Lord, Are You Too Good to My Daughter?

After Fiana left, Loren looked at the dust-covered Barbarians behind him, and the Kobolds who had been running around at the Barbarians' beck and call for the past few days.

"Bohr, send people to direct them to unload the goods from the carriages and store them in the warehouse. Remember to do an inventory count."

The butler Bohr immediately nodded, "Yes, master."

"Yas, you and Sim take everyone to the backyard. I'll have the kitchen prepare food for you."

The Barbarians and Kobolds' eyes lit up upon hearing this, and they let out excited roars.

After making brief arrangements, Loren's gaze fell upon the dozens of slaves purchased from the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild.

Standing at the front of the group were a bearded man and a young girl with a pure aura and an exceptionally outstanding appearance.

What was particularly striking was the girl's extreme shyness; she kept her head down, afraid to look at anyone, possessing a delicate and pitiable charm that stirred one's heart.

"Deen and Ariel, come with me. The rest of you, assist the caravan with unloading. If anyone is skilled in cooking, you can ask Butler Bohr for permission to work in the kitchen."

Immediately, seven or eight slaves excitedly raised their hands. Working in the kitchen was surely better than unloading carts.

Loren nodded and had the white-haired butler Bohr arrange them.

He then led the bearded man and the exceptionally pure-looking girl, who had just been called out, into the manor's first-floor hall.

As descendants of the Orchid Family and High Nobles, if they were still in the capital of the Silver Moon Kingdom, their residences could hardly be considered too luxurious.

But here in the Endless Wasteland, they had to make do.

The gray walls surrounding the hall were bare, with only a few relatively exquisite art pieces displayed on the unlit fireplace on the right.

The only furniture in the room was a twelve-meter-long raw wood table placed in the center.

Interestingly, every meter around the long table was placed a carved chair with a backrest, appearing very neat, clearly having been meticulously arranged by the servants.

In the oval crystal vase on the tabletop, a bouquet of blooming white flowers was arranged, emitting a faint, pleasant fragrance.

It added a touch of color to the hall's austerity.

Loren had no intention of studying these decorations. He strode to the head seat. Before he could even reach for the chair, the bearded man who had followed him into the room was quick-handed, respectfully pulling out the chair for him with a fawning smile.

After Loren sat down, he looked at the somewhat nervous pair before him and smiled.

"No need to be formal, find your own seats."

The bearded man shook his head uneasily.

"Lord Loren, thank you for your grace. It is more convenient for us to stand and receive your teachings."

They were merely slaves, and Loren was their master, the ruler of the Gray Eagle Territory.

This young man could decide their fate with a wave of his hand; the two were never on the same level of existence.

Loren did not force the issue. The disparity in class and status in the Nol Main Plane was vast.

The concept of everyone being equal could not even be realized in his previous life, let alone in this world with supernatural powers.

"Deen, I've known you for a few days. Perhaps you'd be interested in telling me about your origins."

Although the bearded man named Deen felt apprehensive, his expression remained calm.

"My Lord, I am the descendant of a Baron from near the Rotting Marshes in the Northern Territory. Over a hundred years ago, the Bloody Day erupted, and the Bloody Polluters destroyed our family's territory.

After losing our territory, our noble titles were also revoked.

Our generation has fallen into poverty.

To escape the threats, I had no choice but to flee with Ariel.

But a year ago, during our escape, we were captured by a group of bandits.

They sold us to slave merchants, and after several transfers, we ended up in Decker City."

Deen spoke simply, without any particularly thrilling or tragic emotions, as if it were all not worth mentioning.

Loren nodded. The destruction of human territories by Bloody Polluters was too common in the Nol Main Plane; one could hear similar stories from any slave.

"Your past does not prevent you from continuing to contribute your strength in the Gray Eagle Territory."

He paused for a moment after speaking, then said meaningfully, "I spoke with you on the way. The Gray Eagle Territory is about to establish a City Hall. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

Upon hearing this, Deen quickly replied, "We will obey your commands, Lord Loren."

Loren said nothing upon hearing this and looked at the shy girl beside the bearded Deen, who dared not meet his gaze.

"Ariel, what do you think?"

