CHAPTER 430: CHAPTER 308: THE THOUGHTS OF IBERUS

But now, the people here are starting to become restless again... The waves of anger surged within Chief Pulikas, and once again, his fury was ignited. He blurted out, "It seems you really want to be a traitor!"

"If being a traitor would allow the people here to survive, then it might be worth considering," Iberus calmly responded.

Pulikas angrily stood up, kicked over the wooden chair beside him, and strode out of the living room.

Iberus watched him leave, his expression rather complex.

Although Pulikas wanted to leave the village in anger, considering it was already late and Ankasus needed rest, he could only endure for the time being. Consequently, he did not meet Iberus again.

Early the next morning, the young man who had shown Pulikas the way yesterday hurried into the main house and found Iberus: "Father, Chief Pulikas and his men have already taken the boat and headed south."

"Finally gone!" Iberus breathed a sigh of relief. Although Pulikas had only stayed for one night, it still made him feel some pressure.

This young man was none other than Iberus’s eldest son, Adatis. He said worriedly, "Father, we’ve offended Pulikas this time. Will we be targeted by other tribes in the Segestica Tribe in the future—"

Iberus glanced at his son: "Don’t worry, they can hardly manage to drive away the Nix people. They have no time to deal with us! Besides, if I get too close with the northern tribes, the tribes around Gonami Lake might exclude us!

Son, now that Segestica is finished, and we no longer have the support of the main camp, to maintain our position as the decision-maker of Lake Gonami, we must act according to the will of the people by the lake, understand!"

"But..." Adatis was still worried: "What if those Nix people attack us?"

Iberus had already considered this issue repeatedly over the past two days and confidently said: "I heard that the Nix Tribe doesn’t have many people. They could seize the main camp within a day or two because it’s nearby, but we are much farther away.

If they just want to plunder, this poor place isn’t worth their trouble. If they intend to occupy the territory of Segestica, with just their few numbers, it’s uncertain if they can even stabilize the main camp, let alone the numerous tribes surrounding it. It’s still a long way before they can acquire the land of Gonami Lake!

If the Nix people recklessly come to attack, we’ll take the food and hide among the reeds by the boat; without food, how many days can they stay here!"

Adatis listened and still had a trace of concern: "Pulikas must have gone to seek assistance from the tribal alliance. What if they dispatch reinforcements to help him drive away the Nix people, and Pulikas seeks revenge on us for today’s offense?"

Iberus laughed heartily: "If the tribal alliance is willing to send reinforcements, that’s a good thing. Then we don’t have to worry about the Nix people attacking Gonami Lake. If it ends up as you say, we’ll declare joining Brochi. This land originally belonged to Brochi, and the Brochi Leader would certainly be happy to take us in. And Segestica, having just received Brochi’s significant aid, would also be embarrassed to oppose us, right!"

"Ah?" Adatis did not expect his father to give such an answer and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"However, these are merely our beautiful fantasies." Iberus’s face became somber: "The more likely scenario is that the other major tribes, having just suffered a crushing defeat, are incapable of sending reinforcements, or even if they can, they won’t be able to defeat the Nix people...

So in this complicated situation, we mustn’t foolishly be driven by others and waste our people’s lives. Instead, we should watch the development quietly and make decisions beneficial to the tribe in the end, understand?!"

Adatis nodded thoughtfully.

............

Pulikas and his group left Iberus’s tribe by boat and continued sailing southward. Since they were going downstream, the speed was quite fast, and they reached the end of Gonami Lake before noon, where the Sava River and Kupa River converge.

Not far from the confluence of the two rivers was the military camp built by the Brochi Leader Bricks for the Alliance Army’s main force.

A few days ago, this place was bustling with voices and the neighing of warhorses. Now, more than half of the area had emptied out, becoming desolate, but there were still many tents, and warriors wandered among them, though their expressions and attire seemed even poorer than the Segestica refugees encountered by Pulikas along the way.

Pulikas originally planned to sail directly to Brochi’s main camp, but seeing the scene before him, he decided to disembark and inquire.

Only after inquiring did he learn that not only was Bricks in the camp, but also the Mazi Leader Maitilis and the Desitia Leader Temagis.

