CHAPTER 58: CH 58: A HAND OF SALVATION - PART 2

The elder chief narrowed his eyes at the child sitting before him. At first, he had thought this was some trick—an act to confuse them into lowering their guard.

But after watching the way the others deferred to the boy, the way even the oldest man of the guest group silenced himself with a single gesture of the child’s hand, the truth became undeniable.

This boy—no matter how strange it seemed—was their leader.

The council around him shifted uneasily. Some scowled at the sight of a child taking the central seat of negotiation.

It went against tradition, against reason. But the chief could not ignore the fact that the air in the room had changed the moment the boy sat down. Authority clung to him like a mantle.

One of the younger council members finally lost his patience.

"Chief-! This is insulting. Why are we letting a child sit at the center? Shouldn’t you be the one leading this talk?"

The man said, his voice rising.

The chief frowned, ready to silence him, but before he could, the elder of Lucian’s group stepped forward. His voice was sharp, his tone unwavering.

"Watch your tongue. That child is no mere front. He is our leader. A curse may bind his body, but his authority is absolute. To disrespect him is to disrespect all of us."

Gasps and mutters spread across the hall. The Jamica council members exchanged doubtful glances, some clearly ready to argue further. But then the boy—Lucian—lifted his hand.

Just that.

And the elder fell silent, bowing his head without a trace of resentment.

The display left the Jamica council rattled.

The chief himself felt a chill creep down his spine. Whoever this boy was, he held the loyalty of his companions in a way most leaders could only dream of.

Lucian allowed the silence to linger. He wanted them to stew in it, to understand the power dynamic before he even opened his mouth.

Finally, his young voice broke the tension.

"The reason we came here is simple. We want to form a contract with your settlement."

Lucian said. His tone carried neither arrogance nor hesitation. It was calm, deliberate, and far too mature for a child.

The council stiffened at the word. Contract.

Lucian leaned forward slightly, resting his small hands on the table.

"My terms are straightforward. You provide manpower. In return, I will provide food, supplies, and the security your people desperately need."

The bluntness of his offer struck the hall like a hammer. For a moment, no one spoke.

The promise of food alone was enough to make many of them lean forward with hunger in their eyes. Yet the wariness never left their faces.

One of the younger councilmen scoffed.

"You speak too simply, boy. Words are easy. What guarantees do we have? How do we know you won’t use us, drain our strength, and discard us once we’re of no use?"

The others nodded grimly. Their fears were valid. Settlements had betrayed each other before. Desperation bred cruelty, and survival often demanded sacrifice.

But Lucian’s expression didn’t change. His golden eyes seemed to pierce through them all.

"I don’t gamble with such matters. Your trust is not required. I will bind this agreement with magic. A contract that neither side can break. You will be forced to keep your word, and so will I."

Lucian said flatly.

The air grew heavy.

Magic contracts were not common. Few had ever seen one firsthand, but everyone had heard the stories. Once signed, such bonds were absolute.

Breaking them meant ruin—sometimes death.

The elder chief rubbed his beard slowly, studying the boy with sharp eyes. If what he said was true, then this was no mere bluff.

"And what happens if we refuse your terms?"

The chief asked cautiously.

Lucian’s lips curved slightly, though his expression remained unreadable.

"Then you continue as you are. Weak. Hungry. Dying. The choice is yours. I offer survival, not mercy."

The words cut deep. Several council members bristled, but others lowered their heads in silence. It was the truth they didn’t want to admit.

Jamica was dying.

Their food stores were dwindling. Their hunters returned more often empty-handed than not. Winter would break them. If not this year, then the next.

The chief’s gaze lingered on the boy. His body may have been that of a child, but his eyes were ancient.

He spoke not with the reckless boldness of youth, but with the certainty of someone who had lived and seen too much.

The chief finally sighed.

"Show us this magic of yours."

He said.

At once, Lucian raised his hand. A faint glow spread across his palm, golden threads of light weaving together in the air.

The room filled with warmth and pressure, the kind that made even the most skeptical of the council feel their throats tighten.

The threads formed into a floating parchment, words writing themselves in fire.

"This contract binds both sides. Your people will work for us—construction, farming, defense, whatever is needed. In return, we will supply food, medicine, and protection. Should either side betray the agreement, the guilty party will suffer the backlash of the contract’s magic.

Lucian explained.

The parchment floated toward the chief.

The council stared, some with awe, others with dread. The younger men whispered among themselves, torn between suspicion and temptation.

The chief did not move immediately. Instead, he turned back to Lucian, eyes narrowing.

"Tell me, boy, why us? There are many settlements out there. Some larger, some stronger. Why choose Jamica, a dying village?"

He said slowly.

Lucian’s smile widened just a fraction.

"Because the desperate are the most loyal. Those who stand at the edge of ruin know the value of survival better than anyone else. I don’t need the strongest. I need those who will not betray me. Besides, who said you people are the only ones I went to?"

He said softly.

The room fell silent again.

The chief’s heart pounded. He knew then that this child was no ordinary wanderer. He was dangerous. Brilliant. And if they did not agree...

He looked around at his council. Some shook their heads, others nodded eagerly. He could see the hunger in their eyes. Not just for food, but for the chance to live.

Finally, the chief reached out his hand and pressed it against the glowing parchment.

Warmth surged through him, and the contract sealed with a flash of light.

Lucian leaned back, satisfied.

"It’s done. From today onward, Jamica is under my protection."

He said.

The chief lowered his hand, his expression heavy. He had bound his people’s fate to a boy who should not have held this much power.

But deep down, he knew it was the only choice they had left.

And in the back of his mind, a single thought lingered.

Who exactly was this child?