Chapter 241: Dedicate Yourself to Me. (1)
Boom!
Woroka, the leader of the massive Sunstone Tribe living near the Forest of Monsters, slammed his fist onto the table. The table couldn’t handle the force and shattered.
The news that the Kingdom Army of Ruthania was currently launching an attack here was shocking.
He harbored great ambitions. To unify all the tribes in this region and build his own kingdom.
So he was taking his time subjugating the surrounding tribes. However, if these tribes kept getting destroyed one by one, there would be nothing left for him to consume.
No, at this moment, even his own tribe was in a dangerous situation.
“A blood-red demon, you say?”
In response to Woroka’s question, a warrior beside him answered.
“Yes, it’s rumored to be that demon from the legend.”
“Is that guy really that strong?”
“It’s said that 11 tribes allied with the Soundwind Tribe were completely wiped out without leaving a single warrior behind. Kushtu also didn’t survive.”
“……”
Woroka was at a loss for words.
He was also a Great Warrior, famous for his strength in the north. But he had never accomplished the feat of facing more than ten tribes at once.
What was even more astonishing was something else.
“Kushtu… is dead?”
“Yes, they say he lost in a one-on-one duel with the blood-red demon.”
“That’s… nonsense…”
It was more unbelievable that the demon had won against Kushtu in a one-on-one fight than that he had won without any losses against the tribal alliance.
Kushtu was a rival who contested with him for the unification of the north. Woroka knew how strong he was.
He was known to be able to face dozens of Great Warriors alone. Woroka couldn’t even guarantee he could beat him in a one-on-one duel.
That was why he had been delaying the fight with the Soundwind Tribe.
“As expected of the Kingdom Army. If they set their mind to it, it’s hard for a small number like us to hold out. And to send a powerful foe capable of taking down Kushtu…”
Woroka, who had been grumbling, suddenly tilted his head at a question that popped into his mind.
“But why did they suddenly move? Didn’t they leave the north to Perdium? I thought the nobles couldn’t gather a large army due to mutual checks on each other.”
Even the barbarians knew the situation of the Ruthania Kingdom through rumors.
No one in the Ruthania Kingdom was concerned about the north where Perdium stood. The nobles prioritized managing their own territories.
So they had been freely fighting and plundering among themselves. As far as they knew, Perdium’s military strength could never wipe them out.
In response to Woroka’s words, the warrior beside him cautiously replied.
“Well, you see… it’s not the Kingdom Army that’s moving.”
“The Kingdom Army isn’t on the move.”
“What? Then who is? Is it another Great Lord?”
“No, it’s just Perdium’s troops that have come. They say the Blood Demon is Perdium’s son.”
“……”
Woroka was momentarily speechless.
The warriors had always mocked Perdium, viewing him as a fool. His forces were so weak that he was always barely successful in defending against their attacks.
They had never advanced first like this.
Woroka himself had looked down on Perdium as well. He had plans to unify the tribes someday and capture the Northern Fortress to secure a bridgehead toward the kingdom.
But now those fools were sweeping through the North with unexpected ferocity; if their ancestors knew, they’d be shocked.
And how had he raised such a monster of a son?
“Those bastards must have been secretly gathering strength all along. If we fight now, we will surely lose.”
Woroka concluded coldly.
There was no way he could win against eleven tribes simultaneously, not without taking any losses at all.
Even the large tribes only commanded just over a thousand warriors. No matter how he looked at it, defeating Perdium with their current strength was impossible.
‘But I can’t just passively get crushed like this. I can’t let my tribe be finished off under my watch.’
No matter how strong the enemy was, it was a warrior’s virtue to never retreat. Simply throwing away his life would be a disgrace.
He couldn’t die without achieving his dreams.
After much deliberation, Woroka spoke to the warrior next to him.
“Contact the Black Cloud Tribe and the Mountain Echo Tribe. Let’s pause the fighting for now and combine our strength.”
“Do you think they will agree?”
“If they don’t want to die at the hands of outsiders, they have no choice but to comply. Especially with the notorious Blood Demon involved.”
