Chapter 83: Meeting Zerev

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Meeting Zerev

Having confirmed that three-story stone houses could be built, Ophelia felt much more at ease. With no pressing tasks for the day, she had a few males head up the mountain to start quarrying stone.

Since Laxus was here, she didn’t let him stay idle. Having promised to provide meals for the workers, cooking in bulk was her only option. She instructed Laxus to find some rocks and carve out four identical pots modeled after modern woks. One would be for boiling water, two for cooking rice, and the last one for making stews later.

After distributing the land to his clansmen, Tyler went into the forest to hunt. The rest of the Fu Clan discussed among themselves for a while before splitting up—some went hunting, while others went to quarry stone. Everyone threw themselves into the work with incredible enthusiasm.

By noon, Tyler returned with two goats, and the elderly males came back carrying heavy blocks of stone. The large stone woks had been carved long ago; water had already been added, and the rice was currently steaming.

"Everyone, have some water first," Ophelia called out. The water had been boiled earlier and left to cool.

Though rough around the edges, Laxus was quite meticulous in his work. After carving the woks, he had used the remaining rock to fashion over twenty large Stone Bowls. The males washed their hands in the stream, then grabbed their Stone Bowls to scoop water from the pot.

After taking a few gulps of water, Tyler began roasting the goats, sending a rich, savory aroma drifting far into the distance. By the time the males were well-rested, the rice was done steaming, and Tyler’s goats were perfectly roasted. This time, Ophelia had brought out twenty pounds of rice. Although it lacked the hearty appeal of meat, its high caloric content would be equally filling.

Raising her voice, she called out, "Time to eat!"

The elderly males approached Tyler with their Stone Bowls, frowning when they saw only two goats. No matter how much they rationed it, a single goat was only enough for four people. Two goats were simply far too little. Still, it was better than nothing, so they kept their complaints to themselves.

Furrowing her brows, Ophelia shouted, "Come here to get your rice first, then go to Tyler for the roast meat!"

Looking confused, the elderly males changed direction and walked over to her. Ophelia held a wooden spoon, ready to serve them.

The first male to approach twitched his nose, his eyes widening. He stared in disbelief, his voice hoarse. "Is this... white rice?"

Smiling, Ophelia lifted the wooden lid off the stone wok, releasing a rich, fragrant wave of steamed rice that instantly filled the air.

"That’s right, it’s white rice," she said while filling his bowl. "We might not have much roast meat, but there’s plenty of rice for everyone!"

The elderly males exchanged bewildered glances, yet none of them reached out to take a bowl.

Laxus patted the male in front of him. "Haier, what are you spacing out for? Let Ophelia serve you." Laxus had no idea where his sister got so much rice, but he figured his only job was to work.

The elderly male named Haier asked in a trembling voice, "Princess Ophelia, are you really giving this precious white rice to us?"

White rice was a rare luxury strictly reserved for females in postpartum recovery. Males like them never expected to taste a single bite in their entire lives. After all, even at its cheapest, a sack of rice cost the equivalent of a whole prey animal.

"Exactly," another elderly male chimed in. "How could old bones like us be worthy of eating white rice?"

Annoyed by their endless rambling, Ophelia simply snatched Haier’s large Stone Bowl and piled it high with steamed rice. "My tribe knows how to cultivate rice. From now on, everyone will get to eat it. This is nothing. Alright, next!"

Dazed, Haier cupped his bowl and wandered over to Tyler, who handed him a roasted goat leg. Haier squatted on the ground, his hands trembling as he held the bowl. He carefully scooped up a handful of rice, placed it in his mouth, and chewed. Tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.

"To eat white rice... my life is complete!"

The other elderly males deeply shared his sentiment. They ate in absolute silence, cherishing every bite and chewing for a long time before finally bearing to swallow.

Ophelia felt a profound pang of sorrow as she watched them. She tapped the stone wok with her spoon. "There’s more if you’re still hungry. Eat your fill."

Fueled by the white rice they had eaten at noon, the elderly males worked with even greater vigor in the afternoon. By dusk, they had hauled back another two hundred stone blocks.

That evening, Ophelia asked Laxus to find another elderly male from the Golden Dragon Clan. She didn’t need someone exceptionally strong—just someone who could manage a fire and roast meat. After all, she would have a lot on her plate soon and couldn’t spend every day cooking here. Laxus brought over a male named Hai Rui, Haier’s younger brother. The reason he hadn’t signed up to build the stone houses was that he had a lame leg and couldn’t carry heavy loads. However, tending to a fire and cooking meat was well within his capabilities. After teaching Hai Rui the technique for steaming rice, Ophelia handed the responsibility of daily cooking over to him.

The next morning, Tyler went hunting early and caught two prey animals. He then transported the day’s supply of rice over to the Fu Clan’s settlement. After Ophelia woke up and finished her breakfast, the two of them set off for Ten Thousand Beasts City once again.

Arriving at Ten Thousand Beasts City this time, Ophelia’s mood was completely different. While her previous visit had been filled with anxiety, she now felt nothing but brimming excitement. Tyler carried a woven basket on his back containing two watermelons, ten bananas, and ten mandarin oranges. These items were naturally prepared as gifts for City Lord Moye.

The male guards at the City Lord Mansion clearly remembered them. Without a word, one went inside to notify Moye.

When Ophelia and Tyler stepped into the reception hall, they saw a young male seated in the main armchair, with City Lord Moye sitting in a subordinate position below him. The young male had long blue hair and incredibly striking, mysterious silver eyes.

Ophelia felt puzzled. Judging by Moye’s deferential posture, this young male’s status was clearly higher than his own. But who could outrank the City Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts City? She sifted through the memories of her past life but came up empty. This was yet another blind spot in her knowledge.

Tyler placed his basket on the floor and lifted the animal skin covering it. "City Lord Mo Ye, these are some fruits we chanced upon. We brought them specifically for you to try."

"Is that so?" Moye craned his neck to look. "You even have frost-melons!"

Moye hastily pulled a watermelon out of the basket and, with a brutal strike, smashed it clean in half.

Ophelia was rendered speechless. Tyler was equally stunned by the reckless waste of good food.

Moye simply picked up one of the halves and took a massive bite, the red juice streaming down his chin. Ophelia couldn’t bear to watch. She thought it didn’t make sense; as a City Lord, it wasn’t like he had never seen a watermelon before.

"So sweet! I’ve never had a frost-melon this sweet before!" Moye’s black eyes lit up.

Suddenly, he felt an icy glare. Looking up, he saw his Young Master staring at him with absolute disgust.

"Y-Young Master Zerev, would you like to try some?" Moye offered, placing the untouched half of the watermelon next to him.

Zerev merely cast it a fleeting glance and remained silent.

Young Master? Ophelia had never heard such a term in the Beast World before. The highest rank she was familiar with was "Princess." She wondered if this title was meant in the ancient aristocratic sense or the modern wealthy family sense.

"What brings you two here?"