“Whoops, the forest is all tidied up now. There shouldn’t be any more dangerous demons.”
The commander of the adventurer party reported to me after taking down a werewolf with great enthusiasm while leading the charge.
We were just about to make our way out of the northern forest.
“Since werewolves are prowling around, that means lycans might show up too. Stay alert.”
When I added that, the commander smiled slightly in surprise.
“Oh, you know your stuff? I was planning to give you a little scare if they showed up.”
“What, were you hoping to see the knights’ jaws drop?”
“Hah, how did you know? My dear doctor, were you an adventurer before?”
The commander was caught off guard and chuckled to himself.
The warrior and archer of the hero party were former adventurers, always playing pranks.
Adventurers are known for their rough moves and blunt personalities.
“Haha, just kidding. Don’t worry. We’re an all-B-grade party, and I’m an A-grade. We can easily take down a lycan, and those savages, too.”
“Demons maybe, but you shouldn’t underestimate the savages.”
“Oh really? I hadn’t heard that. Did you get a danger bonus?”
“I already got an extra percent because of environmental conditions, so let’s just call it even.”
“Fair enough. Why would anyone want to live in such a cold place? Can anyone even survive here? Those savages lack any skill.”
The Thunder Tribe is definitely not your average humans.
“Just do the job you were paid for. We’re entering high-altitude terrain. Scout the area, please.”
“Of course.”
The adventurers moved ahead to assess the terrain and clear the path. Following their route, the various units of the knights advanced gradually.
As we exited the forest, a landscape of cut-off trees and grass unfolded before us like a warning.
“Ooh.”
The earthy smell vanished, replaced by a blanket of white. Tall peaks welcomed me.
The ceiling was filled with clouds, obscuring visibility.
Two prominent peaks towered, blocking our view and movement towards the far north, while the gap between them seemed to imply it was the only entrance.
“It feels ominous.”
As the adventurer commander mentioned, stepping inside felt like entering the mouth of a demon with a vibe that suggested we wouldn’t return.
We cautiously advanced to the very front.
The adventurers scanned for ambushes while the knights remained on high alert.
Suddenly, I noticed something.
At the entrance of the ravine stood two wooden pillars engraved with symbols. It was a kind of totem.
“Stop.”
I ordered the whole army to halt and dismounted from my horse.
Taking slow, cautious steps, I trudged through the snow that sunk beneath my feet.
“Teacher.”
I held back Tanya, who tried to follow me.
I moved slightly away from the totem to examine it.
‘Right, I’ve seen something like this before.’
In the future, the Thunder Tribe used these to mark their territory.
“It’s a sort of detector. If we cross the line marked by the totem, the savages will realize our presence and attack immediately.”
“Should we prepare for combat?”
“First, let’s try a peaceful approach, shall we?”
The knight’s order is always a last resort.
The chieftain of the Thunder Tribe is strong. It’s questionable whether we can take them down and steal the Storm Stone, and if a war breaks out, we’ll lose valuable time.
“Bruno, bring it here.”
“Yes.”
Bruno came along with the knights, pulling the previously prepared carriage.
He unpacked and started neatly stacking the items. It looked just like an altar.
“What are you preparing?”
“Tropical fruits from the southern region. The northern savages have never tasted such sweet and juicy food. One bite will blow their minds.”
“You plan to use that as negotiation material? I wonder if it will work. Shouldn’t we prepare an ambush just in case?”
Tanya expressed her concern. It was her rightful judgment to be cautious during our first encounter with an unknown enemy.
However, I’ve dealt with them countless times before.
“Not an ambush, but let’s conceal ourselves. If we show our entire army from the start, they’ll feel threatened. It’s better for just a few to go up first. Oh, and.”
I lowered Tanya’s helmet guard.
“The commander hides their face while they’re out. They don’t like women. They prefer strong ones instead.”
“Is that so? I’ll keep that in mind.”
The adventurers and knights concealed themselves while only a small unit, including Tanya, Bruno, and me, stood guard at the entrance of the ravine.
I gently pushed the carriage filled with fruit inside the boundary.
As soon as I did, a wave resonated throughout the peaks. It felt like the cry of a harpy.
“Ugh…”
The knights tensed for a moment.
—Thump, thump, thump!!
From afar, the sound of stomping grew louder as it approached us.
When they came into view, the knights couldn’t hide their shock.
Two savages emerged to scout the situation. Their faces were marked with symbols and covered with fur. Even in this cold climate, they had patches of bare skin.
But they were riding a massive polar bear that seemed ready to bite off a human head in one mouthful.
“Did they tame a bear?”
“This isn’t an ordinary bear. It’s a demon.”
The two savages noticed us and appeared cautious, holding spear-like weapons with sharp iron tips, ready to throw them at any moment.
“What should we do, teacher?”
“Oh, come on, they’re just people. They wouldn’t spit in our faces, would they?”
I stepped forward with my arms wide open, casually.
“Hahaha! Sundae soup! Stir-fried pork!”
As I boldly yelled, Tanya quietly asked,
“Is that their language?”
“No, just some cheerful words.”
I smiled broadly while gesturing towards the fruits, showing my hands empty to confirm our lack of hostility once more.
The two savages, while still wary of me, seemed intrigued by the fruits and slowly pulled their reins to approach, scrutinizing us with intense eyes.
We got close enough to see their faces and physiques.
“It’s a woman.”
“The Thunder Tribe is made up of women only.”
“Really? Hmm.”
Bruno tilted his head with a serious expression.
