Green Monster Epic

Chapter 407 The Real Winner

“I announce that the final victor is…”

“The warrior of the Ajina tribe!!!”

The high-pitched voice of Philémon, the northern priest of the Church of Nature, echoed around, and even without him saying it, everyone could see the victory belonged to this battle.

As the loser, Ariël's face was ashen. His already withered face now resembled a gray-brown rock, his gloomy pupils emitting a faint icy chill. As the victor, Birel, although seemingly calm and confident, was actually sweating.

The outcome of this fight was on a knife's edge. The ten warriors selected by the two tribes were not only gifted, but also wore the finest armor and wielded the best weapons from the tribe's public stores. In addition, the various magic scrolls thrown out and potions drunk during the more than one magic hour of the duel meant that the cost of this duel, according to Allen's rough estimate, was at least tens of thousands of gold coins.

Moreover, the warriors sent out by both tribes basically died in this battle. Even the two or three who survived barely alive, even if they were rescued at great cost, would probably only be semi-crippled and unable to regain their previous strength.

The Green Field tribe now has a population of over five thousand, and at most, there are probably fewer than twenty tribe members who have reached the peak of the high阶. If it were Allen's tribe, he probably wouldn't be willing to sacrifice such outstanding talents for a duel.

The expressions of the two sides were different. Ariël, who had lost his clansmen and failed to gain any benefits, instead losing half of his profits, glared fiercely at Birel before turning and leaving with a livid face, without even walking with Philémon of the Church of Nature. This caused Philémon to show a few awkward expressions on his face. In the end, he bid farewell to Birel, Batrol, and others with a polite smile before leaving.

Birel was greatly relieved. He waved his hand on the spot and announced a grand banquet to be prepared that night, causing the surrounding tribesmen to cheer.

Allen frowned slightly. He wasn't interested in such things, but seeing the gleam of joy in the eyes of the powerful figures around him who had already formed a faction, he suppressed the thought of leaving and continued to be as expressionless as a piece of wood.

There was revelry that night. Without the annoying people around, the guests all had a great time. Birel had prepared various small gifts according to everyone's preferences, as well as all kinds of wonderful hospitality, which made everyone very satisfied. However, while everyone was enjoying themselves, two familiar figures disappeared from the crowd.

“Lord Batrol, thank you very much for coming to preside over the dispute between my tribe and the Snow Mí tribe.”

In the castle hall where the banquet was being held, faint sounds of musical instruments drifted into Birel's second-floor study. At this time, Birel, with a slight smell of alcohol, was sitting opposite Batrol, who had a calm and peaceful expression.

Batrol smiled slightly. Originally, he was going to leave Mur Fortress with Philémon, but later Birel sent someone to leave him a quiet message, asking him to stay for one night, so he stayed in the castle and participated in this party.

“It is still the strength you have shown that makes these Snow Mí guys afraid, that's why you have today's result, otherwise things would really be hard to say.”

Speaking of which, Batrol was somewhat embarrassed. Apart from Birel shifting the blame and throwing out the interests of the Oak Church, so that Ariël could discuss with him, he showed a firm attitude for the sake of the church's interests. At other times, he mostly used relatively stern words to express their support for the Ajina tribe, but there was no more intense or firm stance.

This was not proportional to the benefits their church had obtained from the Ajina tribe.

However, Batrol also had his own difficulties. As the northern bishop of the church, he was well aware of the church's current predicament.

More than half of the church's strongmen had died in the continuous battles and wars in recent years, and the Temple Knights, the largest armed force under his command, had been almost completely wiped out. This meant that the church's manpower deployed in the wilderness was completely insufficient to control the vast territory.

In addition, the God of Nature inherited most of the divine duties and authority left behind after the slumber of Lord Sylvanus, and since then, after rising, he gradually began to dominate the Temple of Nature. The Oak Church, the former host of the temple, naturally had some contradictions.

When a new king ascends the throne and wants to establish prestige, the biggest and fastest way is naturally to drastically change the direction of the core development of the forces, especially in this treacherous Ferman world. If the actions of humans and elves cannot be contained as soon as possible, they will inevitably become the culprit of the destruction of the wilderness in the future.

Moreover, the division of power in the wilderness has actually been stable for countless years. With the rise of the God of Nature and the slumber of the Father of the Oak, after the rise of the God of Nature, for the sake of their own interests, the clergy and believers under him will naturally expand outward. This will inevitably disrupt the balance of power that has existed for many years, and the ultimate victims will inevitably be the declining Oak Church and the many tribes that originally depended on it.

Therefore, although the Church of Nature does not intend to, in fact, their suppression and encroachment on the interests originally belonging to the Oak Church is a logical and unstoppable trend.

Today, the situation of the Ajina tribe is just one of countless similar scenes in the wilderness. Although Batrol wants to help Birel, he doesn't have many chips available, so his actions will naturally be relatively conservative.

