Chapter 238: Chapter 234 Oppression
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. While Perfikot was still researching issues related to the serpentine shield tunneling machine, the team from the Wild Mane Tribe returned to the gates of the Eagle’s Beak Cliff base.
This time Herton led the team again, but the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe also accompanied them.
This was both to show respect for the Lord of the North and to quickly make decisions should Perfikot have any new requests or conditions, eliminating the need for another journey.
Although this could cause some problems or dangers, the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe deemed it all worthwhile.
Before departing, he specially consulted the shaman for divination, and the result indicated that this negotiation was both dangerous and an opportunity, requiring the chieftain to adapt to the situation and make judgments to avoid the worst outcome.
After all, Herton was just an ordinary ancestor warrior; though he held a certain prestige in the tribe, he was more adept at fighting and hunting than at negotiations that required intellectual effort.
The chieftain himself could not claim to be extremely skilled either, but at least he was somewhat better than Herton.
With nervous anticipation, the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe, accompanied by others, followed Herton back into the Eagle’s Beak Cliff camp. This time, Perfikot prepared quite a formal procession to greet them, which once again left the members of the Wild Mane Tribe greatly awed.
Despite the great shock caused by the escort of White Bear Knights who had returned Herton and his team to the tribe last time, which made them clearly realize the Empire’s formidable military power, this time Perfikot presented the Steam Knights.
Looking at those ultimate suits of armor made entirely of steel, the Wild Mane Tribe’s first impression was "wealth" and "luxury."
For a native tribe lacking iron smelting technology, even a wooden shield covered in iron would be considered a luxurious piece of protective gear, let alone armor made entirely of steel.
Even just by weight, the entire Wild Mane Tribe combined might not be able to gather enough steel for a single Steam Knight.
And now, the mere sight of over twenty Steam Knights left an unimaginable impact.
It was as if someone had built a house out of gold, equally shocking.
For these native tribes, even roughly smelted pig iron ingots could serve as hard currency in trade among tribes.
"Are these white people really so wealthy?" The chieftain quietly asked Herton in their native language, as these iron giants before him severely affected his judgment and stance.
"They are indeed very wealthy, but we didn’t see these steel armors last time." Herton explained to the chieftain, adding further clarification: "Last time we only saw the White Bear Warriors. Although they wore armor too, it wasn’t this extravagant.
It’s possible that these were treasures passed down by the white people’s tribe. We saw their everyday appearance last time, and this time they took out the good stuff for the formal welcome."
Hearing Herton’s speculation, the chieftain found the scenario plausible.
Living a near-primitive nomadic lifestyle, they found it difficult to understand the extravagant production capabilities of the industrial era.
Nevertheless, the members of the Wild Mane Tribe subtly changed their attitude toward Perfikot.
However you consider it, the other side’s presentation clarified their wealth and power, causing the Wild Mane Tribe to feel an insurmountable aura and a desire to submit.
With the foundation of Perfikot’s friendly attitude during previous encounters, the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe and those who accompanied him gradually leaned towards submitting to Perfikot.
However, the progress of events wasn’t as swift as they hoped; they still needed to meet Perfikot once more and engage in formal negotiations, possibly multiple times, before they could truly make a decision.
This time, Perfikot did not meet with the Wild Mane Tribe in the laboratory but prepared a more formal setting.
In a brightly lit hall, Perfikot sat serenely on a high chair in the center, with her loyal old butler standing beside her, and behind her stood the female knight Samantha and the female assassin Claudia.
Alongside Perfikot were the Northern Territory civil officials and officers of the White Bear Knight Order, watching the incoming party of the Wild Mane Tribe with scrutiny in their eyes, stern and cold.
Additionally, a squad of Steam Knights stood by the walls in standby mode, enveloping the entire hall in an inexplicable atmosphere with their faint hums and slight steam release, bearing a mix of mystery and oppression.
This atmosphere clearly affected the group from the Wild Mane Tribe, who approached Perfikot somewhat nervously, greeted her, and then began to speak: "Salute to you, honorable lord."
Perfikot looked at them with an indifferent gaze, the polite words she initially planned to say suddenly feeling somewhat dull and uninteresting.
She stood up and walked in front of the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe.
The chieftain was a hulking man over 1.9 meters tall. Although the Ancestral Spirit of the Wild Mane Tribe is not known for strength, it endowed them with extraordinary height and long limbs. Hence, most of the ancestor warriors in the tribe were robust, and even the women seemed taller than those of other tribes.
Perfikot, however, was merely a teenage girl, standing before the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe and barely reaching his stomach, appearing like a delicate doll.
But none of those present thought this pretty young girl was weak.
On the contrary, they felt it was the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe who appeared weak, even he thought so himself.
Regardless of the legends about white people or the various things they had witnessed along the way, an invincible impression of the other side had already lodged in the chieftain’s mind.
Perfikot didn’t speak immediately. She merely looked down at the tall man with sharp eyes, making the chieftain of the Wild Mane Tribe feel as though knives were scraping across his skin.
He couldn’t help but pray to the Ancestral Spirit for a swift conclusion to this affair.
Even though he wasn’t a weak or cowardly man, he couldn’t hold out for long under the oppressive atmosphere deliberately created by Perfikot.
Therefore, when Perfikot finally spoke in an icy voice, asking him, "Submission or destruction?" the chieftain’s mental defenses, already wavering, collapsed instantly.