Chapter 10: The Ace in the Hole
Dashler nodded silently, agreeing with the novice’s view. Mortals had always treated the Bimons with condescension, seeing them as simple-minded creatures with strong limbs, utterly unworthy of comparison to humans. Even when the Bimons caused harm to human kingdoms, they blamed it on humans’ lack of seriousness or internal strife. If humans took it seriously, leveraging their far superior manufacturing capabilities, organizational discipline, and unique magical skills, the Bimons would forever be confined to the Mogan Wasteland.
Mortals tended to view the Bimons as something to be exploited or toyed with, especially those with special abilities who thought they could dominate them at will. But Dashler knew that mortals would eventually pay a heavy price for their arrogance, and that moment seemed to be approaching.
“Novice, how far are you planning to go?” Dashler still didn’t lift his gaze.
“How far? If I could completely destroy the resistance forces of the Kingdom of Nicossia, that would be my greatest wish. But it seems unlikely to achieve that in one go. Yet this opportunity is too rare. As long as the court mages of Nicossia leave Jazair, I believe we can take control of it. By then, even if we can’t defeat the Nicossians outright, controlling Jazair will bring the entire north and center of Nicossia, along with most of the eastern regions, under our control. That’s my minimum goal.”
The novice Tagore moved his furry fingers across the map hanging on the tent—a map of the northern regions of the Blue Continent. It was through long-term battles with humans that the Bimons gradually learned to use maps. Their previous crude method, relying solely on instincts and judgment, had begun to merge with this more scientific approach, greatly improving the efficiency of the orc armies’ marches.
“Dashler, look—here are the two major lords in the north of the Kingdom of Nicomia. They’ve built quite formidable defensive lines there. To break through from that side, we’d have to pay a heavy price. But look here—if we break through from either of these two directions, we can directly reach the gates of Jazair. Once we capture Jazair, the entire north of the Kingdom of Nicomia will be open to us. Even Galle and Homer will be exposed to us at once. How advantageous this would be for our next moves!” Shammi Tagore seemed inspired by his own vision, his voice rising in enthusiasm. “By then, the whole of Nicomia will be at our mercy. Our Mon clan can easily enjoy everything the world has to offer!”
“Shammi, if that’s the case, what are you worried about? Why not just go all out and take over the entire Nicomia?” Another voice, slightly hoarse and deep, interjected. The man who had just managed to lift the tent flap walked in, rubbing his hands together, his green eyes already fixed on the map inside the tent.
“Kart, maybe we can launch a long-range attack on every corner of Nicomia, but can we conquer all those castles and fortresses one by one? No, we’re not ready yet. The power of the mortal mages is far too strong. The witch-priests carefully trained by the High Priest still can’t withstand such heavy strain. We can’t just seek immediate satisfaction. It took us over twenty years to develop this much witch-priest power, and a new batch is still in training. We need more time! If it weren’t for how great this opportunity is, I wouldn’t want to reveal our true strength prematurely. But I think capturing Jazair is worth it.”
With his arms crossed, Shammi’s eyes gleamed as he stared intently at the city symbol marking Jazair in the center of the map. “Without Jazair, the Kingdom of Nicomia will fall apart, losing its ability to pose a threat to us. And once Nicomia is destroyed, the mortals of the entire northern continent will no longer be able to ignore us as they used to. We’ll gain even more!”
Carter Wolf was clearly inspired by Shamhi Tagore’s words as well. It had always been Carter’s dream to roam through the lands of mortals. Since childhood, he had dreamed of leading an invincible wolf cavalry to conquer the entire continent. Yet the seemingly weak but exceptionally resilient defenses of the mortals clung tightly around the Bimons like thick ropes, especially the power of mortal magicians, which was a nightmare for the Bimons. It was their existence that caused the Bimons to succeed and fail repeatedly. Lacking the strength to counter mortal magicians, the Bimons could never complete a conquest perfectly. And this time, as Shamhi said, it might be the best opportunity the Bimons had encountered in years.
