Chapter 60

"Sherm, I want you to go around as an ambush."

At these words, Sherm frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Who to use as an ambush is something that the Great Clan Leader, 'Fierce Fang,' decides."

"I've already gotten Garam's approval."

Soma spoke coldly, suppressing his emotions.

After the meeting last night, Soma had held back Garam and Banuka to discuss this matter.

After finding some pretext to distance Sherm, Soma told the two of them:

"I'm thinking of including Sherm and Banuka in the ambush."

Soma had never interfered with the formation of the warriors before. Garam, however, was slightly taken aback by why Soma was bringing this up now.

"…Can I hear the reason?"

Garam needed to understand Soma's intentions, as Sherm, being the divine child of the Beast God, could have a significant impact on Zoan and others depending on his treatment and movements.

Soma nodded slightly at Garam and then answered:

"This battle is a one-in-a-million chance. To be honest, I think we have almost no chance of winning. Of course, we hope the enemy will act as we predict, and we also hope for their complacency and overconfidence. Only with an incredible stroke of luck can we achieve victory in such a battle."

Then, after a slight hesitation, he continued:

"That's why I want to think about what to do if we lose."

While it was a reasonable measure, Garam still couldn't see the connection between this and the reason for making Sherm and Banuka part of the ambush. Garam asked straightforwardly, and Soma replied:

"The safest place is the ambush."

At this, Garam furrowed his brow, and Banuka looked startled.

"If we lose this battle, the next fight against the Hormean invasion of the plains will likely depend on the 'Mane Clan's' strength, won't it?"

Banuka bowed his head in shame at Soma's remark.

If they lost this battle, the 'Mane Clan' would be the only one left to defend the plains.

However, compared to the 'Fang Clan' and the 'Claw Clan,' which had mobilized even their clan leaders, the 'Mane Clan' had preserved its warriors and retained its strength.

In fact, Banuka had sent messengers to his father, the 'Mane Clan' leader Menwin Gudjara Bararak, multiple times to request reinforcements. However, not only had the reinforcements not arrived, but there had been no response at all. They were probably still holding endless, futile discussions with the elders.

Banuka, who had once thought his father's cautious attitude was wise, now, on the front lines of battle, saw it as indecisive, just as others in the clan had said.

Garam placed a hand on Banuka's shoulder to comfort him and said:

"I see. So that's why you're keeping Banuka."

Someone who had experienced the strength of the Hormean army firsthand and could convey its threat to the 'Mane Clan' warriors was needed, and that person could only be Banuka, the son of the 'Mane Clan' leader.

"Yes. I'll share all the strategies I can think of with Banuka. It might be a temporary measure, but I believe it will help protect the plains from the Hormean army for a while."

"And you're keeping Sherm to lead, right?"

At Garam's question, Soma nodded vigorously.

"To unite the other clans, we need Sherm, the divine child."

Even if a clan was strong, the other clans wouldn't follow just because of that. To unite all the clans, the presence of a divine child who could lead was indispensable.

Garam, who had been pondering Soma's words with his eyes closed and arms crossed, let out a long sigh after a while.

"Soma, one more thing, okay?"

"What is it?"

"You said you'd share all your strategies with Banuka. —What do you intend to do?"

Asked with a sharp gaze that seemed to say he wouldn't tolerate lies or deception, Soma was momentarily speechless. However, he quickly smiled faintly and replied:

"Of course, I'll enter the battlefield."

It wouldn't be right for the one who had devised a one-in-a-million strategy to stay in a safe place. By placing himself in danger, he hoped to be a source of support for everyone who had to face the large army.

Garam chuckled.

"...You seem smart, but you're a fool."

Soma could only respond with a wry smile.

That was what happened last night.

After finishing his story, Soma stared at Sherm, waiting for her answer.

"...Again, you're doing something without telling me. I'll hit you again."

"Even so, it's something that has to be done..."

Sherm seemed to understand that it had to be done, but the issue was whether her emotions could accept it.

In a way that seemed to deliberately push away Sherm's feelings, Soma, who had never even considered using the "Lord of the Navel" rights, now wielded them.

"I'm ordering you as your 'Lord of the Navel'—"

"Stop it!"

Sherm's sharp voice cut off Soma's words.

The two of them stared at each other as if in a standoff.

A cold north wind whistled between them.

After a while, Sherm averted her gaze first.

"...I'll go around as an ambush, right?"

In a gruff tone, Sherm said.

"...Yeah."

After that, the two of them fell silent.

