Chapter 341: The Green Leaf Witch's Melancholy and Strategy
Information from the outside world?
On the Diyelong's thin, dark cheeks, a look of shame and panic appeared as he bowed. "I have betrayed the Lord Hero's trust. I failed to complete the task the Lord Hero assigned to me."
Before leaving last time, the Lord Hero had asked him to make contact with the oasis where the Half-Orcs resided to obtain more information from the outside, but in the end, he had nothing to show for it.
The Diyelong knew full well that the only reason the Oasis Humans had survived until now was entirely thanks to the Hero's power.
If the Lord Hero were to abandon them, the consequences...
Despair rose in the Diyelong's heart, and his body couldn't help but tremble.
"Lord Hero, please give us another chance! We will definitely not disappoint you, Lord!"
Alar's wheat-colored face instantly paled, and she spoke quickly, her voice agitated.
After hearing those words, she felt that Tang Zheng had already obtained the information he wanted from the mouth of that terrifying giant dragon, while they, the Oasis Humans, were completely unable to help the Lord Hero.
They were useless now...
Alar's eyes reddened. They lived in this desolate, harsh land that lacked all sorts of resources.
She knew that to get something from others, you had to demonstrate corresponding value or have something to offer in exchange.
Looking at the suddenly agitated pair, Tang Zheng was speechless. He felt they were overthinking things; he had no intention of abandoning this place.
On the contrary, after learning detailed information about this area from Ladon the Dragonman, he had become even more invested in this region.
This place was located in a remote part of the Far East, covered by a vast, desolate desert. Other than the Orc Kingdom that ruled the outer areas, there were no other powerful factions.
If, in the future, the Great Tomb of Nazarick proved unstoppable, this place would be suitable as a retreat.
The reason Ladon had been able to survive until now was precisely because this place was so remote!
"Diyelong, how many able-bodied young adults are there among all the Oasis Humans?"
Tang Zheng had originally wanted to explain, but the words died on his lips. With his current prestige among the Oasis Humans, too much explanation would only make them overthink.
"There are 2,137," the Diyelong replied swiftly, precise down to the last digit.
After all, the total population of the entire tribe was less than 5,000, and as the tribe leader, he needed to know about every single one of his people.
That half the population consisted of able-bodied adults was actually a bit frightening, but it was normal for the Oasis Humans. After enduring the war with the Grey Dwarves, food shortages, and other hardships, there were naturally very few elders left.
Tang Zheng pondered for a moment. "The large amount of food we obtained from the Grey Dwarves should be enough to maintain the supply. Alar."
"Yes!" Alar immediately stood ramrod straight and replied.
"During this time, you will be in charge of training all the able-bodied adults," Tang Zheng instructed.
The humans were too few to wage a war, let alone occupy the Half-Orc Empire. Therefore, Tang Zheng planned to organize the Oasis Humans into some kind of "association" to carry out operations.
Hearing this, the panic in the eyes of the Diyelong and Alar vanished. The Lord Hero clearly hadn't given up on them.
"I will definitely not disappoint the Lord Hero!" Alar replied happily.
Training the able-bodied adults?
The Diyelong, however, was thinking further ahead. The Oasis Humans were not afraid of death or injury. No matter what the Lord Hero wanted to do in the future, as long as they had his protection, it was enough.
...
Abelion Hills.
Tang Zheng, bringing Ladon with him, returned to the hills.
Thankfully, Ladon also possessed the "Fire Attribute Nullification" passive ability, allowing him to pass through the magma. Otherwise, Tang Zheng would have had to kill him once and then resurrect him.
Black Castle.
This was the strangely shaped castle originally built by races like the Blue Maggots and ogres. It was said that a red-robed magic caster from Zuranon had controlled the demi-humans to construct it.
Now, this castle had been occupied by the Twin Witches and their companions, serving as their current headquarters.
There were only three people in the great hall.
The Green Leaf Witch wore a melancholic expression, her gaze somewhat dazed, as she sat wearily in a wooden chair at the round table.
Having inexplicably become the ruler of the demi-humans in these hills, she had been excited at first. Now, however, she felt she was utterly unsuited to be a ruler.
Although, for now, it was only in name...
"If I had known, I would have refused back then," the Green Leaf Witch muttered to herself, raising a hand to her forehead.
"Hee hee."
