Path of Light.

Chapter 962, 957. Achieved
In recent years, the Horde Orcs have been continuously investing resources into the battlefield of Durag.

However, the battle did not go as they had expected. Although the Black Riders of the Nakhmar were blocked in the Montenegrin Rift, the combined forces of the orcs and dwarves were also blocked in the east of the rift, and large areas of land east of the rift had become scorched earth.

The Nakhmar continued to erode Drag, until today, the last of the Grey Dwarves decided to abandon Drag.

The Black Gold Mountains serve as the northern defense line of the Mensa Plains. Once the Nakma Demons break through the Black Gold Mountains, the Black Knights will enter the flat Mensa Plains.

Every year, the chieftains of the Horde orcs would gather to discuss the war in Durag.

They were also very worried that once the Grey Dwarves completely withdrew from Duragar, the Black Riders of Nakmar would turn their blades toward the Plains of Mensa.

Roy then placed the stones representing the Nakhmal demons in the northwest corner of the Mensa Plains and said to Chief Grop:

“They have come out of the abyss, and they will not retreat back to the bottom of the abyss on their own.”

This battle was bound to be fought eventually.

Now that the grey dwarves have retreated, the Horde orcs must face the Black Riders of Nak'mar head-on.

Rather than letting their iron cavalry rampage across the Mensa Plains, we should proactively enter Durag's Knee and use the defenses built by the Grey Dwarves to resist the Black Riders of Nakhmal..."

As Roy and Chief Grop spoke these words, Chief Hansaheim sat in the next tent.

Upon hearing Roy mention building a defensive line in the western mountains of Durrag to protect the Nachmar from the Black Gold Mountains' Aries tribe from the Nachmar Black Riders' onslaught, he closed his eyes and pondered seriously.

Beside the High Chieftain of Hansaheim sat an old orc. Her aged and withered body resembled a skeleton wrapped in wrinkled leather. Her eyes were completely gone, leaving only two dark holes. Her lips were sunken inward, and it appeared that she had lost all her teeth.

She was draped in an animal skin, which was covered in magical flames, as if the entire leather was on fire.

She is the high priestess of the Aries tribe, and she is revered as the 'Sheep Spirit' by the beastmen of the Aries tribe.

After the Great Chief of Hansaheim opened his eyes, he looked at the High Priest with a questioning look in his eyes.

He remained silent, showing no sign that he considered her blind...

Just then, Roy's voice came from next door again:
"I want to send a mine guard to be stationed in the Villaria Valley."

If possible, I would like to keep the Nakhma demons outside the eastern pass of the valley.

The grey dwarves built a city called Pristis there.

Half-elf guards can stay in the city.

And you... Aries tribe, don't you also want to include the Black Gold Mountains within your territory?"

……

These words reached Hansaheim's ears, and the great chieftain's eyes shone brightly once more...

……

At this moment, Chief Grop responded with a loud laugh:

"The White Sheep Tribe has this vast mountainous region on the northern slopes of the Black Gold Mountains, enough for our people to multiply. The Black Gold Mountains are too large; how could we possibly occupy the entire Black Gold Mountains? The Gray Dwarves had this idea before, and what happened to them? They were still driven out of Durrag by the Nakmar demons and are now forced to leave their homeland and become homeless..."

Roy looked at Chief Grop, drew a line on the map along the Dulag West coast with his charcoal pencil, and said:
"If we turn the western part of Drag's Knee into a battlefield for fighting the Nak'mar demons."

The Valley of Villaria is characterized by rugged mountains, cold north winds, and sturdy fortifications left behind by the Grey Dwarves.

We'll put the battlefield here. What does it matter if this land is destroyed?
But once the Nak'mar Black Riders march south along the west coast, bypassing the Black Gold Mountains and advancing to the Mensa Plains, what on this vast plains could possibly stop them? In the end, wouldn't they have to rely on the flesh and blood of the orc warriors?

The Aries chieftain Hansaheim was deeply moved by Roy's words. He stood up abruptly but did not take a single step forward.

After a moment of contemplation, he turned to look at the great shaman beside him again.

