Chapter 706 Arad's return to the village
Upon walking into his domain, Arad could see the faint lines of a large stone castle emerging in the distance. "They got this far," He smiled, sitting on Gin's head.
"It looks like they finished the walls and Keep. It still needs some time, but it's looking great," Gin nodded.
Arad jumped from her head and landed on the ground, expanding his wings. "I'll go take a look," He flew into the sky, teleporting upward and reaching the clouds in the blink of an eye.
Arad looked down, his purple-glowing eyes jolting from left to right as he surveyed his land.
The castle's main keep rested on the peak of the highest mountain, with the wall spanning around the mountain's base, a long stone road leading from the ground to the top in a spiral around the whole formation.
The village rested right outside the wall at the mountain foot, beside Arad's house, where they grew around it like plants around water.
"It's growing," Arad smiled, closing his eyes to sense all the animals and monsters prowling the ground. Immediately, he could see and hear the whole area through their senses.
Aella, who was in their house's garden hanging the laundry, looked at the sky as she sensed Arad's magic, "He's back!" She turned toward the house and called Mira, who was cooking in the kitchen.
"I see," Arad giggled, "Troubles always await. Of course, they won't let a growing city without butting their heads in," He lifted his hands. "Should've waited until I came back,"
Inside the new tavern that recently opened in Arad's village, a stout man sat in the back seat with a drink, listening to the other patrons. But at that moment, he saw a squirrel hanging to the ceiling, glaring at him with glowing purple eyes.
In a back alley, a well-dressed man was talking with an old woman, "Come on, it's a good deal. Do you know how much is this worth? You won't ever find a better deal. You can even move to the best district in Alina." He said with a smile, shaking a small bag of gold.
"I said I'm not selling my land. It's not even mine," The old woman shook her head.
"You'll regret it soon. This isn't a deal..." He paused, seeing a chunky, fat rat glaring at him from over a barrel, standing on his hind legs with glowing purple eyes.
Beside the village's entrance, the villagers have built a slightly larger house for their delegate leader, the village chief. His job was to bring the villagers' concerns to Arad, or his wives in case something happened. That was far better than having all the villages flock at once.
At the chief's house, two noblemen were visiting with a concerning document.
"Sir Luckry. I believe you can read this," He slipped a long, old-looking document on the table in front of the village chief.
"My late grandfather owned the land around this area before it was overrun by monsters. I would like to get the papers for it fixed. Would you mind signing this out for me?" He smiled.
"I can't. You'll have to wait for Lord Arad to return. I did tell your servants this last week," The village chief replied.
The noble sighed, leaning back on the couch, "I've been waiting for a week, you know?" He growled. "This must be done. What kind of stupid crap you're doing here? You can't even do this on your own?"
"I do not own the land. I don't have a say. And I can't sign that paper. My only job is to inform Lord Arad or his wives of such concerns. I did inform Lady Aella about this, and she asked for you to come visit Arad's house to speak with her. Why didn't you go?" The village chief stared at the noble.
"That and this are different matters. You're the village chief of this area. This is something you do," The noble glared at him.
"No, it's not my job. Speak with Lady Aella, or wait for Lord Arad to arrive," The village chief replied.
CLACK! The noble punched the table, "I'm saying you'll sign it..."
ZEEEEEEE! The front door slowly opened up with a painful creek as if it hadn't oiled in decades. From the opening, a black goat glared inside with glowing purple eyes. "MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
****
Back in the tavern, the squirrel jumped from the ceiling, landing in front of the stout man. The man looked at the small creature with a smile, "What are you doing here? I don't have any food for you," He looked at the squirrel with a smile, but soon he started to feel that something was off as he stared into the tiny creature's glowing purple eyes.
ZON! With a thud and a gust of warm air, a large shadow fell over the stout man. "You've been shopping around for a while. Did you lose something?" Arad bent forward, glaring down at the man.
CLACK! The man gasped, standing, and stepped backward, dropping his chair, "Wait! What are you?!" He cried.
"Lord Arad!" The bartender gasped, seeing Arad's massive body appear out of nowhere in the middle of his tavern.
"Heard the bartender, who's you're looking for?" Arad took a step toward the man.
"Nothing, I'm just relaxing around..." The man tried to explain himself, but Arad extended his hand forward, pushing two fingers into the man's mouth. CRACK! He pulled a tooth out, and the man cried, rolling on the ground.
"I already know you've been looking for people to buy land around the village. Who said you can do that in my land?" Arad squatted beside the man's head, staring at him, rolling on the ground in pain.
"You've been the least troubling one, so I'll let you off with this. Next time, I'm pulling them all out," Arad tapped the man's head then stood, "Get the hell out of my land." ZON! He teleported away.
****
"I'm not selling," The old woman cried, taking a step back, "Leave me alone, I need to go home,"
"I'm telling you, this is one of the best deals you'll ever find. Just imagine a nice house..." The man kept talking, cutting her way until he heard something.
"Hoo? The best deal?" A large shadow came from behind the old woman, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, "What's this one talking about, Grandma Zir."
The old woman gasped, looking up to see Arad's head towering over her. "Lord Arad!"
Arad looked at her with a smile, "It's been a while. Is this man bothering you?"
"He's wanting me to sell my house. You own it, right?" She said with a worried face.
Arad nodded, "I do indeed," His eyes shifted toward the man, "So why can't you understand that? You've been bothering her for a while,"
"Sorry, if it isn't a deal then it isn't," The man turned around, walking away as fast as he could. "Sorry for any trouble,"
As the man raced away, he got stopped in place as Arad hugged him from the back, grabbing him by the neck. "Twenty-five person's you've approached while I wasn't here. From them, you forced fifteen to sell you the land that they don't own. Am I wrong, Mr R," Arad looked straight at the fat rat standing on the barrels in the corner. The rat shook his head in agreement.
"Twenty-six, I didn't count Grandma Zir," Arad smiled.
"Sorry about that. I'll leave the village at once." The man was about to start crying.
"What about the ones that sold their houses?" Arad whispered, "You're giving those back, right?"
"I don't own them anymore. They've already been re-sold to nobles..." He replied.
"Oh my, you don't own the land that you should be returning. That shouldn't be a problem. You also bought it from people that don't own it." Arad giggled. "We're keeping the houses and the money you paid my people. You'll figure out how to deal with the nobles on your own. After you heal your fingers,"
"Fingers?" The man gasped.
Arad stared at Mr R., "Call everyone, eat his fingers and toes then throw him outside the village. Make sure to eat slowly so you don't choke,"
A swarm of rats rushed out of the streets and barrels, dragging the screaming man into the shadows.
Arad turned around and approached Grandma Zir, "Here you go," He put the small gold pouch in her hand, "He seemed to have forgotten about this. It's yours now."
"Are you sure about this?" She asked, staring at the gold with a worried face.
"I'm sure," Arad smiled, "Come on, I'll get you to your house," He touched her shoulder, teleporting to her house. She looked around and turned to Arad with a smile.
"Thank you, son."
"Don't mind it. I'm back so call me if you need any help." ZON! Arad teleported away.
****
In the chief's house, they all looked at the door and saw the goat staring at them. "A goat?" The noble gasped.
Above the goat's head, Arad's face popped out, staring at them with the same glare as the animal below him, and soon another Arad appeared above Arad with the same glare.
"Lord Arad?!" The village chief gasped, "Two?!"
"You," Lower Arad said, "Own?" Upper Arad said, "A part of?" Lower Arad added, "My land?" And the upper one added.
"GAHH!" Arad exhaled a gust of smoke as his eyes turned black, "Your name isn't Zephyr or Loci, is it?"
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