"Without enough adventurers to hunt them down, the monsters in the forest will overpopulate until they enter the villages and harm the villagers. So that's the real reason why slimes enter human villages—damn it, that bastard! He doesn't care about the people in his territory at all; he only cares about expanding his own power!"
William clearly realized something, and put down his knife and fork with a grim expression—or perhaps because his plate was empty:
"If that's the case, then Aigard's actions completely violated the Imperial Code—'Free men are the wealth of the Empire, and no one may deprive a free man of his status without cause, nor may they plunder another's slaves or property...'"
"That's just how nobles are. Aren't you used to their despicable and vile ways of doing things?"
The half-elf Osik said coldly:
"To him, the people in his territory are no different from slaves; they are just wealth to be flaunted at noble banquets. I bet a significant portion of the adventurers imprisoned in the dungeons of the lord's castle have signed slave contracts with that bastard."
At this point in the conversation, even the most delicious food seemed rather tasteless, and Ella kept her head drooping, looking extremely disappointed.
"Are we just supposed to stand by and watch him force those poor free people into slavery? I heard he's also restricting the movement of residents in Xike County. If this continues, Xike County will be a complete mess by that bastard sooner or later!"
William subtly observed Xu Milu's expression, but saw not a trace of resentment or indignation on her face. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, then turned to urge Ella on:
“Ella, this is not something we should worry about. Hurry up and finish the food on your plate. We have been disturbing Lord Qingluan for quite some time, which is far too impolite.”
"But brother, don't you really think that Aigard went too far?"
Before Ella could say anything more, Osik suddenly stood up to leave, his expression indescribably cold.
"You should know this, right? This is Egard's territory. Even the king can't interfere with anything within the territory unless you can come up with enough ransom. Otherwise, even William can't do anything about it."
"Osik, you are so cold-blooded!"
Ella clenched her fists, puffed out her cheeks in a huff, and ran out. Less than two minutes later, she came running back, her eyes red, to apologize to Xu Milu.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to thank Lord Qingluan. The food you provided is the most delicious I've ever tasted before. You must have used precious spices in the cooking process. I feel really bad about eating this meal for free... Please let me help tidy up the kitchen!"
William explained, somewhat amused and exasperated:
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency Qingluan, my sister is really being too reckless."
The little girl's tearful appearance reminded Xu Milu of the dwarf princess Sunny, who was also a crybaby in the past.
She didn't mention that she could actually use magic to clean the dishes, but simply smiled, patted Ella's head gently, and said:
"Okay, then I'll trouble you. There's a well by the door; you can use the water to wash your dishes. After washing them, leave them by the door, and Dai Zi will come to collect them."
Dai Zi, who was playing with her leaves on the table, heard Xu Milu calling her and happily came over. Regardless of whether Ella understood, she skipped and hopped to lead the way for Ella:
"Young lady, you want to wash the dishes? This little demon will show you the way. Washing dishes is an art. Not only do you have to scrub them thoroughly with a loofah, but you also have to use soapberry rice to make foam and wash them three times. Finally, you have to soak them in well water for a while and wipe them with a clean, soft cotton cloth."
Oh, by the way, young lady, your skin is delicate. After washing, remember to apply a thick layer of hibiscus cream. Your human race doesn't have the tough skin of our demon race. I've heard that your corpses will swell up like steamed buns if soaked for a long time. I wonder if your hands will swell up if soaked for too long. I once saw a water ghost that died after eating waterweed; its nose was all rotten, and its eyeballs looked like fish bubbles when pinched! (Journey to the West world language)
—Perhaps because she held back for too long when she became a spirit, Dai Zi is now a chatterbox. Her mouth is so chattery it's like it's been smashed into eight pieces on the ground. Sometimes Xu Mi Lu gets a headache just listening to her.
Ella couldn't understand a word Dai Zi was saying, but the chubby, round-faced little girl was clearly very endearing, and even William smiled as he said:
"Your Highness Qingluan, your familiar is very lively and cute. I have seen similar familiars before, but they are not close to humans. This is truly remarkable."
Xu Milu: "..."
Yes, the adorable fairy who's almost a hundred years old is describing to your sister what it feels like to crush someone's eyeballs.
Forget it, it's better not to tell these two siblings what terrible things Dai Zi said.
...
...
Three days later, at the city gate of Xike County.
Unlike the imposing city gate she had imagined, what appeared before Xu Milu were two solid wooden doors that looked very old, even somewhat dilapidated. The four corners of the doors were wrapped in silver, and the center of each door was carved with intricate patterns, which were probably magic circles used to verify the identity of those entering the city.
The city wall, made of stacked stones, seemed to serve only a basic purpose of preventing thieves. The protruding stones looked as if they would fall off with a gust of wind. The crooked cobblestone road stretched inward from the city gate, and the buildings built on both sides of the road could be vaguely seen. Most of them were wooden structures, with the occasional stone building sandwiched among them, standing out like cranes among chickens in comparison.
This is way too shabby.
Xu Milu tightened her cloak, unable to suppress her inner complaints.
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