Chapter 250 – Determination
Meg wasn’t that good at treating wounds. She was just a wind mage, but with the iron scroll in her hands, she would naturally have an easier time.
She walked over to the herculean bulls and opened the scroll to use ‘Descent Of Holy Light’. A pillar of white light came down and illuminated the several hundred square metres of ground they were on.
As the white light came down, the complexions of Mendez and others became much better while fatigue vanished from their faces. Those who had injuries were having their wounds closed up rapidly.
The white light faded soon after. Those people were still lying on the ground, but their complexions were much better than before. None of them woke up, however. They were breathing stably, and they appeared to be asleep. Wales no longer shouted for Mendez when he saw this. Instead, he let his people set up tents and prepare food.
These people appeared to be really exhausted, as no matter how Wales’ escorts moved and hauled them, there was no response. They used more more than 2 hours to put all of Mendez’s group into the tents.
The weapons in their hands made Wales’ group even more surprised. They were all Herculean Bull Tribe’s people, and they commonly used double-sided heavy axes. These axes and their hafts were all forged of fine iron. As for people of Wales’ status, their heavy axes were forged of fine steel, and were very rare among beastmen.
Heavy axes like these had great killing power. The axe heads were thick and st.u.r.dy so they weren’t easily damaged, which made them suitable weapons for herculean bulls. On Beastmen Prairie, other than the Herculean Bull Tribe, there were also many other powerful races whose weapons were this kind of heavy double-sided axe.
But these weapons had now been broken; some of the hafts had been seriously warped, and some of the cutting edges showed large cracks. It was obvious that they had undergone a very brutal fight.
Some of their mounts also bore wounds. One should know that ground bulls’ defenses couldn’t compare to stoneskin bulls, but only in a relative sense. The stoneskin bulls’ defenses were very freakish, so compared to other magic beasts, the ground bulls’ defenses were already high enough. Yet for them to have injuries, this explained the strength of their opponents.
Yale was at a ground bull’s side to examine the scars carefully. Even though ‘Descent Of Holy Light’ had healed the wounds, some who were too heavily injured would still leave scars behind.
It was a very large scar, from the back to the rear waist, nearly 1 metre long. Yale looked clearly at it, as if the scar had grown flowers.
Yale stood up after a while. Wales looked at Yale’s darkened face and asked, “What’s wrong, teacher? What kind of weapon did this?”
Yales glanced at Wales and replied, “It’s flying axes.”
Flying axes were heavy thrown ranged weapons. Normally much smaller than heavy double-sided axes, and weighing about 10 kilos each. But once thrown, the damage would be very large. Even a common iron s.h.i.+eld could be shattered from a single strike by this kind of flying axe. Note: it’s shatter, not penetrate.
Normal people couldn’t use these flying axes because they were too heavy and couldn’t be thrown very far. Adding their special shape, their accuracy was difficult to grasp, so only very few people would use these flying axes as long range weapons.
But there was a race born to use flying axes. They had boundless strength and a natural grasp of flying axes’ usage. The axes they threw would be extremely accurate, which made the axes become known far and wide as one of the famous long ranged weapons. This race was the herculean bulls.
Once Wales heard that the ground bulls were wounded by flying axes, Wales’ expression changed. Even though it was a scar, it sent Wales a message: the ones who hurt Mendez and his group were very likely herculean bulls.
Mendez and the others were hurt by his own people? What did this mean? This meant that a change had taken place within the Herculean Bull Tribe, and one that was highly unfavorable to Wales.
Wales’ expression darkened. He looked at Yale and asked, “Teacher, how do you perceive this?”
Yale replied with a darkened expression as well, “Something must’ve happened in the tribe. You and Mendez are on the best of terms, and he also knew you would be coming here. It looks like he was looking for you. I’m afraid that ‘something’ in the tribe must’ve been incredible, and is likely tied to Gasol.”
Wales replied, “It can’t be. Father and the high elders are keeping watch. What tides can Gasol raise?”
Yale looked at Wales and said, “Do not forget that the 10000 Beast Festival is approaching. The high elders might’ve gone to Beast G.o.d City. If 2 of the high elders had left, then Gasol would have a chance.”
Wales shook his head, “There’s still my father….” He stopped. His father was the chieftain, but his strength was only at level 8. There was no way to compare a level 8 with a level 9. Level 9 meant invincible, while level 8 meant vulnerable.
