Karnain knows what Dama did, Aeryon must response. Because these two are competing against each other
So people think there is still any competitor in the stage. But Karnain has t both young n during the attack on Nurshira.
He believes that these two are heroes. Those four chiefs that went to Nurshira that day are all heroes.
They all have aspirations as heroes, each one has an arrogance only they possess. Valgrun was one, he is and both Dama and Aeryon are all heroes of this era
But out of the four, only two now can contend for the world
Destiny and fate are just like that. Certain circumstances are there to hinder or aid
Aeryon and Dama, the young ones. Valgrun is constrained by the laws of the western border tribe. He is constrained by the shackles of legacy.
The only two that are not shackled are Aeryon who forged his tribe from the ashes like a fire bird that is resurrected after burning itself.
The fact that they were exiled, have no friend and allies when they were exiled, seemingly being cut off from the world, seemingly looking like a dead end, was instead, a play of fate
A fortune hiding behind the misfortune
When Aeryon rides back from the land toward the Pass, returns with thunderous thod, shocking the Xewa and Ghar tribe, he has no shackles on him
No oath he needed to uphold, no allies he needs to appease, no gratitude and grievance.
It was a blank state. The tribe that went out of the Steppe that day and return was not the sa.
The gratitude has been severed, and the grievance has ended with his father death.
When he returned and attack all the tribes around him, such act could be seen as unhonourable.
But no one complain and no one rebuked Aeryon.
Why?
Simply because before he had left, no one help him.
Those who does help him does not help him sufficiently that they could stand under scrutiny.
He was cut off.
It also ans he has no shackle.
And when everyone realized the ambition of that young man, it was already too late.
And now, just a year later, the situation of the Southern Great Steppe is now reaching the climax
As for Dama, that young man is the hope of his tribe.
Conquering the mountain tribes, subduing the unruly warriors with harsh punishnt, he is a hero of troubled tis.
He uses the might and ferocity of the mountain people and subdues all the tribes around him.
but at that ti, there is not yet signs that he could surpass Aeryon who was making a na for himself on the central region of the lower south
But when Dama betrays the Kazan tribe and seizes the regions that they have fought for together, that is when Karnain knows that Dama is the only rival for Aeryon.
This is a man who would do anything to reach his goals.
he did not care about his reputation.
Reputation is a weapon. But sotis, it is a weapon that could also be used against you.
Of course, ignoring reputation also have its disadvantages.
Whether you use reputation, or abandon it, both have its pros and cons.
But since Dama could not follow Aeryon thod, he carves a new path for himself.
Since they do not compete for the sa thing, Dama could build his base of followers and the warriors that could not stand Aeryon thod would go to Dama and those warriors that wanted a different kind of thod from Dama would go to Aeryon
These two created their own market.
And they have a strong foundation
Their style might be different but precisely because their style is different so people would choose one over the other
The other chiefs in the Southern Great Steppe did not have such resounding reputation as these two and just like how chiefs judge the warriors, the warriors also judge the chiefs
Those powerful warriors that roams the land who is ambitious would always choose chief that are also ambitious.
Those who wanted fa and fortune also would choose such a chief.
After all, only that kind of chief could give them what they want.
These two are rivals. From the mont Dama betrays the Kazan, Karnain knows at that ti, Dama would beco rival with Aeryon
Karnain prided himself on always knowing where the wind blows
It is just a pity that he could not ride the wind. Because there is too many shackles and the wind could not carry him
So, the only thod he could do is to protect himself and his tribe.
When he heard that Dama establishes the title, he knows, no matter what Aeryon must respond. He even thought at that ti, the clash between the east and west would happen ahead of the schedule.
There are many thods that Karnain thought Aeryon would use.
He could have sent envoy to rebuke Dama. He could send an ultimatum. Or he could send a strong worded curse.
But.... coronating himself was not sothing that he had expected. He did not speak much about Dama.
And there is no word of Dama in his speech.
Almost like he did not even recognize this rival of his in the east.
In a way.... It is ingenious when one thinks about it.
It maintains his dignity, enhance his reputation and denigrate Dama without even saying a word.
It is the unspoken words that hurts the most and Aeryon behaviour clearly demonstrate to the world he did not look at Dama seriously
Of course, this is just outward appearance. It is a way to reassure his allies and the other tribes, to show a spectacle of superiority
If Aeryon really arrogantly took no notice of Dama and the threat of the east, then he is not a capable leader, but an arrogant leader and in this situation where heroes are contending for the world, such ruler would easily get taken down
If he really did not take Dama seriously, there is no need for him to guard the eastern area for the Brolgadhr tribe
It shows that while he shows an arrogant appearance outwardly, inwardly there is cautiousness in starting an early war with the east
The battle between the west and the east would happen.
That is inevitable considering these two Khans have the sa ambition
They would clash.
None of these two is the kind of man who would just back down without a fight
Yet, both also knows now is not the sa ti.
Even though they have beco dominant force in both of their regions, there is still many tribes that are unaffiliated or oppose them
These two tribes, and both chiefs have many enemies. So of the enemies are on the open.
So are secretly hiding themselves among the allies
Regardless of which one, these enemies all desire that these two tigers could fight each other and injure each other
If they are injured, then these monkeys and hyenas could pounce and devour these two tigers
But after Aeryon did all of that coronation ceremony, with all of that grandeur and oaths and all of that formality, none of the other chief in the Southern Great Steppe would claim it.
If they do not want to be laughed at.
Before there is no comparison.
Today, Dama could claim himself Khan of the East, tomorrow so large tribe in the west could claim to be the khan of the West and after that another could claim to be the Khan of the north and so on and so forth
But after there is comparison, if any chief unable to do even a fraction of what Aeryon did or possess great power and influence like Dama, claiming yourself Khan would not win the admiration of the warriors
In the Steppe, if you do not gain the admiration of the warriors, how could you command the heroes of the world?
Aeryon has settled that debate on how to deal with the title of Khan.
Either you possess great charisma, prestige and power and no one able to disobey like how Dama claim the title or win the admiration of the warriors and the people, using strength of a kingdom to claim the title
To many, Brolgadhr tribe has already ford a kingdom.
And that kingdom is now bearing on them, taking them down on by one simply because there is too much blood feud against the other
If Aeryon was an outsider, soone from Yan or even Western Zhou, the tribes would band together
There is a reason none of the great empires around them was unable to conquer the land of the Steppe. Even if they do conquer it, in a few years it would be relinquished.
After all, conquering regions and governing it is two different things.
Even if Yan, or Western Zhou manage to take so region of the Steppe, in a few years being harassed by the Steppe riders, they would found themselves attacked on all sides.
Yan and Western Zhou did not see barbarians as humans and as such there could not be understanding between them.
Not to ntion the blood debt between the people of Yan and the people of the Steppe
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