Chapter 40 The Ambassador of Hyratos
Ellie stared at Henry's back. A ray of sunlight shining through the window drew him in a golden cloak.
"You don't have to believe me now. Seeing first, then tell me your answer."
Henry turned a gentle smile on his face before walking away, leaving the girls in silence.
Ellie was lost in thought. Intelligent people tend to overthink, and now she understands why Mila willingly stays. Henry's charm almost convinced her to stay as well.
"Ellie, stay. Henry won't deceive us," Mila said a faint smile on her lips.
"We have nothing worth deceiving," she added, her blue eyes fixed on Ellie's, speaking seriously.
Ellie remained silent for a while before sighing, "I'm not alone now. I have to be responsible for my companions. If I am alone, wherever you are, I'll be there."
"I understand. I'll be with you." Mila said, ruffling Ellie's hair.
"Oh, Mila, do you have coins? Gabriel and the others need wheat." Ellie asked anxiously.
Mila hesitated, "Henry gave me some, but I didn't take them."
Ellie's face fell, "What should we do now? Gabriel and the others have been hungry for days."
"Going to find Henry. He'll surely agree to provide some wheat," Mila suggested.
Mila dragged Ellie to the study. She knew Henry would be there after his meal, either working or lost in thought.
"Slow down." They arrived at the study in a flash.
Mila composed herself in Ellie's surprise and knocked gently on the door before entering.
Inside, Willow was reporting to Henry, and the two girls stood quietly to the side.
"Henry, the wheat has been safely transported back and stored in the warehouse," Willow said, holding a notebook.
Henry nodded, "What about the quantity? Is it enough for three thousand people for a month?"
"It's enough, and there's an extra month's quantity for three hundred people," Willow replied.
"Oh? What happened?" Henry was curious.
Willow turned a page and said seriously, "Henry, an emissary from Hyratos, returned with the fleet, bringing an extra month's quantity of wheat as a gift from Hyratos."
"Really?"
Henry was a bit surprised. In this western land, cities were the main centers of population. It was unusual for a large city to send an emissary to another.
"Where is the emissary now?" Henry wanted to meet this person to have an opportunity to learn about his neighbor.
"He's still waiting outside the castle for your summons," Willow quickly replied.
"Alright, take him to the reception hall and serve him some refreshments. I'll come later," Henry instructed.
"Yes," Willow immediately went out to make arrangements.
Henry turned to Mila and Ellie, smiling, "Do you two have something to say?"
"Henry, we have some orc companions who have been hungry for many days. Can we have some wheat for them? You can deduct it from my salary," Mila asked cautiously.
Her face turned a bit red. It hadn't been a month yet, and they were already talking about salaries. If it were someone else, she would have already borrowed some wheat.
"Sure," Henry thought it was just a small amount of wheat, and he was willing to provide it. But...
"You're too kind, Henry." Mila jumped up, her tail swaying happily.
"Mila, do you plan to support your companions indefinitely?" Henry asked, looking at the two girls.
"Well..." Mila hesitated. She realized that her salary might not be enough to support many companions.
Ellie couldn't help but slap her forehead and quickly said, "Henry, is there anything I can help?"
"No... You misunderstand. Although I know you care about your companions, but..."
Henry stood up and walked to the window, looking at the busy workers outside, and said, "But have you ever thought about it? Everyone has their way of life. They can't let you support them for a lifetime, and they don't want to, either."
"If one day, they leave you? What will they do? Being overly protected is not a good thing."
Ellie pondered for a moment and immediately understood. "Henry, is there something you want to say?"
Henry turned around and leaned on a chair. "Let them be self-reliant. It's best for them."
Ellie and Mila looked at each other. They had never considered this question before. The two of them took care of and managed the companions in their group.
"Lord Henry, they won't leave us," Ellie said with a bitter smile. She also realized the seriousness of the problem. The two of them had protected her companions too well.
"Lord Henry, my companions can't do anything except for their strength and their large appetites." Ellie rambled on.
The more Henry listened, the brighter his eyes became, and he smiled, "Having strength is enough. I need many strong people to help me with work."
In Ellie and Mila's puzzled eyes, Henry pointed to the busy workers outside the window and said, "Let them come and work for me. I will pay them a salary, and as long as they work hard, they can completely support themselves."
This was Henry's first attempt. He wanted the orcs to coexist peacefully with the humans, and this step had to be taken.
After a while, Ellie said seriously, "Won't the humans resent us? And they might capture us and enslave us, then they won't need to pay us a salary."
She had seen too many cases of orcs being mistreated.
"You'll never know the result if you don't try. I will help you solve this problem," Henry said confidently with a smile.
