Where did he come from?
The male warrior's frown was trembling.
Around the altar, everyone shut up and stared at the young man nervously.
Ken thought he didn't need to say much, because the blood and fear in the air had made it clear enough.
[You broke into the funeral of Ke'e Village, and the villagers looked at you in fear. ]
Even so, before the last step, the soldiers still blocked him with a battle formation full of flaws.
"Who do you believe in?"
Ken asked coldly, with an unpausing pace under his calm tone.
The spear moved away when it was close to the throat, and no one had the courage to shoot, because the team behind him walked into the firelight together. The people who came were all wolf-riding warriors, holding weapons in their hands, and only one order was needed.
Ken stood in front of the altar and sighed.
The male warrior seemed to sense his dissatisfaction and almost subconsciously said, "We serve Mother Winter and ask the old gods for abundance."
Ken looked back at him.
His gaze was very steady, with a hint of approval and the oppression of being in a high position.
He got the answer he wanted, so he opened his winter coat and raised the battle banner on his right arm. In the rising blue flames, the onlookers retreated from the platform one after another.
Various exclamations.
Old men, children, women and children, warriors, civilians...
The altar was lit by blue light under the gaze of the crowd, and the flames formed a crystal-clear snowflake.
The pumice stone became transparent and bright. It kept rotating with Ken as the center, and the great power it guided was like a dam bursting, flooding and drowning everyone present.
But the crowd did not suffocate, but was very comfortable.
Mother Winter's hands soothed the uneasiness in their hearts, the howling storm in the night was tamed, and the snowflakes in the sky were all glowing with gentle light, like falling stars.
[Reputation +80]
[Village·Kue: Friendly attitude]
Ken clenched his five fingers into a fist.
The light was broken, the altar stopped turning, the cold wind came in again, snowflakes slowly fell on the heads of the crowd, and the bonfire lit by the funeral was still burning, illuminating the expressions of everyone present.
"Mother Winter."
An old man spoke, and then led the two priests to kneel down.
[The village chief who is difficult to convince]
[Attitude: Awe-inspiring]
Ken saw a group of people kneeling in front of him. Most of them were frightened and had no idea what they were doing or why they were doing it.
War and faith have repeatedly ravaged people, making them numb.
The instinct of survival is driving their behavior.
The herd mentality played a huge role at this moment.
"Stand up, count the number of survivors, and all those who can pick up weapons gather here."
Ken began to give orders in a deep voice.
His order came so directly and without any euphemism, and it was power in the hearts of the crowd.
"But..."
A question.
Everyone stopped moving again.
It was still the skinny village chief, who said: "You must at least tell us how to communicate with the Winter Mother. As northerners, we also want to hear the voice of the old gods. This is K'e, not Sandon Kaya. We need to have a good talk."
The male warrior clenched his spear, gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.
At this moment, he felt a shame he had never felt before. Every time, when someone made a decision, there would always be voices of doubt or opposition.
He looked up at the young man and shouted in his heart.
Don't compromise, don't hesitate, be stronger!
I saw Ken turn around, and the shadow of the high and mighty overwhelmed him, and the cold question hit the ground: "Is the power just now the old god you serve?"
The village chief's tongue was numb.
"Yes..."
He wanted to change the subject, to refute, to get the due respect from the visitor.
Ken took a half step forward.
The metal handle of the steel sword flashed a cold light.
The village chief pretended to cough and ran down from the altar.
"Prayers and mourning stop here." Ken turned to face the crowd. "There are still enemies outside. We don't have any time to waste. Count the people and take the weapons. I will take you to survive. It's that simple."
Ken's voice shook the stone brick floor.
The male warrior's feeling would not be wrong. This was the strong tone he expected and the unparalleled courage he wanted to have.
"Shelter, fire, and hot water."
He muttered softly, took a deep breath, and then walked towards the other team.
Kuima opened the carriage. The chanter was frozen and miserable, and his eyes were trembling.
The team repaired and found a few houses with intact roofs. Then they made fires and made arrangements. The discipline was strict and the order was well-organized, which surprised the team of Ke'e Village.
"Food."
Hearing this, the male warrior lowered his head.
"Follow me," Kuima smiled and patted the other's shoulder. "You misunderstood."
Then they took out two pickled venison from the carriage.
"What does this mean?"
"Food, for everyone."
Someone spread the news, and the hungry and cold villagers smiled.
Ken looked around, and the remaining fighting force of Ke'e Village surrounded him. There was not much conversation. He counted the number of survivors and reorganized his weapons.
This kind of thing is done every day, but it has become particularly orderly tonight.
[Tribal Warriors X7 Militia X5 Archers X6 Join your team. ]
"Kuima!"
He shouted.
The man carrying the [Bound Longbow] ran over in response.
"These archers are in your hands. Find a high ground before dawn and set some traps that can be used."
Ken looked at the team of Ke'e that had just suffered a heavy blow. Although the number of combatants was twice that of Sandonkaya, they were slightly lacking in basic quality and combat experience.
They lacked a leader, and every time they faced the enemy, they had to escape death.
The two teams were officially merged.
The Wolves were lying around the campfire, and the breath of the beasts could deflect the flames. The weapons of the Apostles of Lacquer Ice and the Plunderers were much better than the standard equipment of the village.
The Wolf Riders and the Blade Riders closed their eyes and rested quietly.
They exuded the aura that a veteran should have.
Ke'e's team was mixed in with them, just like a few chickens mixed in with the [Rum Giant Bird], so weak that it was obvious.
Ken checked the villages along the way, and the villagers whispered to thank him for the food.
[Location: Køge Village]
[Prosperity Level: D]
[Number of Residents: 32]
[Number of Troops: 28]
He accompanied the sentry to climb the highest watchtower and overlooked the entire village from a high vantage point. All he could see was the dark outline of the ruins and the bumpy ridges of the fields.
The snow continued to fall, and the cold wind was pungent with moist water vapor.
[Lubeck River] flowed quietly in the cold night.
A ten-step-wide bridge crossed it, built with rough wood and stones, with several obvious gaps, and the gaps were filled with unclear arrowheads.
Ken returned to the ground, recalling the lights on the other side of the river and the figures between the tents.
He issued the last order of the night to the long-awaited team: polish the weapons, go to sleep quickly, and at sunrise, let the sinners pay with blood!