Chapter 32

As the warrior of the <Clan of Fangs> waved the flag atop the fortress's defensive wall, Zugg stared blankly and muttered, "Did they really take it...?"

The fortress, a key stronghold of human control over the plains, had been attacked by the Zoans many times. However, no matter how many Zoans sacrificed themselves, the fortress could never be taken.

Zugg, after unifying all the clans of the plains, had also planned to attack the fortress first. He had discussed ways to take the fortress with his fellow Zoans many times, but in the end, the only method they could think of was a brute force attack, which would result in heavy casualties. He had steeled himself for this.

However, as if mocking his resolve, Cangma and the warriors of the <Clan of Fangs> had easily taken the fortress.

An indescribable emotion raged in Zugg's chest.

"Uncle, as expected of Lord Garam."

Zugg frowned at his niece Shishur, who was excitedly glowing with enthusiasm, oblivious to his complex feelings.

"It's not Garam's achievement. It's all that boy's doing."

He turned his gaze to Cangma, who was looking at the fallen fortress with satisfaction from a short distance away. Cangma, who was smiling awkwardly at Shishur, who was rejoicing as if it were his own achievement, looked like just a human child. To the Zoans, he was a negligible existence.

Yet, he had once again performed a miracle, following the battle at the Hognarea Hills.

Yes, it was truly a miracle.

Taking the fortress with just over sixty warriors of the <Clan of Fangs> could only be described as a miracle.

Looking around, not only Shishur but all the Zoans from the other clans gathered there were cheering for this great feat.

However, Zugg's mood was heavy.

It was undeniable that this was the achievement of Cangma and the <Clan of Fangs>. The other three clans had merely watched as they took the fortress.

In this situation, if the <Clan of Fangs> were to claim dominion over the entire plains, there would be no room for objection. Even the <Clan of Claws> and the <Clan of Manes>, which had shown a negative attitude, would have no grounds to complain.

I was arrogant enough to think I had some wisdom and had misjudged that human boy, but it was too late to regret it.

"What about the warriors you summoned?"

A nearby warrior leader of the <Clan of Claws> answered in a low voice, so as not to be heard by the other clans.

"They are already nearby and can act on your command at any time."

"I see..."

With the addition of the three hundred warriors he had secretly summoned to the hundred already with him, Zugg could eliminate all the other clans present, take the fortress, and make the plains the domain of the <Clan of Claws>.

Zugg smiled bitterly, acknowledging the baseness of his thoughts.

"Clan leader, don't act rashly!"

The warrior leader, who had noticed the clan leader's ill intentions, warned him.

"...I understand. I won't do anything foolish."

Even if he took the fortress and the plains now, it would only be temporary.

Zugg sometimes resorts to methods that might be called underhanded, but taking the plains now would be more than just underhanded. It would be an act of heresy.

Not only Zugg but the name of the <Clan of Claws> would be disgraced and tainted. They would be reviled and made enemies by all the other clans, and even abandoned by their fellow Zoans, leading to the disintegration of the clan.

If that happened, the <Clan of Claws> would become a second lost clan and disappear.

If he did nothing, the <Clan of Claws> would not be able to escape their difficult life in the hills, but he could not think of any other way to act.

The realization that it was all his own mistake pierced his heart.

In this situation, he would have to consider kneeling before Cangma and Garam and begging for forgiveness. He had already prepared himself to endure any humiliation when he became the clan leader.

"If I can just kneel and be done with it..."

The warrior leader was startled by Zugg's uncharacteristic muttering but did not say anything.

◆◇◆◇◆

The moment Cangma saw the <Clan of Fangs> warrior wave the flag atop the fortress's defensive wall, he nearly collapsed.

Instead, Shishur, who was standing next to him, rejoiced on his behalf.

"Soma! We did it! We took the fortress!"

Shishur proudly looked around at the warriors from the other three clans who had accompanied Cangma to prevent his escape, should the fortress not be taken.

