Chapter 321 - 199: Seeds of Doubt

"Enjoying the meal, huh?"

"It’s all thanks to your generosity, my Lord, that we can save up our work points to buy some jerky."

The guard thumped his chest and answered loudly.

"Eating well is good; eat more to grow stronger."

Luo De inspected the guard’s table, "Hmm, not bad, no alcohol."

"Soldier’s Code of Conduct, Article 13, prohibits drinking while on duty!" the guard reported loudly once more.

"Well said."

Luo De praised with great satisfaction, "After your shift tonight, go to the Breath of Frost and order the most expensive drink, on me!"

The guard was delighted to hear that, "Thank you, Lord!"

Though he wasn’t used to the mixed drinks, the guard was still very happy.

This was the Lord’s recognition, something to brag about for a while.

Luo De nodded and then turned to look at Vika.

"Since you’re not the Lizardmen’s slave and you only had a one-time deal with them,"

Luo De spoke calmly, "I can generously forgive you and spare your lives."

He took a step forward, his boots making a dull thud on the stone floor.

"I won’t sell you either."

"But it’s impossible for you to leave here."

Luo De sat on a chair brought over by a guard, watching Vika in the corner,

"From now on, you will work for me like those slaves, doing hard labor."

"You don’t need to complain; our slaves in Frost Leaf Town have pretty good meals."

Luo De looked at the wooden bowl on the ground, "You should have experienced it by now."

Vika nodded, saying no more.

The food was indeed better than what they had in their tribe.

Vika never expected this Human Lord to let him go.

Not being sold to humans as a pet was already a good outcome.

"Alright, no more nonsense with you."

Luo De pulled Xue Rui over, "Snow Rabbit People, as you’re aware, her name is Xue Rui, and she’ll help you get accustomed to life here."

"But don’t think about escaping; I’ll separate all your tribespeople."

Luo De looked seriously at Vika and said, "If even one escapes, everyone will suffer."

"Okay, no more talking."

Luo De stood up as if to leave,

"Oh, by the way."

"You don’t need to worry about your tribespeople either."

Luo De’s tone suddenly became relaxed, teasing Vika.

"When the Lizardmen send the Cat People to attack Chris again, I’ll catch them then."

"Then you’ll all be reunited."

Vika suddenly looked up at Luo De, his expression becoming serious.

"I failed; they won’t come again. We have no more assassins in my tribe."

"I’ve told them to protect our people."

"Oh?"

Luo De raised an eyebrow slightly, showing a hint of surprise on his face.

"So, in that case, you’re of no use to the Lizardmen, right?"

He sighed, looking slightly regrettably at Vika,

"Given the Lizardmen’s savage nature, your tribespeople are probably in trouble."

Vika’s pointed ears trembled slightly, clearly affected by Luo De’s words.

Seeing this, Luo De quickly spoke again:

"To be honest, I’ve confirmed that those Lizardmen are reviving their master, needing a lot of blood and flesh."

"So, even if the Lizardmen don’t eat your tribespeople, they’ll use them as materials for corpses."

"What a pity."

After speaking, Luo De didn’t wait and got up to leave.

"No, that won’t happen."

Vika shouted,

"They can’t find my tribespeople!"

"They don’t know where my tribe resides!"

Vika’s tone was firm, but his whiskered face, somewhat pale, revealed his insecurity.

Luo De turned and squinted suspiciously at Vika,

"Are you sure? Are you that certain?"

He took a step forward, crouching down to get in Vika’s face,

"How did they contact you in the first place?"

Vika’s pupils contracted sharply, wanting to respond but stopping himself.

"Let me remind you, living for a long time always leaves traces."

Luo De said casually, "Previously, you should have been in the deep forest, frequently changing locations, so it wasn’t easy for people to discover you."

"But now, since you haven’t returned for a long time, will your tribespeople easily change sites?"

"If I can find your whereabouts, perhaps the Lizardmen can too."

Vika’s body went rigid.

Luo De’s words were like a heavy hammer on his mind, striking his confidence.

"It doesn’t matter, I was just chatting casually, don’t overthink it."

Luo De sighed gently, his tone playful,

"You can’t do much anyway, take a rest today, tomorrow it’s back to work."

After speaking, Luo De no longer looked at Vika, stood up, and headed outside.

Everything that needed to be said was said.

Seeing Vika’s expression, Luo De understood as well.

The seed of doubt had been planted; it remains to be seen if it will take root and sprout.

Anything more would be redundant.

After Luo De left,

Xue Rui crouched down, looking at Vika, gently comforting him,

"Don’t think too much, just stay here and work hard."

"Life here is good, and working hard makes it more comfortable than in the mountains."

Vika raised his head to look at Xue Rui.

Vika also knew that the Snow Rabbit People were kind and honest, lowering his guard a bit.

"Why are you here?" Vika asked.

"To escape the Lizardmen’s capture, we hid in Black Pine Ridge, but there was no food, and everyone was hungry, so I went to see the Lord."

Xue Rui smiled,

"The Lord took pity on us and let us stay to work because we are good at digging holes."

"Then, we’ve been staying ever since."

Xue Rui laughed and lowered her head, instinctively pinching her belly,

"Now I work less, mainly arranging tasks for everyone; I’ve gained weight."

Vika frowned, watching Xue Rui, full of doubt in his eyes.

"Don’t worry, I’m not lying to you, and you can ask the Yak People to confirm." Xue Rui hastily said.

"There are Yak People here too?" Vika asked further.

"Yes."

Xue Rui nodded vigorously, "Yes, they were rescued by the Lord from the Lizardmen."

"Rescued?"

Vika leaned back, clearly skeptical of Xue Rui’s words,

"A Human Lord rescuing Yak People? Don’t all humans consider us an ’alien race’?"

"No, no, that’s not true!"

Xue Rui quickly waved her hand,

"The Lord said that he would accept anyone willing to build Frost Leaf Town and live an honest life, regardless of race."