Chapter 66 : Chapter 66

Chapter 66. Spoils of War

Ado finally returned, carrying in his arms a wooden tray so wide it was almost broader than his chest. It was piled high with food, swaying as if it might topple over at any moment.

“SQUEEEEEE!!!”

The scream was loud enough to lift the roof.

The marmot on the table shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Its tiny body erupted with astonishing strength, enough to jolt the heavy tray with a violent shake.

What happened next made the corner of Eli’s mouth twitch uncontrollably.

That round little “bear” pounced into the heap of food with a savagery utterly at odds with its plump body.

Its two tiny paws moved so fast they left afterimages as it tore, clawed, gnawed, and bit at everything in sight.

As for that beloved wedge of white cheese, it hugged the whole thing in its arms and licked it madly with its little tongue, letting out delighted purring sounds all the while.

It devoured everything like a storm, stuffing itself with wild abandon.

At last, after the final trace of cheese had been licked spotless, Gulu’s movements slowed.

She gave a satisfied belch rich with the scent of milk—“Burp!”

Then it was as if every bone had been pulled from her body. She flopped onto her back in the middle of the tray, all four paws in the air.

Her round belly was stretched so taut it looked like a leather ball on the verge of exploding, and even her glossy fur seemed tight from overeating.

She narrowed her black bead-like eyes in bliss and lazily rubbed that absurdly swollen belly with her little paws.

Eli took a deep breath and kept his voice as steady as he could. “Lady Gulu, now do you remember?”

The limp furball seemed too lazy even to nod, merely rocking her round head up and down a token amount.

Eli’s brow had only just begun to ease, thinking they were finally about to get to the point.

Then, the very next second—

“Hrrr... rrr... hrrr... rrr...”

A deeply rhythmic snoring sound filled the entire study.

Eli’s expression froze completely.

He stared at the mountain of a belly rising and falling with the snores, then at the tray beside it, now piled high with bones and scraps.

A tremendous sense of absurdity and helplessness washed over him from head to toe.

This was not a marmot. This was definitely a pig, wasn’t it?!

The elf princess’s beloved pet? This?!

He raised a hand and rubbed his brow hard, then turned helplessly toward Aila.

“Aila,” Eli said, his voice carrying the weary resignation of a man who had accepted his fate.

“It seems this... ‘bear’... needs some proper rest. I’ll... leave it to you.”

Aila nodded happily.

She stepped forward, carefully avoiding the mess on the tray, and gently lifted the sleeping furball into her arms.

Holding it, she turned to leave. But when she reached the doorway of the study, she suddenly stopped.

Her clear violet eyes curved into a smiling gaze as she looked at Eli.

“Eli,” she said softly, her voice brushing across his heart like a feather.

“That elf princess... seems very interested in you.”

“You... surely wouldn’t...”

“No!” Eli cut off the rest of her sentence without hesitation.

“My heart belongs entirely to Miss Aila.”

At once, two red clouds bloomed across Aila’s cheeks like roses opening for the first time.

Overcome with shyness, she quickly lowered her head.

She said nothing more, merely carried the sleeping “bear” away in her arms and walked out of the study with light, quick steps.

Bang.

Eli remained where he was, looking at the study that had finally returned to silence, and let out a long breath.

He shook his head, casting off those tangled thoughts, and lowered his gaze back to the desk—ink stains, grease smears, meat scraps, bread crumbs... it was a complete disaster.

He did not summon any servants.

Instead, Eli rolled up his sleeves and cleaned it himself.

Oddly enough, this calm moment, filled with trivial labor, allowed his nerves to relax a little.

When the final stain had been wiped away and the study had at last regained some semblance of tidiness, Eli straightened up and glanced at the sun outside, now slanting westward.

Sebastian—that mysterious old steward—might know something?

He left the lord’s keep, crossed the busy valley, and headed straight for Sebastian’s room.

He knocked. No answer.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was empty.

Eli stood in the vacant room for a moment in silence, then gently closed the door again.

It seemed that, for the time being, he could only rely on himself when it came to the matter of the elves.

Since he could not find the steward, Eli simply slowed his pace and began strolling through the territory at will.

The wounds left by the beast tide were healing quickly, and new vitality surged through every corner of the land.

Near the edge of the valley, a newly planned district was under bustling construction.

Thick logs had been raised upright, forming the frames of new houses.

This area had been reserved as a residential quarter for the newly arrived slaves and for whatever population might increase in the future.

Meanwhile, in the existing residential district, some of the newly freed freefolk were working under the guidance of craftsmen from Old John’s crew, thickening the walls of their wooden houses and replacing their roofs with sturdier ones.

