Translator: AnubisTL
Sierre Wilderness, Creekwood Town.
After an initial period of terror and endless, agonizing days of lockdown, the merchants, adventurers, and ordinary residents confined within the small town were astonished to find their taut nerves gradually relaxing.
They realized with bewilderment that the monsters stationed here behaved in ways utterly contrary to the savage, bloodthirsty image they had been led to expect.
Their appearances remained monstrous and terrifying, their claws and fangs still gleamed with cold light.
Yet they also adhered to an invisible but inviolable order, actively restraining their fangs and claws.
As long as the inhabitants strictly obeyed the laws issued by the Ironforged Tribe and avoided provoking conflict, these guards stood like silent statues, inflicting no harm without cause.
This was not weakness.
The townspeople had witnessed the monsters' brutal side in the town square or near the gallows.
Anyone who dared to break the iron laws—theft, fatal private duels, or attacks on guards—faced thunderbolt-like punishment.
Depending on the severity of the crime, penalties included, but were not limited to: public floggings with salt-soaked hide whips; amputation of limbs; gruesome public hangings; or outright beheadings for repeat offenders.
What surprised people even more was that the Ironforged Tribe, instead of destroying or ravaging Creekwood Town, began implementing strict controls while simultaneously undertaking massive expansion and renovation projects.
They even deployed industrial-grade alchemy golems! These colossal constructs tirelessly compacted the earth, paved roads, and reinforced the town walls.
Even more astonishing, the monsters posted recruitment notices, openly hiring adventurers and laborers for territory construction at fair wages, along with a variety of special tasks.
For example:
Maintain Lord Ludwig the Green Dragon's scales and trim his claws.
- Completionists will receive paralysis fruit cultivated by the green dragon.
Initially, the lingering fear remained, but being confined indefinitely was not a viable long-term solution.
Several bold or cash-strapped adventurers applied for the construction jobs.
They worked with a death-defying resolve, only to find that after diligently completing their tasks, they received the promised compensation exactly as stipulated in the contract—quickly and without a single deduction!
The goblin responsible for tracking work hours, verifying quality, and distributing pay was sharp-eyed and efficient.
These short-statured creatures were notorious for their cunning and greed. Yet this time, they displayed none of their usual evasiveness, delays, or underhanded tactics. Instead, their efficiency was astonishing.
Afterward, the adventurers repeatedly checked their accounts but found no trace of cheating or shortchanging.
The power of word-of-mouth was immense. Seeing the first adventurers not only survive but also profit handsomely, the greed in many hearts overwhelmed their doubts and fears. With mixed feelings, they threw themselves into the rebuilding efforts of this wilderness town.
Time flowed past like a stream.
Creekwood Town transformed almost daily. Within a month, its size had expanded severalfold.
Rows of new houses replaced the dilapidated shacks, and wide, clean stone streets crisscrossed the town.
More importantly, thanks to the Ironforged Tribe's strict but effective governance, the town's security underwent a radical transformation. The once-common, bloody street brawls and deadly conflicts were suppressed to mere scuffles and minor altercations.
Order—a luxury at the wilderness's edge—had unexpectedly descended upon Creekwood Town with the arrival of the monsters.
Just as the town was flourishing and thriving, the green dragon Ludwig formally announced: The blockade of Creekwood Town is lifted!
As people gathered at the formerly heavily guarded and seemingly impregnable exit, they found the burly ogre guards still standing on either side of the gate, exuding their usual oppressive presence. Yet their stances were now relaxed and casual, a far cry from their former tense vigilance, as if to say, "Leave if you want, I don't care."
When the first bold soul trembled as they stepped outside the town and, to their surprise, faced no pursuit, more and more people began to attempt to leave.
However, these departures were mostly temporary.
After wandering outside for a while and breathing in a few mouthfuls of free air, they would invariably return to the town.
Only a tiny handful truly chose to flee Creekwood Town permanently.
Over the past month of close proximity, the townsfolk had come to see that these monsters, though fearsome in appearance, were lawful and would not slaughter innocents. The fear in their hearts had long since vanished.
Moreover, with these powerful creatures maintaining order and defending the town against the ferocious beasts and demonic creatures roaming the surrounding wilderness, Creekwood Town's security had reached unprecedented levels.
