Chapter 444: Chapter 192: The Gnolls’ Allegiance

Seeing Robson arrive, the soldiers parted to make way for him.

The warriors of the Cavalry Team escorted the captive Centaur warriors before the Gnoll and Kobold lines.

In truth, it was less a military formation and more a mob of armed males surrounding a group of women, children, and the elderly.

The Gnolls at the front snarled as the humans approached, as if trying to bolster their own morale.

Robson wasted no words. He drew the sword from his waist, planted it in the ground, and stared at the Gnolls.

"Who is your leader? I’m not here to fight you," Robson said.

The Gnolls glanced at each other, but no one stepped forward.

"Who among you is in charge?" Robson asked again.

This time, the Gnoll warriors began to mutter amongst themselves, debating the humans’ intentions.

The Gnolls had once known glory. They had their own sphere of influence, even a nation, within the Demon Beast Mountain Range, but it was destroyed during the time of the First Empire. In that era, the Demon Beast Mountain Range was not yet isolated from the outside world, so the Gnolls’ official language was the common continental tongue. They understood Robson perfectly.

But while they understood his words, they didn’t understand his intentions.

’Didn’t they and humans always fight on sight? Why was this one spouting all this nonsense?’

"I’ll say it again. Who’s in charge?"

"If no one steps forward, then you can all die with the Centaurs behind me," Robson said.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers leveled their longspears.

This time, a Gnoll finally stepped forward.

"I am!"

Robson looked toward the voice. A tall Jackal Wolfman Warrior, his body emanating a Silver-rank aura, came to stand before him.

"You’re the leader of this group of Beastmen?" Robson asked.

"Yes. I am the Chieftain of the Kadama Tribe. These are my people. My name is Kadama."

"Human, what do you mean? Did you just say you’d have us die with the Centaurs?"

The Jackal Wolfman Chief named Kadama watched Robson cautiously.

"You mean... you’ll let us go?" Kadama asked, confused.

Robson smiled.

"Of course. We have no quarrel with each other," Robson said with a smile.

Kadama was taken aback. He didn’t understand what this human noble meant at all.

’Did the charge scramble his brains?’

Weren’t humans and Gnolls natural enemies? The stories Kadama had heard since he was a pup were all about his grandfather’s wars with humans. And his grandfather, in turn, had grown up on tales of his own father’s wars against them.

’Was there even anything to discuss?’

"Human, what are you getting at?" Kadama asked, bewildered.

"What am I getting at? My dear Chieftain, I am here to help you," Robson said with a grin.

"Help us? You?"

"That’s right. Me."

As Robson spoke, he had his men bring the Centaurs forward.

"Look. These Centaurs slaughtered your people and enslaved you and your kin. You were meant to be free warriors."

"Now, I have bound them all and freed you from servitude. Tell me, am I not helping you?" Robson asked with a smile.

’What a clever way to put it.’

Chief Kadama’s brain instantly overloaded, and he couldn’t process it for a moment.

Robson smiled and continued his explanation.

"You see, we have no quarrel with you. Humans only bear a grudge against the Purple-blooded Beastmen and this damned Beastman Royal Family. We want revenge on them, and you want revenge on them, too. We should be on the same side, shouldn’t we?" Robson said, smiling.

Robson’s words were blatant sophistry.

In both the past and present, the war between the Frank Kingdom and the Beastman Empire had always been a total war, involving their entire populations.

The two sides slaughtered each other for no other reason than their opponent being a Frank or one of the Beastman Empire’s people. When Beastmen charged onto the Frank Plain, they didn’t care if you were a noble or a peasant. Likewise, when the Franks charged onto the great plains of the Beastmen, they didn’t care if you were a Centaur or a Kobold—they would cut you down all the same!

Robson’s claim that humans and Gnolls had no conflict was true only here and now. In any other situation, things would be entirely different.

However, while Robson was using sophistry, Chief Kadama had never studied philosophy.

As Chief Kadama replayed Robson’s words in his mind, the more he thought about it, the more sense it seemed to make.

’That’s right!’

’His Gnolls had never wanted to fight the humans. Wasn’t every time they went to the battlefield because they were forced to by that damned Royal Family?’

’That Royal Family not only made them slaves but also forced them onto the battlefield to sweat and bleed. Was that right?’

’Why hadn’t he ever thought about this before?’

For a moment, the Jackal Wolfman Chief was lost in a state of conflict.

"Human... so, what is your proposal?" the Jackal Wolfman Chief asked hesitantly.

"I came here to exterminate Beastmen. Your goal is also to exterminate Beastmen.

Instead of serving under those Centaurs, why not pledge allegiance to me? I will grant you freedom, I will protect your property, and I will promise you your rights!"

"As long as you follow me and defeat these Centaurs, I will let you graze your cattle and horses on this land hereafter. How does that sound?" Robson said.

"I’m sure you’re aware of the current situation. The human army has already invaded the Beastman Grassland. The entire Beastman Corps is in chaos. My army has besieged the Centaur King City for a long time now, and no one has come to their rescue."

"I... Can I have some time to think about it?" Kadama said with a frown.

Robson smiled. He knew Kadama was already wavering.

"You can take all the time you need to think," Robson said. "However, I can’t guarantee my soldiers will be so patient."

Chief Kadama was startled.

Only then did he realize he had no choice at all.

The surrounding human soldiers all looked fierce and murderous; they were clearly not to be trifled with.

"Fine! I agree!" said Chief Kadama.

"However, I have one small request," Chief Kadama added.

"Oh? And what is that?" Robson asked with a smile.

"If there are spoils of war, can... can we keep half?"

Chief Kadama’s voice was tense as he spoke.

"If not half, then a quarter would also be fine. My tribe was plundered by these Centaurs, leaving us with nothing...

Without food, cattle, and horses, we will have a hard time surviving the winter."

"My... Lord? I’m sure you wouldn’t want your new slaves to freeze to death, would you?" said Chief Kadama.

’Slaves? Spoils of war?’

Robson’s mind went blank when he heard this.

To be honest, in his plan to win over a sufficient number of these Gnoll grunts, Robson had never intended to ask for anything from them.

Besides, in the Frank Kingdom, any spoils of war a noble acquired were their own; only the Standing Army was required to hand them over.

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