"Did you see?! We don't need your protection anymore. Go back quickly."

The warriors, unable to protest against the young lord, reluctantly returned to their clans.

"Truly, it's rude of them not to trust Soma."

Cangma smiled wryly at Shishur's indignation.

"It can't be helped. I didn't think it would succeed either."

"That's a bad trait of yours, Soma. You need to have more confidence in yourself."

"I'll try."

Shishur sighed, as if saying, "There's nothing I can do."

"I have something to say, but for now, let's head to the fortress. The other clans are in trouble."

They had to enter the fortress after the <Clan of Fangs> warriors, as it would be impolite for Shishur and the others to enter first.

As they passed through the gate with Shishur, Cangma stopped.

"What's wrong, Soma?"

Following Cangma's gaze, Shishur saw a dark red stain on the ground.

"It's still a bit... difficult..."

Even though he had resolved himself, seeing the actual traces of blood and injuries caused by his plan still disturbed him.

Hiding his unease, Cangma forced a stiff smile.

Shishur, who still couldn't fully understand the subtle differences in human expressions, was not a big problem. Since recognizing Cangma as his lord, Shishur had been trying to understand him. He could sense what Cangma was feeling at this moment.

"You can't change so quickly. Besides, if you suddenly started laughing at the sight of blood like Zugg, I would be troubled."

Trying to ease Cangma's mood, Shishur made a joke. Cangma, grateful for Shishur's consideration, managed a natural smile.

Just then, Garam arrived, holding a large piece of rolled fabric.

"Good work, Garam."

"Aye, but I didn't do much. It was surprisingly easy when we followed your plan."

Shishur nodded in satisfaction, and Garam sighed, seemingly giving up on arguing.

"What about the captured soldiers?"

"I've ordered that no harm be done to the injured. The able-bodied soldiers are being gathered in one place and disarmed."

Relieved that the Zoans hadn't needlessly harmed the humans, Cangma relaxed and sighed.

"Once they're disarmed, allow them to tend to the injured under supervision. If they die without treatment, their resentment will grow."

"Understood. We'll do that."

Garam called a nearby warrior and gave the instructions. Then, he handed the large piece of fabric to Cangma.

"Here's what you asked for."

"Great! This will help a lot."

Cangma's face brightened as he received the fabric from Garam.

"It was in the room of the highest-ranking person in the fortress. But he said it was the only one they had."

"That's disappointing. But it's better than nothing. And if possible, I'd like to speak with that person later."

"Understood. But the humans are on edge now. It's better to wait until they calm down."

Garam nodded to Shishur, who understood and nodded back.

It might not be wise to speak of Cangma's leadership in front of the humans, as some might not view him favorably. Even if not, his role in both the hill and fortress battles would become known to the humans.

If Cangma were to be killed by such humans, the <Clan of Fangs>, who had raised him, would lose face.

No, it was more than just a matter of face.

Garam had come to see Cangma as an indispensable existence for the future of not only the <Clan of Fangs> but all the Zoans. If they lost him now, the Zoans would be driven back into the mountains and reduced to mere prey for humans.

Moreover, it would be a disgrace to the Zoans to let him die without repaying such a great favor.

To prevent this, Cangma needed protection.

Fortunately, Shishur, who followed Cangma, was not only an excellent warrior but also the young lord of the beast god, which would deter any Zoans who might harbor ill intentions toward Cangma.

As a brother, he was not comfortable with his sister, despite her age, serving a male of another species, but he had no choice for now.

"Well, we can't keep the other clans waiting outside. Let's go greet them."

Garam walked away to welcome Zugg and the others, who were likely waiting impatiently at the gate.

Once Garam was gone, Shishur, with a curious look, examined the rolled fabric Cangma was holding.

"Soma, what is this? Can you tell me?"

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the fabric was not actually fabric. Its rough surface was clearly not woven from threads.

It was a large animal skin processed into parchment.

