She Who Became Immortal

Astra Ignia stands as the fiercest warrior of the Ignia tribe, renowned as such by their chief.

For the Ignia tribe, being a warrior means fighting where needed for fair compensation, nothing more, nothing less.

Situated on the outskirts of beastmen territory, the Ignia tribe holds no allegiance to Lion King Randall, nor do they pay taxes. Their indifference towards Randall led them to accept a job to oppose the King of Beastmen.

In the eyes of the Ignia tribe, a warrior's essentials are simple: a battlefield and fair pay—everything else is secondary.

Or at least, that's how it seemed.

The task assigned by the Beastmen Alliance, known as the "Anti-Lion Coalition," proved mundane. Despite the promise of confronting the Lion King directly, they found themselves targeting weaker races, a task deemed easier to accomplish.

Their strategy? Attack the weak, recruit more weak, move on to the next weak—rinse and repeat.

But this time, things took an unexpected turn.

Previous operations had missed a group believed to have gathered in an orc village—a prime target due to its size and resources.

So they set out to raid it, hoping to swell the ranks of the "Anti-Lion Coalition" and eventually pose a threat to Lion King Randall.

However, upon arriving at the village, they encountered a surprising sight: demons, fox people, and humans, chatting casually as they approached, displaying no fear, confusion, or aggression whatsoever.

---

Instead, it was our side that was puzzled.

---

Astra was in charge of thirty members of the Ignia tribe. The remaining half were directly commanded by the chief, with Astra and the chief being on the same level in the chain of command, with a man named Gyalan Tubos of the werewolf tribe above them.

Gyalan was the leader of this squad.

But—until the strange trio of a demon, a fox, and a human approached closely, it seemed Gyalan couldn't handle his confusion.

In fact, the standby order remained unchanged, and Astra's group had no choice but to stand silently. It couldn't be helped since it was a job... but this was also a dissatisfaction with this job. The commander was a fool. It wouldn't be a problem if the enemy were weaklings.

But this time was different.

That much they understood.

"This is the Sutin Village where orcs live. Who the hell are you guys? Armed groups are flocking to the village, and the orcs are frightened. Let's hear your purpose."

The demon man stepped forward and spoke.

Astra had never seen a demon before—though she could say the same about humans—but indeed, the pale purple skin looked inherently ominous, easily understandable why it would be avoided by anyone other than demons.

However, Astra wasn't particularly bothered by that ominousness.

There were more important things to worry about.

From the slender tall figure of the demon emanated an aura of strength. The sword hanging from his waist was still sheathed, and the only action he had taken was to step forward and ask a question.

Yet, it felt as though the air had physically become heavier.

Just from these three individuals, pressuring three hundred. A perverse situation.

---

Astra observed Gyalan and his immediate subordinates bristle. Treating werewolf-kin as dogs was beyond disbelief. If Gyalan charged at the demon man, it wouldn't be surprising, and likely, no one would complain.

They felt insulted.

Just as Astra would be furious if they were referred to as "lizards." It was natural for those who took pride in their race.

But even so, Gyalan swallowed his anger.

With fur bristling, he chose to use his words, not his fists.

"Do you know Zamba?"

"Yeah, of course. I know those losers from the Broad tribe too. Did you come looking for them?"

"If you know them—then you understand our purpose."

"Invasion and requisition?"

Once again, the demon man replied easily, without showing any signs of disturbance.

As if it were inconsequential.

"If you understand and still maintain that attitude. Then—"

"We've prepared the wheat."

Just as he was about to order an advance, those words were thrown at him.

"...What do you mean?"

"Meaning? You guys want the wheat made by the orcs, right? We've prepared the amount you seem to need. If you still want to invade, want to enslave the orcs, we'll resist until death and burn the wheat. You'll gain nothing."

Dispassionate—almost too flat in tone.

They know our purpose and have decided on a response.

They've already made up their minds, that kind of attitude.

But then, as if he suddenly remembered, the demon man raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Oh... that was about Zamba Broad, right? The wheat is prepared along with it. Of course, depending on your actions, it might end up burning with the wheat... Hey, don't you think it's about time you introduced yourself?"

"I'm Gyalan. Gyalan Tubos from the 'Anti-Lion Coalition.'"

"I see. Then, follow me."

Having introduced himself but not giving his own name, the demon man casually turned on his heel and started walking towards the center of the village. The human girl and the fox person also walked naturally.

---

How should one interpret this?

If judged logically, it would seem they've advised the orcs on a "survival strategy." In reality, if they were fiercely resisted by the orcs and even had the wheat burned, it would become unclear why they came here in the first place.

Military actions are inherently draining.

Simply put, just maintaining an army consumes food rapidly. That's why when using force, it's necessary to either "minimize losses" or "generate benefits."

Futile efforts are the clumsiest.

Coming all the way here and gaining nothing is unacceptable.

Moreover, Sutin Village doesn't have much relevance to the goals of the 'Anti-Lion Coalition.' King Randall's capital is too far away.

So, there's no need to consider this proposal.

It must be accepted.

So— something feels clumsy.

But—there's no choice but to accept it.

"Let's go. Remain vigilant, everyone. If there's any suspicious movement, act according to the unit leader's command, even without my orders."

With concise instructions given, Gyalan began to walk at the forefront.

It was a step as if advancing through simmering mud.