Chapter 14: The Fools’ Plans

There were no strict rules—people could bring whatever they wanted, which led many townsfolk to want to tear down their houses and move everything at once. The luggage piled up like mountains, making the process even more elaborate than a real move.
“At this rate, we won’t be able to travel even 10 kilometers a day,Neo. We need to establish some rules,” said McKen and Edison as they went to seeNeo. Though not professional travelers, they had received proper militia training for over a year. They knew well that long journeys were extremely exhausting. It was one thing to bring pots and pans, but bringing multiple sets of clothes, along with cherished crafts and ancestral relics, was pure nonsense.
Neo nodded in agreement but replied, “Let’s give it a try. Everyone just needs time to adjust.”
Thus, the long migration convoy was born—people shouting, horses neighing, dogs barking, chickens scattering, children running around in chaos, creating a dramatic scene of escape.
Neo did not join the convoy but headed straight for Croop. McKen and the others continued to act as militia members, ensuring the safety of the entire convoy and handling basic organization and coordination.
Around 9 a.m.,Neo returned to Croop and saw Milien and Dave. Both of them had red eyes and tears still on their cheeks.
SeeingNeo, Milien, filled with sorrow, silently stepped closer.Neo stroked her shoulders and turned his gaze to Dave.
Dave said shyly, “Those bandits… I… I haven’t had time to deal with them yet.”
Neo nodded. “The townspeople of Tulip Town are already on their way to Croop. It doesn’t matter if we wait a bit longer to deal with them.”
“What?” Not only Dave but also Milien was surprised and looked up. This was completely unexpected.
Neo briefly explained the situation.
“May the gods bless us!” Milien clasped her hands in prayer, expressing gratitude. Whenever she thought of the townsfolk oppressed by the Dark Hands, she felt heartbroken. Now that they were free from suffering, she was truly happy for them. Once, she felt as though she had lost the whole world, but now fate was slowly returning what had been taken away—her lover, her father, her fellow townspeople… Milien felt she should be grateful.
Unlike Milien, Dave, like any boy from a remote place, had an innate sense of exclusivity. His instinct as a male also played a role, even though he was still just a young lion in the process of growing up.
“Where did this Rooted·Pierouser come from? He just happened to kill a few Dark Hands at the right time. Hmph! He’s taking on the role of a hero way too easily.”
Neo had no interest in discussing this topic. He said, “I’m going to see Ebutter. It’s time to study matters related to heading east. We need a practical plan. Otherwise, even if we can leave the southern plains, we won’t be able to cross the Dibynus Mountains in the east.”
“Dibynus?” Dave asked in surprise. “Weren’t we supposed to enter Hylfanis’ territory through Snake Pass, which is guarded by the Eagles?”

Nio said seriously, “I think we need to prepare for the worst—like barbarian tribes occupying the western section of Snake Gorge, forcing the Sky Eagle Knights to defend the eastern section relying only on the natural defenses of Snake Gorge Town.”
Dive sighed. “I hope things won’t get that bad, but I think you’re right. As a leader, one must be prepared for the worst.”
Patting Milien on the back, Nio added, “Doing something to distract ourselves might help ease the sadness. The lord is still in his prime and should be able to get through this crisis.”
Milien nodded, then asked hesitantly, “What can I do?”
“According to my estimates, the townspeople from Tulip Town won’t arrive here until around 3 p.m. They’ll be cold, tired, and hungry. We’ll need hot soup, hot water, and simple food. With such a large number of people, the workload will be significant. Discuss this with Village Chief Ashiborn. Once the families have packed up, gather the women to handle this task. In the meantime, talk to Dive about whether there’s any secret treasury in the town that we can use—we need money, preferably in cash.”
When Nio found Ebut, he was talking with Jief. The two got along well normally, and their bond had grown even stronger after experiencing the Dark Invasion.
Jief seemed clearly depressed. Nio understood his feelings—being unable to help and instead becoming a burden must be awful for a man with a strong sense of responsibility.
“Nio!” Seeing Nio enter, Jief forced himself to sit up to greet him.
Nio waved his hand, telling Jief not to worry. “Take some time to rest while you still can. It won’t be long before we’re busy again. There’s some progress on your injury.”
“Is that true!?” Ebut and Jief asked almost simultaneously.
“I don’t repeat myself. The townspeople will arrive this afternoon. I’ll talk to you in detail after we finish these preparations. Ebut, let’s go discuss how to settle the townspeople.”
Jief’s mood immediately brightened, and a smile appeared on his face. Nio was always reliable. At the thought of being able to move around again, Jief couldn’t wait to count down the days.
After leaving the room and walking a short distance, Ebut couldn’t help but ask, “Nio, aren’t you just trying to comfort Jief?”
“A little. First, he needs to have confidence. Haven’t you heard? The will to survive is the best medicine.”
Ebut nodded. “I really hope Jief gets better so we can fight side by side again. And as for the lord, Priest Norlund said that if he doesn’t wake up by tomorrow night, it’s likely…”
Tomorrow would be the seventh day since the Dark Invasion. As Ebut said, staying unconscious for seven days would be too much for the body—even without considering anything else, the lack of nourishment would inevitably lead to death.

Whenever Xavier’s name came up, Neo felt complex emotions—his relationship with this man was indeed entangled. Neo had no interest in being a model of integrity and tolerance according to human standards; he even resented the complexities and moral codes of human society. These things, meant to be goal-oriented, had instead become tools in the hands of some people, who then shamelessly criticized others while themselves being full of flaws. Without these doctrines and hypocritical moralists, how could the path of love between him and Milien have been so difficult? In the werewolf clan, those who truly loved each other were blessed by everyone, including heaven and earth—they were sacred!

