Chapter 81: Chapter 80: Reputable Names

The next several years of the war between the halflings and the centaurs was largely uninteresting. It wasn’t until almost a full twenty years after the first conflict when the two sides met again. Though, like the first time with Savir, this was not a full-scale attack, but rather a large group splitting up from the main force to explore.

By now, roughly a third of the halfling population had managed to travel to the centaur continent. This already gave them numbers similar to the centaur population, though this time it was the centaurs that had the home field advantage. Anyways, I decided to speed things up a bit, curious what the actions of the halfling group would cause.

Watching with time moving forward at a little over a thousand times normal speed, things actually looked like a real-time strategy game. I could see them doing their best to avoid any and all confrontations, taking paths that would guarantee that they would not run into any herds. Though, while I was glad that they weren’t getting into any fights, I was a bit surprised by what I found out when I focused on them.

To be specific, their mission was not to attack the centaurs at all. While they were members of the halflings’ army, which apparently had been named the Bloodied Hand, none of them were particularly strong fighters. Whether it was their hunter class, or their monster tamer class, none of them had gone above twenty.

However, when it came to their scout class, things were entirely different. Each one of them had a minimum of fifty levels as a scout. That, coupled with the thoughts and conversations I could pick up by focusing on the group, and it was pretty obvious what their goal was. They were mapping out the centaur’s terrain.

I had to admit that I was a bit impressed that they were able to come up with that strategy, but it was not too surprising, given that most halflings never stop traveling. The ability to know the land around you is practically a required skill to have if you want to survive that life. Though, i was not sure to what extent they planned on scouting.

After spending roughly an hour watching them, nearly two months had passed within the world. And yet, by that time, they had showed no signs of turning back. They had not even made it all the way to Tryval’s Hold yet, let alone King’s Hope. Does this group of three hundred halflings seriously plan to map out the entire plains before they go back to the forest? I couldn’t help but question.

Thinking to that, I couldn’t help but remember that Terra and Aurivy both made incarnations in the halfling race. Pulling out my handy communication paper, I wrote a message to each of them, asking to meet in my room. No sooner had I put down the pencil I manifested to write said message, than my door burst open and a tiny ball of cuteness jumped up onto my lap.

“What do you need, bro?!” Aurivy asked in an excited voice, leaning over and hugging me with her small arms.

“Well… Someone has been a bit bored.” I said with a smirk, causing the halfling to pout slightly.

“Everyone’s just been so busy lately!” She complained, crossing her arms in front of herself. “Big sis has been so tired lately because of managing two mortals, and the other sisters have all been busy either training or getting used to being here.” She said with a huff.

“That’s actually part of why I asked you here. You created an incarnation when everyone else did, right?” When she nodded her head I smiled, continuing. “What’s yours up to down there?” I needed to find out whether she was actually involved in the war right now or not before anything else. Though, simply being the halfling goddess would let her help me figure out what their plans were faster than looking for the key figures myself.

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Hearing that, Aurivy’s pout only became heavier. “My family was too far north when the message went out. It took a whole five years to even reach them, and when it did they decided to avoid the conflict altogether, and kept heading north.” She shook her head dejectedly, looking down at the floor. “Even if I had left by the time I finished growing up, I’d probably not make it there until the war was over, unless I used my god powers to cheat. But even then, I don’t have a build that would be useful for the war, for either side.”

It was at around this time that Terra slowly made her way into the room. Judging by how she was still dragging her feet when she walked, she was obviously as lethargic as she had been before. “Hey, Dale… you called?” She asked, yawning loudly as she leaned against the doorway, smiling slightly when she saw Aurivy sitting in my lap. “Hey, Rivy.”

“Hey sis.” Aurivy replied with a warm smile. “Bro was just asking about our mortals.”

Terra gave a slow nod, not waiting for me to ask her directly before speaking. “Probably the halfling one…. Mine is in the Rest at the forest. Though… I’m doing my best not to get involved with the fighting.” Terra brought her hand up to her mouth to muffle another yawn, before continuing. “With these numbers, I can tell that the halflings have an overwhelming advantage now. So, I’m just waiting for the right time to advocate peace. You know, when my opinion isn’t outnumbered fifty thousand to one…” She finished with a tired chuckle.

“Wow… that bad, huh?” I asked, and both of the goddesses nodded in response. “So, we’re probably going to need to take steps to make sure that the centaurs aren’t wiped out either.” I mused quietly, one hand subconsciously reaching up and patting the top of Aurivy’s head, making the little goddess squirm in my lap.

I was fine with the centaurs being knocked down a peg. It would be good for their personalities in the long run if they were on the losing end of a war. More importantly, this could serve to bring the variants and the normal centaurs closer together, fighting against a common enemy. Still, with the centaurs not yet unified, this could hardly be considered a fight at this point. I knew that i would have to step in and save them, but how to do so was still an issue. Looking up, I glanced at Terra curiously.

“It’s not possible to possess a mortal temporarily, is it?” I asked, and she shook her head. “Figured. Would probably need to buy a new system for that. Either that, or place a World Host down in advance.”

Hearing that, Terra gave a small smile. “Worried about having enough influence to step in when the time is right?” When I nodded my head, she slowly stepped forward, practically collapsing onto the bed when she reached it. I could hear her talking into the mattress, but it wasn’t until she turned her head that I was able to understand her. “That’s a normal problem with Keepers. That’s why they act through others, giving orders to manipulate events. And when possible, going down themselves to build a reputation for when they are needed.”

I was just about to retort when she lifted a hand, signalling me to wait. It took her a long moment to resume talking, and I half suspected that she had briefly dozed off. “Possessing a body is an easy solution if you buy the system, but it sucks.” She waved her wrist slightly, and a window opened in front of me, showing the ‘Possession System’ listing on the Keeper forums, rather than the market entry. Of note was one ranter who complained about the system.

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