saw such organized forces.
Kaelen spoke evenly.
“I am Kaelen of Kaelrith.”
The old man frowned.
“Kaelrith?”
Kaelen nodded once.
“My people seek trade and alliance.”
The old chief glanced toward the expedition suspiciously.
“You carry soldiers.”
“We travel dangerous lands.”
That answer seemed reasonable enough.
The old chief remained silent for several moments before finally speaking again.
“What do you want from us?”
Kaelen answered honestly.
“Information.”
“And perhaps an opportunity.”
The chief narrowed his eyes.
“What opportunity?”
Kaelen gestured toward the soldiers behind him.
“We built roads.”
The tribe members exchanged confused looks.
“We built stone houses.”
More confusion.
“We have medicine.”
Now their expressions changed slightly.
Kaelen continued calmly.
“We have iron tools.
Currency.
Farms.
Laws.”
Every word shocked them further.
Because compared to Kaelrith— these tribes still lived primitively.
The old chief finally laughed dryly.
“You speak like some southern king.”
Kaelen’s expression remained calm.
“No.”
His eyes sharpened slightly.
“I speak as the ruler of Kaelrith.”
Silence spread immediately.
The confidence in his voice carried enormous weight.
Even the tribal hunters lowered their weapons slightly without realizing it.
The old chief studied Kaelen carefully.
Then finally asked:
“You claim your people live better than us?”
Kaelen answered immediately.
“Yes.”
The chief snorted.
“Then prove it.”
Kaelen smiled faintly.
Exactly what he wanted.
That night, the Frostfang tribe allowed the expedition inside their settlement.
It was little more than wooden huts surrounded by rough fences.
Perhaps seven hundred people lived there.
And Kaelen noticed the problems immediately.
Poor food storage.
Weak defenses.
Primitive tools.
No organized farming.
Children looked malnourished.
Several injured hunters clearly suffered untreated infections.
Compared to the Village of Kaelrith— the difference felt enormous.
Kaelen ordered supplies distributed calmly.
Medicine.
Food.
Blankets.
The tribe members watched in stunned silence as Kaelrith soldiers organized everything efficiently.
Then Borin’s apprentices demonstrated steel tools.
The tribal blacksmith nearly looked ready to worship them.
Meanwhile, Selene’s healers treated wounded hunters using proper sanitation and herbs.
One mother cried openly after her feverish child improved within hours.
The old chief watched everything silently.
Finally, near the central fire, he approached Kaelen again.
“You truly built all this?”
Kaelen nodded.
“Yes.”
The old man stared toward the organized soldiers and wagons.
“…How many people follow you?”
“Fifteen thousand.”
Behind him, several tribe hunters looked horrified.
To them— fifteen thousand people sounded impossible.
Kaelen continued calmly.
“And Kaelrith continues growing.”
The old chief remained silent for a long time.
Then quietly asked:
“If we join your people… what happens to us?”
Kaelen answered without hesitation.
“You become citizens of Kaelrith.”
The chief frowned slightly.
“And slaves?”
Ragnar burst into laughter nearby.
The giant warrior pointed toward Kaelen.
“If our lord wanted slaves, he would have conquered you already.”
The brutal honesty actually shocked the tribe more than diplomacy.
Kaelen calmly continued.
“You keep your families.
Your customs.
Your lives.”
His voice became firmer.
“But under the laws of Kaelrith.”
The old chief slowly looked around his own struggling settlement.
Then toward Kaelen’s disciplined force.
Finally— he lowered his head slightly.
Not fully.
But enough.
“…The Frostfang tribe will follow Kaelrith.”
And it did not stop there.
Over the next two months, the expedition continued across northern Kaelrith.
More tribes were discovered.
Some hostile.
Some desperate.
Some starving.
Some proud.
But one by one—
Kaelen brought them into Kaelrith.
Not merely through force.
Through civilization itself.
Roads.
Medicine.
Food.
Security.
Steel.
Laws.
Hope.
Many tribes willingly joined after seeing what Kaelrith had become.
Others resisted at first.
But eventually even they understood.
The world was changing.
And Kaelrith stood at the center of that change.
By the time the expedition finally turned south toward home— they no longer traveled as three hundred.
Thousands followed behind them.
Wagons stretched across the roads endlessly.
Families.
Livestock.
Children.
Hunters.
Craftsmen.
Entire tribes migrated together beneath Kaelrith banners.
Kael rode beside Kaelen one evening while staring at the massive caravan behind them.
“…Do you realize how many people this is?”
Kaelen looked back calmly.
Roughly:
4,200 new people six tribes hundreds of livestock craftsmen hunters warriors
Kael laughed softly.
“When we left, we were only a small expedition.”
Kaelen’s gaze shifted toward the distant southern horizon.
“Now we return as expansion.”
Far behind them, the northern mountains remained hidden beneath dark clouds.
And somewhere beneath those ancient peaks— the sealed gate still waited silently.
Author’s Note:
Thank you all for reading and supporting my stories!
• Chapter 23 —
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