Chapter 323: Cannon Fodder
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 323: Cannon Fodder
It wasn’t entirely unreasonable for the man to state his opinion so brazenly. Even a glance at the Green Skin camp revealed some who were looking at him as if he were a decent fellow.
They must have been thinking of him as, ‘Some human, I don’t know who, but he’s letting us take the lead in the fight.’ If Han So-Hye were to accept his proposal, some Green Skins, including that Warstomp fellow, would probably express their gratitude. Of course, there were others whose expressions were not so favorable.
They were the ones who had sensed that this was not an act of pure goodwill, but one driven by some ulterior motive.
And at the center of them, of course, was me.
Humans tend to think of Green Skins as rather simple-minded. But not all Green Skins are simple. The values each tribe upholds are different. There was my clan, which pursued cunning in the beginning, and there was the Green Goblin Clan, which valued gold.
The old man might have had a grand plan to score points with us, secure his own interests, and bring benefits to the North, but from my perspective, he was just a pathetic fossil who couldn't keep up with the times.
As expected, the moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere turned frigid—mostly from Choi Seulgi’s direction.
“Hah… that son of a…”
Just as I thought a curse was about to fly, Han So-Hye spoke softly.
“Hmm… I understand. Are there any others who share Choi Hee-chul’s opinion?”
“I agree as well.”
“I agree.”
That must have been why he could speak with such confidence.
Small and medium-sized clans were stepping forward in agreement. They must have discussed this beforehand. In the end, that human named Choi Hee-chul had simply volunteered to be the mouthpiece. The clans and guilds that had made a name for themselves in the last war between the Southwest and Northeast remained silent.
They were already positioned at the front anyway. They were the ones who had to lead the charge, warriors who possessed the strength to endure it.
But for the smaller clans, it was a different story. They were the ones who feared taking the lead, who were afraid of fighting an unknown enemy. I checked the deployment of the Winter Weasel Guild; they weren't at the absolute front, but they were in a position where they could expect to take some damage. They were trying to push us forward because they feared even that.
“Choi Hee-chul.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How many members does your guild have?”
“A little over ten thousand.”
“That’s a lot.”
“It’s not much, but we’ve integrated the remaining small and medium-sized clans from the West and South and now manage over a hundred subordinate clans. I believe that’s the reason for our numbers.”
Everyone has their own way of surviving on the continent. This guy’s method was to puff up his size like a frightened animal. I had to give him credit for embracing the forces from the West and South, but that was it.
I didn’t know what the bastard did back on Earth, but this wasn’t the Korean political stage. I couldn’t say public opinion was irrelevant, but the number of ruling or opposition party members didn’t matter here, nor was this a place where bills were rejected by a few votes. It didn’t matter how many clans he had contacted beforehand or how many had gathered to overturn the deployment plan before this meeting. They might have met privately; he might have even accepted bribes.
Whatever the case, it was all useless. Han So-Hye began to draw upon her magic.
At the sudden storm of magical power, the Green Skins’ eyes lit up, but the faces of the small clan coalition showed that something was wrong. Amidst it all, she slowly opened her mouth.
“First, Warstomp and White Orc, I will accept your words. It is an honor for Green Skins to fight at the front. Just as you said, the Green Skins who wish to lead the charge will fight at the front. We will accommodate you as much as possible.”
“Hmph!”
“However, a situation may arise where your strength alone is not enough. To prepare for such a time, I would like to suggest deploying additional troops from our side. Choi Hee-chul, your clan and all the clans that just agreed with this man will be deployed a little further to the front.”
“Th-That’s…”
“The Warstomp Clan has fewer than a thousand members. Choi Hee-chul, you should be ashamed. While they are thinking of leading the charge, the very people who move the North are trying to shrink to the back… Do you truly have the right to call yourselves the warriors who built this North?”
“I… I absolutely did not have such thoughts. I… I was merely trying to say that everyone has a role that suits them.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t you think your words are a bit harsh? We were only offering good advice for the sake of the North.”
It was a pathetic sight, all of them speaking up one by one with trembling lips. The Green Skins just stared at them blankly. This was a bigger mess than I’d thought. I leaned slightly toward Choi Seulgi and spoke.
“What’s going on here?”
“That’s what I’m saying… I was gone for a while and the place has gone to shit.”
Han So-Hye’s face was beet red. She was more embarrassed than angry. It was probably a disgrace for her to show us such a scene.
“Their martial prowess may be insignificant, but p-please retract your magic and listen to the words of us old men.”
I never imagined I would witness something like this at this meeting. I was just as dumbfounded, so I too turned to Choi Hee-chul and spoke.
