Aka was the first to kneel before Owen, followed by other villagers, all kneeling down.
Their faces were filled with pleading and awe.
Tears glistened in their eyes, their bodies trembling slightly, as if conveying to Owen the hardships they had endured.
Owen, looking at these villagers, felt a wave of sorrow in his heart.
He saw the scars on their bodies, heard the cries in their hearts.
He knew they needed his help, his protection.
Owen did not ask them to stand up, knowing that if he did, the people of Darkveil might think they were not acknowledged by him.
Aka lifted his head, his voice trembling as he spoke: "Lord Owen, please accept us! We are willing to offer everything to you, only asking for your protection from other races."
Owen stood before the people of Darkveil, his gaze sweeping over each one of them.
He saw the expectation and hope in their eyes, as well as the unease and fear in their hearts.
"People of Darkveil," Owen spoke with a firm and solemn voice,
"since I have intervened, I will not let your race perish. Swear your loyalty to me, and I will offer you my protection..."
The Darkveil tribespeople once again prostrated themselves before Owen, chanting in unison, "Master!"
"We swear loyalty to our master unto death!"
But there was one issue that troubled Owen.
He could not stay in Darkveil indefinitely, nor could he return to the dragon race now to ask Barlo to send someone to guard Darkveil.
How would the safety of the Darkveil village be ensured before Owen returned from the Grand Magus Academy?
"Master, you should give them a token of the dragon race," Erin reminded him at that moment.
"With this token, they can prove they are under the protection of our dragon race."
Owen looked back at Erin, a bit surprised, "A token? I don't have one!"
Erin chuckled, "Your dragon scales can serve as the token."
"Oh, I see!" Owen realized. Dragon scales appeared on his arm.
He extended his finger, gently touching one of the scales.
He felt its immense power, as if an irresistible force emanated from it.
Taking a deep breath, he forcefully tore the scale from his arm.
As the scale came off, a deep wound appeared on Owen's arm.
Yet, astonishingly, the wound began to heal at an incredible speed.
Flesh regrew in an instant, the edges of the wound gradually closed, and finally, it disappeared entirely.
The self-healing ability of dragons was extraordinary, especially for a Gold Divine Dragon.
With the full mastery of the Gold Divine Dragon bloodline, they could even regenerate from a single drop of blood.
Owen handed the scale to Aka: "Take this. If any intermediate race invades again, show them this scale. Tell them who your protector is!"
Aka held the scale in his palms, his face filled with such emotion that tears streamed down: "My lord above, Aka will guard this scale with his life. Darkveil will recuperate and serve you better, even if it costs us our lives!"
Owen shook his head slightly, speaking calmly, "Focus on ensuring the people of Darkveil have enough to eat. Don't worry about anything else."
"Yes, my lord!" responded Aka.
The villagers gradually left in excitement, leaving only Nina behind.
Nina looked up at Owen with adoration, her eyes sparkling: "Lord, you are so amazing!"
Owen, feeling slightly embarrassed by the innocent girl's praise, touched his nose: "Don't call me lord, just call me Mr. Addie, or you can call me master."
"Okay, master," Nina replied.
"Wait for me in the village, I'll bring you some gifts when I come back."
Nina's eyes widened with excitement: "Master, is it candy?"
Owen smiled faintly, choosing not to answer.
He planned to find some heritage techniques of the Darkcast tribe for Nina.
Darkveil and Darkcast were so similar, both possessing the innate ability to conceal their presence, natural-born assassins of the dark.
In some aspects, Darkveil was even more exceptional; born with the ability to hide their aura, something even the Darkcast couldn't do.
If Nina were to learn the heritage techniques of the Darkcast, Owen couldn't even begin to imagine how formidable she would become.
She would be an ace assassin, silent and deadly!
Now, Owen was also paving the way for the future.
There would always be enemies he couldn't confront directly, and the dragon race wasn't one to carry out assassinations.
Forming a covert force was essential, serving as the dragon race's hidden hand.
At that moment, the system notified him:
[Congratulations, host has earned +132 fate points].
Owen pondered inwardly; rescuing a lower-tier race didn't add much to his fate points.
The key issue was the small number of Darkveil people, most of whom were old, weak, sick, or very young.
Naturally, the increase in fate points was minimal.
Now Owen's fate points had reached 979, just one point away from enhancing his [Prophecy] ability.
There was even less reason to stay in the Darkveil village.
With the reluctant goodbyes of the Darkveil people, Owen bid farewell and continued on his journey with Erin.
…
Half a month passed as Owen traversed mountains and hurried along his way.
Finally, as he crossed the last peak, an expansive, dreamlike prairie unfolded before his eyes.
The grassland resembled a vibrant tapestry, with lush green grass and blooming flowers emitting a captivating fragrance.
A gentle breeze rippled through the grass, seemingly welcoming him.
Owen stepped onto this enchanting prairie, feeling the soft grass beneath his feet, each step bringing a sense of comfort.
Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting the entire plain in a golden glow.
The distant sky was a clear blue, with fluffy clouds floating like cotton candy.
As Owen continued forward, his gaze was drawn to herds of wild horses galloping freely across the plains.
Their manes fluttered in the wind, and the sound of their hooves echoed in the air.
A longing welled up inside him, a desire to run with these wild horses and feel the power of freedom.
Deeper into the prairie, he spotted the outline of a human kingdom's city.
The city was majestic and towering, its walls built of huge, durable stone blocks.
The flags of the human race fluttered atop the city, each bearing the image of a fierce lion.
Erin explained, "This is Toka, the border city of the Laine Kingdom, one of the five most powerful human kingdoms in isekai."
Owen's lips curled slightly, filled with anticipation for Toka.
What would a human city in isekai be like?
After paying fifty gutecoins, they smoothly entered Toka.
Inside, the city was bustling and lively.
The streets were lined with various shops and stalls, with people bustling about, their laughter and chatter unceasing.
The architecture varied, featuring ancient palaces and temples as well as newly constructed buildings.
These buildings weren't very tall, likely due to fears of attacks from birds and beasts in isekai.
In the city's center stood a grand square, dominated by a colossal statue of a handsome and brave warrior wielding a longsword, his gaze firm and resolute.
"Who is this?" Owen asked, his eyes moving over the statue.
A cheerful voice came from behind him: "Not knowing General Andrew, could it be that you're a traveler from another kingdom?"
Owen turned to see the speaker.
A middle-aged man, tall and robust, stood before him.
His skin was tanned from the sun, indicating he spent much time outdoors.
His eyes were deep and shrewd, the kind Owen had only seen on the faces of merchants.
His attire further confirmed his profession; he was dressed in a lavish merchant's outfit, wearing a loose robe with gold thread at the cuffs, a testament to his luxurious wealth.
He wore a wide-brimmed hat adorned with various gems and jewels, sparkling brilliantly.
Around his waist was a fine gold belt, from which hung a jewel-encrusted dagger.
"Greetings," he said, tipping his hat and bowing slightly, a gentlemanly smile on his face. "My name is Berkeley Moore. You can call me Berkeley."
Owen's eyes flickered, returning the smile: "You may call me Owen."
"Mr. Owen, would you like me to tell you about General Andrew?" Berkeley offered.
Owen shrugged slightly: "If you're willing."