Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 347 The Hunt (Part 3)

荒原
With the vastness of the sky and earth, Winters cycled along the hillside for a while, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Far down the mountain, a large herd of antelopes was foraging for food.

“There, Batu.” Koshhachi pointed to the herd of antelopes: “Prey.”

……

The Badlands tribe spared no expense for this hunt. Each family contributed at least one able-bodied man, totaling over a hundred people.

In addition to providing manpower, the hunters participating in the hunt also need to bring their own horses, weapons, and food.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the hunters of Koshhachi were to encounter any misfortune on their journey, the Badlands tribe would also collapse.

Although the Badlands Tribe seems to attach great importance to the hunts held by the Red River Tribe, it is difficult to associate their actual behavior with the words "hunts" and "attach importance".

Because the hunters of the Badlands tribe neither "encircle" nor "hunt".

Their daily routine consisted of following a herd of antelopes at a leisurely pace, moving slowly in one direction. They patiently drove, guided, and protected their prey, much like herding sheep.

Rather than saying the Badlands tribe was hunting, it would be more accurate to say they were escorting a herd of antelopes during their migration.

However, if someone were to look down from a great height at this moment, he would see: on the vast land, hundreds of hunting parties are doing the same thing as the hunters of the Badlands tribe—[unwaveringly driving wild beasts toward the final hunting grounds].

In the Hed tribes, hunting was the second most important event after war.

During major hunts, the chief who organizes the hunt will delineate the hunting area in advance, order his followers to prepare manpower, supplies and equipment, and send out elite cavalry to scout out the location and quantity of the prey.

Once everything is ready, the hunter will set off.

Hunters operate in hunting teams, which are independent of each other yet coordinate effectively.

They set out across the vast hunting grounds, like a giant, intricate net that drives prey from all directions to their predetermined destination.

According to the lion cub's description, the process of driving prey can take up to three months.

During this period, the hunters only eat and drink what they carry, and even if they are hungry, they cannot harm their prey in the slightest.

The hardships of living outdoors are not the most grueling part; what torments hunters the most is the fear of the unknown.

Hunting is a massive activity that requires precise coordination, and the negligence of any hunting team can have serious consequences.

Whether other hunting parties would be able to surround the prey on time was unknown to the hunters. All they could do was keep their eyes on the prey ahead and continue walking resolutely and alone.

……

“Leading a lone army to a battlefield where victory or defeat is uncertain.” Winters imagined the spectacular scene of tens of thousands of hunters hunting together and exclaimed, “Even the Alliance and the Empire have probably never had a military exercise of this scale.”

"What is a 'military exercise'?" Koshhachi asked, puzzled.

Winters smiled and replied softly, "It's just practicing warfare."

As they were talking, four hunters from the Badlands tribe came galloping from the direction of the antelope herd. After bowing to Winters and Koshhachi, they wearily ran back to the camp.

In the process of driving prey, hunters must not let the prey die of exhaustion, nor let it stray from its course, and even more importantly, they must not let the prey be preyed upon by wild beasts.

Therefore, the hunting teams of the Badlands tribe were divided into six groups, taking turns guarding the prey day and night.

“It’s not ‘the outcome is uncertain,’ Batu.” Koshhachi gestured vigorously: “The Chihe tribe used a lot, a lot, a lot of hunters for the hunt. Even if some of the prey escaped, there would still be quite a few left.”

Winters understood what Koshhatch meant: "In my view, hunting is a war rehearsal, but you are actually more concerned with how much prey you can get."

Koshhachi grinned. He thought for a moment and said, "It's been a long time since we've had such a large-scale hunt using so many hunters. This is the first time since I was able to draw a bow."

"The hunters from the Eastern Sea, the Terdun... and the other three major tribes didn't number as many as this time?"

Koshhachi shook his head: "Of the three major departments, I've never been a hunter. But I guess I'm probably not as good as them."

"Why?" Winters raised an eyebrow. "The Red River Tribe has only been growing for a few years. Do the three major tribes have fewer hunters than the Red River Tribe?"

Koshhachi struggled to organize his thoughts: “The White Lions use many hunters from other tribes; the Three Great Tribes only have their own hunters.”

"Isn't it better to have as many hunters as possible in a hunt?" "The more the better," Koshhachi said seriously. "But in a hunt, there is obedience."

According to Koshhachi, he only began learning the language of the two-legged people after suffering defeat in the Battle of the Styx Camp.

It's truly remarkable that he's learned a language to his current level in such a short time—but it's still not enough to handle more complex conversations.

Therefore, Koshhach always spoke one word at a time, and Winters often had to guess what Koshhach wanted to say based on his body language.

Winters pondered for a moment and asked, "Are you saying that participating in the Red River Tribe's hunt means submitting to the Red River Tribe?"

Koshhachi nodded emphatically.

Winters wasn't surprised: "It's probably more than just submission. The big fish eats the small fish; it's only a matter of time. I'm just curious, knowing that the Red River Tribe intends to annex the Evil Earth Tribe, why did you still participate in the Red River Tribe's hunt?"

Koshhachi said matter-of-factly, "The Edo tribe is weak, and the Chihe tribe is strong, so we have no choice but to participate."

"Did the Chihe tribe force you to submit?"

"No, the big fish eat the small fish; it's better to be eaten sooner than later."

“I’m not asking you ‘why you submit to the white lion’,” Winters said, staring intently into Koshhach’s eyes. “I’m asking—are you truly willing to submit to the white lion?”

Winters' question was dangerous, but Koshhach answered it anyway, and answered it truthfully:
"I don't want to."

……

Koshhachi wanted to know what the world beyond the grasslands was like, and Winters also wanted to know what was happening in the wasteland.

Previously, Winters mainly relied on the lion cub to understand the inner workings of the Herd tribes.

The little lion provided Winters with a lot of valuable information, including the crucial warning that "the Teldonians are coming."

However, relying on the cub for information means that Winters will only ever know what the white lion wants him to know.

Therefore, Winters urgently needed to develop new sources of intelligence.

Everything seems simple in theory, but becomes difficult in practice.

Putting aside the physical isolation and the intense hostility between the Hud and Parat people, finding a Hud person who could speak the common language was as difficult as panning for gold in the sand.

Therefore, Winters tolerated Koshhatch's spy-like observation of his subordinates and answered Koshhatch's various questions as much as possible.

In exchange, Koshhaci also had to answer Winters' questions; this was an unspoken understanding between the two.

……

“And what about the leaders of other tribes?” Winters continued. “Are they willing to submit?”

“Nobody wants to,” Koshhachi answered truthfully. “But the White Lions are fair in dividing the spoils and have prestige.”

Winters listened quietly.

Koshhachi stretched out his left hand: "Eat up by the three major ministries."

Koshhachi stretched out his right hand again: "Eaten by the Chihe tribe."

Finally, he clasped his right hand, the symbol of the Red River Tribe: "This is better."

Winters nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

“Or.” Koshhachi dismounted, drew an iron arrow from his quiver, and presented it to Champion Palattu with both hands: “Obey Batu.”

Winters raised an eyebrow slightly: "The Badlands Tribe? Or you?"

Koshhachi bowed respectfully: "I am."

Winters did not accept the iron arrow; instead, he honestly replied, "You are more valuable to me in the wasteland."

I overspent yesterday.
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(End of this chapter)