Chapter 101 Outflanking

◎Who am I going to kill? Who is going to kill me? A new round of fighting has begun around the Golden Throne.◎

The smell of blood floated in the cold wind as the Huns made long raids, harvesting souls with their scimitars.

They were like waves crashing against the earth, sweeping in many foreigners, but even more were fellow countrymen with different views.

The Golden King is Dead

The news swept across the grassland like a monsoon. The eldest prince who was defending the Golden Horde was in a difficult situation, and the rest of the people scattered around were not much better off.

Who am I going to kill? Who is going to kill me? A new round of fighting has begun around the Golden Throne.

The horses' hooves clattered, and Sunny, bathing in the sun, pulled the reins hard:

Sister Melia's subordinates really kept their promise and provided all 200 sets of horse harnesses.

After reading the letter written by Pardos and signed by Ronnie and Taffy, they released all the previously purchased Hun slaves and incorporated them into their team, treating it as an angel round investment for the Golden Family.

The scout put away his telescope and gestured to her: There is no one ahead.

Phew! Fortunately, the brothers' war hadn't reached Greece yet. They hadn't even noticed this place. They certainly hadn't imagined... the youngest heir was profiting from the rear.

The team was moving at a rapid pace when a plea suddenly came from the rear: "Please spare me, spare me... I will never again sell out the Huns..."

Sonny didn't need to look back to know that it was a pampered slave trader who was begging for mercy. Haha, [I dare not sell the Huns]. There are also people from the sea area and Celts, countless people who can be sold.

In fact, she didn't care about these things. The world has always been like this. Only people like Melia would engrave equality for all in their hearts and take it for granted.

The cries of pleading behind me were growing louder and louder, and there was a vague tendency for them to rise and fall. This was not good.

"Silence him."

"Oh!" the soldiers hummed as they approached, and with a few cracks of their whips, the merchants' sobs were silenced. They'd actually prepared such fine whips themselves, though the Huns were reluctant to smear them with precious salt.

Another soldier rode up to her side on horseback and said, "Master, we have gained so much fat, do you want some..." He pointed to a distant place, the pasture that belonged to the Golden King.

The Huns had no fixed royal court.

Whether it is the Golden Tent or the poor family, they will continue to migrate, chasing pastures with lush grass.

The grasslands lack minerals, and the climate is unsuitable for growing crops. Sonny had heard many teachers and scholars explain this, but Sister Melia explained it most clearly.

Regardless of whether the soil is fertile or not, the cold climate and large temperature differences mean that the sandy soil cannot retain moisture, which means that it is impossible to feed all residents by relying on a single crop.

So they had to live a nomadic life and at the same time trade with surrounding countries in exchange for necessities of life.

Salt and iron bound the Huns like shackles; the more they relied on them, the more expensive they became.

Other countries were wary of them, and many tribes had no choice but to engage in large-scale looting when winter came. If they did not plunder, dying of hunger and cold would be too painful, while dying in battle would actually reduce the number of mouths to feed.

Therefore, the Xiongnu people were "not afraid of life and death" and "brave and good at fighting". Those who were not so good at fighting died early on the ancient road, under the hooves of horses.

[We must find a suitable territory for settlement...]

A vague idea was born in my mind.

Sister Melia loves to tell stories, such as about Timbuktu, the city of knowledge.

Although there is no Mali, no Timbuktu, and no such "university" that collects books from all over the world, the yearning for knowledge and culture is universal.

Timbuktu depended on gold mines and trade routes, and was eventually destroyed by war.

The Huns are also human beings, and they may indulge in pleasure and lose their fighting ability.

But I haven't even saved enough gold yet. As for the "black gold that will be useful hundreds of years from now" that Sister Melia mentioned...what does that have to do with me?

The sound of galloping horses interrupted my thoughts.

"Master, many people are coming from the north! They are gathering near Thebes!"

The scout fell off his horse, exhausted, and stood up hurriedly.

His words ignited the enthusiasm of the Huns around him, and they began to argue.

"Someone wants to attack Thebes? We can go too."

"Yes, there are many Huns in Thebes, and they are free!"

"And gold! Books that can be sold for money."

"The Theban Sacred Band is formidable. We can take this opportunity to lure our enemies to..."

"Quiet!"

Sonny clapped his hands: "Do you know where these people came from?"

"Yes, it seems to be Macedonian..."

"like?"

The scout swallowed and gestured hesitantly, "They came from Macedonia, wearing Macedonian armor...hiss, but that..."

Others laughed: "That's a Macedonian, what are you talking about?"

The scout thought for a moment, lowered his hands, and took a few steps, imitating what he had seen. His hands and feet were stiff, his eyes were dead, and he walked straight to the stone.

The Huns fell silent. They had never seen a robot before, but this human-like yet inhuman performance successfully aroused their primitive fear. They enjoyed looting and were not afraid of life or death, but who wanted to fight a madman?

In the end, they could only look to Sonny and hope that the leader would make the right decision.

Sonny closed his eyes and recalled the contents of the letter.

Padus might not have told the whole truth, but Athens was definitely undergoing some kind of change. She had recruited Hunnic slaves and diaspora from nearby city-states, and had expanded her army to several thousand.

Returning with such an army to fight for the throne... can't be called idealism, only a great dreamer. Unless the major royal courts fully support him, the slaves and his followers will bow down to him.

