novelraw Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Luo En's current territory was mainly comprised of the Wind-Sand Basin.
Given how much area it occupied, it wouldn't be wrong to just call his entire territory the Wind-Sand Basin.
The basin was suitable for farming, but because it bordered the Living Burial Plain, very few people liked living in a place like that.
Another issue was that many folks who settled in the Wind-Sand Basin ended up with short lives.
All of this led to the Normar Empire having no interest in developing the region.
In the end, this hot potato was picked up by Lady Mercury and eventually passed into Luo En's hands.
These days, the Wind-Sand Basin was overrun by five bandit gangs of various sizes, who made their living by robbing lost merchant caravans.
Bandits preying on refugees was par for the course in the Wind-Sand Basin.
Why make life harder for fellow sufferers? Well, actually, they were making it harder for you.
In the end, even the last town in the Wind-Sand Basin—Windbird Town—was abandoned, with most of its residents seeking livelihoods elsewhere.
The place was under constant bandit attacks; no one could hold out for long.
Of course, the bandit gangs had wanted to take over the town too, but the Felyn Race lived nearby, making it tough for them to move in.
Those round little creatures weren't strong fighters, but they were incredibly united.
Plus, they didn't live on the surface, so any bandit gang that tried to deal with them would pay a heavy price.
That's why none of the bandit gangs chose Windbird Town as their base. Instead, they found caves elsewhere or built their own fences.
If they had a choice, even the refugees wouldn't want to stick around this hellhole—not just because it was close to the Living Burial Plain, but also because of the bandits.
Luo En felt like he had it rough, but in reality, anyone who came to the Wind-Sand Basin would end up in the same boat.
Even if a lord from somewhere else took over the territory, without bringing a bunch more soldiers, it was anyone's guess who would come out on top in the end.
"So why the hell did I end up in a place like this?" In a cave, a man dressed in formal attire posed a soul-searching question to himself.
Duolaina wore a tall top hat, and at the collar of his suit, there was a neatly tied bow.
His mustache was shaped like an eight, and it gleamed with oil, clearly meticulously groomed every day.
He was tall and skinny; even now, tied up on the ground by the bandits, he was still taller than most people.
At first glance, he looked like some wealthy country squire.
"Boss, this guy's got not a single coin on him!" One bandit emptied Duolaina's money pouch, shaking it for ages but coming up with nothing.
"Who would've thought this guy was a total broke-ass!" The Bandit Leader slammed his hand on the table; he was pissed about it too.
Anyone who saw Duolaina like this would think he was loaded.
But after they'd dragged him back, they realized the guy wasn't rich at all.
He was flat broke, and not just ordinarily so.
Lately, there hadn't been any fat sheep wandering into the Wind-Sand Basin. When they spotted Duolaina, their eyes lit up, and they didn't think twice.
"Oh, gentlemen, how can you say such things about me?" The tied-up Duolaina cried out. "I'm a future tycoon—just a bit short on cash right now."
"Figure out a way to find this guy's family; we can at least squeeze some ransom out of them." The bandits still held onto a sliver of hope for Duolaina.
Maybe he was just penniless himself, but his family was loaded.
"Talk—where's your family?" The Bandit Leader grabbed Duolaina's chin and growled. "If you don't spill, don't blame me for ripping out your fingernails one by one."
"Oh, no, you can't do that to me." Duolaina shook his head frantically.
"What the fuck is wrong with this guy? Can't he just talk normal for once?" The Bandit Leader shoved Duolaina aside.
He was genuinely afraid he'd lose his temper and just kill the man outright.
"It's something I picked up at the opera house," Duolaina explained. "Back in the city, everyone said it was bel canto."
"Lock this guy up—no food for him the next few days," the Bandit Leader waved him off. "At least we'll save on rations."
A pampered type like this would spill everything after a couple days without a meal.
If that didn't work, then Duolaina could look forward to having his fingernails pulled out one by one.
"Oh, right—I just remembered something I have," Duolaina said suddenly.
"What thing?" The bandit nearby instantly turned to him.
"Didn't you guys bring back my book too?" Duolaina said unhurriedly, not acting at all like someone who'd been captured by bandits. "That's everything I've recorded from my long travels."
"It'll fetch a good price in a big city," he said confidently. "After all, I wrote it myself."
"You wrote it, so it's valuable?" The bandit eyed Duolaina suspiciously; he didn't buy it for a second.
"Of course—I am Duolaina, after all." Duolaina brimmed with inexplicable self-assurance.
Gradually, the bandit started believing him. "How much could it sell for?"
"Let me think—probably around 6 gold coins!"
"Six?" The bandit was stunned. "That valuable?"
Gold coins—actual gold coins!
"Those idiots threw that book away! They tossed out 6 gold coins just like that!" The bandit suddenly remembered—they'd treated the book like trash and chucked it.
"Boss! That book! That book's worth something!!!" He rushed to the Bandit Leader's side and yelled.
"What book is worth something?" The Bandit Leader, who was in the middle of drinking, gave his underling a weird look.
"The one we threw out like garbage." The bandit held up six fingers. "Gold coins!"
"Then what are you waiting for? Go get that book back!" The Bandit Leader set down his drink; he couldn't even finish it.
He urged his other men to go search while he walked over to Duolaina. "That thing's really worth that much?"
"Oh, damn it—you don't believe my reputation? I am Duolaina!" Duolaina exclaimed.
"Shut him up!" The Bandit Leader really didn't want to hear this guy talk anymore; that accent was grating.
......
......
"Everyone, assemble!" Luoluo An raised the spear in his hand and shouted.
At that moment, outside the Bandit Gang's cave, a group of Felyn stood together.
Luo En heard Luoluo An's yell and quickly clapped a hand over his mouth. "Idiot, keep it down!"
They were right at the entrance to the bandits' cave—not far off, you could see bandits patrolling around.
With Luoluo An yelling like that, wasn't he basically announcing to the bandits that they were easy pickings?
"Oh, oh, sorry—I forgot," Luoluo An said hastily, apologizing.
Then he lowered his voice. "Okay, let me try that again."
In a whisper, Luoluo An said, "Everyone, assemble..."