Chapter 34

After a moment of silence, a loud murmur rose up.

"The town is outside the plain!"

"Why should we, the Zoan, have to leave the plain to fight?!"

The Zoan voiced their objections one after another.

It was no wonder.

The world of the Zoan was the plain itself. To be suddenly told to leave that world and step outside was something they could not easily accept. For them, it was like telling a fish to come up onto land.

"Attacking the town seems like the act of a madman."

"Indeed! We are the rulers of the grasslands. Attacking a stone town is a reckless move!"

The Zoan could easily imagine the difficulty of attacking a town. They had never even managed to capture a single fortress, let alone a town with many more people. It was a dream within a dream.

If they only had to repel the human army, Cangma would have chosen to fight on the plain. In this vast plain, the Zoan could use their mobility to employ hit-and-run tactics, wearing down the enemy. Even an army several times their size would be difficult to defeat.

However, Cangma had a reason why they had to leave the plain.

"But if we stay hidden in the plain, the Zoan will eventually perish!"

Even if they managed to withstand the human army once or twice, it couldn't continue. Humans are not fools. They would surely find a way to counter it, and the Zoan would eventually be defeated.

The plain is surrounded by mountains on three sides except the south. This serves as a wall to protect against invasions by other forces, but it also isolates the plain from the world.

If the plain had a major industry that produced wealth, they could have chosen to nurture it and build up their strength. However, in reality, there were only non-Zoan settlements on the plain.

The longer the Zoan remained isolated on this landlocked island, the greater the gap in power would grow between them and the humans outside.

There was no choice but to know the outside world and advance into it if the Zoan were to have a future.

The dice had already been cast with the fire attack and the capture of the fortress. They had to act as soon as possible.

"We can't stay in this narrow plain; we have to go out into the wider world!"

Most of the Zoan present could not follow Cangma's thinking and did not even understand what he was saying.

However, a few of them, including the young Zoan like Shemul and Garum, sensed something in Cangma's words.

Due to their youth, they had flexible thinking and could sense the great tide of the times, even if they couldn't fully understand Cangma's words.

And there was another unexpected person among them.

"Ha! Hahaha... Kukukuku...!"

Suddenly, someone burst out laughing.

Everyone turned in surprise to see Zugg, who was raising a small hand in apology while trying to suppress his laughter.

"No, I apologize."

Finally, Zugg, who had calmed down, leaned forward in his seat and asked Cangma. His eyes were filled with the gleam of a child full of expectation.

"Boy, you're serious about attacking the town, aren't you?"

"Yes. If we don't, the Zoan will perish."

"When we attack the town, our <Claw Clan> will have a role, right?"

Cangma nodded, and Zugg narrowed his right eye, which was not damaged, in a smile.

With a loud thud, Zugg slapped his right knee.

"Interesting! This is interesting, boy!"

This time, Zugg didn't even try to hold back and burst out laughing with his mouth wide open.

The other clans, as well as the <Claw Clan> members, were stunned by Zugg's sudden madness, which was hard to believe given his previous silence.

Thinking that Zugg was looking forward to a big fight, Cangma hurriedly warned him.

"But, you have to follow what I say!"

"Ah, that's right. Then, I'll entrust this to you."

With that, Zugg took out a necklace made of colorful gems and animal teeth strung on a thread from his pocket.

Compared to the necklaces given by Jeta and Shepoma, the craftsmanship was incomparably superior. The gems were carefully polished, uniform in shape and size, and intricately patterned. The most striking feature was the two large teeth in the center. It was unclear what animal they belonged to, but they resembled the large teeth of a saber-toothed tiger, with vivid patterns dyed on the surface.

"Clan leader! That's...!"

One of his clan members, who tried to stop him, was visibly upset.

"There's no other time to use this but now!"

"What is this...?"

Cangma, who was handed the necklace by Zugg, didn't understand what it meant and asked Shemul, who was standing behind him.

Shemul stared at the necklace in Cangma's hand with a look of disbelief.

"That's the necklace of victory prayer that the <Claw Clan> leader wears in battle. But to entrust it...? That's ridiculous!"

"What do you mean?"

From Shemul's agitated tone, Cangma realized that it was not just a necklace and became anxious.

"Whoever wears this has the same authority as the clan leader in battle! It means the right to command the <Claw Clan> warriors! It should not be entrusted to anyone else unless it's an emergency and the clan leader cannot go to battle!"

