Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Men surrounded Ingrid and Lysander. Lysander stood right in front of Ingrid, going to to a fighting stance as slow hisses escaped from his lips. Hawk and Falcon stood behind them, victory glinting in their eyes as the men advanced forward.

One of them grabbed Ingrid’s arm, ready to pull her away. But before they could even make a move, a booming voice cut through the tension.

"What exactly is going on here?"

Everyone turned. A Beastman was approaching from the path, accompanied by two others who remained a few steps behind him. As he walked in, the others also stepped back, some even bowed their heads in respect.

Ingrid studied him carefully, because there was something about his presence that immediately made her pay attention. She could not tell what kind of Beastman he was, but there was no mistaking that he was not human. There was a quiet authority in the way he walked, and even without knowing who he was, Ingrid could tell that he was someone people listened to.

Hawk’s entire attitude changed. The anger disappeared from his face almost instantly, replaced by a respectful expression that looked so different from the man who had been shouting at Ingrid moments earlier that she almost laughed. He lowered his head slightly and stepped toward the newcomer.

"My apologies sir. This is Ingrid, a troublesome and stubborn woman from my tribe. She’s been causing trouble lately just because my son rejected her. She followed us all the way here just to make trouble so I’m about to remove her from the premises. I’m sorry to have disturbed your rest, sir."

Ingrid’s eyebrows rose. A troublesome beast woman? She looked at Hawk for a moment before glancing back at the newcomer. The man seemed to be studying her as well, his eyes moving from her face to Lysander and then back to her. Ingrid could practically see the question forming in his mind, and she decided there was no reason to let Hawk tell the story for her.

"That’s very untrue... sir." Ingrid started, "I only came here to sell herbs but they’ve been accusing me since I came here. I can tell you’re someone important, I can only ask you to judge for me."

"Sir, there’s no need to involve yourself in this. I can..."

"Mr Hawk, are you trying to tell me that you want to decide for me?" The man eyed Hawk, making him freeze.

"N... no. That’s not what I mean."

"Then shut your mouth. This is my turf, there’s no need for you to give your input unless I tell you to do so. Do you understand me?" The man spoke slowly, but there was a lot of command in his tone. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

So much that both Falcon and Hawk shrunk under his gaze. Ingrid almost let out a smirk. She was right, someone who could make these two act like this, if he’s able to verify her product, it’ll be good for her.

"Can I take a look at it?" The main stretched his arm out and Ingrid placed the stalk she was holding in his palms.

The man held the herb between his fingers for several seconds without saying anything. His eyes moved over every part of it, from the silver veins running through the leaves to the faint glow surrounding the stem. Then his eyes widened, and the change in his expression was so obvious that Ingrid immediately knew he had recognised it. He lifted his head and looked at her again, this time with far more interest than before.

"Where did you find this?" he asked.

Ingrid gave him a small, closed-eye smile before answering. "I found it by chance while I was wandering around the Whispering Ravine. It was not exactly a safe place to explore, and I had to risk my life to get close enough to pick them, so I was honestly surprised that I managed to come back with anything at all."

The man continued studying her face, clearly expecting her to say more, but Ingrid did not offer any extra information. Instead, she lightly shrugged and continued, "There was only a small patch of them, and I picked everything I could find since I had no idea when I would come across them again. These are all the ones I brought here today, so if you are interested in buying them, what you see is everything I have."

The man watched her for another moment, and Ingrid could tell he understood that she had no intention of explaining exactly where the patch was located. To her surprise, he did not push the matter. He simply lowered his gaze back to the herb and examined it more carefully while everyone around them waited in silence.

Finally, he raised his head. "It is the real thing."

Falcon’s eyes widened, and Hawk looked as though someone had struck him across the face. Hawk quickly recovered and stepped forward, his voice filled with panic. "Sir, you cannot let yourself be deceived by her. She is lying, and I know exactly what kind of woman she is. She has been causing trouble in our tribe for weeks, and I..."

"Guard. Gag him." One of the men standing behind the stranger immediately stepped forward. Before Hawk could finish speaking, the guard grabbed him and forced a gag over his mouth. Hawk struggled in outrage, but the guard held him firmly in place while the stranger watched without showing the slightest concern.

"If you speak again without being addressed, you will die," the man said calmly. "I have already told you that this is my territory and that your opinion is not required, Mr. Hawk. You should consider yourself fortunate that I am giving you a chance to remain silent."

Hawk’s eyes widened, but he finally stopped struggling.

Ingrid pressed her lips together to hide her smile. She had never seen anyone shut Hawk down so quickly, and watching him stand there with a gag over his mouth was honestly more satisfying than she wanted to admit. Falcon had also gone strangely quiet.

The man turned his attention back to Ingrid and held out the herb. "I want to buy everything you have brought with you."

Ingrid blinked in surprise before quickly recovering. "All of it?"

"All of it."

Ingrid glanced at the pouch containing the remaining herbs before looking back at him. "Before we discuss the price, may I ask something?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"You recognised the herb immediately, which tells me you know its value better than I do," Ingrid said. "Since you are the one who approached me about purchasing everything, I would like to hear your offer first."

The man studied her for a moment. Ingrid kept her expression calm, although her mind was already working through the possibilities. She knew better than to throw out the first number in a negotiation when she did not know the local market. If she named a low price, she could end up selling something valuable for far less than it was worth, while naming an absurdly high price could ruin a deal before it even started. The safest choice was to make the buyer reveal what he believed the herbs were worth, especially since his reaction had already told her that they were not ordinary plants.

The man’s lips curved slightly. "You are cautious."

"I would rather be cautious than regretful," Ingrid replied. "Besides, you were the one who said you wanted everything I brought, so I assume you already have a number in mind."

For the first time, the man gave a quiet laugh. "You negotiate before knowing whether I am willing to negotiate."

"That is because I am trying to sell something, not give it away," Ingrid said with a shrug. "If your offer is reasonable, we can make a deal without wasting each other’s time."

The man looked at her for several seconds before finally giving his answer. "Thirty thousand gold coins."