The Great Shaman Yangling nodded as if he understood something, and said in a trembling voice:
“He wasn’t lying, and he’s a trustworthy ally, at least better than those greedy dwarves. Go and have a good talk with him. He’s right; this matter concerns the future of the Aries tribe. We can’t avoid this battle with the Nakmar demons after all.”

"If we take the initiative, we can even have the right to choose the battlefield!"

"Go, my child."

The voice became exceptionally gentle at the last sentence.

The Great Chief of Hansaheim's gaze became exceptionally firm at this moment. As he walked out of the tent, he replied:

"Okay, mother."

……

The thick animal hide curtain of the tent was lifted, and a cold wind carrying drifting snowflakes blew into the tent.

A bonfire was lit in the middle of the hall, making a loud bang.

Chief Hansaheim walked straight into the hall and sat down in the main seat with an air of authority.

Roy and Grand Chief Grop both stood up from their seats and waited until Grand Chief Hansaheim sat down before they followed suit.

Chieftain Hansaheim stared at Roy with sharp eyes. His face was somewhere between a goat and a human, with a clear vertical line in his golden eyes, a protruding nose and mouth, and swirling ram's horns on his head, making him look like a goat-headed monster from the fiery hell.

However, the aura of power emanating from him gave Roy, a second-stage powerhouse, a very strong sense of crisis, as if the other party could easily crush Roy with a flick of his wrist.

Even when facing Archmage Cedric, Roy didn't feel this intense pressure.

Archmage Cedric was a powerful figure at the peak of the third class advancement, with one foot already in the legendary realm...

This Hansaheim chieftain may also be on par with Archmage Cedric.

He was a burly man, half a head taller than Roy, and sitting in the main seat, he resembled a small mountain. His first words to Roy were:

"How many Aries warriors do you expect us to send to secure the Villaria Valley?"

"..."

Roy stared at Hansaheim, speechless. The Great Chieftain's decisiveness and swift action left him somewhat at a loss for words...

He had just been trying to persuade Chief Grop, explaining the benefits that the orc warriors of the Aries tribe would receive from entering the Knee of Drag.

Unexpectedly, the first thing the chieftain asked Roy when he entered the hall was how many orc warriors the Aries tribe needed to send into the Villaria Valley.

Seeing that Roy did not respond immediately, the High Chief of Hansaheim asked again in a deep voice:

"Then tell me... how can we cooperate?"

Grop, who looked just as shocked as Roy, practically stood up from his seat, then sat back down in a huff.

Roy gathered his thoughts before speaking:
“Here’s what I’m thinking: when the Grey Dwarves withdraw from the Valaria Valley, I’ll send a mine guard army to take over Pristis City. It’s the first line of defense against the Nakma Demons. Once Pristis City falls, it means the western gate of the Valaria Valley will be completely open…”

"This mine guard is composed of half-elves and highland headhunters. The half-elf guards are responsible for the city's administration and aerial defense. The highland headhunters are natives of the Partington plane; having lived on the cold highlands for generations, they should be more adapted to the environment around Pristis City, and they are all naturally excellent warriors. As long as our guards stand atop the high walls, they can hold off the Nakhmar demons' black knights..."

Roy had prepared thoroughly beforehand, so he spoke in great detail.

Then Roy added:

"I hope the Aries tribe can also send some Aries warriors to garrison the city of Presites and help us protect this mountain city together."

"I will provide the Aries warriors stationed in Presites with elven weapons of superior quality and dwarven armor of excellent quality. These elven dwarven chainmails will be custom-made for the warriors. When they complete their six-month garrison duty and return to Mensa Plains, the weapons and armor they were assigned will belong to them personally."

"During the time when the Aries tribe's orc warriors enter the Knee of Durag, our half-elf guards will be responsible for supplying the Aries warriors with provisions."

"At the same time, once the city of Pristis is captured, the orc warriors of the Aries tribe will be the first to evacuate from Pristis."

"Our mine guards will cover the rear. Of course, we're willing to go to such lengths because the Grey Dwarves gave me the Valley of Villaria when they left..."

Roy told the High Chief of Hansaheim that he wanted to acquire ownership of the Villaria Valley.

The High Chieftain of Hansaheim wasn't particularly concerned about the valley; in fact, he had no real impression of the entire Draghorst. What he cared about was the Black Gold Mountains, just as Roy had said.

