“Damn, I just saved a bunch of half-elves.”

Appearance-wise, other than their slightly pointed ears, half-elves were nearly identical to humans. However, Creman felt his efforts in saving this group of half-elves was not worth it. The saying went, “None are more faithless than those who are not of our tribe.”

These half-elves, who lived deep within the ironwood forest and refused to pay taxes to the lords, were naturally not well-regarded by Creman.

Had he known this group of fugitives were half-elves, Creman likely would not have chosen to engage the man-eating demons head-on with his own forces, risking the lives of over a dozen of his men.

The half-elf Al, who had dismounted from his horse and was about to express gratitude to Creman, found himself in an awkward position. The words he had prepared abruptly stopped at the tip of his tongue, and upon noticing Creman’s gaze, he could only offer a courteous yet strained smile.

Looking at Al and the several dozen half-elves he had saved, Creman felt a headache coming on. In the northern lands, the lords had all crossed paths with half-elves before.

Although these fellows weren’t as physically strong as humans, they were precise archers and tended to band together. Compared to human farmers, they were much harder to manage and thus not well-received by human lords.

“Sir, I hope to become one of your subjects.”

Taken aback, Creman’s first instinct was to refuse. These half-elves were difficult to manage; if they got upset, they’d simply vanish into the forest, impossible to chase down. “Our tribe is all that remains, and we will pay our taxes like everyone else. We can also join your army—every one of us is an expert archer.”

Though Al’s ability to read people was lacking, he could see the disgust Creman felt toward his people written plainly on the human’s face. He hastily added, hoping to show the value of his tribe, “We are the best bowmen in the northern lands.”

Clearly, Al had yet to realize who truly held power in these lands. However, because of Al’s interruption, Creman remembered that Archduke Richard was the one who actually did. Thus, he didn’t outright refuse, though he still made it clear that he himself could not allow them to stay.

“I cannot make a decision on this matter. Come back with me to Tie Mu City—if Archduke Richard agrees to let you stay, then you may remain.”

“Let’s go, but I must ask you some questions first.”

After leaving some soldiers behind to watch over the edge of the forest, Creman took Al and the others back slowly toward Tie Mu City.

Of course, Al had no objections, and he gestured for the remaining dozen or so of his people to follow behind Creman’s retinue.

The trip was uneventful, the half-elves silent. Although they had just escaped with their lives, nearly all of them had lost family members to the cannibals, and less than one-tenth of their tribe remained.

Al attempted to strike up a conversation with Creman, hoping to learn more about the basic situation in Hunter, but Creman remained uninterested in engaging him.

The Nadeau knights were still in high spirits. Although they had suffered some casualties, they had also killed many cannibals, which could be considered a significant victory. Given Richard’s character, they would receive a fair reward.

As for the dead… Sorry, but how could there be a war without casualties? These northern knights who lived off the edge of the blade had long since grown used to life and death.

Although it was still spring, the midday sun was quite scorching. The knights under Creman’s command were only lightly sweating, still energetic. The half-elves who had fled all night under Al’s leadership, however, were already showing signs of fatigue.

Fortunately, Tie Mu City wasn’t too far off.

“Ah, we’re here.”

Creman pointed toward Tie Mu City with his whip, the only words he spoke to Al.

Al had already caught sight of the city in the distance, and his eyesight, better than that of a human, allowed him to see many details of the city that a human might miss. Though Tie Mu City could not be considered a metropolis, it was impressive to Al, who had little experience with such things.

“Young Master Richard, Captain Creman and his men have returned.”

“Good. Let’s go welcome them.”

After Creman escorted Al and the others into the city, Richard sought them out.

He had already heard from the scout about Creman’s encounter with the cannibals, but he needed more information.

“Archduke Richard,” Creman called out respectfully, dismounting from his horse and bowing to Richard.

Creman’s respect for Richard was not born of loyalty; rather, it stemmed from admiration for Richard’s impartial governance, as well as the intimidating presence of the dozen knights who served him.

“Mm,” Richard responded with a nod, before asking, “Tell me exactly what happened.”

Creman relayed the events to Richard in full detail.

He left nothing out, from encountering the half-elf Auer being chased by the giants, to how he led his men to drive the giants back into the ironwood forest.

Listening intently, Richard’s eyebrows pressed together as his mind raced. It was clear that the giants chasing the half-elf were no isolated group; they had merely retreated into the ironwood forest for now.

Richard then turned his gaze to Auer, the half-elf who had intended to join him.

As his eyes locked onto Auer’s, Richard suddenly froze, as though enchanted by something. Auer felt goosebumps prickling all over his body beneath Richard’s stare. Half-elves were naturally more beautiful than humans, and this handsome young man was no exception.

Despite living deep within the ironwood forest, he had still heard rumors about certain human nobles’ perverse interests.

But for the sake of his people, Auer could only brave the intense heat of Richard’s gaze and respectfully greet him.

Unaware that Auer had misunderstood his intentions, Richard’s gaze shifted as a new page popped up in his mind.

---

Name: Auer

Race: Half-Elf

Strength: 3.7

Agility: 4.5

Physique: 3.2

Mind: 4.2

Skills: Wood Spirit Breathing Technique (Advanced), Archery (Master)

Specialty: Half-Elf Leader (has great power among Half-Elves, can increase the attack power of Half-Elves under his command by 10%)

This was the second native person Richard had seen who possessed a hero template. In Richard’s eyes, these characteristics were quite mediocre.

Although half-elves excelled in archery and had better night vision, their physical constitution was generally weaker than that of humans, and they were not numerous. On top of that, they tended to harbor a sense of superiority unique to elves, making them reluctant to accept human rule.

Of course, after suffering the calamity of near-genocide, the surviving half-elves would likely have come to terms with their reality and would no longer be so prideful.

What truly moved Richard was the System’s second notification:

“Triggered prerequisite conditions for Barrier (Elven) construction. Requesting input on whether to construct Barrier (Elven) Main City.”

This was the kind of thing that truly set Richard’s heart ablaze.

Richard chose not to release the Elven Main City immediately. It would have been too conspicuous to do so in Tie Mu City.

Instead, he happily accepted Alar’s surrender and ordered his men to settle the half-elves. Then, he followed protocol, rewarding Creman and his men for their efforts, eliciting cheers from the newly enlisted soldiers.

These rewards were well deserved, but as they were cavalrymen of the Nade family, these soldiers had mentally prepared themselves to be treated differently. Richard’s fairness caught them off guard.

This was perhaps the principle of managing expectations at work.

Even Creman, who had been a loyal soldier, was impressed by Richard’s fairness.

After announcing the rewards, Richard quickly excused himself. The appearance of the Elven Main City had captured all his attention, and his mind was consumed with thoughts of how to utilize it.