As the sun began to set, the first wave of four expedition teams returned, along with Dave, whom Hysilens had captured. In total, five Clan Leaders from other tribes stood before Cerydra.
Cerydra crossed her arms, the toe of her right boot tapping rhythmically against the ground, emitting crisp tap-tap sounds. "So, what is your decision?"
Just moments earlier, Cerydra had laid out her vision for unifying the Northern Territory. Her message was clear: either join her and become part of the Empire, or become a stumbling block to be swept aside like trash. There was no third option.
The five Clan Leaders exchanged uneasy glances, staring at the petite girl before them whose grandiose claims seemed to stretch to the heavens. One of them stepped forward, his voice ringing with skepticism. "Are you seriously suggesting we'd abandon our current positions, lead our entire Clans to join you as your subordinates, all based on a few words from you? What makes you think anyone would agree to that?"
"You can't possibly be naive enough to believe anyone would actually accept this, can you?!"
However, the moment the Clan Leader finished speaking, Dave, standing beside him, glanced at him. The Clan Leader returned the look, their eyes meeting. He nodded slightly at Dave, as if silently conveying: "Brother, let's resist together!"
Dave seemed to understand the unspoken message. He nodded in response, then stepped forward and declared, "Then there's no need for further hesitation!"
He picked up his walking stick, which had been prepared beforehand, and snapped it in two. "I pledge... my allegiance to you!"
The other four Clan Leaders exchanged bewildered and puzzled glances.
Wait, you're agreeing already?
And why are you breaking your stick? What does that even mean?
After all, Dave had arrived first and had already spoken with Cerydra at length. Having learned that Boss Imperator was also a Demigod, that joining the Northern Territory Empire would ensure no more hunger or want, and most importantly, that there would be plenty of Divine Brew, he had immediately capitulated.
To put it another way, since Cerydra already had Barbarians under her command, she was, in a sense, no longer a foreigner. In the Northern Territory, it was common for large Clans to absorb smaller ones, making her conquest of other Clans somewhat easier to accept.
Dave reasoned that he wasn't being ruled by foreigners; rather, he was submitting to the Northern Territory's law of survival: might makes right, and defeat means surrender. Offering everything was simply the logical course of action.
Besides, this was a Clan personally blessed by two gods! They might truly unify the entire Northern Territory! The sooner he joined, the sooner he could stand beside the future Empress. When the Empire was finally established, wouldn't his rewards be all the greater?
Though the Empress was small and adorable, she was still a Demigod—a god yet to reach her full potential. Perfectly reasonable.
It's worth noting that Cerydra had kept Cipher's Demigod status a secret. After all, the Demigod of Trickery's name alone made it obvious that hiding her was the best course of action. Thus, Dave believed the Northern Territory Empire was protected by only two Demigods.
In reality, if you counted Half, there might have been four?
In any case, after Dave expressed his submission, Cerydra pondered for a moment and arranged this highly meme-worthy loyalty ceremony. Though Dave didn't quite understand it, this was Boss Imperator's first order, so he was going to follow it to the letter!
The perspective shifted back to the present. Dave casually tossed his broken staff aside and stopped half a step behind Cerydra, who continued, "What about the rest of you?"
The remaining four Clan Leaders exchanged glances. Then, three of them simultaneously stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and declared, "I pledge my allegiance to you!"
Their motives were simple: all three were losers. One had his entire Clan decimated in a single duel against Aria; another had his entire Clan routed by Douglas in a one-on-one battle; and the third was the one Cipher had instantly captured and bound.
The only Clan Leader who refused to pledge allegiance was the one who had initially voiced his opposition—the one Feidric had magically put to sleep. Waking up to find himself before Cerydra, he naturally seethed with resentment.
His face contorted with rage as he glared at the other Clan Leaders, as if they had betrayed him. Finally, he turned to Cerydra and snarled, "If you want my loyalty, then let's settle this the Barbarian way—a one-on-one duel! Beat me, and I'll agree!"
Cerydra raised an eyebrow. "Want to challenge me? You'll have to get past Dux Gladiorum first to earn that right."
At that moment, Hysilens stepped forward, placing herself before the Clan Leader.
In the Northern Territory, not just anyone could demand a challenge against a Clan Leader and expect immediate compliance. If dozens of challengers swarmed in daily, Clan Leaders would have no time for anything but endless duels.
Yet refusing a challenge would be seen as cowardice. Therefore, Clan Leaders could send a blood brother or sworn brother to fight in their stead.
Such a brother must share a bloodline with the Clan Leader or have sworn a blood oath of brotherhood. Once accepted, the brother represented the Clan Leader's honor; a defeat for him would be seen as a defeat for the Clan Leader himself.
The Barbarians believed in settling matters decisively in a single clash, rather than challenging a brother first before targeting the Clan Leader.
Seeing Hysilens step forward, the challenging Clan Leader's gaze flickered between her and Cerydra. "Are you two blood sisters?"
His meaning was clear: he was questioning their relationship. After all, Cerydra and Hysilens looked nothing alike—even their hair colors were completely different. They couldn't possibly be sisters!
Cerydra replied calmly, "Not sisters, but our bond is closer than that. The Dux Gladiorum's challenge on my behalf is perfectly in accordance with the customs of the Northern Territory."
Though he didn't quite understand what Cerydra meant by "closer bond," the Clan Leader said, "Alright, then I'll fight you."
Hysilens nodded. A water sphere slowly materialized about a dozen centimeters in front of her chest. She reached into the sphere, and when she withdrew her hand, a longsword appeared in her grasp.
Or more accurately, it was a blade—its crimson body adorned with a hilt decorated with white fish bones. The weapon exuded a primal, bloodthirsty aura, like an apex predator of the deep sea, a shark poised to strike at any moment.