This is because the importance of the Ajina tribe to the Oak Church is undoubtedly important. Batrol has already made calculations in his heart. He has drawn a red line for this conflict. As long as this red line is crossed, even if the Church of Nature supports him, Batrol will support Birel.

Fortunately, everything is developing in a good direction. This makes Batrol breathe a sigh of relief, but also sighs: If the other tribes under the radiation of the Oak Church can be as smart and active as Birel, then their Oak Church will be able to maintain its original sphere of influence much easier!!

“However, the Snow Mí tribe is probably not going to let it go so easily. Although they were blocked back by you today, when they take action again next time, they will have a greater momentum and more confidence than today!”

What Batrol said was the truth. Don't look at the fact that Ariël had to accept the previously set terms today because of the defeat in the duel, but this is after all related to a stable income of more than tens of thousands of gold coins per year, which is a painful loss for any tribe, and Ariël will definitely not be willing to accept it.

“This is also what I want to discuss with you, Bishop.”

Birel's face was full of worry. It seemed that today's victory was not as happy for him as it seemed to outsiders.

“Oh, it seems that Patriarch Birel, you have some plans?”

Batrol was relieved and asked with some curiosity.

“This time, I wooed the three major tribes of Urok, Amansha, and Algong, plus the leaders of the two very promising tribes of Green Field and Heart of the Wilderness, to appear in our negotiations, and the price paid was not simple.”

“In addition to the rewards given to them, I also spent a lot of effort and words to persuade them to support our tribe.”

“Although our tribe was lucky enough to achieve a temporary victory this time, I dare not guarantee that our tribe will be able to stop the other party's greedy hands in the future.”

“Therefore, I hope that the church can send a representative to sit in our tribe's fortress. With the strongmen of our temple there, I think Ariël, no matter how greedy he is, probably won't dare to find some unreasonable excuses to seize the interests of our tribe and the church like today.”

“Priest Philémon has already come forward this time. The Church of Nature should be embarrassed to take sides again in a short time, right!!”

“……”

Hearing Birel's request, Batrol's heart was full of suffering and embarrassment. It was not that he did not want to agree to the other party's request, but that he really did not have a single subordinate who could deter these Snow Mí guys, or even a knight order member with more than a hundred people. This was the current predicament of the Oak Church.

“I'm afraid Patriarch Birel, you will be disappointed. The only manpower left in my church has been conscripted back to Mansha City, and also to the Kergin Temple branch in the south. In addition, the church must increase the reorganization and construction of the Knight Order. In a short time, the church will not be able to give you more support and manpower.”

“…Bishop, can't you provide even a little manpower?”

Birel's eyes showed endless disappointment, and he still asked unwillingly.

“Alas, there is really no way!!”

Bartolo was also helpless. He could manage a small number of people, like Priest Klein's team of nearly twenty in Allen's Green Field Tribe, which he was authorized to mobilize. However, this team's highest rank was only High-level Peak Temple non-combat personnel. Even if they were conscripted, what use would they be in Fort Muir?

During the day's fighting, the two tribes lost twenty elite High-level Peak warriors on the spot without batting an eye. The strength of these lost warriors alone was greater than Bartolo's strongest combat team.

The Agina Tribe needed a church powerhouse of Legendary rank or higher to make up for the difference in top-tier combat power between them and the Snow-Mire Tribe. At the same time, they could use the Oak Church's reputation to deter any major actions from the other side.

"...Alright!!"

Bilel heavily slammed the table with his large hand and sighed deeply.

"If that's the case, then I'll have to think of other ways."

"...There is a solution now that might help our tribe solve the current difficulties, but I'm afraid we'll need the support of the Bishop and the Church!!"

After lamenting, a look of heartache appeared on Bilel's face. When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with embarrassment and struggle as he eagerly looked at Bartolo.

"Oh, tell me your idea first. If it's feasible, I can promise you with my authority that I will do my best to help you."

Bartolo did feel somewhat guilty. Seeing that Bilel had another solution, his tone naturally softened, but he didn't directly agree to it out of caution.

"I think, since it wasn't easy to convince these tribes to support me, why not invest some more benefits and bring the Uruk and Argand tribes into our camp? That way, the Snow-Mire Tribe won't have the confidence to cause us trouble today!!"

"Well, there is indeed room for maneuver. But how do you plan to win them over?"

Bartolo nodded slightly. It was not new for tribes in the wilderness to form small groups. Bilel's idea was not surprising.

"By using my tribe's income from the Catoer Canyon. As long as we share a certain percentage of the profits, I believe they won't refuse this benefit."

"If they are moved by the benefits we offer, then we will be allies in the same camp. Wouldn't the power and influence of the Church in the northern wilderness be even stronger?"

The more Bilel explained, the more excited he became, as if he saw a brand new future.

"...Then how do you want me to support you?"

