"In the Northern Frostlands, the people living there are generally no better than beasts. Invading creatures who know nothing but plunder and destruction. That's why we were so surprised when an envoy came from the north and made a trade offer!"
Vinumregnum Duchy, Personal Journal of Crown Prince Octavianus
In his humanoid form, Ülgen was seated on a throne in the small building prepared for him, sipping his drink with a contented look. As he glanced at his subjects enjoying themselves, he too appeared happy as he savored his drink. Hours had passed since he announced the celebration, and night had fallen.
Many people, with pleased and flushed expressions, were sneaking away to secluded places in pairs. The population of the Northerners was small due to high mortality rates. Therefore, seizing the opportunity to perpetuate their lineage wherever possible was important to them. Of course, they couldn't explain it like this; only a Fatih like Ülgen could examine them in such a way.
Sexuality and physical desires were not things Ülgen disregarded, of course. However, even though he had transformed into a young man with polymorph, his dragon body had not yet reached adolescence. Therefore, he did not respond to the eager advances of women towards him.
Sven, on the other hand, admired the self-control of his lord, which had brought him to his present state of abstaining from sexual desires. "The resilience of my lord is commendable; I wish I could control my body like him," he thought as he went home with the two female warriors he had taken with him.
Finally, only Ülgen remained in the hall, and the young Fatih closed his eyes. As the surrounding energy withdrew into his body, a solemn pale glow enveloped him. In his human form, absorbing energy into his body to strengthen himself was easier, akin to a human.
At dawn, nearly all the Northerners were awake. Despite being inside the mountain, they could benefit from daylight thanks to a special plant species Ulgen had discovered. This plant extended its roots outside the mountain, feeding on the absorbed sunlight and simultaneously reflecting it inside. Covering their ceilings, this pale green plant emitted a particularly intense glow just before sunrise. Normally, races like dwarves were known for their expertise with such plants, but Ulgen easily recognized it thanks to his inherited knowledge.
Usually, upon waking, most Northerners formed hunting teams or went about their own tasks. However, today was the beginning of the Dromkez, and they were forming double rows to bid farewell to the warrior clan members who would venture far away.
Four hundred warriors had formed into formations according to their roles, advancing in groups of three. At the front was Ülgen, followed closely by Sven and thirty-six blessed warriors. The rest had taken their places accordingly.
As the warriors proudly passed through the crowd, they conveyed a sense of unwavering determination, even if death awaited them at the end of their journey. In the midst of the farewell ceremony, a young girl began to hum a melody typical of the North.
After a brief moment of surprise, the crowd joined in with the girl, singing the melody. The tune carried an encouraging tone of bravery and warrior spirit. The fate of the Northerners had never been separated from war and death, instilling both sorrow and resilience in them, urging them to cling tighter to life.
Though Ülgen was at the front, he spotted the girl with his dragon senses and perception. She was a yellow-haired girl with green eyes. Her sincerity as she sang the melody impressed the young Fatih. He decided to make a mental note of her; his racial instincts told him that this girl could potentially become a significant figure in the future.
The progress continued, and as the last soldier entered the narrow passageway, the melody came to an end. Then people went back to their tasks. Though there were no authority figures like Sven and Ülgen, the order they had established over the past five years had become ingrained in their spirits. Additionally, there was a tradition in the clans during Dromkez periods that prohibited internal conflicts. Otherwise, Ülgen would not hesitate to establish a police force before leaving the Whitefang clan.
The young Fatih directed his army in a certain direction without hesitation after they exited the mountain. Meanwhile, he analyzed the strength of his forces.
He himself possessed the strength equivalent to that of a fourth-degree warrior. Additionally, he had the dragon aura, which could weaken his enemy by half a degree, and even in his human form, he had the ability of ice breath, albeit weaker. His strongest subordinate, Sven, was a powerful third-degree warrior despite being only sixteen years old. His dragon blood made him loyal to Ülgen and generally stronger than other warriors of the same degree. Following him were thirty-six warriors, all of them second-degree warriors, some showing signs of advancing to the third degree. Thanks to the vitality provided by the dragon blood, it was difficult for them to die on the battlefield, so it was natural that they could advance in rank by making breakthroughs in a deadly battle.
After the thirty-six warriors, there were three hundred and sixty-four normal Northerners. One hundred of them were spear throwers or archers, while the rest were fighters using various close combat weapons. The fact that about forty of them were second-degree warriors did not escape the young Fatih's notice. If they performed well in this Dromkez, he could bless them with valuable blood. After all, most of them consisted of individuals who had risen or joined the clan in the five years since he left.
The speed and orderliness of the clan warriors' progress would rival even the powerful kingdoms living in the central regions of the plane. While the Northern clans used to assemble for plundering and moved in random speeds, Ülgen's forces resembled a real army.
