Chapter 38 - 38 35 The Hiring from the Lizardfolk_1

38: Chapter 35 The Hiring from the Lizardfolk_1 38: Chapter 35 The Hiring from the Lizardfolk_1 Gaven guessed correctly; indeed, there was a graveyard of cargo trucks here, some of them still quite fresh, probably abandoned only a few months ago. Some were half-sunk into the muddy ground, half-rotted, covered in various fungi. Those, for the most part, were of no repair value—to use them for firewood would be considered too much of a hassle. Others had been dismantled, leaving only a skeletal frame behind; it was hard to tell whether other merchant caravans had taken parts or whether the nearby Lizardfolk had dismantled them for use as firewood. A rough estimate would put at least a hundred trucks here with some repair value. Gaven’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and he took a bold step forward, shielding Anna behind him, gripping his Hand Cannon in one hand and resting his hand on his Longsword with another, he shouted at someone not too far away, “Who’s there? Come out!” “Worthy Adventurer, such high vigilance… sss… please, do not misunderstand, sss… I mean no harm!” A voice sounded from deep within the graveyard of trucks, quite awkward in the common tongue and carrying strange syllables, one could tell at once it was not made by Humans. A figure slowly emerged; their whole body covered in dark green Scale Armor, slightly lighter on the chest and abdomen, a thick tail swinging back and forth, and a Lizard-like head with no hair but a tuft of mane growing upright like golden flames, a mix of gold and red. This person looked more like an upright-walking giant lizard than a Human. This member of the Lizardfolk seemed somewhat aged, with a more bent body, dimmer scales, and eyes that were gentler than those of other Lizardfolk, flickering with mature wisdom. <img data-ywcc-imgId=”10007462″ data-ywcc-path=”/imgChapter/10065732803115001/25111019001023704/10007462/6ef64bf1f606a42b82abe59b287e6eadm9cbKn8426kN42r.jpg”> “If you had no ill intentions, why were you following us?” Gaven wasn’t one to judge by appearances, and he still didn’t relax his grip on his weapons. “Following? No… no… seeking might be the better word… sss, I came specifically to find a caravan… the Adventurer… they said you had come this way… sss, so I followed… sss, I did not mean to cause a misunderstanding,” the Lizardfolk hastily explained. Gaven quickly gauged the direction from which the other had appeared and couldn’t help but believe him somewhat. They had taken a few detours to avoid what seemed like Traps, so a native of the swamp might naturally know the terrain better and have arrived before them. “What business do you have with us?” Gaven had more or less guessed the purpose of his approach. “Employment! Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I wish to hire… the Adventurers, to help resolve… sss… the trouble troubling my tribe… sss…” Gaven showed an ‘as I thought’ expression, and then declined straightaway, “Sorry, we are not the kind of mercenaries you’re looking for, we do not take on additional jobs, please find someone else!” “Sss… I know the rules of you Adventurers… I will prepare a generous reward…” the Lizardfolk hastily said. “This isn’t about the money,” Gaven replied firmly, making it clear he didn’t want any additional complications. “Why not listen to my request first?” the Lizardfolk said, his gaze lingering on Anna, as if he thought she might be easier to persuade than Gaven. “Sorry, not interested, Anna, let’s go.” The Lizardfolk’s approach backfired, only managing to irritate Gaven further, who then pulled Anna away. “Oh!” Although Anna looked very interested in the matter, seeing Gaven’s firm attitude, she dared not interject and obediently followed behind. In her eyes, Gaven was a kind and powerful Adventurer; there must be a reason for his actions. The Lizardfolk initially tried to follow, but seeing Gaven’s icy gaze and the Longsword ready to be drawn at any moment, he wisely stopped his advance and watched them walk away. “Mr. Gaven, why not accept his quest? Aren’t you adventurers?” Anna eventually couldn’t restrain her curiosity. “First off, if their entire tribe can’t handle it, it’s definitely not a trivial matter. Right now, our strength is quite weak, and we might not be able to assist them, and secondly, we don’t understand their tribe and can’t judge the truth of what he said. Also, the swamp environment is peculiar. Once we delve in and find the task far exceeds our abilities, we wouldn’t even be able to run.” Mr. Gaven taught her thoughtfully, “Being an adventurer does not mean ignoring all dangers and rushing forward. You must assess the risks involved with each quest and your own strength. Any mission that exceeds your power should not be touched because it could very well lead to the destruction of your entire party, and then there would be no one to save us.” There was another possibility that Gaven didn’t mention. The mission itself might be a trap, and they the prey. This doesn’t even touch on the darker aspects of humanity because they’re not humans to begin with. In many Lizardfolk eyes, humans are just food, no different from cattle or sheep. This wasn’t something that could be explained in a few words. Anna would have to experience it slowly over time. Anna listened seriously and nodded repeatedly, but she couldn’t help asking, “Then why not at least hear out what difficulties they’ve encountered?” “If we’ve already decided not to take his quest, why bother listening? If you hear a terribly tragic story but can do nothing to help, wouldn’t that just add to your own psychological burden?” Gaven was sure that from the mouth of that old Lizardman, there would definitely be a tragic tale. That was the usual routine. “I see,” Anna nodded, but couldn’t help looking back at the old Lizardman who had disappeared from sight. Being kind-hearted, she felt uncomfortable when unable to help someone asking for it, even if the other party wasn’t human. “If you truly want to help him, wait until you’ve grown strong enough, and then returning isn’t too late,” Gaven advised, offering Anna what was not so much a suggestion but a diversion. “Alright, I’ll definitely become stronger as quickly as I can,” Anna said, her spirits lifting considerably as she clenched her small fists with force. The pure-minded girl didn’t consider other possibilities. Time was for development, and when she became strong enough. The village’s predicament would either have been resolved or, because of it, completely destroyed. The chances of it waiting for her were slim to none. These matters were no longer Gaven’s concern. Life naturally couldn’t always go as one wishes, and that was true even if one lived it all again. In the following days, Gaven kept a close eye on Anna’s movements, fearing that the naive girl might impulsively try to help the Lizardman on her own. Fortunately, while she was kind-hearted, she wasn’t foolish, at least knowing her own limits. Without Gaven and Vick, she couldn’t possibly aid the other party. The cunning old Lizardman had approached Anna in private, telling her his tribe’s tragic story. Because Anna turned around and came straight to Gaven with it. The old Lizardman’s tribe lived near a Gatu Swamp Beast which had been feeding on the tribespeople long before his time. After he took office, he came up with a plan to appease the beast by proactively feeding it with fish and livestock monthly, so as long as it met its needs, the Gatu Swamp Beast would no longer trouble them. This peaceful existence lasted several years, but the issue was, the Gatu Swamp Beast disappeared for a while and upon its return, it was pregnant. It soon gave birth to offspring, three in one go.