Chapter 236

Chapter 236: Conflict on the Prairie

Two days later, the merchant caravan loaded with goods was traveling across the prairie. Beside the caravan were two rows of lion-maned riders.

The entire caravan consisted of over a hundred people, with more than sixty combatants, while the rest were drivers, hunters, shamans, cooks, and other logistical personnel.

The horses ridden by these lion-maned humanoids were quite large, measuring approximately 2.4 meters from head to hoof, mostly brown and gray in color, occasionally with white patterns. Despite their varied coat colors and not being particularly fast runners, they had robust skeletons and strong physiques, excellent endurance, and strength—qualities that allowed them to bear the weight of the lion-maned humanoids.

Lolan leaned her head against the carriage window, observing the scenery outside and the lion-maned riders.

“What kind of horses are those? I’ve never seen such breeds before,” she asked curiously, looking at Nia across from her.

Nia put down the ledger she was using to record the cargo and looked up before replying, “Those are Mil Flower heavy horses. They are large and strong, but also require a lot of food; one horse eats as much as three to five people. Only a few powerful tribes can afford to raise them.”

“These horses should be good for plowing fields,” Lolan commented, unsurprisingly knowledgeable about agriculture.

“However, there aren’t many people farming on the prairie because food is scarce. Some have tried in the past, but the results weren’t great. Only a small part of the land near rivers is cultivated,” Nia shook her head, her goat horns swaying along with her chestnut hair.

“Why is that?” Lolan tilted her head, curious about the reason.

“Because farming depletes the soil, and the prairie is windy and cold, making it difficult for crops to grow well,” Nia said regretfully.

“Understood.” Lolan thought for a moment, then slipped her hands into her fur gloves, pondering silently.

Gufia is located in the northern region, and autumn here is especially short. Recently, the weather has become quite cold.

On the return journey, things were relatively peaceful, with no major incidents. The lion-maned tribe is a major clan on the prairie, with formidable strength. While the cave lion tribe is just one branch of theirs, it still wields considerable power, and smaller tribes often fear them, so larger ones usually don’t provoke them.

Along the way, they could still see some horseback groups heading north, participating in the Fire Harvest Festival. Many tribes are far from the festival venue, so they set out well in advance. The Fire Harvest Festival was approaching soon.

Due to the presence of salted meat and other goods, the caravan moved slowly. It took five or six days to reach Nia’s tribe.

Upon entering the territory of the goat-horned tribe, Lolan felt a somber atmosphere. After the lion-maned humanoids unloaded the goods, she hurried to the tent where Nia was staying.

“The situation is like this, Nia,” came a familiar voice.

“Has Grandpa Kutan been injured?” Nia’s voice was filled with agitation.

“Yes, but fortunately, his life isn’t in danger,” the voice reassured her.

“How could they…” the young lady’s voice was both indignant and bitter.

Isn’t this common? At least they didn’t kill anyone, only stole some sheep. Nia told herself, yet she still felt uneasy and troubled.

“Nia, don’t get too worked up. Well… I didn’t want to tell you, but you have a bright future ahead. This isn’t a big deal. Once you graduate from Emanas and become stronger, no one will dare bully us. Don’t rush into a fight over this,” the somewhat deep voice advised Nia.

Hearing this conversation, Lolan, who had been about to pull back the curtain, paused and waited until the voices inside calmed down before greeting them and entering the tent.

Inside, besides Nia, there was another older male. He had dark brown hair, and his face bore a resemblance to Nia’s.

“Hello, I’m Lolan, Nia’s classmate,” Lolan greeted politely.

“Hello, I’m Nia’s uncle, Kule, her father’s brother,” the man removed his hat in greeting, then put it back on and continued speaking.

“I heard that Miss Lolan has helped Nia a lot at school, and I am very grateful. Our goat-horned tribe hasn’t hosted guests in a long time. If there’s anything we haven’t done properly, please let us know and forgive us,” he said.

“I won’t disturb you then,” he said slowly and backed out.

Kule was quite articulate. Other members of the goat-horned tribe would typically just say thank you or welcome, sometimes appearing awkward when trying to show hospitality. Lolan felt anxious for them, but she wouldn’t blame them for it.

“Lolan, you’re here. Sorry, did you hear what we were talking about?” Nia looked at Lolan as she approached and held her hand.

“Where is Grandpa Kutan? Let’s go see him first,” she said.

“Okay,” Nia nodded and led Lolan towards a tent. Though she couldn’t heal, Lolan might have a solution.

The gray tent was somewhat old, with frayed edges. Upon lifting the curtain, two people were already standing inside. One was an elderly goat-horned tribesman standing beside a bed, holding crushed herbs to apply to a wound. Next to him was an assistant, helping to hold the injured elder.

The elderly tribesman had white beard and a thin frame. His bones were clearly visible under his skin. Occasionally, he winced, his arm wrapped in bandages, and there was a long wound on his chest.

Upon hearing someone enter, he opened his eyes, looked around, and seeing Nia, tried to speak but grimaced due to pain in his chest, unable to finish his words.

“Don’t move, Grandpa Kutan,” Nia said after entering, ensuring the elder remained calm before checking his injuries.

The goat-horned elder’s wounds were mainly external, thankfully not affecting his internal organs. Otherwise, he might not have survived.

After the shaman finished treating the wounds and left the tent, Lolan approached to examine the elder.

The situation wasn’t too severe; the elder was still in decent health. Lolan thought for a moment, then spread her hands, pure white magic power gradually manifesting in the air, gathering between her palms. With a flicker of light, it condensed into a small water ball.

The shimmering water ball then evaporated into tiny droplets that fell onto the elder’s wounds, seeping in. Gradually, the elder’s furrowed brows relaxed, and his breathing steadied.

Nia offered further condolences and inquired about the cause of the incident, learning the full story.

Earlier, a conflict broke out between the wolf-eared tribe near the goat-horned tribe. Both sides engaged in a fierce battle, attacking each other.

Although the goat-horned tribe had already gathered most of their flock, the lack of fodder forced them to let some sheep graze nearby. This made them vulnerable to the wolf-eared tribe’s attacks.

Riders wielding long swords swept through, quickly scattering the flock. After realizing they were not enemies, they continued to drive and plunder the sheep.

The goat-horned tribe, being weaker, did not resist but fled quickly. However, several tribespeople were still injured.

Fortunately, the enemy did not pursue them further but returned to enjoy their spoils.

After understanding the details, Nia hesitated.

Should she seek revenge? But her tribe was not strong enough. Should she ask for Lolan’s help? No, the school has rules prohibiting students from participating in any conflicts between organizations or nations. This would get Lolan expelled, and it wasn’t a matter of life and death anyway.

But doing nothing? She felt a sense of frustration and difficulty swallowing it, knowing that constant tolerance would make her seem easy to bully.

Just as she was indecisive, the tent curtain was lifted, and several elders entered.

These three elders included the tribe’s shaman, the tribal chief, and a sequence 4 elderly warrior.

“We heard Nia had returned and came to check on you and the injured Kutan,” the old chief said.

“I know Nia and Old Kutan are close, but I hope you won’t act rashly.”

Thank you, Dustlike Thanks, Ashes, Xiang, Tangmen Infantry, Shimi, White Night, Tang Dynasty, Book Reader 20200807101900686, Lady Immortal Fox Eight Hundred Years Old, Sword Inquiring Heart, n0000000000o, Lazy Fish Otaku, Twelve’s Gift

Thank you all for your support.

End of Chapter