"Boss, this old bastard’s not dead yet."

As the Barbarians cleaned up the battlefield, Zat walked over, hauling a small old man as if he were a chick.

The Shaman had a bloody hole in his shoulder, and blood had soaked through more than half of his clothes. He grimaced in pain every time Zat’s steps jostled the wound.

However, whether because he had used Witchcraft or something else, the wound had actually stopped bleeding.

Levi wasn’t surprised that the Shaman was still alive. With his spear throw, he had never intended to kill him, deliberately avoiding any vital spots.

Zat threw him down in front of Levi.

"What’s your name? What kind of Witchcraft do you know?"

Sam pressed his lips together, unwilling to speak, trying to maintain his dignity as a noble Caster.

He was a cunning old fox. It wasn’t that he was truly determined to resist to the death; he was just putting on airs to increase his own value.

In his eyes, every Caster deserved respect. He firmly believed that with his abilities, he would be a guest of honor even at a banquet of the Debei Nobles, and today would be no exception.

But reality is often far different from one’s ideals...

"Zat, teach this old man a lesson." Levi couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on a prisoner. He handed him directly over to Zat, who appeared to be the most simple and honest of his men.

’He was indeed curious about Casters, but if he actually showed that he valued the man, he would be playing right into the Shaman’s hands.’

"Okay, Boss."

A plain, simple smile appeared on Zat’s face.

Then, he placed a heavy hand on Sam’s shoulder, a malicious smile spreading across his face.

"You old bastard, you’re the one who wants to marry our Chief Steward Tina from High Cliff Castle, aren’t you?"

’Zat left one thing unsaid. ’Chief Steward Tina belongs to the Boss! What makes a shriveled old bastard like you worthy of coveting her? You should go take a piss and look at your own reflection!’’

Seeing the Beastman’s strange smile, Sam’s Adam’s apple bobbed. ’I think I might have been a little too arrogant...’ he thought.

Zat pushed the Shaman toward a dark corner.

Besides hunting, the Beastmen of the Wilderness also raised livestock, and herdsmen often had their own unique whipping techniques. Zat, who had herded sheep in the Northern Lands in his youth, was no exception.

"Brother-in-law, your Wisdom is as vast as the ocean! To think you dealt with three hundred Tribe Warriors so easily."

Mier watched in amazement as the dejected Evil Fang Tribe Warriors were herded into the camp, his face filled with deep admiration.

Mier could hardly believe that three hundred Tribe Warriors had been dealt with so easily, and without a single casualty.

Levi laughed heartily. He seemed to greatly enjoy the flattery and was in a good mood, so he didn’t mind Mier’s form of address and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Stick with me and learn well. In the future, you’ll have at least half my skill."

Mier just gave a sheepish smile. Levi could tell at a glance that the kid had no interest in such things, so he waved a hand and sent him away.

After learning that Mier had figured out how to make a telescope on his own, Levi was no longer insistent on having him put his Talent to use on the battlefield.

He strolled around the camp for a while with his hands behind his back, taking the time to think things over.

The Feder Warriors he encountered along the way all looked at him with admiration. Clearly, the way he had repelled a Tribe without losing a single soldier had opened their eyes. They now knew that their future commander was no mere kid like Mier.

’Under his leadership, they might actually win this war.’

The Dala Tribe and the Evil Fang Tribe were able to gather three to four hundred able-bodied men, meaning their Tribes must have over a thousand people each.

In the Kas Mountain Range, they were considered local powers. Suffering consecutive setbacks in a single day and failing to gain any advantage over the Feder Tribe was enough to slightly deter other factions.

’According to my calculations, the Feder Tribe will now have a brief period of peace for at least a few days,’ Levi thought.

’But peace doesn’t mean we’re safe. It only lets the lurkers in the shadows know that the Feder Remnants are not such an easy target. They’ll now take time to gather greater strength, and what follows will naturally be an even more overwhelming storm.’

’This battle wasn’t just about securing the iron mine and allowing High Cliff Castle to start building up its military industry. On a deeper strategic level, it was about depleting the strength of these natives.’

’It’s to force these Wilderness Natives into a period of rest and recuperation for the foreseeable future.’

’This will prevent them from gathering even greater forces to crush High Cliff Castle, buying enough time for its future development.’

’The Kas Mountain Range isn’t far from High Cliff Castle. Anyone with a bit of foresight would obviously not tolerate a Debei bridgehead in this location, as it would severely encroach upon their territory.’

’Others thought I was only focused on the surface level—the iron mine—but in reality, my vision extends much further.’

’Therefore, this wasn’t just a battle for the iron mine; it was a battle for survival. One step back would leave High Cliff Castle completely exposed, without any defensive fortifications. No matter how powerful the enemy, retreat is not an option.’

’Besides, with the system on my side, as long as I can drag out the war, I won’t have to fear any enemy.’

Levi had inspected the Feder camp. It had a pool fed by a natural spring, and the Feder Tribe’s food reserves were extremely abundant, enough to last for a whole year.

In other words, they had no reason to fear tactics like a siege.

As he walked, Levi suddenly heard several screams from a distance, followed by the sound of a whip striking flesh like a furious downpour.

He walked over and saw the Shaman tied to a wooden stake. The burly Zat was swinging a Cowhide Whip, lashing him from both sides. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

After he was done, the brute unfastened his pants and pissed on the ground. Then, he grabbed the stake and forced the little old Shaman’s head closer and closer to the ground, as if he wanted to make him taste a Beastman’s "freshly brewed hot tea."

The Shaman’s face was a mask of horror; this felt even more agonizing than the whipping.

The overwhelming stench, in particular, made him want to retch.

Levi fell silent. He turned to leave with his hands behind his back. ’I didn’t expect Zat to be this twisted,’ he thought.

’When it comes to interrogating prisoners, I’m still a bit out of my league.’

"Lord, I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!!!"

But he had only taken a few steps before a miserable cry came from behind him.

The Shaman had lost all of his earlier high-and-mighty demeanor. Tears and snot were streaming down his face; he was clearly terrified.

Zat saw his boss and scratched his round head with a simple-minded expression.

As Zat approached, Levi, his hands still behind his back, was about to ask a question when a sharp stench of piss assaulted his nostrils.

"Zat, it seems you have a case of internal heat!"

The Lord said this expressionlessly, then turned and walked away with his hands behind his back, his pace steady yet swift.

"Bring that old fellow over here."

Zat scratched the back of his head in astonishment. ’The Boss is simply divine,’ he thought. ’He even knew I was suffering from internal heat.’

’Could it be that on top of being a monster in combat, the Boss is also a master of medicine?’

Unable to puzzle it out, he untied the ropes and hauled Sam after Levi.

"Name?" Levi asked, sitting nonchalantly in a chair and looking down at the Shaman collapsed on the floor.

"Sam."

"What kinds of Witchcraft do you know?"

"I know..."