The current speed of the army was forty-five miles per day. In the snowy and rugged terrain of the Northern Tundra, this speed was akin to lightning. Still, it would take them a week to reach the region on Ülgen's mind. The area was quite south and close to the southern border of the Northern Tundra.
According to the latest information acquired by Sven, powerful clans did not exist in that region as it was not considered too far from the human kingdoms. After all, no clan would want to be in a region accessible to human kingdoms, albeit with difficulty, after a good raid. However, there was a small settlement where a few small marauder groups gathered, enough to witness, despite occasional attacks and weakening by the neighboring human kingdoms, it was known to house over a thousand marauders.
With the current composition of four hundred warriors, the Beyazdiş army could not take the settlement without suffering heavy losses. Therefore, Ülgen had a good plan to gain experience for the army along the way.
On the first day, they covered the long distance without any trouble and established their camp in a hilly, secure area. Since their mountain settlement was small, they had no means of keeping animals, and they had to carry the load themselves during the campaign. Despite having a few carts and similar vehicles, transporting camp parts like wooden stakes still exhausted the army. This was the first challenge that the young Fatih aimed to solve.
Ülgen, along with Sven, observed the surroundings from the top of the camp. Shortly after, a few scouts came to them excitedly.
After all the scouts kneeled down, the one in the front spoke, "Lord Ülgen, we have found a herd of nearly two hundred reindeers. They are two miles northeast."
The young Fatih's eyes lit up slightly. "Good, tell all the second-degree warriors to gather at the gate of the camp," he instructed. After confirming that the scouts understood, they nodded and swiftly dispersed to the camp.
Then Ülgen and Sven went towards the gate of the camp. Before long, seventy-six clan warriors gathered before them.
While Ülgen stood calmly, Sven explained the plan to the soldiers about capturing and subduing the reindeers. The soldiers stood ready without breaking their discipline. Then Ülgen leaped forward and transformed into a dragon, soaring into the sky.
Sven and the seventy-six warriors proceeded towards the forest at a steady pace. Capturing reindeers was not easy normally. Many of the current warriors had hunted these animals several times before, so they were familiar with them.
However, what happened in the next two hours left them astonished. When they arrived back at the camp with two hundred reindeers, their shock turned into admiration. Ülgen, the source of their admiration, had a calm expression on his face.
After all, it was not a great challenge for Ülgen to suppress and subdue the cornered reindeers with his dragon aura.
Following Sven's orders, the clan warriors created a fenced area within the camp for the reindeers. The reindeers could easily escape if they wanted to, but the intense pressure of the dragon aura had long erased freedom from their minds.
With elements like food, rest, and alternating watches, the camp maintained its order throughout the night. Then, all the warriors collectively dismantled the camp and loaded the reindeers onto the wagons pulled by them, continuing their journey much more refreshed.
The second day was not as calm as the first. In the evening, before they could set up their camps, they were attacked by a pack of wolves. While not possessing magical abilities like ice wolves, these wolves were formidable hunters. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, they intended to prey on the Whitefangs.
However, their intention was nothing more than a challenge that Ülgen would use to provide experience to the army and accustom them to his leadership. With well-timed javelin throws, the impenetrable wall of warriors, Sven's bloody axe, and Ülgen's commands, not a single loss was suffered. There were injuries, of course, but they were not serious and healed quickly with proper treatment.
That evening, they enjoyed a feast of wolf meat. Ülgen cheered up the soldiers during the feast and blessed the four best-performing second-degree warriors with dragon blood. All the soldiers in the camp were excited as they watched the four warriors. They understood that Lord Ülgen would not leave the achievers unrewarded.
On the third day, scouts riding reindeers found a small clan nearby. This clan, harboring about a hundred northerners, was quickly overrun by a force four times their number before evening fell. Their leader was a third-degree warrior, but having his head taken in a one-on-one combat by the enemy's deputy general left the entire clan in horror.
The victorious deputy general, after shouting a triumphant cry, knelt before the enemy leader and presented him with the head. Ülgen took the head and raised it into the air, spreading his dragon aura amidst the roars of his warriors, and said these words: "The Lone Spear Clan has been annihilated! From now on, you belong to the Whitefang!"
They would take all the members of the captured clan, even the elderly and children, with them. According to Dromkez tradition, all the people in the clans they destroyed became their subjects. Thanks to the reindeers carrying the load, the elderly and children did not hinder the army.
Additionally, sixty Lone Spear warriors capable of fighting also joined their ranks. They were assimilated into the units of the army in small numbers by Ülgen. The warriors did not cause any trouble because they knew that their clan was now under the control of a white dragon.
The next morning, the army continued to advance without disrupting the order, even with their increased numbers. Ülgen's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he watched the diminishing snowstorms. He was a Fatih, preserving the name of his race. Who could experience greater joy than him in this moment!