Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God
Chapter 305 - 248 Uninvited Demi-Human_1

Chapter 305: Chapter 248 Uninvited Demi-Human_1

Gaven gave a wry smile and said, "I’ve already felt that pressure, just look outside the manor, in just one night, all sorts of game have piled up like a mountain."

Last night, they held a feast at the manor and reveled.

The Dog Demons led by the werewolves were far from idle.

Under the command of the Dog Demons, dozens of wild wolves carried out an encirclement and interception of the animals in the vineyard.

The night’s harvest was astonishing.

They procured over a dozen wild boars, more than a hundred hares, and no less than three hundred field mice, all fat and round; the mice alone had a significant weight, let alone the boars and hares.

And these were just the wildlife living here.

When the grapes ripen, this place is sure to become a wild feast for the animals.

They would have a special war to fight, and before that, Gaven needed to make ample preparations.

"It’s not all bad," Elder Dennis said with a chuckle, "On the Ashaba River, there is a sizable demi-human traveler tribe that arrives here every year just before the grape harvest, staying for nearly two months to rest. The previous lord of the manor had a harvest employment agreement with them, and a large part of the grapes here were picked with their help."

"A demi-human traveler tribe? Ha... that’s good news, I’ll try to sign a new employment agreement with them" Gaven’s eyes sparkled the moment he heard this.

Just as Gaven wanted to learn more about this demi-human traveler tribe.

The Dog Demon rushed in hurriedly and reported, "Lord, a large fleet of ships has appeared on the river and is preparing to dock."

"This person is most afraid of being nagged. We were just talking about them, and unexpectedly, they’ve arrived, right on time. Considering that it hasn’t been long since the lord acquired ownership of the manor, they probably don’t know about it yet and think this place is still ownerless, coming in advance to prepare," Elder Dennis added from the side.

"Elder, would you care to join me to take a look?" Gaven extended an invitation proactively.

"I’d rather not," Dennis shook his head with a smile, "The lord must know of our customs; we prefer to observe from the sidelines rather than make direct contact. We know of them, but they might not be aware of us."

"Alright, then I won’t bother you further, I’ll go take a look over there, please feel at home here," Gaven responded.

"We’ve troubled you for a while now, and we don’t wish to intrude any further, plus we need to make adjustments and redeploy our manpower," Dennis suggested, "If the lord really can hire these demi-humans, it’d be best to plan out the areas they’re responsible for.

The demi-humans and Fae Race’s zones of responsibility should be divided, as many of our people are far too shy and not adept at dealing with other Sage Races.

If joke boundaries aren’t managed carefully, it could easily cause unnecessary conflicts."

"Understood, I’ll keep that in mind," Gaven nodded in agreement.

He truly aspired to build a nation of diverse races, developing in harmony.

But some things are deeply ingrained and not so easily overcome.

Forcing integration would only spawn more problems.

Even the Spring Buds and the Dragon Oaks, close as they are.

The Fae Race and the Gnolls still run their own course, only coming together when absolutely necessary for collaboration.

Many things require a gradual approach.

This time Gaven did not call for Virginia, but instead rode the Dog Demon directly to the Ashaba River.

Standing on the third floor of Weizemay Manor, one could overlook the Ashaba River from the rear window.

In reality, the distance between them is not short; it’s at least two kilometers to the riverbank.

These two kilometers span fertile low-lying river beaches, also part of Weizemay Manor, which in its heyday were filled with various crops for self-sufficiency.

The land here hasn’t completely gone to waste; many fields still abound with crops, though they’re sparse, with patches here and there.

One could tell at a glance that the land was not meticulously cared for, but rather cultivated in a more extensive, laissez-faire manner, with seeds simply scattered onto the ground and then left unattended.

At this time of year, barley and wheat had already begun to head; once the grape harvest was over, it would be time to reap these as well.

The demi-humans arrived just in time, and it’s very likely that they were the ones who had sown these fields.

The Glaemrei River, Sanbo River, and Ashaba River converge here, all flowing into the Ashaba River.

Resulting in a substantial increase in water volume, a not-so-small water area formed, vast and boundless, incomparable with Lake Seber in Deep Forest Valley, but among the few lakes in Valley, it stands out as one of the largest.

This lake bears an interesting name, Yewen Pond.

It was so named because it was once surrounded by Yewen Forest, making it look like a large pond in the middle of a forest.

Even though its area has expanded dozens of times over from its original size, the name has continued to be used.

From afar, one could see colorful flags fluttering on the lake, and countless boats converging towards the shore.

The boats are uniform in size and style.

They are flat-roofed houseboats that are not very small, but the houses on the boats are compact and exquisite; an adult would have to stoop to move inside, and even then, it would be challenging without crawling.

Tiny figures bustled about on the flat-roofed houseboats, calling out to each other and familiar vessels, drawing closer before securing the boats together with ropes.

Before long, a waterborne boat village will take shape here.

The term "Demi-Human," as the name implies, refers to beings half the height of humans.

And this description is no exaggeration at all.

The average height of a Demi-Human is between eighty centimeters and one meter, with those over one meter being exceedingly rare, just as two-meter-tall individuals are among humans.

Demi-Humans are a distinct species, and anyone who has seen them would never confuse them with Gnomes.

