Subduing the Wildcat Sisters

As the ice age receded and the warm season arrived, the Glimmering River began to swell.

It was said that every year during this season, Blind Dragons would migrate from the Underground River to the shallow waters at the source of the Glimmering River to lay their eggs.

Blind Dragons were not dragons at all, but a type of fish with very poor eyesight and an extremely ugly appearance.

Perhaps they were a special kind of salmon.

"The deliciousness of Blind Dragons is famous throughout the Guangguang River Valley, and even guests from outside the valley praise them highly," Russell found inspiration here. "Teacher Charles, how about we go night fishing by the river tonight? Tomorrow, Mrs. Moore can make Blind Dragon soup."

Night fishing wasn't the true goal; his aim was to camp and sleep in the wilderness.

Charles, still recovering from the shock of Eric's promotion to Phantom Beast Knight earlier that day, repeatedly shook his head. "My lord, I'm very sorry to dampen your spirits, but tonight I just want to get into bed as soon as possible. It would be wonderful if I could still have a taste of Blind Dragon soup tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll take Eric night fishing then." Russell didn't care whether Charles went or not.

That evening, they set up camp and began night fishing for Blind Dragons near the Magic Potion stockade, right beside the Monochoria field.

After fishing for a while, he hid in his sleeping bag and fell fast asleep.

"Caw!"

With the Little Dream Dragon's cry, the Dark Dreamscape opened to a new scene. Unfortunately, despite searching for a long time, neither the man nor the dragon found anything.

Discovering the incubating Birch Worms in the birch forest earlier had been pure luck.

Moreover, if the Little Dream Dragon hadn't expended its Dragon Flame, the Birch Worms likely wouldn't have been able to incubate. Wild elves were truly rare.

"Don't be discouraged, Snowflake. We'll try fishing in a different spot later and aim to search both banks of the Glimmering River!" Russell's enthusiasm was undeterred. Wuyou Snake Manor was vast, covering nearly 20,000 hectares.

He had only explored one-thousandth of the area so far.

Even exploring every single day for a year would take three years to complete.

"Of course, we don't need to explore areas without plants or trees," Russell mused internally. By eliminating barren lands unlikely to harbor Spirit Worms and only exploring promising areas, he could finish within two to three months.

Furthermore, once the Little Dream Dragon grew, the Dark Dreamscape would expand, making exploration easier.

In short, everything was developing in a positive direction.

The next day.

Russell returned to the manor's annex, carrying an empty fish basket.

"Master, how was your catch last night?" Butler Morris asked politely.

Russell shook the basket. "Blind Dragons are truly blind; I didn't catch a single one despite the large bait. But no worries, I'll try again tonight!"

"With Master's patience, tonight's catch will surely be bountiful."

"Haha, I hope you're right."

As night fell, Russell once again picked up his fish basket and fishing rod, heading to a new spot along the Glimmering River for night fishing.

A servant in the manor's annex curiously asked Butler Morris, "Mr. Morris, why does Master choose to night fish for Blind Dragons? Can't he fish for them during the day?"

Morris also didn't understand. "Perhaps Blind Dragons are afraid of light and only come out to feed at night."

"Blind Dragons are blind fish. Why would blind creatures fear light?"

"This..." Morris didn't want to answer. He put on a stern face and said seriously, "Alright, no more questions. Get back to work. A qualified servant never discusses their master behind their back. You must all remember this point."

By the river.

Russell did fish earnestly for a while, as he couldn't fall asleep too early.

Unfortunately, he only caught a few ordinary small fish. The Blind Dragons remained elusive. Thankfully, he didn't come back completely empty-handed, so he considered it a satisfactory fishing trip.

Just as he was about to pack up his gear and crawl into his sleeping bag, Eric, who had been patrolling the surroundings with his wolf dog Kevin to get acquainted, walked over with two familiar figures.

"My lord," Eric stood beside him.

In the light of the campfire, Russell could clearly see the newcomers: the Wildcat Sisters, Katie and Catherine, both dressed in black, blending perfectly with their surroundings.

After greeting Russell, the two women's gazes fixed directly on the wolf dog Kevin.

Kevin looked back at the Wildcat Sisters gently but didn't approach them. It had already formed a contract with Eric and shared a telepathic bond, so it would first follow Eric's thoughts, even though it might have been more affectionate towards its former mistresses.

"Lord Russell, is that really Kevin?"

"You can call him," Russell said calmly.

"Kevin, Kevin, come here!" Catherine immediately crouched down and called out to the wolf dog.

Kevin glanced at Eric and, receiving his unspoken permission, bounded towards Catherine like a playful pup, enthusiastically licking Catherine's face, which looked like it was in its forties, then affectionately nuzzled Katie's leg, filled with boundless joy.

"It really is Kevin!" Katie couldn't hide her surprise. "Lord Russell, you really brought Kevin back to life, and Kevin has even evolved into a Phantom Beast!"

Russell replied, "That's true, but the process was a bit complicated, and I had no choice but to have Kevin contract with Eric. You weren't present at the time, and I didn't know how to contact you, so I took it upon myself to let Eric form the contract."

He briefly explained the events.

Katie said excitedly, "Of course, of course, as long as Kevin is alive, that's all that matters! And now that Kevin has evolved into a Phantom Beast and contracted with Sir Eric, it couldn't be better."

Catherine added, "I was still worried... Lord Russell, thank you for saving Kevin. I apologize again for my rudeness earlier."

"There's no need to apologize. The misunderstanding has been cleared up, and your information did prevent greater losses for my territory," Russell smiled, then got straight to the point. "Kevin has already formed a contract and clearly cannot go back. What are your plans?"

The two sisters hugged Kevin and exchanged glances.

Then they each got up and walked before Russell, kneeling on one knee, right hand on their chest in a knight's salute. "If you do not disdain us, my lord, we sisters are willing to pledge our loyalty to you."

Subduing the Wildcat Sisters was within reach.

But Russell said with a serious expression, "Katie, Catherine, I hold no prejudice against the Cave Freemen, but I am unwilling to harbor fugitives. If you two have a record of being fugitives in the Guangguang River Valley, I will absolutely not accept your loyalty."

"Please rest assured, my lord. We sisters may occasionally engage in petty theft, but we are absolutely not fugitives from the Guangguang River Valley."

"Very well. There is one more thing: joining my territory and becoming my followers requires you to abide by the rules I set." Russell laid out the harsh realities upfront, unafraid of scaring the Wildcat Sisters away. Absolute loyalty was the only kind he would accept.

He could take in any stray cat or dog as a serf, but never as a follower.

He paused, then drew the steel longsword he carried.

He said solemnly, "Upon entering my territory, you will lose your absolute freedom, but by following me, you will receive the protection of my wings. I will ask you one more time, Katie, Catherine, are you willing to pledge your loyalty to me and become my eyes and ears to spy on the night?"

The Wildcat Sisters exchanged another glance.

Encouraging each other, they cast aside their last shred of hesitation and said in a deep voice, "Katie (Catherine) is willing to pledge loyalty to you, my lord, and become your eyes and ears to spy on the night!"

Russell smiled with satisfaction, tapping the shoulders of the two sisters with his sword tip. "I accept your loyalty. You may rise."