Chapter 124: A Harsh Welcome, Foreign Recruits Under the Stick

“Fred…” When the meeting ended and the chieftains, satisfied, began heading back to their camps with wagons full of food, Evlinna called out to my friend. She stood there with a heavy heart, her face full of hesitation and unease. Eckdin was the only chieftain who had not left. He stayed by Evlinna’s side, like a loving father and also like a dutiful guard.

Evlinna raised her head and glanced at Fred, then lowered it as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Evlinna?” Seeing her like this, Fred asked kindly.

“I want to… no, never mind. It wouldn’t be right. It would be too much trouble for you…” Evlinna bit her lip and gave up asking us.

“You need help, Evlinna, and we are the ones who can help you. We are friends, aren’t we? Helping you is our duty.” Fred tried hard to dispel Evlinna’s unease. Ever since the previous High Priest had died, Fred had always felt a deep guilt toward the young indigenous girl, hoping to do everything in his power to help her, to keep her away from danger and hardship.

Evlinna looked at us uncertainly, then turned to look at Eckdin, her eyes full of doubt and hesitation.

Eckdin looked at her with kindness and respect. His expression was like that of a man looking at his own daughter, and also at his own mother. One thing was beyond doubt: Eckdin knew what Evlinna was about to say, and he encouraged her and supported her, hoping she would say it out loud.

“Fred… you know, many people died in the last battle…” Encouraged, Evlinna said in a dull voice.

“That was a battle we had never experienced before. So many people died. So many!” As she said this, a frightened and sorrowful expression unconsciously appeared on Evlinna’s face. That was a battle the indigenous people did not want to remember again. Many people had lost their loved ones in that battle, including the young woman standing right in front of us. Yet now she stood before us, bravely trying to recall and tell us things even we did not want to mention again. It was hard; we could see that from her expression. But she still did it.

“…As you know, many tribes lost their strongest men. Some tribes even lost all their adult men, leaving only children, the elderly, and women. They cannot survive just by gathering wild vegetables and wild fruits. So, I decided…”

“You want us to take them in for a while, is that it?” Fred asked. He would not refuse this request; I knew that very well. But he also would not understand how much pressure it would put on our food reserves. I stood to one side and began trying to calculate the largest number of people we could accommodate. It was not that I was unwilling to help Evlinna, but I believed we had to be responsible for our promises.

“No, that’s not what I mean!” Evlinna suddenly became a little agitated and said loudly. Her tone was not entirely gratitude and guilt toward us; mixed in was a faint trace of displeasure that appeared because she had been underestimated.

“This is our problem. I am grateful for your generosity, but this is my responsibility, and I must bear it, not you. I have already made some arrangements. For those tribes that lost their men, I will merge them into larger tribes. About thirty or more tribes will disappear because of this. I am sorry about that, but in the long run, I believe this is the only feasible way. Although they may live a little hard for a while, everything will get better.” Evlinna’s tone was firm and proud.

“You mean you are going to abolish more than thirty tribes?” I jumped up in surprise. Although I knew that this seemingly delicate young girl in front of me had never lacked courage, I still had not expected she could so bravely defy tradition and completely erase about a third of the tribes from her people’s lives. I could fully imagine how much opposition she would face because of this.

“Yes, I have thought it through clearly. Gathering my people together is better for distributing supplies. As long as the men spend more effort hunting, we can get through this difficult year. I was originally worried about what to do when game gradually decreased in the future, but now it seems that next year’s wheat harvest will completely free us from these problems.” Evlinna nodded to me with certainty.

An indescribable respect flowed silently among us. My companions and I made no effort to hide our admiring looks toward our young and noble indigenous friend. Perhaps we had countless times expressed admiration and praise for Evlinna’s kindness, mercy, and courage, but now it seemed that such praise was far from enough. This young foreign girl possessed not only the sense of responsibility necessary for a leader, but also a boldness and wisdom that ordinary people could never match.