The small group, including Ebut, consisted of only four people. To lead such a large group, brute force wasn’t enough; it required prestige and tactics. More importantly, as Neo said, they had to show people hope.

Upon discussing the specifics, Ebut quickly realized he was fortunate to be considered a core member, as the depth of the discussions involved matters that even Abersian, the village chief of Croop, couldn’t discuss openly. This dispelled Ebut’s earlier concerns.

The rumors in town put pressure on Ebut. He had no interest in becoming a lord. He worked diligently at Xavier’s side, mainly out of gratitude. His parents had died in a conspiracy, not from some sudden illness as claimed. Xavier had paid a heavy price to avenge them. Without that, Xavier would never have just been a lord.

Ebut had secretly sworn that although he lacked outstanding skills, he would do his best to repay the Manmoris family’s kindness. If it couldn’t be done in Xavier’s generation, it would be done in Dave’s.

Though Dave was only 14, children from noble families matured early. Spending time with people like Xavier and Neo, Dave had formed many opinions early on and began considering various matters. Ebut could sense Dave’s coldness toward him, even growing suspicion. Several times, he wanted to tell Dave the truth, but Xavier had anticipated this and warned him not to reveal anything. Xavier said Dave needed to use his own judgment and wisdom to distinguish truth from lies…

Yet, to Ebut’s surprise, the problem between him and Dave was resolved through Neo, who served as a “bridge.” Ebut noticed that when Neo discussed sensitive topics in front of him, Dave looked at Neo with surprise but no confusion. During the discussion, Dave even resolved his doubts and engaged seriously and openly with Ebut, rather than perfunctorily. Ebut realized that in Dave’s eyes, Neo’s status was so high that even Xavier couldn’t compare. At least, Dave wouldn’t truly accept Ebut because of Xavier’s attitude toward him, but now, due to Neo’s trust, his reservations had vanished!

In fact, Dave now truly trusts Neo greatly, so much so that he himself isn’t even aware of it—he’s unconsciously imitating Neo’s way of interacting with people and his approach to handling tasks: decisive, forceful, direct, effective, and sometimes ruthless. Just like this time, his plan is to kill people to establish authority, and he’s not afraid that others will know his intentions. Another of his ideas is that the people only need to know part of the truth.

“I’m not against the people knowing the truth, but if it brings no positive effects or even becomes a catalyst for problems, then it’s better they don’t know it,” Neo continued. “We simply don’t have the strength to protect their safety. We might encounter raiding barbarian tribes on our journey, as their warhorses are already roaming across the entire Erdrite territory. If we say that, those who want to surrender or wait to die will emerge in large numbers. What then? Abandon them? Drive them away by force? That would mean we end up doing good intentions but causing harm, and instead of gratitude, we’d face complaints. Not everyone can analyze the situation clearly, nor can everyone speak reasonably.”

Dave and Ebut both pondered Neo’s words. Indeed, knowledge and experience determine a person’s perspective and understanding; you can’t expect someone to comprehend things far beyond their capacity.

Ebut said with a worried expression, “But how can we prove to everyone that we have a force of over 20 professionals?”

After hearing Neo’s plan, Dave was most concerned about this as well. After all, this wasn’t just about pretending—it actually didn’t exist at all; it required complete deception. But how could they deceive them?

“Try to avoid talking about this topic and maintain mystery. This small team is our vanguard, always ahead of us, exploring the way and gathering information. As for me, I’m the liaison between the main force and this combat team, sometimes delivering some supplies as well.”

“That’s the only way,” Dave said after thinking for a long time, unable to come up with a better solution.

“Until when do we have to keep lying to everyone?” Ebut actually wanted to say that this lie could easily be exposed. Perhaps Neo could work hard to handle exploration alone, but if they encountered enemies—just a small group of dozens—where would Neo get these professionals from?

“We must continue until we’re fully coordinated and form a stable group moving eastward, especially the militia. They need to grow faster, and this military force must remain firmly under our control. Dave, this is your main responsibility.”

Dave replied nervously, “I’ll do my best. Neo, do you really think it’s necessary to execute those bandits in public?”

“Although everyone feels guilty toward the Lord, what we need to do next is to impose ‘shackles’ on the free people. It involves personal interests and lives are at stake—any sense of guilt must be set aside. Without deterrence and without establishing authority, we can’t get everyone to obey. Imagine the chaos that would result—supplies and rations would be exhausted in just a few days. What would we have left to take everyone to Asia?”

“Neo is right. To enforce orders, without establishing authority through fear, one must rely on iron will to make everyone understand the consequences of violation.” Ebut also agreed with Neo’s approach.
“Alright, I’ll do it myself,” Dave said firmly, gritting his teeth.
Mielien, who had been attending the meeting the whole time, tried several times to speak but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She didn’t want Dave to go through this so early, to become someone filled with violence at such a young age and cut down people’s heads. After all, they were living beings, and according to the laws of the Frey Alliance, Zakli and the others’ crimes didn’t warrant death. It was less about deserving punishment and more about establishing authority, which inevitably carried a sense of disregard for human life.
From another perspective, Mielien also knew that doing this was necessary in every sense. Her father was unconscious, and a 14-year-old boy trying to lead everyone eastward couldn’t succeed just by talking nicely.
Neo had actually noticed Mielien’s emotional issues long ago, but he held back from comforting her until the small meeting ended and Dave and Ebut went to carry out their plans. Then Neo took Mielien’s hand and said, “Becoming a competent leader isn’t just empty talk. Even to avoid repeating what happened to the Lord, Dave should pay more attention to how to use ‘Thunder’ and ‘Rain’. Give him more encouragement—it’s a path a man chooses to walk.”
In this world, in this era, the path a man takes involves sweat and blood as just the most basic aspects. For these young men aspiring to become lions, the real trials had only just begun.