Chapter 204: Hafling Bullies

The tables had been returned to their respective positions, and Ka'z once again sat beside Pumba as the drinking and feasting continued around them. The brief interruption caused by Charles's defeat had gradually faded into the background, and the music resumed as Gnolls returned to their conversations and drinking. Yet the atmosphere around the main table was noticeably different.

The laughter was quieter, and everyone seated there wore fairly serious expressions as they turned their attention toward the agreement being negotiated. Ka'z remained mostly silent, listening carefully while occasionally glancing toward Wolvrac and Bao. He had already suspected that the surrender of Galoria's mines would only be the beginning of the Halflings' demands.

Pumba dropped the chicken bone onto his plate before picking up his wooden cup and slamming it against the table. He belched loudly afterward, his stern expression somewhat undermined by his reddened face. Yet nobody at the table mistook his drunkenness for ignorance.

Pumba had been drinking heavily throughout the night, but his speech remained clear, his thoughts organized, and his eyes alert. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"It's good your people willingly handed over the mines. However, that was only half of our demands. I'm sure you are aware of what I'm referring to, Chief Wolvrac?" Pumba asked, fixing his gaze on the old Gnoll Chieftain seated across the table.

Wolvrac nodded casually before rising from his seat. The old Chieftain reached for the wine jug and began refilling Pumba's wooden mug, his movements calm and deliberate. Pumba watched him closely, his expression becoming slightly more serious. He knew this was the difficult part.

Giving up the mines was one thing. The Gnolls could convince themselves that surrendering territory was necessary to preserve their lives, but forcing their own people to spend their days digging through the earth for the benefit of the Halflings was something entirely different. Those workers would be risking their lives and exhausting themselves without receiving any of the wealth being extracted from their own land.

When Wolvrac finished filling the mug, he placed the jug down and returned to his seat.

Pumba leaned forward slightly. "How many men of your tribe will be working in the mines for us?" he asked.

The question immediately sucked the warmth out of the conversation around the table. Several Gnolls stopped eating, while others exchanged nervous glances. Even the music in the distance suddenly seemed quieter despite continuing in the background. Every eye turned toward Wolvrac.

The old Chieftain did not immediately answer. He simply sat there calmly, his weathered face revealing almost nothing as he considered the weight of the question.

After several seconds, he finally spoke. "We have a hundred people ready to work for you, great warrior."

Buzz!

Pumba's eyebrows rose, and genuine surprise appeared across the faces of the other Halflings. They had clearly expected resistance or perhaps a much smaller number. Even Bao seemed slightly surprised by how quickly Wolvrac had accepted the demand. A hundred workers was already a substantial portion of Galoria's available population, especially when considering that many of their people were needed for hunting, agriculture, childcare, construction, and military duties.

Greed immediately flashed across Pumba's eyes.

He leaned forward, resting one elbow against the table as a calculating smile slowly formed on his face. "Make it one hundred and fifty. There is gold, copper, silver, zinc, and lead to extract from your mines. A hundred people will not do."

The mood changed instantly.

Bao's expression became ugly as his ears flattened against his head. "The initial agreement was that you would send over people as well to join in the mining. A hundred workers is already a generous amount!" he snapped.

Pumba scoffed and leaned back in his chair, completely unimpressed by Bao's objection. "Well, our people are indisposed now, and your people have to make up for it," Pumba said dismissively.

Bam!

Bao slammed his hands against the table and rose abruptly to his feet. The force of the impact rattled the wooden cups, and the music died down almost instantly as everyone in Galoria turned toward the main table. Conversations ceased one after another until the entire settlement seemed to be waiting for the confrontation to unfold.

"That was not the agreement!" Bao said adamantly, his voice carrying across the settlement.

Pumba's expression hardened. He slowly lifted his eyes toward the Gold Core Gnoll standing before him. "Then will you fight us on the field to challenge this decision?" he asked coldly. "If you are not willing to spill blood to change this decision, then be quiet!"

Bao's jaw tightened. He wanted to respond, but the words refused to come.

Pumba had made his position perfectly clear. He believed the Halflings would win if the dispute escalated into open violence, and Bao knew there was a very real possibility that he was right. The Halflings had powerful magic, trained warriors, superior magical knowledge, and Pumba himself was a Gold Core warrior with decades of experience. If Galoria lost a battle, the consequences would be far worse than one hundred and fifty workers. The Halflings could simply enslave the survivors and force even more Gnolls into the mines.

From Pumba's perspective, he was doing them a favor by demanding labor instead of slaughtering them.

Wolvrac seemed to understand the same calculation. He reached across the table and gently grabbed Bao's hand, giving it a small tug. Bao's ears twitched, and his fists remained clenched for several seconds before he reluctantly sat back down. His eyes remained fixed on Pumba with barely contained anger.

Wolvrac turned toward the Halfling Chief Warrior. "We will prepare one hundred and fifty men as you have requested," he said quietly.

"Hmph."

"At least some of you have some common sense." Pumba nodded with a satisfied expression.

He picked up his wooden mug and drained the entire contents in one go, rum running down the corners of his mouth and soaking into his thick goatee before spilling onto the table. Ka'z watched him for a moment before reaching for a clean piece of cloth.

"Teacher... May I?" Ka'z asked.

Pumba glanced at him before giving a small nod. Ka'z leaned over and carefully wiped the drink from his teacher's lips and goatee, making sure not to embarrass him further in front of the Gnolls and Halflings. Pumba chuckled proudly as Ka'z finished and withdrew the cloth. Ka'z immediately refilled his teacher's mug before returning his attention to the conversation.

Pumba seemed pleased by the gesture. He took another sip before turning his gaze back toward Wolvrac. "Like I said, we Halflings have better things to do with our time, so I can't stay here and supervise your work. That's why I plan to leave twenty men here under Boris as early as tomorrow morning. They will oversee the entire project and make sure everything moves smoothly."

Pumba paused before shifting his gaze from Wolvrac to Bao. "I hope you can house and feed these people while I'm gone."

Buzz!

Even Ka'z was taken aback.

He had been expecting further demands, but this was no longer simply an agreement. The Halflings were effectively forcing the Gnolls to surrender their mines, provide the labor, and then provide food and accommodation for the very people supervising the exploitation of their own territory.

This was outright bullying.

Ka'z glanced toward Wolvrac, afraid the old Chieftain would finally refuse. Yet Wolvrac remained calm. Before Bao could respond, the old Gnoll spoke with a polite smile.

"Of course, there won't be any problem. Our people have thrived because of our hospitality. You have nothing to worry about."

Bao slowly turned toward his Chieftain, his expression filled with disbelief, but Wolvrac gave him a subtle look that told him to remain silent.

Pumba immediately laughed.

"Hahahahahahahaha! Good, good! Then we have nothing to worry about. Let's continue with the party. Drink up!"

The tension at the table slowly eased as Pumba raised his mug. The musicians, who had been waiting nervously for permission to resume, began playing again, and the Gnolls gradually returned to their drinking and conversations. Cups were lifted, food was passed around, and the celebration continued as though nothing had happened.