When Loren called her name, the girl named Ariel instinctively clutched the hem of her clothes, her face flushed. She raised her head, her gaze averted to the side, and said in a small voice, "Lord Loren, the Gray Eagle Territory is still small in scale. Establishing a City Hall should prioritize practicality. There's no need to create too many complex departments in the short term."

Loren nodded slightly, looking at the shy girl with satisfaction for a few extra moments.

Ariel was wearing worn-out gray cloth clothes with many patches, and her expression held a hint of youthfulness and timidity.

What was striking were her clear, large eyes, which possessed a calming magic.

She gave off the feeling of a girl next door.

Hearing this, the bearded Deen's expression turned anxious, and he quickly said with a fawning smile.

"Lord Loren, Ariel is still young and doesn't understand many things. Please forgive her ignorance."

After speaking, he cautiously looked at Loren, afraid that the young man who could decide their life and death would get angry.

Young and vigorous, such youths hate it most when outsiders deny them.

Loren chuckled speechlessly and waved his hand.

"No need to be nervous. Ariel spoke very well. Gray Eagle Territory is still very weak right now, and establishing too many departments would only add a burden to the territory."

After speaking, he looked encouragingly at the girl in front of him, whose eyes showed a hint of pleasant surprise.

"If you have any suggestions in the future, feel free to speak them boldly. Don't worry about your father; if you say something wrong, I'll back you up."

This made Deen breathe a sigh of relief, yet his mood felt somewhat strange.

Lord, are you being too good to my daughter?

Three days ago, after the Kobolds were defeated by Loren and the Barbarians, the caravan resumed its journey normally.

However, something happened along the way that still made him tremble with fear.

Although the captured Kobolds were being guarded by the Barbarians, the Barbarians were careless and didn't watch them too closely.

A Kobold with extremely low loyalty seized an opportunity and attempted to escape in the middle of the night. However, in its panic, it inadvertently woke Ariel, who was sleeping in the direction of its escape.

Ariel opened her eyes to find a Kobold beside her and immediately screamed in terror.

Seeing this, the Kobold nearly went mad. Killing intent surged within it, and its claws lunged directly for Ariel's throat.

Deen, awakened by the noise, opened his eyes to witness this scene that made his soul flee his body.

Just as he was filled with despair, a brilliant sword light flashed. The Kobold's claws were severed, and Ariel was safe and sound.

The entire caravan was then alerted by this escape attempt.

To ascertain the truth, Loren summoned both him and Ariel.

But just looking at them led to trouble.

Deen dared to swear that the moment Ariel appeared, he saw a different kind of intention in the Lord's eyes.

As expected, for the next two days, he and his daughter Ariel were constantly summoned by Loren, who asked them questions about territory construction every day.

How could anyone ask an eighteen-year-old girl about territory construction?

In Deen's opinion, wasn't it obvious that the Lord had other intentions toward his daughter?

This made Deen anxious and uneasy, yet also hesitant.

For my daughter to be noticed by a descendant of the Orchid Family, what incredible luck is this?

But he also knew that such a person would certainly not marry his daughter. At most, being a maidservant or concubine would be immense fortune.

However, he currently had no right to refuse, so his mood was very complicated.

Loren, at this moment, was unaware of Deen's thoughts.

He summoned the two to question them entirely because this father and daughter were rare talents.

[Name: Deen Hicks]
[Level: Black Iron Advanced]
[Bloodline: Human Bloodline (Unawakened)]
[Loyalty: 70 (Medium Loyalty)]
[Bond: Father-Daughter Unity - When working under the same lord with his daughter, his ability to handle political affairs will increase, and the trait -- Meticulous and Cautious -- will be activated (able to promptly discover and correct errors and omissions in the territory's policies).]
[Introduction: A decent talent for internal affairs.]

Deen's introduction was excellent, but his daughter Ariel's talent was even more outstanding.

[Name: Ariel Hicks]
[Level: Bronze Beginner]
[Bloodline: Human/Unknown (Unawakened)]
[Loyalty: 80 (High Loyalty)]
[Bond: Father-Daughter Unity - When working under the same lord with her father, her ability to handle political affairs will increase, and the trait -- Foresight -- will be activated (able to formulate excellent policies with extraordinary keenness).]
[Introduction: A genius-level talent for internal affairs.]