Chapter 25: The Strong North Wind (2)

“Monk, what exactly are those mortals’ conditions?” Muni Ox, the leader of the Ox Clan, grew restless as well. His bulging eyes and lips gave him a somewhat dull appearance, but no one dared underestimate him. As the largest clan in the Bimon Kingdom, the Ox Clan held significant power. Though they weren’t as brave and tenacious as the Wolf Clan, nor as wild and fierce as the Bear Clan, nor as cunning and slick as the Fox Clan, nor as mighty and domineering as the Tiger Clan, their ordinary infantry formed the backbone of the Bimon Kingdom’s army. The supply teams, transport units, and engineering corps were all manned by Ox Clan soldiers—it could be said that it was the Ox Clan soldiers who supported the entire Bimon Kingdom’s military force.
“Other than not being allowed to invade areas west of the Urals, they have no special demands. In fact, they might even provide us with routes for an attack from the east—meaning they would allow our army to enter their interior—on the condition that we attack the area from Lake Issyk Kul to Khulden as much as possible!” The monk’s tone became somewhat strange when mentioning this requirement, clearly finding it rather odd as well.
“Lake Issyk Kul to Khulden?” Carter and Moda both gasped almost simultaneously and looked at each other in shock.
“Monk, are you sure you heard right? How could they make such a strange demand? What place is that? It’s the heartland of the mortal kingdom of Nicoxia! How are we supposed to invade there? To the west, their Iron Cross Army holds firm, with a highly fortified defense line. To the north, well, even with battering rams, it won’t be easy—haven’t we fought against the Golden Oak Army countless times? Plus, the Shadow Knights and their court mages can reinforce at any moment. How are we supposed to get in? To send our men to die in vain? The Kingdom of Nicoxia isn’t Melen or Susor, nor even Mein. It’s not easy to defeat them.”
Even Muni Ox, the leader of the Ox Clan, found it hard to believe. Everyone present was extremely familiar with the regions south of the Mogan Wasteland. Every time they launched an invasion southward, they had to carefully plan their strategies. They knew that land inside and out without even needing a map. To penetrate Lake Issyk Kul and Khulden, it seemed they would have to force their way through—after all, that area was a key defensive zone for the Kingdom of Nicoxia, with the kingdom’s capital, Jazair, located right in its center. Surely the Kingdom of Nicoxia would place great emphasis on defending that area!

“Yes, the defense lines to the northeast of the Kingdom of Nicosia are also very strong. The two major lords in their country have mobilized all their forces. According to intelligence, both lords have sent their knight orders and mage squads to the front lines to take turns defending. Even if we have battering rams, we’re likely to face a fierce counterattack,” said Carter Wolf in a low voice. Though he found it strange as well, he thought that since the monk had brought it up, there must be something odd about it.

“Uh, from what those mortals said, they can open the passes in the northeast region of the Kingdom of Nicosia and let us enter the interior of Nicosia. But their condition is that once our army enters the kingdom’s interior, we must not attack the areas east of the Colorado River; we can only advance toward the areas west of it,” the monk said slowly, swallowing hard. It was certainly difficult to get these companions to accept such a suspicious idea, but it was also a great opportunity. With careful planning, the risks could be minimized, or even eliminated.

“Open the passes?!” Everyone looked at each other in shock. Was that possible? What did it mean?

“Monk, are you saying they’ll open the eastern passes for our army to enter, but we can’t attack the areas east of the Colorado River within the Kingdom of Nicosia? We can only attack the central areas directly under Nicosia’s control?” The fox queen’s wisdom was always one step ahead. While the others were still processing this information, Kristin already sensed a conspiracy. Although these mortals possessed wisdom and fertility that other races lacked, they could never unify the continent and were easily exploited by other races.

“That’s exactly what I mean. My understanding is that internal strife within the Kingdom of Nicosia has led to this situation. This is an excellent opportunity for us. Whether it’s attacking Jazair or occupying Cyprus, it’s a great chance for our Kingdom of Bimon to strengthen ourselves and weaken the power of the mortals. That’s why I need to seek your opinions. Opportunity knocks only once, but there’s also a possibility that these mortals are setting a trap for us. Once our army advances deep, might they unite to block our retreat and surround us? Even those from the Light Church might get involved. If that happens, our situation will be very dangerous.”

As the king of an alliance, Shamhi Tagore thought carefully—desiring success fiercely yet avoiding hasty actions that could disrupt order, a king’s instinct. “Kristin, what’s your opinion?”
“Well, it’s a tremendous opportunity, but there are also significant risks. However, we can find ways to avoid them. For example, we should control the access to the interior of Nicosia ourselves, not let mortals do it, and maintain a sufficient emergency army in the border areas to ensure we can withdraw smoothly in the worst-case scenario. Also, before making a decision, I suggest inviting the high priest to pray for us and offer guidance—this might help us avoid more dangers.” Truly worthy of being a fox queen, she offered cautious advice before shifting the responsibility to the high priest of her tribe.
“Hmm, Kristin’s point makes sense. Carter, Muni, Moda, what about you guys?” Shamhi nodded. It wasn’t surprising that opportunities and risks coexisted; the high priest’s years of experience might help the Bimons find a more accurate answer through the maze of uncertainties.
“Hmm, let’s still ask the high priest to clarify things for us. But the decision still needs to be made by you, Shamhi. You are the king of our Bimon Kingdom—this is your responsibility!” Muni and Moda said in unison.
“Well, let’s stop discussing for now. Anyway, we’ve already obtained these battering rams. Muni, Carter, have your sons get familiar with them. No matter what the decision turns out to be, at least we have these battering rams, so it wasn’t a loss.” Shamhi wore a cheerful smile.