Chapter 141 : Chapter 141
Chapter 141. He Who Does Not Work, Neither Shall He Eat
Not knowing that the tribe's Chieftain had personally set out to find them, the Lizardmen were receiving meals in the humans' territory.
Wearing an apron, Pirenzo Korva stirred the bucket containing soup with a ladle and shouted.
“Alright, stand in a single file and take your soup!”
Armandy Stein turned the pages of the ledger next to him and distributed bread according to the number of weeds the Lizardmen had pulled.
“Let’s see…… You pulled five hundred weeds, so one bread. You, four hundred? Then no bread.”
They had no choice but to receive the exact amount of bread and watery soup corresponding to how much they worked in the morning.
Compared to the Lizardmen's large frames, it was a ridiculously small amount.
Furthermore, Lizardmen who properly pulled weeds were rare. It was natural since it was their first time doing field work.
The basic watery soup had almost no solid ingredients, so it didn't fill their stomachs.
The Lizardmen, feeling aggrieved, started chattering amongst themselves.
“Brother, it seems they really won't give us anything if we don't pull weeds.”
“Damn it! What are we supposed to do if we can't reach five hundred no matter how much we pull!”
Frustrated, a Lizardman kicked the ground full of weeds.
It was better to swing a sword all day than to squat and hoe.
Does it make sense to work eating only this kind of watery soup?
The Lizardmen had never eaten food in such a poor environment.
To have to stand in a single line and eat whatever is given obediently.
Eventually, the Lizardmen who finished the soup stood up from their seats.
“Does this make sense! How are we supposed to work without giving us a single piece of bread!”
“Right! Give at least one bread per person! We are still hungry!”
They came in front of Armandy Stein, who was distributing bread, and raised their voices in protest.
However, Armandy Stein did not budge.
“I clearly told you when I first taught you. The situation here is that there isn't enough bread even for prisoners. Even this is food we barely managed to get. Still, you get soup.”
“There isn't a single piece of meat in the soup! Give us bread!”
“If you want to eat bread, work harder during the afternoon shift. Or do you want to go back into the prison?”
When Armandy Stein brought up the prison and took out his staff, the protesting Lizardmen flinched.
They knew well how strong this human magician was, having been beaten enough with magic.
The Lizardmen weighed being locked in prison against pulling weeds outside.
Being locked in prison was too cramped and dark. It didn't fit their nature of disliking stuffiness.
At least if they pulled a lot of weeds, they could receive bread.
When Armandy Stein responded sharply, the Lizardmen could no longer protest and returned to their seats, grumbling.
“Hah, we just have to pull those measly weeds.”
“Exactly. I will completely destroy those weeds in the afternoon!”
They grumbled and looked with envious eyes at the few Lizardmen who received bread.
“To think I would be this envious of a piece of bread scrap…….”
At least Lando Chau, the leader of the Lizardman warriors, had barely managed to get one bread by pulling a lot of weeds.
He tried to savor the soup as slowly as possible while eating the bread sparingly.
Seeing the Lizardmen clamoring for more soup, his bread looked precious anew.
It was strange, but this bread he was eating now felt sweeter than when eating greasy food.
It seemed tastier because he ate it after working.
The human lord’s words from earlier came to mind.
“He who does not work, neither shall he eat…….”
Thinking in reverse, it meant that he who works can eat.
For Lando Chau, who was born a Lizardman and lived his whole life hunting and looting, this experience was unfamiliar.
However, there was a strange sense of accomplishment.
Like that, Lando Chau was gradually learning the joy of labor.
* * *
Radel, who returned from touring the territory with Chariot Sapphire’s guidance, discovered the Lizardmen working hard.
“Oh, everyone is doing well.”
The movements of picking out stones and pulling weeds had become much better.
Feeding and sleeping that many prisoners in this poor territory was also a chore.
Seeing them earn their own meal costs made Radel feel good.
Chariot Sapphire, the acting lord, also could not hide his joy.
“At this rate, we will be able to plant crops next week.”
“Is that so? I happened to buy some potatoes, so that worked out well.”
“Yes?”
Chariot Sapphire was surprised by the unexpected words.
Potatoes?
It was indeed one of the easy crops to grow in barren land like Raviedel.
But it was surprising that Radel, who knew nothing about the territory, had prepared them in advance.
“I didn't know what would be needed, so I ordered this and that from the guild. Just in time, the carriages should be arriving soon.”
Radel gathered the party, saying he had to go meet the carriages coming from the Spear Guild.
“Inette, you watch the prisoners well while we are gone.”
“What? Me alone?”
“The professor is with you too. Professor Pirenzo, please take good care of this place with Inette.”
If it was Pirenzo Korva, a former assassin, he could quickly notice a Lizardman doing something suspicious.
On top of that, if Inette Dastion Cretian, who could instantly turn a Lizardman into roast meat, was there, they wouldn't be able to do anything foolish.
Entrusting the surveillance of the prisoners to the two reliable people, Radel departed for the mountain path.
Gusto Zebro and Armandy Stein followed behind Radel.
“About how many carriages are coming?”
“About four wagons? I didn't buy much. If I knew the situation was this bad, I would have ordered more.”
Answering Armandy Stein’s question, Radel expressed his regret.
“They said Lizardmen blocked the road, so I thought I just had to solve that.”
