The words landed heavier than the sickness below. Ludwig stared over the slope again and understood the implication with a slow, cold clarity.
A stronger poison would have been the easy way.
It would have erased the tribe. But kingship wasn't measured in how cleanly you could wipe out a settlement. A kingdom needed bodies. A kingdom needed labor. A kingdom needed fear and obedience, yes, but also survivors who could be bent into subjects.
Ludwig thought for a second. Kaiser's words had grave implications. Doing it the hard way, they could not only defeat the lizardmen but also subjugate them if need be. A kingdom needs its serfs. And if the Lizardmen bowed their heads. Then the orcs will become stronger. Ludwig didn't like the thought in a moral sense, but morality didn't win Tower trials. Function did.
"I see, I didn't think of it that way, that's good planning," Ludwig said as he kept a lookout.
