Hazel stared at the Chat Room message from Astrid with widened eyes, taken aback by what it said.

[Astrid Skogr: There's trouble at the base. They aren't trying to sneak Olga out. They're attacking the base and getting her out during the chaos. The base is being invaded.]

"A-are you kidding?!" She muttered in disbelief, processing the words.

So, not only was Dolk ambushing the hospital where the meeting between Zoe and the Battle Breakers guild was, but he was also attacking the Valiant Guild too?! That was too much!

This wasn't what she expected to happen. Attacking the Valiant Guild's base seemed way too risky, especially since Dolk was planning to attack Zoe at the hospital, which likely needed a lot of players to get the job done.

This meant Dolk had a lot more players in his guild than either Hazel or Astrid could've imagined. It was either that or one of the players was a Necromancer or some kind of mage with the ability to raise an army to attack the base. However, that didn't change the fact that the situation had changed, and Hazel was in a bind to figure out how to deal with it.

Their original plan was for Astrid and whoever else was available to deal with the players to sneak into the base to rescue Olga while Hazel went over to where Zoe was and stopped and captured Dolk. However, now that Dolk decided to attack the Valiant Guild's territory, she might have to change her plans and head back to the base.

Not only was Astrid in the middle of that mess, but so was her mom. Knowing her mother, she was likely dealing with that fight right now, taking in and healing any players who were severely wounded.

And even though this base invasion was likely just a ploy to grab Olga and get out, what's to stop the enemy from completely taking over the guild? If they felt that there was a chance of sieging the base, then they would likely take that chance, no question. And that was what worried Hazel.

She had no idea how Dolk's people would do with the Valiant Guild members once they'd taken over the base. On the one hand, it was possible that all members of the Valiant Guild would be taken prisoner, including her mom. And on the other...she shuddered at the thought, not wanting to even think of that being a possibility.

However, she also couldn't risk losing Dolk when they had a chance to grab him. He likely wasn't going to expect Hazel's arrival since she was busy with the Orcs. Then, a sudden thought occurred to her just as someone called out to her.

"Ah, Hazel Thatcher, is something the matter?"

She looked up and saw the chief, Grag'bog, staring at her with a concerned yet confused expression. It wasn't just him either. All of the residents of the village were looking in Hazel's direction, waiting for her decision that she was about to announce regarding her wish after winning the Challenge Oath, if only because of cheating by a third party.

Seeing the many gazes of the tribesman, she soon realized what kind of situation she found herself in. And how to exploit it to her advantage.

"W-well..." She coughed, clearing her throat for a moment. "As I was going to say, what I wish for is simple." She raised her head and firmly stared at the orcs and other members of the tribe with a confident expression. "My wish as winner of the Challenge Oath...is to have all of you work for me! Essentially, as of now, I will be your chief."

A chorus of surprise erupted from the crowd, filling the area with its loud noise. Hazel held off from covering her ears to avoid losing her composure, and in the process, their confidence in her.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

She wasn't doing this out of the blue. In fact, after putting it into consideration, she realized that these Orcs were a lot more useful to her under her command than them wandering the lands aimlessly after getting kicked out of their territory. And while she didn't like the idea of leading...the benefits in this situation were far too good for her to back down from.

The residents of the village continued to loudly chatter until Grag'bog finally raised his hand to silence them. The chatter faded to complete silence, allowing the current chief to stare at Hazel.

"So, you wish to become the new chief of our tribe?" He asked firmly without an ounce of hesitation or fear.

Hazel faltered for a moment, unable to respond due to his gaze. However, after taking a deep breath and organizing her thoughts, she looked directly at him and replied.

"That's right," She said with a nod. "I see a lot of potential with your tribe and believe it would be a waste to simply send them off and away from the Valiant Guild's territory."

Everything she had stated so far had not been a lie. She did see that this tribe possessed a lot of potential that she could utilize. Not only that, but she admired how honorable Grag'bog was regarding the Challenge Oath. Despite being challenged by a human, he still went along with it and seemingly even enjoyed it, just like her.

Not only that, but after witnessing someone cheat on his behalf in the Challenge Oath, he killed them on the spot without an ounce of hesitation. It wasn't just because he was enraged by the orc subordinate's actions and behavior during the challenge, but also the fact that someone broke the rules, and they needed to be punished accordingly.

The way he brought out the dark mage Orc and laid down the law in front of everyone to see. She knew right then that Grag'bog was someone who respected the laws of his tribe and didn't want anyone to destroy it. Seeing that dedication and respect toward the rules and moral code of this tribe, Hazel wanted someone like the chief on her side.

And she figured that the only way to do that...was to become the new chief instead and have him, along with the rest of the tribe members of this village, work under her.

"So, will you allow it, Chief Grag'bog?" Hazel asked, keeping her eyes trained on the Orc Chief.

The chief hesitated to answer, clearly contemplating over what she had just declared. Honestly, he had no right to refuse since Hazel won the challenge, which meant she was given a single wish that the loser of the challenge from uphold no matter what. Whether it was being forced to leave the village and move somewhere else, or giving up the chief title up to the winner instead.

Either way, he technically didn't have a say in the matter. Hazel was only giving him time to think out of mutual respect and believing he would accept her request regardless of what would happen after.

"Although I have no right to refuse...I must ask, will you properly look after our tribe as our new chief?"

She smiled as soon as he asked this, knowing that he would ask such a question. "I will. If I become chief, I will offer you, along with the rest of your people, a new and better lifestyle. By becoming one of my people, you will also become my family. And my biggest priority while enduring this hell was protecting my family."

She wasn't lying about treating them like her family. When she became their new chief, she would prioritize their well-being over anyone else. That was how she would operate.

"You promise to keep your word?"

"I promise," She declared calmly. "I will not abandon you, nor will I ever harm any of you for any reason other than you betraying me."

The chief scoffed. "Of course, betrayal is out of the question. Our tribe is about loyalty and duty."

She grinned wider. "Then we have nothing to worry about. So, will you accept?"

Grag'bog took a moment to consider. Then, after giving Hazel a brief glimpse, staring directly into her eyes, the Orc chief soon made his decision.

"Then, as per traditions," The chief suddenly kneeled once more. "I, Grag'bog, the 36th Chief of the tribe, hereby give the title of Chief to Hazel Thatcher."

Upon declaring this, the other members of the tribe suddenly kneeled as well, clearly showing their respect to the new Chief of the tribe. Then, all of the tribe members shouted Hazel's name in a chant-like manner.

Their voices echoed throughout the village and even reverberated within her body. It felt like she was at a concert, and she could feel every vibration from the songs being played. It was rather surreal to Hazel, which was why she took a moment to drink in the scene and moment, fully processing what was happening before her.

All the while, a familiar and wicked grin formed on her face, displaying her true nature without a care in the world.

"Well, this was certainly a shift in my plans."

Despite what she had just done, Hazel had no regrets about becoming the new chief of their guild. Especially when she needed their help more than ever.

And now that Hazel was their leader...it was time to get down to business.

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