As Aililan’s voice fell, the expressions of everyone within the Great Tent shifted.
They had originally believed they were already quite assertive, but they hadn’t expected Aililan to be even more domineering. Moreover, many messages were leaked through her words.
For instance, why did she send a diplomatic mission to find the Wasteland Bulls?
Aililan never performed useless tasks. Some had felt her sending the mission was a bit like adding legs to a sketch of a snake, but at this moment, its purpose had already manifested.
Function one: To give her own troops an excuse to go to war.
Function two: To show the War Pigs that she had other options.
Sage Cyril’s face twitched. He no longer cared about Aililan sending an army to participate in the war. Instead, he asked earnestly, “Miss Aililan, I have a question. I do not know why you sent a diplomatic mission to find the Wasteland Bulls, after all?”
Aililan waved her hand sharply and said with a cold snort, “It is nothing. After all, the Wasteland Bulls are also a powerful tribe of Orc-kin. There is no harm in having more negotiations. Perhaps it will even benefit the Mutual Market transactions hosted by us humans, don’t you think?”
Cyril was speechless.
Aililan’s words were almost an explicit mockery.
‘Although the cooperation with you War Pigs is quite pleasant, there is no harm in us humans finding a backup plan, is there?’
Just as you War Pigs actually dared to question me in such a tone now, isn’t this the purpose of a backup plan?
It was even more of a warning to the War Pigs: If you feel that cooperating with humans is a blow to your dignity, we humans can find other Orc-kin to cooperate with at any time.
She hit the nail on the head.
Cyril suddenly stood up and bowed, saying, “Miss Aililan, this matter was indeed a negligence on the part of us War Pigs. Here, I represent all of our War Pigs in thanking you for sending troops to help.”
Aililan finally flashed a slight smile, and her tone softened considerably as she said, “The War Pigs and I are close neighbors. Our friendship is as enduring as the sun in the sky. Helping you in battle is also helping us humans.”
Cyril laughed loudly, “You are right. The friendship between us War Pigs and humans is indestructible.”
Aililan waved her hand and said with a smile, “Since that is the case, then I shall take my leave.”
“Wait.”
“Oh? Does Mr. Cyril have something else?”
“Miss Aililan, you have come all this way, and you even helped us War Pigs such a great favor, almost single-handedly securing the victory. You are our War Pigs’ friendliest and most precious guest. How could we possibly let you return empty-handed?”
“Haha, what does Mr. Cyril mean by that?”
“Please… or rather, Miss Aililan, please stay for two more days. Wait until we have wiped out the Wasteland Bull tribe in one fell swoop, and then we will share a portion of the spoils with you. What do you think?”
Aililan narrowed her eyes slightly and said meaningfully, “That would be wonderful.”
‘He actually called me Aililan.’
‘No longer just the “Human Miss.”‘
It was clear that the War Pigs had also carefully investigated Aililan’s identity. Since that was the case, she didn’t bother to pretend anymore. Anyway, a public figure like herself could not stay hidden forever.
***
The War Pigs arranged a camp for the humans to station themselves. The subsequent war did not require the participation of Aililan and her people.
With the main battlefield already collapsed, the gathering place of the Wasteland Bulls was naturally defenseless.
In less than three days, most of the Wasteland Bulls’ gathering places chose to surrender. The tribe, which was once as famous as the War Pigs, announced that it would become a vassal of the War Pigs.
Among the gains, a large amount of resources was seized.
There were countless hides, cattle, and sheep.
As a thank-you gift, Cyril sent a list: [2,000 cattle, 30,000 sheep, 30,000 pieces of leather, 20,000 catties of wool, including more than 2,000 Orc-kin slaves.]
Aililan accepted the materials.
As for the Orc-kin slaves, she returned them to the Orcs.
At the cost of losing eighty cavalry, obtaining these spoils was not an unacceptable deal, but Aililan knew this was a gesture from the War Pigs.
Although Aililan had done things a bit dishonorably, the War Pigs were now completely on her boat and could only go down this path to the end.
Now, looking at the attitude of the outsiders, they saw the War Pigs as being too close to humans. Some even called them Beast-Traitors. If they were still half-hearted, they would truly be ungrateful.
At this point.
