Titus, Dorian, the succubus Linda, and the troll Ade gathered around the conference table, each wearing a serious expression.

  They were the most reliable core fighters of the Black Flag Territory, and the upcoming task assignments would determine the future direction of the entire territory.

  Having finished appointing the new leader of Village No. 2, it was now time for these bloodline warriors to take their respective positions.

  Titus was assigned to Thalia's team, becoming her direct combat force. Draven had always held special expectations for this Titus. Although he came from humble origins, he possessed an indomitable will and unwavering loyalty.

  "Staying in the village slows your growth too much," Draven said bluntly."You need to get out more, especially into the wilderness— that's where you can truly grow."

  When Titus heard this, his eyes nearly ignited with fire. He suddenly lifted his head, his gaze burning so fiercely it seemed it could pierce the table.

  I knew it! The leader would never look down on us Kobolds! he shouted inside his heart.

  He quietly clenched his fists under the table, struggling to contain his excitement. He understood this was both a vote of trust and a challenge.

  "But don't just focus on yourself," Draven shifted his tone."The tribe members under your command need to train hard too. I've taught you the methods— don't let all my efforts go to waste."

  As he spoke, Draven recalled the poor performance of the Kobold slaves and the black wolfman slaves in battle, a helpless expression crossing his face.

  That battle was essentially a failure. He had been too impatient, trying to spark their fighting spirit through real combat, but the results were obvious.

  They were too inexperienced, lacking even basic combat awareness, and the losses were more severe than expected.

  Fighting isn't won by shouting slogans. To turn slaves into warriors, the early training stages cannot be ignored.

  Mentioning this made Titus's face flush red. He knew he was responsible. What surprised him was that Draven didn't scold them; instead, he mercifully pardoned the Kobold slaves who had gone on the expedition and restored their freedom.

  Titus understood this was not something they had earned but a kind decision by the leader's mercy.

  "If you're given a chance, you must seize it," Draven said sternly.

  At that moment, Titus felt his heart pounding so hard it might explode. He silently vowed to lead his tribe to train a truly formidable Kobold warrior unit, worthy of this generosity!

  However, Titus's burning gaze was a little overwhelming. Draven cleared his throat and turned his attention to the three brothers sitting across the table.

  These three were his brothers-in-law— Dorian, Samuel, and Alec. Their scouting squad had played an important role in the northern operation and performed outstandingly.

  The previous rewards had already been handed out: besides merit-based magic cores, each also received an extra jar of honey.

  These brothers were reliable and much easier to manage than Alaric. Not only were they strong fighters, but their discipline was also strict.

  The members of their scouting team had now also regained their freedom, another promise Draven had fulfilled.

  "This time, continue expanding the scouting squad," Draven said."Don't just pick from slaves— you can recruit Hyena Men and Leopardfolk too. Filling the team with the strong will increase efficiency."

  The three brothers were very pleased with this plan, their smiles impossible to hide. They stood up immediately, bowed in thanks, and unanimously pledged not to let their wolfman brother-in-law down!

  Draven waved his hand, signaling them not to be so formal."Between us, no need for all these empty formalities."

  The roads connecting the three villages had all been explored, so there was no rush to advance the northern front line. After expanding the scouts, the primary task was to find more arable land and understand the basic situation of the new northern territory.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "You can split up and work on these two tasks simultaneously," Draven arranged clearly."No need to say much about land exploration. As for the new territory, besides terrain and map drawing, you also need to investigate resource distribution."

  "Especially the activity ranges of prey— try to get as detailed a picture as possible."

  He was confident in the brothers' abilities and believed a little guidance was enough— no need to micromanage everything.

  As for the succubus Linda, she remained responsible for training the younglings. Her task was the same as before, but this time the difficulty increased significantly.

  This was because three tribes' younglings had joined the training team, pushing the total number of Black Flag Territory younglings beyond 300 for the first time, over a hundred of whom were Hyena Man cubs.

  With the increase in numbers came problems. The age range was wide, and individual abilities varied noticeably. Linda alone would likely struggle to take care of them all.

  Draven instructed Linda to select a few assistants from each of the subraces to help her.

