Including the time spent struggling to escape, Edward has been inside the Kawa Great Forest for at least more than half a year, and he has a relatively good understanding of the thoughts of the beastmen living in the vast jungle in the south.
In the forest, there is only one thing that is most important, and that is food. Some beastmen even value food more than grain.
Before the arrival of the cold winter, due to the rapid population expansion of beastmen in the previous nine months, most tribes would find it difficult to survive the desperate white cold winter relying solely on previously stored harvests.
To obtain enough grain and to clean up excess population, a month before the cold winter, many beastmen would come out of the forest in groups and attack the Bloody Border.
If successful, the beastmen can enter human territories through the breached defense line, plundering and acquiring a large amount of food. Even if unsuccessful, the significant loss in population reduces the pressure on the beastmen tribes' food consumption during the cold winter.
As for that month before each cold winter, beastmen invasions have almost become customary.
Except for the month before and after cold winter, it's usually a time of peace. The many beastmen tribes living within the Kawa Great Forest will not waste their power attacking the Bloody Border, for hunting wild beasts and gathering food also requires manpower, and tribes must retain some strength to avoid being swallowed by enemies.
Therefore, although beastmen invade the border every year, it is only concentrated in the month before the cold winter, and invasions rarely occur during other times.
Especially at the beginning of the end of the cold winter, when the ice and snow recede, a significant portion of the beastmen have already died in the cold winter, and the remaining beastmen are mostly starving. Moreover, after the cold winter, all things are revived, and wild beasts emerge from their lairs, making it a good time for hunting.
In the past years, after the end of the cold winter and at the start of a new year, the border is the safest time of the year.
But now, has everything changed?
The gigantic walls stand tall on the plains, rising like mountains, stretching endlessly. This is the most famous Bloody Great Wall at the border, an iron wall defense line established by humans over a thousand years, isolating the numerous savage beastmen of the Barbaric Land to the south of the Great Wall from the Central Earth World.
However, at this moment, Edward has no time to marvel at this enormously majestic structure. He quickly entered the Border City inside the walls, following the old man.
"A few years ago, as you said, the savage beastmen's harassment was focused in August and September before the cold winter began... But in these past two years, everything has already changed. Those beastmen have gone mad, launching large-scale attacks and harassment except during the immobile cold winter. Especially recently, those beastmen seem crazy, rushing up without regard for casualties..."
In the old man's rambling, Edward's brows furrowed even tighter.
Before entering the Kawa Great Forest, Edward had hired the Black Bear Mercenary Corps to enter the Kawa Great Forest with him, and although he felt something was wrong with the Border City at that time, he didn't dwell on it.
Upon entering the Kawa Great Forest, he noticed some signs that seemed to indicate super large tribes of hundreds of thousands or even millions of people were migrating towards the border. Some tribal stations were deserted, which allowed them to cross the "defense line" where beastmen were gathering, entering the central part of the Kawa Great Forest with little loss.
When Edward observed the signs of migration of those large beastmen tribes, he was somewhat puzzled, but considering it was already close to August and September, with the cold winter approaching, the migration and attack on the Bloody Border by a massive number of beastmen seemed normal, so he didn't pay much attention.
But now, it seems everything is not that simple.
"...Last year, during the most frenzied beastmen attack, it was said that there were millions of beastmen gathered outside the entire border Great Wall. Even Grand Duke William of the Eagle Duchy had to personally join the battle, barely holding the beastmen outside the Border Great Wall."
The old man recalled last year's event with lingering fear.
"Last year, that must have been after I entered the Kawa Great Forest. What exactly happened!" Countless questions arose in Edward's mind.
After so many years of tug-of-war-like wars, the beastmen south of the Border Great Wall should clearly know how difficult the Bloody Great Wall is to breach, yet they still acted without hesitation. There must be no reason for such actions to occur!
"Old man, thank you for your help."
Edward expressed his gratitude and then hurriedly left.
It is certain that some unknown changes have occurred in that savage land in the south of the Kawa Great Forest, leading to this series of events.
Now, restoring his identity is the most important thing in front of Edward. More information may only be truly known by the upper nobility. As for the damned Blue Young Dragon issue, he can only wait until he overcomes this current hurdle to address it.
Meanwhile, outside the Border City, dozens of miles away, in the vast and boundless forest, large groups of beastmen were moving silently toward the Bloody Border, dragging their families and carrying all their possessions.
The endless, dense mass of figures, possibly numbered in the millions!
This is a beastmen coalition army composed of several super-large tribes surviving at the Bloody Border. For some unknown reason, these super-large tribes, which used to act alone and even had numerous conflicts with each other, strangely united and moved slowly toward the Bloody Border.
This time, the beastman raid is larger than any previous one!
Shortly after, the massive beastman troops began to stop and rest. In the center of the beastman tents, several powerful and distinct beastmen leaders gathered in a large tent, while outside, groups of elite beastman guards were mutually wary and patrolled around.
"...The spread of those things is too fast; we have no time and no retreat. We must breach the human Great Wall within these months, or all our sons will perish!"
"...The Great Wall is not that easy to breach; what if we can't breach it?" Follow current novels on NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
"...We'll see; if we can't, then let's negotiate with the humans. I think they wouldn't want to deal with those things either."
"How is the preparation of the rear base point, which concerns the safety of all of us?"
"...Our rear base points are mostly complete. But what about you, Blood Claw? Why is there no news from the southeast side?"
"...Hmph! Just take care of the area you're responsible for. We've already sent people to investigate on our side, and we'll notify you of the results!"