Knight: Becoming King of the World

Henry blinked. Seeing the look of fear on the Grassland Warrior’s face, he knew it was true.

His soldiers wouldn’t lie to him. The man’s expression was purely because the act of cannibalism was so utterly disgusting. No matter what, anyone who promoted or glorified cannibalism was either a fool or just plain evil.

"Ratifa, did you know about this? That the Inferior Horned Beasts eat people?"

Ratifa frowned and nodded. "There were rumors, but I’ve never seen it myself. And those who claimed to have seen it were never willing to talk about it."

Clearly, Ratifa also found the idea of chewing human flesh hard to stomach.

If it were an Alien Race like Half-Beastmen or Lizardmen eating people, Ratifa wouldn’t have felt this same sense of unease. They weren’t human to begin with—they just happened to walk upright.

But the Inferior Horned Beasts were different. Aside from a few horns growing irregularly on their bodies, they looked no different from humans at a glance.

It was a classic case of the uncanny valley.

Henry’s expression darkened. He turned to the messenger beside him and gave his orders. "Halt the advance immediately! The entire army is to make camp. Notify the logistics and supply train to prepare small rations. Move quickly."

The messenger immediately galloped off on his horse to relay the orders to the officers of each unit.

Henry’s army was well-trained. They quickly established a temporary camp on the spot, with soldiers busily and methodically setting up tents, digging trenches, and preparing fortifications.

Some might think this was as pointless as pulling down your pants to fart, but if they didn’t prepare defensive works and the enemy launched a surprise attack...

Even though Henry was confident he would win, the army’s losses would be huge.

’No need for that.’

Standing in the center of the camp, Henry said to Vasco beside him, "Today, we will make these Inferior Horned Beasts pay the price. I want their heads to bear witness to our victory. The flesh and blood of the Caladia Empire’s people is not so easily devoured."

His voice was filled with anger and resolve. When the surrounding soldiers heard him, their morale soared.

’As expected! Our lord is so righteous. He won’t tolerate such cruelty. We will fight for justice!’

"My lord, could they be eating their own kind? Other Inferior Horned Beasts?"

Henry considered it. ’It’s not impossible,’ he thought. ’After all, the Scouts didn’t get close enough to see for certain.’

But it didn’t matter anymore!

Ratifa walked up to Henry, her gaze equally firm. "Henry, you’ve made the right decision. The actions of these Inferior Horned Beasts have crossed the line in warfare. They must be punished."

Henry nodded. He knew Ratifa was just as enraged by this cannibalism as he was.

How to put it... while he enjoyed dismembering his enemies and was captivated by the thrill of gushing blood, he would never eat another person.

It was less a punishment and more of a lesson.

Henry took a deep breath and issued his battle orders. "All units, prepare to eat immediately. We attack today. I want to show these Inferior Horned Beasts exactly what consequences their actions will bring."

Hearing Henry’s command, the soldiers roared in unison, showing their resolve and readiness. They quickly donned their armor, checked their weapons, and then waited quietly for the food to arrive.

Among Ratifa’s Personal Guard, some soldiers were still in shock, finding it hard to believe that the enemy actually ate people.

Within the empire, the Northern Lands had always been synonymous with being crude and barbaric, much like the impression people had of the Badan Mountain Region.

But even they didn’t eat people. At worst, they might use an enemy’s skull as a bowl, and that was ancient history anyway.

This horrific practice made them uneasy. Imagine an enemy suddenly taking a bite out of you in the middle of a fight... it was just too bizarre.

Before long, the food was prepared and distributed to the soldiers.

It consisted of heated jerky, soup, and boiled grains—not a large amount, to prevent the soldiers from feeling sick or vomiting during battle on a full stomach.

On the battlefield, any factor that could affect combat effectiveness had to be considered.

Soldiers could be killed by the enemy for being less skilled. They could die in battle. But they couldn’t be held back by other, preventable reasons.

The soldiers ate in silence, without a single extraneous sound.

A pre-battle quiet filled the temporary camp. This silence was laden with tension and anticipation. The upcoming fight was likely to be a tough one, and they had to be in peak condition.

The soldiers of Henry’s army had all learned how to gauge the enemy’s strength.

If the enemy was weak, their lord would charge into their ranks alone, sending arms, legs, and guts flying.

If the enemy had some skill, their lord would immediately lead the army in an attack.

If the enemy was truly strong, he would do as he was doing now: first make camp, then eat, and finally, go to war.

After they finished eating, Henry waited about twenty minutes to give the soldiers time to digest, preventing any discomfort during the intense battle to come.

Then, Henry began to assemble the army, preparing to launch the attack.

Henry stood at the head of his army, his gaze firm and his voice booming, "Soldiers! Our enemies have forfeited the right to be considered people! Their actions are a blasphemy against all life... although they might not have been people to begin with!

"Today, we will show them that the Warriors of the Caladia Empire will not tolerate such atrocities! They will pay the price for their actions!"

The soldiers gripped their weapons. ’Damn, that’s so righteous!’