Chapter 307: Varden 9

"Even if it’s just a bluff, we shouldn’t take the risk. It’s never wrong to be cautious. Our group is small, and we don’t have many weapons. We can’t afford any casualties, nor can we waste bullets. If we get into a nasty fight, forget about our supplies and livestock—we probably won’t be able to escape unscathed ourselves."

Taylor Vance pointed to a spot on the map of Mount Caldera. "The mountain range here is complex. It’s easy to defend but hard to attack. If someone were to ambush us in there, we’d have a hard time getting out."

"I agree with Mr. Vance," Evelyn Ford was the first to state her position. "A detour will cost us time, but we’re not in that much of a rush. I don’t want to take the risk."

"I’m with Evelyn," Wyatt Vaughn said, raising his hand.

Quincy, Officer Graham, and Wendy then raised their hands as well.

Peter Owens glanced at Miles Vaughn, then at Evelyn Ford, and finally raised his hand.

"I’ll listen to Evelyn, too."

Miles Vaughn hadn’t expected that no one would take his side. "I just thought it would shorten the trip. Plus, we could get some supplies, just like we did at Norvane Base. We could trade with them."

"Those are two completely different things. The terrain around Norvane Base was simple, and there weren’t many of them. Mount Caldera is different. The terrain is the biggest problem. And for the record, I believe the rumors that there are over two thousand people there, and I believe it’s a den of bandits."

Evelyn Ford felt there was some truth to the rumor. Her sixth sense was telling her to take the detour.

"All right, then." Miles Vaughn was convinced.

Just as they were talking, Chief Scott returned. This time, he had two young women with him. Evelyn Ford took a closer look. ’Isn’t that Chloe Scott and Summer Lowell?’

The moment he appeared, Taylor Vance immediately understood the chief’s intent. He was the first to get up and walk over.

"Chief Scott, what brings you here so late?"

"Oh, no reason in particular. I just wanted to check on you all. I heard you’re leaving tomorrow. That’s tough, only resting for two or three days before having to hit the road again." Chief Scott was a cunning man. He glanced at the group and pushed Chloe Scott and Summer Lowell forward.

"This is my daughter, Chloe Scott, and this is Summer Lowell. I’ll be frank. I noticed you have quite a few single men in your group, and I was hoping to play matchmaker. Summer Lowell is from Rivenia. Her husband passed away, and she has a son, a daughter, and an elderly father. Chloe Scott is my daughter. Her good-for-nothing husband was sent off to the coal mines, so she’s single now and has no children. If any of you are interested, now’s your chance to get to know them."

Evelyn Ford almost wanted to applaud. ’To get them to stay—no, to be more accurate, to get ahold of the livestock in their backyard—the chief actually came up with such a scheme. It was rather unexpected.’

"This... I don’t think this is appropriate." Taylor Vance’s smile was faltering.

"Why not? Summer Lowell and Chloe Scott are both single, and you have plenty of single men. You could pair up and build a life. Summer Lowell even has two children—the older one is twelve and can help with work, and the younger one is ten and very hardworking."

"You’ve misunderstood, Chief Scott," Taylor Vance said, rejecting him outright. "What I mean is, the single men in our group aren’t looking for partners."

"What’s the point of living without a woman?" Chief Scott turned and signaled for Chloe Scott to speak. Chloe Scott coughed once, her gaze landing pointedly on Officer Graham.

"Sir," she began, "I have a house. This must be your daughter, right? You could both move right in with me."

Officer Graham was speechless.

"Your husband..."

"Who knows if he’ll ever come back alive. We can just forget about him."

Speechless, Officer Graham pulled Wendy to stand behind him.

"Don’t you worry about that. The men who go to the mines almost never come back. You can settle down here with peace of mind." As Chief Scott spoke, he reached out to pat Wendy’s head, but Evelyn Ford blocked him.

"All three of you, we are leaving tomorrow. We will not be staying here. It’s late, and we need to rest. Please leave the inn."

Chief Scott opened his mouth to say more, but Ronan Kendrick suddenly pulled a dagger from his pocket and began toying with it. The chief hastily took a step back.

"I came here in good faith to make a match! Summer Lowell, who do you have your eye on? Speak up."

Summer Lowell’s gaze swept across the group before surprisingly landing on Ronan Kendrick.

"You... Are you single?"

Ronan Kendrick’s gaze turned icy as he pulled Evelyn Ford’s hand into his. Seeing this, Summer Lowell looked toward Miles Vaughn, who shot a glare right back at her.

"Chief Scott, I don’t think there’s a suitable match for them here. You should probably look for someone else."

"What’s not suitable about it? In times like these, you’re all still acting so prudish. We’re all just trying to get by. What’s so bad about staying in our village? You, sir," she said, "you should stay."

Chloe Scott had genuinely taken a liking to Officer Graham. Even though he had a slight limp, he was efficient and hardworking, tall, and looked like a man who knew how to build a stable life.

Officer Graham, unable to get away from her, could only keep retreating.

"What the hell is wrong with you people, trying to force yourselves on us? Are you nuts?" Miles Vaughn’s short temper finally snapped.

"Get out of here, now. Or we won’t be so polite."

Chief Scott’s expression turned ugly, but after being told to leave several times, he had no choice but to signal for the two women to go.

But Chloe Scott refused to give up. "Things will only be worse for you in Frelia! We still have food here. If you go there, they’ll confiscate all your supplies and send you to the mines. You will definitely regret this."

"Please leave," Taylor Vance said, his smile gone. He looked at the three of them with a serious expression.

"Fine, we’ll leave. My daughter’s right—you will regret this. You’ll regret it when you’re living in the slums of Frelia, starving, cold, and getting bullied by everyone."

After his parting shot, Chief Scott dragged Chloe Scott away, with Summer Lowell hurrying to follow.

"What kind of people are they? They must have screws loose. If they’re after the livestock in the backyard, they should just say so instead of pulling this disgusting stunt." If he weren’t mindful that this was Lenny’s Inn, Miles Vaughn felt he would have thrown the three of them out himself.

"It’s a good thing we’re leaving tomorrow. If I had to live in this village, I think I’d have a breakdown."

"The villagers probably use this trick on every group of refugees that passes through here. They get them to stay, take their supplies, then find a way to send the men to the mines before looking for the next sucker." After hearing Quincy’s analysis, everyone agreed it made sense.

"It’s an elaborate scheme. You could easily fall into their trap if you weren’t careful."

Back in their bedroom, Evelyn Ford looked at Ronan Kendrick with a grin.

"What is it?"

"Are you angry?" Ronan Kendrick asked, taking her hand and swinging it gently.

Evelyn Ford shook her head. "I’m not angry. Their behavior was bizarre, but in a way, it’s understandable. People will stop at nothing to survive."

Evelyn Ford lay down. "I’m so sleepy. Time for bed. We have to get an early start tomorrow."

In the next room, Wendy was frowning, a confused look on her face. "Wyatt, did my dad reject that woman just now because of me?"

"Partly because of you, yes. But for another, that woman didn’t seem like a good person. And there’s one more reason, which is the most important one: your dad only has your mom in his heart."

Wendy nodded. "I understand."