BXBX NOVEL Chapter 13 - Man-Eating Monster, Crab Spider!
“Xiya, don’t say things like that again. Otherwise, if she really is found dead, your father might suspect you,” said Mrs. Temmann.
Antasia widened her eyes and exclaimed dramatically, “I was just talking casually; what’s it got to do with me?”
“So what do we do now? We have to find a way to cover up all the times we bullied her, or else Father might find out. Although Father doesn’t really like Cinderella, she is still the child of that woman and his own flesh and blood,” said Tracy worriedly.
“Don’t worry. Your father often goes away on business trips, and everyone in the manor is our own trained servant. They won’t leak any information,” said Mrs. Temmann confidently.
“But what about Mr. Joya? He’s an old friend of Father’s!” Antasia reminded.
“Don’t worry; he won’t say anything,” Mrs. Temmann said with a tone of certainty, though a fleeting look of affection in her eyes betrayed some hidden relationship with Mr. Joya.
…
Outside the town of Long Eagle territory, the atmosphere was bustling with activity.
Knights’ squires patrolled the construction site, their whips cracking in the air with a sound like small explosions. Their eyes were sharp and condescending, watching everyone with a haughty demeanor.
No one among the townsfolk dared to slack off; everyone worked diligently.
Whether they were once slaves, tenant farmers, or freemen, they were now all forcibly reorganized by Richard, their identities reshuffled.
With everyone’s hard work, the livestock sheds were the first to be constructed.
Then, all the livestock raised by each household were gathered and moved into the sheds as Richard had instructed.
Farther away, a large cesspool was being excavated, with part of the crew already tasked with cleaning up the waste scattered throughout the town.
Some people were responsible for cleaning, others for transporting the waste with wheelbarrows, while still others fetched water from the river to wash the cleared areas.
No one dared to rebel.
Since the assembly in the square, a new understanding had gradually formed in their minds.
They owed this to the lord. They used the lord’s land, water, air, and various resources.
And the lord, in his mercy, knowing they couldn’t afford to pay a fine of one gold coin, gave them the opportunity to work instead.
As their surroundings began to change, they even started to wonder what the future would hold for Long Eagle territory.
As for running away?
Other than the brief panic during the initial surprise at the square, they had now calmed down enough to think things through.
This world was far from peaceful.
The powerful people wield great strength.
And correspondingly, there were many dangerous creatures in the wild that could threaten their lives.
If they really left here, they might be devoured by monsters before even finding another place to survive, turning into nothing more than the creatures’ waste.
On the southwestern side of the site, a few townsfolk were holding tools, preparing to clear some weeds and cultivate the fallow land.
“Leader, there’s a huge dead tree stump here. We need to find a way to remove it!”
At this shout, the others who were pulling weeds turned their attention to it.
“That’s odd, I don’t remember there being such a big stump here in previous years!” the leader said as he led his people over.
But they didn’t notice that the dead stump was beginning to “awaken.”
When they approached with tools, ready to get to work, a sudden change occurred!
The “stump” suddenly raised several jointed legs from the ground and leaped up!
It revealed itself as a giant spider, but instead of eyes on its face, it had a single red flower glowing with an eerie light.
Seeing the monstrous spider, the townsfolk turned pale with fright, their legs going weak.
They instantly knew they had encountered a monster.
Before they could run, they were hit by the spider’s venom, screaming in agony as the acid corroded their bodies, exposing their bones.
As if fearing nutrient loss, the spider quickly devoured them one by one.
Seeing this scene from afar, other people were terrified out of their wits. Even under the supervision of the squires, they couldn’t help but scatter in all directions…
Running towards the castle.
They knew that only the people in the castle had the power to deal with these monsters. Fleeing towards the castle was their instinctual choice for survival.
Even if they couldn’t enter the castle, staying near it would be safest when the lord appeared.
As for the knights’ squires, they didn’t try to stop the people; with their superior physique and speed, they quickly overtook them to report to Richard.
They immediately recognized they were no match for such a creature.
After finishing his exercise, Richard emerged from his bath with Cinderella, dressed, and saw someone rushing up the castle steps, shouting from afar:
“Lord, something terrible has happened!”
Richard frowned and approached. “What’s going on?”
He was slightly intrigued, wondering if the townsfolk were rebelling.
If that were the case, it would be a great opportunity to use the chaos to enhance his own strength!
However, the squire reported, “A monster appeared in the west, spider-like, and it has devoured several townsfolk.”
“A spider monster?” Richard inquired, “What does it look like exactly?”
Knowing that different monsters required different strategies, he was determined to be cautious before acting.
After hearing the squire’s description, Richard thought for a moment and then said, “Ah, it’s a crab spider!”
He turned to another attendant, “Quick, go to the storeroom and bring the insect oil that the town’s witch doctor contributed a while back!”
The attendant, understanding the urgency, ran straight to the storeroom without hesitation.
Then Richard turned back to the messenger and said, “Go to the scene immediately and relay my orders: everyone must stay at least 200 meters away from the crab spider’s area and refrain from provoking or attacking it!”
He knew that after the crab spider fed, it would need some time to digest on the spot. As long as people didn’t approach it, it wouldn’t chase them over long distances.
While issuing commands, Richard headed to the equipment room.