Volume 3, Chapter 12 – For the Sake of the Tribe

Not far from the outskirts of Eden, in a stretch of land that sat a bit lower than the surrounding area, an army had set up camp.

This army was made up almost entirely of tall, burly Beastmen with green skin. Although faint traces of Human-looking half-beast figures could also be seen, these half-beasts held no weapons in their hands.

And at the very center of this temporary encampment, inside a tent, stood a petite cat-eared girl. She was the half-beast chieftain that had been mentioned by the half-beast earlier, Yeluo, her expression complicated.

The tent was large, and aside from Yeluo the half-beast, all the other ten or so figures standing inside were Beastmen.

Taking the lead among them was the Legendary-tier Beastman commander whom the old Beast King had previously sent to investigate the whereabouts of the hundred thousand missing half-beasts: Grinrui the Skullcrusher.

“We’ve already tracked down the whereabouts of those missing half-beasts.”

The one speaking was Grinrui, and among the Beastmen present, he was by far the tallest and most robust. As he spoke, an oppressive force that made it hard to breathe pressed down over the entire tent.

“They’re inside a city not far from us, a city our intelligence never recorded, an unknown place entirely.”

The reason he said this was because before the attack on the Graveyard, before launching the war, the Beastmen of the Stronghold were very familiar with the land around this Northern Fortress.

Logically speaking, a city had never existed here.

“Without a doubt, this is a city built by outsiders.”

Although he looked like a typical muscle-brained Legendary commander, in reality, Grinrui was not only powerful in battle but was also among the top strategists within the Stronghold’s military.

And the reason he judged it to be a city built by outsiders was because similar events had occurred before, cases where outsiders built a city overnight.

Of course, after building a city, those outsiders would end up joining one of the major factions because they had no army or population to support themselves. Even their Stronghold had incorporated a few of these outsider lords.

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For the city that suddenly appeared according to this new intelligence, Grinrui’s conclusion was very reasonable.

“General… since they dared to shelter those traitors, why don’t we just attack and wipe them out!”

A Beastman voiced this suggestion directly.

“Hmph! Attack?”

But Grinrui only let out a sharp snort.

“Attacking before we understand the enemy’s strength? Is your brain filled with nothing but war, you idiot!”

The scolded Beastman lowered his head, trembling and not daring to speak.

Looking at the group of Beastmen exchanging uncertain glances, Grinrui shifted his gaze toward the silent half-beast chieftain, Yeluo.

“Then, half-beast, what do you think about this matter?”

Here, Grinrui did not address the half-beast girl by her name, nor did he call her chieftain.

He simply used the term “half-beast”, referring to her by race alone.

His tone was casual and careless. It was obvious that Grinrui was just asking for the sake of asking.

Even so, even knowing the arrogance laced in his tone and words, Yeluo could only bite her lip and endure this treatment that gave her no dignity.

Moreover, as a half-beast, when questioned by a Beastman, she had to answer, even if the other party didn’t actually care about her response.

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Because this was the most basic “respect” half-beasts owed Beastmen.

Thinking this, Yeluo loosened her tense lips and slowly opened her mouth to reply.

“General, I have no particular opinion. No matter what, everything prioritizes the interests of the Stronghold.”

The reason she said this was to express her stance.

That in this operation, she would simply do what was assigned to her, and she would not express any opinion on what the Stronghold decided to do.

“Oh? Everything for the Stronghold?”

Grinrui looked genuinely interested.

“What you mean is, even if I order the slaughter of those half-beasts who betrayed the Stronghold, you will follow us… and raise your blade as well?”

“I…”

How should she answer?

Yeluo lowered her head, staring at her toes. A faint red light flickered in her eyes.

Raise her blade against her own people…

Could she really do something like that?

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For one fleeting moment, Yeluo felt an impulse to erupt and kill all the Beastmen present, then lead the entire half-beast tribe away from the Stronghold.

… Such an act would certainly be satisfying for a moment, but once the half-beasts left the Stronghold, where would they go?

No one, no faction, would take in half-beasts… especially a race that openly betrayed their own faction…

But raising a blade against her own people, was that really something she could do?

If that time came, could she still call herself, still consider herself worthy of being the chieftain of the half-beasts?

She hesitated.

“General… aren’t we here to bring the half-beasts back with us?”

In the end, Yeluo chose not to answer his question. Gathering her courage, she instead asked one of her own.

“Bring them back? Of course. Of course we’ll bring them back.”

Grinrui seemed slightly surprised but answered easily.

“But our goal is to bring them back. What if those half-beasts are unwilling to return?”

Unwilling to return.

The implication was clear. If those half-beasts refused to return to the Stronghold, Grinrui would not hesitate to lead his 300,000-strong army and raise the blade.

“Half-beast, when that moment comes, I hope your words about everything being for the Stronghold will be upheld.”

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Grinrui’s voice dropped, his eyes becoming vicious like a beast staring down its prey.

“I… understand…”

Her heart felt bitter.

But Yeluo knew she had no room to resist.

Even if she possessed overwhelming power, once one carried responsibility, once one had something they desperately wanted to protect, no matter how strong they were, they would find their limbs bound.

Ah, is she really… truly someone who puts everything for the Stronghold?

Lowering her head, staring at her toes, Yeluo silently asked herself.

The answer was already obvious.

It was not for the Stronghold.

All of this… was for her people.

For the half-beasts, so they could cling to life.

Nothing more.