Chapter 756: 56 Chapter Reward_3 Chapter 756: 56 Chapter Reward_3 He numbly accepted the commendation, his movements like those of a marionette.

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Centurion Thomas was so angry he wanted to punch someone; he bit his teeth and scolded his subordinate, “Short Peter, who are you frowning at? Thank the official, damn it!”

Peter Buniel heard the company commander’s words and stiffly saluted the military civil official.

“What’s the matter, aren’t you happy about getting the land?” Winters didn’t get angry but appeared somewhat puzzled.

“No,” Short Peter shook his head.

Winters raised his eyebrows, “No what? Happy? Or not happy?”

Short Peter was silent for a long time, then suddenly pleaded in a tearful voice, “Lord Blood Wolf, you promised to help me rebuild my home, you must not go back on your word!”

...

If it hadn’t been in front of a crowd, Thomas would have kicked him hard long ago.

The word ‘Blood Wolf’ was a big taboo, all the old troops of Centurion Montagne knew it, and Thomas desperately prayed in his heart that the Centurion wouldn’t be in a too bad mood today.

Perhaps the prayers were answered, as Thomas heard Blood Wolf’s loud laughter, “I’ll build you a better one!”

Just as the stone in Thomas’s heart fell, it was hoisted up violently again—since the small Peter Buniel stubbornly wiped his tears and said, “No! I want the same old one!”

Perhaps the Centurion really was in a good mood today, Thomas thought, as he saw Winters Montagne take out a notebook, write down a promissory note, and solemnly hand it to the soldier Peter Buniel, “You’ll get the same house built, let’s shake on it as a promise.”

…

While the commendation ceremony was underway with great enthusiasm, the prisoners of the Terdon Tribe were being interrogated one by one in the dungeon of the camp.

If it was just to deliver the commendation order, sending a messenger would have sufficed. Winters came to Niutigu Valley not only with Father Caman, but also brought Little Lion along.

With Hunter Bell absent, Little Lion was the only one by Winters’s side who could speak two languages.

As Winters’s experience grew and his horizon broadened, he placed increased importance on intelligence.

The battlefield was like being enshrouded in fog; the passive acquisition of intelligence could no longer satisfy Winters.

In yesterday’s dawn ambush, it was ultimately Iron Peak County’s side that controlled the battlefield. More than half of the hundreds of Terdon people crossing the river were killed or injured, and all those who still had breath were captured.

The people of the Terdon Tribe from the citizen and slave strata had no staunch loyalty. Without needing torture, a few threats made them spill everything, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

Once Little Lion had finished the interrogation, it coincided with Winters’s arrival.

Little Lion got straight to the point, informing Winters, “Your captives are all ‘Wurus,’ just ordinary members; they don’t know anything useful.”

“How many of them are there in total?” Winters couldn’t help but frown.

“Three Tulurs, over three hundred horsemen, plus some servants who wait on them.”

“Isn’t that very useful?” Winters’s frown slowly eased, “Who is their commander?”

“Belig Taltai.” Little Lion shrugged, “I know this man. He is a blood relative of the chief’s lawful wife, the chief’s ‘Nakor,’ that is, one of the chief’s own men.”

“His own man?”

Little Lion sighed and began to explain with gestures.

It was impossible to neatly sort out the social dependency relationships within Herder society because even the Herders themselves were unclear about it.

Take, for example, the relationship between the chief and Taltai: Taltai was an external relative of the chief, less closely related by blood than the chief’s uncle Tie Chi;

But Tie Chi was a semi-independent leader, who could choose whether to obey the chief’s commands. Taltai, on the other hand, had almost no independence; the chief could even decide on Taltai’s family marriages.

“Independence” was a flexible indicator, not a fixed value. It changed with the shift in relative strength, closeness of the relationship, and level of trust between the parties.

In simple terms, the Terdon Tribe is a large faction, and the chief’s faction is the strongest smaller faction within the larger one.

The [Tie Chi faction] and [chief’s faction] are roughly on par with each other, with the [Taltai faction] being a subordinate branch of the [chief’s faction].

The Taltai faction itself is also a smaller tribe, and Taltai has his own guards, companions, citizens, and slaves.

Winters couldn’t be bothered to arrange the chief’s genealogy; he cut to the chase and asked, “If Taltai across the river loses the battle, the chief’s control over the Terdon Tribe will be weakened, am I right?”

Little Lion cocked his head and thought about it, “Pretty much.”

“Good!” Winters clapped his hands, “That’s enough.”