Aside from that, they looked very human in appearance. But were they human?
On the other hand, the boy and non-monster rowers of the boat all had human ears.
Perhaps the boy was also a slave.
Erevan glared at Arder for a good second and then shouted loudly at the boy.
“I don’t care what his name is! Lord Heal is the master of this island!! Not me!”
“Ah-ahh!!”
Erevan pointed at me with his axe. And the boy quickly bowed towards me.
“Please forgive me! Lord Heal!”
The boy with the glasses bowed to me, and then to Erevan again. And then he said something to Arder.
When Arder heard, he took one look at me and laughed mockingly.
This little man? He seemed to ask.
Well, perhaps I didn’t look like a lord, since I was holding a pickaxe…
Arder continued to say something in a self-important tone.
The boy quickly translated for him.
“Listen to what I have to say, if you value your lives…”
“Eh?”
Erevan looked at him menacingly, and the boy quickly rephrased it.
“Oh, uh. No. If you would be so good to listen to our humble request… We, uh…”
“Ah!? Speak up!”
Erevan shouted. At the same time, Arder was also scolding the boy angrily.
From what I could see, Arder wanted to make some kind of demand.
But the boy was too scared of Erevan to say it honestly.
“Well, well, Erevan.”
I patted him on the shoulder and took a step forward.
“I’m Heal. What’s your name?”
“Huh? Oh, my name is Berfalt…”
“Berfalt, huh. Let us speak plainly. What is it that you want with this island?”
“Uh, uhh… Sir Arder was commanded by the Dragon King to make a map of the Barleon continents coast… But about one week ago, we were attacked by the Sanfaris navy. We lost five of our ships. And most of our food and water…”
“I see. So you couldn’t replenish your supplies.”
The boy with glasses nodded.
“Yes… Perhaps I won’t sound very convincing, given we were defeated, but these men really are strong. I think it would be best if you yielded to them.”
“What!? Who are you telling to yield!?”
Erevan’s voice boomed and Berfalt shrieked as he recoiled in fear.
“Erevan! …In other words, you just want food and water? I don’t mind sharing some.”
“Re-really! Oh, uh, but it’s not just that…”
“There’s more?”
“Yes.There are many who are sick and wounded from the battle. And they want them to be treated here.”
“I see. I suppose it would be difficult to do that on the ships…”
I looked at Baris.
Should we allow them to do that as well?
Baris looked conflicted, but finally nodded.
“It should be alright. We have quite a few people who can use healing magic. And so we can accept them, as long as they are not armed.”
“Th-thank you! I will tell Sir Arder!”
Berfalt seemed very happy as he translated.
But Erevan looked at me worriedly and asked,
“Chi-chief… Are you sure?”
“We cannot abandon people who are in need… Besides, they aren’t allies of Sanfaris. It might be good to be on friendly terms with them.”
“I suppose. But…”
Erevan was right to be worried… I felt the same.
This man who was called Arder. Ever since he stepped foot on the island, he’d been looking at it as if sizing up its worth.
Obviously, the World Tree and the Mappa statue caught his interest the most… Also, the extravagant armor that the monsters wore.
Many of them wore accessories that included gems and precious metals… While these things were abundant for us, they might have looked like the greatest of riches to him.
But they had just lost… Surely they wouldn’t actually try to fight in their current state?
Arder nodded at Berfalt and then offered his hand in an exaggerated motion.
I suppose he wanted to shake on it.
But when I held it, Arder let go immediately and turned on his heels and returned to the boat.
There was something about his eyes… It reminded me of the way that many humans looked at monsters.
Perhaps they really weren’t human. And perhaps they had nothing but disdain for us.
Berfalt turned to me.
“Mister Heal! Thank you! We’ll send our sick and wounded immediately!”
“Fine. We will also make preparations to accept them.”
“Thank you! I must return at once!”
So saying, Berfalt hurriedly returned to the boat with Arder.