Seeing her older sister's distressed expression, which was like someone who had just eaten an extremely bitter fruit, the White Mist Witch couldn't help but let out a light laugh. "Even so, you wouldn't dare refuse the Master's command, would you, sister?"
The Green Leaf Witch rapped her fingers on the table and glared at her younger sister, expressing her displeasure at this gloating.
"Crusch Lulu, what do you think we should do next?" the Green Leaf Witch asked, turning to the third person in the great hall for advice.
Through their interactions during this period, she had discovered that Lizardman Kuru Xue seemed more suited than her to be the ruler of these hills, so recently she had been asking for their opinion on certain matters.
Back when she was in the Great Wetland, the Green Leaf Witch had vaguely heard that there was a lizardman of a heteromorphic race in the Lizardmen Tribe, and never expected that they would now be colleagues.
They had also been a tribe leader of a Lizardmen tribe before, so it was no wonder they were so adept at handling such matters.
Lizardman Kuru Xue did not respond immediately. Their white-scaled claws were folded on the wooden table, and their red pupils glinted with thought.
After a brief moment of contemplation, they spoke.
"I believe that the hills have just suffered the dual calamities of the undead and the drought. It is not a suitable time for major changes."
Lizardman Kuru Xue's voice was soft, and the white-scaled tail behind them swayed gently.
"Is that so."
The Green Leaf Witch was inclined to agree, but a trace of worry still showed on her face. "The Master's goal is to have us control the entire Abelion Hills. If we just let things be, won't the situation spiral out of control?"
"That's right."
The White Mist Witch's upper body was tilted to one side, her shoulders twitching intermittently as if she had a nervous tic. She spoke with some trepidation and anger, "That Kōkosh of the Seven-Colored Scales is not an easy character to deal with."
"On the surface, he obeys our arrangements, but in reality, he's full of his own little schemes."
"And then there's Hector Weiss, the 'Beast General'. As the only other member of the original 'Ten Elites' remaining in the hills, his attitude is friendly, but his true thoughts are unknown."
At the mention of these two, a silence fell over the great hall. All three of them were wary.
After all, both of them were genuine demi-human powerhouses of the 'Heroic Realm.' One possessed immense individual power, while the other could command an army with the effectiveness of ten.
The three of them were no match for either.
"Because of our relationship with the Master, Gagaran is on our side, so it's not like we're completely helpless," the White Mist Witch said, her fidgeting ceasing as her pleasant voice rang out. "Plus, Crusch Lulu can use Fourth Tier Magic to create rain-filled dark clouds, and has gained immense prestige among the demi-humans of the hills."
"It's not enough," the Green Leaf Witch said, shaking her head.
"Demi-humans revere the strong. The prestige of Lizardman Kuru Xue alone is not enough to win over all the demi-humans."
In that regard, the prestige of that Kōkosh of the Seven-Colored Scales is even higher!
"As long as the Master is here, none of this is a problem. Whether it's Kōkosh of the Seven-Colored Scales or Hector Weiss the 'Beast General', he could deal with them easily."
The White Mist Witch spread her palms, leaned back in her chair, and said with a lighthearted laugh.
"White Mist."
The Green Leaf Witch reminded her sternly, "We can't rely on the Master for everything."
"Every single one of the Master's schemes in the hills has a significance that we cannot comprehend. Whether it's the Human Holy Kingdom, the Slane Theocracy, or even the fearsome Alliance Leader of Zuranon..."
"...they are all but pawns in the palm of the Master's hand."
As the Green Leaf Witch spoke, a hint of excitement and fanaticism crept into her voice.
As someone who had experienced it firsthand, she didn't know the Master's overall plan, but through her discussions with the White Mist Witch and Lizardman Kuru Xue during this time...
The three of them corroborated each other's accounts, and even though the entire Abelion Hills incident was over, they could still only vaguely perceive the framework of the Master's plan.
"The Master... is too amazing," the White Mist Witch said in agreement, her chin propped on her hands, her expression full of adoration.
To have orchestrated such a massive incident in the hills all by himself without being discovered by anyone, and to have been able to withdraw so calmly, even receiving thanks from all sides and gaining control of the hills...
At this thought, the Green Leaf Witch and the other two felt a sense of shared glory and worship.
"If it were just a matter of power, the Master could have eliminated these defiant demi-humans himself."
"Since the Master has tasked us with controlling the hills, he must want us to truly take charge of the Abelion Hills, not control them through crude methods."
