Regardless of whether it's African tribes or nomadic tribes in Central Asia, nomads tend to be generous by nature.
When a stranger visits, they roast plenty of meat and serve drinks, treating them with utmost hospitality.
In some tribes, they even allow their wives to share the sleeping quarters to ensure the guest is comfortable.
The reason for this isn't that these people are inherently kind and simple; rather, it's because an external guest is a valuable source of information, and they treat them accordingly.
“Come any closer, and I’ll kill you!”
At the same time, an arrow fell at a considerable distance from us.
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It’s obvious they aren’t lacking in archery skills; this is akin to a military warning shot, signaling a final warning.
‘Even if words don’t reach, arrows and bullets do.’
Chloe asked me, “Didn’t you say that these tribes are kind to guests from outside?”
In this world, there are always exceptions.
And let’s consider the reasons behind this strange situation.
Thinking it over, nomadic tribes usually have herds of animals that far exceed the number of tribe members.
Right now, they have only a few hundred animals here.
Unless a plague has struck, it’s likely that the governor of Nador has been conducting aggressive wars of invasion, forcing them to flee from their original homes in a hurry.
‘It’s like a business going bankrupt.’
“Right now, these people probably don’t have the luxury to welcome guests from outside.”
From a distance, it’s hard to see clearly, but this tribe must be facing starvation or a crisis of similar severity.
If we—around 150 of us—were to attack in such a dangerous situation...
‘If we had that intention, we could turn the entire tribe into slaves.’
Of course, I have no intention of doing so unless they openly initiate an attack.
“Abdullah, let them know we have no intention to fight.”
Just because I say we don’t want to fight doesn’t mean they’ll lower their guard.
However, at the very least, they shouldn’t shoot an arrow at my throat while we’re trying to talk.
“Understood, my lord.”
Abdullah hurried off after hearing my words.
“There’s really no need to run, but he’s putting in a lot of effort to win my favor, isn’t he?”
After waiting for a while, Abdullah returned with the local Ifriqiyan tribesmen.
With skin as dark as charcoal, they were remarkably tall with long limbs.
Even though they were famished due to the current food shortage, their imposing presence was undeniable.
What must they usually look like?
Perhaps they resembled Usain Bolt, packed with compressed muscle in their prime.
Abdullah hurriedly introduced the man before me.
“This man is Taiyo, the warrior chief of the Motswana tribe. He wishes to talk, but right now, they can’t allow anyone into their village.”
“But those folks are truly the kind who will kill if they say they will. It’s too dangerous.”
If they genuinely intended to kill, they wouldn’t have wasted their time on warning shots; they would have shot one of us instead.
I’ve hired nearly a hundred mercenaries with actual combat experience.
Are they frightened of just this?
‘Traitors are often cowards at heart.’
“Enough chatter. Just relay my words exactly as I say them. If you don’t, I’ll hand you over to the governor of Nador.”
As expected, I could see sweat dripping down Abdullah’s back.
“I’ve committed a grave sin; please, not that...”
I gently patted his shoulder and whispered in his ear.
“Let’s do well together. If not, I might have to present you with some sorrow.”
Having persuaded him with kind words, he should perform well now.
“Nice to meet you, warrior chief. I am Baron Pierre from the Granada Kingdom across the sea.”
To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your own allies.
Otherwise, a spy might leak the plans I’ve spent all night devising to the enemy, and our side could suffer total annihilation or significant losses.
‘It’s no wonder armies prioritize security.’
Besides, it also serves well to deceive the governor of Nador.
The Granadans likely sell gunpowder for them to kill you.
If I stick out my hand like this, they will undoubtedly believe me.
After all, just twenty years ago, the Granada Kingdom and the Sultanate fought a war called the ‘Reconquista.’
Although they’ve been completely expelled from the Albanian continent now, they aren’t engaging in open war.
Taiyo tilted his head upon hearing my words.
“A kingdom? A baron? What are those?”
“A baron refers to the leader of a tribe, while a kingdom is a large tribe formed by leaders from several tribes.”
Well, the title of baron in an empire is quite complex, often involving legal nobility and landholding nobility, so it’s not strictly accurate.
Moreover, describing an empire as a coalition of several tribes can be misleading.
However, when explaining something to someone who knows nothing, it’s acceptable to explain adequately without deviating from the ‘facts.’
For now, I’ll stick to this level of explanation and can elaborate on the concept of a nation later.
“So, you’re a chief, then?” “Yes, that’s correct.” “Why would a chief go all the way across the distant sea to come here?”
When telling a lie, there’s no need to ramble on unnecessarily.
If the explanation becomes too long, it could lead to contradictions.
A great con artist, or rather, the East India Company at the forefront of colonial development and management, always operates this way.
‘99% fact, 1% lie.’
To be more precise, they maintain absolute accuracy regarding trivial matters to build credibility.
Then, at the most critical moment, they strike hard.
This dubious wisdom is skillfully utilized by those who borrow money and disappear.
They start by borrowing small amounts like 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000 won, then vanish after borrowing tens of millions.
“We cannot peacefully coexist with heathens, those who believe in other gods. While we have stopped fighting for now, we do not know when those wicked raiders might target us.”
Not a single lie is mixed in here.
The Toscana Empire is officially in a state of constant war with the heathens, and they could attack us at any time.
Ah, of course, some merchants engage in spice trade and buy all sorts of slaves.
Among the nobles, having a ‘heathen sex slave’ is quite a point of pride, and while I have close ties to the Alchini family and Governor Nador...
That’s merely an ‘unspoken truth.’
“I don’t know who you are, but those wicked people of Nador shoot at us while we remain idle, abducting our tribesmen to sell as slaves. They keep trying to push us out of our homes.”
The fastest way to bond with someone is to gossip about a ‘common enemy.’
“Though we’ve just met, we share the same enemy. We should get along, right?” “That is true.” “I’d like to meet your chief and discuss things in more detail; is that alright?”
The warrior chief readily accepted.
“A friend is someone who fights alongside you against the same enemy. Baron Pierre and his companions, follow me; I will lead you to the chief.”
The warrior chief took us into their village.
“Stay close. If you stray too far, the angry tribesmen may kill you.”
The state of the village was as horrific as I had imagined.
While no one was starving to death, their faces and limbs were gaunt and emaciated.
Instead of vibrancy, their expressions reflected only worry and concern.
The livestock that should typically be visible in such a tribal settlement was sparse.
‘The tent over there is likely filled with wounded individuals, dying.’
And those around us were watching with hostile gazes.
“Chloe, Kris. Do not act alone under any circumstances.”
Both nodded at my warning.
Before long, the warrior chief took us into a tent decorated with gold.
Inside was an old man adorned with all sorts of golden ornaments, seemingly to display his authority.
‘That must be the chief.’
“I present to you the chief of the Motswana tribe. I am Pierre, a small chief from the vast tribe of the Granada Kingdom.”
The chief looked down at me and said, “You called us because you share a common enemy and wish to trade. So, what do you bring?”
I signaled my porters to open one of the chests they had brought on the wagon.
“I’ve brought weapons used by those wicked raiders. I wish to buy gold with this.”