Chapter 399 278: Handsome Beastmen (Part 2)

"Actually, I'm curious about something." Levi tossed the spyglass to Mier, who had been waiting impatiently beside him, and asked something no one else had thought of yet. "With such a massive number of Demons, their daily logistical consumption must be staggering. The area around White Bone Fortress is all uninhabited wilderness, with no villages for them to plunder. How are they sustaining themselves?"

"According to Lord Damon, the mountain Lizardmen in those ranges were the first to be attacked by the Demons. By now, even if they haven't been wiped out, only their elders, women, and children are likely left, migrating deeper into the mountains."

"Those Lizardmen would have sustained them for a while. After that, it's the corpses of their own fallen, or they just eat the low-ranking Demons." Bodoff removed his Mage's Hat. The Southern Territory was gradually growing hot, and since he hadn't cultivated any ice-related Magic, he had no choice but to endure the sweltering sun.

"So the Lizardmen who have plagued the Southern Territory for a hundred years were dealt with that easily. If the Old Duke knew, he'd probably be happy enough to jump out of his coffin." Levi told a dry joke, but no one in the group laughed.

"Thanks." Bodoff took a slice of juicy red watermelon from Mier and thanked him before continuing, "Anyway, to sum it up: they eat grass, plant roots, corpses... and if worst comes to worst, high-level Demons eat low-level ones. No matter what, they won't starve."

"What a rough life," Levi said, taking a huge bite of watermelon. The cool juice instantly filled his mouth, and a sense of satisfaction washed over him.

'To think it was all ice and snow when we headed south, everyone bundled up in thick cotton clothes. Now, we're eating cool, refreshing watermelon.'

If any of Debei's corps had to live like those Demons, every last one of them would have thrown down their weapons long ago and let their lord fight on the front lines alone.

Never mind that High Cliff Castle's Warriors didn't have such a thing as military pay; the Lord himself covered all their room and board, taking care of all their living expenses.

The food was of the highest standard, and they could eat as much as they wanted, as long as they didn't waste it.

An expense like that was practically no different from paying a military salary.

This was part of the reason why no one in High Cliff Castle, from top to bottom, cared whether they were paid or not.

Of course, the more important reason—that they revered their Lord like a god—goes without saying.

"I can't believe you have the leisure to be here shooting the breeze at a time like this, my Lord." Fujero popped up out of nowhere. Looking at the people of High Cliff Castle, who were joking and laughing just as they always had, he was filled with admiration. He then held out his hand. "Mier, can I trouble you for a slice?"

You have to understand, after arriving here and seeing the massive Demon army firsthand, the entire Northern Territory contingent had been thrown into an uproar.

The contrast made the difference in caliber glaringly obvious.

"Tch. Are these Demons going to disappear if I worry about them?" the Lord snorted. 'Though I'm just as shocked on the inside,' he thought. But in front of an outsider, he couldn't help but clasp his hands behind his back and say with an air of casual confidence, "I have always believed that destiny is in our own hands. These Demons are just grasshoppers after autumn—living on borrowed time. In this battle, we of Debei will achieve a swift victory!"

"Badass!" Fujero gave him a heartfelt thumbs-up.

If anyone else had said that, it would have sounded like empty boasting. But coming from this Lord, it was somehow convincing.

Levi waved his hand humbly and asked, "What does Duke Fulina say? Are we fighting or not?"

Unlike when they headed south, he was now here representing Liya and High Cliff Castle to deal with these Demons. He wasn't under Fulina's command and could make his own decisions on some matters.

But when it came to a large-scale battle like this, the decision was almost always left to her.

After all, the biggest taboo in war is having two voices, a divided chain of command.

"That's actually why I came." Fujero casually tossed the watermelon rind down the hillside and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Duke Fulina has decided to wait for reinforcements before attacking. Until then, we're to focus on defense."

"When will the reinforcements arrive?" Levi began to calculate how to arrange his forces in the meantime.

"They're only a day behind us. They should arrive by tomorrow evening." Fujero looked toward the horizon. "I hear the Griffin Knight Order and the Lion Heart Red Swordsmen will be the first to arrive."

"In the meantime, my Lord, you can make your preparations."

...

A day is a really short time. It was gone before the army had even finished setting up the basic defensive facilities around the perimeter.

The next morning, a strange wind swept in from the north, making the ankle-high ryegrass dance like waves of wheat.

Several thousand Griffin Knights appeared on the horizon, eventually arriving above the camp.

With them came the renowned Lion Heart Red Swordsmen.

They arrived faster than expected, though it was also to be expected.

They had completely abandoned their supply lines and traveled at full speed—by air, no less. If it weren't for the time wasted sending the message, they might have reached White Bone Fortress even before the Northern Border Corps.

The Lord had seen Griffin Knights before, so there was nothing to be curious about. His gaze fell upon the Great Swordsmen who had arrived riding the Griffins.

These towering brutes, all uniformly clad in azure Chest Armor, had arms as thick as marble pillars left bare. They stood with their arms crossed, faces filled with an "I'm the best in the world" arrogance, and seemed to exude a magical aura that repelled all riff-raff.

What was most striking was the Two-Handed Greatsword strapped to each of their backs, each one a head taller than its wielder. They looked incredibly intimidating.

After all, anyone who could wield a Two-Handed Greatsword was guaranteed to possess considerable strength.

If nothing else, they perfectly embodied the aura of a top-tier elite force.

Wherever their gazes swept, the Northern Soldiers would instantly flinch and avoid their sharp, knife-like stares.

While they were looking at others, others were looking back at them.

Whenever their eyes met, the Beastman Warriors would just scratch their butts and stare back with great interest, as if they were looking at some strange curiosity.

The Centaurs stood with their arms crossed and their eyelids drooping, but their eyes roamed over the newcomers' heads and necks, calculating how many arrows it would take to pierce their throats from this distance.

This made the perpetually arrogant Great Swordsmen extremely uncomfortable. Since their debut, who hadn't lowered their head upon seeing them, terrified of drawing their attention? This was the first time in history they had encountered people who would actually meet their gaze.

This was different from those Knights who had tried to hold their gaze in the past, all bravado on the outside but weak within. In the eyes of these Beastmen and Centaurs, they saw curiosity—the kind of look one gives a monkey dancing in a cage.

Just when the Lord thought the Great Swordsmen were about to bark, "What are you looking at?" they unexpectedly retreated, turning their heads to avoid the eye contact.

It wasn't fear. It was bashfulness.

The direct stares of these Barbarians were like those of a country bumpkin seeing a gaudily dressed prostitute for the first time in the city.

No one could withstand that kind of stare.

The Beastman Barbarians, on the other hand, knew no shame. Their thick-skinned nature was a perfect match for a certain someone's. They just picked their noses and asked curiously:

"Boss, why are these Swordsmen acting like a bunch of sissies?"

"Because you guys are so handsome, of course. Anyone would get shy and look away when a handsome man stares at them," Levi said, rolling his eyes. He held a handful of sunflower seeds, cracking them out of boredom.

"Heh heh, really?" The Barbarians touched their own faces, then flexed their huge biceps, striking various poses to show off their burly physiques, feeling pretty good about themselves.

"Bullshit! It's because you were staring at them like a bunch of country bumpkins seeing a gold nugget for the first time! You were just so shameless about it that they couldn't take it anymore!"

Levi facepalmed, finally understanding the true depths of their shamelessness.