“Are you saying that you’re going to attack us?”
Hwee suppressed his anger.
“No. I only asked you a question. I’m just saying that would be better for us than making diplomatic trade or whatever it is.”
“Humans aren’t as weak as you think.”
“I never said you were weak.”
“Then are you saying that even after considering how much damage your warriors would suffer, no, after considering if you could even take over Automation?”
Lakrak shrugged.
“Well, I can’t say I’m certain…but if my calculations are correct, we’ll be able to take over Automation even though we’ll suffer a little casualties. That’s for sure.”
“Can you guarantee that?”
“I know there are other secrets within Automation that I don’t know about. That’s why you Humans are able to stay there for so long without losing your home. I do worry about how much my warriors will suffer due to that secret. However, taking over Automation wouldn’t be a problem.”
“How are you so sure?”
Hwee was interested in Lakrak’s confidence.
Lakrak replied, “We follow the Blue Insect God. If God helps us, that tall rampart and all the mud soldiers will turn into debris.”
Hwee couldn’t think of anything to say. Lakrak was right. Hwee had heard about the guardian, Sratis. It was a giant mantis monster that would disappear after helping the Black-Scaled Lizardmen fight difficult battles. The mantis was known as one of the incarnations of the Blue Insect God, and wooden statues made after its likeness could also be found at the market in Automation.
‘There’s more problems aside from Sratis. The Black-Scaled Lizardmen have a Cockatoo warrior, as well as the chosen ones. I’m not sure how much power they have, but even if one chosen one used their power, it would demoralize our soldiers. There aren’t many who wouldn’t be afraid after witnessing thunder and lightning strike right before their eyes.’
Even putting aside all those variables, there were still many other problems.
‘Most of all, if what we’ve confirmed is correct, Lakrak has around eighty warriors. And there’s probably more…’
In the wilderness, Lakrak’s Clan was currently known as the ‘Black-scaled Lizardmen’ or ‘Black-scaled Tribe,’ but Lakrak’s Lizardmen was divided into several groups. For the past nine years, Lakrak, who conquered the upper region of the peninsula, had been attempting to rally together all the other Lizardmen tribes he found, and he succeeded with his leadership. Some of the tribes permanently remained where they were, but most of the tribes would willingly move to become livestock farming tribes if necessary as long as Lakrak asked them to.
‘Lakrak may just have rushed up here to keep an eye out for the Ears Cut Tribe. He probably already summoned his other Lizardmen. The wilderness is soon going to enter rain season anyway. Then lots of plants will grow for a while, so the tribe that herds water buffaloes won’t be too far out. They would all get here sooner if they sent out some warriors to help.’
Hwee thought about Automation.
‘We have a big population, but few who can fight.’
Other than the four warrior families serving the lord of Automation, there were no proper soldiers. The other so-called soldiers would outnumber the Black-Scaled Lizardmen, but they weren’t blessed by a god.
‘There’s an even more important matter.’
If rumors spread about a fight breaking out, many would run away. A great percentage of the Humans within the ramparts were farmers, peddlers, miners, and their families, and they relied on the ramparts to protect them. They were the ones that made Automation wealthy, but wealth alone couldn’t protect Automation. If they began to leave, or more precisely, as long as it seemed like they were going to leave, the soldiers would lose their confidence.
‘Word of the brutalness of the Ears Cut Tribe has started to spread…but the stories of the Black-Scaled Lizardmen are already well-known. Probably because of people like Owen. I should have been careful with him.’
Hwee had to admit that he had lost this war before it even began. He wasn’t sure if Lakrak knew what he was thinking, but Lakrak continued to state his third reason anyways.
“And salt! Salt is indeed a precious asset. It’s also expensive. It’s needed for everything. However, everyone wants it, so everyone searches for it, and therefore it’s possible to get anywhere. Even if it isn’t from Automation.”
“…Okay. I guess the lord has overlooked the fact that the Black-Scaled Lizardmen already know about the ways and means of trading salt. Is that it?”
“No. There is the fourth most important reason.”
“Alright. Tell me what it is.”
Lakrak stated his fourth reason.
“I don’t respect liars.”
“I haven’t lied.”
“You have. You’re not an errand boy of Automation.”
“Then who do you think I am?”
“The lord of the Automation castle, Hwee-Seo,” replied Lakrak.
Hwee didn’t admit nor deny it.
Lakrak explained how he came to the conclusion.
“I figured it out because of the name Hwee. And I assume you used that name on purpose to test how much the Lizardmen know about Automation. Am I right?”
Hwee sat silently.
“It is said that the lord of Automation hides himself and his true name and is simply known as ‘lord’. However, that’s only outside of Automation. I heard there are four families that serve the lord of Automation. They likely act as the hands and feet of the lord, yet only a few of them know the lord’s real name. Those who share the same blood as the lord all have Hwee as part of their names, and I’ve heard that the lord has four sons and three daughters. However, you’re not a woman, and by the looks of the wrinkles on your hands, you’re not that young for a Human either. That’s how I figured out your name. Hwee-Seo.”
