Chapter Eleven: The Embarrassed White Tiger King

"Is the Beastman Empire really that powerful? Why does it require the combined forces of the Elven Empire and the Human race?" Having been unceremoniously dragged into the expeditionary force by the White Tiger King, Zhou Tian had no means to resist, but it was doubtful he would exert himself even if he could. To put it plainly, Zhou Tian had only come along to watch the spectacle, with no intention whatsoever of meddling in matters on the battlefield. With such a mindset, Zhou Tian felt no anxiety; after traveling for some time, boredom set in. Noticing the White Tiger King keeping close beside him, Zhou Tian casually inquired about the details of the coming war.

Had it been a human or elf posing such a question to the White Tiger King, the latter would likely have slapped the speaker away without a second thought. Given the White Tiger King's status, he might not refuse to answer questions altogether, but certainly would not waste time responding to something nearly every creature on the continent already knew.

However, Zhou Tian was different. His body was that of a venomous snake—one not even classified as a magical beast—so despite his apparent intelligence, the White Tiger King regarded him as nothing more than a little storyteller, unfamiliar with the outside world. It was only natural, then, for Zhou Tian to be ignorant of such matters.

Partly out of boredom during the journey, and partly because Zhou Tian's recent efforts had turned the White Tiger King into a fan of his tales, the King found himself unable to ignore Zhou Tian's question, no matter how simple it seemed. After casting a casual glance at Zhou Tian, the White Tiger King replied earnestly, "The Beastman Empire is indeed formidable, but the most powerful race on the continent remains the Humans. Only the northern Frost Empire of the Humans has joined forces with the Elven Empire to confront the Beastmen. If the Humans truly mobilized their entire race against the Beastmen, the Beastman Empire would never be able to withstand them."

"If the Humans are so strong, why would the Elven Empire ally with them against the Beastmen? Aren't they afraid that, once the Beastman Empire is destroyed, they’ll become the next target for Human conquest?"

Surprised, the White Tiger King gave Zhou Tian an approving smile and said, "Not bad. Though we magical beasts possess great strength, intelligence has always been our weakness. For one of your meager abilities to see so much, you truly are an unusually clever little fellow!" After speaking, the White Tiger King feigned a sudden realization, "Of course, if you weren't so sharp, you wouldn't be able to weave those captivating stories." Then, he addressed Zhou Tian's earlier question: "Your concern is valid, but you lack the full context, so your reasoning misses a few points. The Beastman Empire's strength is far greater than you imagine. While the Elven Empire and the Human Frost Empire can defeat the Beastmen, at best they’ll only weaken them, not wipe them out. Even if all the Humans joined forces with the Elves, they might not be able to exterminate the Beastmen entirely, so what you fear can't happen. Moreover, this alliance between the Elven Empire and the Frost Empire is purely for self-preservation; they have never intended to destroy the Beastmen."

"Self-preservation?" Zhou Tian’s mouth formed an O of astonishment, clearly not expecting such an explanation from the White Tiger King.

Isn’t self-preservation supposed to mean defending one’s borders against invasion? But the Elven Empire and Frost Empire seem to be taking their defense into someone else’s territory—could it be that this world’s Elven Empire and Humans are the otherworldly version of America?

"The Beastmen breed prolifically, and their adult warriors possess unrivaled talent in close combat among all intelligent races. Were it not for their lesser intelligence, and their inability to wield magic as a mass killing tool, the continent would have never fallen under Human dominion. Even so, the Beastmen remain one of the top powers in Lunar Magic Continent. Their excessive fertility means the Empire cannot supply enough resources for all its citizens, so every year at this time, the Beastman Empire launches invasions against the Elven Empire or the neighboring Human Frost Empire, plundering massive supplies to sustain their people." Perhaps anticipating Zhou Tian’s confusion, the White Tiger King explained before Zhou Tian could ask.

"Keep the enemy outside the gates!"

"Exactly. Instead of waiting for the Beastman Empire to invade, it’s better to strike first. Once they’ve suffered losses and have fewer mouths to feed, their war cries will die down." Perhaps Zhou Tian’s attitude greatly pleased the White Tiger King; though he had no intention of engaging in much conversation, their dialogue gradually became lively, and before they realized, they had arrived at the Elven Empire’s encampment.

Upon seeing the Elven camp, the White Tiger King remembered that this was Zhou Tian’s first time participating in such affairs. Before entering the camp, he warned Zhou Tian—and indeed all the White Tigers—"Remember, this is not our domain. Once inside, try to avoid causing trouble. Of course, avoiding trouble doesn’t mean fearing it. If any fool dares bully you, fight back, and I’ll take care of any consequences."

"Imposing! A true hero!"

"Pfft!"

"Who…"

The White Tiger King's words were not particularly odd; as a pinnacle figure on the continent, protecting his own people was perfectly natural. The trouble was, the White Tiger clan had absorbed much Earthly culture from Zhou Tian, and the unruly White Tigers responded in unison to their King’s speech with a loud cheer. What would have been ordinary suddenly took on a comical air.

Naturally, the White Tiger King was quite displeased, but there was little he could do. Ever since Zhou Tian had corrupted the White Tiger clan with his teachings, such incidents were commonplace. Though embarrassed, the White Tiger King was no longer overly perturbed.

But unexpectedly, an outsider’s laughter rang out. Whether out of irritation or to shift attention away from himself, the White Tiger King reacted theatrically. With a furious roar, he pounced in the direction of the sound—despite knowing full well that outside the Elven Empire’s camp, there was no chance of encountering an enemy—behaving as though he had just met a formidable foe…