They finished their lunch in silence, but neither of them felt like continuing to pick up stones. Naturally, their feet headed towards where everyone was building the fortifications.

When they returned, the place had completely transformed in just a few hours.

What had been just a foothill that morning was now a fortified camp surrounded by a fence and a moat.

When Soma stood at the bottom of the moat, the height of the embankment reached his shoulders. On top of the embankment, made by piling up the earth dug from the moat, a fence was erected using trees that had only had their branches removed, with the bark still intact. Inside the fence, the ground had been cleared of obstructive rocks and stumps and leveled to allow for quick movement within the camp. The ground was repeatedly lifted and dropped with rocks to make it as hard as a rock.

Soma felt that the scene of the camp resembled a school playground surrounded by a fence.

In the midst of many dwarves, Zoans, and Dinosaurians still busily working, Garam and Zugg, along with Dovrin, were seen consulting with gestures and body language.

"How's it going?"

"No problem. I took a run, and the ground is solid, making it surprisingly easy to run. If I have to nitpick, it's a bit narrow."

In response to Dovrin's question, Garam answered, and Zugg, standing next to him, nodded in agreement.

"That's something you'll have to endure. We can't make it any wider."

Dovrin, who had been frowning in frustration, saw Soma outside the fence and, with a proud smile under his beard, beckoned him to come in.

Soma circled the fence and entered the camp, immediately asking Dovrin:

"Is it completed?"

"Aye, we managed to finish it."

Relieved, Soma let out a sigh of relief. Then, looking around the camp, he said:

"Still, I'm amazed. I didn't think we could build such a magnificent camp in such a short time. Honestly, I didn't expect it to be this good!"

In response to Soma's enthusiastic praise, Dovrin, however, scowled.

"Where's the magnificent part? If the folks back home knew we built such a shoddy camp, I'd be a laughingstock for life."

To Soma, the camp looked sufficiently sturdy, but Dovrin seemed unsatisfied. Perhaps sensing Soma's thoughts, Dovrin began to list the shortcomings.

"The number of moats, their depth, and the height of the embankments are all insufficient. If we had more time, I would have built watchtowers. Also, the embankments should have 'Deer Horns,' and I wanted to prepare 'Lilies.' And then..."

The "Deer Horns" Dovrin mentioned were defensive weapons made from trees with multiple branches, stripped of leaves and bark, and sharpened at the ends, which were then stuck into the embankments. When the enemy tried to climb over the embankment, the sharp branches would impale them.

"Lilies" were another type of defensive weapon for the camp, consisting of a single sharpened stake set in the center of a bowl-shaped pit, resembling a lily.

Other terms like "Ox Prods" and "Gravestones" also came up, which, while unknown, were likely unpleasant traps or weapons. Soma hastily interrupted Dovrin.

"T-this is enough!"

"Is it?"

Dovrin still seemed unsatisfied.

Soma wondered if, had he asked Dovrin to build the camp from the beginning, it would have been a fortress strong enough to repel a million enemies. However, there was no time for that now, and a too-strong fortress might make the enemy hesitate to attack.

At this point, Garam interjected:

"According to the scouts, the punitive force should be in sight soon. We need to send those who will be the ambush before they arrive."

This was a subtle way of confirming or conveying to Sherm that she should be part of the ambush.

"Understood. —I'm counting on you."

The latter part of Soma's statement was directed at Sherm, who was standing behind him. However, Sherm turned away, saying neither yes nor no.

Soma, at a loss, smiled wryly, and Garam sighed deeply. Then, he called over a nearby warrior and had him bring something.

Garam picked it up and casually threw it to Sherm.

"Banuka is already prepared and waiting. If you're going, take this and go quickly."

Sherm caught the small bundle of twigs tied with a rope in her chest. She glared at Garam with a resentful look, but Garam received it calmly, ignoring her.

After a while, Sherm snorted and turned on her heel, running away with the bundle of twigs.

"…Ah."

Soma almost called out to Sherm's retreating figure.

"Leave her be. She's just sulking."

Garam said dismissively, but in the end, Sherm left without saying anything to Soma, joining Banuka and the others to leave the camp.

Watching Sherm and the others leave from within the camp, Soma shivered in the cold north wind.

He thought he was being overly emotional, but without Sherm, who was always by his side, the wind felt unusually cold.

"Hey, Soma! Look at that!"

Even after Sherm and the others were out of sight, Garam called out to Soma, who was still staring in that direction.

Looking in the direction Garam pointed, Soma saw a yellowish haze on the distant horizon, with something dark and moving within it.

