Chapter 42

In the dead of night, in a forest far upstream from the river flowing through the town of Borris, the figures of Zoan and his companions could be seen.

Zoan and his companions, numbering over eight hundred, moved silently through the forest.

The breakdown was roughly as follows: 150 from the <Clan of Fangs>, 400 from the <Clan of Claws>, 50 from the <Clan of Eyes>, and 300 from the <Clan of Manes>.

Leading this group of Zoan, which could be called a coalition of the four clans, was Fagur Garguz Garam, known as the <Fierce Fang>, a hero among the Zoan of the Solviant Plain.

Led by this black-furred Zoan, nearly nine hundred Zoan in total began to cross the river in a line when they found a shallow ford.

Just as about half of them had crossed, an unexpected incident occurred.

The stone on which a young warrior was stepping suddenly crumbled, causing the warrior to lose his balance and fall into the river.

Startled by the loud splash, the Zoan drew their machetes all at once.

A tense atmosphere, as if the air itself was tingling, spread around them.

"What, what! Is it the enemy?! Where, where?!"

Breaking through this tense atmosphere, a red-haired giant—Zoog—appeared, shouting with a face full of joy. Zoog leaped from the riverbank and landed with a splash near the fallen young warrior.

Taken aback by this sudden action, the Zoan were all momentarily stunned.

In the presence of the gathered Zoan, Zoog shaded his eyes and looked around. Upon realizing there was no enemy, he let out a deep sigh.

"What, no enemy? How boring!"

Then, he suddenly noticed the young warrior, who was still sitting in the river, staring up at him in shock.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh? No, well, that..."

Seeing the young warrior stammer, Zoog made a gesture as if he had realized something.

"I see. So you're feeling the heat of battle, just like the Zoan have never experienced before. Come, let me join you."

With that, Zoog threw his massive body into the river. The splash was far more massive than when the young warrior had fallen, drenching the surrounding Zoan like rain.

"Phew! This feels great!"

Soaked to the skin, Zoog laughed with his mouth wide open and returned to his post at the rear.

At the sight of this, the Zoan couldn't help but chuckle.

The corners of the young warrior's mouth, still sitting in the river, also twitched slightly.

Just then, an arm was extended toward him with the words, "Grab it." The young warrior grabbed the arm and stood up, only to realize it was Garam's arm.

"Y-You, the <Fierce Fang>?!"

Surprised, the young warrior straightened his back as if a rod had been inserted into his spine.

Garam, with a slight smile, lightly patted the young warrior's shoulder.

"Don't let your body get cold. Make sure to dry off properly later."

While listening to the young warrior's nervous response, Garam climbed up the riverbank and said to Gulkaka, who was waiting for him.

"Really, I could never do something like that."

Garam said this with a mix of exasperation and admiration, referring to Zoog. Gulkaka, walking alongside Garam, replied:

"It would be troublesome for us if he did something like that, Clan Leader. He acts on instinct, like a wild beast."

However, Garam sharply retorted:

"Don't underestimate him. Look, the atmosphere has changed because of him."

Attacking the stone city outside the plain was an unprecedented battle for the Zoan. Not just the young warrior, but all the Zoan warriors were tense to varying degrees.

While a moderate level of tension was good, Garam had been thinking that they were a bit too tense. Just as he was thinking this, the unexpected incident with Zoog occurred.

Although Zoog's actions were sudden and unexpected, the fact that they helped to ease the excessive tension of the warriors was something Gulkaka couldn't deny.

"I never thought the <Raging Claw> would be like this. To be honest, when he said he would join your ranks, I doubted his sanity."

Gulkaka, who still couldn't believe it, received a response from Garam: "I did too."

This was during a meeting a few days ago to discuss the attack on the city.

"We cannot make the same mistake as the united clans who suffered a great defeat to humans on the plain. The Zoan must set aside their differences and unite."

Zoog made this statement right at the beginning of the meeting.

It was understandable that everyone present thought, "You say this?!"

This was because Zoog had always been the one to crush any talk of a united front among the clans.

First to bite into Zoog's proposal was Shemul.

"<Raging Claw>! Do you mean to say that the Soma is insufficient?!"

"That's not what I mean! Don't jump to conclusions, <Noble Fang>!"

Zoog hurriedly denied it.

"I have no objections to following Lord Soma. However, in actual battle, a commander who can adapt to changing situations and lead the warriors is essential. We can't rely on Lord Soma alone, can we?"

Even Shemul had to admit that Zoog's words were logical.

Many of the Zoan warriors still had reservations about following Soma, who lacked the qualities of a warrior. The reason they followed Soma, albeit reluctantly, was because Garam and Zoog, the two most respected heroes among the Zoan, supported him.

While a calm discussion with the two heroes might have been possible, it was questionable whether the warriors would follow Soma's orders on the battlefield, where their heads were hot with battle.

"Then, who do you propose?"

Shemul's words carried a hint of contempt, assuming Zoog would demand command for himself.

However, Zoog, without anger, chuckled and said:

"I think Fagur Garguz Garam, the <Fierce Fang>, would be good."

This was a bombshell.

