freeallnovels Chapter 508: Ransom - 2
Chapter 508: Ransom - 2
Chapter 508: Ransom - 2
When Leo was running around gathering treasures, he sensed a settlement a few kilometres away. Knowing that he was already around 30 kilometres into the Realm, they were surely among the many Lizardmen settlements spread across the Secret Realm beyond the 30-kilometre zones.
And since it was also time to eat, he deliberately set up camp near them so that when the food was cooked, the aroma would be carried to the Lizardmen, and a scout party would come to assess the situation.
He needed that scout party since, through them, he would extract information about the hidden natural treasures in the Secret Realm. Nobody would know the best locations better than natives of the realm itself.
But he didn’t know getting what he wanted would be so easy.
[Blazebloom Flower] - High Green-Tier × 25
[Blazebloom Fruit] - High Green-Tier × 15
[Cinder Pearl] - Low Blue-Tier × 5
[Firecore Ruby] - High Blue-Tier × 1
"Now this is interesting," Leo muttered as he looked at the natural treasures displayed before him by the few Lizardmen who had come to deliver the ransom. The treasures were loaded onto a large—5-meter-long—salamander beast that seemed to have been tamed by an individual who remained standing beside it at the back.
Magmalurker (Pseudo 3-star) - Mortal Bloodline
At the front were three people approaching him: the young man whom Leo had sent away with the message, a robust middle-aged 8-foot-tall Lizardman with the strength of Peak 3-star, and an elderly-looking Lizardman whose strength barely reached Peak 1-star.
"War Chief, he is—"
"Shut up."
The younger one was cut off by the robust Lizardman, who seemed to be known as the War Chief.
Currently, the War Chief’s complexion didn’t look good after sensing that Leo’s strength stood at the cusp of 4-star mid.
"I am Drogash, the 2nd War Chief of the Ashen Lizardmen Tribe. May I know what to call you?"
"Leo," Leo replied.
"Okay, so Sir Leo, it seems that some youngsters from our tribe made a mistake and ended up offending you. Due to that, you held some of my tribe’s men captive. That’s natural, and I won’t say it’s something unreasonable. Just as you asked, we have prepared the ransom in exchange for freeing them," Drogash said, gesturing toward the treasures on the Magmalurker’s back.
The Magmalurker started moving forward, but Drogash stopped it in case it was misunderstood as an attempt to attack.
Leo looked toward the elder Lizardman.
"I am Xarzul, an elder of the Ashen Tribe. If Sir Leo wishes, he may call me by my name."
Leo nodded.
"Drogash and Xarzul, you might already have a guess, but these treasures are not the only thing I am looking for."
As soon as Leo said that, both Lizardmen’s expressions hardened.
This was the worst-case scenario. They were already giving what they believed was the most appropriate amount for the value of the captives, yet Leo didn’t seem satisfied.
But in front of Leo’s strength, they could only agree.
Xarzul spoke first.
"Certainly, the terms can be negotiated further, but before that, could you please allow us to quickly treat our injured men? It would be a disaster if they died. Their family members are very worried about them."
As he spoke, the beast tamer hopped down with a sack that likely contained first aid supplies.
Since Leo had formed an earthen dome around the captured Lizardmen, they couldn’t see the current situation. But according to what the youngster had reported, Vektar and Vorrak were grievously injured and could potentially die. This was also the reason the Lizardmen had rushed here within half an hour.
Well, I guess 3 warriors in a 3-star realm are valuable assets in a 300-member tribe.
"No need for that."
"But—" Drogash thought Leo would rather allow his men to die than compromise on the deal.
"They are already healed and out of danger."
Flick
Leo flicked his fingers, and the earthen dome shattered with a dull crack, revealing the 5 completely fine Lizardmen, bound tightly by their hands and feet with vines.
Behind them, Nyxa kept a close eye on them in case they tried anything funny.
"B-but they were injured so badly!" The youngster’s eyes widened in disbelief.
When the 5 captive men saw Drogash, their expressions brightened.
"War Chief! This man is threatening to wipe out our tribe, teach hi—"
"SHUT UP!"
Drogash became furious at the loud-mouthed younger Lizardman.
"Sir Leo, please forgive them. They are young and ignorant. Now that I have seen they are fine, we can proceed with further negotiations."
"W-war Chief—"
"Quiet."
Kragash, the Warrior captive, silenced the younger Lizardman after seeing his brother’s respectful tone toward Leo. It simply meant Leo was stronger than Drogash.
Leo looked back at Drogash.
"The young in your tribe need stricter discipline. If they are like this, I am afraid many others will not be as patient as I am. As a piece of information, this time, a few True Blood Dragons have entered the Secret Realm alongside me, and from their temperament, I can tell they won’t give a second thought before razing this entire realm. Your tribe means nothing to them. And yes, their strength might be equal to or even higher than mine."
"D-dragons?!" The elder’s eyes widened when he heard that.
Drogash was visibly shaken as well, but he quickly calmed himself.
"Sir Leo, I cannot thank you enough for this information. But..."
"But?" Leo asked.
"At maximum, we can only quadruple the ransom. Even then, we can only provide one extra Firecore Ruby. We only have two, including the one we brought here. If you wish, we can compensate with a type of heat-resistant iron known as Basalt Iron."
Leo was immediately interested in the deal. Though—
"How much Basalt Iron can you provide me with? I am talking about refined metal."
"Around 1 ton."
"Alright, I will take that along with the treasures you have brought here. But once again, these treasures are not the only thing I am looking for."
Since Leo could tell whether someone was telling the truth or lying, there was no scope for being cheated. And Lizardmen were known for their direct and honest approach, so he didn’t waste time haggling over the deal. He was already getting more than he had hoped for.
"Thank you for your understanding, and I hope you forgive our tribesmen."
Drogash bowed slightly to show his respect, and even the elder looked visibly relieved.
They were already offering everything they reasonably could with that quadrupled deal, which would put them in resource scarcity and leave them at a disadvantage against neighboring tribes. So Leo settling for only half of their refined metal reserves and the previously offered treasures was a tremendous relief.
"As for the other thing I am looking for, it’s information on treasures that you all know about but cannot obtain due to your limited strength."