It's not just that Austin is petty and vindictive, begrudging the Blood Wolves for nearly leaving him stranded there. Having such a group of hunters wandering within Austin's territory is ultimately a threat.
If the Dragon Nest Village intends to expand its development in the future, this Blood Wolf pack must be eradicated.
And during the cold winter, it is the easiest time to track down the Blood Wolf pack.
Hunters like the Blood Wolves don't have the concept of storing food for the winter. Even in the cold season, the Blood Wolf pack has to venture out to hunt, which provides Austin with the optimal time to find them.
For the elimination of the Blood Wolf pack, the sooner it is done during the cold winter period, the better. Recently, while Austin was flying out for hunting, he had already spotted traces of some hungry and ferocious hunters venturing out. If the eradication of the Blood Wolf pack later attracts other hungry and mad wild beasts, that would not be good.
The more the action is delayed, the more dangerous it becomes.
Fortunately, the captured Beastmen have mostly completed their training now, integrating into the Kobold military system, greatly enhancing the strength of Austin's clan underlings.
At least, with the number of forces doubled, the confidence to face the Blood Wolf pack has increased significantly.
...
Not to mention that the Blue Young Dragon was constantly contemplating how to deal a severe blow to the Blood Wolf pack and frequently ventured out to search for enemy traces.
Over at the Dragon Nest Village, efforts began to address the lack of food.
The next day, there was no more snow, the clouds in the sky had all settled, and the entire sky resembled a massive ice cube, a vast expanse of blue.
In the Dragon Nest Village, a joint military exercise took place early in the morning, with the previously trained Kobolds also participating.
Ranks stood neatly like steel, forming an unyielding formation. Long spears waved in unison, their simple movements exerting significant visual impact, with shouts echoing across the skies.
The newly integrated Beastmen, although untested by blood, with the fusion of experienced Kobolds, weren't expected to lack much in combat power.
After the military exercise, instead of the anticipated military training, the Beastmen, following the command of Vini the Kobold, took up their tools and went to a nearby frozen lake.
"Mom, is fishing in winter really that simple?"
Among the team, the little Kobold Nina also joined in, helping to drag a wooden basket woven with vines on the side.
The basket was as tall as she was, swaying side to side as she walked, yet she refused help. During the cold winter, Nina found herself doing very little, which made her feel uncomfortable being idle, so she volunteered to come and help this time.
"This was personally instructed by His Highness Austin, so it should be possible."
The mother Kobold appeared slightly hesitant. However, those who had been the earliest followers of Austin had long regarded the Blue Young Dragon as a deity, with unwavering faith in the Blue Dragon's words. Despite some doubts about catching fish so easily, they followed Austin's instructions without hesitation.
"Yes, for sure the Blue Dragon's words are correct."
Nina nodded promptly. Sometimes, what children believe in is purer than adults.
In some sense, the earliest Kobold clans, intentionally cultivated by Austin, had become the prototype of his fanatic followers.
The lake wasn't far from the Dragon Nest Village, and soon, the group of Beastmen arrived at the frozen lake.
The cold winter chill was indeed severe, covering the entire lake with a thick ice layer. Vini walked a circle on the lake, feeling the ice beneath his feet was quite solid.
Vini looked around the white expanse, exhaled into his palms, releasing white mist into the cold breeze that dissipated in the air.
"Where exactly should we dig the hole? Oh well, since His Highness didn't specify, let's just pick any spot and start digging."
Having no other options, he randomly chose a spot near the shore and called over the Beastmen to help dig a hole.
Choosing the shore was out of concern that during the digging, if the ice cracked and they fell into the cold water, they could easily climb out.
Under Vini's command, the Beastmen divided into three groups, each working within the outlined circles nearby to continuously chisel the ice.
Since the hole didn't need to be very large, too many people crowded together would hinder the process, thus dividing them into three teams worked perfectly.
However, after the Beastmen pounded the ice with all their might, even the strongest Lizardman using a sharp rock could only chisel out a bowl-sized dent, still far from reaching the ice beneath the lake water.
As for the short and slight Goblins, it was even more laborious.
"This..."
Faced with the steel-hard ice in the cold winter, Vini the Kobold leader was speechless.
No wonder no Beastmen had discovered this method to catch fish before. First, when the cold winter hits, the Beastmen mostly stay in their dens and don't venture out. Even when starving and forced outside looking for food, who would bother wasting energy to dig through the ice layer? Yet how did His Highness Blue Dragon know about this method?
Various thoughts flashed through Vini's mind, but he soon brushed them aside. The priority now was to dig the hole and catch fish; otherwise, the cold winter would be hard to endure.
Fortunately, Austin gave another method for digging holes on the ice surface. Earlier, the plan was to use stone tools to try chiseling a hole simply; now, that approach seemed unfeasible.
"Go to the forest and find fallen dried branches to prepare for burning."
With no other choice, they had to use the method suggested by His Highness Austin.
Soon, a Beastman returned from the forest carrying a bundle of dry branches. Fortunately, in the cold winter, the moisture within the dry wood had already settled, making it decent firewood.
But when the bundle of dry wood was piled onto the ice, Vini the Kobold leader faced another major issue.
They couldn't light the fire.
In the extremely low temperatures outside, with the cold wind blowing, the heat generated by striking stones quickly dissipated into the air, making it impossible to start a fire.
Helplessly, they sent a Beastman back to the Dragon Nest Village to bring fire using wood.
During this process, due to rushing or the kindling quickly burning out before reaching the lake, the fire went out several times.
However, good things come with perseverance, and they finally managed to start a fire on the ice.
Watching the fire on the ice surface, burning fiercely, melting the layer beneath, the Beastmen quickly drew out the melted water using leaves and other means, repeating the process, about ten minutes later, a pit about the size of a stone basin, around ten centimeters deep, appeared on the ice.
Through the thin ice layer at the bottom of the pit, the water underneath was already visible.
"Bring a Wooden Spear."
Removing the firewood, they grabbed a Wooden Spear and jabbed it into the thin ice layer at the bottom of the pit.
Crack!
With a crisp shattering sound, the last layer of ice fragmented like glass, revealing the flowing water beneath. The Beastmen all leaned in to look.
The hole had been made, would they succeed?