Chapter 118: He Isn’t Any Worse Than Tyler, Is He?

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: He Isn’t Any Worse Than Tyler, Is He?

Inside the City Lord Mansion of Ten Thousand Beasts City, Zerev was in his room, talking to his Winged Dragon Beast Servant.

"Young Master, the Family Head has urged you to return to the Holy Capital for the third time now," the Winged Dragon Beast Servant said.

Zerev furrowed his brows. "Ignore it. Just say the sugar theft hasn’t been fully investigated yet, and I need to stay here to continue looking into it."

The Beast Servant hesitated but continued to persuade him. "But the Family Head has issued his final notice. He said that if you don’t go back this time, he’ll send someone to take over. When that happens, the matter regarding Madam and the little master will be exposed."

Zerev’s expression darkened. He knew exactly what his servant was talking about, but Ophelia was going to give birth at any moment. He couldn’t possibly leave her now with any peace of mind.

"Young Master."

"Zerev, are you there?"

The Beast Servant and Ophelia’s voices rang out at the exact same time.

Zerev raised a hand, stopping the rest of the Beast Servant’s words. "I’m here. Come in if you need something."

Seeing this, the Beast Servant stepped forward and opened the door to welcome Ophelia inside. "My lady."

"Mhm. Were you two in the middle of discussing something?" Ophelia asked, noticing the servant’s presence.

Zerev hurried forward to meet her, wrapping an arm around her waist and helping her sit down in a chair. "We just finished. It’s nothing important. Why did you come looking for me all of a sudden? If there was something you needed, you could have waited until I returned to the Fu Clan, or just sent someone to notify me. There was no need for you to make the trip yourself."

Faced with Zerev’s concern, Ophelia shook her head. "I’m fine, don’t worry. I came today because I have a favor to ask of you."

She glanced at the Beast Servant, hesitating to speak.

Seeing this, Zerev waved his hand, dismissing the servant from the room before asking, "What’s wrong?"

"I..." Ophelia didn’t quite know how to broach the subject, feeling that she was asking too much of him. However, she was truly terrified that something might happen to Tyler on his way to the White Tiger Mine. Her heart had been fraught with unease over the past few days. If the males of Ten Thousand Beasts City went along with him, she would feel much more at ease.

Noticing her struggle, Zerev chuckled softly. "Ophelia, we are mates. You can say whatever is on your mind."

"I previously promised to send grain to the White Tiger King, Klein. I planned to have Tyler take a group of people to the White Tiger Mine in a couple of days. However, the White Tiger Mine is quite a distance from the White Tiger Clan, and with Tyler bringing so much rice, I’m a bit worried..."

A hint of disappointment flashed through Zerev’s eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He gently held Ophelia’s shoulders. "Don’t worry. I’ll send a group of males from Ten Thousand Beasts City to accompany him. I absolutely won’t let anything happen to Tyler."

Zerev’s guarantee acted as a shot of reassurance, soothing her restless and anxious heart.

During dinner that evening, Ophelia shared the news with Tyler.

"Zerev, thank you," Tyler said. Even though he knew Zerev was only doing this for Ophelia’s sake, he was still deeply grateful for the gesture.

Zerev picked up a chopstick-full of shredded potatoes, placed it in his mouth, and replied calmly, "I just don’t want Ophelia to worry. No matter what, you must come back safely."

Tyler offered a smile, gazing at Ophelia with deep affection. "Rest assured, Princess, I will return safely."

Zerev nodded. "You’d better keep your word."

Despite Zerev’s cold demeanor, Tyler could still detect a trace of genuine concern in his expression. He turned to Ophelia and spoke softly. "Princess, after I leave, let Zerev move into the Fu Clan to live with you. With him here to protect you, I’ll be able to leave with peace of mind."

Zerev’s grip on his chopsticks tightened, and he instinctively looked at Ophelia.

She was looking back at him, and a moment later, she gave a gentle nod.

"Okay."

It was just a single, simple word, yet it made Zerev’s heart surge with emotion. It gave him hope. He wondered if Ophelia was finally ready to accept him. Zerev couldn’t even suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Seeing Zerev’s joyous expression, Tyler felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. However, for the sake of the Princess’s safety, he was willing to endure it.

For the rest of the evening, the three of them discussed the details of the journey to the White Tiger Clan.

Early the next morning.

Zerev moved all of his daily necessities from Ten Thousand Beasts City to the Fu Clan. After breakfast, Laxus arrived with twenty members of the Golden Dragon Clan.

"Brother, Tyler, you must remember that your lives are the most important thing, no matter what," Ophelia stressed. "If you run into any real danger, don’t hesitate—abandon the rice immediately. Staying alive is what matters most."

Listening to Ophelia’s repeated warnings, Tyler felt a warm glow in his heart. He held her hands, comforting her anxious and restless spirit. "Don’t worry, Princess, I will definitely protect myself."

"Don’t worry, sister. I’ll protect myself as well," Laxus also solemnly promised.

After Ophelia carefully went over a few other precautions with them, Tyler set off with Laxus’s group and the twenty males from Ten Thousand Beasts City.

Standing at the entrance of the Fuzu Tribe, Ophelia watched Tyler’s figure gradually fade into the distance, a layer of mist gathering in her beautiful eyes.

Seeing her sadness, Zerev quietly stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms, speaking in a soft, soothing voice. "Don’t worry. I sent my Beast Servant to follow them in secret. If anything actually happens, he’ll fly Tyler and Laxus back here. In the sky, no one is a match for a Winged Dragon."

Hearing that Zerev had dispatched his Beast Servant as well, Ophelia was somewhat surprised.

"He is meant specifically to protect you! How could you send him away? What if you encounter some kind of danger?" she asked, her heart filling with sudden urgency. While she was deeply worried about Tyler’s safety, she didn’t want to put Zerev at risk either.

Zerev lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair. He chuckled, "My little female, your mate is very strong too. Even without my Beast Servant here, I won’t be in any danger. Besides, having him around usually just helps with delivering messages. Whether he’s here or not doesn’t really affect me much."

Hearing Zerev’s explanation, Ophelia finally breathed a sigh of relief. She hugged him back around the waist and whispered softly, "Thank you, Zerev. We’ve been standing out here for a long time. Let’s go back inside."

Feeling Ophelia’s softened attitude toward him, he was filled with joy. Moreover, with Tyler gone for now, he was the one staying by her side. He firmly believed that as long as they spent enough time together, Ophelia would inevitably fall in love with him. After all, he wasn’t any lesser than Tyler, was he?

Meanwhile, at the Snow Wolf Clan.

A male sneaked over to a fence near the tribe’s perimeter. He tapped lightly on the fence. TAP TAP. A wooden board shifted aside, revealing Loki’s dangerously gaunt face.

"What is it? Is there news from the Fuzu Tribe?"

"There is, but about that..." The male rubbed his fingers together, a sly smile plastered across his face.

Loki glared at him and reluctantly pulled a Red Crystal Stone from the animal-skin pouch at his waist. "You can speak now."

The male glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then leaned in close and whispered, "Ophelia sent Tyler to deliver grain to the White Tiger Mine. They set off this morning. They brought a full five hundred pounds of grain with them."