Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach and Oria agreed to meet at about the same time the following day since Zach needed to talk with Visla and see how she was doing with convincing the other barbarians to think about peace. Since she had the Woet chief on her side, Zach was hopeful but only because he didn't know about the other tribes' attitudes.

There was a reason why the Woet tribe had received the visitors. They were the least likely to turn things hostile.

That was also why Visla's expression was sour when Zach returned.

The opinions inside the camp were mixed. Some wouldn't mind a ceasefire just to work the ice out of their bones. Others were neutral. But some, the most vocal ones, thought accepting or asking for a ceasefire after being unable to take the city was the same as admitting the defeat. It was humiliating.

They didn't think of or consider everything they had invaded and taken over so far. That was apparently irrelevant to the current discussion.

'Musclebrained idiots,' Visla called them. They were too stupid to even care about the ice crystals in their hair.@@novelbin@@

Unfortunately, two of the chiefs were among those musclebrained idiots. They weren't as idiotic as their more simple-minded warriors, but they were at least as stubborn. They were not going to agree to a ceasefire when they still had a fighting chance.

They refused to admit the possibility that the Ice Witch had gone easy on them.

She was an Ice Witch who ruled the battlefield with ice, after all. If she knew mercy, the stars would be raining down.

Visla sighed.

"Time for plan B, then," Zach said, careful not to smile eagerly.

Visla nodded. She didn't like it that much, but it might be necessary.

The next day, Zach informed Oria of the barbarians' attitude. Oria nodded excitedly. It would have been nice if they agreed to the ceasefire, but this was a great opportunity.

Zach turned to Biu.

"Would it be alright if my familiar followed them to the city to pick up a few supplies?"

"...What kind of supplies?"

"Hair dye and a bunch of snacks."

"I don't know…"

"I couldn't help but notice the kids in the camp. They're starting to get bored, right? It's a token of my sincerity."

Biu narrowed his eyes.

Was this their trump card? Getting them to lower their guard with gifts? Or perhaps poisoning their children?

If that was the plan, Biu wanted to catch them in the act. He could only do so if Zach brought back poisoned snacks. And he could claim credit for the snacks if they weren't poisoned.

After a few moments' deliberation, Biu slowly nodded his head.

"I'll make sure the guards will let her in when she returns."

"Thank you very much, Biu," Zach flashed a radiant smile. He glanced at Mandra, who stepped away from the other maids and joined Oria's retinue.

Biu raised an eyebrow.

"Why her?" He thought the short, silver-haired one who Zach usually talked to would do it. The one who wasn't a familiar.

Zach's eyebrows widened. He had not expected that question.

"Because she handles the money," was his hastily thought-up answer.

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Biu looked at the serious-looking Mandra. He nodded. He could see it.

Zach turned to Oria to hide his sigh of relief.

"Then, we'll see each other tomorrow?"

"Sounds good." Oria and Zach got up after shaking hands.

Zach and Biu returned to the barbarian encampment with Nora, Yanael, Alzara, and Soara while Mandra followed Oria and her guards back to Soku. Their meeting spot was closer to Soku than the barbarian encampment, so they arrived at their destination sooner.

By the time Zach and his group returned to the barbarian encampment, dark clouds had started to gather in the sky. It was a bad omen for the barbarians who liked to watch the stars and pray to their ancestors they believed spent the afterlife among those stars.

But they also knew that weather was a thing. Clouds came and went as naturally as the wind. The shamans who read the weather in advance hadn't seen the clouds before they arrived, but it wouldn't be the first time weather was unpredictable.

They didn't think much of it. But going to war with a clouded sky was a bad idea, so they reined in the warriors and prepared for a rain shower. It was a good thing they did.

It was dark before sunset, and it didn't take long before light drops started pittering against the tents and leaves. Most tents were waterproofed. But not everything was stored inside the tents. Everyone's clothes weren't waterproofed. The campfires weren't waterproof.

So, when the light rain grew into a heavy rain with big drops that soaked whatever they hit, the barbarians started getting a little worried. And the ones still suffering from Oria's magic panicked. The rain brought down the ambient temperature, soaked their pelts and furs, and threatened to put out the campfires.

But it wasn't impossible to keep a fire going in the rain. They just had to put up a cover that would still let the heat and smoke go away. They also had to protect the firewood. That was doable.

Besides, a rain this heavy was sure to pass soon anyway. They just had to endure. Random rainshowers coming from out of nowhere were almost always short, and heavy rain ended sooner than light rain.

Even with enough clouds to blot out the sky, it should only last a couple of hours before clearing out and revealing a clear starry sky.

The barbarians who were like wet dogs in the rain were disappointed.

One hour passed. Two. Three.

The rain showed no signs of letting up.

It had turned the air damp and made it almost impossible to keep the firewood dry. The ground was more mud than anything else and trying to get anywhere with the bad footing and the poor visibility was almost impossible.

Zach smiled as he heard the barbarians suffer outside his dry-as-bone tent. His barriers kept him, his tent, his maids, and Visla dry and cozy.