Now, if he returns to the royal court, his best option is to rely on the popular contestants and share some of the leftovers.

Thinking clearly about the key, Sonny raised his whip and pointed it at Thebes: "The enemy is a bunch of puppets. What better opportunity could there be than this? Who to ally with and who to fight for the treasure is entirely up to us!"

"oh--"

The Huns cheered and rode their horses in the direction of the whips.

…

"Oh - it hurts!" The white cat twisted into a shrimp, its tail curled up, and rolled around on the pillow.

The little ball in my stomach seemed to know that this was wrong. It would stop and continue shaking for a while, with an obvious sense of hesitation.

"Tsk, the witch doctor will be here soon, don't worry."

Elena's forehead was covered in sweat. She felt uncomfortable watching the cat rolling around desperately. When the cat was about to fall off the bed with its paws in the air, she finally couldn't bear it anymore and hugged the white cat, curling her up in her arms.

"Meow! Meow meow meow!"

Taking advantage of her status as a cat, Melia screamed, trying to make the sound dull the pain. It seemed to help, and the ball began to slow down!

Seeing her relieved expression, Elena rubbed the cat's face with her fingers and said, "Are you feeling better? How about you turn back into a human first? A human's belly is bigger, so it will be easier for the witch doctor to treat it later."

Yes, people’s stomachs are definitely bigger.

Melia perked up, her paws bracing against the pillow. With fleeting shadows, her limbs stretched out, and the cat in her arms transformed back into a lithe young woman.

"call……"

They both breathed a sigh of relief and cuddled together.

Even after realizing it, Elena didn't push her away. Instead, she naturally let her lean on her abdomen: "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I feel better."

Melia rubbed her stomach, and the ball of light inside settled down. She didn't know if it was because she was full or tired from playing, but she no longer felt nauseous.

Chirp, it gently touched the palm that was caressing it.

It’s so quiet and I feel sleepy.

Eyelids grew heavier, and Melia slumped into Elena's arms. It's been a while since I've fallen into a deep sleep. I always run around like a cat. Yawn~

Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Elena raised her fingers, but before she touched her long eyelashes, she was overwhelmed by a wave of familiarity.

[So familiar, I must have...must have experienced this scene before.]

She hesitantly lowered her hand and placed it on Melia's slightly bulging belly.

Boom.

Although you can't see it, you can imagine that the "child" kicked it miserably.

Haha, can you actually tell the difference? Can a person see outside while in their mother's belly? She curiously touched her belly, feeling the baby's movements.

Where are the little hands? Where are the little feet?

It feels round, could it be a cat ball?

The smile gradually spread, and Elena was suddenly stunned. She touched the corner of her lips: I am really laughing, what's so funny?

This child had nothing to do with her, and was of no use to the current situation. Instead of spending her time caring for a pregnant cat demon, she could spend more time interacting with nobles, officials, and wealthy merchants. Even reading a book would teach her a lot.

【Go away, you've wasted too much time. 】

In my mind, a voice identical to my own spoke in a serious tone.

Yes, she had truly wasted so much time. Even though Pandora had warned her that war was possible before and after the ceremony, and that she needed to be prepared… she was still completely captivated by the fairy before her, barely willing to be apart for even a moment.

This is dangerous, very dangerous.

[The emperor's sincerity should be dedicated to the empire she rules.]

So, it's time to let go.

Even though she was thinking this, even though the voice in her head was getting louder and louder, even though her whole body was sending out warnings, she still held Meimei's palm.

She needs me.

This weak answer seemed to make me extremely disappointed, and I fell into silence.

Elena rested her forehead on the back of her hand: I'm not the king yet, at least take good care of her before I am crowned.

After all...after all, even ordinary families rarely abandon cats, right?

…

After an unknown amount of time, Melia opened her eyes amidst the rustling sounds.

It turned out to be a few elderly men and women in long robes chatting nearby. She lay back on her pillow: Wait, I think I'm a patient?!

Just as she stared, unsure whether to feign illness, Elena noticed this. She waved her hand, and the robed witch doctors immediately left the room, taking away incense, medicine bowls, scriptures, and other items.

"Meimei."

Elena pondered for a moment and walked up to her: "The witch doctor said that this child can definitely be born and survive. Maybe... she doesn't want to come out yet."

"Huh?! Why?!"

Melia opened her mouth wide: "She's not in a hurry. The baby hasn't been in her belly for 10 months yet." Wait, could this be the reason?

Generally, a baby stays in the mother's womb for 9 or 10 months, so the baby refuses to give up?

Elena was also distressed. "They think this child is very likely an [alien], very different from a human baby. She is full of vitality and could be born at any time."

In fact, the witch doctor said a lot of things, but it is better not to say those words full of fate, horror, and mysterious power, as saying them will increase your blood pressure.

"So...I'm going to be in labor for the rest of my life?"

Melia was dumbfounded. What kind of thing was this? If it were modern times, she would have given the child an injection of oxytocin to let her roll out as soon as possible to face a better life.

"Yeah, I will too--" Always be with you.

The confession that was about to come out was stuck in her throat, and Elena suddenly fell silent.

Because a messenger appeared at the door, a man she knew, who was responsible for delivering only one message.

【war】.

The author has something to say:

Thanks for the irrigation of the island~