Chapter 1400 A Place To Call Home
"By the way, how is that Demonic Dog, Psoglav, doing?" Swiper asked as he walked side by side with William in the marshlands. "We fought side by side during the war, and we were able to kill Wade together back then."
"He's dead," William replied. "He fought against a Pseudo-God in order to protect me."
"Ah… that's too bad. I thought that someone like him would live a long life because he was afraid of death, just like me."
"True."
William didn't refute Swiper's words because that was indeed Psoglav's mentality. He would not allow himself to be killed so easily because for him, his life was very precious.
Still, in the end, the Demonic Dog didn't back away and faced Princess Iron Fan with everything he had. He died bravely for the sake of friendship, and the bonds that he shared with the other beasts in the Thousand Beast Domain.
It didn't take long before the two of them found Lindir's Lizardfolk Tribe, who had managed to camouflage their hiding place quite well, using the terrain, creating blind spots in every direction.
If not for the fact that William had Optimus, who could map his surroundings, and detect the presences of living things, the Half-Elf might have missed the Lizardfolk Tribe that had hidden themselves well.
When William and Swiper entered their tribal Domain, all the Lizardfolk Warriors took out their weapons and encircled the two trespassers with the intent to kill.
If not for the fact that they had recognized Swiper, who was an acquaintance of their Chieftain, they would have already attacked without mercy.
"Oi! Lindir! Get your sorry a*s out here now!" Swiper shouted. "I brought an acquaintance with me. He's someone you know as well!"
A minute later, a two-meter tall Lizardfolk emerged from the biggest hut in the tribe, and looked at his uninvited guests with annoyance.
"Swiper, you bastard!" Lindir shouted. "Why aren't you dead yet?!"
"How can I possibly die when you're still alive?" Swiper shouted back. "Come here! Someone is looking for you!"
The Lizard Man clicked his tongue as he walked to where the crowd was gathering. The Lizardfolk all parted to let their Chieftain pass, allowing Lindir to finally see the one accompanying Swiper.
Lindir's body stiffened when he saw the familiar red-headed teenager, who had fought head-to-head with Morax in the past.
To everyone's surprise, Lindir shouted in alarm before shaking his hips side to side. A moment later, his tail fell off, which made all the lizardfolk around him gasp in shock.
With a pained face, Lindir picked up his tail with both of his hands and walked towards William. He then knelt and offered his tail to the Half-Elf in a very respectful manner, making William's and Swiper's lips twitch.
'Bruh, we just came here to talk to you. Why are you offering your tail to us like this? It's not like we came here to kill you or anything.'
These were the thoughts that passed through the Half-Elf's and the Boarkin's heads the moment they looked at the tail, who was still twitching in Lindir's hand.
"I offer my tail as an offering of peace," Lindir stated. "Please take it and leave our tribe alone. We don't want to be involved in the wars of the Demon and Central Continent. We just want to live in peace."
William glanced at the wriggling tail, which was at least two meters long, before shifting his gaze to the Lizard Man, who had his head bowed in submission.
"Are you taking it?" Swiper asked with a complicated look on his face.
William shook his head. "Of course not. What am I going to do with a tail?"
"What? Are you not a cultured person? Don't you know that the tails of Lizardfolk are a delicacy?" Swiper looked at the Half-Elf as if he was a country bumpkin. "Why do you think they shed their tails whenever they face a strong Monster? They do it so that the Monster will eat their tail, and allow them to escape unharmed. Since you don't want it, I'll take it myself."
Swiper nonchalantly grabbed hold of Lindir's tail before the Lizard Man could even react to his action.
A moment later, an awkward silence descended on the Lizard Tribe, making the onlookers feel both relieved and embarrassed about their Chieftain's actions.
William, who was now in the center of everyone's attention, scratched his cheek before shifting his gaze on the still kneeling Lizard Man in front of him.
"Let's talk first," William said. "If you really don't want to fight, I won't force you. But, hear me out first."
Lindir nodded his head in agreement. He also felt embarrassed about what he did earlier, but after he saw William, he immediately felt threatened, so he followed his instinct and shed his tail, allowing him to have a chance of survival.
—-----
The smell of something being roasted spread inside the Chieftain's house. It smelled so good that for a moment, William had the strong urge to taste it.
However, he resisted this strong urge because it would be awkward to eat the tail of someone he knew, so he simply sat and stared at the Lizard Man, while Swiper hummed and roasted the latter's tail in the firepit, located at the center of Lindir's home.
Beside the Lizard Man, the elders of the Lizard Tribe were also present, and all of them were quite surprised by the story that William told them.
Lindir, who was the chieftain of the Lizardfolk, sighed after hearing William's tale. His tail had already regrown because the Half-Elf had used Life Magic on him, allowing him to instantly regenerate his tail.
"We just want to live in peace, but it seems that it is no longer possible," Lindir stated. "This is like the Deadlands all over again. Either we fight, or die like pigs in a butcher's house."
Swiper, who was busy roasting Lindir's tail, glared at the Lizardman.
Although he was technically not a pig, he still took offense to Lindir's words because Pigkins were still his distant cousins.
"Indeed." William agreed. "All of us can run, but none of us can hide."
Lindir nodded in understanding before looking at William straight in the eye. "I just have one request."
"Name it." William could tell that Lindir had already decided to join his Alliance, so he decided to hear him out and grant his request if it was within his ability.
"Our Tribe has lived far away from the other Demon Tribes, and constantly migrated from place to place, in search of a place where we don't have to go to war against our neighbors," Lindir stated. "If we survive this war, I want you to promise me that you will give us a piece of land where we can live permanently.
"It doesn't have to be big, but it must be enough for all of us to build our homes and hunt. Also, I want you to become our guarantor that no other Clans, Demons, or other races would seek to harm us in any way possible. If you can promise me this, I will devote everything, even my life, to fight for your cause."
The Half-Elf smiled before nodding his head. "Deal."
Aside from the Floor of Asgard, there were other floors that belonged to him after he had kicked their previous owners out. He would give one of these floors to the Lizard Clan, so that they would no longer have to fear the bullying of other races again.
The Half-Elf and the Lizard Man then shook hands in order to seal the Alliance, making the Elders of the Lizardfolk nod their heads in satisfaction.
Two hours later, the Half-Elf had taken all the Lizardfolk to the Tower of Babylon.
Now that William had given them a promise that they would be given a land of their own, they no longer needed to constantly migrate again, which had left them feeling like they had no place that they could call their home.