The More, the Better

At dawn, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, Elias set out on patrol with several companions.

Normally, there would have been no need for such precautions. It was wartime, and tribes were forbidden from attacking one another.

The Azure Wave Tribe was being so cautious because it had recently refused the Devil Legion's summons.

A man's name, like a tree's shadow, carried weight.

The Devil Legion had earned its fearsome reputation through countless battles.

The Azure Wave Tribe alone would never have dared confront the Devil Legion head-on, no matter how much courage it had.

It had only dared refuse because it had previously made an agreement with more than a dozen neighboring tribes to watch each other's backs.

Together, the tribes could muster an army of fifty to sixty thousand.

That might not have been enough to go on the offensive, but it should have been more than enough to defend themselves.

The Azure Wave Tribe had never imagined that the people who had boasted so extravagantly just days ago would turn around and send lavish gifts to the enemy camp.

After learning that they could make up the numbers with slaves, these "allies," whose will to resist had never been particularly strong, had all chosen to compromise.

When the time came to contact their allies and form a coalition army, every one of them made excuses. Only then did the slow-to-catch-on Azure Wave Tribe realize something was wrong.

Even then, they merely sensed that something was amiss and had yet to discover that they had already been sold out.

After all, the royal court was no pushover.

Secret dealings with the enemy would cost them their heads if discovered.

That judgment seemed sound, but they had overlooked one thing: being held accountable by the royal court was a problem for the future, while the Devil Legion's threat was right before them.

They still had time to plan and find a solution to future problems.

If they couldn't survive the crisis before them, there would be nothing left!

The others had all chosen to set up the Azure Wave Tribe without even consulting one another, but the tribe had only itself to blame for its past misdeeds.

Relying on its superior strength, it had given the neighboring tribes plenty of grief in disputes over pastures and water sources.

Under normal circumstances, the others would have had no choice but to swallow their grievances.

But the Devil Legion's arrival changed things.

Knowing that the legion intended to make an example of someone, the neighboring tribes voted with their feet and pushed the Azure Wave Tribe forward.

"Clop, clop..."

"Hoofbeats."

"Not good. That's the sound of a large cavalry force on the move!"

"Enemy attack!"

After a moment's thought, Elias hurriedly sent a warning to the tribe.

The Azure Wave Tribe had been on guard and quickly began gathering its forces, assembling three thousand men and horses in moments.

And the number was still growing.

"What tribe are you from?"

Chief Archer demanded sharply.

The royal court had issued a strict order forbidding infighting during the war.

From the enemy's attire, he could tell that the cavalry facing them were Tuwu People as well.

As he wondered who would dare defy the khanate's ban, the battle erupted in full.

In an instant, battle cries rang out across the land.

"Chief, terrible news!"

"There are enemies behind us too. They've broken into the camp..."

The news nearly knocked Archer from his horse.

No matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't understand which major tribe his people had incurred such a deadly grudge with that it would defy the khanate's ban to attack them.

"Surrender and you will be spared!"

"Surrender and you will be spared!"

Seeing that all was lost, the Azure Wave tribesmen's morale collapsed, and they laid down their weapons.

Though the struggles between grassland tribes were brutal, they did not go so far as to wipe everyone out.

Unless there was a deep-seated grudge, the defeated tribe would be absorbed after the fighting.

Even when people were killed to set an example, the targets were those in power, not ordinary soldiers.

Able-bodied men and women were the most valuable labor force on the grasslands.

Aside from having children of their own, the most effective way for a tribe to grow was to absorb other tribes.

As chief, Archer neither surrendered nor continued the attack. He simply stood rooted to the spot.

He had too many questions and hoped to get answers.

"What tribe are you from? Why have you invaded the Azure Wave Tribe?"

Seeing someone approach, Archer asked again.

He accepted that defeat was inevitable, but he refused to die in ignorance. Even if he had to die, he wanted to know why.

"The Azure Wave Tribe colluded with ogres and betrayed humanity's interests. Everyone under heaven has the right to execute you!"

The young Tuwu man's answer left Archer stunned.

Colluding with ogres? What kind of hellish joke was that?

Those brainless creatures frequently entered the grasslands to hunt, making life miserable for the neighboring tribes.

Just a few months ago, he had led his men in a fight against them and killed seven ogres.

It was practically common knowledge in the surrounding area.

Even accusing him of colluding with the Devil Legion would have been more plausible than accusing him of colluding with ogres.

"Bullshit!"

"When the hell have I ever colluded with ogres?"

"And when have I ever betrayed humanity's interests?"

Archer demanded sharply.

To collude with ogres, those idiots would first have to be capable of communication.

Betraying humanity's interests was even further out of reach. Given their status, the most they could do was betray their tribe's interests.

Even betraying the interests of the Tuwu People would have been no easy feat.

Betraying humanity's interests was far beyond them. At the very least, one would have to become the khan before being qualified to discuss it.

"Beyond redemption!"

No sooner had the young general spoken than more than a dozen holes appeared in Archer's body.

The surrounding Tuwu soldiers had launched a dishonorable sneak attack on him.

The truth didn't matter. If the commander said Archer had colluded with ogres, then he had to have colluded with ogres.

"Pass down my orders. Break up the gathered prisoners of war and reorganize them into the various battalions.

"Distribute half the captured strategic supplies to those who distinguished themselves, and keep the other half as provisions for the army.

"Give the captured people directly to the tribes supporting us."

Seeing that the battle was over, Victor decisively issued orders for the aftermath.

Since he had chosen to take the prisoners into his ranks, he naturally could not massacre their families.

But stubborn resistance was bound to come at a price.

The Azure Wave Tribe, which had acted in defiance, naturally could not be allowed to continue existing.

Giving these people to the neighboring tribes was both a way to win their support and a silent warning.

Although Victor didn't believe these people still had the nerve to cause trouble, he couldn't base his hopes on what he believed when leading an army into battle.

By now, the number of Tuwu soldiers he had hired had surpassed a full army, bringing his total force to nearly twice the strength of the Third Supplementary Army.

After the prisoners of war were reorganized, that ratio would rise further.

Even so, he still felt he didn't have enough troops.

The Andorra Peninsula lay between the Holy Glory Empire and the Golden Horde Khanate, yet it had managed to remain outside the control of both powers. That would not have been possible without some strength.

On the surface, he merely wanted passage through the peninsula, so the ogres had no reason to fight to the death.

In practice, however, it was a different matter.

Some things either never happened or happened countless times. Once an army successfully passed through, someone would want to do it a second and third time.

After enough successful crossings, people would no longer be afraid.

Before long, the Holy Glory Empire or the Golden Horde Khanate would turn on them once again.

When it came to granting passage, ordinary ogres resisted on instinct, but the leaders of the ogres knew this was a battle for survival.

Neither side had room to compromise. A great battle was inevitable.

The Command bonus was naturally suited to large-scale warfare.

The more troops he commanded, the greater the power he could bring to bear.