"How’s the situation?"
At this moment, the entire village was in disarray, with corpses of Blood Wolves strewn about and blood spilled everywhere. Several simple wooden huts had holes punched in them from the earlier Blood Wolf raid, allowing cold wind to sweep in.
A group of Beastmen were cleaning up the aftermath, carrying the injured Beastmen into the huts, and using simple tools to repair the huts that had been damaged by the wolf pack, at least blocking the openings.
The Blue Young Dragon landed in the midst of the scene, glanced around at the tragic situation, suppressed the fury in his heart, and asked Kobold leader Vini with a deep voice.
"How many of our people were injured?"
"Reporting to His Highness, three of our people are severely injured and incapacitated, and eleven are lightly injured, with wounds caused by Blood Wolves, but they don’t seem to be serious."
The severely wounded were those who faced direct impact from the Blood Wolf Leader, and the lightly wounded were mostly bitten by Blood Wolves when they rushed out of the huts without weapons initially, or caught by wolf claws during the pack’s assault.
Despite the densely packed wooden spear formation being effective against the wolf pack, under high-intensity pressure, it was inevitable that some Beastmen were accidentally injured.
"Fortunately, a Goblin discovered the tracks of the wolf pack first when they went out to relieve themselves; otherwise, if they’d snuck into the houses, it would truly have been a disaster."
Talking about this made Vini shiver with fear, imagining the devastation if those beasts had quietly entered the houses. The Beastmen would surely suffer heavy losses without even having time to form a defense, let alone considering any counterattack later.
"The village guards were careless. Remember to assign people for night watch in the future. I don’t want incidents where the enemy sneaks in and is barely discovered afterward. Also, give credit to the Goblin who first warned us."
This incident served as a harsh reminder to Austin that places like the Kawa Great Forest are far from peaceful.
Although he chose a rather isolated spot for the nest, surrounded by terrain that offered some safety, experiencing such attacks in the environment of the Kawa Great Forest isn’t rare.
This Blood Wolf attack was somewhat fortunate, just as the Goblin discovered their approach while relieving themselves; otherwise, the Beastmen sleeping at night might have been caught off guard.
"Yes, Lord Austin, but there’s one more thing..."
Vini lowered his head in acknowledgment, a hint of hesitation in his tone.
"We found while cleaning up that the food in the storeroom was stolen by the wolf pack."
Today’s catch from fishing throughout the day, along with the leftover smoked meat of Ghost-headed Crocodile, was mostly taken by the Blood Wolf pack. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
During their retreat, the Blood Wolf Leader even made sure to take the food, and in the chaos within the village, nobody paid attention to this detail. It wasn’t until tidying up afterward that it was found the storeroom was nearly empty, leaving only some cereal grain and fruit seeds.
"Hmph! Those beasts!"
Upon hearing Vini’s explanation, Austin finally understood why the Blood Wolf pack attacked the tribe; it made sense that he noticed their tracks nearby. They likely came here due to food shortage, attracted by the fish scent when Beastmen were fishing and processing catches during the cold winter.
Given the sensitivity of the Blood Wolf’s nose, they couldn’t ignore the scent left by Austin’s activities nearby, yet they still invaded, clearly disregarding the presence of the Blue Young Dragon.
"For food, use these Blood Wolf carcasses to hold out for now. If it’s not enough, fish in the lake’s reservoir. As for those beasts, we’ll deal with them in a few days."
With over twenty Blood Wolves, Austin providing undistributed resources would sustain the Beastmen’s food supply without issue for a few days.
Once the injured Beastmen recover, that will mark the death of those beasts!
The following days entail recuperation and recovery.
From this attack, three Beastmen were seriously injured, including one of the Lizardman fighters struck by the wooden spear wielded by the Blood Wolf Leader, akin to a heavy hammer hitting several Beastmen head-on, even breaking several ribs, leaving them to gasp on the ground.
Fortunately, the Beastmen’s life force is astonishing. Recovery wouldn’t be a problem after ten days to half a month of rest.
Austin personally visited the wounded, specifically instructing Vini to take good care of the three severely injured Beastmen. They were heroes of the Dragon Nest Village, and it was crucial they recovered their health quickly.
However, what the Blue Young Dragon didn’t know was that his casual exhortation profoundly impacted the captive Beastmen within the Dragon Nest Village.
In the harsh Kawa Great Forest, severe injury equates to death.
In other Beastman Tribes, losing mobility and the ability to acquire food would deem someone invaluable.
Due to food scarcity, wounded Beastmen incapable of gathering food either starve or perish in agony, as no Tribe would squander limited reserves on those without value.
But Austin was different. His soul originated from another world, holding views entirely distinct from this one.
Moreover, under his guidance, sufficient food was obtainable even in icy conditions, eliminating any need to deprive injured Beastmen of their rations.
Besides, Austin currently needed to continuously expand the population of his growing Clan forces as, when the cold winter passed, developing land near the territory would require substantial manpower—how could he afford to easily abandon any Beastman.
The three severely injured Beastmen received excellent care, instantly causing a significant stir within the Dragon Nest Tribe.
In their past memories, the practice of abandoning wounded immobile Beastmen to fend for themselves was entirely reversed, as His Highness Austin not only personally visited the huts to offer comfort but also praise their valor, specifically instructing leader Vini to take good care.
All Beastmen watched all this unfold, fixing their gaze upon Austin.
At that moment, each Beastman present felt a sensation impossible to describe with words.
It was from that moment, a profound sense of belonging and unwavering loyalty toward Austin surged within all Beastmen’s hearts.
If prior attachment to Dragon Nest Village was due to ample sustenance, then now, it was further stirred by the Blue Young Dragon’s behavior, truly winning their hearts.
"A soldier dies for the one who knows them,"—this saying encapsulates the inner conviction of all the Beastmen present.
A seed of loyalty was planted within each Beastman’s heart, and it’s imaginable that, over time, this internal strength will grow into a towering tree.
Where the spear points, nothing can withstand!