Early the next morning, Draven began coaxing and soothing Liliana's dissatisfaction from the previous night.

  He spoke kindly, put on a conciliatory smile, and even personally brought her breakfast, acting in a humble manner.

  Only when Liliana finally relaxed and stopped scowling did he breathe a sigh of relief, as if he had just escaped a disaster.

  Draven was sweating profusely, making Viola and the others laugh heartily.

  Was I the only one enjoying this?

  Just then, Gregor braved the heavy rain, leading three patrol members to the stone house.

  Seeing Gregor return, Draven had no choice but to leave the cozy stone house behind.

  He followed Gregor to the leaders' hall.

  Inside the hall, the three patrol members were already waiting. One was Linda, a short-haired succubus with a black-feathered magic crow perched on her shoulder;

  another was Kevin, a warrior of the Frostwolf tribe, with a pure white wolf-shaped beast crouching beside him; and the third was the troll Ade.

  After his promotion, Draven's aura had clearly changed. Even Linda couldn't help but glance up at him a few extra times.

  This man didn't seem like an ordinary wolf leader—he was more like a true warrior.

  Draven smiled and invited them to sit, but his gaze involuntarily fell on the magic crow on Linda's shoulder.

  The creature was calmly preening its feathers, acting as if nothing was amiss. But Draven felt something was off.

  "Is that a Night Raven?" he thought, his heart sinking.

  He recognized the bird immediately—it was one of the common messenger beasts used by the lord's manor. It flew fast and steadily, its feathers black as ink, and at night it could vanish completely into the darkness. It was one of the most relied-upon intelligence tools among the demi-human tribes.

  Everyone knew why a succubus would have a raven by her side. Draven glanced at Gregor.

  The serpent man clone responded with a helpless expression.

  "Watching me?" Draven sneered inside his mind. Should I have Ghost-faced Owl take that bird out?

  Of course, that was just a thought. No one dared act rashly against Selene's personal spies.

  Kevin's white wolf looked smart, alert, and fierce. Draven studied it for a long time and liked it more and more, already thinking about whether he could"borrow" it for a while...

  The Frostwolf tribe was very different from the Blackwolf tribe. Although they could also complete a second bloodline awakening, they did not have so-called companion beasts.

  But they possessed a special talent—the ability to tame strange beasts. It was a very practical gift.

  After a brief silence, Draven stopped wasting time and began assigning tasks directly.

  He never liked beating around the bush. Now that they had just joined the Black Flag Territory, it was time to put everyone in their proper places.

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  "You don't need to do daily patrols in the Black Flag Territory anymore. I have more suitable work for you."

  The troll Ade, who carried a double-edged battle axe on his back, was assigned to stay in Village No. 2 to assist Titus with the village's defense.

  With more people coming recently, the security situation had become more complicated, and Titus was struggling to manage alone. Ade's strength and deterrence would effectively fill this gap.

  As for Kevin and his white wolf beast, they were sent to Village No. 1. They would train with Bran to see if the Blackwolf tribe could learn to tame beasts.

  This interested Draven greatly. If the skill of beast taming could spread, it would hugely boost the entire territory's combat power.

  Draven had even begun imagining a future Black Flag Territory equipped with a cavalry of strange beasts. The image was incredibly exciting.

  Maybe our Blackwolf tribe could also get the hang of these things.

  Linda's role had also long been decided.

  Draven planned to entrust her with a group of teenagers from the village to train them in combat skills.

  Cultural lessons would still be handled by Viola and her companions, so the next generation could receive an education that combined both academics and martial arts.

  In a few years, they would grow into a group of well-read and skilled fighters.

  The three patrol members had no objections to Draven's assignments. They merely glanced at Gregor, waiting for his nod of approval.

  After Gregor nodded slightly, they stood up promptly and without hesitation to receive their orders.

  Draven couldn't help but sigh inwardly—this was what professionalism looked like. If only our own people had this kind of drive.

  Of course, he understood that these three had been personally trained by Selene, so their high caliber was only natural. The three patrol members were more like seeds—once you have seeds, there will be a harvest in the future.

  One day, the Black Flag Territory would also have discipline and structure like those great powers.

  Outside, the rain hadn't stopped; the clouds hung low, and the ground was muddy and soggy. Such weather was unsuitable for wandering around, so Draven instructed Gregor to have the three patrol members choose a stone house to settle in first.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the Black Flag Territory, a new encounter was quietly unfolding.

  To the east of Village No. 1 lay a neighboring village inhabited by the Rhinoceros Men. They were strong and silent, living on the edge of the forest and barely scraping by day to day.

  Just as they were worrying about dinner, a strange squad approached the village through the pouring rain.

  The sharp-eyed Rhinoceros Men on watch spotted the Tauren squad riding large horned bulls early on. Startled, he kicked into a full run back to the village, shouting for the leader, Sethric, to come out.

  Sethric's skin was grayish-white, his body tall and sturdy, with a thick, short rhino horn on his head. Squinting, he looked toward the distant riders and immediately recognized them as Tauren from Selene City.

  His eyes brightened instantly.

  "Everyone, assemble! Line up to welcome the guests!" he shouted until his throat was hoarse.

  The Rhinoceros Men moved quickly; despite the heavy rain, they soon formed a line. Their over three-meter-tall frames cut an imposing figure through the rain curtain.

  But the growling noises from their stomachs ruined all the dignity. One after another, their stomachs rumbled like some peculiar melody mixed with the sound of rain, making the scene quite comical.

  Sethric's bull-like eyes glared as he roared,"Tighten your belts! Don't embarrass yourselves in front of the guests!"

  But just as he finished speaking, his own stomach growled loudly enough for the entire team to hear.

  Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and tightened his belt harder, forcing himself to keep calm.

  Sethric looked at the Tauren squad with eyes full of longing and hope. Perhaps they were finally being accepted by Selene City? Perhaps they would no longer have to endure hunger?

  The Tauren were a powerful and wealthy tribe. They had pastures, iron mines, and craftsmen who could forge weapons. The Rhinoceros Men, on the other hand, had nothing—except strength, they had almost nothing.

  So when the Tauren entered the village, the Rhinoceros Men welcomed them with almost religious reverence, leading them into the central guest hall.

  The Tauren leader was named Jacob. He was even larger than the average Tauren and wasted no words—he sat down immediately.

  Sethric reluctantly served each of them a bowl of cassava porridge—the best food the village could offer—and even secretly added some honey.

  But Jacob didn't touch it. He frowned slightly, then calmly explained the purpose of their visit.

  As he spoke, Sethric's expression changed bit by bit—from nervousness to confusion, and finally to complete embarrassment.

  What did this mean? Were they being asked to be cannon fodder?

  Jacob's proposal was simple: the Tauren wanted the Rhinoceros Men to form a combat unit and attack the Black Flag Territory. If they performed well, the Tauren would accept them.