Chapter 61: Chapter 3: Evil Land Nomads
Green Leaf Land is located to the north of the Central Plain. It may not be the richest place in the territory, but it certainly boasts the most beautiful scenery.
The soft green leafy hills and meadows here rise into undulating hills, with the Black Water River flowing through them. The rushing waters leave behind beautiful waterfalls and serene bays, decorated with countless verdant forests, creating breathtaking scenery between the mountains and waters.
But beneath this beautiful scenery lies the most risk-laden area in the fertile lands of Hesse Territory.
Dark forests, rugged passes, and deep valleys are home to all kinds of monsters and enemies. Bloodthirsty beastmen, despicable bandits, and rogue settlers are the forces most likely to appear here.
Especially when a territory’s lord is not strong enough to leave the roads and plains far behind to search the remote mountains and forests, all sorts of evil forces will breed here.
Rogue settlers are one such group, as the name suggests, wanderers living in the harsh areas of the Border Prince’s Territory.
When the Empire developed this fertile land of the Border Prince’s Territory, it not only included exiled noble descendants and Pioneer Territories but also employed a large number of criminals.
Using criminals and prisoners to develop a harsh land is a common tactic among the Empire’s nobles. Many rangers, thieves, bandits, and the like, guilty but not deserving of death, would be sentenced by the Empire to exile, with their destination being this sinful land of the Border Prince’s Territory.
Of course, in addition to those exiled to the Evil Land seeking forgiveness, many came to this land voluntarily, hoping for a different way of life. Such as those wanting to evade legal supervision, smugglers, outlaw leaders, and even rogue alchemists and pharmacists.
Even though many dubious people fled to the Evil Land to avoid the consequences of their previous actions, some were naturally drawn to life among these mountains, like farmers-turned-mobsters who lost their land. The pioneer lords openly developed the land on this terrain while these settlers secretly developed farms in valleys and gorges to evade taxes and seek hope for survival.
The two sides naturally had a strong adversarial nature; the nobles couldn’t tolerate them stealing their land, and the settlers couldn’t bear the nobles’ harsh taxes. Once discovered, war became inevitable, and one side must give in.
But it’s hard to say who has the greater chance of winning in this kind of war. After all, the rogue settlers include many desperadoes. On this land much harsher than the Empire, rogue settlers are accustomed to living in groups. Each rogue settler faction has a large number of people, and they’re often very united. They usually guard their strategically-placed farms, and in this kind of battlefield, the terrain is very unfavorable for the knights, making it not easy to win.
The Hesse Territory army discovered a farm that perfectly fits all these characteristics. This fortified farm is located between two mountains, overlooking the surrounding land, like a peak atop a ridge. Its walls are thick and strong, bearing many historical scars from past bandit and beastman raids. Each night, the owner of Limborg Farm would drive the livestock inside the tall walls.
This caution is undoubtedly the experience and lessons learned from multiple battles with beastmen and bandits.
When Su Li arrived with the knights and half-elf archers, it was nearly midnight. Tonight’s moon was unusually round, hidden behind dark clouds, its glow somewhat hazy and reddish.
This red moon, in the Evil Land of the Border Prince’s Territory, is considered a symbol of beastmen rampage. Each time the red moon appeared, hordes of beastmen would emerge from the forests, valleys, and cliffs, devouring a large amount of blood food, and after a storm, within a month, they could proliferate a lot of monsters.
And this Limborg Farm was precisely the target of a beastman beast group.
Knight Oerstein saw the reinforcements arrive, immediately gesturing for silence, and personally welcomed Su Li to the hillside where he had been lurking.
"Lord, about an hour ago, a group of beastmen also arrived here. Fortunately, we didn’t rashly alarm the farm following your orders. Otherwise, surrounded in the middle, facing enemies from all sides, we would have suffered heavy losses today."
Su Li, observing the situation in the direction pointed out, took a deep breath.
Along the path towards Limborg Farm on the forest’s edge, there were at least a hundred terrifying half-beastman monsters!
Although this beast group varied in appearance, they were all beast-headed human-bodied monsters, with goat heads and legs, and in between was a hairy and foul-smelling human torso. Possessing savage wolf teeth capable of tearing large chunks of flesh from enemies, and with their robust muscular strong physique, they could vent their instinctual rage at will.
They were the main force, called horned beasts. Although among them were some with horse heads, cow heads, and even hunting hound heads, with extra limbs, stalk eyes, and whip-like tails, mutations generally occurred on their humanoid torsos. The common identity symbol was the dreadful horn on their heads, and they wielded fine war axes and heavy broadswords.
Around them were many inferior horned beasts and inferior horned beast marauders. Their bodies were much weaker, but they were more agile and more vicious.
Generally, a horned beast requires a full-fledged knight to contend with, while inferior horned beasts are much weaker; an apprentice knight can handle three or four at a time, and even an armored armed attendant could slay one or two inferior horned beasts in battle.
But war is not a fair duel in an arena, and the horned beasts won’t stand still waiting for the knights to engage them one-on-one. Instead, they will actively attack those weaker than them to demoralize the enemy forces.
So given the strength of Hesse’s Territory, to defeat this beast group requires great caution. Once the war fails to achieve a swift victory, entering a bloody close combat, inevitable losses will occur for Hesse’s infantry!
Su Li cautiously watched the battlefield and quietly asked Knight Oerstein beside him: "What are these beastmen doing?"
Knight Oerstein replied in a low voice: "These monsters are not only brutal but also very cunning. They are negotiating with this Limborg Farm."
Negotiating?
Before Su Li could ask for more details, there was already a stir in front. The beastman leader and his group surrounded Limborg Farm and, with a guttural voice, stated their decision: "Hand over 5 blood meals and this farm will be spared tonight."
Inside the farm, a fierce dispute was evident: whether to sacrifice the farmers or their children to save their own lives and skins, or to fight the beasts to the bitter end?
Su Li immediately saw through the monsters’ plot, solemnly stating: "These monsters are deliberately weakening the opponent’s morale and undermining their unity. If the farm hands over 5 blood meals, even if the beastmen spare them this time, their strengthened forces will return with bigger ambitions. Over time, the fall of this farm is inevitable."