When Kansa heard that the visitors carried a flag marked with a gray goose, he knew the Gray Goose Tribe had come to ask him for reinforcements. But that had nothing to do with him. He hadn't taken part in the Gray Goose Tribe's campaign from the beginning.
The reason was simple. During the tribe's migration, its most important possession, the God Pillar, needed a large number of Human Race Mana-Wielder slaves to help transport it. For that purpose, he had even bought a huge wagon, one tall enough to carry the God Pillar upright. But moving it required many Mana-Wielders to help pull it along.
To keep the Mana-Wielders in the camp under control, he needed to maintain a larger force of Barbarian Cavalry in the tribe. Keeping more cavalry meant needing more Long-Haired Sheep and more Mana-Less, since a large camp had to migrate more frequently.
As a result, the entire tribe had to maintain a sizable population centered around the Divine Wood, and his cavalry was completely tied down around the tribe.
If Landen really knew the Eagle Tribe's secret, he might well have taken a completely different approach.
Of course, he hadn't stayed out of the Gray Goose Tribe's southward campaign solely because the Eagle Tribe couldn't spare any cavalry to "buy in." Ever since the Gray Goose Leader had told him about plans to head south and seize Rothe Territory and Baron Gallop's Territory, Kansa had felt that the Gray Goose Tribe would never return.
As one of the few Priests among the Barbarians, he understood the power of magic better than the Gray Goose Leader did. He knew that all the Barbarians' current advantages on the plains came from Magic Turbulence. Once they left that environment, Barbarian muscle alone couldn't hope to defeat Magic Pattern Weapons.
The Gray Goose Tribe's all-out departure would only benefit the Eagle Tribe and lesser plains tribes like the Wandering Badger Tribe. The Eagle Tribe only needed to wait until winter came, then take in the smaller tribes that could no longer survive on their own.
But now, good news kept pouring in from the front, and the Gray Goose Tribe's prestige was at its height. As the head of the plains' alliance, the messenger and the Eagle Priest both needed to meet with them.
By the time the Gray Goose messenger's party neared the Eagle camp, evening was approaching. They were still a few hundred meters away when the messenger spotted the Battle Priest waiting at the entrance. He wore an absurd suit of Leather Armor covered in feathers, with an eagle-head mask and a huge headdress.
The Gray Goose messenger knew the Battle Priest had learned of their arrival well in advance and had come out to wait for them. It was both a welcome and a warning: neither he nor his cavalry was allowed to enter.
The Eagle Battle Priest held a highly unusual position in the alliance. Every Barbarian knew of the Beastmen heritage of the Eagle Tribe, and they all feared this mysterious Priest who could communicate with the Eagle God.
The messenger didn't dare put on airs in front of the Priest. Fifty meters away, he dismounted with his men, then ran over and knelt before him.
He reported the latest news from the Gray Goose Tribe's front, then extended the customary invitation for the Eagle Tribe to send troops in support.
"Heh. I thought that Head Goose knew what he was doing. Seems I overestimated him." People called the Gray Goose Leader the Head Goose. The Priest's words left the messengers bewildered. They knew their tribe was on the verge of victory, but couldn't understand why the Priest was belittling their leader.
"Lord Eagle Priest, you..."
"I'm not going. I suggest you don't go back, either." With that, the Eagle Priest headed into his camp, leaving only a final remark echoing behind him: "If you want to stay, my tribe will take you in."
The Gray Goose messenger naturally wasn't going to stay, and the Eagle Tribe had no intention of letting them rest. They could only ride north, disgruntled.
Back in his tent, Kansa felt rather vexed. His four Attendants had finished feeding the eagles and falcons and were standing nearby. He couldn't let anyone see him drenched in sweat. "The Gray Goose lot really don't know what's good for them. All of you, get out! I need to commune with the Eagle God alone!" He knelt on the bed and raised both hands, as though about to speak with a god.
"Yes." The Attendants hurried out, leaving Kansa alone inside.
Kansa heard the girls leave, then glanced down to make sure before letting out a sigh of relief. He quickly took off his Leather Armor and mask. The afternoon heat had eased, but he'd still sweated heavily in the armor. He needed to dry it out by the fire first.
Kansa popped some cooked meat into his mouth to regain his strength. The Gray Goose Tribe was certain to fail, but its current offensive was still useful. On the one hand, it was opening up space on the great plains for the Eagle Tribe. On the other, it could test the Human Race's real attitude and bottom line when it came to Barbarian expansion.
Let the Gray Goose Tribe die for nothing, while his own Eagle Tribe spread its wings. The thought made Kansa grin. He put on the Mage's Eye mask, the one that actually worked, and prepared to lie down for a short rest.
But once he put it on, he froze. The Gray Goose messengers who had just arrived were already heading north, nearly out of sight. Yet another cavalry party was approaching from the west, carrying the Gray Goose flag. There were considerably more riders than in the previous group.
Two Gray Goose messenger parties in one day? What a pain. Why couldn't they have come together?
The Gray Goose messengers Kansa had encountered today weren't even the first to arrive recently. The Gray Goose Tribe had sent four or five cavalry parties from the south. Each group had started out with only five or six people. When they encountered smaller tribes, some of their cavalry would join the messengers, so each party ended up with a different number of riders.
Kansa guessed this new group had brought together the messengers from several nearby tribes. Maybe they'd somehow gotten separated from the previous party and hadn't joined up, but they were all heading north.
Poor Kansa had just taken off his "work clothes," and his still-damp Leather Armor hadn't even dried. Now he had to put it back on and play the mysterious holy man for another batch of Gray Goose messengers.
The Barbarian Mana-Wielders in the Eagle camp were summoned once again. This time, the Battle Priest was a little annoyed. In recent days, he'd had to deal with Gray Goose messengers again and again. Every time outsiders showed up, he had to "dress up" all over again. Afterward, he had to go back and clean himself up. Worst of all, the Leather Armor was so heavy, and he had to put it on and take it off by himself.
To show off the power of his Eagle Eye, he also had to greet them in person. That meant summoning all the Barbarian Mana-Wielders in the camp to accompany him, so the outsiders could see how thoroughly he controlled the area around the camp. He had to proclaim his supernatural power to strangers while maintaining his image in front of his subordinates.
As he walked toward the camp entrance, the Gray Goose Priest complained inwardly, I'm a dignified messenger of the Eagle God. Why do I have to stand at the entrance like a Human Race gatekeeper?
The more Kansa thought about his situation, the angrier he got. He roared, "Stand up straight! Let those Gray Geese learn how to show the Eagle proper respect!"
"Yes!"
At last, the cavalry across from him came into view. The Eagle Priest put on his best display, ready to receive dozens of people as they fell to their knees before him.
But two minutes later, the Priest froze for a second time. Usually, the Gray Goose messengers dismounted and ran the moment they came within a hundred meters. This time, they didn't dismount—not even slowing down.