Chapter 239: Chapter 235: The Benefits of Submission
Without a doubt, the Wild Mane Tribe chose to submit.
It wasn’t because they were weak, but when the knife is at your throat, nobody wants to choose death.
There were native tribes who truly dared to resist and fight, and even the people of the Wild Mane Tribe, when they arrived, were confidently discussing how to reason with Perfikot, even if they chose to submit, they wanted to negotiate favorable terms.
They even prepared to fight to the death, if the white people did not give them a way to live, they would fight Perfikot.
However, when they actually stood before Perfikot, facing the oppressive Steam Knights, all their previous bravado became just empty words.
Even the chieftain who once fought grizzly bears bare-handed had none of his former courage in front of Perfikot and could only choose humble submission.
Still, whatever the case, this was ultimately a good result.
After the Wild Mane Tribe chose to submit, Perfikot presented them with terms previously drafted by the Northern Territory’s civil officials, informing them of what they needed to undertake and what they could receive.
In simple terms, the Wild Mane Tribe submitted to Perfikot, the Lord of the North, becoming her subjects.
As a duty to the lord, they needed to pay ten bear skins annually as tribute, symbolizing their submission and obedience.
At the same time, the Wild Mane Tribe also needed to send at least ten warriors to serve Perfikot. Perfikot did not require these warriors to be Ancestor Warriors, even ordinary people could suffice.
Besides this, Perfikot only required the Wild Mane Tribe to obey her orders as lord and abide by the laws she set, with no further demands.
These demands seemed somewhat strict to the people of the Wild Mane Tribe but were within an acceptable range, and better than their worst-case scenario predictions.
At first, the Wild Mane Tribe even prepared to be plundered by the white people who would seize their wealth and land.
But if that were the case, they would not submit and instead fight to the death followed by fleeing with the entire tribe.
Now, as the first tribe to submit to Perfikot, they enjoy preferential treatment, with Perfikot confirming their tribal territory as the Lord of the North.
This is not just nominal but signifies that Perfikot would deploy Northern troops to protect them.
Moreover, since Perfikot recognized their territorial boundaries, any others trying to do something in the Wild Mane Tribe’s territory without permission would be offending Perfikot, the Lord of the North.
This was good news for the Wild Mane Tribe, who were relatively weak, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been forced to live in such a northern place.
Even so, there were still other tribes around them cramping their survival space.
Now with Perfikot’s promise and protection, they can resist these tribal invasions, gaining a larger living space.
Even if this seemed ridiculous and useless in the face of the doomsday winter two years later, it was a significant matter for the current Wild Mane Tribe.
In addition, Perfikot gifted the Wild Mane Tribe twenty muskets, even though they were retired old models from the Empire’s army, they were Zenith Star technology for the native tribes.
However, compared to the muskets, the Wild Mane Tribe preferred the hundred steel short axes Perfikot gifted them.
To Perfikot, these were merely everyday tool axes, but to the Wild Mane Tribe, they were extremely useful as weapons.
So they preferred these instead.
Perfikot did not comment on this, respecting their thoughts and wishes.
Towards her subjects, Perfikot was relatively kind; after the Wild Mane Tribe officially submitted, she specially sent a civil officer to the Wild Mane Tribe to investigate and understand their situation, deciding on the assistance they would receive based on the results.
This included but was not limited to helping them build more comfortable houses, teaching them advanced farming techniques, as well as the Wild Mane Tribe’s immediate request to Perfikot—wanting a forge capable of smelting iron.
Regarding the Wild Mane Tribe’s request for a forge, Perfikot agreed very readily, as it wasn’t difficult for her.
The lord even spontaneously designed an efficient new model forge, optimally designed using the Jade Record, and directly used alchemy to craft it on-site for the Wild Mane Tribe to take back.
This scene, almost miraculous to the primitive native tribe’s people who knew nothing of alchemy, greatly shocked the Wild Mane Tribe. They carried the forge as if it were a sacred object, determined to take it back using manpower alone.
To some extent, their attitude wasn’t unreasonable.
On one hand, the Northern Territory had yet to thaw, so even large mules found it difficult to travel through the snowy terrain, causing the Wild Mane Tribe to arrive on foot, meaning they could only return on foot without large animals, relying on manpower to carry the forge back.
On the other hand, the forge was indeed like a sacred object to the Wild Mane Tribe lacking iron smelting technology, especially since this forge was crafted by Perfikot herself, being much more functional than an ordinary forge.
For the Wild Mane Tribe without any iron smelting capabilities, treating it as a sacred object was not an exaggeration.
After sending off the Wild Mane Tribe with the large bags of gifts she had given them, Perfikot finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now there’s no need to worry about whether we need to wipe them all out," Perfikot said with a long breath, then looked at the old steward beside her, instructing him, "Send out half of the White Bear Knights, in flag teams, let the Wild Mane Tribe send guides to surround all the nearby tribes, offering them the choice to submit or face obliteration.
Those who submit should be given terms one tier lower than the Wild Mane Tribe; those who refuse shall be crushed entirely by the Steam Knights."
"Yes, Miss," the old steward didn’t try to persuade Perfikot this time. At times, he indeed wished for his Miss to remain kind, but he also understood that at times, what was needed was cruelty and decisiveness.
So after Perfikot showed her mercy, it was time for the old steward to implement her will.