“…You’re good.”
Sitting before Lakrak in a well-mannered way, the man took off his leather hood and sat up straight. Now that the act was busted, the man with the responsibility and authority to lead the people of Automation faced Lakrak at the same eye level.
“…That is right. I am the lord of Automation, Hwee-Seo.”
Hwee-Seo’s face was completely revealed as he took off his leather hood. It was the face of a middle-aged man, with fierce eyes rimmed with wrinkles and a shaggy beard. He was fairly skinny and had a scar on top of his nose, which looked like it would have been a big cut.
Lakrak read his face.
‘Wrinkles. I noticed the back of his hands. Humans get wrinkles when they age. He’s somewhat old, but has a straight back and clear eyes. He lied, but the fact that he hid his identity might be more dangerous. He’s fearless, but that’s not because he’s stupid. The scar. There’s a rumor that he just orders everything to be done from behind the scenes, but he’s actually the type of person that needs to do everything himself to be satisfied. Lots of problems at Automation were probably solved by this man. He gets himself into dangerous situations, but he’s lived through it all. That’s the evidence that he is a strong man… I don’t believe Humans are weak. That rumor was probably spread by the Humans themselves.’
Then Hwee-Seo asked, “How did you know? There are no Lizardmen out of the people I am close with.”
“Is that so? Then I guess there’s a snitch among the Humans.”
“Hm. You sound pretty confident.”
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
Hwee-Seo didn’t reply.
‘This Lizardman is giving me homework. Is he telling me to try and look for the snitch if I want to?’
Then Lakrak said, “I also have a question. Even if we have a neutral relationship, aren’t you afraid of coming here alone?”
“I am scared.”
“But?”
“Just like your confidence in believing you can take over Automation by force, whether my real identity was caught or not, I knew you would just let me go.”
“What if I didn’t know who you really were?”
“I know that black-scaled Lizardmen are kind to guests.”
“…Hmm.”
Lakrak wondered if there was a need to change that kind of culture, but he couldn’t find a good enough reason to do so, and he didn’t think it would be easy to do, either.
“Now that your true identity is revealed, I shall act according to your belief, Hwee-Seo. What do you think I should do now?”
“You’ll send me on my way.”
“The reason?”
“It’s not that important, but you want to express your condolences for the star catcher, so you hope that I will leave after this conversation is finished.”
“You’re not wrong. But that’s not the only way I can make you disappear.”
Lakrak leaned forward towards Hwee-Seo and threateningly said, “I’ve told you that the Black-scaled Lizardmen Tribe would benefit from attacking Automation, and the way I see things, the four families will panic if the lord of Automation dies. It’ll be easy to win a battle without a commander. So what are you gonna do if you’re wrong?”
“No, I’m not wrong.”
Hwee-Seo didn’t even blink and continued to say, “You don’t know who my successor will be if I die.”
Lakrak stood up straight again and slightly rolled up the tip of his tail, as if he’d heard something that piqued his curiosity.
“Interesting. But why does it matter for the Black-Scaled Lizardmen to know who the next successor of Automation is? I don’t see any reason for us to know.”
“It might seem like that to you… Lakrak, do you know the game Go?”
“…Go?”
“It’s a popular game at Automation. We play it on the ground or on a table.”
“I don’t know of it.”
Hwee-Seo explained the game of Go.
“You draw several crisscrossing lines like a grid. Then you collect white and black stones and take turns placing each color down one by one. The stones are placed on the points where the lines intersect, and if four stones of one color surround one of the stones of the other color, that one stone dies. It gets taken out. Then you keep playing until there’s no more spaces to place the stones. You would then count the spaces you’ve encircled with your stones on the board, as well as the number of your opponent’s stones you’ve taken out. Whoever has the highest score wins.”
“I can’t quite understand just by listening to the explanation.”
“Sorry, but that’s not the important part.”
“Then why did you explain it?”
“Because I am one of the stones.”
Lakrak’s pupils contracted as if he realized something, and his eyes seemed to twinkle. He stared off into the distance.
Hwee-Seo added, “I know the game has already started… It’s a game where two gods are playing with their own tribes as stones, and the wilderness is the board. One god brought Gnolls, and the other god brought Lizardmen. The Gnolls and Lizardmen on that board have started a game of their own. And that game is called Automation.” 𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Lakrak’s silence was confirmation enough.
“…Alright. Just like you Lizardmen know about me, I know what you are trying to do. I have to choose my successor soon, and recently, you have approached my children. From some point on, they’ve been talking about teeth full of anger, and others talked about a blue butterfly. My children have begun to believe in gods…”
Lakrak smiled and said, “Well, there’s nothing I can do. That’s less damaging for us than attacking Automation.”
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