Aililan also felt relieved and had a long talk through the night with the high-level members of the War Pigs. This almost determined the future direction of the War Pigs.
The main problem lay in the fact that the War Pigs’ development model—or rather, the War Pigs’ political structure—was simply too backward.
***
Coming into the tent again.
At this moment, the atmosphere was a bit subtle.
On the main seat was the chief of the War Pigs, Baccus, and beside him was the Sage Cyril. At this moment, Baccus slightly stood up, as if he wanted to give up his main seat. In a certain sense, this meant a compromise.
Aililan just smiled and found a place to sit opposite Sage Cyril. This time, she would not overstep the host’s position.
She listened for a while to the War Pigs’ future development plans. It was nothing more than wanting to conquer more Orc-kin tribes, obtain more materials, and make the War Pigs stronger.
“Everyone,” Aililan suddenly interrupted, “Have you ever thought about building a city?”
As soon as her voice fell, the large tent suddenly became quiet. This was too shocking and unconventional.
In the entire world of Orcs, there was only one magnificent city in the north, which was also the Royal Court of the Orcs.
Cyril frowned slightly and asked, “Then I wonder, what insights does Miss Aililan have?”
Aililan just waved her hand and smiled, “I wouldn’t call them insights. I just think that with blind conquest, you can conquer the surrounding Orc-kin, but you cannot conquer their hearts.”
“Only by letting them gather under the banner of the War Pigs and recognizing the War Pigs as their masters…”
“Can it be considered correct.”
She paused for a moment.
Aililan finally threw out her most important point of view, saying in a low voice, “I have heard that the War Pigs take battle as their name. In ancient times, the blood of the Beast God flowed within you. The War Pigs are one of the orthodox lineages of the Orc-kin.”
“The North has a Fox King.”
“Why can’t the South have a Boar King?”
Aililan’s voice fell.
The entire tent became so quiet that a needle could be heard falling. A few Orcs who were not of the War Pig Tribe were even more stunned.
At the entrance of the tent, the War Pig guards even fiercely unsheathed a section of their combat blades.
Of course, they were not targeting Aililan.
Rather, they were targeting those Orcs who were not of the War Pig Tribe.
Chief Baccus’s breathing became heavy, and some high-level members even widened their eyes, their gazes filled with thick ambition.
They recalled Aililan’s words.
The Fox Tribe of the Northern Royal Court were Orcs favored by the Beast God. Weren’t the War Pigs also Orcs favored by the Beast God? Why could the Fox Tribe be a royal tribe while the War Pigs could not?
Cyril coughed dryly and gestured to everyone, saying, “Haha, Miss Aililan is joking. We War Pigs are just a small tribe. We just want to survive.”
Aililan also returned the smile and said indifferently, “Haha, Mr. Cyril is right. What I said just now was just some nonsense.”
“I have received some news on my end.”
“I heard that the Jackal Tribe has been making a lot of noise recently.”
“It is said…” Aililan smiled and waved her hand. “It is just a rumor, but that Jackal Tribe chief has the ambition to be a king. I thought the War Pigs also had such an ambition, so you can just take it as me talking nonsense, haha.”
If only one person does it, you might not dare.
But what if someone else is already doing it?
It’s like poaching during a famine year; your village might not dare, but the neighboring village has already poached and is eating. It’s hard to believe your village can remain indifferent and continue to abide by the law.
Aililan did not believe the War Pigs would not be moved, nor did she believe the War Pigs did not have the ambition to become a royal tribe.
This was also what Aililan had been doing: supporting two Orc nations in the southern part of the Orc lands to form a Tripartite Balance with the Northern Royal Court.
Moreover, because of the issue of royal power.
Their contradictions would inevitably be irreconcilable.
At that time, there would be war between the northern and southern Orcs, and internal conflict would consume them. The Northern Royal Court was indeed powerful, but the South had the support of humans!
Just thinking about it was a grand narrative, and all of this came from the hand of Aililan.
“That is all.”
“Since that is the case, I shall take my leave.”
Aililan stood up to say goodbye.
There was no need for them to agree on the spot.
She only needed to plant a seed in their hearts—a seed that wanted to establish a kingdom.
As long as it took root and sprouted, and then under Aililan’s cultivation.
‘I, Aililan, allow you to become a tree.’
‘Only then are you a towering tree.’