Chapter 120: The Plan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: The Plan
It was a morning no different from any other. That is, if it weren't for Mev, who was staring at me with a strange laugh the moment I opened my eyes.
“Hee hee hee hee.”
She couldn't stop smiling, clearly overjoyed about something. Even more, the sight of her repeatedly lifting her waist and legs toward the sky was something to behold. She’d been in that state ever since we finished our business last night. I had a good idea what she was aiming for, but I had my doubts about whether it would actually work.
“You’re awake, Chieftain?”
“Yeah… You’re up early.”
“Yep!”
The feeling was quite strange, but it was true that a sense of fulfillment was blooming in my chest. I placed a light kiss on Mev’s forehead, and she smiled as if pleased.
Leaving Mev to her exercises, I threw on a beast hide and stepped outside. I expected her to follow, but when I heard no sign of her, I glanced back. She was still lifting her legs toward the tent ceiling, sniffing the cloth I had been sleeping under.
Her incredible determination made me laugh in spite of myself.
The recent battle had been enjoyable, but it had also been exhausting, and we had gained a great deal. Not only had the entire clan, including Mev, risen to a new level, but we had also gained new tribe members and children—the future of our clan.
We needed to be busy, but not to the extent of immediately seeking out another enemy. The most important thing right now was to solidify our foundation.
Naturally, the first priority was to establish a proper settlement. The Blood Dagger Clan, the Goff Clan, and the Black Spear Clan were currently operating as an allied clan, a united tribe. We had to create an environment where the members of these three clans could grow up safely.
The second was to quickly integrate the new tribe members into the Blood Dagger Clan. Orbo and the other Green Skins who had been slaves all followed me, but I couldn't assume there would be no internal conflicts. Given their numbers, they were crucial.
Finally, of course, was the matter of the children. The time when the clan had no children was a story from a past I could barely remember. The Blood Dagger Clan now had more children than either the Black Spear Clan or the Goff Clan. We even had human children, so their education was also important. Whether to raise the humans like Green Skins or like humans was an incredibly important decision.
If these three were the major tasks, there were smaller ones as well.
The treatment of the captured humans from the small city of Somorah. Of course, they would all die. But before killing them, we had to extract everything we possibly could. Yoon Jungsoo, who seemed to have connections to the Hound Clan or the Spider Clan, had been kept alive, so it seemed we could dig deeper into the other eastern cities and the murderer clans.
‘An entire city has been completely annihilated.’
Logically, there was no way the humans would stand by and do nothing. This was a time to hunker down and build our strength. It would be better to move calmly and deliberately, not hastily.
The second matter was Baek Ahyeon. As much as I wanted to keep her here in the settlement, her true value was most efficiently demonstrated within human cities, so I had to send her out as soon as possible. The problem was that her identity might have been exposed with the complete destruction of Somorah. If there were truly no survivors, she probably wasn't discovered, but even if there were, it was highly likely they would officially consider the West’s Saint to be ‘dead.’
Completely abandoning the name of the West’s Saint was a much better choice. We hadn't decided on her next move, so there was still time, but Baek Ahyeon would have to return to a city soon.
The last matter was, naturally, increasing our military strength—forging the clan further by creating new items and new troop types. The scale of this united tribe was by no means small. In fact, it was massive. If the clan had resembled a mercenary company before, it would be no exaggeration to call it an army now.
Naturally, I thought it was right to reorganize our units or add different troop classes. It was something worth trying right away. Mev and the women of the tribe had given me a pretty good hint.
Since it was something I couldn't accomplish alone without Goff's help, I headed straight for his tent. Young goblins were already running around and playing in the morning. I gave them a casual greeting as I continued on my way.
“Blood Dagger Clan is getting an heir!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
I had no idea how even the children knew about this, but the expectations were already incredibly high. It occurred to me that if Mev and I failed, the tribe members would be sorely disappointed.
In any case, after walking a bit further, Goff’s tent came into view. The other Ogres greeted me as well, and I was able to enter his tent directly. The big oaf came into view, snoring away, not yet awake.
“Krrrrrrrk.”
“Krrrrrk.”
It wasn't an urgent matter, so I let my eyes wander over the weapons and other things in his tent. Noticing my presence, Goff let out a huge yawn and sat up.
“Blood Dagger… What brings you here so early?”
“It’s nothing critically important, Goff, but I came because there’s something I’d like to discuss with you. No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say I need your permission.”
His expression was one of curiosity. I looked at him and continued.
“I’m thinking of creating Wolf Riders.”
I thought he would understand what I meant with just that. His Giant Wolf was clearly a male. And my Giant Wolf, Ibar, was a female. If we could get not only Green Skin children but also Giant Wolf pups and train them as Wolf Riders from a young age, I was certain it would be a tremendous help to the clan.
