Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Finalizing the Plan

Ronin had already prepared to take down the Cyan Bamboo Tribe before setting out. That was why he had only brought a single meal’s worth of rations, planning to acquire the rest of their supplies directly from the Cyan Bamboo Tribe.

Call it confidence or call it arrogance, but either way, he never once considered that he would lose to the Cyan Bamboo Tribe.

And things had gone just as he’d predicted. Not only had he won, but he had won with ease.

After dinner, a candle made from some unknown oil flickered with a faint yellow light.

This feeble light couldn’t even fully illuminate Willie Knight’s house, making every single person gathered for the meeting look like a villain plotting something sinister.

“The Black-collar Tribe has the largest population. For years, they’ve held the upper hand even when fighting one against three. They’re very strong. Although I’m confident I can beat them, now is not the time. Let’s save this tougher nut to crack for last.”

At the head of the room, Ronin was laying out the next phase of their battle plan for his subordinates.

Besides Ronin, Ridder, Macken, Elron, and the others were all present in the room. The prisoners outside had been left in the care of Juliet and Sim, who were leading the guard detail.

“So, next, we will stick to the original plan and prioritize wiping out the Tripartite Alliance in one fell swoop.”

Ronin took out the simple map Ridder had drawn earlier. However, thanks to the intelligence from Wodun and Dandy, he now had a much better understanding of the surrounding terrain.

“The Purple Fruit Tribe is located about 20 li northeast of the Cyan Bamboo Tribe. They’re relatively close, have a small population, and their defenses are very weak.

The Grey Soil Tribe is over 50 li directly to the east. They’re farther away, and not only do they have six Transcendent, but they’ve also built fortifications with some defensive capability.”

Ronin pondered for a moment before making his decision. “Therefore, the second Wilderness Tribe we will attack is the Purple Fruit Tribe.”

Ridder listened to Ronin’s plan, agreeing completely. He then offered a suggestion:

“My lord, it was clear from the last battle that as long as we capture the leader of these Wilderness Tribes, the rest will kneel and surrender.

The Purple Fruit Tribe only has two Transcendent, and I doubt they have even ten soldiers with any combat training. So, I don’t think we need to send so many people to deal with them.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Macken hadn’t really had a chance to exert himself today and was eager to show off his strength. Hearing Ridder’s words, he immediately chimed in:

“How about this? Tomorrow, let me take David and Tom. My lord, you and the Commander can stay here with the soldiers and rest for a day. Just wait for news of our victory.”

David and Tom were in full agreement.

“If it were just a matter of dealing with the Purple Fruit Tribe’s two Transcendent, I’m sure the three of you would be more than enough. But battles are always unpredictable. We have the advantage now, so there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.”

A saying came to Ronin’s mind, and he shared it with Macken. “We can despise the enemy strategically, but we must take them seriously tactically.”

Despise the enemy strategically, take them seriously tactically—it’s true in any world.

Hearing this, the men seemed to grasp some of the meaning behind it. Macken bowed his head in acknowledgment. “You’re right, my lord. I was too rash!”

Ronin smiled faintly. “I wouldn’t call it rash. At least part of your point was correct. We indeed don’t need to take so many people to attack the Purple Fruit Tribe tomorrow.”

He spoke, thought for a moment, and then made his decision.

“Alright, here’s the plan. Tomorrow, I will lead Macken, Elron, Wodun, Dandy, fifteen Guards, and forty militiamen to the Purple Fruit Tribe.”

“Ridder, you will stay behind at the Cyan Bamboo Tribe with David and the others. Supervise the people here and have them continue the autumn harvest. Don’t let that grain go to waste in the fields.”

Although Ridder, David, and the others were a little disappointed they wouldn’t be part of the expedition against the Purple Fruit Tribe, they had no objections to Ronin’s arrangements.

Even though the Cyan Bamboo Tribe had been subdued, it wouldn’t be wise to move all the Transcendent away so soon. Someone needed to stay behind to keep things under control.

“Also, have Sim take two Guards back to Mountain Forest Town to inform Wilson. Tell him to bring the necessary materials to conduct a population census for the Cyan Bamboo Tribe and the Purple Fruit Tribe. Have them ride back on horseback.”

Although Elron could also read and write, a task like this was better suited for Wilson, who was in charge of civil administration.

After all, this land of the Cyan Bamboo Tribe would need someone to manage it eventually. It was necessary for Wilson to come over and familiarize himself with the place ahead of time.

’Come to think of it, with these new tribes under my command, I’m running short on Civil Servants. After I get back this time, I’ll need to recruit an assistant for Wilson to start.’

’As for the Cyan Bamboo Tribe, I could appoint a village chief here.’

Ronin pulled his thoughts back to the present. ’I’ll deal with those things after I’ve completely conquered the Wilderness Tribes.’

“Alright, everyone go find a place to rest. Ridder, you arrange for the soldiers going to the Purple Fruit Tribe tomorrow. Make sure they get a good rest, and have the Guards who are staying behind take the night watch.”

Relda nodded slightly. “Yes, my lord.”

The meeting ended, and everyone filed out of the house.

Outside, the soldiers had just finished their meal. Except for those on guard duty, the rest were gathered around the bonfires, excitedly recounting the day’s events, their voices filled with no small amount of boasting.

As for the prisoners, thanks to Ronin’s mercy, they had already been allowed to rest.

However, half of the prisoners had been crammed into the homes of their comrades or neighbors for the night, freeing up beds for the soldiers to use.

Leaving aside the situation outside, Ronin was inside the house, taking stock of the property left behind by Willie Knight.

The wealth owned by the chieftain of a Wilderness Tribe was, in fact, quite meager.

First was the money. After scraping everything together, there were only 5 gold coins, 32 silver coins, and 164 copper coins.

This was supposedly what Willie had earned from selling beasts and First-level Magic Beast Hides, but he had spent some of it over the years, leaving only this much.

Though it was a small amount, Ronin wasn’t picky. He swept all of it into his Space Ring.

Besides the money, the most valuable items were probably Willie’s ancestral Armor and Knight’s Sword. Although the Armor was cracked and the Knight’s Sword was notched, they were still usable.

Since everyone else had already been gifted Armor and a Knight’s Sword, Ronin went ahead and gave Willie’s set to Sim.

“Ten sheets of sheepskin parchment, one Feather Pen, a bottle of ordinary ink, 4,330 jin of barley, 2,600 jin of wheat…”

Ronin couldn’t help but click his tongue, once again marveling at how real the old saying was: “Wine and meat rot behind vermilion gates, while people freeze to death on the roads.”

He had heard that people in the Cyan Bamboo Tribe starved to death every winter, yet their chieftain had so much surplus grain in his home that he would rather let it sit than hand any out for relief.

In addition to all this, Willie had also been raising eight goats, which counted as a bit of wealth.

’For me, the biggest gains from taking the Cyan Bamboo Tribe are the over nine hundred mu of already-tilled land and the 354 people.’

With this, he was one step closer to the 3,000-person requirement for [Population Prosperity].

’According to the information provided by Wodun and the others, once I take the Purple Fruit Tribe and the Grey Soil Tribe and complete their population registration, I’ll be able to complete that achievement.’

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