If the Aries tribe can occupy the entire Black Gold Mountain Range, the Aries tribe can expand northward for the next few decades...

However, the High Chieftain of Hansaheim also noted that the Grey Dwarves' cooperation was essential for the full realization of Roy's plans.

It could be said that if the gray dwarves had set a trap for the hybrid elves and orcs at any point in the process, it could have caused huge losses to both sides. Therefore, the gray dwarves' cooperation was crucial.

Are the gray dwarves trustworthy?

"The Hansaheim chief asked with concern."

Roy made a gesture of reassurance, then said:
"Even if the Grey Dwarves have any schemes, there's no need to worry. When our army sets foot on the land of Durag's Knee, their Grey Dwarves' southward migration fleet will be migrating south in the waters under the jurisdiction of the Half-Elves. For such a long route, it would take their massive fleet at least a year to sail safely through."

"During this period, all buildings and facilities in the Valley of Villaria will be taken over by the half-elves. If any problems arise in any aspect, I will hold those gray dwarves accountable!"

"I don't think they would do something so stupid!"

The chief of the Aries tribe nodded repeatedly when he heard Roy say this.

This young human has planned so meticulously, there's no reason for the Aries tribe not to participate...

Roy was so certain that the grey dwarves wouldn't cause trouble in the Valaria Valley because he could easily control the grey dwarves migrating south by sea, and he also feared that the grey dwarves in the Northern Fleet would attack Quel'Thalas...

At this point, Roy also revealed his thoughts to the Aries chieftain:
"The half-elf has no grand ambitions, nor has it ever thought about maintaining peace in the Eastern Continent, or even about completely driving the Nakma demons back. We just want to transform the Villaria Valley into a place suitable for half-elf to live in."

"For so many years, half-elf people have suffered discrimination from pure-blooded elf nobles in the elven kingdom. Now, some Silvermoon Elf nobles are going so far as to use imperial merchants to drive half-elf people out of the Silvermoon Elf Kingdom..."

"Although we have a place to live on the Partington plane, we have no place to live on the Prime plane..."

"The relocation of the Grey Dwarves from Durag's Knee may be an opportunity for us."

"Furthermore, we have experience fighting against the Dark Legion of the Abyss. Back in the Partington Plane, we successfully drove away the Dark Faceless Legion..."

Roy spoke at length, and the High Chief of Hansaheim listened intently.

……

Afterwards, Chief Hansaheim arranged for Roy and his party to rest in a tent on the summit.

Because there were only a limited number of tents on the various platforms at the summit, the group was assigned to a large bearskin tent.

The entire tent was covered with dark bear skin. There was no fire inside, and the felt tent was drafty. To sleep in the tent, one had to wrap a blanket around oneself and curl up in a windless corner.

A group of Aries tribe orcs who were responsible for receiving Roy and his party were extremely hospitable to them.

Some female Aries beastmen even tried to get close to her, but Moira and Sabrina coldly brushed them off...

The next day, the Hansaheim chief invited Roy over to discuss military matters related to the alliance, and they began to talk about the specific details.

"...So, for the first phase, how many Aries warriors do you need us to station at Boles?"

Boles is a city built on the west coast of the Villaria Valley, where two million Grey Dwarves set sail. The Grey Dwarves have built many large shipyards along this coastline, and these shipyards are important strategic resources that Roy hopes to take over.

Roy held up one finger. He had intended to say, "Send a thousand half-elf guards to Boles City first to assess the situation there, then reinforce the garrison there."

Unexpectedly, Hansaheim misunderstood, nodding repeatedly as he looked at Roy's finger and said:
"I also think that sending 10,000 Aries warriors should be enough to take over Boles City. At that time, we warriors will fully cooperate with you in your actions..."

“Listen to me, I still need to have a final conversation and discussion with the gray dwarves. I also need to go to the Villaria Valley for an on-site inspection. I hope you can send a tribal chief to go to Boles with me. Once everything is settled, it won’t be too late to send the half-elf guards to take over the city there!”

Roy said.

"Actually, the first batch of troops might not need to be that many..."

The High Chief of Hansaheim's expression shifted, and he asked Roy:
"You're going to Durag's Knee? Aren't you afraid the Northern Fleet will send strongmen to forcibly detain you there?"

(End of this chapter)