The battlefield was thick with the scent of blood.
This battle could be described as an overwhelming victory.
There was no need to grieve for those who died in battle; Aililan would generously settle their families’ futures. There was even less need to worry about the wounded. When following the Church into battle, the least of one’s worries was suffering a heavy injury.
In fact, Aililan didn’t even need to take action herself. The Church’s divine staff members accompanying the army could cast Holy Healing Art, allowing the soldiers to return to the next fight almost immediately after being treated.
“Pass down my orders.”
“Collect the bodies of our fallen soldiers.”
“Order the entire army to rest and reorganize on the spot. We will strike again in two hours.”
The various commanders took their orders and departed.
Some soldiers attempted to scavenge the battlefield. However, the results were disappointing. The Steppe Oxen cavalry didn’t carry any gold or silver at all. At most, the soldiers occasionally pulled out a few medicinal roots from the bodies of the Wasteland Bulls.
The most valuable things on the battlefield were likely the War Oxen used as mounts.
“Tsk.” Rejuanta took a sip of water and couldn’t help but complain, “These minotaurs are simply too poor.”
Aililan remained unmoved, merely shrugging her shoulders. “That is exactly the crux of the matter.”
‘If the beastmen had mountains of gold and silver, there would be no need for Katest City to struggle with its defense. The entire Church would have united long ago to wipe them out.’
She pushed the thought aside.
After the reorganization, the light cavalry set out once more.
This time, they made no attempt to hide their tracks. The momentum of 1,000 cavalrymen was majestic as they kicked up clouds of dust, appearing to the northwest of the two warring armies and standing in solemn formation.
Rejuanta said excitedly, “Saintess, should we charge?”
Aililan pressed a hand to her forehead and said helplessly, “Knight Rejuanta, how many times do I have to tell you? Light cavalry does not charge formations. This isn’t the heavy-armored Chastity Knights!”
“Forget it. First, raise our banners.”
***
At this moment, the battlefield had already fallen into a stalemate.
When Aililan’s group of cavalry suddenly appeared, it truly startled many people. The first to be affected were the Wasteland Bulls. From the reports of the ox-cavalry who had fled back, they knew this force was definitely not here to help them.
“It’s the humans!”
“We’re finished!”
“Those Beast-Traitor War Pigs will die a horrible death. As Sages, they are not fit to be our kin!”
“All you Gnoll-kin, regardless of whether you belong to the Bull Clan or not, follow me into a final battle! We live or die together!”
The subsidiary beastmen of the Steppe Oxen responded in unison, appearing to be a united front.
However, as soon as they left the main camp of the Wasteland Bulls, their individual schemes had already begun to wander.
‘A final battle?’
‘Should we just follow you to our deaths?’
This was the trouble with having many different tribes. Unless there was an absolutely powerful figure capable of subduing them all, the various tribes would certainly prioritize their own races. It was impossible for them to work with one heart and mind.
In Aililan’s eyes, that absolutely powerful and influential existence could only be the Beastman Royal Court in the north. Therefore, she had to sow discord within the beastmen’s internal ranks.
The best method was to establish a new Gnoll-kin regime on the Southern Plains to rival the Beastman Royal Court. Eventually, both sides would suffer.
On the battlefield, all the beastmen who were not of the Wasteland Bull Clan either put up a symbolic resistance or simply dropped their weapons and fled upon seeing the human cavalry.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to fight, but—’Look, brother, those are 1,000 cavalrymen.’ Many of these smaller tribes had only brought hundreds or even dozens of soldiers to participate in the war. Were they supposed to let their entire lineage be wiped out here?
A strange scene appeared on the battlefield as the 1,000 light cavalry moved as if through an uninhabited land, crushing everything in their path.
Aililan wasn’t stupid, after all.
She specifically targeted the “soft persimmons” to hit them hard.
As for the strongest Wasteland Bull Clan? That was none of her business. She would leave them for the War Pigs to gnaw on.
On the other side of the battlefield, many low-ranking War Pigs shouted:
“It’s our good friends, the humans, coming to help us! Everyone, fight hard! Don’t let the humans look down on the strength of us War Pig warriors!”
“They really are too friendly!”
“Humans are our true good brothers.”
“That’s right. Not only did the humans send us grain so that our wives and children could eat their fill, but now they’re actually helping us fight. How can there be such good people? *Sob*…”
They were merely low-ranking War Pigs and didn’t care about being called “Beast-Traitors.”
They only knew that when they were starving, the humans sent them food. When they were fighting their enemies, the humans joined the war to assist them.
If this wasn’t being a “good brother,” then what was?
Only in the central command tent of the War Pigs did Chief Baccus’s face look somewhat gloomy. Even the Sage of the War Pigs had lost his usual composure.
Cyril’s beard trembled as he said in a shaking voice, “The humans… no, why would they appear here?”
“No… they shouldn’t have appeared here. This is a war that belongs to us beastmen!”
“This time, we are completely finished.”
“We’ve truly become Beast-Traitors.”
Cyril and the high-ranking members of the War Pigs knew the truth.
If they had simply opened the Mutual Market with the humans, they would have been criticized at most. Compared to the benefits they received, it would have been a negligible issue.
They wanted the benefits of the Mutual Market, but they also wanted to maintain their reputation.
However, the appearance of the cavalry led by Aililan completely shattered the War Pigs’ beautiful dream.
From the moment she appeared on the battlefield, everyone would categorize her into the War Pigs’ camp. The War Pigs were now inextricably linked with the humans.
*Bang!*
Chief Baccus smashed the table in front of him, saying angrily, “Hateful humans! Why did they join this war for no reason? This is treachery!”
Then, as if remembering something, he hurriedly looked toward the Sage, Cyril.
Baccus said anxiously, “You are the Sage of our War Pigs. Please, think of a way quickly!”
Cyril let out a sigh and said, “From the moment the human cavalry appeared on the battlefield, there was no longer any way out. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“You order our forces to turn their spears around and attack the humans right now.”
Baccus gritted his teeth and said, “Then we’ll fight! Our War Pigs will never be traitors to the beastmen.”
*Bang!*
Cyril slapped the table and rebuked him, “Muddleheaded! Have you thought about the consequences of turning our spears to attack the humans now?”
“Our main force stuck in the center will be surrounded and annihilated by the Steppe Oxen.”
“We will provoke the humans’ wrath.”
“We will lose the Mutual Market.”
Cyril stood up and pointed outside. “Listen to the sounds of our people cheering for the humans’ support. If you order an attack on the humans now, they won’t agree to it in the first place.”
“Add to that the loss of the Mutual Market; the tribesmen would instantly return to a state of starvation. As the Chief, the people below would be the first to skin you alive!”
“If you don’t want to be friendly with the humans, there are plenty of other tribesmen who do!”
“The beastman tribes we recently conquered would also rebel immediately. That would be an absolute catastrophe.”
His analysis was sharp and profound.
Without realizing when it had started, the War Pigs were already stuck on the humans’ ship.
The conquered tribes made them afraid to disembark, and their own people wouldn’t allow them to leave.
Besides being the humans’ dogs, the War Pigs had no other choice.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.