Chapter 157

The Scorpion Spear Tribe moved their village around often. Their territory was far from being good, fertile land. The pastures were scarce, and half of the land became barren during the dry season.

"Make sure to double-check the number of the goats."

"This dry season seems like it will be long."

The Scorpion Spear Tribe members looked up at the sky, frowning. There were no old people among them who couldn't work. Those who couldn't work had all been left behind in the previous village.

Thump! Thump!

The men drove stakes into the ground to secure the tents.

The area around the new dwelling had grass growing, albeit low. The children took the goats to the pasture to graze.

"We probably have to go on a raid, right?"

"How about the Dry Earth Tribe? If we go further north from here, we should be able to find their settlement. I saw them once before, and they had a large flock of goats."

The Scorpion Spear warriors gathered to discuss how to survive the dry season. The conclusion always came back to raiding.

The dry season was a dreadful time for everyone. Anything was permissible to survive.

"We will survive."

The warriors looked into each other's eyes and agreed. The population of the Scorpion Spear tribe was slowly increasing. When the current children became warriors, they might even consider expanding their territory.

While the warriors were planning the raid, a boy ran up to them.

"What's the matter, Garhi?"

A warrior stood up and asked the boy.

"T-the goats... Huff, huff."

"The goats what?"

The expressions of the warriors hardened. Losing goats now would make surviving the dry season difficult.

"Enemies! Enemies!"

The boy didn’t need to finish his sentence. The shouts of the tribe members were heard. A group of warriors was approaching from the horizon. The number of warriors, all armed, was greater than the entire population of the Scorpion Spear Tribe.

"A-are they raiders from the west?"

The Scorpion Spear warriors grabbed their weapons and cursed. In total, they had only about three hundred warriors at most.

Buuuup!

The horn of the raiders sounded long and loud.

"Stop them! We can’t let them get any closer. Keep them out of the village!"

The Scorpion Spear warriors met the enemy at the village entrance, but they were overwhelmed by the enemies without even knowing their identity. They screamed and knelt.

"Blood and glory!"

The raiders shouted.

"Let the blood spill!"

It was practically a one-sided massacre. The warriors' patience ran out after crossing the barren wasteland, and misplaced anger was poured out on the innocent Scorpion Spear Tribe.

"We crossed that goddamn wasteland so we could see your guts!"

The warriors roared, beheading the enemies. Some, drunk on frenzy, even drank the blood of the victims. Warriors covered in blood strode into the village.

"Hey, this is a nice village, Vald! Quick, go to the food storage and take control! Don’t let these guys eat it all; we need it!"

Urich twirled his axe and entered the village. He called Vald and asked him to manage the food supply. If left unchecked, the exhilarated warriors might eat up everything they can find.

The Scorpion Spear warriors had already lost their will and collapsed. The dead or maimed warriors groaned on the ground.

"Ahhhhhh!"

All that was left was to reap the rewards. The warriors entered the tents and attacked the women. Women's screams were heard.

‘Even with a woman chief, the Red Sand Tribe is no different. After all, no warrior would follow a chief who forbids rape during raids.'

Warriors shed blood in battle and in return, possessed everything from the raid.

"Oops, you should pick on someone your own size."

Urich threw his axe. A young boy with a spear, who was attempting a sneak attack on Urich, was hit by his axe. The beardless boy was struck down.

Squelch.

Urich stepped on the boy's chest and pulled out the embedded axe. His face wasn't entirely joyful, as a bitter smile lingered.

"We didn’t come all the way here just to plunder small villages, Samikan."

Urich stood beside Samikan and said to him, "I know, it's about conquest and consolidation. It's unfortunate for the Scorpion Spear Tribe, but our tired warriors need a sacrifice. Today, we should let them indulge in their pleasures."

Even Samikan wouldn’t be able to stop the current frenzy. Trying to control the excited warriors could backfire in the future, even possibly in the form of a rebellion. To maintain power, a chief always needed the warriors' support.

"Hey, move aside, let me have a turn."

Urich scratched his head and entered a tent where a woman's scream was heard. Urich, too, had pent-up lust. Although he felt sorry for the women, he wasn't kind-hearted enough to abstain from finding satisfaction throughout the entire expedition.

"Just hold your waist up. I'll make it quick."

Urich said while pulling the woman's hair back. The woman, somewhat understanding what he meant, nodded tearfully with a choked sob.

Slip.

Urich, with his pants down, sensed someone behind him and grabbed a weapon.

"Urich, the chiefs are meeting. A bunch of them are going to be late because they’re busy taking care of themselves like you, so take your time. And oh, you got a nice ass on you."

Belrua leaned against the door, chuckling. She waved her hand lightly as she passed.

"Man, shit."

Urich felt disgruntled as if he had shown something he shouldn't have. He listlessly held the woman's waist for a moment, then pushed her away and pulled up his pants with a frustrated face, and left the woman and the tent.

Outside, the chiefs were gathered. As Belrua said, other chiefs were late to the meeting due to their indulgence with women. They all seemed overly excited, standing awkwardly with their lower bodies still damp from the earlier deeds.

"The hard work is over. From now on, we’ll run into tribe after tribe."

