On the back of her summoned wolf, Fen, Aura charged toward the central settlement of the Mezu, otherwise known as the horsehead tribe. The bipedal horse people were one of two dominant species in the region and one of two species engaging in active warfare at the time. Which meant they needed to be brutally subjugated to ensure their servitude and put an end to their useless war once and for all.
The various raider detachments had spread out to surround the area, preventing the enemy from retreating if they tried to do so. At the same time, the foot soldiers and flyers positioned themselves for the takeover of the strategic locations of the area, to swoop in simultaneously and spread defenses thin.
After struggling to establish full control over Falmuth for many months, the military high command had settled on a total control doctrine, which meant that there couldn't be any unaccounted sentient creatures in Tempest-controlled areas the moment their ownership had been transferred to the Hegemony, no matter who they were.
Such an approach slowed down the expansion by a noticeable degree but at the same time ensured that once the territory was officially included in the hegemony, there were no internal struggles left to deal with over time. The military didn't want constant uprisings that drained their resources incessantly, so they settled on a comparatively higher upfront cost of complete domination.
The Mezu town was only lightly defended despite the information gathered from fleeing refugees, letting Aura charge past the surprised guards before any dense defense could be mounted. Locating the leader was just as easy amidst the shrieks for a hasty defense. A powerfully built Mezu, standing nearly a head taller than the rest who were quickly surrounding him, was waiting for her in the center of the city consisting of crude wooden houses, gripping a massive wood and metal spear in his right hand.
Aura stopped a short distance away and leaped down from her wolf's back, patting the massive beast at the side of its lowered head.
"Are you the leader?" She casually questioned. She had already guessed him to be the leader, but confirmation was best.
"Yes, child. Have you come to challenge me?" The horse-headed man roared.
"Well, my master Lord Momonga told me to offer you the chance to surrender unquestioningly first, and I'm on a tight schedule. So, how about you kneel and pledge loyalty to Lord Momonga?" Aura suggested, though she knew that this option would likely be rejected.
The Mezu leader neighed at her suggestion and broke into a run, lifting his weapon for a massive overhead strike.
'This was expected. Oh well, let's go with plan B, "Eat him." She issued an order to her summoned beast.
The Mezu leader couldn't have known what had happened; within the blink of an eye, his head was severed from his torso in a loud crunch. The headless body didn't even hit the ground before the wolf went for the next bite, tearing off an entire arm and chewing on it contentedly before retreating next to her with his prey.
"Who's next in line? I don't have all day. Come out!" Aura impatiently called out for the next Mezu to converse with, tapping her foot on the ground.
No one responded. The warlike monsters stood in shocked silence as their leader was being eaten by the monstrous beast.
"Oh well, I'll just feed the rest of my pets while we wait. Looks like we have new food stock." Aura waved her arm as all her summons appeared beside her. The ten additional beasts just appearing out of thin air and eyeing the equids like a tasty snack was enough for one Mezu to quickly step forward and kneel before Aura. "I will speak for my people, great one. Please spare us!"
"Great. You all now belong to the Tempest Hegemony. Sit tight, wait for the administration to arrive, and listen to their orders. Ohh, and gather all of your people, Lord Momonga will probably name you all soon." Aura announced, hopping back onto the wolf that was almost done consuming the meal and happily crushing the Mezu's bones between his jaws.
For proud creatures who had been the apex predators of this part of the forest, only rivaled in might by their mortal enemies the Gozu when it came to the dominance over the lands, seeing their leader treated like mere food was bound to leave a lasting impression. Aura, however, could not be bothered by how traumatic her actions were, as long as the job was done. And the job was done, to say the least.
The liches and other administrative personnel sent shortly after her would sort out the horse-like creatures while a detachment of the standing army of undead ensured that they behaved and didn't cause any trouble. As a tamer by trade, she was well aware that obedience was the first thing needed to properly control someone, and only then could any sort of reward be given out for good behavior. The stick was necessary before the carrot.
Now that the main group of this part of the forest was accounted for, her next target was a small valley that even the Mezu avoided due to the sheer number of predatory creatures living there. Without wasting time, she urged her pet to carry her forward towards the zone, to which the wolf happily obliged, as the canine gave out sounds of contentment, likely because of the meal he had received that was quite high in nutrition and magicules.
The cavalry had already surrounded the outskirts of the valley and ensured nothing would escape, leaving only the main task of delving straight into its depths for her. As she rode forward, she poured over the notes of what sort of creatures occupied this small, isolated area one final time. The only thing available was a brief description of massive bipedal wolves.