When leaving for the territory, he thought he only had to solve the problem with the Lizardmen blocking the road, but reality was not so.
Mountains in front, sea in the back.
A land where communication with the outside is impossible if the only road is blocked.
Farming is difficult, and the Lizardmen living nearby frequently steal money or food.
Furthermore, a situation where the lord to protect the territory is absent.
It was a wonder that the territory residents hadn't left for other territories.
“Looking around earlier, the mana is indeed abundant in the mountain. Because of that, monsters appearing frequently is another problem.”
Where there was a lot of mana, there were also many monsters.
So they said the territory residents didn't dare to raise livestock.
Gusto Zebro offered consolation to the regretful Radel.
“Still, a place like this is good for training.”
“Training, huh.”
He seemed to have heard before that the apprentice holy knights of the Supreme Deity Order also train in Marcellent where mana is abundant.
Especially in midsummer and midwinter, they said they do even more intense training.
“Gusto, come to think of it, how did you get here? Didn't you say you also have summer training?”
“I intended to tell you when the territory's affairs were settled but…….”
Radel asked back in surprise upon hearing Gusto Zebro's words.
“The Bishop sent you?”
“Yes, that is correct. To be exact, it was the Archbishop’s order.”
Gusto Zebro lowered his voice.
“The Archbishop had a dream recently. He said he saw dark energy pouncing on the Prince. That is why I came.”
Radel remembered a past event.
The story of the Archbishop's dream he heard from Bishop Lambrado of Marcellent.
A dream that dark energy was surrounding the Academy.
After hearing that story, wasn't there really a commotion where the Black Order appeared at the Academy?
If the Archbishop sent even Gusto Zebro, it was serious.
‘I don’t know what will happen, but I should be careful.’
First, solving the territory's problems was the priority.
* * *
Four carriages had arrived at the foot of the mountain.
Radel discovered the merchants looking around and approached.
“Are you from the Spear Guild?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
The merchants swept their chests in relief upon seeing Radel.
“You don't know how worried we were because they said Lizardmen appear on this road.”
To merchants, Lizardmen were trickier opponents than monsters.
Since they have stronger physical abilities than humans and roam in groups, if it was said that Lizardmen appeared, they never traveled that road.
Still, seeing the Prince's party appear unscathed, it seemed it wasn't as dangerous as the rumors.
“Don't worry and let's go together.”
Radel climbed onto the first driver’s seat and guided the way.
The merchants followed Radel's guidance, driving the carriages and feeling relieved inside.
‘Baron Spear said we must deliver no matter what happens, it’s really a relief.’
However, that peace did not last long.
“Lowly human scum! To try to pass this road without permission! Get off the carriage immediately!”
A group of Lizardmen was blocking the road.
The merchants were terrified.
“T-This is big trouble. It must be the famous Lizardman tribe around here!”
“It is dangerous, Prince. We must abandon the carriages quickly and flee……!”
But Radel was calm.
“Everyone just stay seated. No need to get up.”
Radel calmed the merchants and got off the carriage.
More prisoners again?
Now, when he saw Lizardmen, he only saw labor force.
“From tomorrow, we can pull double the weeds.”
Gusto Zebro seemed to have the same thought.
“We are short on bread too, this is big trouble.”
Armandy Stein even sighed, picturing their future asking for more bread.
As Radel and his party who got off the carriage approached, a fierce-looking Lizardman came out from the group.
It was the Chieftain of the Chau tribe.
“You are arrogant not knowing your place! Before whom do you stand to be so confident?”
“You told us to get off the carriage, so we got off…… Is there something you don't like?”
Hearing Radel's polite question, the Chieftain was dumbfounded.
It was the first time seeing such a dense human.
“Do you think I meant for you to really do that? If I say get off the carriage, you should leave the carriage and get lost on your own!”
“Then say it like that. If you speak indirectly, misunderstandings arise.”
Radel advised with a serious face.
The Chieftain's face turned bright red.
“This arrogant human bastard! How dare you give instructions to me, the Chieftain of the Chau tribe! Let’s show those arrogant humans hell, warriors!”
As the Chieftain shouted and gestured, the Lizardmen behind him poured out in a swarm.
At the same time, Armandy Stein and Gusto Zebro also took out their respective weapons and confronted the Lizardmen.
“I will deal with you!”
SWISH!
The Chieftain swung his sword toward Radel.
Radel also drew his sword and blocked the Chieftain's attack.
CLANG!
‘Didn’t he say he was the Chieftain earlier?’
Radel wondered while deflecting the Chieftain’s sword.
The swordsmanship didn't seem that great.
They said Lizardmen fight amongst themselves and the strongest becomes the Chieftain, but he was worse than Lando Chau whom Radel fought before and made a prisoner.
To think the Chieftain is weaker than the Lizardman who is the leader of the warriors.
“You block my sword? Then try receiving this too! Uaaah!”
When Radel didn't get pushed back easily, the Chieftain shouted as if using some power this time and extended his sword.
WHOOSH!
Radel felt puzzled while dodging the sword.
The Chieftain’s sword had become stronger than before, but he felt an energy that wasn't unfamiliar.
‘What is this familiar energy?’
Dark energy was felt from the Chieftain's sword.
Somehow, it was an energy that made him want to sprinkle something on the Chieftain.