Chapter 35: Emotions and monsters ( XV )

Morning arrived quickly, and the sun resumed its duty, providing light to the people of Winterseed. They immediately returned to their daily activities as soon as the first light touched the land.Farmers rushed to their fields, while soldiers, following Rowan's suggestion, did early morning exercises before continuing their duties—some heading to the borders, others to the village square to await training. Everyone in the village was busy and content with their tasks.

Rowan woke up a bit later than usual, the weariness from fighting the Ratax general having faded away.

"Good morning, Rowan!" Riela's voice greeted him, drawing his attention.

"Riela, you're already awake? Did you get enough rest?" Rowan asked, noticing the food on the table and realizing she had woken up early.

"I did, Rowan. I made something for you," she replied, pointing to the food.

Rowan sincerely appreciated her gesture. He quickly rinsed his mouth before sitting down to eat. As usual, the meal was delicious.

As Rowan ate, he noticed Riela still standing in front of him, her hands folded behind her back. A sweet smile graced her lips, but it was her eyes that caught his attention—bright with an unmistakable hint of eagerness and curiosity. She watched him intently, as if waiting for him to say or do something.

Rowan couldn't help but wonder what she was expecting.

"Is there something you want to ask me, Riela?" he asked.

"I want to see it," she replied in a cheerful tone.

Her response left Rowan confused. 'What is it she wants to see? Don't tell me she wants to see my dragon!'

"See what?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Blaze." Riela's reply made Rowan curse his own thoughts, feeling ashamed.

Nevertheless, he wondered how she knew about Blaze.

"You know about Blaze? How?" he asked.

Riela replied almost immediately, explaining how the young soldiers wouldn't stop talking about the cute and powerful divine puppy Rowan had summoned out of thin air. As she narrated, her curiosity and interest surged even more as she eagerly anticipated seeing Blaze.

Seeing how interested she was, Rowan could tell she had already fallen for the tales of Blaze's cuteness, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. 'Dammit, Blaze, how dare you be so popular with the women at such a young age!'

Nevertheless, he didn't hesitate and summoned Blaze from the divine beast plain. As usual, a small portal appeared, and Blaze floated out of it, landing in Rowan's arms.

['Where are my food pills? You promised to give me two when you returned home!'] Blaze immediately demanded after arriving in Rowan's arms.

Rowan sent it a cold glare and communicated telepathically, 'Dream on. You've sinned against me by stealing the heart of my woman!'

['That's not fair! I didn't ask to be made this cute and irresistible! Give me my food pills, or I'll scratch your face with my claws.']

'When did you become a cat? Try that, and I'll cook you. I bet your meat would taste amazing!' Rowan threatened playfully.

Blaze trembled slightly in his arms, clearly shaken by Rowan's thoughts. Their exchange lasted only a few seconds, unnoticed by anyone else.

As Blaze made his appearance, Riela's eyes lit up with excitement. The tiny creature's soft, brilliantly colored fur and innocent, oversized eyes that seemed to peer into her very soul—every aspect of the little divine beast instantly captured her heart.

"So cute!" she exclaimed, her voice full of delight as she made her way toward them.

Seeing the beautiful female human approaching, Blaze quickly puffed out his tiny chest and tilted his head slightly, trying his best to appear even more endearing. With a soft, almost musical purr, Blaze gave Riela a look so heart-meltingly innocent that it could soften the sternest of hearts.

Riela's smile widened as she reached out to stroke Blaze's fur, her fingers gently brushing through his soft, silky coat. Blaze stretched out his tiny paws as if asking for an embrace.

"Oh my goodness!" Riela giggled, utterly charmed. Without hesitation, she gently took Blaze from Rowan's arms, cradling the little creature. Blaze responded by snuggling deeper into her embrace, letting out soft purrs akin to that of a cat.

Rowan couldn't help but watch with amusement and helplessness. "You little traitor, you're not even a cat!" he muttered.

Riela continued playing with Blaze for about thirty minutes before leaving him with Rowan and heading off to start what they had discussed the previous night.

Rowan left afterward as well.

He repeated his usual morning routine of visiting the farms with Brandon and Roland. Afterward, he went to train the soldiers. Unfortunately, they couldn't have long sessions as usual, as they had to go collect wood from the southern forest.

This time, no one complained since it was still morning, and monsters are always inactive during such periods. They were also confident that any threat arising would be easily handled by their lord—this trust gave them a big boost in confidence and motivation.

Rowan decided to take three hundred men this time around to make the work faster and avoid working until evening when monsters become active again.

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When they arrived at the south forest, they were greeted with a grotesque scene of numerous corpses lying on the ground.

Various scavenger animals and birds had already gathered to feed on the corpses.

The soldiers who hadn't been there the previous day were shocked to see the bodies. Even those who had been present stared with wide eyes at the gigantic corpse of the Ratax general.

Their admiration and confusion at how Rowan was able to kill the gigantic monster earned Rowan more than enough evolution points.

After the initial reactions and conversations, the soldiers began working diligently.

Some worked together in groups to fell trees, others joined the captains in bundling the fallen trees, while others carried the bundled wood back to the village.

It was still morning, and the weather was ideal for work. The sound of swords attacking wood echoed across the forest constantly.

Rowan joined in the work, using his sword to fell as many trees as he needed and assisting the other groups.

Their work continued for hours; some soldiers got tired, rested briefly, then resumed working. No one was ready to laze around and let others overshadow their efforts.

The harmony as they worked together made Rowan smile proudly as he watched them.

After more than seven hours had passed, the workload finally began to lessen.

The required amount of trees had been acquired, and now all that was left was bundling them and transporting them back to the village.

"Good work, everyone," Rowan complimented them.

His praise added more bliss to their work, and they continued with renewed joy and motivation.

Another hour passed, and the trees had been bundled into manageable sizes, and the soldiers began carrying them. Some wood was very heavy, requiring three soldiers to carry, while others were quite light.

One by one, all the wood was taken away, and everyone strolled back home. On the way, those without wood helped those who were worn out.

It was the early hours of the evening, and the light of the day was still bright, making their journey home much easier.

----

At the south border of Winterseed, the farmers and soldiers observed the large amounts of wood arranged into two tall pyramid structures with fascination.

"Did you guys really do all this yourselves?" some of the farmers asked in disbelief.

"There are so many, I can't even count. They also look very big and heavy. How were you able to do all this alone?" they continued, with doubt and fascination in their voices.

Even the soldiers couldn't believe they had accomplished all this with their natural strength. It seemed too incredible to be true.

Rowan could only smile at their reactions. His [Super Voice] played a significant role in the soldiers' motivation and work efficiency, thus boosting their work output significantly. Of course, none of them were aware of this miraculous skill in his possession.

"You all did a great job today. Tomorrow, after morning and afternoon training, we'll start working on these woods—splitting them into the needed sizes and also laying out plans for the guardhouse," Rowan announced.

The soldiers agreed with a smile, and the farmers rejoiced inwardly. They were all eager to see what Rowan had in store for them.

Meanwhile, as Rowan and the villagers gathered at the south border, the soldiers stationed at the north border noticed a strange structure moving toward them from afar. They could only make out a horse and a large wooden structure behind it. Nevertheless, the sight made them panic, as they weren't expecting any visitors.

"Quickly, inform Lord Rowan!" Oliver, the captain with them, ordered immediately.

....

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