“That sounds interesting.”
He responded immediately. Having evolved into an Ogre and being unable to ride his wolf anymore, Goff might not have known for sure, but having fought alongside Ibar in the tunnel battle, I believed this troop type, the Wolf Rider, held infinite potential.
In short, they would be a cavalry force far more powerful than one mounted on horses. Unlike units that could only move horizontally, they could be used much more strategically.
“Hmm, but I don’t know if he’ll take a liking to her…”
“?”
“Actually, I had a similar thought once. The Giant Wolf in the Big Ogre Clan was a female, so I put her and Gurva in a breeding tent together. He must be a proud one, because he didn't even bat an eye, no matter how affectionately the female Giant Wolf acted.”
“I see…”
Considering how few Giant Wolves there were, I could have guessed as much, but it seemed they were all proud creatures with egos that pierced the sky.
They chose their own masters, so it seemed the standards for a mate were similar, or perhaps even stricter. Of course, we could force them to mate using sorcery or potions, but that was not something recommended in Green Skin society. The natural way was most important.
“We’ll just have to hope that Ibar is a beautiful female Giant Wolf.”
Goff pushed his massive body up and slowly began to head outside, likely to see Gurva. He entered another huge tent, which must have been a dedicated pen, and I followed him inside.
“Grrrrrrr.”
As soon as it saw Goff, the wolf slowly approached and rubbed its head against his leg. It was a bit larger than Ibar and had a very dignified appearance. Its heavy-set frame made it look just like Goff. It only rubbed its head and didn't wag its tail, which immediately told me it was just as aloof as Goff had described.
I was a little worried, but Ibar was also very beautiful, so I was sure he would react. Goff gestured to the wolf, and Gurva began to walk outside. Soon, we were heading toward Ibar’s enclosure with Gurva in tow.
“I hope it goes as you wish.”
“I hope so too.”
Thinking about it again, Wolf Riders were undeniably desirable. Even just ten or fifteen Ogres riding wolves would be a massive boon to the entire clan.
Soon, Goff and I stood inside Ibar’s enclosure. Sensing my arrival, I could already hear Ibar’s happy growl.
“Krrrrrrng.”
It was a pleased sound.
“Ibar.”
As I opened my mouth and called her name, Ibar came bounding over and pounced on me.
“Krrrrrrng.”
The way she wagged her tail relentlessly was a stark contrast to Goff’s Gurva. I don’t know if it was because she truly liked me, but she was licking my face with her long tongue. As I raised my hand to pet her, my main concern was what Goff’s Giant Wolf, Gurva, was thinking as he watched this display.
Worried, I shifted my gaze slightly, only to see Goff staring at his wolf with a completely dumbfounded expression.
The reason was that Gurva’s tongue was hanging out, and he was wagging his tail uncontrollably. He looked just like Ibar did when she saw me.
“Uhm… I’ve never seen him like this before.”
“Pant… pant… pant…”
That noble, prideful demeanor was nowhere to be found. It was only natural that I looked at Ibar with a happy heart. I was just about to congratulate the birth of a new couple when Ibar’s reaction turned out to be completely unexpected. She was showing a side of herself that was entirely different from how she was with me.
“Grrrrrrrk.”
That was not a happy sound. On the contrary, she looked extremely wary. I couldn't understand the language of wolves, but for some reason, it seemed like she was rejecting Gurva with all her might. Whether he knew her feelings or not, Gurva slowly approached Ibar, trying to show his interest, but Ibar’s front paw smacked him right across the face.
“Grrrk!”
The unexpected obstacle wasn't Goff's wolf, but Ibar. As if he wasn't to her liking, she kept her eyes fixed on Gurva, swinging her paw at him.
I thought Gurva was a pretty decent wolf, seeing as he kept wagging his tail even while getting hit by Ibar. Thinking that their meeting would end in disaster at this rate, I wrapped my arms around Ibar’s neck and began to stroke her gently.
“You have to be friendly…”
She was a smart creature who understood my words. She hated letting others ride her, but if I asked, she always lent me her back. I thought this time would be the same.
“Grrrrrrrng.”
Her expression clearly showed her displeasure, but Ibar slowly nodded her head. Sensing the change in atmosphere, Gurva stealthily approached Ibar again. This time, she only pushed him away with her head or pretended not to notice him; she didn't bare her teeth or swing her paw. Watching this, Goff spoke to me.
“Did it work out somehow?”
In truth, even I couldn't predict what would happen next.
“That seems to be up to him, Goff.”
I had set the stage for them. It would probably take some time for him to win her affection, but personally, I truly hoped Gurva would win Ibar’s heart.