  This would not only ease her workload but also accelerate the integration process among the different tribes. After all, having members of their own tribes involved in caregiving would make it easier for the newly joined children in Black Flag Territory to adapt to the unfamiliar environment and feel more secure.

  As for this batch of newborn cubs, Draven had already decided that they would not be returned to their original tribes for the time being.

  This was not out of a desire to possess them, but because Draven had long observed that the demi-human races generally lacked a sense of family.

  Once the children were sent back, most would only receive the bare minimum care, with no one truly concerned about their upbringing. Sometimes it was even hard to find out who their biological parents were.

  In this situation, rather than letting them grow up in chaos, it was better to manage them centrally and systematically provide education and training.

  More importantly, with the stable supply of honey now available, the conditions for raising these cubs were actually better than if they had been returned to their tribes.

  As the sense of family gradually developed within Black Flag Territory, these problems would naturally ease, and Draven would no longer interfere with such trivial matters.

  As demonstrated by the examples of the Black Wolf and Kobold clans, once stable pair bonds formed, family units emerged, and the tribes gradually stabilized.

  Linda listened carefully while mentally noting down every word. She was clearly used to passing on all information to Selene immediately.

  But Draven didn't mind her little habits—if she wanted to report things, he was fine with that.

  At this moment, Draven turned his attention to the troll, Ade.

  Now that Village No. 2 had more combat power, fighters like Ade, who specialized in solo combat, were not as crucial as before. So Draven decided to have him return to his original duties: forming and commanding a new patrol squad.

  The mission of this squad was clear: to patrol the villages under Black Flag Territory, supervising communication and order among the tribes.

  With the rapid population growth and increasing diversity of races, conflicts inevitably began to surface. Without intervention and mediation, so-called integration would remain only lip service.

  "Find problems and solve them immediately. If you can't solve them, report to me right away," Draven said sternly."If I'm not around, go directly to Viola."

  As he spoke, he kept his gaze fixed on Ade, his eyes carrying a hint of encouragement.

  He knew that although Ade was just a bloodline warrior, he possessed something that was scarce in Black Flag Territory: systematic training.

  The patrol members kidnapped from Selene City by the serpent tribe had received strict, systematic training and had more orderly thinking. This was what Draven valued most.

  In a rising power like Black Flag Territory, characters like Ade were key building blocks for establishing basic order.

  For Ade, this was also a chance to fulfill his dream. From the moment he was transferred to Black Flag Territory, he understood he could never return. Now all he could do was fully exert his value.

  More importantly, having the chance to personally form and manage his own patrol squad had always been his wish.

  Now that the werewolf leader had entrusted him with this authority, Ade naturally would not let him down.

  After giving a few detailed instructions, Draven dismissed the group.

  Once the room quieted down, he stood up and slowly twisted his shoulders and waist, feeling a wave of soreness. He sighed softly, realizing again that being a lord was far more exhausting than being a warrior.

  And this was only arranging matters for Village No. 2; the other three villages still awaited his attention, with tasks piled high like mountains.

  But work needed some relief. Draven felt it was time to stretch his muscles.

  He called for Thalia to come over, planning to take her for a walk outside the village. It was a good opportunity to talk to her about the concept of livestock farming and let her understand some more civilian affairs.

  He talked all morning until his mouth was dry. Then Draven took a jar of monkey wine from the side and walked with Thalia toward the pens.

  He tilted his head back and took a few swigs, moistening his throat, then handed the jar to her.

  "Monkey wine from Black Flag Territory. Not bad—fruity flavor. Want to try a sip?"

  Thalia didn't hesitate, took the jar, tilted her head back, and tasted it, the fragrance of the wine lingering at the corner of her lips.

  Seeing this, Draven was slightly pleased. Her willingness to try meant she wasn't resistant to this place.

  He knew that to truly integrate the tribes, orders alone were far from enough. He didn't force Thalia but had already made up his mind. This woman—he would win her over slowly.

  Although there were quite a few women in Black Flag Territory now, Draven hoped for willing acceptance and recognition, not submission gained through coercion.

  He took back the jar she returned and continued walking forward. His eyes looked ahead, but in his mind, he was already plotting the next steps to make her truly devoted.