HBWnovel Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 39
Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 39
Lilya led her troops successfully bypassing the beastman’s surveillance and entered the vast lands within the Beastman Kingdom’s territory.
However, crossing the Black River and infiltrating enemy territory was just the first step of their plan.
To cut off the beastman’s supply lines, two things were necessary. First, they needed to find the routes commonly used by the beastmen for transportation. Second, they had to eliminate the supply units and burn the provisions before the beastman reinforcements arrived, then quickly retreat.
Cutting off the supplies wasn’t something that could be achieved in a single battle. What Lilya had to do was lead her elite force of two thousand soldiers to penetrate deep into the beastman’s rear lines like a nail, causing significant damage.
As long as the beastman commanders weren’t idiots, after the first supply convoy was intercepted, they would undoubtedly send out more troops for escort and reinforcement, even launching a sweep to surround the human force.
In the worst-case scenario, Lilya might have to face enemies ten times their number, and those enemies were individual beastmen known for their formidable combat abilities.
Of course, there was a more effective and efficient method, which was to follow the supply chain to find the critical granaries deeper within the Beastman Kingdom’s territory and destroy them in one go.
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On the 8th night after the raiding force had left the stronghold, the campfires in an unnamed small valley were so bright that it resembled daylight.
Kunnir was a somewhat renowned tigerfolk warrior. When the Beast King launched his attack on the Human United Kingdom, various beastman tribes responded to the call, contributing a significant number of young warriors. Kunnir was no exception, volunteering to join the army.@@@@
The Beastman Kingdom’s territory didn’t maintain a standing army as part of its organization. Virtually every citizen could become a warrior for the tribe at any time, and they didn’t even need weapons and armor. Their clawed hands were enough to tear through their enemies.
Therefore, except for the elite units directly under the royal and tribal chiefs, all beastman soldiers, including officers, were temporarily conscripted from the civilian population, and the organization was rather crude.
In simple terms, whoever could fight better could hold higher positions in the army and command more soldiers. This also led to a problem: beastman military movements were almost brainless and lacked tactics. They simply charged at the enemy head-on, which had its advantages and disadvantages. It worked well on the front lines, but in situations that required more strategic thinking, it had its drawbacks.
Kunnir was an oddity among the tigerfolk. While physically strong, he was also very intelligent and had the capacity for strategic thinking. He had even self-learned parts of the human language.
Noticing this, the commander-in-chief of the beastman army, the High Priest Saharit, assigned him as the logistics officer.
Most ordinary beastmen might be frustrated or dissatisfied with such a role since they couldn’t engage in direct combat. But Kunnir was wise, understanding the critical role of logistics in a war. He realized that the High Priest of the beastman tribes was not neglecting him but was actually placing trust in him. Therefore, he readily followed orders.
Now, it had manifested again, stronger than ever, and Kunnir’s tiger eyes even felt a hint of pain.
Something was about to happen, something of great significance, and it posed a major threat to his life.
The brawny tigerfolk leader abruptly stood up, and his armor, scavenged from humans, made a clattering noise as sharp, robust claws extended from his tiger paws. Kunnir forcefully pushed aside the tent’s large curtain and rushed outside.
“Intruders!”
“General? What’s happening? You look quite distressed.”
Two tall tigerfolk guarding the entrance turned their heads, puzzled by Kunnir’s grim expression. The wild howls and roars from the surroundings continued to echo, as if nothing had changed.
No, that wasn’t right!
The howling had become too dense, and at some point, it started mixing with faint cries of agony. There were enemies attacking them!
A bunch of fools! Why hadn’t anyone come to report this?
“Enemy attack!!! General order, prepare for battle immediately!”
Realizing the importance of this supply, Kunnir’s eyes filled with fury as he let out a deafening roar.
“What? Y-yes, General!”
The two tigerfolk guards hurriedly rushed to the nearby tents. The units already engaged in battle didn’t require their attention, the instincts of the beastmen would compel them to face the enemy. However, there were many sleeping soldiers who needed to be woken up immediately.
“General! It’s fire! There’s a fire! Our food...!”
Several tigerfolk, their fur singed black, came running from a distance, and even while they were on the way, their loud voices began to wail.
It was only now that Kunnir noticed the towering flames and the acrid scent that had already exceeded the brightness that a campfire could provide.
“What? Damn it!”