Meanwhile, Seth sat on his raised platform, observing the bizarre scene before him. As the son of the Village Chief, he had been present at many meetings, diligently playing the role of an assistant as he accompanied either of his parents.
He made a conscious effort to listen and understand, envisioning that when he ascended to the role of the next Village Chief, handling all these matters would be a seamless task for him.
However, only the key figures were privy to the information during important decisions.
Throughout those occasions, Seth had learned that decisions often took hours or even days of disagreement before reaching an agreement. So, witnessing this rare occasion when they swiftly reached an agreement left Seth flabbergasted, and his gaze immediately focused on Orion, seated across from him, the apparent cause of this unusual turn of events.
Noticing Orion's smile, Seth furrowed his brows, contemplating how Orion had skillfully steered the conversation with the key figures in his favour. Once again, he gained insight into how the young man had achieved such a position at a tender age and why his father held him in such high esteem.
Pondering this, Seth sighed with relief.
Fortunately, he had already done what needed to be done, informing his parents about the events that had transpired before the meeting began.
Meanwhile, Orion nodded in response to their words.
"Thank you all for your support," Orion said, expressing his gratitude to the village chief and the rest of the key figures.
"There is no need to be thankful. Besides, if you can come up with a solution to this problem, then the Village itself won't even be able to repay this kind of favour," the Village Chief acknowledged.
The Village Chieftess and the other key figures agreed with the Village Chief's words. If Orion could develop a solution providing enough security to the Village, where their warriors would no longer need to fight tirelessly against the Vylkr vines, supporting him in building a settlement for the Prismerion race might be just the beginning. They might even grant him whatever he desires, as long as it doesn't harm the Village.
His merits were already enough to make him a strong candidate for the position of the next Village Chief.
"How long do you think you need before you can come up with a solution?" The Village Chief asked, addressing the most crucial question on everyone's mind.
"A month. Within a month, I promise to give you my answer. However, if I haven't figured out anything within that time frame, you can be sure that I've been unable to come up with anything," Orion responded.
As expected, the Village Chief and the other key figures were all taken aback by his words.
One month!
Initially, they had anticipated he might request six months or even a year to devise a solution that could ensure the security of a large number of people living in the midst of the Vylkr vines without depending on the protection of the warriors.
However, hearing him confidently say that he needed only one month to address a crisis that had plagued their race for millennia left them utterly stunned, wondering if he had become overly confident.
"Are you sure?" The Village Chief asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes at Orion.
"If you need more time, feel free to say it. We are all aware of the difficulty in finding a solution to such a longstanding problem," he added.
Observing the subtle gazes of the key figures around him, Orion realized he had made a mistake. Selecting a one-month timeframe stemmed from having a plan in mind and the desire to return to the mountains to test its viability. If it failed, he was confident in his ability to devise an alternative.
Orion knew himself well; if he couldn't devise a plan within a month, the chances of doing so later were slim unless he encountered a sudden encounter that sparked a new idea.
He had strategically chosen a date to keep them alert and ready to assist at any time while maintaining high expectations for his next move.
However, recognizing that they might perceive his words as overconfident, Orion understood it might have the opposite effect of what he intended.
Orion audibly cleared his throat before responding, "Alright, then I'll take two months. Within two months, I promise to give you a solution to the problem."
Inwardly sighing in response to Orion's words, the Village Chief had hoped that Orion would quickly realize his mistake and choose a longer timeframe. However, he added a single month. At this rate, he might face the displeasure of the Caretakers rather than gaining their support.
'Nonetheless, this might be a good thing. If his accomplishments keep growing, he might become even more overconfident, which won't bode well for him, the Village, and everyone around him. A few setbacks seem like the best way to teach him a few things about being overconfident,' the Village Chief thought as his expression softened.
He recognized that Orion needed to undergo growth and believed this was the most effective approach to facilitate it. Thus, he responded, "Alright, is there anything else you would like to discuss with us?" Before addressing the issue his son had disclosed to him, he wanted to ascertain if Orion had any other matters to bring up.
Seth understood what his father wanted to say next, and his body immediately tensed with both fists clenched tightly.
Meanwhile, Orion nodded in response.
"There is something else I want to propose," Orion replied.
Seth's body relaxed as he sighed internally.
"What is it?" The Village Chief asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Orion then talked about the healthcare infrastructure he had discussed with Fifi and Aunt Greta. He explained how it would look, the structure of the healthcare infrastructure, and, most importantly, its usefulness and the significant positive impact it would have on the Village.
He broke down each aspect, confident that they would only fully grasp his idea if he did so.
