Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Chieftain (5)
"I will meet them myself."
This is what Taduka said when he came to find me.
"The Odor tribe is small in size, but they are warriors with high pride. That tribe was also suspicious of the Sage and the chieftain."
"You'll be in danger."
"I'm still the chieftain of the tribe. They won't refuse to meet."
I consulted with Jimun Seo-saeng about this.
Jimun Seo-saeng said that if we succeeded, it would be the best possible outcome, so we proceeded as planned.
I went to find the Odor tribe together with Taduka, whose body had recovered considerably.
The place assigned to the Odor tribe was Abri in Sudan, Africa.
The desert region of Abri was not an environment the warriors desired.
That fact could be clearly understood from the moment they were assigned that region.
When we arrived, they were quite angry. It was only their second day after settling in.
'Good atmosphere.'
Change requires intense emotions anyway. This is much better than a stable state.
"I'll go alone."
"No. I'll just watch from behind."
"That guy called Jimun Seo-saeng said so. He said you would never do as you're told."
"He shouldn't have told you that."
Only Taduka and I came to this place.
"Trust me."
"Fine. But interfering is up to me."
In the end, Taduka crossed the fence alone.
'I decided to trust him, so I'll trust him.'
I waited in the distance without eavesdropping.
The conversation continued for a long time.
I watched from afar, planning to rush in immediately if they engaged in combat.
'Hm?'
However, the fight developed in an unexpected direction.
The warriors formed a circular formation, and two people entered inside.
The chieftain and one other warrior. Taduka was mixed among the other warriors.
'A fight for the position of chieftain.'
What did Taduka stake on this fight?
'He lives as exhaustingly as I do.'
The fight began.
I thought about intervening, but I didn't.
'If the chieftain selection was done that way, he won't have the ability to endure.'
It was a position obtained with the Shaman's help. There's no way the chieftain's skills without the Shaman would be good.
This is the decisive reason why corrupt history collapses.
The match was anticlimactic.
The chieftain collapsed weakly, and the warriors cheered.
Only after that did I enter inside the fence.
"They say they want something."
"What is it?"
The warrior who just became chieftain came to me.
"They want the warriors' pride to be preserved."
This is a demand that needs clarification.
"I need an explanation."
"We abandoned the will of the gods by refusing the Sage. However, we cannot lose even our warrior's pride. We will not do anything that goes against the warrior's code."
"Does that code include restrictions on combat?"
"We don't kill children who don't fight back."
"Restrictions on orders?"
"We don't attack the backs of our tribe."
"Anything else special?"
"Whoever is strong becomes the chieftain."
It's a simple matter.
"I promise."
"Good. We acknowledge you as part of our tribe."
This is the one thing I gained.
'Becoming their tribe.'
This is enough.
The chieftain who acknowledged me as part of the tribe quietly turned around and picked up his weapon.
"Prove it. The strong one has the qualification to become chieftain."
Once acknowledged as part of the tribe, I also gain the qualification to become chieftain. Now I just need to prove it with strength.
'I suppose this is how they maintain their pride.'
For them to escape the Sage's will, they need collective strength. The Heavenly Demon Cult has that, and has already proven it with results.
"I'll do my best."
With this, I upheld their pride.
The fight was overwhelming.
I deliberately pushed the chieftain to the brink of death. That was courtesy toward a warrior.
At least I didn't inflict fatal wounds. That was the best I could do.
When the battle ended, all 40 tribe members simultaneously placed their swords on the ground and knelt on one knee.
'Reliable.'
It was the moment the Heavenly Demon Cult Leader became the chieftain of a barbarian tribe.
The first person to react to the news that I became chieftain was the Witch.
"Pfft."
It was the first time I saw the Witch laugh out loud, whether small or large.
"You became a primitive tribe's chieftain?"
"Primitive?"
"It suits you well."
She laughed sincerely. That made me even more irritated.
"What's wrong with being a warrior race?"
"Who said anything? It just suits you. Primitive little brother. Mm, I like it much better."
After the Witch left, I immediately asked the Protectors.
"What do you guys think? Did I do something wrong?"
"Well, I like it. Didn't we gain more cult members? We have more people to fight with too."
So Iryeon answered most simply.
"It is the Cult Leader's will. I don't mind."
"I feel the same."
Sword God and Cheong Ak-sal just let it pass.
Jimun Seo-saeng, who I was most anxious about, remained.
I asked carefully on purpose.
"I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
Perhaps my way of asking was unexpected, as Jimun Seo-saeng smiled.
"You did well."
Only after hearing those words did I feel relieved.
"I think I've become timid since my reincarnation."
"The Cult Leader?"
At So Iryeon's questioning, I answered honestly.
"I'm conscious of your reactions, I feel especially sorry toward Jimun Seo-saeng, I think a lot when giving orders, anyway it's somewhat like that. I feel pathetic sometimes, and I wonder if this is what the Heavenly Demon should be like."
My words ended, but the Protectors had no reaction.
"It's not getting through."
"You did this a few times in your past life too. You always do this after causing trouble."
"Tch, you guys know me too well. You should pretend not to know sometimes."
I abandoned the pointless strategy and changed the atmosphere.
"Now, I'm planning to unify as many tribes as possible. When the Shamans learn of this fact, there will be a reaction, so prepare thoroughly. The main group might be attacked."
At my words, Jimun Seo-saeng immediately responded.
"There's no need to overdo it. If we use the friendships of the warriors we've already absorbed as a foundation, there will be a response."
"Good. Let's start right away."
From then on, the full-scale absorption of tribes began.