Samikan punted a bloodied Scorpion Spear warrior who had been brutally tortured. The warrior spewed insults in front of the chiefs.

"We've crossed the split wasteland!"

"Oho! We did it! Shout it out! Warriors!"

Encouraged by their chiefs, passing warriors raised their weapons and hands, shouting loudly.

"We should move as quickly as we can. This tribe didn't expect us to come. It's easy to crush those who are unprepared."

"Only take enough provisions and gather the spoils in one place to collect on our way back."

"What if someone pilfers them?"

"Judging by your immediate concern, it seems you're planning to pilfer the spoils yourself."

"Are you insulting me now?"

The chiefs’ mouths were harsh, still excited from the battle.

"Whoa, calm down. If you want to fight, I'll be your opponent. My body isn't quite warmed up yet; I'm gonna feel stiff tonight."

Urich, who was cracking some nuts, lifted his axe with his toes and said. He showed a trick of kicking the axe back and forth between his feet.

"Ehem."

The bickering chiefs sat down. Nothing good was going to come out of upsetting Samikan, Urich, and Belrua.

After conquering the Scorpion Spear Tribe, the alliance rested for two days before advancing right away.

The alliance's forces moved westward. Raiders during the dry season were common, but not on this scale. The alliance swallowed every tribe they met. Those who resisted were crushed, and those who surrendered were only levied tribute.

The alliance from the east trampled two tribes and absorbed four. The notorious reputation of the alliance during the dry season spread westward.

"That one’s going to be a pain in the ass."

Samikan squinted at the village on top of a hill. Urich also keenly assessed the village's structure with his good eyes.

"Samikan, the wooden fence surrounding the village is taller than ourselves. There are several watchtowers too. Recklessly approaching will lead to heavy casualties. That slop is practically a cliff. Our heads are going to pop helplessly by their arrows."

"The only gentle slope at the entrance is narrow. It’s a perfect village for defense. If Noah were here, he might have had an idea..."

Samikan smacked his lips. It was difficult to bring Noah, who had only one leg, on the expedition.

"That's a fortified village. Usually, those who have a lot to protect do this. We’ll get a lot of the good stuff if we raid it successfully. And that also means there must be raiders in this area that can't be stopped without such a fortress. Everything happens for a reason. We should scatter outposts around to keep watch for external threats while we’re here. What, why are you all staring at me? You jealous of my handsome face?"

Urich muttered his thoughts, then suddenly felt the gathered gazes. Samikan and the other chiefs were looking at him.

'That is quite an incredible insight. Is it because of his experience beyond the mountains...'

Samikan twitched. Urich had deduced much just by looking at the village from afar. Every time, Urich's warrior capabilities were impressive. It seemed unlikely they would lose in battles or fights with Urich on their side.

"So, how should we attack it? Brother. Of course, we could just push through with brute force, but our losses won't be small."

Samikan put his hand on Urich's shoulder and asked.

"There's a tactic called the Turtle Formation. Since your Blue Mist warriors are already trained in formations, it should be easy for them to follow."

Urich called the shield-bearing warriors. The chiefs naturally gathered, and the warriors also converged, paying attention to Urich's explanation.

"Stand close enough to feel each other's sticky skin. Rubbing bodies against each other might not feel great for you men, but it's better than dying. Hold the shields up and overlap them on top of each other, and make sure there aren’t any gaps."

Urich gestured to other warriors. The soldiers mimicked him, raising their shields overhead, overlapping them tightly.

"This should be enough to block the arrows and stones coming from above. It should be enough against such a makeshift fortress. I doubt they have boiling grease or heavy rocks."

Urich had experienced siege warfare in the civilized world. He learned much from the knights of civilization back then.

The Turtle Formation was simple but effective. Especially since the Blue Mist warriors had experience in shield battles, they had many medium-sized shields suitable for the turtle formation.

"The wooden fence seems high but it shouldn’t be too sturdy. Hook a grappling hook into the gap and pull; it will collapse pretty easily. If you don't understand, I'll show you. Samikan! Give me forty warriors good with shields."

Urich took control of the war council. Encountering a fortified village, Urich was like a fish in water, unleashing his knowledge.

"I’m saying this just in case, but do not flinch if you get hit by an arrow, and keep holding your shield straight up. If you drop your shield, it's not just you who dies, but your brothers beside you too."

Urich spoke to the warriors preparing the formation. They nodded, showing disciplined behavior. The Blue Mist warriors respected Urich. He was Samikan's brother and had proven himself on the battlefield multiple times.

"Alright warriors, let’s take our baby steps forward!"

Urich led the forty warriors toward the fortress. As arrows began to fly, they lifted their shields overhead, overlapping them. The shields covered the sights of not only the fortress but the warriors themselves as well. Blinded, the warriors listened to the sound of arrows falling on their shields.

"Don't panic and don’t rush! Match the pace with the person in front of you! If the gap between the shields widens, we die!"

Urich, at the very front of the formation, shouted. Urich and the forty warriors slowly advanced to the wooden fence. From a distance, it looked like turtles crawling.

Thump! Thud!

Urich heard the sound of arrows hitting the shields. The rhythmic sound, like a downpour, pleased him. He laughed loudly, and the warriors laughed along.