Chapter 488: A Daughter Takes After Her Father
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 488: A Daughter Takes After Her Father
“I am ashamed.”
“Not at all. It was bound to happen. If anything, the fault is mine for being too preoccupied with my mother and failing to properly manage the hunting grounds.”
“However.”
“We only lost some of our beasts. You need not worry too much. More importantly…”
As expected, Ratga’s response was flexible. He acknowledged the mistake and reorganized his forces, while also deploying them further forward. I couldn’t help but think he had another objective in mind, rather than simply defending the hunting grounds.
Naturally, I also wanted to praise him for not needlessly reprimanding anyone for the mistake; in fact, I was quite pleased that he admitted his own fault. In truth, it was no one’s fault, but a lesser lord might have shown his displeasure in such a situation. Seeing Jang Ye Ri’s satisfied expression, it seemed she, too, was pleased with his response.
“More importantly… is what you saw true?”
“I cannot be certain. However, I am sure of what I saw. I have already confirmed the direction in which the wolf riders disappeared, and the tracking party I sent has found where the beasts vanished. Of course, it is still too early to say, but…”
“If Lapura and my sister have joined forces, the situation will become more complicated. I, too, believe it is merely a ploy to destabilize our camp, but…”
“One never knows how things will turn out.”
“Yes.”
“…”
“…”
With that, the conversation between Ratga and the Orc from the 5th Squad ended. Even after the Orc left, Ratga stared out the window for a long while with a very serious expression.
His mind must have been in turmoil. It’s only natural to be troubled when a ship sailing with a tailwind suddenly faces a headwind. An alliance between his younger and older sisters, no less. That two of the three powers, which had maintained a tense balance, had joined forces was not an issue he could ignore.
Even assuming it was a fabrication, it was still unnerving.
If they truly had formed an alliance, if they had chosen him as the first to be eliminated from this test, then his established plans would begin to fall apart, forcing him to constantly reconsider his assumptions. He would keep applying the possibility of their alliance to the current situation.
Just by eliciting such a reaction, Laveua’s plan had already succeeded. I couldn’t yet tell what she was aiming for with this effect, but Laveua’s camp was painting a much bigger picture than I had thought.
“Hooo…”
“Hooo…”
Seeing Jang Ye Ri sigh at the exact same moment as Ratga, I was reminded that they were indeed mother and son—they were like two peas in a pod. Sensing my gaze, Jang Ye Ri turned to me and spoke.
“My mate, what would you do if you were in his position?”
“I’ve never been in such a position, so I can’t say for sure.”
“Of course, you were always the one stabbing others in the back, not the one being stabbed. But this is purely hypothetical. I wonder if you’ve ever been on the receiving end.”
“Hmm…”
“…”
“I can’t say my choice would be the right one, but if I were in Ratga’s situation…”
“Yes?”
“I would have done the same thing.”
“I see…”
“I would have struggled desperately to shake the alliance between the other two.”
I’m not the standard for what’s correct. But if I were in Ratga’s shoes, I would have done exactly what Laveua did and paid them back in kind. I would have damaged Lapura’s camp to suggest I had ties to Laveua’s, or done the opposite, to drive a wedge into their alliance.
But Jang Ye Ri’s choice would surely be different, and likewise, Ratga, influenced by her, would also choose a different path from mine.
“I see.”
Of course, the result was as I expected. Ratga chose to observe the situation for the time being. He decided to first determine whether they had truly formed an alliance or not.
‘Not a bad decision.’
He wasn’t being overly defensive or overly aggressive. Still, the formation of his troops was slowly changing. At one point, when I looked down from the sky, Ratga’s forces looked as if they were prepared to charge out at any moment.
He was preparing to engage in a full-scale battle.
Because this was a mock battle, everyone carried an Orb of Life created by Isaac.
When a participant takes a hit, the light of their orb dims, and when they are healed, the red light within it grows brighter. It was a device designed to maximize the use of priests and shamans. Of course, since the orbs were assigned based on an individual’s mana and health, the vitality of the Minotaurs was quite immense.
I was certain that with Baek Ahyeon’s holy power and Nicole’s tattoos layered on top, their lights wouldn’t go out from just one or two magic spells.
“We have the advantage in a direct confrontation.”
It was a phrase Jang Ye Ri often repeated, almost like a habit.
Indeed, the punch Ratga packed was incredibly powerful.
‘Endurance, stamina.’
He had diligently gathered magical beasts to build up his endurance for prolonged battles, and his camp’s nutritional state was not bad compared to the others. If not for the wolf riders who kept raiding them, he surely would have been able to fight in peak condition.
Furthermore, by securing a wide territory, his range of strategic options had broadened. If he decided to turtle up, he could do so effectively.
After some time had passed, Lapura’s side also began to make its move.
Perhaps feeling pressured by Ratga’s slow advance, they decided to attack a base near his camp. Neither side suffered much damage, but if I had to name a victor, it would be Ratga’s side. The might of the Minotaurs, armed with holy power, looked quite formidable even to me.
Of course, I also remember the contrasting reactions of Jang Ye Ri and Jung Hayeon at that moment being a bit chilling.
‘Excellent.’
‘…’
Although humans and Green Skins were now united under the Free Dungeon Agreement, it felt like the Green Skins were still quite adept at this kind of territory-control battle.
