Counterattack
Let’s nicely return the favor.
Book 5-1.1
The man’s eyes were shining with bliss.
He had finally managed to complete the spell without stopping.
“Hahahahat!”
The man laughed out loud. He then reflected on the terribly long year that he spent trying to memorize this one spell.
“I need to test it out.”
The man stopped laughing and started to mumble to himself.
What it claimed to do was so hard to believe that he could not really believe it without seeing it with his own eyes. That was why he needed to test it out.
But in his current situation, there was not many places he could test it out. Since he was weak, he could not travel alone to a place to test it. At the same time, all of the warriors were currently extremely busy with training.
“What to do?”
The man started to scratch his head.
“Should I have just focused on incantations? But even teacher was extremely excited about this. He also said this was another way of studying since the methods were not very different.”
After debating it for a while, the man closed his book and made up his mind.
“Since we are thick in preparations, it might be better to practice incantations that can be used. I can test this out later.”
The man must have been used to mumbling to himself as he continued to mumble and pack up his tools for chanting incantations.
“Are you scared?”
As Hanna, one of the Greatest Warriors who always put Venersis down, started to speak, Venersis’s eyebrows started to twitch. But he held back. If an internal struggle was to happen right now, it was certain that Pareia’s blade, which was currently pointed at the Eastern United tribe, would quickly turn toward their Shuarei.
Pareia was already finished preparing for war.
“You are going overboard.”
Hangry Elbotta, the Shuarei’s Glow, spoke toward Hanna as if he was scolding him, but Venersis was flabbergasted.
The person who called this Greatest Meeting today and brought up this situation was the Glow himself.
Of course Venersis was aware of the fact that he was isolated every time there was a Greatest Meeting. It was even worse right now because he was opposed to this war.
“Greatest Warrior Venersis.”
Elbotta called out to Venersis in a soft voice.
“Yes, Glow.”
Once Venersis responded, Elbotta slowly started to ask.
“Just why are you opposed to it? Wouldn’t we have a good chance of succeeding if we attack Pareia’s side while they are fighting against the united tribe? I think there could be no better opportunity.”
“Pareia might be headed out to war, but Pareia’s current number of warriors is extremely high. I don’t know how many of their warriors will be heading out for this campaign, but I’m certain that they would have put a lot of thought toward our possible actions.”
“It’s the same as saying you cannot hunt a wild animal because you are afraid of it.”
Even with Hanna mocking him on the side, Venersis pretended not to hear him as he continued on.
“This is not the right time. Our Shuarei has barely managed to return to our former strength. We need to wait for the right moment. If Pareia loses this campaign and receives a counterattack from the United Tribe, we can attack at an even more advantageous moment.”
“Wouldn’t it be more dangerous if they happen to win and unify the Eastern desert?”
“It will not be easy. Their forces are about the same and it is a defensive war for the United Tribe. There are also a lot of oasis to take over, so it is certain to take a long time. We need to wait. We need to wait until a more perfect opportunity comes our way.”
Even though Venersis was speaking sincerely, the meeting room was still full of chilly gazes. Everyone was feeling like something bad would happen if they did not attack Pareia right now.
Venersis admitted that much too. It would be hard to hold back. Pareia’s strength was getting stronger every day, while they just managed to recover from their losses. They might not want to believe it, but the Shuarei was currently afraid of Pareia.
Attacking right now might be for the best, but something did not sit well with Venersis no matter how much he thought about it. Even with Pareia knowing that the Shuarei had recovered their strength, Pareia’s blade was pointed at the United Tribe instead of their Shuarei.
That was why Venersis did not want to make an uneducated decision and wait around to get more information. Since the Shuarei were completed with their war preparations as well, it would not be too late to observe a bit more before heading out to war.
“Glow. You do not need to listen to a coward. Please leave it to myself and the other Greatest Warriors. We will instantly pierce through Pareia before returning.”
Hanna spoke in a loud voice to Elbotta.
“You stupid idiot, why are you so rushed? If we wait a bit longer, an advantageous situation will come to us. Pareia will certainly have prepared for our arrival. It is basic strategy to avoid an enemy that is waiting for you while striking an enemy who has shown an opening.”
With Venersis loudly looking down on Hanna, Hanna did not step back. Instead, he responded right back.
“If the tribe’s best warrior claims we will lose even before we go to war, I don’t think we will be able to even win wars we are supposed to win.”
Seeing the two men glare at each other, Elbotta started to speak.
“Both of you Greatest Warriors, please stop. We do not need to fight with each other. Everybody here is praying for our Shuarei’s success.”
The two men turned their heads away at that moment. Elbotta looked toward Venersis who was burning up in anger.
Elbotta might not like Venersis, but he knew that this war would be extremely difficult to win without Venersis. He also knew that people were whispering about how they lost the last war because he did not send Venersis out. Even the Glows of other tribes looked toward him as if he was an idiot for having such an amazing warrior but not utilizing him.
But Elbotta had his reasons as well.
His father, the former Glow, had trusted Venersis way too much.
He agreed to anything and everything Venersis said, but his father had a tendency to take anything that he, his own son, said as the mumblings of a child. That was why Elbotta wanted to show that he was a Glow who could surpass Venersis.
‘I know that it was wrong. But what can I do now after all of these years?’
Elbotta wanted to return everything back to the way it used to be. He wanted to go back to when he received Venersis’s contract of loyalty. If he could go back in time, he definitely would not act like he did in the past.
Elbotta continued to be conflicted.
But he knew that he really would be an idiot if he continued to hinder Venersis. He clenched his teeth tightly as if to firm his resolve before starting to speak.
“Greatest Warrior Venersis.”
“Yes, Glow.”
“I will give you 30,000 warriors. You can select a second-in-command as you wish. I do not hope for you to destroy Pareia. Just obtain enough oases that we will not be eaten up by Pareia een far into the future.”
“Glow!”
Many chiefs and Greatest Warriors stood up from their seats and called out to Elbotta.
It was an explosive proclamation.
Their Glow who had been working with them all this time to suppress Venersis had suddenly changed his attitude.
Even Venersis himself seemed to be quite surprised as he looked toward Elbotta with extremely large eyes.
“I accept that right now is not the time, but we cannot just wait forever. Just the fact that we are making a move should prevent Pareia from expanding their power as they wish, so that alone might be sufficient. The current Pareia is a monster.”
“Glow.”
Venersis looked toward Elbotta with admiration. He felt like his Glow had returned to the wise young man from the past. Even Venersis knew why his Glow had suppressed him so much.
That man had finally taken his hand. No matter what anybody said, he was still the blood of the former Glow. Venersis could feel his heart beating excitedly at the fact that his Glow had finally approved of him.
“I will give Greatest Warrior Venersis full command when it comes to war-related items. When it comes to war, his order is my order. I hope for everyone to work together with one heart, one will, to assist him to the best of your abilities.”
Elbotta spoke sternly to show that he will not accept any opposition before immediately standing up and turning away.