Supreme Magus - Chapter 3681

Chapter 3681: Gift and Weregild (Part 2)
“Don’t worry.” Aalejah rushed to reassure Urhen. “We are keeping your numbers in check. The Traughen took on themselves part of your burden whenever your people needed time off the battlefield.”

“How is that possible?” Syrah furrowed her brow.

“By undergoing Duplication whenever necessary.” Aalejah’s words had everyone clench their jaw.

“What’s Duplication?” Except for Kamila.

“You know that a troll’s vitality is so great that they can regenerate their bodies even from a small fragment, correct?” Salaark asked, letting the others share a moment of silent mourning.

“Correct.” Kamila nodded. “It’s what makes them so dangerous. Rangers need to dispose of the remains thoroughly or-”

She remembered too late who was with her, but at least she managed to stop herself before calling a monster tribe an infestation.

“I’m sorry!” Kamila noticed the cold glares directed at her and bowed. “I know we’re talking about good people, but that’s how I always talked about monsters in the army.”

“Don’t apologize, Kamila.” Syrah took a deep breath to calm down. “In our fallen state, we are a bunch of dangerous parasites. There’s no point sugar coating the truth. Just don’t use that language about the people of Zelex, please.”

“It won’t happen again.” Kamila blushed in embarrassment.

“Trolls in their fallen state are dumber than animals and don’t care about their duplicates.” Salaark continued, and Syrah nodded. “Before their fall, however, they were brilliant creatures, and their Traughen descendants have inherited their cunning.

“Ancient Trolls always cut a piece of their flesh before a dangerous battle. It grew in an exact copy of the original, a clone, if you prefer, with the same skills, knowledge, and martial prowess.

“This way, even if the one sent into battle died, the other would survive.”

“The one sent into battle?” Kamila echoed. “Not the clone?”

“Trolls had morals.” Syrah explained. “The clone shared their same feelings, loved the same people, and was born out of dire need, not egotism. Hence, the original and the clone would draw lots, and the loser would go to battle.

“The winner would stay home and take care of the family, protecting them, were the enemy to breach the walls.”

“It’s a smart and noble act.” Kamila nodded. “Then why do you look so sad?”

“There’s a reason trolls used Duplication rarely, dear.” Salaark said. “Only through battle can any warrior gain enlightenment and truly improve. The one left at home would learn nothing from the victory and become obsolete.

“Even worse, what do you think would happen if, at the end of a crisis, there are two copies of the same person? Do you think they want to share their wife? Their children?”

Kamila swallowed hard, guessing what Salaark was about to say.

“When two identical Trolls meet, they fight to the death. They are no twin brothers. They want to do and say the same things at the same time. The existence of the other doesn’t enrich their life, it only detracts from it.

“Think about it. Would you allow another Kamila, even if identical to yourself, to share your bed with Lith? To breastfeed your daughter?”

“Hell, no!” Just the thought sent Kamila into outrage, slamming her fist on the armrest of her chair. “I already share them with Solus. I won’t accept a third woman…”

Awkward glances and coughs replaced the grief in the room in the blink of an eye.

“That’s not what you think! That came out wrong!” She blushed wildly, only drawing more compassionate looks and Salaark’s hilarity.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” Ryla knelt to hug her. “As long as you’re happy, you don’t owe us any explanation.”

‘I swear to the gods, as soon as the meeting is over, I’m going to kick my own ass. It will be the dumbest use of a Warp Steps ever, but I deserve it.’ Kamila inwardly whined, knowing that anything she said would only bury her deeper in the hole she had dug herself.

‘Try that and I’ll stop you.’ Salaark said. ‘I won’t allow you to harm or scare Raldarak.’

Kamila went from beet red to pale in one second, moving her hands to her womb on instinct.

‘Thanks for the rescue, Grandma. For a moment, I lost my mind from embarrassment.’

‘Always a pleasure, dear.’

“As I was saying, Duplication is no joke.” The Overlord acted as if nothing weird had happened. “That’s why your friends were so shocked. They know that even though all Traughen returned from the battlefield, someone always died.”

“It’s to honor the sacrifice of the Traughen that the Council has prepared a gift for you.” Another wave of Aalejah’s hand conjured a tall pile of communication amulets. “Now the warriors will be able to keep in touch with their loved ones despite the ocean separating them.”

Kamila would have clapped her hands at the Awakened Council’s munificence, if she hadn’t noticed that Aalejah wasn’t smiling and Syrah’s eyes had narrowed.

“There are so few amulets.” The Hati Queen unwittingly answered Kamila’s silent question. “So few compared to those who departed for Jiera. This is no gift. These amulets have been paid with the blood of our people.

“This is weregild for our fallen.”

“I like to think of them as a gift, Queen Syrah.” Aalejah couldn’t deny it was just semantics. “They already carry the contact rune of the warrior. There is a note attached to each amulet that marks the household to which they have to be delivered.”

“I’m no expert in communication amulets, but why are some of them blank?” Br’ey had walked to the pile to examine them. Her husband had died during the Rites of Passage but her brother-in-law was still alive.

Or at least so she hoped.

“There are no blanks.” The elf smiled to reassure the Svartalf. “The contact rune can appear anywhere. Turn it around.”

Br’ey inspected the amulet’s back and sides, sighing in relief when she found the mark of her brother-in-law.

“Wait a second.” Urhen said while sorting the amulets to find those of her friends and relatives. “This is blank and so is this, this, and this. Is it some sort of manufacturing defect?”

“My condolences.” Aalejah shook her head. “They must have died recently.”

“Urhen, bring the amulets to Zelex immediately.” Syrah barked and the Balor stored the communicators in her ring. “Let’s give our warriors the opportunity to talk with their families one last time before something else happens.

“Br’ey and I will take care of the rest.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. My ladies.” Urhen gave Kamila and Rena a brief nod before unfurling her wings and bolting toward the Warp Gate.

“Don’t you have anyone you want to talk to?” Kamila approached the Hati Queen, gently holding her shoulder.

“My husband died in the Rites of Passage.” Syrah sighed deeply. “My son is happily playing outside, and I don’t want to ruin one of the rare moments he can be the child he is with bad news.

“As for everyone else I cared about, your husband killed them all.”

“I’m sorry-”

“Don’t be.” The Hati cut Kamila’s apologies short. “Lith’s was a ruthless act, but without his deception, we’d still be waiting for Glemos’ return. Even worse, we might have fallen at the hands of the Undead Courts.”