“Big Sis Weya, how much longer until we get to the place you mentioned?” A small deer girl was tugging at Weya’s clothes with her small hand, looking up at her with big, innocent eyes. She asked in a soft voice, “We’ve been walking for four days already, I’m so hungry!”
“Sumi, just hang on for one more day. We’ll be at West Sun City soon, and there will be lots of delicious food there, especially buns. I’m sure you’ll love them,” Weya said, crouching down and gently patting the deer-ears girl’s head, soothing her. “Sumi is the best!”
“Mm-hmm!” Sumi blinked her big eyes and nodded obediently. “Okay!”
Weya let out a sigh of relief, looking at the 33 beastkin children around her with a relieved smile. She was glad she arrived in time as they would have been captured and made into slaves.
As for the elders who had abandoned the tribe, Weya had completely lost care for them. She was utterly disappointed in them for doing something as outrageous as abandoning the children.
“Weya, do you really think the noble will take us in? We’re beastkins, after all!” Mary, holding two small beastkins, came over and asked with concern. “Don’t be deceived by the humans. Just four days ago, they tried to capture us to make us slaves.”
“It’s true. Lord is different from other humans,” Weya explained again. “Lord promised that as long as we work for him, we can support ourselves.”
Over the past four days, the surviving adult beastkins had asked her this question many times, and Weya would answer seriously each time.
“This…” Weya was at a loss for words. Indeed, there are so many beastkin children. Do I have to have the Lord support them all financially? That would be unfair to the Lord. No, what am I thinking? Can’t I support them myself?
“Grandma Mary, don’t worry. I’ll support everyone. I have a job that pays a silver coin a month,” Weya said with a confident smile.
“Ah! I hope it’s true. I don’t want to escape from a wolf’s mouth to enter a tiger’s mouth!” Mary frowned, doubting that Weya earned a silver coin every month. That’s not possible. Which noble would be so generous?
Mary had reason to worry. After leaving the beastkin kingdom, she had seen too many deceptions and hypocrisies. If it wasn’t because she was old, she would have been captured and been made a slave a long time ago.
Mary, who was 65 years old, had white hair with small goat horns protruding from her head and a hunched back. She had always taken care of the beastkin orphans in the tribe.
“It won’t be like that. I’ve tested it before; I even worked as a teacher there, teaching human children,” Weya quickly assured.
“Weya, you’re a kind child, but…” Mary didn’t know what to say, as it didn’t matter.
They had no other options. Staying in the tribe meant starving or being refound and captured by slave traders. They couldn’t always rely on being rescued by a wolf beastkin.
Mary just hoped that the noble Weya spoke of wouldn’t be too unreasonable. Perhaps being sold into slavery is better than starving to death?
She didn’t understand why she had such a thought. Maybe the pressure of caring for 33 beastkin children made her entertain the idea of surviving as a slave.
“…” Weya didn’t know what to say. She had just been injured by slave traders a few days ago, and her attitude was similar to when she first escaped from them, distrusting humans completely. If not for the perverted Anli and gentle Nicole, then she likely still wouldn’t trust humans. If she had actually managed to escape from the castle back then, then that would likely be the result.
“Weya, we’ll be there in a day, right?” Mary asked, keeping an eye on the children to make sure none of them fell behind.
“Yes! Just one more day,” Weya affirmed with a nod.
Weya glanced around at the beast children. Due to needing to take care of them, their pace was slow, especially since they had to search for food, which further slowed their progress.
But none of the beastkin children complained. Over the past four days, they had all walked obediently without whining about being tired or needing a break.
Hardships made people mature and accelerate their growth. This might be one reason why beastkins are stronger than humans.
Of course, none of this would be possible without Mina. If Mina hadn’t been in the front clearing the trail and hunted the wild beasts, they might have starved long ago.
“Weya, I need to discuss something with you,” Mary said quietly. “Once we arrive, I’ll take a few children into the city to scout the situation. If I don’t return, you should take the children far away.”
This was the only plan Mary could come up with over the past four days. Only by scouting could she verify the truth. If the noble rejected her, an old goat beastkin, it would mean Weya had been deceived.
“…” Weya was bewildered. What is this plan? How can I agree to this? If the Lord found out, wouldn’t this tell him that I don’t trust him?
Before Weya could respond…
Suddenly, the sounds of broken twigs and dry grass crunching came from all around, causing Weya, Mary, and the other beastkins to become tense.
“Could it be slave traders again?” Mary, anxious, hurriedly pushed Weya and said urgently, “Weya, you need to leave quickly. Otherwise, those scoundrels will…”
“Hehehe…” Weya, however, laughed and waved her hand, calling out, “Mina, you’re back?”
The people appearing around them were actually Niu Da and his archers, who had encountered Mina who had been scouting ahead.
“Mhmm! Young Master had sent people to pick us up.” Mina looked tired. She had been busy for the past four days, having to guard the campfire at night and ward off wild beasts.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t help much,” Weya quickly pulled out some wild fruits from her bag for Mina. They were the more juicy ones.
“No need to eat these. Sir Niu Da brought food,” Mina said with a smile. The feeling of being cared for is so nice. Her bag contained several packets of fried fish pieces and fizzy cola that Liu Feng had made Niu Da bring for her. Mina was quite happy right now.
“Really? That’s wonderful!” Weya was thrilled and grabbed Mary, shouting, “Lord sent people to pick us up and brought food for us!”
“…” Mary tilted her head, confused. What’s going on? Aren’t they slave traders?