Chapter 47: Azure Fang (Please keep reading)

One side was willing to accept, while the other was deliberately integrating.

When the food was laid out on the table and the kobolds sat down in front, it became difficult to distinguish one from another.

In addition to the regular meals, every kobold was given an extra mug of ale.

This time, most of the kobolds were no longer wolfing down their food. Instead, they each held their mugs, sipping cautiously one mouthful at a time, eyes squinting in a look of intoxication.

To an outsider, they might have looked like a group of drunks.

In reality, for more than ninety percent of the kobolds, this was their first time tasting such a liquid. Previously, they had only heard descriptions from the tribal elders but never had the chance to try it; when even basic survival was a struggle, there was no way they could afford ale.

"My plan is to further specialize the division of labor within the tribe.

Those with courage and strong bodies will form a tribal guard to undergo specialized combat training.

Those with slightly less courage but strong bodies will continue to work as miners.

Those who are more timid can herd, gather, or farm.

Over the past few days, I have scouted the surrounding area. Although there are no vast plains here, many riverbeds can be utilized, and the surrounding hillsides can be reclaimed into terraced fields. Once developed, I guarantee we can achieve self-sufficiency within two years.

The most important point is to tap into the potential of all tribesmen, especially the new generation—to see if we can cultivate more warlocks.

I have heard that in some large tribes, their warlocks have specialized roles, reportedly divided into four types: enhancement, attack, utility, and foresight.

Each having their own expertise in spellcasting domains will greatly benefit the tribe. This is something worth us learning from; it will be the direction of our future development."

Using the momentum of the alcohol, Gavin described his grand blueprint to Goth and Zack—specifically the part regarding the kobolds.

It was also the first time Goth had heard Gavin pour out his heart. He had long suspected that this human possessed extraordinary plans, but he hadn't expected them to be so vast. Gavin was not satisfied with a mere small kobold tribe; he intended to build a kobold empire in the Rocklands.

And his Black Well tribe would be the starting point. What would it look like when tens of thousands of kobolds were gathered together?

Just thinking about it made Goth's whole body feel hot, whether from excitement or the ale he had just gulped down beginning to take effect.

Zack, who had just joined, was much more composed and reserved than Goth. He merely maintained an attentive listening posture, nodding from time to time and interjecting his own knowledge and insights regarding kobolds, managing to express his opinions without overshadowing the speaker.

However, one could tell from his sparkling eyes that what Gavin said was equally unexpected, making his blood boil with a similar fervor. He secretly marveled at the fact that he had made the right choice and decision.

Had he arrived a few days later, it wouldn't have been a matter of choosing to join, but being forced to join.

While the end result might be the same, it would be absolutely different for their future development; at the very least, they wouldn't be enjoying the treatment of honored guests as they were now.

At the head of the table, one man and two kobolds were engaged in a lively conversation.

Suddenly, a kobold stood up and shouted loudly, "I heard the Lord is a powerful warrior, wah! He defeated a giant single-handedly. Cangya wishes to request instruction, wah!"

Gavin had noticed this kobold long ago.

It was hard not to. Among the kobolds, he was an exceptionally tall presence, standing at least 1.3 to 1.4 meters, nearly as tall as some short humans.

His muscles bulged prominently, stretching his fine scales tight, and his body was covered in scars—especially his left eye, which bore a vertical scar that had nearly blinded him. The tail behind him was thicker and longer than those of ordinary kobolds, showing the early signs of a dragon's tail.

This was a battle-hardened kobold warrior.

"Cangya, what nonsense are you talking about?" Zack stood up and rebuked him angrily. "Lord Hou is right here; doesn't that explain everything? What is there left to question? Sit down!"

Zack leading the entire Cangya tribe to merge into the Black Well tribe had not been without opposition.

In particular, Cangya, the chief warrior who bore the name of the tribe, was even more dissatisfied with this act of surrendering without a fight.

"Cangya has already obeyed the leader's command and merged into the Black Well tribe. The Cangya tribe no longer exists, so there is naturally no need for Cangya to exist. Cangya now fights for himself, for his own honor, wah! You are no longer the leader of the Cangya tribe and have no right to control me!" The kobold warrior named Cangya held his head high, his voice resonant, radiating the pride of a warrior.

If one only heard his voice without seeing his face, Gavin might have mistaken him for an honorable Teser knight.

This Cangya tribe was truly interesting.

"Fine, I like warriors like you best." Gavin drained his mug of ale and interrupted Zack, who was about to say more. "We cannot refuse a warrior fighting for his own honor. I give you a promise: regardless of whether you win or lose today, I will allow you to keep the name 'Cangya.' As for whether you can win the Cangya tribe back, that will depend on your own ability."

"Really?" The kobold warrior's eyes lit up; he hadn't expected such a windfall.

It wasn't just him; even Zack, beside Gavin, had a flicker in his eyes. Clearly, Cangya wasn't the only one who wanted to preserve the Cangya tribe.

"Cangya merges into Black Well today to fuse into a stronger tribe for expansion and conquest. But when we are strong enough, we will inevitably split into multiple tribes; that is an inevitable trend," Gavin said with a loud laugh. "But whether we can reach that stage is not for me alone to decide; it depends on the collective efforts of everyone here. At that time, which tribal name is preserved is not important to me—it depends on whether you can fight for it yourselves."

As he spoke, Gavin had already stepped down from the seat. He turned to the goblin warlock who was busy eating and drinking. "Vic, Polymorph. Kobold."

Gavin still chose to fight in the form of a kobold, both to show fairness and to gain more goodwill.

Sure enough, as soon as Gavin transformed into a kobold, a cheer erupted, coming from the kobolds of the Black Well tribe. The newly joined kobolds of the Cangya tribe all showed expressions of surprise; clearly, they did not yet know that Gavin had defeated the half-ogre in the form of a kobold.

"Fine, I will win back Cangya with my own hands." The kobold warrior walked down to the floor with full confidence.

"What weapon are you skilled with?" Gavin asked again.

"Dual blades." Cangya raised the pair of short blades in his hands.

His strength was relative to other kobolds; compared to other races, he still struggled to hold an advantage in raw power, so he had chosen an agility-based combat style.

"Good, bring two blades." Gavin began his psychological warfare, preparing to utterly defeat his opponent in his own area of expertise. Only by doing so could he truly win his submission.

At this moment, the two stood facing each other.

Transformed into a kobold, Gavin was nearly a head shorter than Cangya. His build was similar to most kobolds, leaning towards lean and wiry. Holding his dual blades, he made a polite, inviting gesture toward Cangya.

By now, Cangya had guessed what Gavin intended to do.

His expression grew more solemn, and a surge of anger couldn't help but churn in his heart. This was far too dismissive of him. *Fine, I'll show you the prowess of the Cangya tribe's chief warrior!*

With a fierce roar, Cangya lunged forward first, his speed quite astonishing.