"Chief, what’s Soft Torture?"

Zat, who always asked about things he didn’t understand, was the first to raise his hand.

"Ahem." The Lord coughed twice, his gaze falling upon the equally curious Divine Maiden. "Miss Masha, the topic we’re about to discuss is only fit for us brutes. It would be best for a lady like yourself to excuse herself."

"Guards, take Miss Masha to the fire to warm up. We wouldn’t want you to fall ill in this freezing weather," the Lord said, waving over two Beastman Guards.

Although she wanted to point out that as an Ice and Snow Mage, she wasn’t afraid of the cold, Masha found herself being stared down by two hulking brutes whose arms were as thick as her waist. She obediently followed the two Beastman Guards to a newly lit bonfire not far away and sat down.

After escorting her there, the two Beastman Guards scurried back, afraid of missing a single word of their chief’s teachings.

They were all in agreement now: learning even a shred of their chief’s knowledge would be enough to benefit them for a lifetime.

Just look at Commander Zat. He followed the chief around all day and, if nothing else, had perfectly copied his impressive bearing. It made them green with envy.

The crowd of Beastman Barbarians formed a tight, impenetrable circle around their Lord, all of them perking up their ears, terrified of missing a single word.

"Ahem. Soft Torture is about inflicting mental, not physical, torment," the Lord explained, looking at his eager audience.

Unfortunately, everyone present was an illiterate brute. They didn’t understand a thing about "mental" or "physical"—it all sounded profound, but they only half-grasped the meaning.

"For example," the Lord said with a snap of his fingers.

"Say I were to capture a few dozen Harpies and let this Pigman here... have a taste. Physically, there’s no torture involved. Mentally, however, he would suffer immense torment."

"Well..."

All the Beastman Barbarians scratched their heads. It was as if a door to a whole new world had been opened for them.

Just the thought of the chief’s method was enough to make them shudder.

Those Harpies stank like meat left to rot for a dozen days, and their faces were as ugly as ghouls.

They were all warriors of iron will. They would rather be put on the rack, beheaded, and die on their feet than be tormented in bed by those harpies.

"Hmph. Humans only know how to resort to petty tricks."

Though he shuddered inwardly, Tikli remained defiant, his tone full of disdain.

"Is that so?" The Lord gave a mysterious smile. "Then what if we swapped the Harpies for Goblins and gave them a heavy dose of aphrodisiacs? How would you handle that, I wonder?"

HISS~

Every Barbarian sucked in a sharp, cold breath, doing their part to warm up the Northern Territory.

"That’s our chief for you!"

"We still have so much to learn!"

The Barbarians all gave a thumbs-up. They tried to put themselves in his shoes—no, they didn’t even dare *think* about it. Just hearing the words made their buttholes clench and their skin crawl. It was disgusting enough to make them lose their appetite for three days and nights.

Zat, on the other hand, stood to the side, thoughtfully committing it all to memory.

"Damn you, human! Are these petty tricks all you know? Do you dare untie me?"

Tikli roared in fury, the vibration shaking the accumulated snow from the Catapult.

He was genuinely terrified. If he were to be humiliated by those rat-like Goblins, he would rather die on the spot!

Tikli couldn’t bear to imagine it: those weak creatures they treated as emergency rations, one day... having their way with him.

This mental anguish made the hardened warrior, who had never known fear, feel true terror for the very first time.

Masha couldn’t help but look over. ’For a Wilderness Tribe chief who doesn’t fear death to be this terrified... one can only imagine how horrifying this "Soft Torture" must be.’

Yet she didn’t find it cruel. She had grown up in Bailiu City. Before the current Duchess took her seat, these Wilderness Alien Races frequently raided the south, killing countless people and pillaging innumerable villages.

Masha had not a shred of sympathy for them.

"This is just the first course and you’re already breaking? I haven’t even gotten to the main event: the ultimate humiliation," Levi sneered.

’Dealing with brutes like this, brute force is useless. You have to break their minds.’

"Chief, what’s the ’ultimate humiliation’?"

Zat, his mind already reeling from these revelations, eagerly raised his hand to ask.

He had learned so much from the Lord today. He felt like a parched field soaking up a long-awaited rain.

"’Forget it. Even I can’t stomach that one,’ Levi said, waving his hand dismissively. He looked genuinely disgusted."

’Unless it was a matter of deep, personal vengeance, he wouldn’t want to resort to that move lightly.’

’It would tarnish his reputation, for one. For another, it would probably sicken him so much he’d lose his own appetite for three days straight.’

Tikli’s face was a mask of despair. Just hearing the name of it made him shudder.

’If even the human who came up with the Goblin idea couldn’t stomach it, just how horrifying could the ’ultimate humiliation’ be?’

"Think about it. Your allies haven’t sent a single person to reinforce you. They’ve clearly abandoned you. So why be stubborn and make yourself suffer? Just tell me what I want to know. I can’t make any grand promises, but I can guarantee you a position as a slave in High Cliff Castle."

The Lord tried a gentler approach for the moment.

’Honestly, if I wasn’t trying to smoke out the real mastermind behind this Wilderness Alliance Army, I would’ve just run him through and fed him to the Goblins and Giants by now.’

’Why else would I be out here in the freezing cold, playing these games?’

However, what he said wasn’t entirely a bluff.

They had taken this position and even lit bonfires. Anyone with more intelligence than a Giant would know the Thorn Corps had occupied it.

Whether for strategic reasons or otherwise, they should have sent reinforcements by now.

After all, three Catapults behind enemy lines would put immense pressure on their forces.

But up to this point, he hadn’t seen so much as a shadow, not even one of the Undead.

The implication was obvious.

Tikli remained silent, but inwardly, he was wavering.

’Our Alliance Army was formed for mutual gain in the first place. The bonds of camaraderie don’t run deep.’

’But as a renowned powerhouse of the Wilderness, getting captured and then betraying my allies... it’s too shameful.’

’Even if I survive, I’ll never be able to face my tribesmen or the other natives of the Wilderness.’

’I am the chief of the Jiaowan Tribe! I am a warrior of exceptional valor, an unstoppable force! Under my leadership, my Tribe grew step by step into a great and famous one in the depths of the Wilderness. I am no coward who would betray his allies to live!’

Tikli’s expression hardened with resolve. He opened his mouth.

"So, you’re a tough one!" the Lord sneered, waving a hand. "Drag him away. After we’ve beaten back this rabble, he can have a taste of my methods."

’This Pigman is tougher than I thought, still clenching his jaw and refusing to talk in the face of all that.’

’Looks like the Wilderness has some men with real backbone after all. They’re not all cowards like Sam who fall to their knees and surrender at the first threat.’

"M-My Lord! I’ll surrender! I surrender!"

The Lord’s threat had terrified Tikli so much that the words tumbled out in a panicked shout.