The Harpies' notions of hierarchy were absolute--
Once Ero confirmed Iver's identity as the King of Winged Ones, she immediately abandoned all her previous reservations.
She knelt obediently on the ground, just like the Harpies who knelt before her, trying to display her piety and loyalty through an almost humble posture. Only after Iver helped her up did she take the opportunity to sit back in her former place.
Ero finally spoke as well, telling Iver without reservation about the most precious thing in the desert--information.
"Although people refer to all the forces opposing the Will of the Benefactor as the 'Rebels,' they're not actually a unified organization. Their ideologies, combat strength, distribution, and even races are completely different. Strictly speaking, the Dried Water Army could also be considered an unorganized organization.
"For example, the largest rebel organization near Holy Spring City is called the 'Primitive Sect.' They're bound together through a certain religious system and revere the Cult Leader's will. Their hostility toward the Benefactor isn't especially strong... or rather, they simply hope to form a semi-independent organization as slaves, like the Snake People Temple. They worship the Rock Angel and keep away from cities and all civilization. They don't even need words to communicate with one another, living carefree lives like beasts.
"And around City of Ten Thousand Joys, the city known as the 'City of Ten Thousand Joys,' the 'Blood-Eating Gang' has formed. They're an armed group of extreme human supremacists. They rescue and gather large numbers of human slaves, then roam around the oasis by plundering the resources of other races. They've also infiltrated large numbers of Free People into the gang, secretly providing them with resources inside the city.
"They don't oppose the system of the Parthian Ancient Kingdom itself. They want to seize a