Chapter 322: The Deal with Graham

“You all… get up…”

Alice, seeing the women kneeling like this, couldn’t bear it.

She opened her mouth weakly, trying to get them to rise.

But her voice was too soft; hardly anyone heard her.

“All of you, stand up now!”

Liyakade roared at the women bowing before her.

“I saved you not so you could go on kneeling to others!”

Only after Liyakade yelled did the women finally stand.

Liyakade did not want these women to become dependent on her or anyone else.

They shouldn’t become someone else’s property; they should find their own lives.

“Miss Liyakade, we… can we follow you? Even as slaves, it’s fine…”

One woman spoke, her voice trembling, seemingly wanting to follow Liyakade.

“No, you can’t. You need to go find your own lives. Once we reach the next town, I won’t allow you to follow me anymore.”

Liyakade righteously refused the request.

These women were different from Mi La.

First, Mi La was still a minor, just a child.

Second, her parents had both passed away, and her home had been ransacked by the bandits.

At her age, living alone, even finding a job would be difficult.

But the other women here were different.

As far as Liyakade knew, they all had families they could return to.

Moreover, they were all adults, some even nearly thirty.

Finding work in a town would be easy for them.

Also, Liyakade couldn’t possibly take so many people with her.

She wasn’t that kind-hearted.

Even if she were, she lacked the means to do so.

After hearing Liyakade’s firm answer, the women felt a sense of loss, but more than that, there was gratitude and emotion.

Yes, they should go find their own paths in life.

Having said that, Liyakade took Alice and left temporarily.

She needed to get Alice back to rest and also negotiate with Graham, the caravan head, to see if he could spare a carriage or two to take these women to the next town.

Now, the women could no longer be identified by their visible symptoms from the poison.

That was undoubtedly a good thing for them.

Liyakade first brought Alice back to their own tent.

Field was sitting on the mattress, holding a book about the Magic Domain.

She had stored it in her Storage Ring to pass the time, unsure if the information was accurate, but since she was bored, she figured she’d read it.

Since Liyakade and Alice hadn’t returned, Field wouldn’t go to sleep alone.

She waited for them, and so she read the book.

When Liyakade lifted the tent flap and helped Alice inside, Field immediately noticed Alice’s deathly pale complexion.

She looked extremely weak.

“What happened?”

Field stood up at once, thinking something unexpected had gone wrong with Alice.

“It’s fine.”

Liyakade waved her hand, explaining to Field.

“Alice just exhausted her Magic Power. It’s nothing serious. She tried to heal everyone all at once and overdid it.”

“I see… Alice…”

Hearing Liyakade’s explanation and understanding Alice was fine, Field breathed a sigh of relief.

She softly called Alice’s name, not saying anything more.

Having spent so much time with Alice, Field understood her intentions.

“Alice, rest well here. Field and I will handle everything else.”

Liyakade helped Alice gently onto the mattress, looking solemnly into her eyes, giving her a promise.

“Mm… I trust you, Liya Kade. I’ll… rest for a while.”

“Go to sleep, Alice.”

Alice slowly closed her eyes.

Soon, her breathing became steady.

It seemed all her physical strength, mental energy, and Magic Power had been spent in the process of healing the women.

“Liyakade, what are you going to do with those women? Do you need my help?”

Once Alice was asleep, Field lowered her voice, careful not to disturb her, and discussed it quietly with Liya Kade.

“Field, I want to take them to the next town, give each of them a large sum of money, and then let them go.”

Liyakade didn’t even think about keeping the treasures from the bandit stronghold for herself.

Instead, she wanted to give the women the lion’s share.

Honestly, Field was a princess; the treasures from the stronghold were beneath Liyakade’s notice.

“I’ve acquired a lot of treasure from the stronghold. I want to use a portion of it to trade with Graham, secure a spot on one or two carriages. When we reach the next town, I’ll convert the treasure into gold coins as best I can, split it equally among the women, and then let them leave. What do you think?”

After stating her plan, Liyakade waited for Field’s opinion.

“Mm, not bad. Your approach has no issues. So, are you going to see Graham about the trade now?”

“Yes, I’m going now.”

Liyakade nodded.

Even though it was the early hours of the morning and Graham was likely fast asleep, the women were still outside freezing.

Liyakade was eager to secure better conditions for them as soon as possible.

“Alright, I’ll come with you.”

Hearing how urgent Liyakade was, Field didn’t scold her.

Instead, she put on her Gold Silk Mask to accompany Liyakade to see Graham.

They left their tent and headed toward Graham’s tent.

The guards, of course, recognized Liyakade and Field.

They were now celebrities in the caravan.

Besides, Field and Alice had just brought back a plentiful Water Source that night.

The guards’ goodwill toward them was very high.

However, seeing them want to enter Graham’s tent, the guards stopped them at the entrance.

“Ah… Lord Fied, Miss Liyakade, it’s so late. Are you here to see Lord Graham?”

“Yes. Let us in.”

Field’s voice turned slightly deeper as she nodded softly.

“Lord Fied, it’s still dark. Lord Graham is resting. Could you perhaps wait a while longer?”

“No. I need to see Graham now.”

“This…”

Hearing Field’s forceful demand, the guard was in a bind.

Graham was his boss, but Lord Fied was the savior of the entire caravan.

