Chapter 37 Militia_1
Olaf squatted down beside Duan’er and answered, "My Lord is a knight possessing both wisdom and strength, and he is also extremely generous and compassionate. I believe he must hold an exceedingly prosperous domain within human territories, his wealth far surpassing our comprehension of riches.
"He can afford to build walls out of steel at will and equip us with steel armor and steel flails.
"And in my clothing here, there are at least five Alchemical Weapons.
"We are merely First Order Werewolves and Second Order Howlers...
"Furthermore, even more steel and Alchemical Weapons are stored in the warehouse. Anyone who wishes to use them need only find the responsible Domain Official to requisition them freely."
While Olaf was answering, Duan’er was also observing Olaf.
The armor he wore was crafted from interlocking steel plates.
Steel! True, forged steel, not common iron. The steel in this single suit of armor, if replaced with iron, would be enough to equip every Werewolf in his tribe with iron flails. Yet here it was, worn by a mere Second Order Howler, and even the First Order Werewolves guarding outside were clad in this type of Full Steel Armor. And they wielded all-steel flails too. This equipment granted them defensive and offensive power far exceeding their actual ranks; the Lizardmen were utterly defenseless against them. If his own tribe could be equipped with such armor and weapons, one hundred elite Steel Armored Werewolves would be enough to sweep through the swamp’s edge. And those slingshots... He was certain the slingshots these Werewolves used were also Alchemical Weapons. Duan’er himself had been struck in the head by a pellet from such a slingshot, and a large welt still hadn’t subsided. Duan’er was a Hero, possessing defenses far superior to ordinary Werewolves. If an ordinary Werewolf were hit in the head, they would be knocked unconscious, if not killed. The Alchemical Slingshot gave melee-type Werewolves a degree of ranged capability. Moreover, in the swamp environment, dense with bushes and trees, the engagement distance upon spotting an enemy was merely twenty to thirty meters. At such ranges, the effective distance of bows and crossbows was largely wasted. In contrast, the Alchemical Slingshot’s rate of fire and the surprise factor of its attacks could inflict maximum ranged damage on the enemy in the shortest time. Even in a firefight across an impassable marsh, the slingshots’ power and rate of fire were enough to suppress enemy bowmen and crossbowmen, preventing them from even raising their heads. The Werewolves and Lizardmen of the Swamp Tribe couldn’t afford armor. As for the cost of such an Alchemical Slingshot? Ordinary bows and crossbows couldn’t compare; perhaps even the price of this suit of Full Steel Armor wouldn’t be enough to buy a single one. Alchemical Weapons were Alchemical Weapons, after all—not something ordinary individuals could possess at will. Yet, in this domain, even the peasants each possessed one. Setting aside the other Alchemical Weapons he couldn’t even identify, the sheer opulence radiating from the Werewolf before him overwhelmed Duan’er. To think he had bankrupted his tribe attacking such a human domain... It was as if he’d been kicked in the head by a swamp bull.
"What does your Lord plan to do with me?" After closely observing the lavish equipment on Olaf, Duan’er’s stubbornness dissipated.
Olaf replied, "My Lord said he wants to think it over thoroughly. Clan Leader, have something to eat first. By evening, the Lord will pass judgment on you.
"I believe the compassionate Lord will not unduly trouble you."