Back in the village, the moment Liliana saw Draven, she immediately scolded him, her cheeks puffing up like little balloons, then turned around and tried to run away.

  Draven was quick; he grabbed the little druid girl who was less than 1.5 meters tall and held her gently in his arms.

  Liliana struggled a few times, but her voice softened, and eventually she stopped resisting, obediently sitting on the back of the black Nightmare Horse he rode.

  Draven pulled out a freshly picked bouquet of flowers from his storage ring and handed it to Liliana.

  The little girl's eyes immediately lit up. She quickly snatched the bouquet, gently sniffing it like it was a treasure, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

  After she had her fill of the flowers, Draven rode the Nightmare Horse slowly over to a small hill across the pond and stopped.

  He pointed to the nearby hill and said solemnly,"To express my apology, Liliana, I've decided to give you this little hill as the leader of the Black Flag Tavern."

  "From now on, this hill will be called Mount Liliana, exclusively yours. How does that sound?"

  Draven held her close and gently rubbed his chin against her head.

  A sly expression flashed across Liliana's small face, and she pouted,"No way, that name sounds awful. Pick another one!"

  "How about Flower and Fruit Mountain?" Draven suggested with a smile.

  "Why call it Flower and Fruit Mountain?"

  "Because we'll plant lots of fruit trees that both blossom and bear fruit on that hill!"

  They bantered back and forth, the atmosphere gradually relaxing.

  Finally, with a series of gentle coaxing words, Draven persuaded Liliana to accept the gift and take on the task of building the orchard in Village No. 2.

  But"taking on the task" didn't mean doing everything herself— Liliana was always very interested in treants. Draven directly handed Acorn Oak and his treants over to her management.

  She just needed to lead them in leveling the land, transplanting fruit trees, tending the orchard, and organizing the harvest. The actual labor was done by the treants.

  "See? It's simple. You don't really need to do most of it yourself," Draven said gently, rubbing her head again.

  "Besides, you wouldn't want Flower and Fruit Mountain to be a misnomer, right? No flowers or fruits would sound awful."

  Liliana was dizzy from his soft whispers and had no choice but to nod in agreement.

  Back in the village, Draven also gave Viola and Sylvia each a fresh bouquet, smiling as he said,"Good things should be shared."

  Liliana watched all this, a smile tugging at her lips, but something about it felt a bit strange inside.

  At dinner, the table was decorated with fresh flowers, creating a warm yet somewhat elegant atmosphere. The weather was hot and humid, making it uncomfortable by the firepit, so everyone gathered around the spacious wooden table.

  In the pot simmered freshly caught fish, the aroma wafting through the air, portions served in several clay pots, with a few people eagerly eating around the table.

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  Influenced by Draven, everyone began talking during the meal, and the atmosphere was much livelier than before.

  "Draven brought back 500 slaves from Selene City. About 300 of them are female slaves," Viola said. She had been busy all day, arranging for villagers to take the female slaves to the creek outside the village to bathe in batches, and planning their future work.

  Most of the female slaves were divided into several small teams, each led by a few smart girls from the village to guide them in labor.

  The young, healthy, and well-built female slaves were specially cared for.

  "If well raised, they'll all become beautiful young women," Viola said with great hope.

  Draven snorted skeptically. Looking at those skinny, bony creatures, did she really think they'd become beautiful?

  He asked Viola,"What do you plan to pick them out for?"

  Viola's answer completely changed Draven's impression of her—she was becoming more and more like a capable and sensible helper.

  She planned to personally train the female slaves, having them stay close to her most of the time to learn how to work and observe how labor was done.

  Once these female slaves gradually adapted and gained some skills and experience, they would be assigned to take care of children, do chores, and so forth.

  Viola spoke frankly,"Once they look good, your status as the leader of the werewolves will also give you the standing to reward your subordinates."

  Draven felt quite satisfied hearing this; Viola's arrangements were indeed thoughtful and considerate, very detailed. He thought to himself that handing over management of these female slaves to Viola was a wise decision.

  However, Draven didn't forget to give a few reminders, mainly to restrict the villagers' behavior toward the female slaves. He said these slaves were his property as their lord, and the villagers had no right to seize or bully them.

  When he said this, Draven glanced at Titus, the dog-headed man responsible for village security, who was focused on eating.

  "Titus, you have to take responsibility and keep your subordinates in check."

  Hearing the leader mention him, Titus immediately put down his bowl, stood up, and solemnly promised,"I will be dutiful and responsible, ensuring no problems!"

  Draven signaled for him to sit down and spoke seriously:"This is important. Previously, everyone in the village was either a slave or a villager with no class difference. Now it's different. These female slaves are all slaves, and even Bran dared to lay hands on them. Do you think none of the villagers might have bad intentions toward the female slaves? We absolutely cannot allow such things to happen."

  He went on to explain that if villagers beat or locked up the female slaves, it would not only slow down the territory's development but also cause losses to the lord's property.

  "The worst case is, if villagers violate the female slaves, our entire territory will suffer."

  Draven sternly warned Titus to make sure to clearly inform all subordinates after returning. Anyone who dares to lay hands on the female slaves will face severe consequences.

  "These villagers have just started to eat well. If they know that making a mistake means becoming slaves for life, it will definitely scare them."

  He also reminded Titus that this must be told to all the male villagers.

  If any man really likes a female slave, he must first get Draven's approval and prove he can afford to support her before taking her home.

  Draven was straightforward,"Taking her home is fine, but you have to support her yourself—don't expect me, the lord, to support her."

  He didn't want to be the one losing money. The rule was clear: those capable can keep more, those who aren't shouldn't blame him for being ruthless.

  Draven carefully explained all these points to Titus. This security officer wasn't just a figurehead—he had to prove his real ability.

  Titus nodded as he listened, eager to pull out a charcoal pencil and take notes immediately.

  Draven also discussed with Viola the ways female slaves could gain freedom. Besides performing great deeds, there were only two ways to regain free status:

  First, obeying the lord's arrangements and being gifted to a villager, thus gaining freedom—like the two female slaves Bran took away;

  Second, voluntarily marrying a villager and starting a family. Once they had their own children, they could also regain freedom.

  These two conditions were harsh for ordinary people, but for most slaves who would never be free otherwise, it was at least a way out.

  Draven understood that in this other world, he couldn't promote human rights. Whether villager or slave, the premise of enjoying good treatment was contributing to the territory.

  Changing the subject, Draven began talking about the orchard in Village No. 2. He deliberately praised Liliana for courageously taking responsibility, his voice full of pride.

  But everyone seemed more interested in the treants' grazing, which made Liliana grumble a little unhappily.

  Protesting was useless, so she rolled her eyes but a new idea popped into her head.

  "It's just grazing, right?" Liliana muttered under her breath, a sly look in her eyes.

  She didn't plan to reveal it immediately, wanting to keep a surprise for everyone.