Chapter 64

As the temperature gradually warmed, the time entered August.

In the northern part of the Kalen Kingdom, the climate remained grassland-like. The temperature rose, and thunderstorms began to occur more frequently. In the vast expanse of the landscape, one could always see dark clouds carrying moisture drift by, accompanied by thunder, drenching the green grasslands, making them even more lush and verdant.

Extending northwestward for about 300 kilometers, the surface of the Neshemiah Grasslands was dotted with sparse villages—this was the territory of the Beastman Kingdom.

Unlike the stone and earth structures built by humans, the Beastman villages were composed of tents covered with animal hides. From a distance, they looked like mushrooms sprouting from the grass after the rain.

Among the dozens of tribes in the Beastman Kingdom, the "Hammer of Rohar" was one of the more powerful. They possessed a vast, fertile grassland for grazing and a formidable number of brave wolf riders that most other tribes could only envy. Since Chief Rohar took over the leadership of the tribe seven years ago, the tribe had been developing rapidly, a source of pride.

However, in recent months, a series of unexpected events had left Chief Rohar feeling depressed. After taking the advice of the shaman Salota and sending people to establish a forward outpost near the human border, he had hoped that his subordinates would bring back resources plundered from human villages. Instead, he received the terrible news that the outpost had been completely destroyed!

The surviving Beastman Kosa described the terrifying and cunning humans, which naturally infuriated Chief Rohar. After consulting with the shaman Salota, the chief decided to dispatch an entire squad of wolf riders, led by Kosa, to take direct action.

This decision was largely due to the fact that the previous raid on Fenix Village had brought back many valuable items—things like iron pots, mead, and silk were luxuries for the Beastmen, and the seemingly ordinary swords and knives were unimaginably powerful weapons for them.

Due to differences in manufacturing techniques and the scarcity of iron ore, the weapons used by the Beastmen could not compare to those of humans, a harsh reality that could not be easily remedied.

However, as a leader, Chief Rohar had some flaws: the raid on Fenix Village had brought some benefits, but the loss of wolf riders had also caused him to hesitate. Even though he agreed to Salota's request for another raid, he only approved a team of thirty-three—this clearly showed that his resolve was not strong.

"Where is Salota?"

In the spacious tent, Chief Rohar asked the servant at the door with a displeased expression. The servant explained that he had already sent someone to inform the shaman, which slightly eased the chief's mood. A few days ago, the "Blood Spear" tribe had clashed with his warriors, though no one was injured, the provocative attitude of the other side was very frustrating. He had called Salota to seek his advice.

Clearly, the shaman Salota held a high position in the tribe, known for his cunning. In recent years, Chief Rohar had increasingly relied on him as his "military advisor," and the tribe's development was closely tied to the shaman's suggestions. Therefore, Rohar always valued Salota's opinions.

At that moment, he was waiting for Salota in his tent. Even the chief's tent was decorated in a very primitive style, with bone artifacts and animal hides everywhere.

The massive warhammer used by Rohar was one of the few pure metal items, but it was rusty, indicating poor maintenance. The chief's seat was covered with wolf hides, but the hides, tanned with feces, always had a pungent odor. However, Rohar was not bothered by this; he was proud because the large wolf hide on his seat was from a powerful wolf king capable of casting magic, a symbol of strength and bravery, and a guarantee of his position as chief.

In the ruling class of the Beastmen, strong power was the guarantee of authority, while wisdom was secondary.

Shaman Salota soon arrived from his village. When the servant outside the tent announced his arrival, Chief Rohar, with his hands behind his back, said sternly, "Come in."

The tent's curtain was gently lifted, and a slightly emaciated figure entered almost silently. Salota, the shaman, walked in with a dry wooden staff, the string of skulls on the tip of the staff making a faint sound as it moved, a unique sound when the shaman walked.

"Chief, your loyal Salota is here."

"Salota, it has been a long time. Why hasn't Kosa's team sent any news? Are they planning to return only in winter?"

This was the first time in many days that he had personally inquired about the matter from Salota. Clearly, the previous loss still weighed heavily on his mind. If Kosa did not bring good news, the frustration would continue to fester—unlike human nobles, Beastmen did not hide their emotions, and any discomfort was expressed directly, without any pretense. Therefore, the chief's displeasure was evident in his words.

"Chief, the battle plan I devised for Kosa should be foolproof. The human combat strength is not great, and with Kosa leading the warriors, unless the enemy has a lord leading an army to block them, there is no force that can match them. According to the plan, they should have sent news by now."

Salota had a gaunt face and a body not as robust as other Beastmen. He wore a dirty robe in the damp weather, and his body emitted a strange herbal scent. His voice was humble and submissive, which pleased Rohar.

"Hopefully so. If their action does not yield the same benefits as last time, I might start dealing with the Blood Spear tribe first."

Rohar nodded in agreement but still felt a bit "painful." He had a strong "peasant" mentality, and the destruction of the forward outpost had caused him significant losses. Even with the loot from Fenix Village, he was still in the red. If this investment failed, he would be like a bankrupt stock investor, lacking the resolve to continue.

Seeing that the chief approved of his plan, Salota hesitated, as if he had more to say. Rohar waved his hand, knowing that Salota had new ideas, and said with a grin, "Speak your mind, Salota. Every time I hear your tone, you always come up with good ideas. Go ahead!"

"Chief, I will share my thoughts..."

In that humble tone, Salota once again emphasized the "weakness" of humans, their "lack of resistance," and the "great benefits" of a large-scale raid at the right time. After being persuaded by Salota for over half an hour, Rohar was clearly somewhat moved, but he was still hesitant about the request to send more wolf riders—"Kosa has not sent any news, and it is unclear whether the humans are truly that weak. Rushing to gather the wolf riders..."

Salota was clearly well-prepared and whispered a few words. Rohar's eyes immediately lit up with unhidden excitement—

"What? Really? Bring it here for me to see!"

At that moment, a subordinate who had been waiting outside the tent immediately entered, holding a sheathed longsword and armor.

If Sally were here, she would recognize these as the equipment of her former loyal subordinate, Old Gerson, and his men.

"Chief, during the last raid on Fenix Village, some of these weapons were damaged. I had the tribal blacksmiths work overtime to repair them according to human methods, just to show you what the humans have!"

When three longswords and two sets of light armor were placed before Rohar, the chief, who ruled thousands of Beastmen, became as excited as a child, carefully handling them. The Beastman Kingdom had a scarcity of iron ore, and even curved swords were only equipped by elite wolf riders, let alone the more sophisticated forging techniques. Therefore, the "standard equipment" of human armies was considered a treasure by the Beastmen.

Salota squinted his eyes and bowed, watching from the side. All of this was part of his premeditated plan. The talk about the blacksmiths repairing the weapons was just a lie. He had hidden these items to make the indecisive Rohar make a decision.

In terms of cunning, the chief was no match for the shaman. Even though Salota's methods were crude, few Beastmen had the mental capacity to think deeply about the underlying motives.

Thus, Salota's plan worked easily.

Swinging the longsword a few times, the quality of the noble private army's equipment was clearly superior to the small workshop products. Compared to the "ancestral" iron hammer used by Rohar, these items were like treasures. The chief was very satisfied, and the greed for what humans possessed grew in his heart. With such temptation, he quickly agreed to Salota's request to send more wolf riders. He gazed at the longsword, already imagining his entire army equipped with these weapons.

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