"So… what does this Bronze Exchange Ticket do, Daedalus?" Leone asked. "Should I also tear it up like the Familiar Ticket?"
"No," Daedalus replied. "You use that to exchange for Uncommon Items in the Arcane Shop."
"Uncommon?" Leone blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It's the grade or the rarity of an item," Daedalus explained. "Items are split into different grades—Common, Uncommon, Rare, Super Rare, Unique, Legendary, and Divine.
"The Bronze Exchange Ticket allows you to get any Uncommon Item in the Arcane Shop. I advise that you hold on to it for now because I plan to discuss something very important with you."
The grimoire's tone deepened, so Leone and Yuni subconsciously paid more attention to its words.
"First off, you need to give your familiar a name," Daedalus stated. "Giving a name to your familiar will boost its stats. After you give it a name, we can discuss how we can tackle the upcoming tribal war."
Leone glanced at the white kobold standing a few meters behind him. It had behaved itself properly since appearing here. It was proving to be a very disciplined creature.
"A name…" Leone rubbed his chin. "How about Maximus? Then your nickname will be Max."
After hearing its name, the white kobold nodded quickly, seemingly quite fond of its name.
Its body then glowed faintly, and Leone heard an unfamiliar voice inside his head.
———
[You have given your familiar a name.]
[All its Stats will increase by 10 Points]
[Please treat it well!]
———
When the kobold's body stopped glowing, Leone and Yuni noticed some changes.
It had grown a head taller, and its body looked sturdier and more refined. Out of curiosity, Leone asked Daedalus to show him Max's Status Page.
———
[Maximus]
Race: Kobold
Grade: Rare
Strength: 25 [+2]
Agility: 22
Dexterity: 23
Vitality: 25
Intelligence: 30
———
"Wow, all of his stats really increased by ten points!" Leone was pleasantly happy by this turn of events, completely forgetting that the kobold was now much stronger than he was.
Maximus knelt on one knee like a knight and bowed respectfully toward Leone, pledging loyalty to its master.
"Good boy!" Leone lightly patted the kobold's head. This sight brought a wry smile to Yuni's lips.
'Why are you treating a monster like a dog?' Yuni wondered. But since Maximus was Leone's familiar, she decided not to say anything.
She was more interested in what Daedalus had to say regarding the tribal war.
"Yuni, please call your father first," Daedalus said. "Since he's the chieftain of your tribe, he should be here while I explain how to handle the upcoming tribal war."
"Understood!" Yuni left right away.
The tribal war was like a guillotine blade hanging above everyone's neck.
If there was a way to gain a small sliver of hope to victory, the Alborin Tribe would not hesitate to grasp it.
Ulric soon arrived with Yuni, followed by three more people—two men and a woman.
Judging by their looks, the three must be warriors of the Alborin Tribe.
"I heard you plan to talk about the tribal war with us," Ulric said calmly. "Do you have any advice as to how we can survive?"
"I have plenty to say," Daedalus replied. "But first, please sit down and make yourselves comfortable. This will be a lengthy talk."
Ulric nodded before glancing at Leone. Ever since he and the other warriors arrived, they had already noticed the white kobold standing behind the young man.
It didn't seem hostile, and it stood right behind Leone, so they made no move to subjugate it.
Leone, Ulric, Yuni, and the three warriors sat around the grimoire, waiting for it to start explaining.
"I surveyed the nearby area while everyone was asleep last night," Daedalus began. "After checking the surrounding topography, I have concluded that this is not an ideal place to defend against attacks from bigger and more powerful tribes."
Ulric and the three warriors nodded in agreement. If they only had to consider food, water, and basic survival, the Alborin Tribe's current location was ideal as it was close to a river and surrounded by an open plain.
But a war was coming. They had too many openings that their enemies could exploit. The Black Wolf Tribe and its allies could come from any direction.
"Fear not. I also scouted the surrounding lands and found a suitable location for a new base," Daedalus said with pride. "It has an underground river where we can gather water for everyday use.
"Also, the place offers enough protection against the elements. It's also significantly easier to defend."
After hearing water wouldn't be a problem and that the location was suitable for a defensive battle, Ulric and the other warriors were already on board.
"But there's one big problem," Daedalus added.
"Of course, there would be a catch," Ulric smiled wryly. "Your words sound too good to be true."
"An ideal location is not only sought by humans but also monsters," Daedalus explained. "As such, we have two choices. Drive away the former inhabitant or find a different location. Frankly, the risk is high, but it is a risk we should take."
Daedalus opened its pages. A projection of a map appeared on the floor. There was an "X" on the map, marking the location the grimoire had in mind.
"The place I mentioned is a cave within a mountain," Daedalus added. "But it's home to a gryphon. We need to drive it away or kill it to take over its dwelling."
Ulrich and the warriors flinched upon hearing that they would be up against a gryphon.
Adult gryphons were usually somewhere between Rank 4 to Rank 6.
Even the strongest warrior in the Alborin Tribe, Ulric, was only a Rank 3 Warrior according to Daedalus' Ranking System.
Defeating such a powerful monster alone was out of the question. Fortunately, he had people to whom he could entrust his back.
He and his entire tribe could fight it together.
"If you don't even dare to face a single gryphon, let alone beat it, you might as well forget about winning the upcoming war," Daedalus said without holding back. "It will even be better to evacuate as far as you can. Far enough for the Black Wolf Tribe and its allies to stop targeting you."
The grimoire only cared for the Alborin Tribe since Leone was now one of them. No man was an island. The young man needed a pillar of support to help him rise until he could finally declare himself a king in this perilous, lawless land.
Ulric let out a deep, long sigh. But right after, his gaze sharpened. He had made a decision.
"Very well," Ulric replied. "But… can we really win?"
"Yes," Daedalus answered firmly. "I believe the Alborin Tribe has what it takes to fight against that monster. The sooner you defeat it, the faster we can relocate the entire tribe and prepare our defenses."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Ulric stood up. "Let's go fight that gryphon!"
The three warriors stood up. Yuni followed suit. The Alborin Tribe only had fewer than thirty members left after half of their tribe had evacuated and sought asylum with tribes they had family ties with.
The only ones remaining were those loyal to Ulric and the tribe. As the chief, Ulric would take responsibility for them, knowing all they wanted was to live peacefully, even if the value of one's life in the Borderlands was as fleeting as the clouds in the sky.