“How do they reproduce…”
“Shh.”
Smack! One of the savages speared a fruit and pulled it away.
Sniff, sniff, They took a big whiff and their eyes widened. They started conversing excitedly between themselves.
Noticing me looking, I gave them a bright, encouraging smile like “Hey, try it!”
One of them bit into the fruit chunkily, then nodded, breaking into a wide grin.
The other joined in the tasting, giving a similar reaction.
They quickly grew excited and stuffed several fruits into their mouths, skewering them onto their spears before mounting their bears again.
Then one of them said to me,
“Human, purpose, speak.”
I puffed out my chest, a gesture they liked.
“I want to be friends with the chieftain.”
“Chieftain, friend.”
The savages nodded and turned, strolling into the depths of the ravine.
The other one winked at me before following along behind.
As the savages disappeared from sight, the knights let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew.”
“That was quite intimidating.”
“To think they could handle a creature like that.”
“They’re on a completely different level than the Rock Tribe we fought in the Count’s territory.”
Tanya asked me,
“Do you think our intentions were properly conveyed?”
“We’ll have to wait and see. I hope the chieftain feels friendly.”
Though I had never failed to charm them with fruit in the one month of my repetition, the timeline is different now.
‘The Thunder Tribe is a force that gains benefits through negotiation.’
I recalled that time.
My resurrection may have been during the third mission of the hero party. It all began from fighting demons invading the Western Duchy and the battle in the gorge. The kingdoms and small countries to the west of the empire had already fallen to the demon race.
Through the teleport gates set up all over the empire, I was dispatched in a flurry of battles. Stopping at various systems, clashing with Acella was just the cherry on top. It felt like a save point in the original story.
The fights against the Four Heavenly Kings also occurred in those systems. The first was the Great Demon, and the second was the Dragon King.
Eventually, after a team had already infiltrated the Demon Realm a year prior and set up the gates, that’s when the hero party began their onslaught against the Demon King’s castle.
‘We did get involved with the savages quite early on.’
That also meant I had quite a few dealings ahead with the chieftain of the Thunder Tribe.
…
[No. 035: Savage Invasion 8%]
[No. 039: Eye of the Storm 4%]
[No. 064: Insufficient Troops 12%]
[No. 070: Great Demon Forces 11%]
…
The bad endings related to the savages and the Four Heavenly Kings amount to thirteen in total.
Among the Four Heavenly Kings is a high-ranking demon who infects the savages with his blood, using them as his minions.
‘If the Rock Tribe appears, it could be a headache.’
We already subdued the Rock Tribe last time, so the [Corrupted Savages] bad ending has been eliminated.
‘In contrast, the Thunder Tribe, even if infected, has strong willpower and can resist the demon race. Forming an alliance would be even better.’
I accidentally had an understanding with the chieftain of the Thunder Tribe in the past, and we confronted the Four Heavenly Kings together.
At that time, I was able to avoid the [Insufficient Troops] and [Great Demon Forces] endings, and avoiding battles with them at the start eased the burden for the hero party.
After that, I looked for ways to become closer to the Thunder Tribe every time they appeared, and I learned that the best method is through food.
—Thump, thump.
As I sorted out my thoughts, I could hear footsteps approaching from afar.
“They’re coming.”
“There are more of them than before.”
“Another demon bear?”
As the sounds grew closer, the atmosphere became uneasy.
It wasn’t the simple stomping sound from earlier.
—BANG! BANG!!
The earth trembled with each step, and the snowfall surged from the mountains.
It was the sound of thunder.
“W-What is that!”
As the source of the sound came into view, the knights nearly passed out in shock.
The beast before us was a colossal mammoth, its horn three meters long and towering around six meters.
“What the heck is that!”
“I’ve never seen such a demon before!”
And atop the mammoth, a savage with a leash proudly sat, pulling on the reins.
The chieftain of the Thunder Tribe appeared, leading her followers boldly before us.
Thump, thump. As she pulled the reins, slowly stopping the mammoth, the chieftain’s eyes sparkled as she looked down at me from beneath her horned helmet.
“Oh, a white-haired one!”
The chieftain grinned broadly, revealing her teeth, and leapt off the saddle, landing right in front of me.
“Wooh!”
The knights were taken aback by her boldness, losing their composure.
The chieftain took a big bite of the fruit set beside her and nodded in satisfaction.
“This is delicious! Did you say you wanted to be friends, human from the empire?”
I stepped forward and answered.
“That’s right, chieftain of the Thunder Tribe. My name is Lars. I’m a healer.”
As I replied steadily, the chieftain straightened her posture.
Beneath her fur coat, a strong, white body emerged.
Loose blue hair streamed down from her bone helmet.
Emphasizing her wild beauty, she placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I know you, Lars Gothberg! You are the one who took the head of the Rock Tribe chieftain!”
Oh, she knows about the Rock Tribe subjugation?
It wasn’t me who took down the chieftain, but Tanya.
Apparently, the Thunder Tribe scouts had seen it from a distance. It seems they mistook my fall from the cliff with the chieftain’s decapitation for my doing.
Savages are extremely hostile between tribes.
“Killing enemies and bringing gifts, you are already my friend! The thunder welcomes you!”
She greeted me with such a bright smile, her teeth on full display.
It felt like a good omen.
“Lars, the healer. I am Gishta, the eater!”
Thud, Gishta firmly grabbed my face with her strong hands.
“Our tribe has no men. We capture and eat good men!”
Correction.
I am getting slight bad vibes from this.
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