Homecoming (2)

As Krumsh spoke, the others arrived one after another, greeting Solam with joy. However, as they did so, they all cast their gazes toward the stranger sitting atop the Frostfang. They found the man's appearance rather peculiar, though he did bear a slight resemblance to Solam. It couldn't be helped; most orcs had never seen a human before.

"Lam, who is this? We've never seen him." Finally, a clan warrior couldn't help but ask. At this, everyone's eyes turned to Solam, and even Krumsh, who had been focused solely on Solam and hadn't noticed anyone else, snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, who is this? And aren't you supposed to be with the Forge Clan? Why are you back now?"

"Ah, this old gentleman is here to see Grandfather. He's a friend from when Grandfather was adventuring in the outside world. As for me, Old Man Blackhand said my path as a Shaman is ready for independent practice, and I no longer need his guidance," Solam said casually.

"Oh," the others replied just as casually, but their minds were clearly elsewhere. They kept staring at Arando. The old man, however, had a good temperament; he felt no discomfort at being gawked at and instead smiled broadly at the crowd.

Seeing them act like this, Solam's temper flared. Staring at others like that, whether in his past life or this one, was a very rude behavior.

"What are you looking at? This old gentleman is a human. Don't stare at him like a bunch of bumpkins; it's very impolite. Be careful, or the old man will find out and kick your asses." Solam felt quite embarrassed.

The others didn't think much of it. They didn't consider "bumpkins" an insult—they were bumpkins, after all. Besides, looking a few times wouldn't get anyone pregnant, so what was there to fear? Still, since Solam had spoken up, it was indeed a bit improper to keep staring. Furthermore, this was the old Chieftain's friend; heaven knew if the old man would blow a fuse if he found out. They withdrew their gazes, though they continued to whisper among themselves.

"So this is a human. Aren't humans supposed to be strong? Why do they look so scrawny?"

"Exactly, like a weakling. Feels like a gust of wind could blow him over."

"Yeah, and he's toothless, too. He actually looks a lot like Lam."

Solam looked at this group of simpletons, feeling a mix of laughter and tears. Damn it, if they were going to gossip, they could at least do it behind someone's back. Did they have to be so loud, fearing the person wouldn't hear them? He couldn't help but give Arando an apologetic look.

Arando wasn't bothered at all. At his age, he had seen and experienced everything; he wouldn't get angry over such a small matter. In fact, seeing these simple, honest orc men, he found them rather endearing. After experiencing so much intrigue, betrayal, and calculation in the human world, Arando particularly liked this straightforward personality. At least their joys and angers were written on their faces, not hidden behind backstabbing.

"Damn it, are you planning on letting me stand here? Hurry up and go home! I haven't had a good night's sleep in days. I've been on the road for so long, I'm exhausted." Solam saw these blockheads getting more and more animated, even starting to discuss the size of human anatomy. Well, what could you expect when a group of hot-blooded youths got together?

But was it really okay for these idiots to discuss this in front of the person involved? Even the previously composed old man couldn't handle these fools anymore, his expression turning slightly awkward. It just went to show that no matter how simple a place was, dirty talk was a fundamental necessity. Solam felt he had to interrupt them, or the reputation of Avalon would be dragged into the abyss by these bastards.

Hearing this, the group of jokers finally realized that leaving guests standing in the wilderness was quite rude, especially with a visitor present. They immediately ushered Solam and Arando toward the clan settlement.

Krumsh gave up his Direwolf to Solam and chose to run alongside them. Solam didn't stand on ceremony and naturally mounted Bloodfang. He knew Krumsh's stamina; for him, this distance was barely a warm-up.

The group soon arrived at the clan settlement, and everyone in the clan quickly learned that Solam had returned, and he had brought a human with him.

The whole clan, young and old, ran out to watch the spectacle. Whether they were there to welcome Solam or to get a look at a human, only heaven knew.

After reaching the camp, Solam dismounted. As he walked toward his family's tent, he greeted the various aunts and uncles, but most people were standing on tiptoe to look at Arando, who was still sitting on the Frostfang. The noise of discussion, gasps of surprise, Solam's greetings, and the others welcoming him created a scene as lively as a marketplace.

