MTLNOVEL Chapter 23: Elope (4)_2
Can only say, just take things one step at a time.
Sitting beside the grass-chewing horse, Andrew took out some dried rations and began nibbling them.
The little Beastman still stood on the side, watching him from afar, looking somewhat lost.
Christina suddenly said, "Give him some food, he must be hungry."
Andrew held out a piece of bread, stretching it toward the little Beastman.
The Beastman's eyes immediately lit up and he quickly ran over to Andrew, snatched the bread, then ran back to a corner to chew it. In just a few bites, he devoured the large piece of bread, and then kept staring at Andrew.
His eyes were glowing, almost like a wolf's.
Andrew tore off another piece of bread and handed it over. This time, the little Beastman didn't rush over but shook his head instead.
After a while, Andrew realized he was staring at his water bottle. Andrew sighed and poured a cup of water, holding it out.
The Beastman sprang forward again, grabbing the cup and gulping down its contents in one go. Then he paused a few steps away, as if remembering something, and ran back to return the cup to Andrew. Immediately after, he retreated to a distance, crouching among the weeds, watching Andrew and Christina from afar.
"Is he a soldier?" Christina asked.
"Not sure, maybe. Beastmen aren't too exacting; they probably enlist everyone regardless of age," Andrew exhaled deeply, the breath condensing into mist in the cold air and slowly dispersing.
His mind still lingered on the scene of the Golden Dragon battling the Beastman Army.
Thinking for a bit, Andrew raised his voice and shouted, "Hey! Why did your kind fight humans? Do you understand our words?"
Andrew then quietly watched the little Beastman.
For a long time, just when Andrew was about to conclude the Beastman couldn't understand, the Beastman finally answered, "Slaves!"
"Humans are fighting you over slaves?"
The Beastman shook his head.
"Humans… want to enslave you?"
The Beastman nodded firmly.
"Oh well, I should've guessed, just the same old nonsense," Andrew spread his hands helplessly.
The painstakingly organized resistance army against the humans, it had the potential to shift the tides for their race. After all, even the Lunbak Royal Family would have struggled to handle such a Beastman Army. But then, for no apparent reason, it had suffered a catastrophic defeat because of a Golden Dragon...
Such tragedy for this race.
Such things will likely happen more often in the future. The whole world will be like this. Lesser species can only hope for mercy from the higher ones. Whether human, Beastman, elf, or dwarf, they're all the same.
Andrew spread out the map, studying it carefully.
"Let's head to the coast."
"To the coast?"
"Yes. I think the north will only become more chaotic. Let's go south instead. First to the coast, then you transform into a dragon and take me for a round trip to the south. On the sea, no one will spot us."
Christina hesitated before nodding solemnly.
Certainly, returning south would make it easier for Gray to find them. But the south isn't all big cities. There are desolate areas that aren't any less remote compared to the north. Compared to the potential chaos of the north, the south might actually be safer.
This thought made Andrew's mood more complex.
To wish for peace, he must hope Gray stays in power. If Gray falls, the chaos will extend beyond the north. But if Gray remains, Andrew must spend his whole life hiding, forever unable to face daylight...
...
By now, the distant war had ended. Unsurprisingly, the Beastmen had suffered a crushing defeat.
Corpses piled high, and all the surviving Beastmen were prostrate at Andrejewitsch's feet.
"Have you seen a man and a woman? The man is hideous, a human. The woman looks like an elf, has hair similar to mine, and ears like mine. Of course, if any of you have seen a Green Dragon, that would be even better."
"No… no, we haven't seen them," the Beastman Elder's forehead was pressed tightly to the ground.
"Alright, I didn't really expect you'd seen them. Now then," Andrejewitsch crouched before the Elder, transformed into human shape, fiddling with the Beastman Elder's tangled white hair as he asked, "How do you plan to compensate me? It was you who attacked first."
The Beastman Elder raised his head, looking dazedly at Andrejewitsch.
"I understand you don't have much to offer, so Gold Coins will suffice. Compensate me with Gold Coins, and we're done here."
"We… we don't have Gold Coins."
"So many of you, not even a single coin?"
"I! I have!" A Beastman beside him raised his hand, rummaging in his pocket for a long time and pulling out three Gold Coins, which he held out to Andrejewitsch with both hands. Then he shouted loudly, prompting other Beastmen to one after another also bring out their Gold Coins.
A regiment of tens of thousands managed to scrape together only a little over a thousand coins.
Honestly, Andrejewitsch was far from satisfied, but what more could he do? They were just a pack of Beastmen impoverished to the bone.
Glancing back at his stash of Gold Coins, with these added, it totaled around twenty thousand.
"Very well, I'll let you off this time. I hope you've learned your lesson. Next time you encounter the Dragon Clan, remember to show respect." Saying this, Andrejewitsch transformed into a Golden Dragon again in front of the Beastmen, grabbed the sack of Gold Coins wrapped in burlap, and slowly ascended into the air, flapping his wings.
The wind kicked up dry desert sand, blinding the Beastmen.
Perhaps deliberately flaunting his power, he lingered in the air before finally gliding northward, scanning the ground as he flew.
Eventually, Andrejewitsch disappeared over the horizon.
The Beastman Elder vomited a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground. Chaos erupted among the Beastman Army, filled with frantic cries.
...
As night fell, Andrew sat quietly, gazing up at the star-filled sky.
He dared not light a campfire. Andrejewitsch was actively hunting them, and lighting a fire would basically give away their location.
Beside him, Christina lay under a blanket, already asleep. The little Beastman, however, still had his large eyes open, staring at Andrew from afar.
The desert night remained silent, yet the nearby Oasis was lively. Rare access to water drew animals in great numbers, even wolves.
A pack of wolves watched Andrew and Christina from a distance.
Andrew extended a hand and muttered an incantation. With a pop, a Fireball sparked at his fingertips.
Sensing danger, the wolves scattered on the spot, retreating far away, unwilling to come closer to Andrew and Christina.
For some reason, he suddenly picked up Christina, blanket and all.
Christina drowsily opened her eyes to look at him.
Andrew whispered, "Go back to sleep, I'll bring you back in a bit."
Christina nodded and drowsily closed her eyes again.
Holding Christina, Andrew walked toward the Oasis, placing her beside the small lake where he could keep her within view. He then took off his clothes and slowly stepped into the water.
"Ah… ah…" Faint, intermittent sounds escaped as Andrew infused his Magic Power into the water, splashing the enchanted water onto his face and muttering an incantation.
He then fully submerged into the lake.
When he emerged again, he had returned to his original appearance.
The distant Beastman was utterly stunned.
Andrew stepped onto the shore, leisurely putting his discarded clothes back on. The Beastman, terrified, ran over and mimicked Andrew by stripping off his clothes and rushing into the water, splashing and flailing.
Of course, nothing happened.
Seeing the Beastman's comical actions, Andrew couldn't help but laugh.