Xiao Xun hadn't expected Bortu to see through her strategy. It seemed the big, bear-headed fellow did have a brain after all.
Bai Yang didn't know what to say next. He glanced at Xiao Xun, and seeing no reaction, asked Bortu, "The situation is as it is. What do you want?"
Bortu tilted his head back and said, "I don't want anything. We all have the same goal: not to have the war spread to our homes, to drive away the Scourge Legion, and to restore our lives."
Seeing that Bortu wasn't continuing, Bai Yang prompted him with two words, "So..."
"So, I hope Lord Svein will plot against me less in the future. Although my brain isn't sharp, I'm not a fool. Let's just let today's matter slide. We'll take a small loss. If similar situations arise again, I can't guarantee what I might do."
With that, he turned around and left with a parting phrase, "Farewell!"
Xiao Xun stepped out from her position among the Twelve Star Envoys and looked at Bortu's retreating back. "Are the Orcs usually this proud?"
Bai Yang came down from his position and stood beside Xiao Xun.
"Let's switch back!"
After they exchanged their clothes, Xiao Xun felt much warmer. "According to animal habits, they hibernate after winter. I wonder if the Orcs have this habit."
Everyone shook their heads, stating they hadn't heard of it.
In fact, Xiao Xun was just making a joke. The Orcs only possessed the characteristics and physical features of beasts; they weren't beasts that had attained sentience.
The two great legions returned after counting the spoils of war and presented a detailed list for Xiao Xun's review.
There were quite a few items. Apart from special armor and ammunition damaged by the firebombs, everything else was intact, including Wuwang's Flame Demon Blade, which was handed over to Xiao Xun as spoils of war.
Other items were manageable. Xiao Xun was particularly fond of the three black powder cannons that had been captured. Unfortunately, all their ammunition had been burned by Bai Yang's firebombs, leaving nothing.
Now, they could only hope that Libra could research cannonballs that could be fired from these weapons.
The scouts dispatched to the Scorching Moon Country were still unheard from. Now that the entire country was occupied, and given the Scourge Legion's past behavior, there were likely no living people in the areas they controlled.
Xiao Xun wondered how long their Red Dragon Knights could hold out, perhaps they had already perished in this catastrophe.
Xiao Xun looked at the military report with a worried frown. Although subsequent food supplies had arrived, they were far from enough to sustain these tens of thousands of people. In a few days, these tens of thousands would have to 'eat dirt.'
The Scourge Legion did not eat grain at all. If the subsequent food supplies could not be delivered, they would have to borrow from the Orcs. However, Xiao Xun didn't know if their allies would lend them food.
Just as Xiao Xun was fretting, a messenger rushed in, "His Highness Svein, the quartermaster reports that thousands of rats have suddenly appeared in the granary and have eaten all our army provisions."
"What!"
Xiao Xun stood up in astonishment. "What were those guards at the granary doing? How could they let rats eat all the grain?"
The messenger replied, "There were simply too many rats, and they seemed to emerge from the ground. In almost an instant, they devoured all the grain."
Xiao Xun's shock turned to fury. "What about the newly arrived provisions? Were they eaten too?"
The messenger lowered his head, not daring to speak. Xiao Xun understood and threw the cup on the table to the ground. "Get out, and have the quartermaster come see me."
"Yes!"
Soon, the quartermaster came in at a trot, kneeling on the ground. "Greetings, His Highness Svein."
Xiao Xun walked directly to the quartermaster. "Explain to me what exactly happened."
The quartermaster quickly explained, "Your Highness, it's like this. I was inventorying the newly arrived provisions and storing them, but I don't know from where a group of rats emerged, a dense, dark mass.
And they weren't afraid of people at all. They directly tore open the grain sacks and burrowed in. No matter what we did, we couldn't drive them away. They only dispersed after all the provisions were eaten."
Xiao Xun's brow furrowed. "So we have no food left at all?"
The quartermaster shivered, his voice growing smaller. "Today's lunch is still okay, but dinner..."
Xiao Xun took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "You may go."
The quartermaster seemed not to understand, unable to believe his ears. He looked up at Xiao Xun.
This person was the younger brother of one of the major legion commanders. Seeing that he was still dazed, someone quickly went and kicked him. "Get out of here quickly."
The quartermaster felt as if he had received a great amnesty and hurried out of the command post. As he emerged, he felt the midday sun was quite gentle. He had thought he might not see the sun again tomorrow.
Xiao Xun felt as if she had aged several years in the past two days. Others spoke of time passing slowly, but she felt each day passing faster. Especially after lunch, dinner was soon to follow. If the food problem wasn't solved, and if just one person started a riot, the army would mutiny in minutes.
But what could she do? She couldn't possibly ask her soldiers to eat wild vegetables and tree bark. The locusts not only ate people but also destroyed all green plants.
Moreover, it was autumn, the season of harvest, but also the season of decay, when all things withered. These tens of thousands of people stationed here could not just sit and wait for death.
Xiao Xun stood before the map, a thought of retreat brewing.
At this moment, she saw the location of the capital of Midoya, which was Orc territory. If all else failed, she would shamelessly ask for some. After all, they were allies.
After much deliberation, Xiao Xun made up her mind and said to Bai Yang, "Take me to Bortu."
Bai Yang summoned a six-pointed star array and directly took Xiao Xun there.
The Orc camp was also having lunch. Their food was relatively simple and monotonous. The werewolves mainly ate meat with some vegetarian options, while the minotaurs only ate vegetarian food, but in larger quantities.
These people were quite alert to the sudden appearance of the two humans, and they all stopped eating and stood up to look at them warily.
Since Xiao Xun had something to ask of them, she naturally lowered her stance. "Please inform your General Bortu that I am Svein, commander of the Phoenix Army, and I have an urgent matter to discuss."
At the signal from their superior, the Orc soldiers immediately went to report.
Xiao Xun looked at the food in their hands and was very curious as to why their food was not a problem. Could it be that those rats were released by them?
Although she thought this in her heart, she did not express it in her words. Regardless of whether it was true or false, she was in a desperate situation.
"His Highness Svein, our general requests your presence."
Under the gaze of these Orc warriors, Xiao Xun strode with the messenger to the front of the burned royal palace in the capital of Midoya.
Bortu had renovated the place. It seemed he intended to be stationed here permanently. He had occupied the capital without a single soldier. Even if the Scourge Legion retreated in the future, they could legitimately hold this place.
It seemed the Orcs were not 'vegetarian' either. These fellows not only had the hearts of beasts but also intelligent minds.
Bortu looked at Xiao Xun, his mind filled with questions: Why did this person look different from the one he had met a few days ago? But the attire was indeed that of the Phoenix Army commander.
"His Highness Svein, it's been a few days, and you've changed a lot!"
Xiao Xun's expression was blank, her heart thinking: You've changed a lot too. Why insult me as soon as we meet?
But she replied verbally, "General Bortu has also 'changed' quite a bit!"