Dasher always liked to dampen enthusiasm when people were excited, and this time was no exception. “Shamhi, Carter, we still need to consider what consequences would arise if our priestly power were exposed. As you said, our priestly power isn’t strong enough yet, and the power of the Light Church is not something our priestly power can match. If they realize that our priestly power poses a threat to them, would they attack us? And if that happens, how should we respond?”
Dasher’s words silenced Shamhi and Carter. It was a very practical question. The priestly power was something that the most outstanding high priest of the current generation of Bimons had spent twenty years cultivating, drawing on the experience and knowledge left by past priests. It was like a batch of seeds—only with these seeds could the priestly figures, who could communicate with the forces of heaven and earth, truly take root among the Bimons. If, due to shortsightedness and eagerness for quick results, this priestly power were lost, then the current leaders would truly become historical criminals for the Bimons.
“It takes a thousand days to train soldiers, but only a moment to use them. The purpose of cultivating priestly power is to strengthen our Bimons. If we hide behind the scenes out of fear of loss and sacrifice, then we’ve lost the true meaning of cultivating priestly power!” A light voice came from the back door of the tent. Without warning, the tent rose automatically, and an old man with long hair covering his face and dressed in black robes floated lightly inside.
“Greetings, High Priest!” The three people in the tent bowed simultaneously in respect.
“Shami, Carter, I’m pleased to see such ambition in you. Training priest-warriors is indeed not easy, but the purpose is to have them play a role in our Bimon clan’s conquest wars, so there’s no need for you to worry too much. Shami, your choice of timing and cautious attitude are both appropriate. Now is the weakest moment for the Nicocians; the chaos among them has drawn their attention to internal strife. Our Bimon clan must not miss this opportunity. Defeating the Nicocians will greatly weaken the faith of mortals, creating a favorable situation for our future development.” His faint voice sounded somewhat strange, but having become accustomed to his mysterious appearances, the three Bimon leaders nodded in agreement.
“High Priest, but how shall we deal with possible hostile counterattacks from the Church of Light?” Shami Tagore calmed down at this moment. With the High Priest’s support, he felt much more confident, but as a ruler of the Bimon Kingdom, he needed to consider things more thoroughly.
“The Church of Light is not as powerful as you think. Or rather, it is powerful, but its internal conflicts have severely weakened its ability to act effectively. Those connected to us do not fully represent the Church of Light, and they also have other stronger enemies. Perhaps in their eyes, we are still just a minor issue. This is precisely our opportunity. So, as long as you are careful in the war, I believe the Church of Light won’t focus on dealing with us for now.”
The High Priest’s words were like music to the ears of the three Bimon leaders. Their reverence and admiration for the High Priest made them never doubt the truthfulness of his words, and reality had repeatedly proven his wisdom.
“Thank you, High Priest, for clearing the fog for us, allowing us to carry out this mission with confidence.” Shami Tagore now showed the courage of a ruler of the Bimon Kingdom, his gaze sharp. “Carter, go and organize the wolf cavalry right away, but do so discreetly. All preparations must be kept strictly secret. I plan to invade Nicocia from the west. At that time, the wolf cavalry will serve as a shock force to completely defeat the Nicocians’ Iron Cross Army. Then, the wolf cavalry will eliminate any remaining mortal forces in the area around Jazair. Do not seek glory recklessly—our primary goal is to capture Jazair!”
“Dashler, immediately mobilize all available forces to investigate the entire defensive system to the west of the Nicocians. I need to crush all of their forces there in one strike, preventing them from organizing an effective defense. Also, keep a close eye on the situation after the Nicocian court mages leave Jazair; report any unusual changes to me as soon as possible. I want you to handle this personally. As for the decisive battle, I will personally lead the Tiger Clan’s infantry, the Ox Clan’s light infantry, and the Bear Clan’s heavy infantry as the main force. Kristin will lead the Fox Clan’s archers and other auxiliary troops to support me. I intend to take Jazair by force!”