Chapter 263: Winter Branch

Xia Duo never expected that the hunting dogs Lady Patti sent him would actually come with a dog trainer; was this a package deal including the manufacturer and after-sales service? He scrutinized the man, whose hair was tied into a small braid at the back of his head. Although his expression was full of sorrow and desolation and he looked very quiet, it was hard to hide the wild nature emanating from his bones.

"You want me to take you back to your tribe to participate in the Blood Trial before you die, and only then are you willing to stay and pledge your loyalty to me?"

"Yes, Master Mage." The man looked straight into Xia Duo's scrutinizing gaze without fear. "If Master Mage feels I am useful, then let us sign the Sacred Contract!"

Xia Duo glanced at Lao Ouwen, who hurriedly explained, "My Lord, this Langasi savage came over on his own initiative with the people from the Liyadun Chamber of Commerce. If you don't want him, My Lord, you can drive him away."

"Wait a moment." Xia Duo stopped Lao Ouwen, who was preparing to claim credit, and looked at the Langasi man named Dongzhi, asking, "You just said you can train hunting dogs; did you train these three hunting dogs?"

"This—" Dongzhi hesitated, as if he had been stumped by this question.

Xia Duo shook his head, feeling somewhat disappointed. Between the Blood Trial and the Sacred Contract, it reminded him of two terms: "fishing for fame" and "self-packaging."

However, he still asked, "I provide food and lodging here. As long as you work alongside my people in the Territory, are you willing to stay?"

"Master Mage! You cannot insult me!" Dongzhi's face flushed red, and the three gray-white hunting dogs beside him seemed to have discovered an enemy; they arched their backs, bared their teeth, and let out low "woo-woo" growls.

"You savage, what are you trying to do!" Lao Ouwen immediately blocked Xia Duo, scolding, "Make these three beasts be quiet at once."

"Captain Ouwen, no need to be nervous, step aside."

Hearing Xia Duo's voice, Lao Ouwen immediately bowed and stepped to the side. Just then, Dongzhi spoke: "Master Mage, although I cannot train Langasi Liequan, ordinary hunting dogs and guard dogs are no problem. I dare guarantee that on the land of Netheril, no one can do better than me!"

Could he really train dogs? Xia Duo was somewhat surprised, but not overly so. Strictly speaking, he could train dogs himself, teaching them to catch frisbees and high-five.

It was just a matter of seeing to what extent this Langasi could perform and whether it was worth keeping him. And what exactly was this so-called "Blood Trial"? Xia Duo considered it for a moment and proposed a plan: "In principle, I agree, but I want to see your ability. Therefore, I hope to have a trial period before establishing a contract. Also, what exactly is the 'Blood Trial'?"

"My Lord, I know!" Lao Ouwen popped up again. "A savage's trial is generally to hunt a powerful beast to prove he has the value to live. Because many people die, it is also called the 'Blood Trial'."

Xia Duo nodded, lost in thought. This trial shouldn't be difficult, but Netherese Mages probably wouldn't be willing to participate in some barbaric trial for a savage.

Dog training was not an incredible ability; did the Netherese not have people who could train dogs? This ability was almost useless to a mage; there were too many replaceable options. However, for Xia Duo, it was not the case. One reason was that the Territory truly needed dogs to guard the house, and another was that it added a laborer.

And the most critical point was that the appearance of this Langasi made Xia Duo discover an important source of population!

It was not easy to introduce native Netherese, but those Langasi who needed to gamble their lives for the right to survive were a different story.

The Netherese thought they were barbaric, but Xia Duo believed they were more forced by life to be that way.

If he could provide food and lodging, he might be able to attract a whole group!

But this matter required long-term planning. Thinking of this, Xia Duo couldn't help but reveal a mysterious smile. "Dongzhi, have you thought it over? Are you willing to accept my suggestion of a 'trial period'?"

Dongzhi was silent. This was the first time he had seen a mage seriously consider his contract, and this "trial period"—

If he didn't accept, he might be detained by the mage, or he might be driven away. Dongzhi wasn't worried about these things, but he was worried about missing a possible outcome, so he decided to give it a try.

"Master Mage, I am willing to accept!"

"Very good!" Xia Duo nodded with satisfaction. "How many days will it take to teach my soldiers to control these three hunting dogs?"

"My Lord, if it is just control, half a day is enough." Dongzhi touched the Langasi Liequan crouching at his feet with his foot. "They are very obedient!"

"Good. Captain Ouwen, keep the ship for one more day. Wait until the Territory soldiers learn to control the hunting dogs, then take Dongzhi back to Savile Town together. At that time, you take him to buy a few local dogs suitable for training."

"Yes, My Lord."

In the evening, Xia Duo personally went around the camp to set up Magic Alert. He called back both squads of soldiers, introduced them to the Langasi Dongzhi, and ordered them to learn to control these three hunting dogs as soon as possible.

From Dongzhi's further introduction, Xia Duo learned a bit more about Langasi Liequan. These hunting dogs could hunt wolf packs collectively in the wild and guard the house at home; they were good helpers for the Langasi.

Some Langasi even let their children inherit the names of their family's hunting dogs.

The three hunting dogs sent by Lady Patti were "imported" from Langasi and came with names. However, because they were a breed used for trade, the names were given somewhat carelessly, all based on their physical characteristics—

"Gray Shadow," "White Spot," and "Snow Claw"! Gray Shadow's tail was entirely gray, White Spot had a circular pure white patch on its forehead, and Snow Claw had white paws. Of course, they were generally gray-white overall.

When not hunting, they were very quiet, but once they needed to hunt, they were full of energy. Their understanding of various commands was also very high. Xia Duo had never seen such smart dogs.

When he was on Earth, he had also kept dogs, but they could only manage to catch frisbees and high-five. However, he had seen dogs on TV that could walk up stairs on their hind legs, or even perform various tricks, but he always felt they were not as smart as the Langasi Liequan.

After all, those performing dogs had specialized trainers, while Xia Duo's soldiers could simply control the Langasi Liequan in a short while.

They could even accept some complex commands. He even suspected whether a Wisdom-filled Soul lived inside these three hunting dogs.

Because of these three dogs, Xia Duo stayed in the camp for an extra day and only set off on the return journey on the third day.

Inside the captain's cabin of the "Lucky Owen," Xia Duo leaned against the back of his chair, listening to the faint, rhythmic chanting coming from the bottom of the hold, feeling a bit of worry about his uncertain fate after returning.

(End of chapter)