The two tribes were the largest in the area. They had deep-seated grudges with the Sunstone Tribe due to years of conflict.
Yet Woroka was confident they would ally with him. It would be a great disgrace to die at the hands of an external foe. They would choose momentary patience over that.
Woroka gathered all the nearby smaller tribes in a similar manner. Everyone seemed willing to temporarily cooperate after hearing the rumors.
The gathered warriors numbered around seven thousand.
No matter how strong the Blood Demon’s army was, they shouldn’t be able to easily take on this number.
‘I have gathered the warriors. But… can we really fight like this?’
Woroka pondered for days.
The enemy had just annihilated over five thousand warriors and even killed Kushtu. Though he had gathered seven thousand, he had no confidence they could win.
Of course, losing was unacceptable, but suffering significant losses would cast a shadow over the tribe’s future, even if they emerged victorious.
If countless warriors lost their lives, unification would be the last thing on their minds; survival would take priority.
‘We’re already low on food at the fortress. Without warriors, we won’t even be able to enter the Forest of Monsters.’
They were currently holed up near the Forest of Monsters, relying on the resources coming from the forest’s fringe.
Under these circumstances, executing a large-scale battle would be difficult.
While the other tribe chiefs and warriors were bursting with combat enthusiasm, Woroka was different.
He may be the strongest warrior of the tribe, but unlike the other barbarians, he was an ambitious politician as well.
‘Those idiots only know fighting and plunder.’
They lived for today without a thought for tomorrow. It was precisely this ignorance that allowed Woroka to nurture his ambitions of tribal unification, but it was a problem that none of them had the wit to contend with an external invasion.
They live only for today. That’s the kind of folks that allowed Woroka to nurture his ambition for tribal unification, but the problem was there was no one smart enough to consider the external threats.
After contemplating for a while, Woroka eventually proposed a compromise.
“Let’s negotiate a ceasefire.”
At that, the other Tribe Chiefs erupted in loud protests, pointing fingers.
“Negotiating with outsiders! What kind of shameful talk is that?”
“It’s a disgrace for a warrior!”
“Anyway, the Northern Fortress folks are low on strength! If we win just this once, they’ll be done for!”
“I can’t bow my head to a mere Perdium!”
The tent where the Tribe Chiefs gathered soon became a cacophony of voices. All they could talk about was fighting, citing the pride of a warrior.
Bang!
When Woroka slammed the table with his fist, the tent went silent in an instant.
No one here could defeat him one-on-one. He was someone who competed for the title of the strongest in the north alongside Kushtu.
Challenging him in front of the other Tribe Chiefs would yield no benefit.
As the Tribe Chiefs fell silent, Woroka growled,
“They’re the kind who wiped out 5,000 warriors without suffering much damage. Plus, they killed the Great Warrior Kushtu in a one-on-one duel. Even if we could win, do you think we could come out unscathed?”
“…….”
“What will happen afterward? Do you think our warriors can survive in this harsh north with so few? Do you want to live trembling at the sight of a wandering monster?”
Someone shouted carelessly, “We are great warriors! We’re not afraid of that little stuff! Losing the pride of a warrior is scarier!”
“Think about it! You foolish idiots! Dying in battle is less disgraceful than starving to death!”
“…….”
In truth, there were many other reasons to avoid fighting, but Woroka chose not to voice those.
These people lived only by their pride, so it would be easy to steer them in the direction Woroka wanted just by poking that part.
Not being able to hunt and dying of starvation with their families was evidence of weakness for warriors and one of the greatest shames. Especially during this time of food shortages; just this excuse was enough to change the atmosphere quickly.
Though there were a few who couldn’t give up and resisted, Woroka persuaded everyone with threats and inducements.
Ultimately, the barbarians who agreed to negotiate sent an envoy to the Northern Fortress.
Zvalter, who was checking the training status of the knights with Ghislaine, looked astonished at the news.
“Whoa, I can’t believe they’re actually proposing negotiations. You were right.”
