These bloodthirsty war-maniacs will start wars even when there’s nothing going on, just to loot other people’s wealth, let alone when you hand them a pretext on a platter.

The news that the Blood Gorge City Lord, the bloodthirsty warlord Blood Claw, had led his Elite into the Giant Plains spread like the wind across the entire Giant Plains, tugging at everyone’s nerves.

The first to be affected, naturally, was Wuerkrna, who styled himself King of Orcs and Trolls; this was his core territory.

If he failed to make an effective response, it would be the same as getting slapped in the face in public; his prestige would be ruined, and the Monster Tribes who feared his strong rule and sheltered under his dominion would easily grow disloyal.

That King Wuerkrna had been able to rise from between the cracks in the situation was relying on far more than empty bragging; he truly had real skill, and his reaction was extremely fast.

Just as dawn was breaking, he led a large Elite unit of Beastman Cavalry to block Blood Claw’s group.

Being able to pinpoint Blood Claw’s movements in the dead of night fully demonstrated this Half-Ogre’s degree of control over his territory.

It showed that along the route there were people using Spells to relay information to him, reporting Blood Claw’s movements.

"Blood Claw General, are you planning to go to all-out war?" King Wuerkrna demanded furiously the moment they met.

When he saw the Body Type of the three Blood Oath Warlords, his expression became even more perplexed and uncertain.

He’d heard that from the moment they stepped into the Giant Plains they had remained in this Body Type; that was clearly not the effect of Magic Items.

Either they had gained an even stronger ability, or they had used a Permanency Spell to make Advanced Giant Transformation permanent on themselves.

The latter wasn’t frightening; what was frightening was the former.

Who knew whether, in the process, they had gained some other additional ability.

"If we wanted all-out war, we wouldn’t have come with just this few people." Blood Claw shouted back. "I came to make a deal with the Clan Leader. But shouldn’t the Clan Leader first give us an explanation? You’re sheltering large numbers of the remnants of our enemies—what is your intent?"

As he spoke, Blood Claw’s vicious eyes fell upon the dozen-odd tall, burly figures guarding King Wuerkrna.

They were hunched, their arms almost dragging on the ground, their claws sharp as razors. Their height was no less than those large Orcs riding Colossal warhorses, and the gaze they fixed on Blood Claw’s group was filled with a hatred that wouldn’t disperse.

Noble Giant Trolls.

The remnants of the Troll Kingdom who had fled in rout to the Giant Plains—eighty percent of them had probably been gathered up by the Beast Demon Tribe.

Usually, so as not to provoke the Gnoll Queen of Colossus City and the Hobgoblin Warlord of Blood Gorge City into extreme reactions...

King Wuerkrna had always chosen to keep them hidden away in the snow.

When he heard that Blood Claw’s group had barged in for no reason, he had no time for that in his haste.

Blood Claw’s side had always been fully aware of this; now he was just seizing on the issue to play it up and seize the initiative in the conversation. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Wuerkrna feigned ignorance and said, "Remnants of your enemies? Where does that come from? You don’t mean them, do you—are you suspecting they used to be Noble Giant Trolls of the Troll Kingdom?

When did the Troll Kingdom ever occupy the Giant Plains? The Advanced Trolls here weren’t all part of the Troll Kingdom.

They are clansmen of our Beast Demon Tribe; they have been since the day they were born."

This Half-Ogre lied without needing to rehearse, sounding utterly justified, with not a trace of a liar’s guilt in his manner.

"Fine, I’ll tentatively believe the Clan Leader this once." Blood Claw did not cling to this issue but went straight to the point. "Charoma and her Jackalweres have crossed the line. Her Jackalweres haven’t just been raiding our trade routes again and again.

Recently they’ve been pushing far to the south, to the point of threatening our pastures.

She must pay the price for what she’s done. Which side does the Clan Leader intend to stand on?"

What Blood Claw said was no slander; it was entirely true.

Just as Ms. Katherine had said, agreements exist to be torn up—especially among these Monster Tribes.

A lot of the time, it wasn’t they who tore them up, but those Monster Tribes.

Unlike intelligent races, these Monster Tribes had very little concept of Fidelity; they pledged themselves far more to raw power.

When a new strong power emerged, the Speed at which they swelled was often terrifying, and swelling alongside them were their ambition and their nerve.

The Jackalwere Queen Charoma was exactly such a case.

Some things might not have been directly ordered by the Jackalwere Queen; after all, rapid expansion often meant your control over your territory would be weakened.

Plenty of people were borrowing the tiger’s might, acting under her banner—especially the Jackalwere Tribes.

All of that mess of debts could easily be laid at her door.

Calculated that way, she wasn’t being wronged at all.

Even the Beast Demon Tribe of the Half-Ogre couldn’t withstand this kind of accounting; they too had a backside full of messy debts.

Their ceasefire agreement could only maintain peace on the surface; small-scale conflicts and wars had never stopped.

Many Monsters were extremely stupid—don’t expect them to grasp anything too complicated.

There was tremendous instability within the Monster Tribes, and as Clan Leaders and Leaders changed, their behavioral patterns would shift as well.

The Half-Ogre bared his teeth in a ferocious grin. "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. Once you wipe out the Jackalwere Queen, won’t we Beast Demons be next in line?

I won’t let you get what you want. If you dare send troops against the Jackalwere Queen, you’d better be ready to face my rear attack at the same time."