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Chapter 508 509-The Attacked Trade Association
Chapter 508 509-The Attacked Trade Association
Chapter 508 Chapter509-The Attacked Trade Association
Observing Ali's somber expression, Jelia nodded gravely.
She wasn't one of those little girls who understood nothing of the world.
Having witnessed life and death, she was acutely aware that once someone dies, they lose everything.
Before you can protect others, you must first protect yourself.
This was a phrase Howard often reiterated to Jelia, who treated it as an ultimate truth.
After ensuring the mana shield was active, Ali nodded and turned towards the overturned carriage.
The carriage appeared unremarkable, a common two-wheeled design seen frequently, with a canopy on top and designed to be drawn by a single horse.
However, its light construction meant that it couldn't be driven too fast even on relatively smooth roads without risking overturning.
This was due to its high center of gravity unless it was loaded with heavy goods to weigh it down.
Ali circled the carriage, finding no obvious clues at a glance.
The interior of the carriage was clean, devoid not just of goods, but also of significant bloodstains.
The ground was a mess of footprints, among which Ali recognized Gick's, leading distinctly in the direction of Oak Village.
Gick's prints seemed disordered, likely the result of considerable fright at the time.
Besides the footprints, Ali also noted several large pools of blood.
In fact, these had caught her eye from the beginning.
It was impossible to overlook such a vivid red, the color of life and equally of death.
In total, Ali identified eight different sets of footprints at the scene.
Excluding three sets that belonged to Gick and his two companions, the remaining prints likely belonged to the attackers.
Those subhumans.
"It seems those subhumans haven't completely regressed to primitivism, at least they know to wear shoes," Ali deduced, sorting through the footprints to differentiate those belonging to Gick and his companions and establishing the relationships among the various tracks.
After analyzing the connections between the footprints, Ali followed several for a distance before turning back.
After Ali had walked away, Jelia obediently stayed within the mana shield, observing the surrounding wilderness and rubbing her nose.
Feeling a bit scared?
Of course.
Being alone in such a desolate place, one never knows what might appear the next second.
Feeling a bit lonely?
Rather than now, it's more accurate to say the loneliness began when Howard chose to leave on his own.
Loneliness doesn't arise from being alone; it's precisely the presence of another person that brings the feeling of loneliness.
If one were always alone from the beginning, what loneliness would there be to speak of?
Jelia crouched on the ground, idly playing with the roots of the grass with a stick she found nearby.
Then, she heard approaching footsteps.
She hastily stood up, looking towards the direction of the sound.
It was Ali.
Jelia let out a sigh of relief, knowing deep down that feeling unhappy was out of the question since Ali was the most reliable source of security.
"Did you find anything?" Jelia asked as she saw Ali dismantling the mana shield.
"Sort of," Ali responded without giving a direct answer.
There were definitely clues, but Ali now hesitated whether to pursue the subhumans with Jelia in tow.
Bringing her from Oak Village was initially due to concerns over her safety alone there, but it seemed following her closely might not be much safer either.
"Jelia, how about you stay here while I sort everything out, and then we can head back to Oak Village together?" Ali proposed, not expecting the usually obedient Jelia to shake her head this time.
"For me right now, the safest place is by your side."
Instead of placing her trust in seemingly fragile shields, Jelia preferred to accompany Ali.
Although it might appear riskier to be on the move with Ali, in reality, Ali only engaged in situations she was confident she could handle.
This made accompanying Ali seemingly the safer option.
After a moment of thought, Ali found the logic sound and simply nodded in agreement, but not without repeatedly stressing, "If you see danger, hide immediately! Even if you see an injured enemy, don't let your emotions get the best of you. No matter what happens, your own safety must always come first..."
After emphasizing this point several times, Ali began to move forward with Jelia in tow.
She couldn't be too careful; if anything were to happen to Jelia, she wouldn't know how to explain it to Howard.
Jelia was far too important to Howard.
Undoubtedly, if anything were to befall Jelia, Howard's wrath would annihilate any suspect involved.
Following the tracks, Ali and Jelia left the main road and boldly stepped deeper into the jungle.
"Ali, do you think those two are dead?" Jelia suddenly asked along the way.
Ali pursed her lips, pausing for a moment before responding hesitantly, "I don't know. I hope they're alright, but I don't think they're that lucky."
The bloodstains at the site of the overturned carriage could already hint at the answer.
It was likely grim for Gick's two companions.
The temperament of half-orcs is generally volatile, partly due to their orc bloodline and partly due to various injustices they face.
Regardless of who it is, when confronted with malice from almost the entire world, anyone would become fierce and cruel.
If being a saint were easy, they wouldn't be revered as such.
Ali carefully followed the footprints through the jungle, with Jelia trailing a step behind, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
Although Ali's hearing and mana sensing were far superior to her eyesight, Jelia insisted on keeping watch.
To gain something, one must give something in return.
This was the first lesson Howard taught Jelia, and so, having been saved by Howard, she chose to offer her loyalty and her life in return.
As long as Howard didn't abandon her, she would never give up on him.
This was a pact between a half-orc and an extraterrestrial, both abandoned, finding warmth in each other's company.
The subhumans who attacked Gick didn't seem like experts.
Satisfied with a successful strike, they perhaps took prisoners but left without covering their tracks.
Ali found tracking the footprints not too difficult; the elf's innate sensitivity to details allowed her to notice things that would typically escape others' attention.
For instance, footprints hidden near fallen leaves and bushes, or strands of hair and pieces of fabric scraped off by branches.
The hair likely belonged to a half-orc, and as for the fabric...
Ali hoped it belonged to one of Gick's companions.
Though subhumans are not pure-blooded humans, they are also not heartless cannibals; their diet is varied but does not include human corpses.
Therefore, if they indeed took several people with them, it could only mean that those people still held value to them.
Perhaps as cooks?
Or shoemakers?
Separation from society for too long turns any person gradually into a beast.
Following the tracks for about a hundred meters more, Ali came upon an empty campsite.
The fire had died out, and the ground was littered with animal bones and traces of blood, suggesting the subhumans had used this place as a rest and ambush point, waiting for suitable targets to pass by on the main road before striking.
Yet, there remained one question: a hundred meters is neither far nor close.
If they identified their target from this spot and then rushed to attack, the target would have already moved some distance.
Unless, they had already decided on their target and were merely waiting for them to pass by.
Perhaps they even knew the exact time their target would come through.
This thought couldn't help but bring a chilling smile to one's face.
"Jelia, never betray Howard," Ali said with a cold laugh, squatting down beside the remnants of the fire, her hand exploring the coolness left after the flames had died.
It was indeed the feeling one would expect, like plunging into cool seawater - not despair, but a numbing embrace all around.
Jelia remained silent, her eyes filled with a touch of sadness.
Not everyone can remain a child forever.
Such a sorrowful world.
With a silent sigh in her heart, Ali stood up, dusting off her hands, leaving dust to settle on the ground.
"Let's go. After attacking Gick and his group, the subhumans rested here for a while. Judging by the state of the fire pit, they couldn't have gone far."
After speaking, Ali's gaze lingered on Jelia's face before adding, "If you don't want to go, you can stay here. I believe it should be safe."
Ali held no mercy for those damned souls.
"No need," Jelia shook her head, biting her lower lip, "Let's go."
Nodding, Ali pulled out a short knife, gripping the blade and offering the handle to Jelia.
"You need to learn to protect yourself. Relying on others all the time is no way to grow up."