"Retreat! Fall back quickly! We're heading deeper into the Sahara!" At a human tribal settlement, people were frantically packing their belongings and fleeing for their lives.
"The beastkin are coming! Abandon this pasture!"
"Curse them, that beastkin tribe is too fierce."
"But I heard there are pirates near the coast!"
"Better to face pirates than to die at the hands of those beastkin."
In just half an hour, the entire tribe had vanished, leaving behind only the heavy items they couldn't carry.
Tramp, tramp, tramp...
Warhorses thundered as Perry and Sally led their beastkin knights to the outskirts of the settlement. Looking at the ghost town, they exchanged bewildered glances.
"Princess, this is the third one. We haven't even declared war, and they've already fled," Sally said helplessly, scratching her cheek in frustration.
"Forget it. If they want to run, let them. It's almost dark; let's head back," Perry sighed.
Lately, Perry's tribe had been developing at a staggering pace due to their trade relationship with Sedona City. In fact, they were struggling to keep up with Sedona City's demand. Perry wanted to expand her tribe further, so she had begun a path of conquest, sweeping through every tribe within a hundred-kilometer radius and claiming vast pastures.
The result? They had too much land and not enough people to manage it. Perry had come here hoping to hire—or incorporate—this tribe to help tend the growing flocks of sheep, or to have them raise the livestock so her tribe could act as the middleman. She didn't lack land or markets; she lacked labor for herding, shearing, and ranching.
What puzzled her most was that while many people were joining the tribe, the total population didn't seem to grow much. It was a constant source of frustration, yet she couldn't force the beastkin to stay.
"Princess, why don't we just attack that 'Second Prince' of Siacan? We could take some humans as slaves to raise the sheep," Sally suggested in a low voice.
The expanded borders of their territory now met the eastern lands of the Siacan Kingdom. A few days ago, Second Prince Greena had settled there and sent men into the Sahara to steal warhorses. Sally had personally led a counter-attack and crushed his knights.
"No," Perry refused flatly. She stared at the monkey-eared girl for a long moment before saying coldly, "Do you want Lucas to despise us?"
Her tribe had survived its darkest hour and grown strong solely because of trade with Sedona City. She had no intention of causing unnecessary friction. She knew Lucas disliked slavery; rumors from Sedona City said he had abolished it, and that slaves there could become commoners through hard work.
If she started enslaving humans to produce goods, it would backfire spectacularly—especially since Sedona City was famous for liberating beastkin slaves.
"Uh..." Sally shut her mouth sheepishly. Even if she disliked humans, she cared deeply about Lucas's opinion. After all, their entire quality of life depended on the supplies he sent.
Tramp, tramp, tramp...
They rode swiftly, passing massive herds of sheep, horses, and cattle. Perry had spent the majority of her funds on calves—over ten thousand of them—and was still buying more. She had sent agents to buy up every cow in the surrounding regions; to find more, they would have to head deep into the Siacan heartland.
"Increase patrols. I don't want a single cow stolen," Perry commanded sternly. She knew how much Lucas valued cattle.
An hour later, they returned to the tribe. Standing on a small hill, Perry looked down at the settlement.
"Moving the tribe to the riverbank was the right choice," She mused.
Following the model of Riverden City's port, she had moved her people to the banks of the Riverden River. Now, large cargo ships could dock directly, saving them the long overland transport.
"Another shipment is ready for the freighter," Sally noted, watching the stream of people carrying goods toward the docks. The tribe now boasted several processing plants: weaving rooms for wool nets, milking stations, and milk powder production lines.
"I wonder what novelties will arrive this time," Perry said with a faint smile.
Sedona City was a constant source of surprises. The gray powder that could make stones stick together (cement) had left her speechless when they built the milk powder factory. She had used the leftover cement to build a small stone house for herself; compared to a drafty hide tent, a stone house felt incredibly secure.
"I heard about something called instant noodles. I wonder if they brought any," Sally said, licking her lips.
"Who are those people?" Perry asked, pointing to a group of beastkin carrying bundles among the crowd.
Sally sent a knight to investigate. He returned quickly. "Lord, those people are heading to Sedona City."
"They're going to Sedona City?" Sally's jaw dropped.
"I want to find a time to visit Sedona City myself," Perry said suddenly. She finally understood why her tribe's population wasn't growing.
"What?"
"I want to see exactly what is so good about that place that it attracts so many of our people," Perry said seriously. The population was power. If she wanted her tribe to thrive, she couldn't force people to stay; she had to make her tribe as attractive as Sedona City.
"Princess, are you really going?"
"Yes. Don't try to stop me; I've decided to leave in a few days."
"Uh..." Sally hesitated, then muttered, "Princess, I want to go too. I have to protect you. It's definitely not because I'm curious about Sedona City."
"..." Perry rolled her eyes and sighed, patting her own forehead. "So much drama."
"I..." Sally's face turned beet red. She was dying of curiosity. She wanted to see the place that produced such delicious food and that wine she was so obsessed with.
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200 power stones.
Top 100. All time.