Absorption

Eren sat on his horse, looking at the entire encircled Khalasar. He sent one of the men guiding him inside to negotiate. The man, named Moro, had once been a Ko in Drogo's Khalasar, which was why Eren had sent him.

A Ko's Khas was essentially a small Khalasar in its own right. A Ko generally submitted only to the current Khal, and a change in leadership could lead to rebellion.

In the original story, Drogo's Khalasar had fallen apart after his death. The Ko who had served him had each broken away with their own Khas. This also showed that a Ko obeyed only the Khal he had submitted to. If the successor did not suit them, they would simply defect or take his place.

Eren had also sent this former Ko because he had once carried considerable weight within Drogo's Khalasar, and his words would count for something. After all, taking in these ten thousand troops and the entire Khalasar intact would be best.

After all, they would all be his effective fighting strength in the future. It was best to avoid losses if possible.

When the people in the Khalasar saw someone approaching, someone immediately rode out to meet him. Only upon drawing close did the guard realize that the newcomer was one of their own: Ko Moro.

"Ko Moro, why are you here? What's going on with the army behind you? Are you trying to betray the Khal?"

Listening to the guard, Moro said with a trace of fear on his face, "You have no idea what we went through. Khal Drogo has fallen in battle. The people out there are the ones who defeated us. They've come to absorb our Khalasar."

"In any case, take me to Rolo right now. I have something to discuss with him."

The guard was shocked by Moro's words. He knew that with the Khal dead, the entire Khalasar now faced a matter of life and death. Not daring to delay, he immediately went to report to Rolo.

Upon hearing that Moro had arrived, Rolo immediately ordered that he be admitted. Moro had left with the Khal. His presence here without the Khal already made the message clear.

The guard brought Moro into Rolo's tent. As soon as Rolo saw him enter, he hurriedly rose and said, "Moro, what's the situation now? Where is the Khal?"

Although Rolo was already almost certain that Drogo was gone, he still sought confirmation from Moro.

Moro said to Rolo, "It's all over. Our forces suffered a crushing defeat. The Khal fell in battle, and everyone else was captured. They sent me here to talk to you. Their Khal wants to take in your entire army of ten thousand."

Although Rolo had prepared himself, Moro's words still shocked him so badly that he dropped straight back into his chair.

Moro's words also set everyone below murmuring.

"Now that the Khal is dead, we might as well surrender and spare ourselves more fighting."

"Exactly, exactly. The Khal is dead. What are we still being loyal for?"

"What are you saying? The Khal has only just died, and you already want to surrender? Do your past bonds mean nothing?"

"We must fight to the death and avenge the Khal!"

Listening to their discussion, Moro could only say that those who wanted to resist had never experienced it. They had no idea how terrifying the Giants were.

Moro said bluntly to Rolo, "Rolo, surrender. You have no idea what we encountered on the battlefield. The enemy has Giants helping them. The Giants are over ten meters tall and cannot die. No one is a match for them. If the enemy didn't want to take in your ten thousand troops and the entire Khalasar intact, they would already be attacking."

Rolo listened to Moro and heard that Giants had appeared. Although he did not believe there were Giants over ten meters tall, from their past dealings, Moro was not someone who made things up.

Besides, Drogo really had fallen in battle. Rolo certainly was not willing to prove his loyalty to the Khal now by dying with him.

He was merely worried about how he would be treated after surrendering, and whether he would still retain his current position.

Would someone find an excuse to kill him and seize his power? As though seeing Rolo's concerns, Moro said, "Before I came, their leader told me that as long as you surrender, you'll still command ten thousand troops once you join them. Your status won't change."

Hearing this from Moro finally put Rolo at ease. He immediately rose and announced his surrender.

The declaration of surrender set everyone below murmuring. One of Drogo's diehard loyalists spoke up directly. "Rolo, how dare you? Khal Drogo has only just died, and you're already surrendering to the enemy. Is this how you repay Khal Drogo's high regard for you?"

Rolo shot back, "I am the Ko of this Khas. Now that the Khal is gone, my word is an order. Are you trying to rebel?"

Drogo's loyalist walked straight up to Rolo and drew his blade. "Let's duel. I challenge you for your position as Ko."

Rolo gave a subordinate beside him a meaningful glance. Before Drogo's loyalist could react, the subordinate drew his blade and stabbed him straight through from behind. Before the loyalist could react, Rolo also drew his blade and cut off his head.

"Sorry, but this is an emergency. I can't gamble with the lives of my ten thousand men and everyone in the Khalasar in a duel with you."

Holding the head of Drogo's loyalist, Rolo spoke softly.

The remaining loyalists of Drogo below erupted at the sight. They drew their blades and said to Rolo, "Rolo, you've broken ancestral custom! You actually attacked him by surprise!"

Seeing the confrontation on the verge of violence, Rolo's subordinates and those who wanted to surrender dropped all pretense. "Fuck you! We don't want to go to our deaths. If you want to avenge the Khal, we'll send you to meet him right now!"

The two sides immediately broke into a melee inside the tent. There were too many who wanted to surrender. Although Drogo's loyalists tried to resist, they were badly outnumbered and were hacked to death.

By the time the guards outside the tent heard the noise and rushed over, the bodies already lay strewn across the ground, and the matter had been settled.

Seeing that those who stood in his way were dead, Rolo immediately gave a decisive order. "Pass down the order. Have every soldier lay down his weapons and surrender. Gather all the elderly, the weak, the women, and the children as well, and welcome our future Khal."

Upon receiving the order, Rolo's subordinates immediately rose and went out of the tent to pass on the Ko's commands.

Seeing that everything had been handled, Moro said to Rolo, "Rolo, believe me, this is absolutely the best decision you've made in your life. Since you've decided to surrender, I'll head back first and report to our future Khal."

Seeing that Moro was about to leave, Rolo immediately stated his position as well. "Then I'll stay here and oversee things. I'll have my trusted men accompany you to meet our future Khal as a demonstration of my stance."

After escorting Moro to the entrance, Rolo sent his trusted men along with him to pay their respects to Eren.