As the merchant unloaded the weapons in the cargo wagons in front of the Chief's tent, the warrior orcs began talking heatedly among themselves.
"How could the new Chief afford so many weapons?"
"What about the female orc beside him? Just a week ago, she was trembling with fear in the Chief's tent. How did she turn into someone who could kill ten of us in the blink of an eye?" One of the warriors guarding the tent during the naming ceremony could not hide his astonishment.
As Dimitri, unloading his wagons, left the tribe at full speed, his eyes literally turned golden. As he advanced across the steppe with his locomotive bearing the mercenaries' emblem, he was also evaluating today's events with Sasha.
"My Lord, can we trust these two orcs? Could the materials they showed for payment be fake?" said the golden-haired Sasha. While taking a cloth from his bag and wrapping it around his neck to cover the evidence of the incident that damaged his warrior honor, the anger inside him still hadn't subsided.
"Sasha, you were just a child learning to walk when I took you in, weren't you? Do you remember us seeing variable equipment up until today?" Dimitri, realizing his apprentice Sasha was affected by the events, began to explain his plans.
"Our greatest skill as a merchant should be understanding the quality and worth of the goods we see. It seems you haven't read the book of great artisans I gave you."
"No, my Lord, I read the book you gave me carefully from cover to cover." Sasha became extremely agitated at his master's scolding.
"I have always seen you as a son. Are you aware of the situation you put me in today?" Dimitri, seeing Sasha bow his head, continued to speak in a fatherly tone, "Your first mistake as a merchant candidate, my young friend, was losing your cool so quickly. Our trade guild is under the protection of mercenaries, and this guarantees us against being robbed on the roads. However, if we were killed in these desolate lands at the edge of the world, how far do you think the guild would go for a merchant of our class?"
Dimitri was a wily merchant; being a simple person with no background, he built his career by going to places other merchants wouldn't bother to visit. As a result of his efforts over many years, he had managed to attain the rank of a 2nd-class simple merchant.
"Your second mistake was being unable to suppress your anger; your vision was clouded by fury as a result of the treatment you received. Could you see the engravings on the equipment that turned into a whip?"
When Sasha pondered these words, he realized he hadn't been able to focus his attention to examine his surroundings during the events unfolding in the Chief's tent. This was among the foremost unforgivable mistakes for a merchant, as no matter how much knowledge you possess, you cannot put a price on something you cannot see.
Dimitri understood from his apprentice's gaze that he had learned the necessary lesson. Having achieved his goal, he offered a clue. "If I say Silver Skull, can you name the artisan who made the equipment?"
Sasha's eyes shone upon hearing his master's words. "Abarran, Companion of Death, the most famous weapon master of the Hellish Realm. One of only three people in the world who can make variable and evolutionary weapons."
"I hope you now understand what our client possesses. When we reach the city, I want you to buy a dozen mechanical carrier pigeons; these people could open the door to fortune for us." Dimitri, smelling the scent of profit, felt he was at a turning point.
Meanwhile, Nafız, closing the lid of the chest inside the Chief's tent, said, "It's a good thing I tore off the Minotaur's horns; if I had known they would be this useful, I could have at least left his face intact." The horns and hooves of Kızgınboğa, a savage creature that had gained its own consciousness a long time ago, were invaluable materials for weapon making. After killing the creature, Nafız had thrown every part of it into her ring without wasting anything.
"We don't have to use the monster essence right away. There might be a situation in the future where it will provide much greater benefit."
Alyon ordered Domuzkuyruk, waiting at the door, to gather the tribe's people in front of his tent. Shortly after, Alyon told the gathered crowd about the life they had unknowingly lived until today, leaving no detail in the dark. The orcs, realizing that their lives were built upon a multitude of lies, became very angry. As the crowd spoke amongst themselves, the tension rose step by step. Especially when the orcs of the hunter section learned that they were used as live bait, they began to look at the warrior orcs differently. The tension in the environment had peaked, and Alyon silenced everyone with his magnificent voice.