Solam wasn't really angry anymore. The clan was small, and with Avalon being so isolated, there was nothing new all year round. It was only natural for them to be excited about an outsider; it was human nature, and there was nothing to blame them for.

It was just tough on the old man. While he didn't mind being discussed by a few youngsters, being treated like a monkey by so many people was a bit overwhelming.

But the suffering ended quickly because Solam's grandfather, the clan's Chieftain—old Krumsh—arrived. When the others saw the old man coming, their voices dropped instantly; the old man's prestige was no joke.

When Solam returned, someone naturally went to inform his family. The old man knew, of course, but if it had just been Solam, he wouldn't have come out to greet him; he would have waited at home for Solam to pay his respects. However, the news said a human had returned with Solam and claimed to be an old friend. Krumsh realized who it was after a moment's thought and immediately rushed over in person.

The crowd naturally cleared a path for the old man. He quickly spotted the person he was looking for. Although Arando was now frail and aged, Krumsh recognized him at a glance and walked over with excitement. When the two friends had parted ways back then, it was due to irreconcilable differences in their philosophies, but as a friend, Arando had been beyond reproach—a man of great loyalty who would have given his life for a comrade. In truth, even after they parted, the old man had always considered him a friend.

Seeing Krumsh walk toward him, Arando felt a complex mix of emotions. He didn't know how to explain things to Krumsh, so he simply dismounted from the Frostfang in silence and watched Krumsh approach.

Krumsh reached Arando and, without a word, pulled him into a massive bear hug. The gesture caught Arando off guard. As a slave trader who had spent his life in the dark world, he hadn't had such intimate contact with anyone in years. This old man had once been famous for being gloomy and cold-blooded. But Arando soon relaxed, smiling as he patted Krumsh's still-strong and broad back.

"Arando Schindler, you old dog, you actually thought to come see me. I thought I'd never see you again after that day."

"Heh, do you think I'm that petty?" Arando knew in his heart that if not for the events that had transpired, he might never have seen his old friend again for the rest of his life.

"Come, let's go home. We'll have a good drink. I have plenty of fine wine hidden away. Let's not talk about anything else for now; let's just drink to our hearts' content." With that, he pulled Arando toward his home, completely ignoring Solam.

Solam watched in silence as his grandfather "abandoned" him. He never expected that one day he would be so magnificently ignored by his own grandfather. Since arriving in this world, if there was anyone who cared about him most, it was undoubtedly his grandfather—even more than Granny Karom. It was just that the old man was more reserved and didn't show it like she did.

Seeing the human being dragged away by the old Chieftain, the others didn't follow suit and ignore Solam. Instead, they warmly asked after him, moving his wounded little heart to the point of tears.

Regardless of how lively things were on Solam's side, Krumsh brought Arando into his tent, had his wife prepare some good food, and brought out his prized wine to start drinking with Arando.

The two began to reminisce about their youthful days over the fine wine. As they drank and chatted, they would occasionally slam the table or glare at each other in excitement—a scene no one else could break into. Solam's uncles, Krumsh and Trick, had initially stayed to keep them company, but seeing how things were going, they felt like extras and quietly slipped away. Solam's two aunts didn't care about the human at all; once the food was ready, they immediately ran off to check on their nephew. Though they were curious about the past between their father-in-law and the human, their beloved nephew was more important.

Seeing the two daughters-in-law so eager to see Solam, Arando sighed to Krumsh, "Solam is truly lucky to have so many family members who care about him."

Krumsh had spent a long time in the outside world and naturally understood what Arando meant; Beast Elves were notorious for being unloved and unwanted.

"Heh! So what if he's a Beast Elf? At the end of the day, he's my grandson, he's family. If they don't treat him well, who would they treat well? Besides, we in Avalon don't care about that sort of thing. There's no luck involved."

The old man said this casually, then set down his wine and looked at his old friend seriously.

"Arando, tell me, what exactly happened? Don't deny it. I know you. If you hadn't hit a wall you couldn't overcome and been pushed to the brink, you would never have gone through such hardship to find me."