Draven didn't go to the Rhinoceros Man village, nor did he bring Thalia along. Instead, he headed straight back to Village No. 2.

  Sethric was clearly a bit impatient, so let him keep waiting. As for Thalia, sometimes a bit of coldness can actually spark a stronger desire.

  She was a leader after all. The distance between the two villages was only a few kilometers—did she really expect someone to personally come fetch her? Draven didn't have that kind of free time.

  In fact, Thalia was really waiting for him. Last night, a few words from her mother had stirred her mind, making her restless and tossing and turning through most of the night.

  Early in the morning, she washed up, dressed elegantly yet wild, and sat quietly on the chief's large wooden chair, expecting him to come.

  But as time ticked by and the scorching sun shone outside, her hope slowly cooled like water.

  By almost noon, the tall figure still hadn't appeared.

  The light in her eyes dimmed, and the spark faded from her expression. She seemed to have lost the wild confidence she had when hunting.

  Elira noticed this and smiled inwardly. As someone who had been through it all, she immediately saw her daughter's little thoughts.

  She curved her graceful waist and leaned forward, softly advising,"Don't wait foolishly. If he wanted to come, he would have arrived last night. Leaders don't have that kind of leisure time. You need to take the initiative~"

  Encouraged by her mother, Thalia composed herself and set out alone back to Village No. 2.

  She still had hunting tasks to complete and couldn't delay any longer. But as soon as she returned, Titus informed her that the chief had already come back long ago.

  She had planned to report to him immediately and arrange today's hunt.

  But when she arrived at Draven's residence, she found the door tightly shut, and strange noises coming from inside.

  Thalia pressed her ear against the door for a while; suddenly her face flushed bright red, and a stone seemed to press heavily on her chest, causing a suffocating ache.

  Her expression stiffened as she turned away and went hunting with Titus and the others. This hunt, however, opened Titus's eyes wide.

  In the forest, the Leopard girl's movements were so fast they were almost impossible to see.

  The prey was either knocked unconscious on the spot or killed under her claws. In just one morning, the spoils filled two large animal skin bags—more than they had caught in half a month!

  Titus was so delighted his tail wagged nonstop as he showered her with compliments. But no matter how sweet his words were, Thalia's face remained as cold as ice.

  Meanwhile, inside the village's stone house, Draven was full of spirit, punishing those reckless young girls harshly.

  Viola initially tried to maintain a noble posture, but there were traitors inside. Even with Liliana's support, they were soon shattered by Draven.

  The more they struggled, the more it fueled Draven's fighting spirit. Finally, Viola couldn't hold on and softened her voice to beg for mercy.

  The sisterhood alliance completely collapsed. Embarrassed, Viola covered her face and let out a few disgruntled hums.

  Liliana looked ashen; she could clearly see that Martha had betrayed them at the crucial moment.

  But she also knew very well that even without Martha, they had no chance against Draven.

  Liliana threw herself into Draven's arms, muttering,"Sister Viola, it must have been Martha who betrayed us."

  An exhausted Viola gave a helpless smile. If even Liliana could guess that, how could she not?

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  She reached out to stroke the little girl's face and whispered,"Accept your fate."

  Her words made Draven burst out laughing. Viola rolled her eyes and began scheming new plans.

  She wasn't really resigned. The Firefox tribe was once a powerful clan ruled by queens. Even in this dire situation, Viola's pride remained intact.

  She rolled her eyes and suddenly thought of Thalia. Maybe she could become a new ally.

  At the same time, in the distant Rhinoceros Man village, Sethric was pondering the same question.

  He knew well they had no traitors.

  In the minds of the Rhinoceros Men, the only thing worth betraying for was food. But recent movements around the Black Flag Territory unsettled him.

  He began to suspect that cooperating with the werewolf chief might have been a mistake. Yet with Alaric and others already settled in the village, he dared not show any abnormal signs.

  During his last visit to Black Flag Territory, he personally saw captives from the Hyena Tribe and Leopard clan.

  What if Black Flag Territory opens up the northern route—would they then turn around and purge their allies?

  After leaving Black Flag Territory that day, he privately spoke with the old monkey tribe chief Goldmanes, comforting each other.

  But they both knew it was just self-deception.

