Inside an inn in Iowa Town, Sonitu Fox looked at his teacher in fear and trepidation, truly unable to understand why every beastman offensive he had instigated had ended in defeat, yet his teacher, Suvila, was praising him for doing well.
"You perceived the Royal Court's true objective in this war: internal consolidation."
The Fox-man Master possessing the inn clerk rose and paced over to the window. With his back to Sonitu, he said slowly, "The beastmen have enjoyed peace for over two hundred years. From the Beastmen Plateau to Hindukush Valley, the land is packed with tribes great and small. Above the Royal Court, the eight great tribes quarrel without end; outside the Royal Court, every tribe jostles and crushes the others. These days, the Royal Court's orders are empty words, not only to the tribes of Hindukush, but even to the great tribes on the plateau."
At the mention of the current state of affairs, the Master showed clear concern. "Too long a peace has corroded the upper ranks of the Royal Court. Though our Beast King has some awareness of the present situation, he is powerless to change it. Now all beastmen need the baptism of war, to select the strongest tribes and the most outstanding of the Beast God's Favored. And this Iowa Pass is the finest whetstone."
"But, teacher," Sonitu hesitated for a long while before asking in a low voice, "the Gallop Family now ruling Iowa Pass is merely a minor noble house that has just risen to prominence. Can they become the whetstone for the great beastman race?"
"Originally, I wasn't certain either, but you proved with your actions that they can!" Suvila suddenly turned around. A smile hung on his face, but his eyes still did not open. "A tribal coalition made