The Green Leaf Witch voiced her thoughts, but she still had no clear idea of how to proceed.
"Miss Enri..." Lizardman Kuru Xue began in a low voice, mentioning a name, but closed their mouth before they could finish.
"Enri is currently with Hector Weiss, the 'Beast General,' learning how to command troops. She's in the process of clearing out the remaining undead in the hills."
The Green Leaf Witch shook her head and spoke calmly.
Although she didn't say it outright, her meaning was clear: there were some things that weren't suitable for Enri to know.
"If only Enri could truly master that power... Kōkosh of the Seven-Colored Scales must have gotten detailed information about her from Hector Weiss."
The White Mist Witch snorted coldly and said with some dissatisfaction, "He knows Enri can't freely unleash that terrifying power, which is why he's grown so arrogant lately."
"That's enough," the Green Leaf Witch interrupted, frowning.
To be honest, between the Twin Witches, the Green Leaf Witch's relationship with Enri was relatively better.
The White Mist Witch rarely appeared in public to begin with, and later spent most of her time in the hills, so her impression of Enri was rather neutral.
The great hall fell silent once more.
Evidently, none of the three could think of a good starting point.
The Green Leaf Witch pondered for a long while. Her amber eyes fell upon Lizardman Kuru Xue, who sat opposite her. She suddenly asked, "Crusch Lulu, what is it you're working so hard for?"
"Ah?"
Lizardman Kuru Xue was taken aback.
"I can tell that you have some kind of goal, right?" the Green Leaf Witch said with a smile.
"Perhaps..."
"Perhaps... I want to bring my fellow lizardmen who live in the Great Wetland to the Abelion Hills."
"The environment and resources here are much richer. It should allow our tribe to develop better."
Lizardman Kuru Xue's hands, which were folded on the table, shifted unnaturally as they spoke in a low voice.
"Is that so," the White Mist Witch said, somewhat surprised. It was the first time she had heard about Lizardman Kuru Xue's motivations. "You really are well-suited to be a tribe leader."
Hearing this, Lizardman Kuru Xue suddenly became a little embarrassed.
Across the table, the Green Leaf Witch, on the other hand, became thoughtful. She had caught a useful piece of information in Lizardman Kuru Xue's words.
"External aid"!
The reason their control over the demi-humans in the hills was so weak was because there were too few of them, and they had no kinsmen of their own.
"White Mist and I are only two people; we have no tribesmen. Crusch Lulu's Lizardman tribesmen, however, are a good option."
"This matter requires the Master's approval, and it's too late for that now. Perhaps we can first win over some of the smaller demi-human tribes."
The Green Leaf Witch was lost in thought.
*Wom—*
Suddenly, the air not far away rippled, and then a terrifying pressure washed over them, causing the expressions of the Green Leaf Witch and the others to change drastically, as if they were being targeted by some fearsome beast.
The next moment!
A figure appeared in the great hall.
"Oh, the three of you are all here?" Tang Zheng said with a smile, greeting them.
"Master!"
"Master!"
"Ma... ster."
The wary expressions on the three of them vanished, replaced by two respectful voices and one that was slightly hesitant and nervous.
He noticed the reflexive surge of magical energy from the three of them.
*Did the influence of Ladon's Dragon Aura spread out along with the teleportation?*
A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes as he glanced at Lizardman Kuru Xue in surprise. *They didn't call me Master before; it was always 'Lord Human'. Have they started addressing me the same way as the twin witches?*
Tang Zheng didn't really care about such minor details.
"The three of you are gathered together. Did you run into some kind of trouble?" Tang Zheng asked curiously.
The White Mist Witch and Lizardman Kuru Xue glanced at each other, a little hesitant.
"Not at all, Master," the Green Leaf Witch was the first to speak.
"Mm."
Tang Zheng nodded. "Have those Dark Dwarves from the hills been settled in with the Dwarf Artisans?"
"They have been settled. These Dark Dwarves are very obedient and are currently under the command of the Dwarf Artisans," the Green Leaf Witch immediately replied.
"That's good."
"Have this group of dwarves forge two thousand... no, three thousand sets of magic armor and weapons. There shouldn't be any shortage of raw materials in the hills right now."
Tang Zheng gave his instructions. He planned to first prepare a complete set of magic items for the Oasis Humans. "I'll give you a list for the specific equipment."
Since he had capable artisans on hand, there was no reason not to use them.
(end of chapter)