After sending off the chiefs, Soda and Ergou received a summons through the telepathic bond and went to Jose’s cave, standing respectfully in front of the resting Red Dragon.
Even though he was lying on his stomach, Jose was still much taller than the kobolds. He looked down at them with his vertical golden dragon pupils.
“The two of you are my most trusted and valued subordinates. I have an important mission for you, and you must not be careless about it.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Master. Soda will definitely do his best.”
Ergou then expressed that he was willing to do everything he could to help his master.
After hearing the loyal words of his two followers, Jose felt nothing internally.
Action is more persuasive than words.
“Soda, when the young warriors from the various tribes arrive, you will train them. I will evaluate you based on the number of proper warriors you nurture.”
“Rest assured, Master, I will complete the mission!” Soda was full of confidence as he straightened his back.
In the past 20 days, he had been training the soldiers of his tribe, and the results had been remarkable. Six out of fifty kobolds had awakened and obtained the warrior class successfully. If he was given another 20 days, he was confident that he could double the number.
Seeing his follower’s enthusiasm, Jose nodded in satisfaction. It was precisely because he saw Soda’s training results that he gave him the task of training warriors.
There were nine basic classes: Mage, Priest, Warlock, Druid, Warrior, Knight, Thief, Hunter, and Monk. Among the nine basic classes, warriors were the most easily awakened.
They did not need a vast amount of knowledge, only some courage and food. The former gave them the confidence to fight, while the latter gave the energy required to undergo physical training.
Of course, a warrior was not so cheap that a farmer could become one after eating and training. It also required a certain amount of physical talent.
Generally speaking, the stronger one’s body was and the richer their combat experience, the easier it would be for them to awaken during an all-out exertion of their strength and become a warrior officially.
The kobolds had struggled to survive in harsh environments since they were young, and fighting had been an essential part of their growth. Their rich combat experience, coupled with the copious amount of food brought by agriculture, resulted in a high rate of appearance of kobold warriors.
“All right, Soda. You can leave now.”
“Yes!”
“Oh right!” Soda had just turned around and was walking out, but suddenly, he stopped to ask, “Master, what does ‘receiving the same treatment as the blood-tooth tribe’ mean?”
“You’ll find out later.”
Jose was embarrassed. He could not tell his subordinates that it was just an empty promise to motivate the kobold chiefs.
Indeed, Jose had not planned the division of the tribes under his command yet.
In his plan, he would take in many tribes and races as his followers in the future. These subordinates would work according to their race’s talents and provide daily necessities. Everyone would be able to eat and wear proper clothes.
However, in order to avoid having free-riders, he had to distribute more high-quality living resources according to the size of the contributions made by the respective tribes, such as with meat, land, wealth, and so on. This was in order to create a strong incentive to work.
However, Jose only had two affiliated races currently, the kobolds and harpies, while the latter had fewer numbers and were already self-sufficient.
There was now no lack of food for the kobolds, but meat was still a scarce resource. With the consumption of the two dragons, there was not enough left. Therefore, he could only give the kobolds a blank check.
He had to make this promise come true as soon as possible.
Shaking his head, Jose looked at his first follower.
These days, Ergou has been busy increasing the food reserves of the tribe, as well as developing the mushroom and fungus cultivation.
“Ergou, what have you achieved these days?”
Speaking of results, Ergou’s face was immediately filled with smiles as he explained, “Master, the pine nuts that were picked and dried are piled up in the warehouse, so much so that we have to excavate new warehouses. These pine nuts alone are enough to last the tribe for a good winter, and there’s still plenty left.
“The growth period of the konjac is rather long, and none has sprouted yet. As for the mushrooms and fungi, according to the method you gave me, I’ve just tested the temperature and humidity that are suitable for their growth, and they are growing well. According to this trend, mushrooms and fungi will become our main source of food, and it won’t be a problem to supply all the tribes.”
“Very good. Food is the foundation of the tribe’s survival. You must keep it firmly in your hands. Also, the five tribes have already pledged their loyalty. Send people to their territories and guide them in collecting food.”
After pondering for a moment, Jose continued, “Leave a month’s worth of food for them, and store the rest in the warehouse. I’ll leave this matter to you, but you don’t have to go personally. I have more important tasks for you.”
After a pause, Jose decided to test his first follower.
“Ergou, why do you think I am gathering the young warriors of each tribe for training?”
Ergou did not hesitate, answering, “In order to give birth to more experts and increase the combat power of our forces.”
“No, no, no. No matter how strong the kobolds are, they can be killed with two dragon breaths. Increasing combat power is only a small part of my goal.” Jose shook his index finger and continued, “I’ll give you another chance to answer.”
This time, Ergou did not dare to speak directly; he lowered his head and thought seriously for a while.
“In order to better control the soldiers, Master, you want to gather them and prepare for expansion?”
“Half correct, but not entirely right.”
Ergou scratched his head in embarrassment. “Master, forgive my stupidity. What is your goal?”
“Loyalty!”
Jose said in a deep voice, “Servants are worthless without loyalty!”
All this time, Jose had been thinking about the question of whether history would repeat itself when he fought against dragons stronger than him — would his own army turn against him?
After careful consideration, he believed that such a thing was very likely to happen.
Other than the ones who signed the Follower Contract, the rest of his subordinates were sentient creatures without any restrictions. They had the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm. The chaotic and evil nature of the kobold would lead them to stand on the side of the strong.
After noting the problem, he had to think of a way to resolve it. Thus, the current situation had occurred.
Jose stood up and walked back and forth in the cave. He then asked, “Ergou, your mission is to help me solve the loyalty problem of the new recruits in case we meet an older and stronger dragon. Do you understand?”
Ergou was enlightened; he looked at Jose with admiration. “Master, your vision is as bright as the moon shining on the land.”
But after a while, a bitter look appeared on his face. “Master, I don’t know any magic that can change their mindset.”
“No, there is no need for magic, my servant. Sometimes, words are more powerful than magic.”
There were some high-level lifeforms in Tedanol who were born with the ability to manipulate the will of others. Take the Mind Demon as an example.
Even powerful Legendary-level Mind Demons had their own limits: at the same time, they could control 20 to 30 thousand people at most. Ideas and words did not have such limits.
“What you need to do is to remind the new recruits in training who gave them everything they have now and let the concept of loyalty take root in their hearts.”