Chapter 371 - Truly Delicious

After all, the next step was to jointly build a new village; racial barriers had to be broken down as soon as possible for effective collaboration.But such matters were never simple.

Gaven sighed and was the first to step forward.

The gnoll cook, quick to act, took out a large wooden bowl, filled it, and then placed a large pancake on top before handing it to Gaven.

Kopofiel was only half a step behind Gaven and headed to the next pot.

With their lead, many of the younger soldiers naturally followed suit.

The rest was easy; others only needed to follow their example.

Most of the Thacel refugees automatically stepped forward, while a small portion, more cautious, hesitated nearby.

Kopofiel frowned and stood up, walking to a gnoll cook and said, "Another serving for me."

"Use your own bowl, woof, and you can add more after you finish," the gnoll cook said earnestly.

This was a rule set by Gaven at the beginning in Blackwell: a new bowl once handed over belonged to the individual, food was provided sufficiently, but waste was not permitted—you could have more after finishing your portion.

It was initially for the convenience of gnoll management.

Unexpectedly, after the change in gnoll cooks, they treated it as a traditional custom to be passed down.

Since it effectively prevented waste, Gaven let it be.

The stubborn gnoll cooks, even when facing non-gnolls, stuck to the same routine, even when it was clear Kopofiel had other intentions.

Gaven spoke up from the side, "Give him a fresh bowl."

"Here." Although the gnoll cook wasn’t very smart, he obeyed Gaven’s orders without question, immediately serving a fresh bowl for Kopofiel.

Kopofiel, holding his meal, approached an older man and said, "Mr. Leibai, please enjoy your meal."

Leibai looked troubled and hesitant, "But, this was made by gnolls..."

Kopofiel spoke with deep sincerity, "Mr. Leibai, you should understand the principle of ’when in Rome, do as the Romans do’ the best. When we chose to leave the refugee camp and follow Lord Gaven to this place, it meant that we were to accept all arrangements made by our lord.

Lord Gaven has just taken me to see that these gnolls have been specially brought in to help build our new home.

If you refuse their food now, will you also refuse the houses they build later?

Cast aside the prejudices in your heart and treat everything with a normal attitude."

Kopofiel’s voice was not low, and rather than speaking to Leibai, it was more for those Thacel refugees who were reluctant to come forward for their meals.

In Kopofiel’s eyes, it wasn’t merely about a meal, but also about showing willingness to comply.

Gaven stood up at this time and approached a gnoll cook, taking the ladle from his hands, and said to Kopofiel, "General, it’s human nature to be wary of strangers, even among the same race, let alone strange races. Give them some time. The rest of the meal, I will serve for them..."

The Thacel refugee named Leibai bowed to Gaven and said, "Lord Gaven thinks of us in every way, and if we cannot even trust this much, how can we integrate into the new territory, the new life."

With that, he walked up to a gnoll cook and said, "A bowl for me, please."

Being not too clever has its advantages; at least the gnolls do not have too many ulterior thoughts in their minds.

Without hesitation and sticking to the rule, the gnoll cook served Leibai a bowl.

Leibai tasted it immediately, his eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, "Delicious."

With Leibai setting an example, the remaining refugees, without waiting for Kopofiel’s gaze to fall on them, stepped forward on their own initiative.

You face the same fate whether you step forward or not.

This meal had to be eaten no matter what.

Because the nature had changed, it was an implicit declaration of loyalty.

And once the meal began, it seemed not so hard to accept, because, as Leibai just said, it was indeed delicious.

The beginning is always the hardest.

Having taken this first step, what followed became much simpler.

If one could disregard physical appearance and engage with them over a long period, one would find that gnolls are a very likable race.

An intelligence a notch lower than normal races stopped them from being cunning and deceitful, but they worked with self-discipline and dedication.

Yet, they were not so simple-minded as to be utterly beyond help, like those with true intellectual disabilities.

No one would dislike a hardworking and capable individual.

Especially when they knew that the gnolls were building houses for them.

Of course, expecting them to completely assimilate over the course of one meal was nothing more than a fantasy.

Kopofiel and the others hadn’t even been there for two hours when more than eighty women and children arrived by water.

Accompanying them were Darnell and three Holy Warrior Apprentices.

Gaven had entrusted them with the escort.

The waterway from Black Feather Bridge to Yewen Pond was right on their doorstep, where their reputation was formidable.

With his presence, all evils gave way, allowing unimpeded passage.

As the two paths converged, Thacel Refugee Camp in Battle Valley was relocated by Gaven to the Three Rivers Region.

From that moment on, they were no longer refugees but Tesser immigrants, lawful residents of the Three Rivers Region.

The Gnoll Camp and the Tesser Camp were separated by a small mound, one to the south and the other to the north.

Most of the time, there was no interaction between them; they each went about their own business.

Only at meal times did both sides converge at the top of the small mound, and the entire process involved silently collecting food without much communication.

Even if there was communication, it was limited to a few high-ranking leaders discussing the construction of the new village.

After serious negotiations, most of the construction work for the new village was still given to the Gnolls; on the side of the Tesser immigrants, only a dozen or so construction personnel were allocated to assist.

