Chapter 23: No Ambition
Recognise them, Mr. Susua?
“Yeah, I do. They’re from a bandit gang.”
Before Lilian tossed the scorpion lady’s bodies into the burial plain, Ron called Mr. Susua for a look. When Mr Susua saw the scorpion lady, he identified which bandit gang they belonged to. Those gangs give themselves fancy names, but Mr. Susua judged them by strength. For instance, the Scorpion Lady ranks third among the gangs.
Names? Mr. Susua couldn’t recall them! Remembering complex names was too difficult for him.
“Didn’t expect them to be wiped out in one go,” Mr. Susua said.
Even though not all the gang members were here, their main force had fallen here.
Regarding the scorpion lady’s fate, Mr Susua had no emotional attachment but asked, “Did you guys take away their loot?”
Ron slapped his forehead. “I almost forgot about that!” The gang’s treasure determined his future comfort.
“But I don’t know where their hideout is,” Ron said, wanting to grab the scorpion lady’s treasures but unsure of their lair.
The crafty rabbit has three burrows. Locating the gang took time.
“I’ve already told Lilian about this,” Ron said. He didn’t want an epidemic in the town.
“I’ll throw them into the burial plain,” Lilian said coldly. “Please rest assured.”
With so many bodies in front of the house, Lilian felt disgusted.
Mr. Susua raised his cane and said, “It seems like the days when we’ll settle here aren’t far off!”
“Why do you say that?” Ron asked.
“Because with one less gang, we won’t be afraid anymore,” Mr. Susua emphasised, “We outnumber them.”
“We’re numerous!” A Phylin, seemingly from nowhere, chimed in.
Ron wanted to ask if these Phylins considered the combat strength difference. Even if they outnumber the gang, it didn’t mean they could beat them. But the Phylins seemed happy, so Ron refrained from dampening their enthusiasm.
Would these Phylins dare to settle there if there’s one less gang?
Ron stroked his chin and cast a meaningful glance at Lilian. He couldn’t help but glance at the bodies on the ground. Lilian effortlessly morphed her dragon tail, sweeping the bodies to the side without leaving a trace.
“However, there’s a very serious issue,” Mr. Susua suddenly said.
“A serious issue?” Mr. Susua’s tone forced Ron to divert his gaze from Lilian’s tail.
“Dealing with two gangs isn’t easy,” Mr. Susua explained. “We saw human soldiers come to the Wind Veil Basin, but the gangs drove them away.”
There are five bandit groups, with the last three having incomplete armaments, hence their lower rankings. However, the first two bandit groups are armed factions that even soldiers dispatched by the Norman Empire fear.
“If the legion is composed of soldiers from only the first or second tier, they probably wouldn’t be able to defeat them.”
“No wonder no one has bothered with this place until now,” Ron said, crossing his arms.
If the bandit groups here are as easy to deal with as the one earlier, even if the Fengsha Basin is impoverished, the Norman Empire should still free up resources to handle it. But if the investment does not proportionally match the returns, there is no reason to reclaim the Wind Veil Basin.
The Wind Veil Basin is only nominally under the Norman Empire but lacks real control. Moreover, his lordship over the area is likely without substantial authority.
“Even so, it can’t stop our steps!” Mr. Susua continued to tap the ground with his cane, “We will definitely return to the surface!”
Indeed, this is a rare opportunity; if missed, there may not be another chance.
“Once our injuries are healed, we’ll pick another bandit gang.” Mr. Susua shouted.
“Pick another one!” The other Phylin tribes joined in the cheers.
Ron doubted that even if Mr. Susua said they would deal with a dragon, these Phylin tribes would cheer just the same.
Ron lamented, “If only we could move to Windbird Town before Doran returns.”
But truthfully, he wasn’t sure if Doran would return to the Wind Veil Basin. If it were him, he wouldn’t return to this middle-of-nowhere place. In a way, the days here were more difficult than Ron’s previous days of wandering.
“Mr. Ron, aren’t you already living in Wind Bird Town?” Lilian glanced sideways at Ron. After all, he had moved up from the cave just yesterday.
“I meant the Phylin tribe,” Ron casually replied. “It’s so empty here. Don’t you find it odd?”
He wasn’t used to a town with nobody around. The time spent enclosed in Winterless Town had made him fed up with this kind of emptiness.
Lilian looked around and shook her head. “I’ve never felt that way.”
Dragons, strictly speaking, don’t live in groups. Most of the time, they have their lairs.
“Anyway, let’s at least make this place look like somewhere people can live,” Ron, now indifferent to the concept of territory, said, “What kind of town is this now?”
Building a city? The lord in question currently didn’t have such grand aspirations. He already felt it would be remarkable if the Fengsha Basin could have a town.
As for anything else? He doesn’t dare to think about it.
“Mr. Ron, your aspirations might be too modest,” Lilian said helplessly from the side.