  In recent days, Sethric's heart has remained heavy with worry.

  Even the mighty Leopard Tribe has been steadily pushed back before the Black Flag Territory, let alone the Rhinoceros Man, whose forces are scattered and whose strengths have long been thoroughly understood.

  Alaric's hunting party had ventured several times into the outskirts of the village, becoming intimately familiar with the terrain and population. They could even roughly estimate how much food was stored in the warehouses. This made Sethric even more uneasy.

  The only slight comfort he had was that Alaric's hunting team and the batch of female slaves brought by Ayla were still behaving themselves—for now.

  They acted politely, causing no trouble, and stirred no unrest. At least, that was the surface impression.

  Sethric kept telling himself that with them around, Draven wouldn't act rashly. Yet even he didn't really believe his own words.

  Though he said that, every muscle in his body was tense, like a beast cornered with no way out.

  Outside the house, two Rhinoceros Tribe kids gnawed on dried meat strips brought by Ayla, their mouths dripping with grease.

  Sethric stood by the window watching them, but his heart felt scorched with anxiety. The land passed down by his ancestors was now being eaten away step by step by outsiders.

  He paced back and forth, his heavy footsteps echoing across the wooden floor like a trapped beast restlessly pacing in its cage.

  By contrast, the old leader of the Monkey Tribe, Goldmanes, appeared far more composed. He sat quietly in a low leather chair in the corner, his cloudy eyes showing neither anger nor much worry.

  Instead, there was the exhaustion and calm of an elder. Despite forcefully prolonging his life with bloodwine, he knew clearly that he might not last beyond this winter.

  Death was not frightening to him anymore; he had long since seen through it. What troubled him was the tribe left behind.

  After his death, the Monkey Tribe would lose its leader and be unable to hold their ancestral lands. The original plan was to relocate to Selene City and reestablish themselves under the protection of the lord.

  But now, with the Black Flag Territory emerging and the werewolf leader named Draven, maybe there was another direction to consider.

  Goldmanes recalled that brief meeting—the tall, powerful figure who was surprisingly gentle. He seemed less like a tyrant and more like a true king. His gaze cleared, and he slowly lifted his head.

  "Next time the liquor delivery arrives, I want to speak with Draven personally."

  Meanwhile, Draven sat in the stone house organizing intelligence. He knew the unification of the Divine War Hills was inevitable.

  This land did not need endless conflict and internal strife. Unification did not necessarily mean conquest. He preferred voluntary submission rather than forcing obedience through bloodshed.

  Draven returned to work. Two envelopes were handed to Thorin.

  "You're not a warrior today, you're a messenger," he said calmly.

  The letters were simple invitations sent to the two southern tribes. The three northern tribes had already submitted, which was worth celebrating. As neighbors, those tribes ought to send their congratulations.

  Thorin asked no questions and simply nodded to accept the orders. He took the letters and the map, and with the chief's permission, mounted the Nightmare Horse.

  The presence of such a high-ranking chief would surely bring some"surprise" to those tribes.

  A faint smile curled on Draven's lips as he turned to fetch a beast-skin scroll delivered last night by the Pale-Horned Magic Hawk. It was Rurik's report on the opening of the Public House.

  He read it carefully, growing increasingly pleased. The Black Flag Public House had been extraordinarily popular on its opening day. That very evening, succubi brought by Valeria from her tribe came to support the place.

  The Tauren representative, Aureon, had also arrived as promised, quelling much of the gossip and rumors.

  Angelica truly was a capable person. Born in the Rabbit tribe, she had struggled and worked in other taverns, possessing a deeply authentic understanding of the plight of low-status female demi-humans.

  Her proposed new system attracted many women from various clans, promising no coercion and the freedom to come and go— an unprecedented innovation.

  If not for Valeria's presence, even this one rule would have been enough to invite deadly retaliation.

  But instead of being suppressed, the Black Flag Public House even received the personal support of the steward Lydia, which was a direct slap in the face to other Public Houses. Those who had been waiting for a scandal were left speechless.

  More interestingly, Rurik mentioned in the letter that Aureon seemed very interested in Draven, who stood behind the Black Flag Public House, frequently inquiring about him.

  Draven chuckled softly as he read this.