The rest of the Tesser immigrants engaged in activities they were more skilled at, such as clearing the land, fishing, and so on.

Since Kopofiel arranged for a dozen immigrants to specialize in fishing,

the Gnoll’s stew pot was filled with fish half the time.

This was the advantage of a land with a sparse population but abundant wildlife, especially the foolish fish of Yewen Pond—plump, large, and plentiful. The moment a hook was thrown in, a bite would follow; even a casual angler could easily catch fish.

Compared with the estranged relationship with the Gnolls,

The Tesser immigrants’ relationship with the Demi-Human inhabitants of Anbao Boat Village progressed rapidly, to the point of being relaxed and joyful.

The Demi-Human’s talent to quickly integrate into other races played a role, as well as the fact that within the Tesser immigrants, there were several Demi-Human families.

In the process of their exchange, they inevitably discussed the new Lord of the land, and through exchanging information, they gained a deeper understanding of this Half-Elf.

After making arrangements for the Thacel Refugees in Battle Valley, Gaven, accompanied by Darnell, Kopofiel, and others, went straight to Weizemay Manor.

The moment they entered Weizemay Manor, it wasn’t just Kopofiel and Ceylon, who were visiting for the first time, but also Darnell and two Paladins on a return visit, who couldn’t help but shiver uncontrollably.

Kopofiel finally understood why Gaven had said this place was not suitable for habitation.

Even if one were to let those refugees live here, no one would dare to stay; no one could sleep peacefully in what was veritably a Ghost Manor.

Darnell looked at Gaven with a strange expression and said, "What exactly have you done to this place? Why is the negative energy here heavier than before? Without prior knowledge, one might think they’ve entered the Shadow Plane!"

"Because of this," Gaven snapped his fingers.

Estelle, her daughter, and six Dwarves Bound Wraiths simultaneously appeared out of nowhere.

Several Paladins instinctively reached for their weapons. Female Holy Warrior Ceylon had the most intense reaction, drawing her sword immediately.

If Gaven hadn’t anticipated her reaction and stepped diagonally in front of her, she would probably have charged forward by now.

"Move aside; they are a group of ghosts, a group of evil beings, they must be purified," Ceylon said with a raised brow and a cold voice.

"Miss Ceylon, please calm down. It’s not your place to make decisions here. If you dare to do something extreme, don’t blame me for expelling you from the manor," Gaven said sternly.

To him, she was just a troublesome girl.

If not for Darnell, he definitely would not have brought her to Weizemay Manor.

"You dare..." Ceylon’s expression became more stern, as her longsword began to shimmer with a resplendent holy light, and she lunged toward Estelle and the others.

Bang!

Ceylon had only charged two steps before she hit an invisible barrier and was bounced back.

The Manor’s Mystlock Locks rose and expelled her to the outside.

"Let me in, you’re condoning evil, you’re harboring filth, these are all evil beings and should not remain here. This manor is also evil and must be burned to the ground," Ceylon forcefully slashed at the Mystlock Locks, causing only ripples, unable to damage them in the slightest.

She was merely a Holy Warrior Apprentice at the moment, lacking the ability to threaten even the lowest level Mystlock Locks.

Gaven couldn’t help but sigh and said, "Mr. Darnell, I told you before, we shouldn’t have let Miss Ceylon come with us. Look at the trouble now. I’m afraid she’ll stubbornly fixate on the manor and on me in the future."

Darnell also showed a hint of helplessness, "I had heard from our teacher that this new student took an extreme stance on undead. I didn’t expect it to be to this extent. This mishap is my mistake in judgment. However, I did not foresee the situation here at the manor to be so grave..."

Dick couldn’t resist whispering on the side, "I heard that Miss Ceylon’s father was killed by the undead, hence her relative extremism."

"Those who choose the path of a Paladin for that reason are the most numerous," Darnell couldn’t help sighing and said, "And such people are often the ones most prone to stray from the Paladin’s path, tempted by an evil god or a more powerful evil force, and fall to become a Dark Guard, because from the start, they are not motivated by justice or welfare, but by the power of revenge."

Considering Ceylon’s potential future path, Darnell’s words today seemed particularly apt for her.

Estelle bowed apologetically, "I’m sorry, Mr. Darnell. It is troublesome for you, and we didn’t want this..."

Darnell waved his hand, "Madam, you need not apologize. The fault does not lie with you. I came here just to warn you: always guard your conscience and don’t be swayed by your own negative emotions. Negative energy specializes in this. I hope I will never have to raise my Warhammer against you one day."

Estelle spoke earnestly, "I will heed your advice, sir. We will ensure that such an event never happens."

"I hope so," Darnell said, unable to hide his worry. However, many things are not always determined by personal will.

He had seen countless good people consumed by hatred, jealousy, and other negative emotions, twisted into the most terrifying beings.

Even if reluctant, there would come a time when he had no choice but to raise his Warhammer.

Darnell pondered for a moment, resolved to ask something of Gaven, "Mr. Gaven, I have a small request."

"Please speak," Gaven said, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

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