Target tribes were determined based on the evaluations of Taduka and Pallen, the former chieftain of the Odor tribe who had handed over the chieftainship to me.
The first tribe we sought out reacted violently as expected.
"I came as the chieftain of the Odor tribe."
At least those words prevented direct combat.
"I ask all the warriors gathered here. Do you think the traditions of the warrior race have been well preserved until now?"
They all have the same problem.
"Is there anyone who thinks your current chieftain is qualified? Do you think the strongest person became chieftain according to our traditions?"
In the end, this is the key point.
"From my perspective, you are serving an unqualified person as chieftain. Until now, the position of chieftain was given not by ability but to those colluding with the Sage, and you must have clearly seen this through the succession ceremony."
The warriors' reactions changed.
"Has the current chieftain ever fought a decisive battle for the position of chieftain even once? If so, did the chieftain's opponent fight a normal fight?"
Everything connects to one thing.
"You were deceived by the words 'will of the gods' and were only used by the chieftain and the Sage."
The conclusion is simple.
"If that's not the case, have the chieftain prove it himself. It's a simple matter if he duels with the tribe's strongest warrior. If the gods truly chose him, I'll admit my mistake and withdraw. Furthermore, I'll somehow compensate for interfering in your affairs."
The warriors accepted this.
But the chieftain did not.
The chieftain, who already knew the secret, began making excuses. It was an opportunity that turned the warriors' suspicions into certainty.
Eventually, unable to resist the warriors' clamor, the battle began.
The chieftain declared surrender in just 2 minutes.
The warriors didn't cheer. They vented their resentment at having been deceived all this time.
"I feel your resentment as well. As the chieftain of the Odor tribe, I will do everything to preserve the warriors' pride."
Leaving those words behind, I exited the fence.
Contact came the next day.
Having held a meeting all night, they said they would join us.
After the first tribe joined, we quickly absorbed 6 tribes. With this, 300 warriors came under me.
The problem started after that.
Perhaps because the Shamans had intervened, they were not at their designated locations.
'So this is how it is.'
Further absorption was meaningless.
"If we drive them all out, there will be those who join additionally."
This was sufficient up to here.
The next stage was handled by Jimun Seo-saeng.
Using the Egyptian government, he cut off supplies to the Barbarian tribes.
The Egyptian government ultimately chose the Heavenly Demon Cult. In return, Jimun Seo-saeng also guaranteed many benefits.
Especially many benefits regarding the African political situation.
For them, who were in a noisy state with neighboring countries, he attached the condition of resolving this, and promised many rights to the organized lands.
They, who had been weighing the barbarian tribes against the Heavenly Demon Cult, ultimately chose the Heavenly Demon Cult.
When supplies were suddenly cut off, the Barbarian tribes began plundering.
However, the Heavenly Demon Cult was invariably present in the areas they tried to plunder.
The worst case was plundering groups that met So Iryeon or the Witch, and if they met Sword God and Cheong Ak-sal, at least the corpses were clean.
—If supplies are cut off, no group can survive. They will definitely demonstrate with force.
It was as Jimun Seo-saeng expected.
—It would be best if the Shamans came out directly, but even if not, the effect is sufficient.
Jimun Seo-saeng offered another opinion.
—You must persuade them first, and at least send back one person. That will shake them up.
As he said, I tried to incorporate the plundering groups under my command.
I met plundering groups five times, but none succumbed to persuasion. Still, I sent back one person each time.
That one person spread word about the connection between the chieftain and the Shamans. Because they heard everything during the persuasion process.
When the atmosphere had ripened appropriately, we went to the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, where they were staying.
Inside 4 fences, a total of 400 people were living, including 100 elite warriors.
Jimun Seo-saeng, who had come directly to Cairo, checked their condition and said,
"What about using military force?"
The Egyptian government's military power was at an excellent level. Due to disputes with neighboring countries, they needed military power above a certain level.
"That won't do. This battle also has the purpose of absorbing the warrior race."
"I understand."
Jimun Seo-saeng was disappointed but gave up for the sake of the future.
"They will soon attempt a full-scale war. The Shamans have no other method."
"Excellent. They're all dancing to your tune."
"The fight already ended long ago."
"When?"
Jimun Seo-saeng answered with a smile.
"The day the 10 Shamans died, the match already ended. Think of it as two people playing chess while holding the same pieces. If their skills are equal but at the starting moment more than half the important pieces are removed, what do you think will happen?"
"They'll be dragged around until the moment they lose."
"Exactly. That's why the first move is important. I'm just finishing a fight I've already won."
Thinking about it calmly, I felt displeased.
"Then am I also a piece on the chessboard?"
"I'm just saying."
I let it pass for now.
But somehow it bothered me, so I asked again.
"What kind of piece am I?"
"The core piece."
"Good, I forgive you."
Jimun Seo-saeng watched the opponent with composure.
Having had their supplies cut off, they were in a situation where they had no choice but to come out eventually.
Jimun Seo-saeng reconfirmed the strategy several times.
Our goal is clear.
"We just need to catch the Shamans."
There are still many warriors who will join us. To that end, dealing with the Shamans is the priority.
Jimun Seo-saeng made a plan for that.
"There's no need to fight opponents who want to fight."
They endured for two more days and finally showed movement.
A grand drum sound was the beginning. The warriors shouted forming a circle centered on the Shamans.
They didn't try to make a surprise attack. Rather, they stimulated our competitive spirit.
"Cult Leader, you mustn't get excited."
"Don't worry."
The warrior race, having raised their morale, all shouted in unison and exited the fences.
"Now, shall we change the owner of the warrior race?"
The time had come to settle the match.