What he wanted was to establish a front line.
Since high-level magic like teleportation generated a large mana signature, this was a sound judgment that would allow him to respond in time.
Of course, it wasn’t without its problems.
“He abandoned it.”
“It must be a sign of his will to further strengthen the front line.”
To become more solid, he began to abandon the bases in his rearmost area one by one. I suspected the reason was his inability to withstand the offensive from Lapura’s side a few days ago.
“It doesn’t seem like a bad choice. If he had been able to secure more troops, or if his forces were larger, he might have been able to protect everything, but…”
“That’s not the current situation.”
I nodded in response to Jung Hayeon’s words. Of course, Jang Ye Ri also spoke up immediately.
“Those were bases meant to protect the hunting grounds anyway.”
“Hmm…”
“Considering the current supply situation is ample, they are bases that can be abandoned without much consequence. I would have abandoned them myself. In fact, if not for the interference from Laveua’s camp, he wouldn’t have had to hold onto them for so long. Judging by his stockpiled food, he should be able to maintain his forces until the test is over. Don’t you agree, my mate?”
“You’re right. As long as there are no other twists, he should be able to hold out.”
Abandon what you cannot protect and protect what you can. The story would be different if it were a long-term war with no end in sight, but for a mock battle with a set time limit, it was the obvious course of action. Just as Jang Ye Ri said, if Laveua’s camp hadn’t been constantly stealing from him, he would have abandoned those places even sooner.
In fact, I thought that from Lapura’s perspective, she might not have wanted to fight at all. However, since Ratga was already operating under the assumption that the other two had formed an alliance, it was a natural step for him to put more pressure on Lapura’s camp, which he judged to be the greater threat.
That seemingly insignificant action by Laveua’s camp had triggered a small butterfly effect.
Perhaps because of that, around this time, I started paying more attention to Laveua’s camp.
“Captain, our Laveua is doing well, right?”
“Yes.”
Just getting the two forces into the ring against each other was a huge achievement, but aside from that initial move, she hadn’t shown any other remarkable plays.
All they were doing was stealing food and bringing it back. To put it more directly, all they were doing was getting on everyone’s nerves.
“I-I’m a little worried… She’ll… she’ll do fine, right? H-Her mother is watching, after all…”
To say they were living a nomadic lifestyle would be an apt description. It was as if they paid no attention to defending their base—a shabby palisade, a camp that looked like it would be swept away in an instant if Choi Eunju and her mages arrived.
If he weren’t so conscious of Ratga, he probably would have attacked their camp directly.
But as if everything was going according to plan, Lee Wanyong, Laveua, Kim Yoora, and the Goblin Three Sisters were obsessed with only the smallest of gains.
Far from defending a base, they scattered their forces, and their hunting was often done for self-sufficiency rather than in large groups.
Biding their time and waiting for the other two powers to weaken was a sound judgment. However, considering the vote that would take place afterward, it could hardly be called the right choice.
They didn’t look like a proper settlement. It was no wonder Mev was anxious. But looking at the members of the camp, the situation seemed even stranger. I couldn’t help but assume they had something in mind.
It was only after a little more time had passed that I realized what Laveua’s camp was after.
During that time, there were small-scale battles, and Laveua’s camp could not escape their effects. Feeling uneasy, Lapura’s camp, caught in the middle, decided to reduce Laveua’s forces. Rather than completely blocking Ratga, they chose to keep the strangely behaving Laveua in check.
It was the work of Hakajin, who was wary of Lee Wanyong.
It wasn’t a major blow, but the very fact that Laveua had also participated in the battle was important.
They inflicted damage on Laveua’s camp, even while taking damage from Ratga’s. Thanks to this, Ratga’s side was delighted, but Laveua’s forces were now clearly moving toward Ratga’s side.
It was natural for Lapura’s camp to also keep Ratga in check; he was currently the biggest power on the board, so being checked was a given.
However, what Laveua, Lee Wanyong, and Kim Yoora chose was not battle, but a shift to a new phase.
“Th-that…”
“This is so absurd… I’m speechless, Taesung…”
“Was… was that a good move? It was a good move, right, Captain? This is good, right?!”
“Probably…”
Although they were abandoned bases, they were places steeped in Ratga’s blood and sweat. Watching Ratga diligently build his camp had been so enjoyable for me that I remember skipping over the other camps’ meetings just to observe him.
It was like watching the moment the Brother’s Land was first born. It would be correct to say that I, too, was watching with affection. In that situation, as if to mock the two who were fighting so fiercely, Laveua—no, Lee Wanyong—made a bloodless entry into the now-abandoned bases.
It was recycling to an infuriating degree.
“That… that bastard…”
It had been quite a while since I’d seen Jang Ye Ri curse.
She was unmistakably glaring with fury at the one who had stolen her son’s precious blood and sweat. Whether he knew it or not, the man muttered in a very happy voice.
“I told you we didn’t need to build our own bases, didn’t I, Lady Laveua? This place will be much sturdier than anything we could have built. Puhehehehet!”
Crack!
The armrest of the chair Jang Ye Ri was gripping exploded without a trace.
“…”
I felt like I finally understood why our enemies had always gotten so worked up over that man.