Bartolo was not moved by Bilel's expression. Instead, he vaguely felt that something was wrong. The last few days, when the other party was shifting the blame onto the Church, their relationship wasn't as harmonious as it was now!

"I hope the Church can take out a portion of the canyon's income as a bargaining chip to win them over."

Finally, at this moment, Bilel's true colors were revealed. Bartolo also understood where his unease came from.

"Your Excellency, you also know that my tribe's benefits from the canyon seem substantial, but I also have to support the lives of hundreds of thousands of tribesmen. Moreover, I will have to exhaust my strength to arm an army to fight against the Snow-Mire trolls. I really can't spare any extra benefits."

"Don't worry, Your Excellency, I'm not asking for much. As long as a 10% share is enough, those greedy guys will definitely firmly defend the interests of the Church and listen to your call!!"

Bilel never did things at a loss. Since he had already decided to gradually break away from the Church and form his own team, he couldn't sit idly by and watch the Oak Church continue to do nothing and take 30% of the tribe's income for nothing, as it had done for countless years.

Especially after having tested the Church's layout and having no more illusions about it, Bilel was prepared to take back some benefits from the Oak Church by taking advantage of the current situation.

"...I'm afraid that won't work!!"

Bartolo wanted to flatly reject Bilel's proposal, but his rational brain also reminded him that the Church no longer had complete control over the existing benefits.

Moreover, Bilel was right about one thing: if the Uruk, Argand, and Amansha tribes could be combined, then Bilel's team would be the strongest in the northern border region. As long as Bilel could become the leader of this team, then with his relationship with the Church, even if it was somewhat estranged now, he would still be the closest tribe to the Oak Church.

With Bilel's support, he would be more confident in maintaining the Church's interests in the north and at least temporarily maintain the Church's sphere of influence, preventing it from continuing to shrink.

"Your Excellency!! If this matter can be successful, it will not only solve our tribe's current predicament, but it will also be the greatest help to the Church!!"

Bilel earnestly persuaded him. Previously, he used deceptive means to force Zorf and the others to stay, and then he apologized, gave gifts, and sincerely apologized, etc., to stabilize Zorf, Jenry, and several old guys, so that they have not left until now. It seems that everything is fine, but in reality, it is just a house of cards that will collapse at any time.

Five percent (5%) of Nasir Fortress's income was just a small price that Bilel paid to appease Jenry and several old things. Perhaps Allen and Nicolle would be tempted by this seemingly generous income, but in the eyes of several large tribes, this income is insignificant compared to the obligations they need to bear.

The annual income of any powerful tribe in the wilderness is actually not too bad. In addition to the taxes on the commercial roads along the way, as well as the special products in the tribe's territory, even a tribe with extremely poor management can earn at least 100,000 gold coins a year without any problems.

Therefore, don't look at the fact that Jenry and the others seem to agree with Bilel all the time, but when things are over and the tens of thousands of gold coins that Bilel sent in advance are divided, those guys will definitely pat their butts and leave. As for the agreement they made with Bilel before, haha, that's just a fart that everyone accidentally let out.

Bilel knew Jenry and the others' thoughts as clearly as a mirror, and he had to fight against the increasingly aggressive Snow-Mire Tribe, which was inseparable from this small team that was still in its infancy and not stable.

If he wanted to stabilize the team and make himself the leader of the team, then he needed to pay enough benefits, at least to make the tribes behind Jenry and the others tempted. At the same time, Bilel didn't want to sacrifice the interests of his own tribe, and then after a series of operations, he had the current scene.

"Since the Church cannot give my tribe more help, then I can only introduce powerful helpers from outside. At least in this way, the interests of our tribe and the Church can be guaranteed!!"

"Otherwise, if that old dog Ariel puts pressure on me again to seize the income from Catoer Canyon, I really can't guarantee to Your Excellency that I can do what I've done today!!"

Vaguely, there was a hint of threat in Bilel's words. Although his face was just a look of bitter pleading, Bartolo still heard the implication: if the Church really didn't give in, then Bilel might switch to other gods for the sake of his own interests and obtain their protection.

"...This matter is too big. I don't have the authority to make a decision. I have to report to His Holiness the Pope before I can give you an answer."

Bartolo's tone also became indifferent. Although he actually had the authority to give Bilel an answer at this time, the shame and anger after being calculated by Bilel, as well as the emotions of the Church's interests being damaged, made him temporarily not want to see Bilel's smug expression.

"Your Excellency has worked hard. Please rest well!!"

Bilel uttered words of concern, but in a place Bartolo couldn't see, there was a deeper smile in his eyes.

"Your Excellency has been bothered, please rest well!!"

A weak voice slowly came from Bartolo's mouth, and then his figure resolutely walked towards the door of the study, never staying in front of Bilel for another second.

"Your Excellency has taken the trouble, please rest well!!"

Bilel uttered words of concern, but in a place Bartolo couldn't see, there was already a deep smile in his eyes.