Cangma went to a secluded corner of the fortress where no one was around and spread it out on the ground.

The parchment was covered with hand-drawn images of mountains and buildings.

"This is a map."

As Cangma said, it was a map of the plains.

When Cangma asked Garam and the others for a map to understand the fortress's location for his plan, he was surprised to find that the Zoans did not have maps. When he asked how they determined their territories, they explained that they used landmarks like a round rock or two trees.

The Zoans, originally a hunting people, had a keen sense of direction, which was sufficient for them.

However, for Cangma, who was not a Zoan, this was not enough, and he desperately needed a map. He asked Garam to search for a map of the plains, assuming that the fortress, an important stronghold, would have one.

"Wow, the plains look like this."

For Cangma, who knew nothing about this world, this first map was a fantasy map filled with dreams and adventures. Imagining what lay there and what creatures lived there made him excited.

"Hey, Shishur, is this map accurate?"

Shishur squinted and looked down at the map.

"Hmm... I think it's roughly accurate."

The map of the Solbiant Plains resembled a large bag with its mouth pointing downward. The fortress and Zoan settlements were depicted at the top, while a town or village was shown at the bottom, where the bag's mouth was tied.

Cangma pointed to the town.

"Do you know what this is?"

"It's probably a human town. I've heard that humans built a large stone town in that area just before they came to these plains."

Cangma stared at the town on the map.

From the map alone, he couldn't determine the town's size, population, or way of life.

But he knew what he had to do.

Cangma clenched his fist tightly.

"Next, we have to attack this town..."

◆◇◆◇◆

The successful capture of the plains' fortress seemed to go according to Cangma's plans.

However, a small incident occurred at this time.

It was the reckless act of a young Zoan.

He had recently committed a grave mistake.

If he continued like this, he would lose his qualifications as a warrior, a humiliating prospect for a proud Zoan.

Therefore, he was desperate to achieve a significant feat in the battle for the fortress.

Cangma had instructed the <Clan of Fangs> warriors to call for the human soldiers to surrender and not to take their lives if they did.

However, driven by a desire for glory, he ignored the order and attacked the human soldiers without hesitation.

Indeed, he was as strong as he thought, cutting down several soldiers and taking their heads.

But a cornered rat will bite a cat.

One of the soldiers he was about to kill suddenly screamed and fiercely resisted.

He managed to kill the soldier, but in the struggle, he suffered a deep wound to his right arm.

Initially, the wound seemed to be healing well, as the muscles and arteries were not damaged. However, the next day, he developed a high fever and collapsed. Unfortunately, the wound on his right arm had become infected.

For three days and nights, he suffered from a high fever, hovering between life and death.

On the fourth morning, he regained consciousness, but instead of relief, he felt a great disappointment.

His right arm was gone.

While he was unconscious, his right arm had become infected and started to rot. To save his life, it had to be amputated.

Without his right arm, he could no longer run on all fours or wield a sword in battle. He had lost his qualifications as a warrior before they could be taken away.

He wept, raged, and screamed in despair.

No matter how much he cried and screamed, his right arm would not return. Yet, he could not stop.

His acquaintances were deeply saddened by his pitiful state. However, they could only watch and wait for time to heal his grief, as no words of comfort could mend his broken heart.

A few days later, concerned about his continued seclusion, one of his acquaintances visited his tent.

However, the tent was empty.

His friends and acquaintances speculated that, ashamed of losing his warrior status, he had disappeared somewhere. However, this speculation soon faded as many battles and daily topics overshadowed it, and he was eventually forgotten.

His name was Fagur Unuka Gajeta, a young warrior who once led many young Zoans in the village of the <Clan of Fangs>.

His name and image would be erased from the historical stage, at least for a while.

◆◇◆◇◆

Cangma, having just taken the fortress, set his sights on the next goal.

And Zugg faced a fateful moment.

Next chapter: "Seven Arms" (tentative title)

*12/22: Added a follow-up on Gajeta's story.