Chương 253

"Fen." [Name: Fen Age: 45 Gender: Male Occupation: Wolf Chieftain Title: Relentless Hunter - Once he catches a scent, he will never stop running until the prey is caught. Level: 345 Strength: 2, 100/2, 400 Stamina: 2, 900/3, 300 Agility: 2, 200/2, 500 Intelligence: 150/200 Persistence: 1, 800/2, 200 Indomitable: 900/1, 100 Skills: Advanced Dual-Wield Mastery (S), Scent of the Hunted (SS), Pack Hunting Tactics (S), Bleeding Strike (S+), Grudge (SS). A heavily scarred, perpetually grumpy Wolf beastman. He lost his left ear in a fight with Imperial soldiers and holds eternal grudges against his enemies. His tracking ability is terrifyingly persistent; once he memorizes a scent, he will pursue the target across any terrain until the hunt is complete.] The Wolf Beastman was heavily scarred and didn't bother hiding his glare.

"I smell blood on you. You have killed many. But I don't push paper. I only hunt." Winfred stepped up before Rudra could answer.

"You'll train the militia." Fen sneered.

"I've watched your militia swing. They seem adequate by themself, but they are useless as a pack."

"That is true," Winfred admitted calmly.

"Dante, Piaro, and I have taught them standard Empire training. It has good synergy. It brings a soldier's individual potential to one hundred percent. But it is not possible to make everyone fight with one mind." Winfred pointed at Fen.

"Wolves do not fight as individuals. You fight as a pack. You cover each other's blind spots. A true pack can push a unit's power far beyond one hundred percent. We want you to teach our soldiers that structure." Rudra said.

"And any wolf who still wants a blade in hand can join the knight divisions today. Nobody's keeping your people separate from the rest." Fen stopped. He looked at the Duke, then at the Red Sage. The idea of molding an entire army into his own personal pack appealed to his instincts.

"I'll break them first," he said finally, taking the quill.

"Then build them." [Your Affinity with the Wolf Clan has increased by +10!] [Current Affinity: 78]"Rajah." Silence.

"Rajah?"

"Behind you," Garrick sighed. Rudra turned around in his chair. The Tiger Beastman was standing directly behind him, eight feet tall, and hadn't made a single sound getting there.

"I need a bell for you," Rudra muttered, one hand on his chest. His [Super Sensitivity] hadn't triggered at all; Rajah was completely devoid of killing intent." [Name: Rajah Age: 35 Gender: Male Occupation: Tiger Chieftain Title: The Unseen Behemoth - A contradiction of nature. He possesses the body of a giant and the footsteps of a ghost. Level: 355 Strength: 2, 800/3, 100 Stamina: 2, 400/2, 700 Agility: 2, 000/2, 900 Intelligence: 100/150 Skills: Heavy Hand-to-Hand Combat (S), Absolute Silence (SS), Jungle Ambush (SS), Intimidation (S), I Was Always Standing Here (SSS-). An eight-foot-tall, incredibly muscular Tiger beastman who somehow moves completely silently. He acts as a deadly ambush predator trapped in a heavy bruiser's body. He rarely speaks, preferring to communicate through short nods. His massive size combined with his absolute silence means he frequently startles people by suddenly appearing directly behind them without making a single sound.] Rajah tilted his head, which was apparently a full sentence for him.

"Head of Public Order. You run the Great Library and the Food Center. Your clan takes the Night-Watch." The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Garrick frowned.

"My Lord. Rajah's an assassin. Why is he minding a library?"

"Loud rooms need quiet people in them," Rudra said.

"If someone starts a fight in the dining hall or defaces a temple, Rajah will silently materialize behind them and loom over them. Perfect synergy for keeping the peace without shedding blood." Rajah didn't say anything. He reached past Rudra's shoulder, picked up the quill, and signed without a word, then simply straightened back up and waited, unreadable, like he might already be regretting or already be thrilled and no one in the room would ever be able to tell the difference.

"Leon." [Name: Leon Age: 39 Gender: Male Occupation: Lion Chieftain Title: Voice of the Coalition - His roar dictates the flow of battle, raising the morale of allies while crushing the spirits of his foes. Level: 340 Strength: 1, 900/2, 200 Stamina: 1, 800/2, 100 Agility: 1, 400/1, 600 Intelligence: 350/500 Leadership: 1, 800/2, 200 Dignity: 1, 200/1, 500 Skills: King's Roar (SS), Alliance Formation (S), Phalanx Defense (S), Battlefield Commander (S+), Afternoon Nap (SS). A Lion beastman with a thick, majestic golden mane. He acts as the strategic center of the Beastman coalition. While others lead the charge, Leon manages formations and buffs the troops with his thundering voice, making up for his low intelligence with high combat insight. Despite his incredibly dignified and regal appearance, he is secretly extremely lazy and prefers to sit in the backline issuing orders rather than swinging a weapon himself.] The Lion Chieftain stepped forward, mane thick and unbothered.