The Clan Leader glanced at the weapon in Hysilens's hand, then lowered his gaze to his own empty hands. He added, "Hey, uh... can I at least get a pair of axes?"
The scene was admittedly a bit absurd, but Cerydra still instructed her men to give the Clan Leader two axes. If they were going to fight, it had to be fair and square, so their enemy would acknowledge their defeat wholeheartedly. Only then would these barbarians offer their genuine allegiance.
Once the Clan Leader was ready, Hysilens gripped her sword in one hand, her toes barely shifting. Despite wearing high heels, she glided forward with the effortless grace of an ice skater, closing the distance to her opponent in a flash.
In the Honkai: Star Rail game, Hysilens was renowned not only as an Ocean Demigod but also for her exceptional swordsmanship. This was why Cerydra had nicknamed her "Dux Gladiorum," or "Knight Commander."
However, none of Hysilens' original combat experience or swordsmanship skills carried over to her current Identity. She was now a complete novice with the blade. Perhaps, given time and training, her innate talent would allow her to become a sword master. But right now, she hadn't even begun to learn.
Talent, unrealized, remains merely potential.
Still, this wasn't a major concern. Even with no sword skills whatsoever, Hysilens could easily win this fight through sheer stat dominance.
With a gliding step, she closed the distance to the Clan Leader in an instant. The barbarian reacted swiftly, swinging his axe in a ferocious arc.
Facing this straightforward attack, Hysilens moved with the fluidity of a slippery fish, effortlessly sidestepping the blow. Maintaining a constant twenty-centimeter distance from the Barbarian's body, she glided past him with graceful precision, ending up behind him in an elegant stance.
Only then did Hysilens raise her weapon, pressing its edge against the Barbarian's neck.
See? No need for fancy swordsmanship. Just simple footwork, raise your weapon, and it's over.
Although Hysilens was now behind the Clan Leader and couldn't see his expression, Cerydra, watching from the opposite side, could. The Barbarian's jaw was clenched tight, his face radiating defiance. But defeat was defeat. Just as he was about to yield, Hysilens withdrew her weapon, took a step back, and declared, "Again."
Forced by his promise, the Barbarian might swear fealty, but Cerydra felt she had only conquered his body, not his spirit. If he remained defiant, they would fight until his spirit was broken.
Hysilens said, "You attack first this time."
Her opponent took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering. "Very well!"
No sooner had the words left his lips than he surged forward in a swift charge. When they were approximately five meters apart, he hurled his first axe and immediately followed up with a two-handed horizontal chop using his second axe.
Clearly, he had learned from their previous exchange. If Hysilens were to dodge sideways as before, she could evade the thrown axe but not the sweeping chop. The intent of this attack was obvious: to force her into a direct confrontation.
While Hysilens undoubtedly possessed multiple ways to evade the attack, since her opponent sought a head-on collision, she would grant him his wish.
Her eyes, as calm as a still lake, silently tracked the flying axe. Suddenly, she raised her left hand and caught the axe by its haft in mid-air. Holding the axe in her left hand, she parried the Barbarian's horizontal chop, while her right hand raised her own weapon, its blade once again pointing at his throat.
The Barbarian's eyes widened in disbelief. Despite channeling all his strength into the strike, his two-handed swing was no match for Hysilens' single-handed parry. It felt as if he were hacking at solid ice—the axe refused to budge, instead sending a jarring shock through his wrists.
The Barbarian glanced at the weapon pressed against his neck, then sighed in resignation. "You're strong. I can't beat you. I yield!"
He tossed his axe aside and turned to Cerydra, dropping to one knee. "On behalf of my clan, I pledge our loyalty to you!"
Watching this unfold, Dave couldn't help but comment, "Wait, you guys actually went two rounds? I thought you'd fall into the sea the moment the fight started."
The Barbarian stared blankly, clearly confused. "What the hell?"
"Well, you were fighting the God of the Ocean," Dave explained.
The Barbarian's confusion deepened. "Huh?"
Only one thought now raced through his mind: Dude, why didn't you say so earlier? You mean I just fought a god?!
It was only then that Cerydra formally introduced herself and Hysilens' status as Demigods to the four newly sworn Clan Leaders. "The Northern Territory Empire is a nation blessed by two gods!"
Nearby, Dirk froze, staring dumbly at Hysilens. "Wait... you're a god too?!"
The North Wind Clan hadn't known this, as Cerydra had never mentioned it. Hysilens simply smiled and nodded at Dirk.
In short, after this initial wave of conquest, Cerydra's forces surged from a mere hundred to twenty thousand strong.
Among them, the clans subdued by Aria and Douglas each numbered five hundred warriors. Cipher had "convinced" a thousand, while the clan Feidric brought back with his Sleep Spell numbered two thousand. The remaining sixteen thousand came entirely from Dave's clan.
While small clans of a few hundred or a few thousand warriors were common in the Northern Territory, a clan like Dave's, with over ten thousand members, was relatively rare. Hysilens had struck gold right from the start, encountering such a massive clan—and one whose leader was so cooperative, no less.
The next step was migration. The clan leaders who had sworn allegiance were instructed to return to their territories and bring their entire clans to the Northern Territory's central regions.
The four leaders brought back by Aria and the others naturally returned on foot. But Dave, looking at Hysilens before him, instinctively shrank back. "Um... could you just point me in the right direction? I can find my way back myself."
Hysilens tilted her head, her long hair swaying slightly. After a moment's thought, she said, "But I don't know the routes on the ice... Let's just travel underwater. It'll be faster that way, right?"
Dave: "?!?"