"So...your choice: Fight that battle on your own like you have been doing, or join hands with us?
"Alterra will be fine—we can guarantee it. What about you?
"Anyway, since you don’t want our help, then we won’t force you either."
Ryo and they turned back, not planning on looking back, making Menarco and the others confused and reluctant.
A song about goodbye and no looking back played in the background.
"..."
"This..." Menarco uttered, and this time the rest of the cronies couldn’t speak. They were still uncomfortable, but what if these people’s words were true? Would they (the Elders) be able to stand by their decisions and take responsibility for the results?
The fact that they already knew so much about the world. They, in contrast, were still struggling to survive. The chances of winning the next war were extremely small, too.
They did not have the solution to this yet...so, in retrospect, they might not get a chance to get out of their predicament again.
Menarco stepped forward, calling on Ryo and the others. "First...tell us: How do you know so much?"
It was really incomprehensible to them. It was more likely they allied with these aborigines to capture them!
"Our elders have deep foresight and also a bit of luck. Apparently, they were able to hire aborigines from towns early on," he said. "Of course, that is only because they could afford to do so.
"Further, we have plenty of soldiers in our midst, some of whom arrived 3 months before and have therefore explored a portion of this continent beforehand.
"I am part of that group," Ryo said. "It should’ve been news back in Terran, how hundreds of soldiers disappeared about half a year before the migration."
"That.."
"It’s true. I remember that."
"Well, about a score survived until you guys arrived, and all of the surviving ones have associated with our Town."
"Our Town is lucky in many ways, but it is also because of the citizens and the Elders’ foresight that that luck and advantage were maximized to what we see today.
"The question is whether that would turn out to be advantageous to you, too," Bento said, using his default snarky face to irk them. "I know it’s difficult to comprehend, but it is that same foresight that started this mission."
Ryo nodded, adding to his words. "This world is big, much bigger than what you think. It could be us versus them," he said. "This is your chance to choose which side to be a part of."
Ryo was a major introvert, but he was passionate and, therefore, convincing enough.
To be honest, Alterra was really being so kind. Alliance with weaker territories barely gave much, but they couldn’t just say they wanted subsidiaries and expect people to come right?
Of course, whether they became allies or subsidiaries, there were also benefits. Allies and subsidiaries could communicate with each other via the Center, and this alone could improve the communications between the territories of the region. The only limitation was that it could only be between Lords.
"So... last chance: what do you say?"
...
They agreed in the end. Reluctant, but they were more reluctant to let go of the opportunity if it was real.
Tanod and Tambai led the residents of Abundance Village, who were resting in the residential areas. They used the place as a stopover for the other ’recruits’.
Anyway, that was how a group of nearly 200 people travelled for less than a day before finally arriving in the vicinity of the Town. "We’re about a few hours away now," Ryo said, leading the trek.
They immediately felt the difference as soon as they entered the true area of influence of a Town. That was to say, from the beasts that greeted them.
ROAR!!
"HELP!!" Another yelled, the monster barrelling towards them.
For a moment, they believed they were about to die. Why did they have to follow these bastards all the way out here?! These were the frantic thoughts that ran through many people’s heads, their stomachs dropping in fear and regret at the face of certain death.
That was until Ryo appeared right in front of them, and made a few sweeps with his spear. Sharp waves of water appeared where the tip of the spear passed, and they flew straight to the monster mob, easily slicing skin that the rest of them struggled to scratch.
Ryo took down the mob within a few moves. He just left the ones level 10 and below to them, but otherwise, the Alterrans put down the rest of the monsters.
The Terran Villagers gaped at him. They... hadn’t seen a Terran so strong before. Well, they knew he was strong, but without the Lord telling them his level, they weren’t aware of how strong he was exactly. Now... the wide gap was all too clear.
Menarco heaved a deep breath, watching everyone take down the rest of the mobs with the Alterrans’ assistance. He walked over to Ryo, who had an impassive look on his face.
"Are all the monsters like that?"
"Not every time, but it happens often enough," Ryo said. "Just enough to be a challenge to our people."
"..." Was that supposed to be comforting, or was that supposed to scare him?
Ryo seemed unaware of the old man’s reverie. He just took something from his space. It was a sticker pad with childish emoji stickers...
"This is a superior beast repelling sticker that should be able to shoo away level 15s long enough so we can reach the walls.
The visitors stared at the smiley sticker with twitching eyes.
This was supposed to scare off those beasts?
However, after everything, they really didn’t have the energy to doubt people anymore. Smiley face, it is!

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