“Sorry, Evlinna, I must apologize to you,” Fred said to her earnestly. “I have to admit that I underestimated your wisdom. You are absolutely right. You are the leader of the Lumburi Tribe, and you are fully capable of leading your people out of trouble. We can help you, but we cannot replace you. You are one of the most remarkable women I have ever met.”

“I am not as capable as you say, Fred.” Evlinna blushed and lowered her head, once again becoming her shy little-girl self. “There are still some things I cannot do. For example, right now, I need your help.”

“We will do our utmost to fulfill your wish,” Fred said sincerely.

“I hope you can help me train an army!”

Silence.

If her wisdom a moment ago had been admirable, then this request of hers was simply shocking. I almost wondered if I had heard wrong. An army? It did not sound like something a girl would say, even if she was the High Priest.

But looking at her serious expression, I knew that the firm words I had just heard were not my imagination.

“I hope you can help me train an army like yours,” Evlinna continued. “Uncle Eckdin told me about your performance on the battlefield. He told me your warriors are so strong that they are like messengers before the gods. Although our warriors are also brave, they are no match for you at all.”

“This is completely different from the battles I saw before. In the past, to me, fighting was just the uncles and elders of a few tribes raising their arms and shouting as they left the camp. Before long, they would come back laughing heartily, joyfully telling us how many enemies they had killed today and what good weapons they had captured. Some people would be wounded, my friend, and some would die. We would be sad, but it was completely different, completely different…”

Evlinna’s eyes widened in fright, her fists clenched, her body leaned forward, her chest rising and falling with emotion, as if she had returned to the cruel scene at the end of the battle.

“I have never seen such a terrible sight. My people died in rows, blood covered the ground and dyed the soil red. The living were covered in blood, struggling and waving their mutilated limbs. Never in one day had I seen so many wounded, so much blood, and so much death. Their desperate cries still echo in my ears…”

Evlinna’s face was full of terror, and her slender body trembled uncontrollably. Seeing this, Eckdin stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder. Roll could not help but grab her hand, hoping to help her escape those unpleasant memories.

“…I cannot watch all this happen and do nothing, Fred.” Soon, Evlinna broke free from her fear. She tried hard to straighten her back and looked up at us. Her eyes still held a hint of panic, but even more, they showed unyielding determination.

“…This is why I want an army, my friends. If such a terrible war breaks out again, I cannot stand on the battlefield and protect others with my own strength, even though I really want to. All I can do is turn to you and ask for your help, but we cannot always rely on you to protect us. Our pride will not allow that.”

“…I want to protect my people, in my own way, with all my own strength!” When she said this, the honorable foreign girl was as brave and confident as a fighter, making it impossible to doubt her courage. She was so young that many of her elders probably still saw her as a child. But she was watching over them like a mother, unafraid of swords and war, stepping forward to “protect” them.

When she said this, Eckdin’s expression obviously changed. Unconsciously, the loving part in his eyes gradually faded, and more awe and respect filled his gaze. He suddenly felt that it was inappropriate to pat Evlinna’s shoulder so intimately, even though he had done so countless times before and had taken it for granted. He hesitated, pulled his hand back, and respectfully stepped back a step. Although this burly man was a full two heads taller than Evlinna, at that moment, to me, the small and delicate girl was far taller than him.

“Clap, clap, clap, clap…” A few crisp claps sounded beside Evlinna. The person applauding was Roll. At this moment, his face remained expressionless, but the feeling he gave people was completely different from before. In the past, we had only seen this expression on the battlefield when Fred gave him orders. It was the expression of a warrior filled with respect. You would never see it easily, but once you saw it, you would never mistake it.

More applause sounded. I could not hear the sound of my own palms. Evlinna’s figure at that moment was incomparably tall, occupying all my vision, and even all my senses.

If there was a person who could win Roll’s unreserved respect, then that person could surely conquer the hearts of all of us.

Evlinna was exactly such a person.

