Chosen Mate Of The Beastmen Empire

Chapter 400 Chapter 400

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"The longer the court holds out against us, the more silver it will cost them. They won't drag this on forever," the elder said confidently, patting Monka on the shoulder to reassure him.

As long as they could hold out until Erik left and the army retreated, they would be safe and could return to live in the village at the foot of the mountain.

Monka seemed to find his resolve and, with a slight boost to his spirits, climbed out of his chair. "I'll follow your advice, Father," he said.

After being relentlessly pursued by Erik's army for over three months, the barbarian tribe's village had been almost completely destroyed. The leaders of the various tribes were nearly all captured.

The remaining people merged into a larger village and, under the leadership of the great leader Monka, moved deep into the Misty Ridge.

The area was strategically rugged, filled with poisonous miasma and thick trees that blocked out the sun. Even without farmland, they wouldn't starve in the short term by foraging from nature's bounty.

The barbarians' movements quickly reached Nevaton.

When the military leaders learned that they had moved their entire tribe deeper into the mountains, they grew increasingly frustrated, feeling like the barbarians were hiding in their shells like turtles or burrowing like rats.

Erik reviewed the intelligence and summoned several of the barbarians who had previously surrendered. "Are you familiar with the Misty Ridge?" he asked.

The barbarians, eager to prove themselves and earn redemption, wore excited expressions when they were called in, but upon hearing "Misty Ridge," their smiles instantly froze.

Hesitating for a long time, one of them finally gathered the courage to speak. "That place is cursed; we're not sure we know the way. No one goes there unless they have to, and only the elders in the tribe know it well..."

He nervously observed Erik's expression and bowed. "If the general needs, I am willing to try and guide you."

(

The others quickly followed, pledging their loyalty and offering to do whatever they could to help.

Erik didn't say whether or not he would use them, but asked them to explain the geography and conditions of Misty Ridge in more detail before dismissing them.

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Ten days passed in a flash.

While the leaders were growing increasingly troubled, the ordinary soldiers were unaffected by the barbarians' movements.

The Pacification Army still trained diligently every day, eating heartily, and waking up each morning full of hope for another day.

Life in Misty Ridge, however, was not easy for the barbarians.

The village had already run out of food. Apart from the great leader and his father, everyone else had to forage for wild fruits and vegetables around the village. They couldn't venture far for fear of wild animals, and occasionally finding a bird's nest with eggs was a rare treat.

Such days seemed endless, with everyone growing pale and emaciated, constantly praying that the imperial army would retreat and stop dragging things

out.

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But no matter how much they prayed, the imperial army showed no signs of retreating.

Instead, the village received an unexpected visitor: In the dead of night, the village was in complete darkness, and the night watchmen were napping in their posts when they suddenly heard a disturbance near the gate.

"Who's there?" one of them asked, jumping up and drawing his bow toward the sound.

Other patrolmen rushed to his side, gripping their weapons tightly as if facing a great threat.

They thought, 'Is it the imperial soldiers sneaking up on them? Or perhaps a wild beast from the mountains?'

The vibe was tense when, from the dark shadows of the trees, a few figures emerged, whistling in rhythm-a familiar tune that only the villagers knew.

"Drew and Draven?" The patrolling soldier squinted, focusing his gaze. He recognized two of the figures as the brothers who had once served by the great leader's side.

Despite the familiarity, their wariness didn't lessen. They quickly surrounded the uninvited guests, their eyes filled with scrutiny. "Aren't you supposed to be in Nevaton?"

Truth be told, these men were traitors.

"It's a long story," Drew said, avoiding mentioning their betrayal. Instead, he sighed and shook his head, pointing behind him. "We've brought some food and cloth to the village."

Food?

What?

Upon hearing the word "food," the patrolmen's eyes immediately lit up, and they couldn't take their eyes off the bags. Their grip on their weapons loosened considerably.

Drew and the others seized the opportunity and carried the bags into the village without resistance.

After walking a few steps, a fire suddenly lit up ahead, and hurried footsteps approached. It turned out that King Monka and his father had heard the commotion and came to check on the situation.

Upon seeing the faces of the traitors, King Monka's face darkened with fury.

"King," before he could speak, Drew and the others knelt, tears streaming down their faces. “We are guilty... We regret it.....”

The group wept bitterly, speaking in between sobs, condemning Erik for his inhumane actions. He had forced them to stay, but treated them like animals, humiliating them, even using the excuse of 'different races' to trample them.

"Ah Rong was beaten to death, hung up... beaten to death... We just couldn't take it anymore. When we heard about the tribe moving to Misty Ridge, we began planning our escape..."

Seeing their disheveled appearance, covered in injuries, and hearing their heart- wrenching cries, Monka couldn't help but empathize and furrowed his brow.

While traitors were detestable, they should not have been treated so cruelly simply because they were barbarians.

Angry voices rose all around as the barbarians expressed their deep sympathy for the suffering of their fellow tribe

members.

The old man beside Monka stood still, his face full of wrinkles making it difficult to

read his expression, his eyes hiding suspicion and curiosity.

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"How did you escape?"

It's not that he was overly suspicious-after all, these people were all traitors. No matter how sweet their words sounded, they may not be telling the truth. It might all be a conspiracy.

When talking about their escape, the group spoke in a chaotic manner, each trying to explain in their own way.

They didn't live together in Nevaton, and their plans were all different. They had agreed beforehand to act tonight, to escape through the city gates at the appointed time, then meet up outside the city and head into the mountains together.

There was a buzzing noise, and the old man's head felt as though it would explode from the chaos. He couldn't discern any contradictions in their story. "Time was tight, the journey dangerous. We could only manage to sneak some food and cloth that we could get our hands on," Drew said, his tears suddenly flowing again, his voice choked with emotion. He trembled and pulled out a cylindrical object from his chest. "And... and this..."

The object still had blood on it, half-dried. Draven, standing nearby, let out a heart-wrenching cry upon seeing it.noveldrama

The sight of them left the elder in shock. "What... is this?"

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