Chapter 310: A Lesson in Cunning

  The main force of the Minotaurs was still on their way to Oufu. Although the swamp army had cleared the path, crossing the vast swamplands of Tatalia to reach Oufu was not a short journey. However, the Harpies, taking advantage of their aerial superiority, had arrived in just a few days.

  The already few Harpies had suffered devastating losses in the Battle of Othello. Besides their Chieftain Loralei, only a few dozen warriors had escaped the sweep of the Purgatory of Paradise. Fortunately, there were still some old, weak, sick, and young left in the nests, along with hundreds of eggs, all of whom had been brought to Oufu under the leadership of Chieftain Loralei.

  "Chieftain Loralei, what do you think of this place? Are the arrangements to your liking?" Lord Bolgan proudly pointed to the cliff face ahead. This was on the shaded side of a rocky mountain outside Oufu City, where some platforms had been carved out and furnished with materials for nests, allowing the Harpies to arrange them as they saw fit.

  "It's fine, thank you," the Harpy Chieftain nodded.

  Lord Bolgan grinned, patting Loralei's waist intimately and said, "Don't thank me. It was Lord Sedros who arranged this for you, and the lizardmen who carved it out. I'm just the one in charge."

  Five short, thick fingers slid across the skin of her waist, and Loralei's body couldn't help but stiffen, but her will held firm, and she didn't draw the two blades at her waist to chop off that hand.

  If this had been another place, another time, any human who dared to make such a move would have ended up torn to pieces, but this was Oufu. Although this dwarf's head could be chopped off with a single strike, the blades in the hands of the two werewolf guards nearby would certainly be no slower than hers.

  Besides the massive flying beasts like Wyverns, all of Oufu was a profound shock to these bird-people, who rarely ventured above ground. Especially the orcs, who were so well-equipped and whose discipline was no less than that of the Church's swordsmen. This forced the Harpy chieftain, who was always defiant and had a bone-deep hatred for the human race, to suppress her disgust when facing this dwarf.

  "I've heard that your old home in Nighon was completely turned upside down by the Church's people. And that someone even used a Forbidden Spell scroll on you, is that right?" Lord Bolgan asked with a smile, using a tone and expression he thought was friendly.

  Loralei's face darkened, and she said nothing.

  Lord Bolgan, seemingly oblivious, continued to laugh heartily: "But don't worry, I guarantee living here will be much more comfortable than in Nighon. I heard that your leader, High Priest Tima, is a genius rarely seen among the Minotaurs in a hundred years. Not only a genius in earth magic, but also exceptionally intelligent..."

  Loralei couldn't help but turn back and say, "Tima is the leader of the Minotaurs. It has nothing to do with us."

  "Aren't the Harpies vassals of the Minotaurs?" Lord Bolgan asked in surprise.

  "No!" Loralei shrieked.

  "Oh, it doesn't matter, doesn't matter." Lord Bolgan gave a silly laugh. "Anyway, you're together now. You just need to follow High Priest Tima closely, and you'll be fine..."

  If it weren't for following him, how would we have ended up in such a state? Are you looking for a fight, you damned dwarf? Loralei used all her strength not to scream out and claw the detestable dwarf's face, only her teeth were clenched so hard they were chattering. Harpies had never been known for their cunning or for habitually suppressing their rage; to endure to this extent was already exceptionally difficult.

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  Lord Bolgan was still smiling, the grin on his pancake-like face seeming simple-minded and oblivious, even his ox-like eyes looked rather ridiculous. "Let's have a good chat. We'll be working together for a long time, so we need to get to know each other well..."

  "You should learn forbearance and cunning, you know?"

  That evening. When Loralei and High Priest Tima gathered together, the High Priest said to her very solemnly. He could tell that the expression in Loralei's eyes was different from usual, full of anger and strangeness.

  This was within High Priest Tima's expectations. He was very familiar with Loralei's temper, and such a disposition was undoubtedly unsuitable for getting along with other races. In fact, all the creatures of the underground Nighon, except for the Drow, lacked cunning and calculation; they were crude, barbaric, and simple. Although Moriel's existence was the biggest factor, this difference in mentality was one of the reasons why the individually weaker Drow could rule Nighon. Before coming to Oufu, the High Priest had already been worried that the simple, impulsive nature of the Harpies would cause some trouble.