This was Zugg's trump card.

For the <Tooth Clan>, who had lost many warriors in repeated battles with humans, it was something they desperately wanted. Zugg intended to use it as a bargaining chip to get territory.

However, it was equivalent to submitting to other clans, and Zugg had been reluctant to play this card, so he had been watching the situation in silence until now.

"I've already called about three hundred of the <Claw Clan>'s elite warriors to this area."

"Zugg! You can't be serious?!"

"Don't misunderstand, Garum! I only called them as a precaution."

Zugg hurriedly tried to calm down the agitated Garum.

"I will entrust all four hundred <Claw Clan> warriors, including those currently under my command, to the boy—no, to Lord Soma. Use them as you see fit. Of course, I will be included as well."

Zugg, who bowed his head with both fists on the mat, surprised all the Zoan present.

It was hard to believe this was the arrogant Zugg.

Shinupa put her hand to her cheek and looked troubled, Banuka slapped her own cheek, and Garum even suspected that Zugg had been replaced by an impostor.

"Please stand up, Zugg. I'm grateful. I don't know how to thank you..."

Though he had spoken passionately, Cangma had been unsure if his words would really reach the Zoan. Therefore, he was relieved and happy that Zugg had offered to entrust his warriors to him.

"I also ask for your cooperation."

Cangma also bowed deeply to Zugg with both fists on the mat.

However, there was someone who did not appreciate this touching scene.

"Hey! <Fierce Fang>, we <Tooth Clan> are falling behind!"

"O-oh..."

Pressed by his sister's obvious displeasure, Garum hurriedly turned to Cangma and bowed with both fists on the mat, just like the others.

"Of course, we <Tooth Clan> will also follow Soma."

"Thank you, Garum."

Shemul, who nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Banuka of the <Mane Clan>, who had not yet declared a stance.

"What about you, Banuka?"

"Y-yes! My lord!"

Banuka, who was called by the respected Shemul, straightened her back with tears in her eyes.

"Of course, we <Mane Clan> will also follow Lord Soma!"

"...! Young master! You mustn't be hasty!"

The other clan members hurriedly tried to dissuade Banuka.

"It's not hasty. I may be young, but even I can understand. The <Claw Clan> and <Tooth Clan>, who were said to be equals, are now aligning with Lord Soma. Has such a thing ever happened on the plain before? Who could have imagined it?"

No one could answer Banuka's question.

"I feel this is a great omen. If we don't ride this wave now, the <Mane Clan> will regret it for the rest of our lives. I know I may seem unreliable to everyone, but please believe my words and follow me."

It wasn't just because Shemul had said it.

Banuka, too, felt a stirring in her heart, even if she didn't fully understand Cangma's words.

Moved by Banuka's impressive words, which they had always thought of as unreliable, her fellow clan members were overwhelmed with emotion.

No one among her fellow clan members objected to Banuka's decision.

Seeing the other clans' actions, Shinupa, who led the <Eye Clan> priestesses, sighed softly.

"Well, we <Eye Clan> have no choice but to follow as well."

While she said this, Shinupa seemed to have known it would come to this.

She knew that Shemul would not recognize Cangma as the "Lord of the Navel" just because he was the son of the goddess of death and destruction. There was something in Cangma that even the noble Shemul could not resist.

It might be the tide of the times that Banuka spoke of, Shinupa thought.

Indeed, she could feel a great power flowing to Cangma.

It was the only wave that could save the Zoan, who had been helplessly swept up in the tumultuous tide of the times as human power expanded.

However, what awaited at the end of this wave might not be salvation but the death and destruction symbolized by the goddess who had bestowed her favor on him.

Still, Shinupa felt a small surprise at the desire to entrust herself to this wave.

Hiding the excitement in her heart, Shinupa prostrated herself.

"We <Eye Clan> also promise to follow Lord Soma."

At this moment, Cangma became an unprecedented figure who had the allegiance of all the Zoan on the plain.

◆◇◆◇◆

"What do you mean, Zugg?"

In the plain, dyed red by the sunset, Garum approached Zugg, who was looking at the distant mountains alone, away from his fellow clan members.

Garum also came alone and stood next to Zugg.

"What do you mean?"

"You being so close to Soma."

It was an unthinkable action for the Zugg Garum knew to entrust the <Claw Clan> warriors to a human, let alone someone not of his clan.

However, it was undeniable that this action led the other clans to declare their allegiance to Cangma. It undoubtedly left a strong impression on Cangma.

