58. CRIPPLING

Zachery peered through Ragnar's eyes at the main central hut they had. It was wonderful in their own right. Fur covered the ground, and each stride felt like a step in the clouds.

Despite taking his time to enjoy their culture and architecture, Zachery squinted his eyes as he gazed at the dark mood that hovered inside the central hut.

Ragnar had overlooked this while seeking his mother. In Ragnar's memories, his mother was a strong warrior who led many warriors to success in raiding.

Ragnar inquired about his mother's location, and the attendants directed him to the main command chamber. Ragnar approached the command room and opened the door.

When Zachery saw Ragnar's mother's attitude and the primary champions of his army, he realised something horrible had transpired. Zachery looked at the map that they were looking at, which marked a land next to the Skjöldung tribe.

The air surrounding Ragnar altered as Zachery gained control of his body and the champions and his mother lifted their brows at him. As he examined the map, Zachery went forward with the authority of a commander.

"So, Cathay attacked, huh?" The champion's eyes widened as he saw that this was not the leader they had. Ragnar was all brawn and no brain. His policy was to fight to the death wherever they pointed.

"No, they ambushed the farmers and burned our farmlands and our yields..." His mother Freya responded, her eyes wide with surprise as she stared at her son. He looked exactly like his vicious father right now, with that icy glare in his eyes.

But, unlike his father, his eyes were not filled with greed. For a split second, a cruel glimmer shone inside those crimson eyes, but it went away as it came about.

"So, they are forcing us to raid, huh?" Zachery examined the map, focusing on the mountains that divided Cathay from the rest of the world. He looked north, towards the Leon Empire, at the river that likewise crossed through the Tribe.

"Why not? If they force us to break the agreement, who are we to refuse their request?" One of the champions yelled as he hoisted his glass of blood and drained it without pausing.

"Yes! No one will be able to stand against us with the All-Mother and Lojyor on our side!" The other champion raised his glass of blood and drank happily.

Zachery stared at each of them and thought to himself, 'Looks like their inner ancestors are awakening.'

Because ranking Mutant Warriors were immune to conventional alcohol, drinking blood was a common commodity among Warkarians. The only way for them to acquire a kick from a drink was to drink the mutant beast's blood, which was an excellent way to become intoxicated.

Despite the fact that every champion was smiling. Ragnar's mother constantly had a worried expression. Freya got the uneasy sensation that everything was a deception to get her to do something significant. It was almost as though one was enticing the large beast towards a large game, only for the boulder to land on its head.

"We're not going to raid," Zachery answered, his eyes flaming crimson. Zachery's champions stopped cheering and cast odd glances towards him. His mother likewise glanced at her son, as though she couldn't believe her kid had ordered authority to make decisions about their future.

Ragnar had no idea about tactics or strategy at first. When he grew up, he also didn't contribute anything. He simply did as his mother and champions instructed.

He was also not as powerful in decision-making. His mother was the one who made all of the decisions concerning the tribe. But, for the time being, her son was the one who made a decision, hopefully understanding that the adversary had just baited them.

Also, Zachery was the strongest person in this room. Actually, his mother was the strongest, ranking fourth in the Mutant Warrior power system. But Zachery could simply delete her from the list of potential threats because Freya loved Ragnar too much to hurt him.

And after Freya, Zachery became the most powerful person in the room. Ragnar's champions had a power system rank of 2 because they were an essential element of the army, but the final choice was always in the hands of Zachery.

"Then what are we going to do when we are in need of food, My liege," Bjorn, one of the champions, inquired a worried expression on his face.

"We are going to occupy Cathay." Everyone was taken aback by Zachery's order because Warkarians were never a race that occupied a settlement.

They didn't see the need to occupy the settlement, and they found that raiding was more profitable. It was also not in the old ways to occupy a city, and they had never even experienced a siege fight.

"Son... we've never been in a siege. We were always a fast army that prioritized ransacking. I am worried we will incur severe casualties if we subject our forces to a hasty siege." Freya spoke gently and seriously, displaying her motherly understanding and pride as a tribal champion.

Zachery nodded and glanced at the chart again, making some sort of plan in his head as he stared out at the sea, which was a vital trade route for Cathay and the tribe. "Who said anything about sieging?" Zachery smiled at his mother as he pointed to the sea behind Cathay.

The sea beyond Cathay was famous for its supplies that had been provided for both the tribe and Cathay. 

"We're going to cut their supply routes," Zachery said, sneering at Cathay's naivety. By antagonizing his tribe and effectively crippling it in terms of food. They had not considered what might happen to them and their satellite communities.

In this tribe, Zachery possessed the best cavalry in this world, which was a cavalry of armored bears with lances on the riders. When it came to ambushes or break attacks, his army was practically unrivaled.

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