Straining his eyes, Soma was startled.

The haze turned out to be dust.

And the dark, moving shapes were the armed soldiers marching in formation.

"The enemy has arrived..."

Soma finally saw the punitive force led by General Darius with his own eyes.

---

Race Setting: Dwarves

Like the Dvergar (worms born from the dead body of Ymir, the earth, and given human form and wisdom by the gods) in Norse mythology, dwarves are a race born from insects by the power of the Earth Goddess.

Like in other fantasy works, both males and females are short but sturdy, and males grow abundant beards.

Beards are a symbol of strength and authority for males, and touching someone's beard without permission is considered rude. Being shaved is considered as bad as being beheaded, and being shaved is a punishment second only to the death penalty among dwarves.

Additionally, a vow "by my beard" is equivalent to staking one's life for dwarves.

Another well-known dwarven vow is "Ale's Friend," referring to a friend with whom one shares a cup of ale, symbolizing a lifelong, unchanging friendship.

Females do not grow beards, and because they rarely appear in public, other races often mistakenly believe that female dwarves also have beards. To humans, female dwarves are very cute when young but become stout after a certain age.

A poet once said, "The dreams of a dwarf maiden are short," which aptly describes this phenomenon. Incidentally, for male dwarves, it is said, "It is difficult to see a young dwarf and his back," due to their appearance, which makes them look older than their actual age because of their abundant beards.

Dwarves often live in natural caves or tunnels they have dug. Their physical characteristics, such as their stocky build and keen eyesight in low light, are thought to be adaptations to this environment.

Their stocky build is a result of a low height advantageous for moving in narrow tunnels combined with strong muscles for digging. Their sturdy bodies are thought to be an adaptation to withstand cave-ins. Their keen night vision is self-explanatory given their subterranean lifestyle.

Living in small, enclosed spaces with only their kin, dwarves tend to be exclusive towards other races. They are often perceived as stubborn and difficult, but once they trust someone, they are loyal and trustworthy. They also love food and drink and are a cheerful race that enjoys singing and dancing.

Living in holes, dwarves possess excellent civil engineering skills. Fortresses and castles built by dwarves are renowned for their sturdiness and beauty, and the three major fortresses of the empire were all built by dwarves.

They also excel in crafting artifacts and weapons. Originally, dwarves, who lived in caves, developed the art of carving stones and wood as a pastime. The reason their skills surpassed those of other races is explained in the legend of "Ale's Sin" (see below).

Dwarven society is matriarchal. The eldest daughter inherits the family, and men must join the family as a son-in-law. This applies to the ruling class as well, and dwarves have a queen-led monarchy. The man who marries the queen is called a "consort" and is treated as a much lower rank than the queen.

Like in other fantasy worlds, elves are their ancient enemies since the mythological era.

According to dwarven mythology, the conflict with elves began when the beautiful golden statue of the Earth Goddess, which they created to express gratitude, was shattered by the elves, leading to a century-long war.

However, according to the elves, the war was caused by the dwarves cutting down trees in their sacred forest to make the statue, and even burning the sacred tree revered by the elves. The dwarves, however, claim they burned the sacred tree in retaliation for the statue being shattered, leading to discrepancies in their accounts.

Ale's Sin

For dwarves who worship the Earth Goddess, intentionally drawing the earth's power to grow plants through agriculture is a strong taboo.

This resistance has diminished over time, but at least in ancient times, dwarves did not practice agriculture and obtained food through hunting and gathering. However, they did cultivate mushrooms in caves using dead leaves and branches.

A significant event occurred among the dwarves. It was their encounter with "ale," a drink made by fermenting grains like barley.

Enchanted by ale and other alcoholic beverages, the dwarves struggled with how to obtain them. The only way to get large amounts of grains for ale was through agriculture, which they could not do.

So, the dwarves decided to obtain "ale" through trade with humans.

Initially, they traded raw mineral resources. However, they gradually learned that processing these resources into products yielded more "ale."

This marked the beginning of dwarven craftsmanship and weapon-making.

To this day, dwarves often say, "Ale led us astray," reflecting this history.

Indeed, the power of alcohol is truly terrifying.

The punitive force finally appeared.

General Darius quickly sent scouts and learned that Soma and his group were holed up in the camp, leaving the town of Bornis empty.

The punitive force aimed to retake the town, but Soma's strategy stood in their way.

"An interesting fellow. I'll see if a pile of twigs can protect the town from my army!"

Next Chapter: "Twigs"

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