She Who Became Immortal

"If Zanba's telling the truth, this situation won't just blow over. If they fail and can't get back to the coalition forces, it's only natural they'd send someone to check things out," Euphemia said, considering the implications.

The situation was tricky.

Maya knew how to handle a spear, but this strategic thinking was a whole different ball game. And it seemed nobody in the Yunofeliza tribe had that skill.

If they did, they wouldn't be in this mess.

Euphemia kept going despite Maya's thoughts.

"Another thing bothers me. Montego, you mentioned paying taxes in wheat to the Lion King. Yet, in a jam like this, no help's shown up. Maybe Lion King soldiers don't usually come?"

"Soldiers, huh... Nope, they haven't shown up. Not once. We just hand over wheat to the magistrate twice a year."

"But the magistrate doesn't come alone, does he?"

"Heck no. A raccoon beastman is the magistrate, and he brings about twenty armed buddies with him."

"And how much wheat do you give?"

"For basic needs, about two months' worth... Why're you asking?"

"Well... If orcs eat three times as much as regular beastmen, and there are about thirty-five of you to feed for a year... Have they been pushing you to expand your fields?"

Euphemia furrowed her brows, doing quick math on the taxes. Maya could do that too, but it'd take her longer.

Despite her cute looks, Euphemia was smart.

And she could toss out the math if needed.

That was something the Yunofeliza tribe lacked.

"I reckon so," Montego replied quickly, and Euphemia chimed in.

"Seems like that magistrate's skimming off your wheat. No way patrols haven't swung by, and a real magistrate wouldn't show up just twice a year. If he's keen, he'd push for more... but you don't see that. Maybe they can only sell so much in secret. Or, maybe I'm wrong, and the taxes are fine, but King Randall might just not care about villages like yours."

"What do we do then?"

Montego looked lost, his pig-like face a mess. But the girl draped in Junos's cloak stood proud, arms folded, chest out, smiling wide.

"Montego, what do you think we should do?"

And so, Sutin Village fell under Euphemia's sway.

With the village chief among the orcs killed, they felt they couldn't shape their future alone, even if it meant inconvenience or fire to spread all over. Montego and the others chose not to gamble with their uncertain future.

In a way, they picked the smartest path for themselves.

They were too unsure of what lay ahead to go it alone. So, they opted to follow someone with a clearer vision.

If that someone was Euphemia Grimwood, they had no objections.

Maybe Montego saw it that way, and indeed, Euphemia, brought by Serena to aid them, seemed to be the village's savior. This trust in her ran deep among the orcs.

Euphemia's confident demeanor surely helped. If she had hesitated or seemed unsure, the orcs wouldn't have put their trust in her.

And Maya couldn't help but think.

That cute smile was powerful.

Even Maya, watching from the sidelines, found herself almost believing in it. Katarina and Kirina, too, seemed electrified by it.

Ah—following this person might lead to wonderful days.

Yes, she believed it.

Even if just for a moment, Maya was certain of it.