Harvest

As the sky darkened, Victor simply had a batch of sheep slaughtered and took out the supplies from the carts to prepare a delicious hot meal for the captive herders.

At a time like this, nothing soothed people more than a hot meal. The previously restless herders soon began obeying the soldiers' management, lining up for food and eating quietly.

Victor also specifically ordered that the elderly and children be given an extra serving of hot soup. There were few elderly people among the Barbarians; most were healthy adults and children, so they did not need much food. These measures led all the herders of the Green Grass Tribe to begin accepting the territorial soldiers' control, and some of the able-bodied adults were sent with the Light Cavalry to gather livestock that had wandered off during the battle.

"The Barbarians are like tumbleweeds. Wherever the wind blows, they go. They submit to the strong and bully the weak. But they also have their good points. The Northlands Wasteland is not fertile, and with the Grand Duchy expanding its borders, conflicts among tribes large and small have grown increasingly frequent. There used to be many small tribes of several hundred people along the Great Fish River. Though they often lacked food and warm clothes, their lives were still fairly peaceful. But now, they have either been destroyed or absorbed by other tribes. The Barbarians never compromise or retreat; every annexation is bloody. In the past, Barbarians would occasionally catch fish from the Great Fish River to eat, but now no one wants to eat fish from it. Over the past ten years, no one knew how much Barbarian flesh and blood had filled the Great Fish River. The fish in it have grown larger and more numerous." A man bound in chains spoke to Victor.

"You're the former chief's younger brother, the current leader of the Green Grass Tribe, aren't you? What's your name?" Victor already knew that this man was the source of the unexpected trouble he had encountered, though the outcome had not changed.

"My name is Paru. In the Barbarian language, it means tumbleweed. Everyone calls me Paru of the Green Grass Tribe. You're the noble who came to expand into the Northlands, aren't you? I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. This was already the best opportunity I could find, yet I still couldn't escape." The man gave a bitter smile.

"You know quite a lot about us. Have you been to the northern counties?" Victor suddenly became very interested in him.

"Yes, I know a great deal. When I was twelve, I left the tribe to hunt and was captured by a Northlands slave-catching party. I spent seven years as a mounted slave in Baron Colt's territory, raising warhorses for his Iron Knights. I was often whipped, but compared to life in the tribe, I could eat my fill and wear warm clothes, and I did not have to worry about being wounded or killed in conflicts with hostile tribes." A look of remembrance appeared on Paru's face.

"I had grown used to being a mounted slave. I barely remembered my homeland or the tribe that had raised me. Then one day, I followed the Iron Knights to suppress a tribe unwilling to pay Count Colt the blood tax, and I saw my tribe again."

"Count Colt's military might was renowned across the Northern Barrens, and his Iron Knights were invincible. No matter how powerful the tribe or how brave the warriors, none could stop them. I had once been proud to be part of that force. Besides, many Iron Knights had originally been mounted slaves, and back then, I had a good chance of becoming an Iron Knight myself."

"But that time, I thought I no longer cared about the tribe I came from. Yet I saw the Iron Knights run wild in the Green Grass Tribe, using old people and children to test the sharpness of their weapons. When they ate lamb, they only ate the meat from the back, preferring to throw away the rest rather than give it to the herders. They used the heads of ordinary herders to pass them off as bandits and rebels. And my brother, like a lowly rat, let them do whatever they pleased. He even bound up a group of young tribesmen and gave them to the Iron Knights as slaves. Fewer than a third of those youths were ultimately brought back to the Iron Knights' camp; the rest collapsed from abuse and exhaustion along the way." The man's face was full of anguish.

"I did not want to see the tribe suffer like this. I wanted to change it. I wanted to lead the Green Grass Tribe north, away from the powerful Northern Frontier nobles. Tumbleweeds fear strong winds, but they yearn for freedom even more." Paru continued.

"I spent five years building prestige within the tribe and helped the Green Grass Tribe finally defeat the Wind Corner Tribe. At last, the final war came. Once we annexed the Wind Corner Tribe, I could become chief and lead the tribespeople north, no longer taking part in any conflict or battle on this land. But my brother was unwilling to let me surpass him. As a result, our fight with the Wind Corner Tribe ended in a draw. Although we defeated the Wind Corner Tribe, the Green Grass Tribe's forces also suffered heavy losses. We originally had over a thousand riders, but afterward, only half remained."

"I had been waiting for an opportunity. Finally, my brother led his forces off to pursue the Wind Corner Tribe, and I could rally the soldiers and herders I had won over to seize control of the territory."

"But I never expected you to arrive so quickly. I had intended to drive out those stubborn elements loyal to my brother, then immediately lead the remaining people north, away from these disputes. I would use the knowledge and techniques I learned in the Grand Duchy of Vera to help the Green Grass Tribe survive better, so it could grow freely like grass." Paru smiled naturally.

Victor thought for a while before saying, "Paru, come work for me. I can let you continue managing your tribe. I will also provide the Green Grass Tribe's herders with basic security and technical support to improve their lives."

"Thank you, Lord Victor. I can see that you sincerely accept our Barbarian herders and treat us equally. But once a tumbleweed starts running with the wind, it cannot stop. Only being crushed to pieces can end its flight." Paru smiled.

"Kill me, Lord Victor. As long as I live, I will never stop pursuing freedom. Give me a proper death." Paru pleaded.

Victor sighed upon hearing this. In such a short time, Paru had left a deep impression on him. He was willing to give Paru a chance, but as Paru had said, forced fruit was never sweet.

Still, Victor was willing to do one last thing for Paru. He would give him a death that honored both of his identities.

Victor ordered Paru wrapped in a carpet, then sent Cavalry to trample him. The Barbarians believed that spilling blood directly onto the earth insulted the land. This method of execution also accorded with their faith, and Victor hoped that Paru would find freedom after death.

At that moment, Knight Jack found Victor. "Lord Victor, I would like to report the gains from this operation."

"Go ahead."

"We captured 3,100 herders this time, including more than 800 men between sixteen and forty. We also seized over 500 cattle, more than 3,700 horses, and sheep. The harvest is plentiful, my lord."

Victor nodded. At least these gains were still sweet. The next step was to send these captives and spoils back to the territory intact as quickly as possible.