Chapter 32 - 28: The Girl

Durant certainly couldn’t understand.

In Luo De’s eyes, anyone who can survive alone outside the town is definitely not an ordinary person; perhaps he is as skilled a hunter as Rein.

Luo De had even thought of what to say to persuade him to join Frost Leaf Town, and what promises to make.

But now he had been alive and bitten to death by a black bear!

All carefully laid plans were gone!

This sense of losing control drove Luo De crazy, yet he had no means to change it.

Taking it a step further, even if he was an ordinary person, Luo De never wanted to see such a scene.

Even if that person didn’t live in Frost Leaf Town, even if he resided here illegally, he was still one of Luo De’s subjects!

And definitely not to be eaten by a black bear!

"Come quickly, Lord!"

Rein stood at the wooden house’s entrance and shouted, pacifying Luo De’s anger.

He spat towards the bear’s head, flicked the blood off his sword, and calmed himself, then walked into the house.

Typical Northern Territory wooden house style, with a few animal skins and deer head decorations hanging on the walls, besides that nothing else special.

Rein stood in the corner, beside him was a lifted wooden plank, below it was the entrance to a cellar.

"Come and see."

At Rein’s prompting, Luo De approached and looked down.

A girl in her teens was holding her younger siblings, with the three children huddled together in fear.

The older girl was about the same age as Shanni, the fourteen-year-old maid, the other two boys were under ten.

Luo De took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and softly said,

"I am Luo De Tulip, Lord of Black Pine Ridge, the black bear has been slain by me, you’re safe now, come on out."

Upon finishing, Luo De extended his hand to the girl.

The girl hesitated momentarily while gazing at Luo De’s handsome and gentle face, then stood up, lifting her youngest brother to hand him over to Luo De.

"Careful."

Luo De took the brother and set him aside, and then helped the sister out, extending his hand to the last girl.

But the girl didn’t reach out, standing there timidly, she said: "I can’t lift her."

"Her?"

Luo De was momentarily stunned, adjusted his position, and followed the girl’s line of sight to see there was a short-haired girl lying slumped in the corner against the wall, eyes shut, state unknown.

"You come up first, I’ll handle her."

The little girl nodded, grasped Luo De’s hand and climbed up.

Luo De immediately jumped down into the cellar to the girl’s side, frowning slightly.

The girl’s face was covered in dirt, yet he could still discern the delicate and lovely features, the elegant and fluid jawline, with fair, radiant skin that seemed incongruous with the beauty of the Northern Wilderness.

Luo De was not captivated by the girl’s beauty, his focus was instead on her identity.

She did not belong to this wooden house; she was a noble.

The cellar wasn’t the place for reflection, Luo De stepped forward to carry the girl up, bringing her out of the cellar and placing her on the bed.

Luo De originally intended to inquire the little girl about the girl’s background, but heard cries coming from outside, he could only postpone.

"Alya."

Luo De called softly, Alya pacified the children with two guards and swiftly entered the room.

"Check how she is."

"Yes, my lord."

Alya acknowledged and came forward to check the girl’s physical condition.

Although Alya was no herbalist, she had learned a lot from her mother, being capable of handling common external injuries.

"She has several abrasions, none are serious, her calf was bitten, but signs of herbal application were present."

Alya examined carefully, leaning down to sniff, "Golden Chrysanthemum and Lion’s Tooth Grass, appropriately used."

Then Alya touched the girl’s forehead briefly, finally confirming to Luo De: "She’s fine, should wake up soon."

Luo De nodded and said: "Check if she carries anything special on her, preferably some proof of her identity."

"Alright."

Alya lowered her head to search, quickly finding a brooch in the girl’s bosom and handed it to Luo De.

Looking at the emblem on the brooch, Luo De turned and went out the door, handing the brooch to Durant.

"Look at this, things have gotten intriguing."

Durant took the brooch, puzzled, involuntarily inhaling sharply.

Beside him, Gang Le stretched his neck to peer over curiously asking: "Is this a... eagle?"

"It’s a Griffin," Durant corrected.

Luo De nodded, "She’s from the Red Griffin Clan."

"Ah?"

Gang Le was full of astonishment.

Luo De was intent on not having Gang Le merely remain a head soldier, wanting to develop him so he had broader knowledge, thus sharing surrounding forces and the information Durant brings back with him.

Gang Le had gained some understanding of the surrounding circumstances.

"Then who is she from the Red Griffin Clan? How did she get here?"

Luo De didn’t answer immediately, sizing up the girl’s appearance again.

After a moment’s hesitation, Luo De finally spoke: "Here is the closest place to Razor Plain."

"I suspect she is the Lord from Razor Plain who was shredded."

Durant nodded in agreement.

With no attendants, appearing here alone, yet still bearing noble demeanor, one can’t help but think this.

However, there were many doubts.

Most significantly, how did she escape, why do outer rumors say she was dead.

These questions, only when the girl awakens can they be answered.

Alya was responsible for tending the girl, Luo De and others dug a pit in the yard, placing the dead couple inside and burying them, preventing beasts from digging them up.

Undoubtedly, these three children in the wild would not survive long; Luo De had to bring them back to Frost Leaf Town, the abandoned yard could conveniently serve as the couple’s burial site.

"Such a pity,"

Rein looked at the graves and sighed, "He probably had been wasted by a pack of wolves, and then ambushed by this black bear, causing this."

Rein found two Desert Wolf corpses in the yard, covered with leaves and dirt, obviously dragged back.

If possible, hunters would not squander their prey this way.

This indicated that when the hunter returned, he was already spent, dragging the catches out of necessity.

And people usually think of black bears as fierce and brutal, not realizing they can also be very cunning.

Unless particularly hungry, they might stalk and ambush prey, seizing the chance for a lethal surprise attack.

"That is the downside of living alone."

Luo De’s face was solemn, "Especially in a place like the Northern Wilderness, you’ll never know if tomorrow or the unforeseen comes first.

Only by everyone gathering and cooperating can you have a safe and stable life."

Rein and others nodded, agreeing with Luo De.

"I wonder how many scattered families like this are in Black Pine Ridge."

Luo De sighed and commanded: "Durant, once back, collect news from all townsfolk regarding Desert wanderers, for any confirmed, reward them thirty pounds of rye each."

"Yes, Lord Baron." Durant promptly nodded and replied.

"Alright, Rein, deal with the hunt, start a fire and make some food."

Luo De instructed casually and was just about to return indoors to rest, when Alya dashed out,

"She’s awake!"