"I am listening, My Liege," Leon said. His voice was smooth and commanding.

"You have a natural talent for battlefield commands," Rudra said.

"I am making you the Tactical Lecturer at the Academy." Leon frowned slightly.

"A lecturer? I must stand in front of children all day? I admit, My Lord, I prefer not to be on my feet for long periods."

"You don't have to stand," Rudra said.

"You can sit in a comfortable chair in the sun. When the knights run their drills, you just yell tactical adjustments at them from across the yard." Leon's eyes brightened immediately. His dignified posture softened into pure relief.

"I can sit?"

"All day," Rudra promised.

"Kratos naps out there anyway. You two will get along great."

"I accept this duty with great honor," Leon said quickly. He signed the paper faster than anyone else. [Your Affinity with the Lion Clan has increased by +15!] [Current Affinity: 79] That left Garrick. Name: Garrick Age: 42 Gender: Male Occupation: Panther Chieftain Title: Warlord of the Peaks - He led his people through starvation and endless war against the Empire. His very presence inspires ferocity in his allies.

Level: 365 Strength: 2, 500/3, 600 Stamina: 2, 200/3, 500 Agility: 2, 450/3, 800 Intelligence: 150/200 Leadership: 1, 100/1, 300 Dignity: 850/1, 000 Skills: Advanced Greatsword Mastery (S), Beast's Sense (S+), Unyielding Vanguard (SS), Absolute Loyalty (S), Purr of Satisfaction (SS). A massive, seven-foot-tall Panther beastman who carries the burden of the Seven Clans. He possesses immense physical potential but lacks the resources to fully tap into it yet.

Despite his terrifying, battle-scarred appearance and booming voice, his intimidating presence completely shatters when he eats truly exceptional food, resulting in a loud, uncontrollable purr.]"You're my Vanguard Commander in war," Rudra said.

"In peacetime, you're Chief of City Security." Garrick's tail went still.

"A guard. We're warriors, My Lord. We don't babysit humans."

"You're not babysitting. You're enforcing." Rudra's voice dropped the humor it had carried through the last six of these.

"I told your people they'd have equality here. A promise like that only means something if somebody's willing to arrest a human for breaking it. Beastmen, humans, witches, sirens — one force, one set of rules, no exceptions for whoever's on top that week." Garrick looked down at the contract like it had gotten heavier since Silas set it down.

"A human merchant cheats a Siren, you arrest the merchant," Rudra said.

"A Beastman starts something with a Witch, you arrest the Beastman. I need someone holding that line who won't flinch on either side of it." Garrick didn't answer right away. He looked at the six signed contracts already stacked at Rudra's elbow — Vex's, Ursa's, Talon's, Fen's, Rajah's, Leon's — and then, slowly, at his own claws, still stained dark from ten years of a war nobody paid him to win. He picked up the quill.

"I'll keep the peace," was all he said. [Your Affinity with the Panther Clan has increased by +10!] [Current Affinity: 90]"Good. Go find your stations." The seven bowed and filed out, and something in the way they walked out was different from the way they'd walked in — less like refugees waiting for the next order, more like people who suddenly had somewhere they were supposed to be. Silas didn't waste a second. The moment Vex hit the hallway he had her sleeve.

"With me. Merchant caravans incoming. We're going to smell their coin purses." Vex's tail wagged.

"Ready." They vanished down the stairs, leaving Rudra and Winfred alone. Winfred came back to the desk, looking at Rudra with something close to respect.

"I expected that to take all week. You just... folded them in."

"People want to be useful for the right reasons, not just used." Rudra stood and stretched until his back popped.

"Give someone a job that actually fits and they stop being a problem on their own." He paused at the window.

"Keep half an eye on the old Rebecca Temple past the east market, by the way. Not obviously. I just don't want anyone poking around it before I've decided what to do about it." Winfred's face didn't change much, but something in his eyes said he already had three guesses and didn't like any of them.

"Understood." Rudra looked out over the wall. The dirt road to the front gates was busy — farm carts, a merchant caravan in sleek silver, a dozen riders flanking it. He grinned.

"Cecilia's finally here." Then he leaned in a little further and spotted the second carriage right behind the first, bearing the dark crest of the Ves Merchant Group.

"Hey, Winfred. Vespera came too." Winfred went pale in a way that had nothing to do with tactics.

"I — I have urgent business at the barracks, My Lord." He was already halfway to the door. Rudra grabbed his staff from the corner, laughing.

"Nice try. You're coming to greet our guests."