Harvest

As dusk settled, Victor ordered a batch of sheep slaughtered and brought out provisions from the wagons to prepare a delicious hot meal for the captured herders.

At a time like this, a warm, hearty meal was the best way to soothe hearts. Soon, the previously restless herders began to obey the soldiers' management, lining up for food and eating quietly.

Victor specifically requested extra hot soup for the elderly and children. The Barbarian tribes had few elders; most were young adults and children who didn't require much food. These actions led the herders of the entire Green Grass Tribe to accept the management of the territorial soldiers and send some young adults out with the light cavalry to round up livestock that had scattered during the battle.

"Barbarians are like tumbleweeds; they go wherever the wind blows. They obey the strong and bully the weak, but they have their good points too. The Northern Barrens aren't rich, and with the Grand Duchy's expansion, conflicts between tribes are increasing daily. There used to be many small tribes of a few hundred people along the Great Fish River. Although they often went hungry and cold, they lived relatively peacefully. But now, they are either destroyed or absorbed into other tribes. The Barbarians didn't compromise or yield; every annexation was bloody. In the past, Barbarians would occasionally fish in the Great Fish River, but now no one is willing to eat the fish from it. Because over the past ten years, who knows how much Barbarian blood and flesh has filled the Great Fish River. The fish in the Great Fish River are getting bigger and more numerous," a man bound in chains said to Victor.

"You're the former chief's brother, aren't you? The current chief of the Green Grass Tribe. What's your name?" Victor already knew this man was the root of the unexpected trouble he had caused, though the outcome hadn't changed.

"My name is Paru. In the Barbarian language, it means tumbleweed. Everyone calls me Paru of the Green Grass Tribe. You must be the noble expanding into the North. I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. This was the best opportunity I could find, yet I still couldn't escape," the man said with a wry smile.

"You know us well. Have you been to the Northern Counties?" Victor suddenly became very interested in this man.

"Yes, I know them very well. When I was twelve, I left the tribe to go hunting and was captured by a Northern slave-catching team. I spent seven years as an equine slave in Baron Colt's territory, training warhorses for his Iron Knights. I was often whipped, but compared to being in the tribe, I could eat my fill, stay warm, and didn't have to worry about getting injured or killed in conflicts with enemy tribes," Paru said with a reminiscent expression.

"I had grown accustomed to being an equine slave. I had no strong memories of my homeland or the tribe that raised me, until one day, when I accompanied the Iron Knights to suppress a tribe that refused to pay the blood tax to the Count, I saw my tribe again."

"Count Colt's military might is renowned throughout the Northern Barrens, and his Iron Knights are invincible. No tribe, no matter how powerful, no warrior, no matter how brave, can stop them. I was once proud to be a member of this unit. Moreover, many Iron Knights were originally from the ranks of equine slaves; I also had a good chance of becoming an Iron Knight back then."

"But on that occasion, I thought I no longer cared about my birth tribe. However, seeing the Iron Knights act with impunity in the Green Grass Tribe, testing the sharpness of their weapons on the elderly and children, eating only the meat from the back of the lambs and discarding the rest rather than sharing it with the herders, and using the heads of ordinary herders as proof of killing bandits and rebels. And my brother acted like a lowly mouse, letting them do as they pleased, even tying up a group of young people from the tribe to be given to the Iron Knights as slaves. Less than a third of these young people were brought back to the Iron Knight camp; the rest died on the road due to abuse and exhaustion." The man's face was filled with pain.

"I couldn't bear to see the tribe in such a tragic state. I wanted to change it. I wanted to lead the Green Grass Tribe north, away from the powerful Northern nobles. Although tumbleweeds fear strong winds, they yearn for freedom even more," Paru continued.

"It took me five years to build my reputation in the tribe and help the Green Grass Tribe finally defeat the Wind Corner Tribe. This finally brought about the final war. After annexing the Wind Corner Tribe, I could become the chief and lead my people north, no longer participating in any conflicts or battles on this land. But my brother didn't want me to be above him. As a result, he and the Wind Corner Tribe fought to a standstill. Although the Wind Corner Tribe was defeated, the Green Grass Tribe's forces suffered heavy losses. What was once over a thousand cavalry was reduced to only half."

"I was always waiting for an opportunity. Finally, my brother took his troops to pursue the Wind Corner Tribe, and I could mobilize the army and herders I had rallied to seize control of the territory."

"But I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. After expelling the die-hard loyalists to my brother, I planned to immediately lead the remaining people north, away from these conflicts. I would use the knowledge and skills I learned in the Grand Duchy of Vera to help the Green Grass Tribe survive better, allowing the Green Grass Tribe to grow freely like small blades of grass." Paru smiled naturally.

Victor pondered for a moment and said, "Paru, come work for me. I can let you continue to manage your tribe, and I will provide basic guarantees for the herders of the Green Grass Tribe and offer technical support to improve their lives."

"Thank you, Lord Victor. I can see that you genuinely accept us Barbarian herders and treat us equally. But once a tumbleweed starts rolling with the wind, it can't stop; only by shattering can it cease its run," Paru said with a smile.

"Kill me, Lord Victor. As long as I live, I will not stop pursuing freedom. Give me a dignified death," Paru pleaded.

Upon hearing this, Victor sighed. In a short time, he had made a very deep impression of this Paru. He was willing to give Paru a chance, but as Paru said, a forced melon isn't sweet.

However, Victor was still willing to do one last thing for Paru; he would give him a death that suited his dual identity.

Victor ordered Paru to be wrapped in a carpet and then had cavalry trample him. Barbarians believed that spilling blood directly onto the earth was an offense to the land, and this method of execution also aligned with their beliefs. Victor also hoped that Paru could find freedom in death.

At this moment, Knight Jack found Victor. "Lord Victor, I'd like to report on our spoils."

"Go ahead."

"We captured 3,100 herders this time, with over 800 males between 16 and 40 years old. We also acquired over 500 cattle, more than 3,700 horses, and many sheep. The harvest is very rich, my Lord."

Victor nodded. At least these spoils were quite sweet. The next step was to quickly transport these captives and war spoils back to the territory intact.