As soon as she entered the area, she could feel the beasts following along her path, never revealing themselves in the valley's shadows. Her keen sense of smell identified the creatures as werewolves which had a completely different scent compared to wolf lycanthropes, leaning more toward the monstrous side compared to the more humanized denizens of Eurazania.
'They've waited for me?' The subtle feeling her ultimate skill gave out was an uncanny one for sure. 'Oh well, let's see where this goes', she dismissed the feeling and carried on.
The outskirts of the small village were decorated with countless skulls perched on sticks. The skulls were enhanced by crude symbols, painted with dried blood on the disturbing decorations. The huge bipedal beasts stood in rows, watching intently straight at her. Though not uttering a single sound, even the smallest of them were at least two and a half meters tall when standing upright. Their muzzles were painted in bone-white and blood-red symbols.
Unlike the wolf lycanthropes and the tengu, who appeared almost human, usually having only wolf ears and tails on their otherwise human forms, these creatures were fully anthropomorphic wolves covered in fur and having heads indistinguishable from those of their more primal counterparts. Both males and females were clad in nothing more than simple leather loincloths, proudly displaying their muscular bodies and tough fur.
Despite their bestial nature, both sexes displayed characteristics found in other humanoid creatures, with males being taller and having wider shoulders and overall more muscle, and females having breasts and wider hips. Demiurge would be delighted by the information of how bipedalism developed independently in this world, given he loved exploiting its weaknesses.
Aura moved between the rows of these creatures, her uncanny feeling only growing stronger. They had expected her, been patiently waiting for her, suggesting a very efficient and effective communication network her pets hadn't sensed with their superior sense of smell and hearing.
In the middle of the small village that had not much else besides tents made of crude leather crackled a massive bonfire, a single gray-furred werewolf sitting cross-legged behind it. His white, pupilless eyes seemed to stare past her as he drew deep breaths.
Unsettled by what was going on, she jumped off the back of her wolf and approached the old werewolf, weapons at the ready. This could be an ambush, to separate her from her pets while their leader held her down. They outnumbered her greatly after all. Not that it would particularly matter as these beasts weren't a threat to her.
{ I feel, yes, you must be the one. Oh, ruler of the wilds, let me and my brethren taste your power. Give this old one the honor of being in your unrestricted presence. } The wolf spoke through Thought Communication, confirming that the tribe, like all monsters, had this incredibly useful skill.
'What is this?' Aura was confused about how to approach the situation. The werewolves weren't challenging her, not at all. It seemed the opposite; it almost looked like they wanted to worship her. Lord Momonga had told her to make her own decision in each situation, and if she made mistakes, it would be a great learning experience since anything could be fixed with enough resources and time from Nazarick. 'Should I let them feel my unrestricted aura? They might die. But that is exactly what they are asking of me.'
"You might not want that, you know."
{ Fear not, Mistress of the Hunt. Only those unworthy of your blessing would perish. Should these old bones be too weak to witness you, another shaman will take my place and lead the tribe in service of you. } The old wolf spoke in her mind.
"Just don't say I didn't warn you," Aura shook her finger at the old wolf and took off the Ring of False Data, letting her unrestricted aura wash over the werewolves.
To her surprise, the old beast didn't fall to the ground or prostrate himself like many creatures had done before when tasting the aura of guardians or even Supreme Ones. It had become almost common sense that when a being of her caliber unleashed their auras, it attacked everyone else's mental states and forced them to bow.
Instead, he stood up, his aged muscles twitching under the fur, practiced as if he had been waiting for this his entire life. The werewolf then glanced up at the sun and let out a bone-chilling howl, hitting his chest with his paw that made an audible thud. The rest followed suit, drowning the small valley in a cacophony of howls.
{ AURA. HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES? WHY HAVE YOU SHOWN YOUR POWER SO OPENLY? THE LICHES REPORT OTHER CAPTURED MONSTERS HEARING THE SOUNDS OF THE DARK TIDE. } Cocytus contacted her, all but demanding an answer.
Aura quickly retold in detail what was going on, waiting for her fellow floor guardian to respond.
{ I SEE. THESE CREATURES ARE PLEDGING THEMSELVES TO YOU THEN. I SUGGEST YOU ACCEPT THEIR PLEDGE AND INCORPORATE THEM AMONG THE RANKS OF YOUR DIRECT SUBORDINATES. } Cocytus gave her advice she didn't expect. She supposed she had more pets to play with.
{ Sure. } Aura looked up at the old werewolf who had just ended the howling. 'I guess I can take on this tribe. If that Leech could take the duty of ruling over vampires, then I can do the same.'