“Yes. If the negotiations go well, they probably won’t even come near the Northern Fortress for a few years. There will be those who ignore the talks and attempt to raid with a small number, though.”
“That’s already a good enough outcome. I’d be relieved just with that.”
It was a thought typical of a Lord who always worried about the well-being of the Territory Residents.
He had already annihilated the nearby tribes. On top of that, he had wiped out the barbarian alliance of 5,000.
Even if the barbarians attempted another raid, it would be much easier to stop than before.
Things were happening that he had never even dreamed of.
“Ha, who would have thought I’d have a son like this. Who could have predicted such a thing? My father wouldn’t have either.”
Zvalter looked at Ghislaine with a satisfied smile. His calm demeanor seemed particularly reassuring.
A few days later, in the wide plain in front of the Northern Fortress, the Army of Barbarians faced off against the Perdium and the Penris Army.
White flags were raised on both sides, and the representatives soon sat at a table prepared between the two forces to start negotiations.
Soon, they sat at a prepared table between the two factions and began negotiations.
The barbarians were represented by Woroka and a few warriors, while the Perdium side consisted of Zvalter, Ghislaine, and a handful of close associates.
“I am Woroka, the Tribe Chief of the Sunstone Tribe. We do not wish for any more fighting.”
While he spoke of peace, his face contorted into an intimidating grimace.
He proposed a truce out of political reasons and ambition, but as a warrior, his pride had been wounded.
Zvalter, having accumulated many emotions over the years, did not hide his discomfort.
“Alright. Let’s hear the conditions you can propose.”
“A truce for five years. We will cease raids toward northern Ruthania and seek other routes. I will do my best to control the attempts of other minor tribes to raid.”
“After all the torment you put us through, that’s all you propose — just to stop raiding without any other conditions?”
“It’s not a bad condition for you. You’ve spent a lot on military supplies to keep us at bay, haven’t you? You’d also feel more at ease. This should be enough, don’t you think? There’s no good in continuing to fight us.”
In short, it was a declaration that after all that beating, now they’d stop hitting if they made peace.
It was an arrogant attitude, but there was some truth to it. The reason Perdium had always been poor was that they spent all their money on stopping the Forest of Monsters and barbarians.
Five years may seem short, but for Perdium, it was sufficient. With the food and Mana Circulation Method obtained from Ghislaine, they could strengthen themselves during that time.
Zvalter finished his thoughts and asked, “How can we trust you? You could break your promise and suddenly attack us.”
Woroka then shouted with an angry expression, “I am a Great Warrior! I do not lie!”
He couldn’t say it due to his pride, but the truth was, Woroka had nothing to give to Perdium.
Due to the nature of tribes that roamed around plundering, they never stocked up on resources greatly. It makes sense that they would fight among themselves and raid.
Moreover, the fortress was suffering from a food crisis. So they couldn’t really offer anything.
All he had to rely on was a warrior’s promise and his pride.
“Ahem… Is that really all you have?”
Zvalter made a somewhat bitter expression. But he understood the barbarians’ situation and the pride of the Great Warrior well. He also knew that the conditions they proposed were their best.
Since he had no intention of fighting further, it would be good to wrap things up here.
He couldn’t fully trust them, but even if they broke the agreement, it would only lead to situations as usual.
It was better than facing large-scale barbarians and suffering serious damage as before.
Taking a sigh of relief and thinking to reorganize again, Zvalter nodded. This was a realistic judgment for someone who sought stability.
“Good, then we will prepare the negotiation document…”
Before Zvalter could finish his sentence, Ghislaine, standing next to him with a blank face, spoke up.
“Immediately offer me 5,000 horses, plus an additional 200 horses every year. The period is five years.”
“What, what?”
Woroka looked at Ghislaine with a startled expression. Just when he thought it was going to end well, an unexpected character had barged in.
Offended, he frowned and responded.
“Who do you think you are to demand that? What if I refuse?”
In response to Woroka’s answer, Ghislaine looked down on him arrogantly as he continued.
“If you refuse, all of you will die here today.”
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