Gnomes somewhat resemble a deformed version of the taller species, possessing larger bodies with relatively short and broad limbs, which is the origin of their name.

Demi-Humans, on the other hand, are proportionally smaller and very well-balanced, to the point that from a distance, one might mistake them for human children.

Demi-Humans are an important part of the Felen Sage Race. Aside from the strong-hearted Demi-Human kingdom established by the Demi-Humans in the southern lands of Luren, Demi-Humans in other regions seldom have their own cities, and even fixed societies are rare.

Most Demi-Humans have wanderlust, especially those from the north, whose inclination is particularly strong. They dislike permanent residence in one place, preferring to dwell in large wagons, roaming from one city to the next, then on to another.

Their easy-going nature, petite stature, and legendary luck endow them with strong adaptability. They rarely draw the attention or hostility of the taller species, and they are quite willing to accept employment from them, earning wages or receiving land in exchange for labor.

When there are no more jobs suitable for them in a town or city in the short term, it’s also time for them to pack up their wagons and set off for the next destination.

This unique lifestyle perfectly integrates them into Felen human society, especially in Thacel, where Demi-Humans make up a significant proportion—one out of every ten intelligent beings is one of them.

Gaven, mounted on a Dog Demon, made no attempt to disguise his tracks.

While he observed the Demi-Human flotilla from the shore, the Demi-Humans had already spotted him.

It would have been difficult not to notice him, given that the size of the Dog Demon was comparable to that of their flat-bottomed houseboats.

A noticeable commotion arose from the direction of the Demi-Human flotilla.

They quickly reacted, launching a dozen or so sleek kayak boats into the water, with one Demi-Human per boat, a group of Demi-Human warriors rapidly approaching the shore.

However, only half of them landed ashore while the other half stayed in the water, guarding nearby the kayaks.

Six Demi-Humans jogged towards Gaven’s location.

Upon hearing of their nomadic habits, Gaven had already surmised that this group of Demi-Humans belonged to the Light-Footed Demi-Humans, and their light and agile steps when they came ashore confirmed his guess.

The leading Demi-Human called out from a distance, "We are Demi-Humans from Anbao Boat Village. Yewen Pond has been our flotilla’s summer rest and repair site for many years. May I ask how to address you, sir, and if there is anything we can assist you with?"

While they are both small-sized species, their racial abilities determine their completely different attitudes in dealing with situations.

Gnomes possess natural Invisibility, allowing them to avoid most dangers and reveal themselves only when they want to make a good impression, so even faced with the powerful Dog Demon, they remain unflinching.

They have enough confidence to simply leave if things go awry.

Demi-Humans are different. Their survival in a world dominated by stronger species relies not just on caution but also on amicable attitudes and a willingness to compromise.

Gaven dismounted the Dog Demon and waved it away before replying, "Rest assured, I mean no harm. If it’s convenient for you, please come closer so we can talk, or I can come to you."

The six Demi-Humans conferred briefly and then slowly approached, responding to the sign of goodwill he had displayed.

All six Demi-Humans were typical of their kind, slightly over ninety centimeters tall but not reaching one meter.

From a distance, they looked like human children but, up close, one could instantly tell they were not.

Normal human children do not possess such well-defined muscular contours, nor do they have beards, even if only sparsely so.

Their skin was somewhat dark, and their bare feet and hands were larger than those of typical Demi-Humans, a result of living on the water all year round.

Only when both parties were about ten meters apart did Gaven introduce himself, "I am the new owner of Weizemay Manor, the new proprietor of this land. Regarding the labor agreement your kind had with the former owner of the manor, I’ve been informed. I would like to enter into a new agreement with you, hoping for mutual benefits and cooperation based on our respective needs."

The six Demi-Humans glanced at each other, seemingly each seeing the resignation in the others’ eyes. An unclaimed land suddenly changing to one with an owner was a most troublesome situation for uninvited guests like them.

Not to mention that it completely disrupted their plans.

They were also unclear about the disposition of the new landlord.

If he was kind, it would be somewhat better; it would simply mean putting in more labor for corresponding rewards, something they often did.

If he was wicked, then it wouldn’t just be the issue of laboring for nothing; even their safety wouldn’t be guaranteed.

The same leading Demi-Human spoke up, "So you are the new owner of Weizemay Manor, we apologize for the disrespect. We live on the water year-round and are a bit out of touch with news ashore. We didn’t know about the changes here and didn’t prepare a gift in advance for visiting your territory, please forgive us, Lord."

"Ignorance is not a sin, besides, we have only started redeveloping Weizemay Manor less than ten days ago. Not just you, but few in Battle Valley are aware of it," Gaven suddenly missed Darnell.

In this situation, having a Paladin intervene would likely save a bit of verbal negotiation.

Despite their appearance of taking him at his word, they were probably still harboring doubts inside.

In Felen, establishing foreign relations with strangers primarily hinges on trust.

This is true for the Fae Race, and it is the same for the Demi-Humans.

Realizing that these Demi-Humans still held deep reservations, Gaven swallowed back the litany of agreements he had on the tip of his tongue and instead extended an invitation, "The issues at the manor have been resolved, Ms. Estelle and Miss Amanda have been resurrected. As the manor’s owner, I invite your Leader to be a guest to discuss employment affairs. Our manor’s winemaking operation is restarting, and we vitally need your assistance."