"The events that happened in the past are in the past; I forbid holding grudges looking backward. From this moment on, your new life begins, and I guarantee that everyone will be treated equally, as long as you comply with the new rules." The speech made by their new Chief helped the orcs calm down somewhat. The crowd, abandoning their infighting, continued to listen to their Chief.
"I am dissolving the hunter section; as of today, only the warrior and supply sections will remain in the tribe. Nafız will be the Chief of the Warriors, and Domuzkuyruk will be the Chief of the Supply Section."
After sweeping the crowd gathered in front of the tent with his gaze; "The Chief's seat is always open to a duel; anyone who thinks they are stronger than me is free to challenge. The greatest rule of our tribe will be this: the strong rules, the rest obey. Disobedience to an order is punishable by death!"
Alyon returned to his tent as he finished his speech, and Nafız advanced toward the area where the warriors were gathered. According to the plan she made with Alyon, she needed to train the warriors quickly. In a short period of time, like a month, she had to create a group of soldiers with basic qualifications and form a specialized team from those with special talents. With the ruthless training she inherited, her tremendous combat experience, and her psychopathic demeanor, Nafız was perfectly suited for this job.
"Alright, you jesters! Your training starts today; when I'm done with you, you will wish you were never born. Now, everyone take a bow and an axe from the weapons pile and come to the training ground. Those who cannot arrive within two hundred breaths, go straight to the supply section!"
As the warriors, following instructions from their new Chief, trampled over each other as they rushed for weapons, Domuzkuyruk was in a meeting with the Chief.
"I know you were a skilled warrior in the past. But do you wonder why I made you the Chief of the Supply Section?" Alyon caught the expression on Domuzkuyruk's face before asking the question he already knew the answer to. Although he didn't want to be disloyal to the person who rescued him, returning to the section where he had been humiliated for years was terribly bothering him.
"These lands are unsuitable for living, my friend. And since we killed the wild creatures on Lofty Mountain, we have nowhere left to procure food." "Because of Küçükdomuzcuk's ignorance, the supply section wasn't properly organized. You will rebuild this section with my help. When you bring the supply section up to the required level and read these books on combat tactics, I can leave the tribe to you with a clear conscience."
Domuzkuyruk was utterly frozen by the words he heard from Alyon as he looked at the few books tossed before him. "Chief, how can I be worthy of the chieftainship while you are here? Please, these words aren't even funny as a joke," he said excitedly.
"We will not be with you after one month. Nafız has set to work to train a small but effective group, of a quality that can accompany us on our journey. And you will lead the remaining orcs in the fertile lands to which I will take you." As Alyon explained the plan he had created for the coming days, the question marks in Domuzkuyruk's mind were erased.
When the two finished their meeting, they set off toward the supply section. Amidst the astonished gazes of the orcs who saw a Chief in their section for the first time, Alyon began to speak: "Our tribe is in a state of change, and the supply section, which is one of our two main sections, will be greatly affected by this." The orcs of the supply section couldn't believe their ears; their section, which had been the symbol of their pathetic status for years, was being referred to as one of the two main sections.
"In addition to their current duties, the supply section will also undertake agriculture, animal husbandry, the creation of defensive weapons, and mechanical apparatus. Following the selection to be made today, you will begin receiving training according to your abilities." "I swear on my name that whoever contributes the most to the tribe through their work will receive the best treatment!"
Upon hearing these words from their Chief, the orcs of the supply section shook the tribe with their roars. The process of understanding the orcs' abilities and selecting their sections lasted until sunset. Alyon, returning to his tent, found Nafız inside, pacing and muttering angrily to herself.
"What happened, you're pacing around like a madwoman again?" Alyon was laughing, but Nafız wasn't in the mood. The Chief shouted as soon as he stepped inside:
"Barely one person will emerge from these!"