“I would be honored to help you achieve your wish. That will be the most correct thing we have done in these Holy Fox Highlands,” Fred answered without hesitation.

Our reaction made Evlinna blush deeply. Her breathing was a little uneven because of her passionate speech. Embarrassed, she let her eyes lightly sweep across our faces. When she finally saw Roll beside her, she lowered her head happily and shyly. A relieved smile appeared on her face, making her look like a child who had been praised…

Three days later, a total of two thousand of the finest warriors from various tribes stood in our military camp. As we had expected, this was a group of brave but ignorant fellows. Even the thinnest among them would have been among the strongest of our soldiers. If it came to one-on-one fighting, apart from the best warriors like Dakla, no one else had confidence that they could defeat them.

But from just looking at their stance and formation, I was sure that if fifty Delanmayans faced fifty Lumburi warriors, we would have a half chance of winning. If it were a small battle of three hundred, our odds would be far better than theirs. If the battle were expanded to a thousand people, we would win for sure.

The simple-minded Lumburi warriors obviously did not realize this. They were very confident in their superior physical advantages. Clearly, they knew why they had come here, and they felt that learning “how to fight” from us was not an honorable thing. Shame and arrogance caused these bold men to lose their manners, making them treat our soldiers with little respect.

When a young soldier handed out training sticks to them, he was mocked by them not very politely. The young man’s face turned red with anger, but he held back and did not explode. The reckless Lumburi warriors took his rational restraint as a sign of cowardice. They laughed loudly and mocked him even more wantonly. A big man easily snapped one of the sturdy sticks he had handed out over his own knee, then laughed arrogantly with his companions.

“You want us to learn how to use this? Even a suckling baby would not use such a thing.” As he said that, the big man casually threw the two broken pieces of the stick at the soldier.

This insulting act finally angered the young soldier. He could no longer hold it in. Abandoning his duty, he threw a punch at the tall and broad giant in front of him. Clearly, that was exactly what the Lumburi warrior had wanted. He quickly grabbed the incoming fist with his left hand, twisted it in that motion, pressed the young soldier’s shoulder with his right hand, tripped him with his right leg, and easily forced him face-down to the ground. The soldier’s face was covered in dust. His healthy dark-red face became filthy in an instant, and two streaks of blood flowed from his nose. That was nothing; what was worse, his pride as a warrior had been hurt.

The indigenous warrior who had caused all this became even more proud. With both hands pointing to heaven and earth, he celebrated to his companions. His rude behavior won waves of cheers from his companions. Some people then threw the long sticks into the air and pointed at our soldiers holding sticks, laughing mockingly. From my own hut, I saw this scene, and a flame of anger burned in my heart. Around me, soldiers who had stopped training began to gather here. Their wide-open eyes and clenched fists clearly showed how they felt. Seeing that an unfriendly brawl was about to happen, I pushed open the door and was about to stop it…

“Having a lot of fun, huh?” Suddenly, a rough shout stopped the laughter of the indigenous warriors. Then Dakla’s burly figure walked slowly over from not far away. His undefeated figure on the wrestling ground must have left a deep impression in the hearts of the indigenous people, so his arrival shocked the whole scene and made the bold indigenous warriors quiet down instantly.

Dakla had obviously seen what had just happened. His face turned purple with anger. However, he did not lose his temper on the spot. After years of fighting, this clumsy and crude stonemason was no longer the young, impulsive recruit he had once been. He knew well that if he did not impress our indigenous friends in the same way, he could not hope to win their respect and obedience.

“Sorry, sir.” The soldier who had been beaten spat out the dirt in his mouth, walked up to Dakla, and saluted. His eyes held humiliation and annoyance, but strict discipline controlled him, keeping him from making the situation worse.

Discipline. That was the difference between a soldier and an ordinary warrior.