Therefore, Garum felt the need to question Zugg's true intentions before it was too late.

Zugg chuckled at Garum's straightforwardness.

"Hey, Garum. Did you ever think about what's beyond the mountains that surround the plain when you were a child?"

"What do you mean, suddenly?"

Garum frowned, not understanding Zugg's point.

"I did. I believed there was a land of fire beyond those mountains, where the sun was born every morning. I always thought I would go and see it when I grew up."

Zugg spread his arms wide.

"But look at me now. My world as an adult is this plain. As a clan leader, my world became even smaller, limited to the <Claw Clan> territory. I was so preoccupied with this small world."

Zugg lowered his shoulders and laughed bitterly.

"Hey, Garum. The Zoan must change or perish. That's what I believed."

Garum was surprised.

It was something he had also believed.

"But, what do you know! Before the Zoan could change, I had to change first! Isn't that ironic?!"

While telling the clans to learn and change to survive, Zugg had been bound by the Zoan's values. He realized this thanks to Cangma.

"Lord Soma surprised me! Not with the fire attack or the capture of the fortress, but with the breadth of his vision!"

Garum also strongly agreed with this.

Being close to Cangma, he could feel that Cangma was looking at something incredibly far away.

It was no wonder.

In modern Japan, the world means the entire Earth. To Cangma, the vast plain was just a small part of the continent of Seldias. Moreover, knowing the history of Columbus's discovery of the New World, Cangma wouldn't find it strange if there were undiscovered continents beyond the sea in this world.

The world in Cangma's mind, shaped by his upbringing in modern Japan, was far vaster than anyone else's in this world.

"I want to see it! The wider world that Lord Soma sees!"

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Zugg, Garum silently gazed at the same distant mountains.

At this moment, a warm feeling welled up in both their hearts.

Without words, Garum and Zugg sensed it in each other.

After a while, Garum left, leaving Zugg still gazing at the distant mountains.

"Zugg, I almost forgot to say one thing."

As he was leaving, Garum said this.

"I believed there was a land of gold beyond the mountains."

For a while, Zugg was puzzled by what Garum had said.

When Garum's figure disappeared, Zugg's shoulders began to tremble slightly. The trembling grew stronger, and soon his whole body was shaking.

Finally, unable to hold it in, Zugg burst out laughing.

◆◇◆◇◆

In later generations, there is a saying, "The Child of Destruction has two heads, one cloth, three horns, one tongue, and seven arms."

This saying comes from the famous mural of "The Child of Destruction, Soma Kisaki," which is known as the mural in the Contalt Cathedral.

The mural was painted by the artist Numari, who was called the "Master Painter." Numari was a fervent believer in the Holy Teachings, and the mural was painted to incite the believers' hostility towards "The Child of Destruction, Soma Kisaki" and to boost their fighting spirit.

Therefore, the figure of Cangma in the mural is far from human.

In the mural, Cangma is depicted as a monstrous creature with two heads, one human and one beast, riding a black beast that flies through the air and spews flames, and with seven arms, each holding a different weapon and inscribed with one of the seven deadly sins in an ancient language, symbolizing that Cangma is the source of all evil.

Actually, this mural does not depict Cangma alone.

The mural represents Cangma and the army he led.

For example, the beast's head next to the human head, licking the human's cheek, represents Shemul, who was said to be one with Cangma.

The black beast that flies and spews flames, which the monstrous creature rides, represents Garum.

The seven arms of different shapes represent the "Seven Arm Generals" who served Cangma.

The "Seven Arm Generals" were a later creation and did not exist as a title at the time.

In later generations, when talking about the Child of Destruction, the seven generals who were indispensable were likened to the seven arms in the Master Painter Numari's mural and called the "Seven Arm Generals." They were the best generals from the seven different races in Cangma's mixed army.

One of the seven arms in the Master Painter Numari's painting holds a mountain knife and is covered in red fur.

The ancient text inscribed on it means "Wrath."

Kuraga Bigana Zugg, later known as one of the fiercest generals in the Child of Destruction's army, was called the "Arm of Wrath."

The Seven Arm Generals are like the Twenty-Four Generals of the Takeda clan.

With this, Cangma has successfully brought the Zoan under his command.

He is now ready to move on to the town's assault.

However, the shadow of a goddess who is not pleased with Cangma's rapid progress looms...

Next: "The Spark (tentative title)"

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