Pulikas and his group immediately rushed to the camp to see Bricks.

Just as they arrived in front of the military tent, they heard Bricks’s roar from inside: "Still haven’t found them? Then why are you back! Keep searching for me, even if they are dead, bring the bodies back to me! Take all the warriors from the camp to search; I want to know their situation by tonight! If you can’t find them, don’t come back!..."

The tent flap was lifted, and a Brochi warrior walked out with a dark expression, without glancing at Pulikas’s group, and quickly ran toward a nearby tent.

Pulikas signaled with his eyes to their guide, who stood still, waiting for a moment before calling out: "Great Chief, Chief Pulikas of Segestica requests an audience!"

"Pulikas?!..." Bricks’s voice came from within the tent: "Let him in."

Pulikas entered the military tent with Ankasus.

Inside the tent, there were three people: the Brochi Leader Bricks, the Mazi Leader Maitilis, and the Desitia Leader Temagis.

Regarding Temagis, there was nothing more to say, as he was a good friend of Andres, and Pulikas was familiar with him. Pulikas had also attended tribal alliance meetings several times with Andres and had met the other two leaders.

He first saluted the three and greeted them, then had Ankasus do the same.

"Pulikas, I already know that your Segestica Army, like us, suffered a devastating defeat. What brings you here at this time?!" Bricks tried hard to suppress his growing frustration. He knew very well that a Segestica Chief of Pulikas’s stature not being in his territory to stabilize the situation but instead bringing Andres’s son here could hardly be for good.

"The Nix people have launched a massive invasion of our territory and have occupied our main camp. We have come to seek assistance!" Pulikas said in a solemn tone.

"Segestica’s main camp was lost so quickly?!" The three leaders were utterly shocked.

The possibility of the Nix people invading Segestica was within Bricks’s expectations. Several days ago, after Temagis and the remaining few dozen cavalry escaped along the banks of the Kupa River to the Brochi Territory, they had arrived at this camp. Bricks, having just escaped back himself, had a premonition of the dire situation when he learned that the alliance between Desitia and Segestica had also suffered a crushing defeat. If the Nix people were to take advantage of the situation for revenge, Segestica and Brochi, both near the Nix Tribe, would suffer first.

Hence, Bricks immediately withdrew more than half of the over 2000 Brochi warriors he had brought back to guard the Brochi Tribe adjacent to the abandoned Segestica camp along the banks of the Kupa River, to prevent the Nix people, after seizing the remaining Segestica camps on the riverbank, from easily following the river downstream.

Upon hearing Pulikas’s words, Bricks actually felt a sense of relief as the Nix people chose to invade Segestica instead of Brochi.

But he was also shocked, for during discussions with Temagis and Maitilis, they believed that despite the Nix people’s victories in both battles against the tribal alliance army, they must have also suffered significant losses and needed time to regroup. Moreover, capturing Chief Anrotas’s camp wouldn’t be easy.

Therefore, the three leaders judged that the Nix people couldn’t launch a counterattack in a short time.

But unexpectedly, after defeating the northern Pannonia Alliance Army, the Nix Army not only launched a counterattack but also seized Segestica’s main camp — it took them just two days! Two days, and the Nix people not only excelled in field battles but also demonstrated such formidable fortress assault capabilities?!

Bricks, Temagis, and Maitilis exchanged glances, their hearts filled with trepidation.

Pulikas hurriedly defended himself: "The Nix people came too quickly, and because we didn’t anticipate the Alliance losing, nor did we receive timely information, we were caught off guard by the Nix people’s surprise attack and thus lost our main camp!"

He spoke unwittingly, but Bricks noted his intention: so you’re saying losing your main camp is partly our fault!

Feeling displeased, Bricks maintained a solemn appearance: "The Nix people’s invasion of Segestica is a significant matter for the tribal alliance. We, the three great leaders, need to urgently discuss this. Chief Pulikas, please take Ankasus and wait outside."

Pulikas courteously replied: "Great Leaders, you intend to discuss reinforcing Segestica. As a chief of Segestica, I am familiar with the situation and can assist you in formulating the rescue plan."

Pulikas’s implication was that he wished to remain in the military tent to join the three leaders’ discussions.