One couldn’t possibly use any kind of scheming attacks to deal with level 9 powerhouses. Even poisoning would be very difficult to achieve. Unless it was a place filled with toxic air like Rotten Corpse Swamp, poison wouldn’t be a threat to a level 9 powerhouse.
But the same couldn’t be said for level 8. A level 8 could also be called a powerhouse, but level 8 powerhouses couldn’t fare well against poisons. There were a lot of level 8 powerhouses who had died from poisons across history.
Once Wales thought about this, his expression changed before he stared at Yale, “Teacher, you mean….?”
Yale nodded, “It’s very likely that Gasol’s lot used an unspeakable means to deal with the chieftain, and then made a sudden move to usurp the position, making it a factful succession. This way, even the high elders won’t be able to do anything if they return, since Gasol has now become chieftain.”
Wales’ bull eyes glared and even became red. His 2 hands were balled into fists and his breathing became hoa.r.s.e.
Yale looked at Wales and said, “All of this is just our speculation at the moment. We will have to wait until the 6th Prince wakes up to confirm it. But Wales, right now you not only need to take care of the 6th Prince and know the truth, but there’s also him.” Yales pointed towards Zhao Hai’s direction.
Zhao Hai’s group had also set up their tent right now. They didn’t come to Wales’ camp because they knew Wales would be very busy right now. They did what they could, so it was up to Wales and the others.
Wales glanced at Zhao Hai’s campsite and then asked Yale with confusion, “What do you mean, teacher?”
Yale replied, “If Gasol has now become chieftain, it is illegal. We can rally the other branch tribes and overthrow Gasol’s rule. In order to do that, it won’t happen just by using our lips. There has to be a benefit as well, and a sufficiently large one at that. If Zhao Hai hasn’t lied to us, then he himself is a sufficiently large benefit.”
Wales knew what Yale meant. So what if Gasol became chieftain now? He had used an unspeakable means to become one. Even the high elders would be dissatisfied with him. This was Wales’ chance; If he joined with enough branch tribes, he could apply for the abolishment of Gasol’s position with the high elders. No matter how powerful Gasol would be, he wouldn’t dare to disobey the wills of the high elders.
But just parading around wouldn’t be enough, as it wouldn’t be possible to make the branch tribes follow him. He needed benefits to move them, and Zhao Hai had something that could move them.
Grains were too important for beastmen. If Zhao Hai had enough grains, he could take the position of chieftain back from Gasol.
Wales nodded and said, “When 6th brother wakes up and we figure out what really happened, then I will look for Zhao Hai. There’s no use doing so now. We don’t know what happened in the tribe at all.”
Yale nodded, “Yeah, let’s confirm what happened first. It’s strange though. I heard the human merchants saying that among them, light mages and black mages are mutually opposed. Why does Zhao Hai’s fiancee know how to use light magics? It doesn’t make sense, does it?”
Wales let out a grunt before replying, “How many truths can those human liars tell? Besides, I keep feeling that Zhao Hai has an unusual ident.i.ty. You remember, teacher? He let it slip himself, that his ident.i.ty wasn’t welcome over there in human lands. He must’ve gotten into trouble, or else he wouldn’t be here on Beastmen Prairie. You saw his grains. Why would he bring them here if he didn’t run into trouble? Those are the best grains I’ve seen in my life. I’ve never even seen such fine bamboo rice from lion tribes or tiger tribes.”
Yale nodded, “No matter what his ident.i.ty is in the human lands, if he has the grains and can help us, it’s enough.”
Wales nodded and looked into the distance at the prairie, “Whatever happened, I will become Herculean Bull Tribe’s ruler. If Gasol really intends to harm our father, I will kill him myself.”
Yale was quiet as he just looked at Wales quietly. To be honest, he was worried, but more than that, he was happy. Wales was ambitious before, but he didn’t want to fight against Gasol. Otherwise, with his father’s affection, his force wouldn’t be smaller than Gasol’s.
Although Wales looked like he was fighting before, Yale had always felt that he had lacked something. Now he knew. What Wales lacked was a determination, which he now had.
Just then, a wave of thick aroma came. Wales looked around, and saw that it was his subordinates cooking a mutton soup. This was for Mendez and the others, who looked like they hadn’t eaten or slept for a long time. It was already a miracle that they could fight fiercely and reach here.