Although he hadn’t personally sized up the Panda People leader’s strength, the Lord felt that he was on the same level as Orak, just a bit weaker than Zat.

A mere hundred or so Wilderness People who only knew how to fight with brute force shouldn’t have been enough to tire him to the point of collapse.

Zat, that guy, had killed about seventy Pigmen tonight and wasn’t even breathing hard.

"It was an Ogre Leader. Taking care of him took a bit of effort," Panda said casually with a smile.

Levi’s gaze fell upon the Ogre Leader Panda had mentioned. Its massive body lay collapsed in a pool of blood nearby. A tusk jutted out from its ferocious head, which was turned in their direction, its face frozen in an expression of defiance.

Although Ogres and Giants were similar in size, with adult Warriors reaching about Tri-Blade height, they were two different races.

The former were cruel and savage, a carnivorous race. They were almost all Wilderness Bandits who loved to plunder and had a particular fondness for eating people, which is how they got their name.

The latter, on the other hand, were generally an omnivorous race. They herded and hunted, and while they also had bad tempers, they wouldn’t normally eat humanoid creatures unless they had absolutely nothing else to eat.

Even without its head, this Ogre Leader’s body stood nearly Quadruple Blade high. That size alone suggested it couldn’t have been weak, yet here it was, beheaded.

"For this fool to fall at your hands, Panda, is enough for him to boast about it to the Wilderness God."

The Lord looked at the weapon in Panda’s hand, which resembled a "Cyan Dragon Crescent Blade," and asked curiously, "Is that weapon Magic Equipment?"

"This is a weapon passed down through our Panta Race. It’s merely sharp and sturdy, not any kind of Magic Equipment," Panda explained.

In fact, every successive leader has used this blade as their weapon. It was considered a symbol of their status.

Levi put on a show of nodding, but inwardly, he was itching to get his hands on it.

It was as if he’d developed a condition.

Whenever he saw a weapon that looked like Magic Equipment, he had an urge to test it out.

But considering they had only known each other for a day, the Lord ultimately couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Levi surveyed the battlefield. As far as the eye could see, there were corpses of all shapes and sizes—so many that you could walk a hundred paces without your feet touching the ground.

It was the first time the Lord had ever known that snow could be as brilliant and translucent as a Ruby.

At this time of year, the weather was terribly cold. The moment scalding hot blood mixed with the snow, it froze into translucent chunks of ice that resembled rubies, possessing a strange and eerie beauty.

"What are the casualties?" Levi asked, changing the subject.

The Panda Warriors had been instrumental in stabilizing the situation so quickly during the Wilderness Alliance Army’s night raid.

Acting as the main force, they were like indestructible fortress walls guarding the main entrance of the camp. No matter how ferocious the enemy’s assault, they stood firm and unmoving.

"A few of my brothers fell, and about ten were seriously injured."

Panda shook his head, his tone heavy.

Facing the tide-like assault of several thousand men, casualties were inevitable, even for those who had Mastered the Power that comes from the spirit.

In fact, for a hundred men to fend off several thousand while only losing a few was more than enough to demonstrate their martial prowess.

"My condolences." The Lord patted Panda’s furry back reassuringly.

Levi had previously asked how his fifty Beastman Elite Soldiers stacked up against this group of Panda People.

The Beastmen had just shyly indicated that one Panda Warrior could take on about two and a half of them.

On a battlefield with these kinds of numbers, even the Barbarians of the Personal Guard Team would get injured, so it was completely within the Lord’s expectations that the Panda People would suffer casualties.

"When we joined the Panda Warrior Corps, we were already mentally prepared for this," the giant panda said.

Unfortunately, Panda was far less stoic about the matter than his words suggested.

When four Panda Warriors, their chests caved in and long since dead, were carried by their kin and placed on a freshly built pyre for cremation, the mighty warrior remained silent for a long time, his eyes turning slightly red.

"I couldn’t bring them back to Bailiu City safely."

Panda took a heavy swig of wine, the liquid soaking the white bandages that had just been tied around his chest.

Half an hour had passed since the end of the battle. The warriors were all resting and recovering the stamina they had expended in the fight.

Seeing that Panda was not in a good mood, the Lord decisively pulled him over for a drink.

"Panda, it’s not your fault. Just like you, I want to bring every single one of these simpletons under my command back to High Cliff Castle. But the reality is, someone always ends up staying in this god-forsaken place forever." The Lord gave a self-deprecating laugh, spread his hands, and told a dry joke. "You know? Sometimes I really hate that I’m not a Necromancer."

"At least then no one would die in battle."

"Lord, to be honest with you, this was my first battle leading my people as Clan Leader." Panda took another swig of wine, his eyes growing hazy.

As Panda People, every one of them was a seasoned drinker. While they might not be able to drink a thousand cups without passing out, they certainly wouldn’t get drunk on just a few glasses of wine.

But for the first time in a long while, Panda felt the haze of drunkenness.

"I can tell," the Lord said with a slight nod.

’After all, a veteran commander would never act this way.’

’Just look at that old coot Fujero. The Thorn Corps lost at least four or five hundred men tonight, but seeing all those soldiers’ corpses only earned a slight sigh from him. Then, as if nothing had happened, he was off to the military strategy hall to discuss the next steps.’

"The old Clan Leader was getting on in years. At my urging, he returned to the Panda People’s homeland to enjoy his final, peaceful days. And I, having longed for it, finally left the Tribe to come here and become the Clan Leader."

"Before I came, I thought I was the most outstanding Warrior, that I could bring all of my people back home in one piece. But the reality is, I can’t protect anyone. I might not even be able to protect myself from dying on the battlefield."

"Forgive me for asking, but what is your relationship with the old Clan Leader?" Levi asked, holding up a hand to interrupt.

"He’s my father." Panda gave a self-deprecating smile. "To be honest, I thought he was too old, that he couldn’t protect our people anymore. I thought I could do better. Turns out, reality taught me a harsh lesson."

Levi nodded. ’I didn’t expect Panda to be the son of a big shot. His old man is the true Clan Leader of the Panta Race.’

The Lord looked up. The Auxiliary Soldiers were bustling about, repairing the damaged fortifications, while medics hurried between the tents where the wounded were being treated.

Even Masha, who knew the Healing Magic "Snowflake Dance," had run off to help. Sam, the Shaman who knew the Healing Technique, had also been sent by the Lord to assist Masha.

He had learned earlier from Mier that a detachment of the Wilderness Alliance Army had launched a surprise attack on the logistics camp, but Mier had led the Warriors from High Cliff Castle, in coordination with soldiers from the Thorn Corps, to repel them.

The Thorn Corps’ soldiers had acted as meat shields at the front, while the Federation Archers picked off targets from the rear.

As a result, there were no fatalities. Only a few unlucky Warriors were hit in the leg or arm by stray arrows, and with Sam’s Treatment, they would recover quickly.

So, all in all, High Cliff Castle’s forces had suffered no significant losses in tonight’s raid, which was good news.