Those who dared to make a living in this lawless land were either utterly fearless or utterly desperate.
They had endured the hardships of Creekwood Town when it was still a dilapidated and backward place. Now, after their own efforts had transformed it into a prosperous, safe, and comfortable town, they were considering leaving? It was an absurd joke.
Moreover, the changes weren't limited to Creekwood Town.
Extending outward from both sides of the Scaly Earth Rift Road, the deep forests and rugged canyons were now dotted with Ironforged Tribe patrol posts.
The ferocious beasts and demonic creatures that had once ravaged and attacked the area had been systematically driven out or slain, dramatically improving the safety of the entire trade route.
In addition, the Ironforged Tribe's reputation, which had been established here over twenty years ago, was once again spreading.
Word had it that since the region returned to the Ironforged Tribe's control, the number of merchant caravans passing through had not decreased but increased, making it even more bustling and prosperous than during the Albert Family's rule.
More and more people were stopping here to rest, and even considering staying to explore business opportunities.
Therefore,
When the weather cleared and brilliant sunshine poured unreservedly onto the land,
When the Flower Knight Charles Haynes arrived at Creekwood Town, travel-worn and alone, and stepped onto the wide, paved road of smooth stone,
The scene that met his eyes was starkly different from the tragic images of monsters ravaging and enslaving the populace that had been ingrained in his mind.
Instead, he saw streets clean and orderly, houses gleaming and new, a steady flow of people moving with purpose, and shops lining the thoroughfares in a scene of vibrant prosperity.
The din of conversation, the clang of hammers in the blacksmith shop, and the cries of vendors hawking their wares mingled into a lively symphony, brimming with vitality.
For a moment, the young and handsome knight almost believed he was in a prosperous and peaceful town in the Federation, not in the heart of the perilous Sierre Wilderness, a land ruled by the law of the jungle.
The stark contrast between the brutal reality he had anticipated and the vibrant scene before him left him momentarily stunned.
"Human, hiss... Don't stand there gawking in the middle of the road and blocking traffic."
A serpentman guard, her waist adorned with a curved blade and her vertical pupils glinting, reminded him in a cold tone, her forked tongue flicking slightly.
"My apologies, my deepest apologies." Charles snapped out of his daze and quickly stepped aside to clear the path.
When he noticed that the serpentman guard was a lithe female with exotic features, the knight's innate chivalry and warmth instantly ignited.
"Beautiful serpentwoman, I thank you for your kind reminder."
He performed an elegant bow, a common courtesy among adventurers, then adopted a perfectly crafted expression of distress.
"I'm new to this place and completely unfamiliar with it, as if I've lost my way. Might I be so fortunate as to ask you to guide me on my path?"
The serpent-woman guard asked, "Where do you wish to go?"
"My lady," Charles said, his signature sun-kissed smile capable of making countless maidens blush. With a flourish as if conjuring magic, he flipped his right hand, and a dew-kissed red rose materialized at his fingertips.
"The destination I yearn to reach is your heart."
Though dressed in ordinary adventurer's attire, his handsome features proved impossible to conceal completely.
The serpent-woman guard scrutinized him thoroughly, her gaze neither shy nor hesitant. The tip of her flexible tail shot out and snatched the rose.
Without warning, she twisted her waist and leaned forward, her cool, smooth cheek nearly brushing against Charles's face.
Hiss—
She flicked her forked tongue, a gesture both provocative and wild, and lightly licked the knight's cheek. Then, to the instantly frozen, wide-eyed Charles, she hissed, "Human, do you wish to mate with me?"
"No problem. I've been wanting to taste what humans are like anyway."
"M-Misunderstanding! A terrible misunderstanding!"
The Flower Knight never expected such a direct and wild response. The cool, slick sensation on his cheek hadn't even faded before he was blushing furiously, scrambling to his feet and fleeing in a panic. The nearby townsfolk chuckled.
"Such a strange human," the Serpent Woman murmured, shaking her head in confusion as she toyed with the rose. She watched the knight's flustered retreat and muttered to herself.
"If he likes me, why run away? Humans are so baffling."
She felt she would never understand their convoluted, indirect ways of thinking.
Meanwhile, Charles wandered through Creekwood Town, his mood gradually calming. He eventually entered the liveliest tavern in town.
His doubts grew heavier.
(End of the Chapter)
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