“Go finish your task, soldier,” Dakla told him calmly. The soldier obeyed, saluted, and began handing out sticks again. Every time he handed a long stick to an indigenous warrior, he had to face a mocking, sneering face, and sometimes they deliberately made things hard for him. All this happened in public. For a hot-blooded man, it was very hard to endure. I thought, if I stood in that place, even if I could stop myself from fighting them, I would probably give up this embarrassing task. But that soldier kept his calm. Although his lips were white with anger, he still fulfilled his duty well, so that every Lumburi warrior had a wooden stick that reached their eyebrows. When he finished all this and stood beside Dakla, I felt that the impression he gave changed. He was full of pride—the pride a soldier naturally feels after completing his task. Even if the task was simple and insignificant, that feeling was something a true soldier could not suppress. Dakla also looked at him with satisfaction and nodded with a smile.

Perhaps only our Lumburi friends had not noticed this. They were unhappily fiddling with these awkward objects and mumbling softly.

“I know you are very dissatisfied with our arrangements!” At this moment, Dakla shouted at them. His voice was so loud that it almost spread throughout the whole camp: “You think you are strong, brave, and great, but in my eyes, you are a bunch of fools destined to lose! I would rather have a hundred soldiers like this…” He stretched out his hand and pointed to the soldier who had just been beaten and was standing beside him, “than a thousand arrogant idiots like you! Because he understands what discipline is, knows what should be done and what should not be done, and can protect himself on the battlefield instead of getting himself killed and dragging down his comrades!”

Hearing these words, that soldier straightened his back even more. If his honor had just been dimmed by humiliation, Dakla’s words now polished it bright again. His worth had been recognized, in the heart of his commander. For a soldier, that was more meaningful than a medal.

Dakla’s words immediately caused strong indignation among the indigenous warriors. They felt they had been unforgivably insulted and began shouting and making a racket.

“I know you don’t accept my words, and I don’t plan to convince you. You have two thousand people. Very good.” A rare cunning smile appeared on Dakla’s face. He called over his adjutant:

“Major Rydell, assemble two thousand pikemen for me. Tell them to take their wooden spears and take off their armor. We are going to have a friendly contest with our Lumburi friends.”

After saying this, he turned to the soldier. “What is your name?”

“Laces, sir,” the soldier answered loudly.

“Good, Soldier Laces. I order you to join the drill formation.” Dakla patted his shoulder and encouraged him in a friendly way: “Do well, soldier. Let them know how formidable you are…”

Two lines of formation quickly assembled on the empty training ground. Dakla stood in the front row with his upper body bare and shouted at the soldiers behind him: “Boys, we have been looked down on. What do you say we do?”

“Beat them up!”

“Beat them until their mothers can’t recognize them!”

“Beat them until they can’t take care of themselves!”

…

From the agitated crowd, all kinds of answers came out in various accents, making the place lively for a while. Dakla looked at the soldiers behind him with satisfaction and continued: “Well said! Then let’s teach them a good lesson—how to use this piece of wood to beat people until they wet their pants, and let them know we are not to be messed with!”

“Ohhh…” His words caused a wild cheer.

“You are all damn good, the best lads I have ever seen. But pay attention: you must be lenient. After all, we are the teachers and they are just elementary school students. It is right to teach them a lesson, but don’t kill anyone. Understood?”

“Understood!” Another burst of laughter.

Dakla’s words made the Lumburi warriors so angry that their teeth itched. After praying for protection to the deities in their own way, they stood in a long, sparse line and faced their opponents full of anger.

Dakla arranged the soldiers in a defensive formation and faced the enemy.

Soon the impatient Lumburi warriors began their charge—if we could call it a charge. That was one of the ugliest charges I had ever seen. Their formation was messy and had no order at all. Many of them went for the same opponent at the same time. In order to fight for the honor of defeating the opponent, they even shoved each other in front of the formation. These ignorant warriors ran closer and closer together. When they reached Dakla’s formation, some could barely swing their sticks.