The Zoan present all doubted their ears, and after checking the reactions of those around them to confirm they weren't mistaken, they were even more surprised.

Feeling somewhat offended by such a reaction, Zoog pouted and said:

"My reputation is that bad. But, a non-clan leader like Banuka or a warrior from the <Clan of Eyes> lacks the strength."

To this, even Banuka and the leader of the <Clan of Eyes> had to nod.

"Then, the only one left is the <Fierce Fang>. Fagur Garguz Garam, known as the strongest warrior on the plain from a young age and with numerous achievements, should have no objections, right?"

Garam, feeling uncomfortable with the praise from someone who had openly shown hostility until recently, said with a grim face:

"But I am the clan leader of the <Clan of Fangs>. Other clan warriors might resist following me. Perhaps the <Noble Fang>, the son of the beast god, would be better?"

However, Zoog immediately disagreed:

"That's not true, <Fierce Fang>. While the <Noble Fang> might be more respected, in a life-or-death battle, the most relied upon is the strength of a warrior. In a critical moment, warriors follow a superior warrior, not a son of the god."

Of course, Zoog understood what Garam was worried about.

"If you're worried that our <Clan of Claws> warriors, who have been at odds with the <Clan of Fangs>, won't follow the <Fierce Fang>, that's a groundless worry. We know how excellent the <Fierce Fang> is as a warrior. There's no reason to be dissatisfied with following an excellent warrior. If you're still worried—"

Zoog gestured to a small, tangerine-furred Zoan who had been watching the proceedings silently.

The Zoan, with a tense voice, introduced himself:

"I am Klaga Bigna Zoog! The niece of Clan Leader Zoog!"

"This is a girl I've raised like a sister. Place her as your assistant, and my fellow clansmen won't complain."

This proposal was equivalent to putting a close family member as a hostage.

"I have long heard of the bravery of Fagur Garguz Garam, the <Fierce Fang>! I am very honored to fight under your command!"

Shishur, clenching her fists, bowed deeply to Garam, her forehead almost touching the ground.

Refusing such a gesture would have damaged the reputation of Zoog and Shishur. Garam, receiving the support of everyone present, agreed to become the grand clan leader, commanding the united clans.

Recalling this moment, Garam said to Gulkaka:

"Perhaps Zoog's rough behavior in the past was out of frustration with us."

While feeling the Zoan's survival was at stake, the other clans, including the <Clan of Fangs>, had continued to cling to the traditional pride of warriors.

From Zoog's perspective, who had adopted human tactics to protect his clan despite the criticism of building fortifications, this must have been frustrating.

"I see. The fools were on our side."

Gulkaka sighed deeply.

Garam, lowering his voice so it wouldn't be heard by others, said with a strong will:

"Tell our fellow clansmen to forget the past conflicts with the <Clan of Claws>. If anyone looks down on the <Raging Claw>, the <Fierce Fang> will not tolerate it."

Gulkaka nodded without hesitation.

After everyone crossed the river without incident, the Zoan continued to advance through the forest, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. After a while, the group reached the edge of the forest.

"Fagur, should we advance a bit more?"

Garam, asked by the warrior at the front, moved to stand beside him.

"Can you see the city?"

The warrior pointed to a faint light on the dark horizon, visible through the trees.

"Yes, that must be the city."

"It wouldn't be wise to get too close. This area should be fine."

Garam looked at the eastern sky.

"There's still time before sunrise. Let the warriors eat lightly and rest so they don't become sluggish."

Following this order, the Zoan sat down, eating dried meat and drinking water from their leather bags.

A Zoan approached Garam, who was walking around to check on the warriors with Gulkaka.

"Fagur, is there anything else I should do?"

It was Shishur, her eyes shining with expectation.

Caught off guard by her innocent gaze, Garam instinctively looked to Gulkaka for help. However, Gulkaka said, "Well, I'll go check on my fellow clansmen," and turned away, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Garam, feeling embarrassed, said:

"No... If you're this tense now, you won't be able to function when the time comes."

"I'm fine! If you give the order, I can fight for a whole day!"

Shishur's passionate declaration, with her clenched fist, made Garam take a step back.

Garam, known as a hero among the Zoan of the Solviant Plain, was often admired by young Zoan.

However, since they were from the same <Clan of Fangs>, they knew each other well, and none of them showed such strong admiration. Also, young Zoan from other clans, out of respect for their own clansmen, did not openly show their admiration.

Therefore, this was Garam's first experience with such direct and pure admiration, and he was struggling to handle it.

"Fight when it's time to fight, and rest when it's time to rest. That's the duty of a warrior."

"Got it! I'll rest with all my might!"

Shishur left with a determination that didn't seem like she was going to rest at all. In her place, Zoog arrived.

"Hey, Fagur. Is my niece being a burden?"

Garam, unsure how to respond to Zoog's question, decided to be honest:

"She's not a burden, but to be honest, I'm having trouble handling her."

Garam's struggle resonated with Zoog.

"Shishur is a Zoan, after all. —Well, she's better than your sister, at least."

"That's an exception! Even if a Zoan girl is devoted, there are limits!"

Zoog couldn't