Old John himself stood atop the city wall, which had already begun to take shape, shouting out orders in a booming voice.

His grizzled beard bobbed up and down with every roar.

Large numbers of slaves and freefolk labored on both sides of the wall, using huge cut stones and freshly mixed mortar to raise and reinforce the barrier without pause.

The wall was already nearly a meter taller than it had been before the beast tide, and it was still growing thicker.

At the Training Ground, more than three hundred soldiers stood arranged in neat formations, constantly shifting their ranks at shouted commands.

Their spears rose and fell like a forest, and their shields struck together with dull, thunderous booms.

Eli’s gaze swept past the Training Ground and turned toward the other side of the valley.

There, the newly reclaimed farmland spread out in lively green.

The wheat shoots had already reached calf height, their leaves stretching beneath the evening sun, growing splendidly.

Agricultural Officer Hadi was leading a group of experienced farmers through the fields, bending low to inspect the crop conditions, pull weeds, and guide irrigation water.

The hope of a rich harvest was taking shape amid the fragrance of the soil.

“My lord! Lord Eli!” an urgent voice called from the side.

Eli stopped and turned.

A sturdily built man was jogging toward him. It was Dars, the slave overseer in charge of beast butchering and processing.

“Dars.” Eli nodded. “Is the work finished?”

“Yes, my lord!” Dars nodded vigorously, his voice loud and full of energy.

“The last batch of bones has all been rendered into bone tallow! Everything usable has been sorted and processed by category!”

“Good.” Eli gave an approving nod. The efficiency was indeed impressive. “What are the exact numbers?”

“At your command, my lord!” Dars immediately began reciting the tally. “There are six hundred and seventy-three intact, fully tanned thick hides!

The fangs and claws from all kinds of beasts have filled four entire wooden tubs!

We rendered a full ten large barrels of fat!

The jerky and smoked meat have filled three temporary warehouses!

And there are another five barrels of bone tallow!”

That much?

Even though Eli had already prepared himself mentally, the enormous figures still startled him.

The “inheritance” left behind by the beast tide was far richer than he had expected.

Especially those nearly five hundred hides and the three large barrels of fangs and claws—they really were a problem to deal with.

Leaving them piled up in storage would not only take up too much space, but if left too long, they might also be damaged.

Dars raised the issue at just the right moment. “My lord, these hides and beast fangs... there are simply too many of them.

The warehouses are almost full, and the weather is getting warmer. If the hides are stored too long, worms may infest them.

What... should we do with them?”

Eli’s gaze swept over the soldiers in the distant Training Ground, many of them dressed in crude leather armor or simple cloth, then over the thinly clad slaves and freefolk throughout the valley.

A clear plan rapidly took shape in his mind.

“Dars,” Eli said, his voice calm and firm, “listen carefully.”

“Take out half of the hides. Immediately organize every woman who can sew, whether slave or freefolk, and have them work day and night.

Use the toughest, most durable thread to make the simplest possible leather vests, greaves, and bracers.

They do not need to look good. They need to be practical, warm, and able to protect vital areas.”

Dars’s spirit visibly lifted, and he straightened his back at once. “Yes, my lord! I guarantee it will be done!”

“Good.” Eli inclined his head and continued, “As for the other half of the hides...”

He paused briefly in thought. “Select the best-quality ones and store them separately. Preserve them properly, and make sure they are protected against dampness and insects. I have another use for those.”

Dars answered at once, “Understood, my lord! I’ll make sure they are stored safely!”

“And finally—

“Take those fangs and claws, along with one-third of the remaining hides that are of somewhat lower quality, and bundle them up tightly.”

“Dars,” Eli said, looking at him, “you will personally lead a reliable team to escort this batch of hides, fangs, and claws to Thorne City.

Find Manager Caron of the Nors Merchant Guild, or any senior steward with the authority to make decisions.

Tell them these are specialties from the Pendragon barony, and ask whether they are willing to buy them.

But remember—what we want in exchange should preferably be grain, salt, iron, tools.

Do you understand?”

To trade the spoils of the beast tide for the supplies most urgently needed for the territory’s development—

There was no bargain more worthwhile than that.

At once, Dars’s dark face lit up with excitement.

“Yes, my lord! I understand!” Dars slammed a fist against his chest.

“Go. Make the arrangements as quickly as possible.” Eli waved a hand.

Dars bowed once more, then turned and strode away with great, energetic steps, his entire body full of drive.

The evening sun stretched Eli’s shadow long across the ground.

His gaze slowly swept over the rising city wall, the bustling Training Ground, and the flourishing farmland.

In the end, the road still had to be walked one step at a time.