He didn’t want to block Field with a harsh attitude, but if he gave in and woke Graham, what would happen to his job?

So, the guard could only continue to stall Field.

“Forgive me, Lord Fied, but I cannot grant your request. Lord Graham is resting. Please come back in the morning.”

“We have important matters…”

Field tried to argue, but Liyakade tugged on her sleeve.

Feeling the pull, Field stopped pressing.

The guard thought Field had finally given up.

But the next second, a voice came from inside Graham’s tent.

“What’s all the noise out here?”

Wearing his nightclothes, Graham lifted the tent flap and walked out, his eyes still heavy with sleep and a hint of anger in his voice.

“Lord Graham.”

Seeing Graham about to lose his temper, the guards on either side bowed to him.

However, when Graham saw who stood before him, the anger vanished from his voice in an instant.

“Lord Fied! And Miss Liyakade! You’re back!”

Seeing it was Field and Liyakade, Graham perked up considerably.

He approached them respectfully.

It turned out that Liyakade had stopped Field not to give up, but because she heard Graham stirring in his tent.

“Is there something you two wish to discuss with me at this late hour?”

“Indeed, there is something. Shall we talk inside?”

“Of course, please, please come in, Lord Fied, Miss Liyakade.”

When Field suggested a private talk in the tent, Graham naturally didn’t hesitate and politely invited them in.

The guards were dumbfounded.

They hadn’t expected Graham to be so respectful toward Field and Liyakade.

Even though they had disturbed his rest, Graham didn’t show the slightest anger and even felt honored to invite them in for a private discussion.

But Graham’s reaction wasn’t strange.

Given the huge incident in the caravan, if it hadn’t been handled well, his entire career would have been ruined.

Field’s appearance not only contained the chaotic situation and healed all the poisoned travelers but also solved the Water Source problem.

She was practically the savior of his career.

How could Graham not be immensely grateful?

Liyakade followed Field as she sat down.

Field didn’t bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point.

“Graham, after Liya Kade destroyed the bandit stronghold, she freed a group of captives. They have nowhere to go, so we hope you can let them travel with the caravan to the next town.”

Hearing this, Graham immediately sat up straight, his eyes sharp.

As a seasoned businessman, he smelled money.

Although Field was his benefactor, Graham couldn’t do this kind of favor for free.

“Lord Fied, the cargo on the carriages is all packed and accounted for. We can’t just move it around any which way.”

Graham put on a slightly reluctant expression.

However, it was true that having Graham clear out two whole carriages would be difficult.

If not done carefully, they could overload and damage the carriages.

“As compensation, we’ll give you a portion of the treasure we looted from the stronghold.”

As a princess, Field knew exactly what merchants were like.

If they say it can’t be done, it’s just because the price isn’t right.

Graham’s refusal was simply a negotiation tactic.

So, Field cut to the chase and started discussing payment.

“Liyakade.”

Field softly called Liyakade, who was sitting beside her, signaling her to bring out the treasure from the stronghold.

Liyakade raised her delicate hand, and the golden ring on her finger flashed with silver light.

Then, the tabletop was covered in gold.

The treasures Liyakade brought out included ancient, gleaming gold coins, some gold, a scabbard and a horse-head ornament adorned with gems, and a diamond as big as a thumbnail.

“How about this as payment? Can you do it?”

“Lord Fied! I can do it! Of course I can! I’ll get on it right away!”

Seeing the table full of treasure, Graham’s eyes lit up.

He hadn’t expected Field to be so wealthy and generous, pulling out so much at once.

Originally, Graham had planned to haggle a bit.

But since the other side had offered so much in one go, bargaining any further would just seem greedy.

Plus, she was his benefactor; being difficult would be truly immoral.

No wonder she was a noble.

Just filthy rich!

But in reality, all this treasure was what Guan Qin had plundered over the years, so she didn’t feel bad using it at all.

Besides, Field was a princess.

This treasure was nothing in her eyes, which was why she could give it away without batting an eye.

Offering a big amount upfront was just to shut Graham up and save time haggling.

Of course, if Graham still tried to ask for more after this, Field wouldn’t be so polite.

“Hold on.”

Field grabbed Graham’s shoulder, stopping him from getting up and pushing him back into his seat.

“One more thing. You will tell everyone that these people were out sightseeing in the mountains, got lost for a few days, and only then ended up here. They were forced to join the caravan midway. The payment was something they negotiated with you themselves. Clear out two whole carriages, make sure they’re comfortable ones. They need to be ready before we set out in the morning. Do you understand?”

“Understood, perfectly understood! I’ll make sure it’s arranged perfectly!”

Graham forced a smile, rubbing his hands together.

He scooped up the treasure from the table and then followed Liya Kade and Field out of the Glow Tent.

He hurriedly ordered his men to start moving cargo from the carriages parked nearby.

“We’ll head back now. Come to our tent and call for us when everything is ready. Liyakade will bring the people over.”

“Yes, ma’am! Just give me a moment. As soon as it’s done, I’ll come right away to get you!”

With that, Liyakade and Field left and returned to their own tent.

The requests Field had made, like how to explain the women’s origins, were all specifically asked for by Liyakade.

It was to make sure the women wouldn’t be subjected to strange looks from the other travelers.

Back in the tent, Alice was fast asleep on the bed, her breathing steady.

Liyakade and Field sat beside her, waiting for Graham’s signal.