Following up on what the insectoid had told her, she announced, "You all belong to the Tempest Hegemony, ruled over by the Great Lord Momonga. You can serve me directly if you wish, but his will is absolute."
{ We pledge ourselves to you and your master, young Goddess. Guide us towards your goals as the prophecy has foretold. } The old wolf kneeled before her, lowering his head, which still made Aura look up from the height difference.
"Great. Then pack up. We still have a lot of forest to cover, and then I can let you settle in the floor I guard!" She announced excitedly.
There was a sense of kinship with these creatures. These werewolves were the perfect expression of the wilderness she embodied through her ultimate skill. As she pondered the implications, a revelation struck her, one she knew had to be true.
'Ooh! Lord Momonga knew I would find them here and set me on this path intentionally. I was one of the last without direct sapient subordinates and he graciously gifted me these creatures!'
The path towards the small village was hidden from anyone but the most observant of warriors. Cocytus avoided the careful setup of countless traps and alarm triggers as he approached the level village. It was one of many that were scattered between Mezu and Gozu territories, caught in the deadly crossfire between the two species that had forced them to develop respectable techniques such as the extremely hidden pitfall he floated over.
Elves were not powerful creatures by nature, and only the best of them excelled enough to compete with the powerful bovines and equids, but they were respectable in their own right when compared to weaker hobgoblins, and their long lives meant they often held wisdom beyond their appearances. Combined with their low numbers, it was unsurprising that they had chosen to hide and squirrel away food and supplies instead of carving out their own patch of land through fighting and bloodshed.
He emerged in a small clearing surrounded by a shield of illusionary magic, making it look like an untraversable forest. The fair-skinned demi-humans froze in fear upon seeing him emerge from behind their defensive perimeter, having gone undetected the entire time.
A man who barely looked twenty years old ran in front of the rest of his people and approached Cocytus with careful steps. "Why have you come to our village, majin? We have nothing besides what the forest can offer," he spoke, his voice slightly trembling as he cowered before the massive insectoid.
"BY THE DECREE OF THR SUPREME OVERLORD, MOMONGA TEMPEST, I DECLARE THIS PART OF THE FOREST PART OF THE TEMPEST HEGEMONY. YOU HAVE ONE CHANCE TO JOIN THE DOMAIN OF THE SUPREME ONES OR LEAVE THESE LANDS, NEVER TO RETURN." He produced a flag on the pole from his inventory and firmly planted it in the soft forest soil, the impact sending a minor shockwave for several tens of meters as the elves stumbled on their feet.
"What does the rule of these supreme ones entail? Should we be slaves to their will?" The elf questioned.
"EVEN THE LOWEST OF THE LOW ARE PERMITTED TO THRIVE UNDER THEIR JUST RULE. INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS ARE NOT ONLY PERMITTED BUT ENCOURAGED. THE ELVEN POPULATION THRIVES AS SCHOLARS, MERCHANTS, AND ENTERTAINERS IN THE TEMPEST HEGEMONY. THE WISDOM OF YOUR LONG-LIVED KIND IS APPRECIATED BY SHORTER-LIVED RACES." Cocytus explained. It was the will of the Supreme Ones that let the lesser creatures live in peace and prosperity, which in turn added to the greater whole as all niches of a functioning society were filled by willing participants, no matter how strong or weak they were.
A warrior was mighty, yes, but even a warrior had to be fed by a farmer, attended to by a servant, and cooperate with a weaponsmith to perform their glorious duties as fighters and defenders.
"If this is true, we will gladly pledge ourselves to these Supreme Ones. As long as our men are not slaughtered for sport and our wives and daughters are not taken away as toys, we will embrace the ways of your nation."
"YOU HAVE MY WORD YOUR KIND WILL BE TREATED FAIRLY." Ultimately, it didn't matter if these elves believed him or not; as long as they complied with his request, they would soon find out the honesty of his words when his entourage arrived upon his summoning.
Cocytus opened a gate to let through the administration and a small military detachment to facilitate the inclusion of the village in the ever-growing nation, and moved on to the next village, noting it was similarly disguised to this one.
Knowing how efficient Aura and Mare were, not to mention the additional help Milim provided, he needed to move fast to keep up with the three children. He was a mighty warrior after all, he had his pride to keep up with the offspring of the Supreme Ones.
Editing by aidan_lo.
Proofreading by Sluethen, clagan, Reta, Cay, shynavyseal, NugetLover, Gil, aidan_lo, FantasyTroll, Milk, CakeEight and Nervy.
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