Chapter 48 - Cangya Tribe

“How’s the search for the more honest Gnolls I asked you to find?”“It has been completed, a total of five, all renowned for their hard work, and never slouching, woof.”

“From now on, have them cook with me.” Gaven was ready to leave the life of a cook, as it was impossible for him to serve as a cook for the Gnolls for his entire life, especially with their numbers increasing continuously.

“Have them cook?” Gos shook his head repeatedly and said, “No, no, they are our strongest, most excellent miners, woof.

Using them for cooking is really a waste, woof.

Please forgive me, Leader, I failed to choose the right people.

I will select a few others, woof.”

“No need,” Gaven waved his hand and said, “Do not underestimate the task of cooking, especially cooking for hundreds of people; it requires knowledge.

Also, after tomorrow’s meal, let them stop going into the mines.

I am going to start intensive training.”

In Gaven’s eyes, the Gnolls were all starting from the same line, with even those with some skill being relatively limited.

From tomorrow, he planned to reshape them according to his own will and have them start to specialize in their professions.

A cook is a cook, a warrior is a warrior, and a miner is a miner.

They can’t be warriors one moment and miners the next.

While they may be jacks-of-all-trades, they are masters of none.

Being versatile is suitable for races like Elves and Dwarves, who have long lifespans, relatively sparse populations, and low birth rates.

For a race like the Gnolls who can breed and sustain their population, specialization is the best way forward.

Just when Gos was about to inquire further about the training content, a chorus of barking erupted from afar.

The working Blackwell Gnolls promptly dropped their tasks, picked up the weapons beside them, and jogged over to where Gaven was, with some even cautiously following around the Half-Ogre Roar.

Gaven’s recent battle with the Half-Ogre Roar and the ogre’s subsequent joining had greatly boosted the morale of the Blackwell Tribe.

No longer did they dive into the Blackwell Mine at the first sign of trouble, as they had done before.

This kind of morale was fragile; if Gaven or the Half-Ogre were to be defeated, they would surely scatter as they had before, and the help provided at that time would be very limited.

Gaven understood this deeply and knew that changing this situation was a daunting task that would require a lot of military training and baptism by blood and fire to truly forge.

Even though he had guessed the purpose of the other party, Gaven did not dismiss the gathering Blackwell Gnolls.

The cause of the commotion was a troop of more than fifty Gnolls—more than even the initial number of the Blackwell Tribe.

This group of Gnolls, with families in tow, clearly did not look like they had come to fight.

The group of Gnolls halted in the distance, and a somewhat small and elderly Gnoll approached slowly while calling out loudly, “Please do not misunderstand, we did not come to wage war.

We are here to join, woof.

Our Cangya Tribe is willing to abandon our name and join the Blackwell Tribe.”

Gaven nodded to Gos and said, “Let him come over and talk.”

“Alright.” As Gos nodded, he called out, “Chief Zack, the Leader asks you to come over and speak, woof.”

Gos knew it would not be long before Gnoll Tribes would join in the form of entire tribes, but he had not anticipated it happening so quickly.

He also did not expect that the first to join would not be the smaller denizens nearby but rather the Cangya Tribe, which had been more powerful than Blackwell.

This tribe had two Gnoll Professionals, and Chief Zack was one of them.

“There is no chief, only Zack.

As long as Leader Gos agrees, starting from today, there will be no Cangya, only Blackwell,” Zack said, his face bearing no trace of sorrow or anger, only a sense of natural rightness.

It was unclear whether he was magnanimous enough to let go of everything, or simply used to the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak.

After Zack approached, he nodded briefly to Gos, his gaze sweeping over the Half-Ogre Roar before finally resting on Gaven, and he knelt down with composure and said, “Zack leads his tribe to seek refuge with the Leader.

If the Leader agrees, from today on, our Tribe will follow the Leader unconditionally, woof.

Wherever the Leader’s sword points, we shall fight.”

Mature, experienced, wise.

This was Gaven’s first impression of the Gnoll, who reminded him of the sages in human villages, exuding the wisdom of the years.

The common language he used was much more formal than what Gos spoke, with significantly fewer distinct “woof” sounds characteristic of the Gnolls.

This kind of wisdom was far beyond the petty scheming and minor cunning that Gos could muster.

The other was also a Professional, possessing at least three Professional Levels, probably the most common vocation among the Gnolls—a Magician.

Although the Gnolls were weak, they were known as the race closest to dragons, a fact most evident when they awoke as Magicians. Thɪs chapter is updated by NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt

Among all races, the proportion of Gnolls awakening as Magicians ranked second, with no other race daring to claim the first place.

They worshipped the Giant Dragon, and if a Giant Dragon dwelled near a Gnoll Tribe, they would consider themselves servants of that dragon and worship it like a god.

This was the second reason Gaven had chosen the Gnolls.

As it turned out, his choice was right; with merely a hundred Gnolls, a Gnoll Sorcerer had appeared, and at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he could organize an army of Gnoll Sorcerers.

“We’re more than welcoming; how could we possibly refuse?

Please get up quickly; from today on, we’re all one family,” Gaven said as he hurriedly went forward to help Zack off the ground, completely disregarding racial differences.

“My Lord is indeed as merciful as the legends say, it seems my choice was not wrong, woof,” Zack praised sincerely.

“Have your tribe’s members come too; today is a day of great joy.

We should not only have an extra meal, but also drink merrily.

Anna, bring the wine; I want to have a good drink with the two Leaders,” Gaven said, not neglecting Gos as he led one with each hand towards the cooking pots.

This was the first place to be refurbished.

The cooking pots remained the same at two, but the number of barbecue racks had increased to three, and the bonfire underneath had been burning ever since it was first lit.

Around ten makeshift tables, made of stones and long wooden planks, were set up around it.

An open-air canteen was beginning to take shape.

Having lived together with the Gnolls for nearly ten days, Gaven had developed new insights into this short-statured race.

Due to their subterranean lifestyle, they, like the Dwarfs, cherished collectivism due to often having limited living space.

Working together, resting together, eating together.

They only had concepts of tribe and race, with no notion of family.

Their eggs were entrusted to the collective care of the tribe after hatching.

That’s right.

The Gnolls were oviparous and ectothermic, hence they were highly dependent on the underground caves; they hibernated there during winter.

They had a short growth cycle, needing only about five years to mature from an egg to an adult, yet they had a long lifespan, even longer than that of Humans.

That’s if they could live that long.

The dangerous environment meant that their average lifespan was quite low, not exceeding twenty.

In a display of loyalty, Zack had brought over the entire tribe, including the unhatched eggs, planning to assimilate them into the Blackwell hatching grounds.

Those Gnolls who had grown up might still have a concept of Cangya, but those hatching in the Blackwell hatching grounds would know only Blackwell, with no notion of Cangya.

Just this aspect alone made Gaven regard him even more highly.

This Gnoll Sorcerer had great wisdom, decisive action, which was not something an ordinary individual could achieve.

If Gaven hadn’t taken over the Blackwell Tribe first, it’s likely that in no time at all, the Blackwell Tribe would have been assimilated by the Cangya Tribe.

But now, there was no way to verify that.