  "Are you suggesting I learn from those treacherous humans?" Loralei looked at High Priest Tima with a strange expression.

  "We are not in Nighon anymore. The environment is different now, and you must adapt to it, learn to survive in this new environment. I know you've always looked down on the hypocrisy and snobbery of humans, but I'm telling you, this is not base and undesirable; it is an ability."

  High Priest Tima rarely spoke so much to anyone, and had never taught anyone like this before. The Minotaur nature was not to share their thoughts with others, but now he was like a patient teacher instructing a student. Although the Harpy tribe was now small in number, they were his only true allies at the moment.

  "To achieve a final, long-term goal, one must restrain momentary impulses, give up what must be given up, and control one's emotions. This is an ability, one far more powerful and useful than physical prowess, an ability that is essential for achieving great things. All that talk about despising such base hypocrisy and taking pride in one's own 'pure blood'—that's just an excuse for the weak to make themselves feel superior."

  Loralei's expression twisted slightly. She gave the Minotaur chieftain, her long-time partner, a very strange look, then sighed and said, "I understand."

  High Priest Tima couldn't help but nod slowly, sighing in relief. The cards in his hand were few now, and each one needed to be played well. "The current situation is that Sedros needs us, which is why we can gain a foothold in Oufu. In their eyes, we are just tools, because we are outsiders. Therefore, we must be even more united."

  "Sedros is certainly not at ease with us either, and I suspect he wants to completely annex our two tribes. So, the two of us, as tribal leaders, must be especially careful. From now on, no matter the situation, we must stay together as much as possible." High Priest Tima sighed heavily, extending a large palm to pat Loralei's much smaller shoulder. "I know it's my fault we've ended up in this situation. Please forgive me."

  "You..." Loralei's expression was strange, probably because she had never seen this ally display such a warm and humble expression and tone. The strength of the Harpy and Minotaur tribes was not comparable at all. Although they were said to be allies, the one giving the orders had always been High Priest Tima.

  "The situation is very difficult now. We should be more united and help each other through these tough times." High Priest Tima's expression was sincere.

  "Oh... okay... of course." Loralei's expression was a bit flustered. High Priest Tima was satisfied; this showed she was truly moved in her heart.

  "The strength of our two tribes is not enough to stand alone. We must rely on Oufu. In this situation, the spiritual faith and cohesion of our two tribes are the most important conditions to ensure we are not absorbed by Oufu. Therefore, our status is very important. Sedros will naturally understand this, so I am worried he might make a move against us. Fortunately, the Church and Oufu are on the verge of war, so he wouldn't dare to risk dealing with us rashly. But no matter what, we must be extremely careful not to show the slightest transgressive intention, nor leave them any leverage."

  "What we need is time, to slowly familiarize ourselves with this city. As long as we let the orcs here fully accept us, and gradually establish our status and prestige, we will have a chance. You must know, the lifespans of humans and orcs are not that long, and Sedros is already old..."

  High Priest Tima patiently explained and guided Loralei, slowly instilling in her these concepts she originally did not understand or excel at. The Harpy chieftain listened carefully, occasionally showing a look of thought and confusion. High Priest Tima was not in a hurry. He knew Loralei was not stupid. Regarding cunning and strategy, her previous lack of understanding would not be a major problem. As long as he guided her to develop this habit and way of thinking, she would slowly become familiar, accustomed, and adept on her own. This was, in fact, like inexperienced young men and women; once you guide them to experience it once, you don't have to worry about the rest. Their own desires will guide their way.

  The next morning, two werewolves brought a message from Sedros: the Lord of the City invited them to visit the farmlands at the edge of the swamp.

  Riding on Wyverns, the two soon arrived at the edge of the swamp. There was a vast, orderly expanse of fields bordering the swamp, but strangely, there were no orcs busy working in the fields. Sedros was waiting alone.

  After a brief greeting, Sedros smiled and said to the two of them, "Actually, the main purpose of inviting you here today is to have you meet someone. Please come with me."

  After a brief hesitation, High Priest Tima followed Sedros into the woods of the swamp. They hadn't gone far before they saw a person.

  This was a dead person. It was a dead person with its head beaten to a pulp, with multiple other wounds on its body. Many flies were crawling on it.