“The problem is that you did it ‘for the sake of the North.’”
“Ahem…”
“I don’t care what you’re thinking. And unlike what you seem to believe, we are not stupid. It is, of course, an honor for us to be able to fight at the front. But we do not consider it honorable to die in place of others. I have no desire to sacrifice my troops to preserve your forces.”
A direct approach is best in times like these.
“The Ogres of the Goff Clan and the Big Ogre Clan must fight at the very front, bearing the greatest damage. Can you imagine what would happen if we also held back to save our own skins, just as your shallow plan suggests?”
“That was never my intention…”
His insistence on feigning ignorance was simply absurd.
“I don’t care what your intention was. It could be that you want to preserve your forces, or maybe you’re thinking of clashing with us again after this war is over.”
“That was not my meaning.”
“I’m glad to hear you deny it all. Are you a warrior?”
No answer came, but the man nodded his head.
“Then it doesn’t matter. I understand now that you are a warrior who genuinely desires and believes in this alliance.”
“…”
“In that case, the Blood Dagger Clan will yield its position to the Winter Weasel Guild.”
At my words, they began to look startled—not the humans, but the Green Skins.
“We will handle the supplies. You, who truly think of the North, go forth and fight. It is an honorable and noble task. The stage is set for you and your ten thousand warriors. It is a fitting place for one who cares so much for the future of the North.”
Instantly, the man’s face began to turn pale. Just as I expected, the murmuring among the Green Skins grew louder.
“An honorable human.”
“The Warstomp Clan will fight alongside the Winter Weasels!”
“He doesn’t look strong, but his courage is commendable. He wants to fight with us.”
Fortunately, everyone slowly began to agree with my words. Choi Seulgi, seeing her chance, also opened her mouth.
“That’s wonderful, Hee-chul. Things turned out just as you wanted. If you wanted to fight at the front, you could have just told us directly. My, my… the people of the North have such trouble expressing their true feelings. Hoho.”
She seemed to be speaking casually, but anyone could see she was radiating killing intent. The men flinched as if terrified, and Choi Seulgi looked at them as she continued.
“I’m truly sorry for not having understood your feelings sooner. It’s because I’ve been away for so long… It’s become very difficult for me to guess what others are thinking these days. From now on, I’ll have to spend much more time with all of you.”
I figured that last remark was the finishing blow. Choi Hee-chul lowered his head, and the meeting continued. Of course, the Blood Dagger Clan’s offer to handle supplies was canceled due to the protests of the other Green Skins.
What was interesting was that the other small and medium-sized clans took a step back. In the end, Choi Hee-chul and the Winter Weasel Clan were saddled with all the blame. From their perspective, it was probably a relief to be standing with the Green Skins, but by the time the war was over, the Winter Weasel Clan would likely suffer catastrophic losses.
“This concludes the meeting. Tomorrow, we will begin training, after which we will discuss the details of the agendas raised today.”
And so, the meeting ended. The humans scattered, and the Green Skins, dragging their stiff bodies, began to leave the conference room one by one. I was also about to get up when Han So-Hye, who had been staring blankly at the table, spoke.
“I apologize for showing you such an unsightly display. It must have been an unfamiliar sight for you.”
“Not necessarily. We all live with our own different thoughts… Conflict exists everywhere.”
In truth, Green Skins never engage in such backroom maneuvering just to survive. But if I stated that plainly, I thought she would be quite disappointed, so I made something up.
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Blood Dagger, we and you are different. Unlike the Green Skins, who do not prioritize personal gain, humans are not like that. You live by distinguishing between honorable and dishonorable actions… but what just happened is a case in point.”
Having been human myself, I knew this better than anyone. It made sense that a human like Han So-Hye would admire our side.
Green Skins are simple but steadfast. They keep their promises and don’t fuss over petty gains. The Queen of the North probably felt indebted. That’s how human relationships work. She might not have realized it, but it was a debt to the humans who had hailed her as their queen.
I assumed Choi Seulgi was managing that aspect, but I still felt she must be under a great deal of stress, whether she knew it or not.
Standing above Green Skins and standing above humans are two completely different things. If I had been running a human clan instead of a Green Skin one, I would have been plagued by all sorts of conflicting interests.
Right now, I was remarkably free from such things.
“There are always troublemakers who muddy the waters. I respect humans. Humans sometimes act in ways that are hard to understand. They go through many things, make mistakes, and break down. Some never get back up, but the humans who overcome adversity are strong.”
After speaking, I slipped out of the tent. The sky had grown dark, but the camp was still bright, and the sound of cheers could still be heard.