[Vol. 1] Chapter 39: Attack in the Dark Night
Lilya led her troops successfully bypassing the beastman's surveillance and entered the vast lands within the Beastman Kingdom's territory.
However, crossing the Black River and infiltrating enemy territory was just the first step of their plan.
To cut off the beastman's supply lines, two things were necessary. First, they needed to find the routes commonly used by the beastmen for transportation. Second, they had to eliminate the supply units and burn the provisions before the beastman reinforcements arrived, then quickly retreat.
Cutting off the supplies wasn't something that could be achieved in a single battle. What Lilya had to do was lead her elite force of two thousand soldiers to penetrate deep into the beastman's rear lines like a nail, causing significant damage.
As long as the beastman commanders weren't idiots, after the first supply convoy was intercepted, they would undoubtedly send out more troops for escort and reinforcement, even launching a sweep to surround the human force.
In the worst-case scenario, Lilya might have to face enemies ten times their number, and those enemies were individual beastmen known for their formidable combat abilities.
Of course, there was a more effective and efficient method, which was to follow the supply chain to find the critical granaries deeper within the Beastman Kingdom's territory and destroy them in one go.
...….
On the 8th night after the raiding force had left the stronghold, the campfires in an unnamed small valley were so bright that it resembled daylight.
Kunnir was a somewhat renowned tigerfolk warrior. When the Beast King launched his attack on the Human United Kingdom, various beastman tribes responded to the call, contributing a significant number of young warriors. Kunnir was no exception, volunteering to join the army.
The Beastman Kingdom's territory didn't maintain a standing army as part of its organization. Virtually every citizen could become a warrior for the tribe at any time, and they didn't even need weapons and armor. Their clawed hands were enough to tear through their enemies.
Therefore, except for the elite units directly under the royal and tribal chiefs, all beastman soldiers, including officers, were temporarily conscripted from the civilian population, and the organization was rather crude.
In simple terms, whoever could fight better could hold higher positions in the army and command more soldiers. This also led to a problem: beastman military movements were almost brainless and lacked tactics. They simply charged at the enemy head-on, which had its advantages and disadvantages. It worked well on the front lines, but in situations that required more strategic thinking, it had its drawbacks.
Kunnir was an oddity among the tigerfolk. While physically strong, he was also very intelligent and had the capacity for strategic thinking. He had even self-learned parts of the human language.
Noticing this, the commander-in-chief of the beastman army, the High Priest Saharit, assigned him as the logistics officer.
Most ordinary beastmen might be frustrated or dissatisfied with such a role since they couldn't engage in direct combat. But Kunnir was wise, understanding the critical role of logistics in a war. He realized that the High Priest of the beastman tribes was not neglecting him but was actually placing trust in him. Therefore, he readily followed orders.
At this moment, he was stationed in a valley located 70 kilometers away from the border, where he was overseeing the transportation of supplies brought from their homeland.
Kunnir's supply convoy had been on the move for three days, and it was expected to reach the central army of High Priest Saharit after another day of travel, completing their current mission.
Inside his tent, Kunnir leaned against a fur blanket, reading books he had found on the corpses of humans. He also listened quietly to the savage roars and laughter coming from the surroundings.
Wildness was ingrained in the nature of most beastmen. They were carnivorous and enjoyed indulging their desires. Although Kunnir could control his own impulses, he couldn't force all his subordinates to do the same.
Even Kunnir himself, when caught up in the heat of battle, could temporarily succumb to the instinctive bloodlust and brutality. So he understood the behavior of his fellow tribesmen.
Feasting, fighting, mating – these were the three main instincts of the beastmen. In their army, the last two were naturally not allowed, so they indulged in feasting.
The amount of provisions in this supply convoy was remarkably abundant, to the point that it surprised Kunnir. He didn't understand how their homeland, which had always suffered from food shortages, could suddenly support a massive army of over a million for a long-drawn-out war. High Priest Saharit clearly knew something, but he hadn't shared it with Kunnir.
This wasn't Kunnir's first time escorting supplies. He had been shuttling back and forth within the Beastman Kingdom's territory as per the High Priest's orders for the past two weeks.
According to the orders, he wasn't allowed to enter the interior of the basin. He wasn't quite sure what was inside, but every time he cleared the food stockpiles outside the basin, he would return to find it filled with tons of rice and meat.
Food didn't just appear out of thin air, so there was no doubt that some external force was supporting the Beast King's war.
Furthermore, beastmen rarely cultivated grains, so these provisions were clearly transported from other countries. The basin must have been hiding a significant and dangerous secret that a mere logistics officer like Kunnir couldn't know.
It was strange, but it didn't explain anything.
Given that Kunnir was a tigerfolk with a relatively simple mind, he had already thought quite a lot. However, with his limited information and intelligence, he couldn't deduce much more.
Thinking too much wouldn't help, so he decided to follow the High Priest Saharit's orders and focus on his duties. Doing what was expected of him was already a great achievement.
With this in mind, Kunnir prepared to rest and regain his strength for the march tomorrow.
Suddenly, the tall beastman's eyelids twitched, and a vague sense of unease crept over him.
Beastmen possessed an innate ability to sense impending danger, much like wild animals. Kunnir's abilities in this regard were particularly potent, almost forming a form of precognition that had saved him from numerous life-threatening situations.
Now, it had manifested again, stronger than ever, and Kunnir's tiger eyes even felt a hint of pain.
Something was about to happen, something of great significance, and it posed a major threat to his life.
The brawny tigerfolk leader abruptly stood up, and his armor, scavenged from humans, made a clattering noise as sharp, robust claws extended from his tiger paws. Kunnir forcefully pushed aside the tent's large curtain and rushed outside.
"Intruders!"
"General? What's happening? You look quite distressed."
Two tall tigerfolk guarding the entrance turned their heads, puzzled by Kunnir's grim expression. The wild howls and roars from the surroundings continued to echo, as if nothing had changed.
No, that wasn't right!
The howling had become too dense, and at some point, it started mixing with faint cries of agony. There were enemies attacking them!
A bunch of fools! Why hadn't anyone come to report this?
"Enemy attack!!! General order, prepare for battle immediately!"
Realizing the importance of this supply, Kunnir's eyes filled with fury as he let out a deafening roar.
"What? Y-yes, General!"
The two tigerfolk guards hurriedly rushed to the nearby tents. The units already engaged in battle didn't require their attention, the instincts of the beastmen would compel them to face the enemy. However, there were many sleeping soldiers who needed to be woken up immediately.
"General! It's fire! There's a fire! Our food…!"
Several tigerfolk, their fur singed black, came running from a distance, and even while they were on the way, their loud voices began to wail.
It was only now that Kunnir noticed the towering flames and the acrid scent that had already exceeded the brightness that a campfire could provide.
"What? Damn it!"