In terms of pure strength and bravery, our indigenous friends still firmly held the upper hand. They whirled their long sticks with a whooshing sound and swung them hard at our soldiers. Angry as they were, it was clear they were also holding back: when attacking, they tried hard to avoid vital parts like the head and face, and aimed as much as possible at the opponent’s arms, chest, lower abdomen, and legs. Their bravery gave them a temporary advantage. Some soldiers in the front row were hit hard and retreated with groans. This further stimulated the indigenous warriors’ aggressive nature: they pressed forward with strange laughter, squeezing their formation tighter and tighter.

This brief advantage was also the only advantage they had in this contest.

Soon, the soldiers steadied themselves. Under the continuous repeated thrusting from the two rows of long sticks, the Lumburi warriors at the very front could hardly advance another inch. More people were blocked behind them, struggling to rush forward without even getting a chance to fight.

These idiots, I thought, can they only charge head-on against the enemy? If they could think of circling around to the sides of their opponents at that moment, perhaps they could have lasted a little longer.

They couldn’t think of it, but that didn’t mean our soldiers couldn’t. At Dakla’s command, two groups of soldiers came out from the rear formation and flanked their opponents from both sides. At first, the Lumburi people on the flanks were happy to have found opponents, but soon they found themselves falling into a nightmare.

They huddled together like squeezed lumps of meat, surrounded by an equal number of opponents. The Delanmayan soldiers’ tireless thrusts came in waves like the tide, stabbing forcefully again and again into their sturdy bodies, making “puff puff” sounds.

If such attacks were just one or two hits, our indigenous friends could endure them completely. But if dozens or hundreds came one after another, even an iron man would feel pain. The indigenous warriors on the outside began to shrink inward, squeezing the warriors on the inside outward, and so the process began to repeat.

Those wooden sticks that had originally looked harmless now became as frightening as poisonous snakes. The indigenous warriors who had learned their lesson were howling with pain on one hand and roaring with humiliation on the other because they could not fully use their fighting power. Some had already thrown away their sticks and shrank behind their tribesmen to dodge these harmful weapons. More people waved their sticks in vain trying to resist, but the space in which they could move grew smaller and smaller.

When most of them were pitifully curled up holding their heads, the outcome of this contest was already obvious. But Dakla showed no intention of stopping. He continued relentlessly urging the soldiers to pour sneaky attacks on the remaining dozen or so opponents who were still fighting back. If it were me, I would have done the same, because words could not make these undisciplined foreign warriors understand the deep meaning of discipline. Rather than wasting effort, it was better to let them suffer more, and let their bodies remember this unforgettable lesson. This method was more direct and more effective.

Soon, the last indigenous warrior also gave up resisting. In this small encirclement, piles of large bodies kept crying out in pain. Their sturdy bodies were covered with bruises of purple and blue. They curled up into balls, and one could no longer see the arrogant manner they had shown on the training ground just now.

At this moment, Dakla ordered the attack to stop.

“Look at your useless appearance. Luckily this is a toy that even a suckling baby would not use. If it had been real swords and spears, you would have died more than a hundred times already! Think it over carefully, you bunch!”

“Laces!” Dakla called over the soldier from earlier. “Go, prepare some medicine for bruises and wounds, and find some people to treat them. Damn, useless. I haven’t even had my fill yet, and they’re already done for.”

“Yes, sir!” Laces answered without hesitation, showing no dissatisfaction because of the humiliation he had suffered earlier. His face and arms were covered with large bruises, the wounds his opponents had left on him during the contest. But compared with his unlucky opponents, these little injuries were almost negligible.

“Oh, by the way, from now on, you are a squad leader, specifically in charge of training arrangements. If anyone is not satisfied, let him come talk to me directly. Understood?” Dakla said loudly, and at the same time let out a heavy snort at the indigenous warriors who were rolling into a ball. Rather than giving Laces an order, it was more like threatening those unlucky foreign recruits who were cowering on the ground.