As a member of a small tribe, Raham’s life began amidst misfortune.

When he was young, his father, a member of the tribe’s hunting squad, tragically lost his life to a wild beast during a hunting expedition. Later, when Raham was barely in his teens, his mother perished due to starvation caused by food shortages.

Fortunately, Raham survived these hardships.

Though calamities continued to haunt him.

—Floods, wildfires…

He miraculously endured. He reminded himself: To be alive was the greatest stroke of luck.

Until one fateful day, plunderers from the Chew Bone Tribe raided the tribe, ruthlessly slaughtering people and capturing many, including Raham himself.

Raham and other members were subjected to various abuses.

Raham resigned himself to what seemed like impending death. Yet luck favored him once more .

When a group led by Lord Enzo of the Crimson Star Tribe intervened, eliminating the plunderers and rescuing them.However, Raham was gripped by immense fear upon seeing others from different tribes being claimed and taken away.

In his tribe, only he and those captured remained.

Everyone else had perished.

Could he go on living?

In that moment, Raham asked himself, sinking into utter despair.

Then Enzo spoke, “I am the priest of the Crimson Star Tribe. If you’re willing to join us, you can come with me. I can guarantee that you won’t go hungry during the upcoming rainy season. But there’s a condition – you must obey orders and contribute your share of labor.”

Those words were the most comforting Raham had ever heard.

Despite Enzo’s cold demeanor at the time.

He could continue living.

And what followed proved Enzo’s words true.

Though Raham initially knew little about the Crimson Star Tribe, he could sense from people’s expressions and the movement of supplies that the tribe’s food reserves were insufficient to ensure everyone had enough during the rainy season.

Once again, Lord Enzo intervened.

With a power akin to that of deities, plants sprouted and matured in an instant. Countless crops were harvested.

Throughout the long rainy season, Raham never went hungry. It was the fullest he had ever been since birth, especially during the recent gathering when he tasted meat soup seasoned with salt for the first time.

The delicious flavor lingered in his memory.

Excited, Raham reached into a small pouch made of animal skin strapped to his body. He pulled out a handful of coins and counted them: three silver coins of a valuable metal and fifty iron coins. This was his earnings from this period of time.

This income was considered high within the Crimson Star Tribe.

However, it was not the highest.

In conversations with other tribe members, Raham learned some news.

The several slaves brought back—Mr. Yara and a few others—have already gathered five hundred iron coins, freeing themselves from their slave status and becoming formal members of the tribe.

The key to this was Shirley, the lady.

She received a task assigned by Lord Enzo and luckily learned how to make hemp thread, then used it to make hemp cloth, which she sewed into garments.

It was a very lightweight outfit, much cooler to wear than animal skins.

Most importantly, it brought in substantial rewards.

Mr. Yara and his group earned so many coins because they made hemp clothing.

However, Raham had other plans.

Just then, a freckled girl came running up from nearby, Emily, a person from Raham’s birth tribe.

They’ve been through a lot together and share a strong bond.

Raham shouted, “Emily, what brings you here?”

Emily, out of breath, said, “Raham, the tribe’s market has officially opened. Are your goods ready? We need to secure a good spot.”

“Oh?” Raham reproached himself. “Wait for me, I haven’t organized everything yet.”

Raham’s residence was a narrow bamboo hut. Emily barged in, packed Raham’s goods on the spot, then slung them over her back and said, “There’s no time to waste. Let’s secure our spot first, then you can tidy up.”

Raham, resigned, could only grab his small bag of coins and head to the market.

And the rest of the tribe members did the same.

Some brought out hides and meat from hunting, others strange stones found in the wild, and some vegetables they had grown themselves… a wide variety of goods.These goods were diverse and included all kinds of things.

And among them, there were naturally goods sold in tribal shops.

These included fine salt, pottery, fish, ironware…

Arriving at the market, Emily and Raham couldn’t help but marvel, “So many people!”

With the market officially open this time, almost all the tribe members had come, despite Enzo’s estimates and Ward’s efforts to make the market larger, it still seemed crowded.

Not to mention the continuous influx of people from other tribes.

…

Outside the campsite.

Priest Lester, accompanied by members of the Flower Cat Tribe, arrived not far away. They carried several bundles of animal skins, reluctantly questioning, “Priest Lester, do we really have to offer these animal skins to the Crimson Star Tribe?”

Lester remained silent for a moment, then replied, “We must do this to demonstrate our submission.”

Others choked back their emotions, saying, “But…”

Lester interrupted, “Enough. I know you feel uneasy, but Flower Cat Tribe is weaker compared to the Crimson Star Tribe. Weakness is a sin here in the jungle’s law.”

To their surprise, the situation unfolded differently than expected for Lester and his group.

For the convenience of other tribes, Enzo had ordered the creation of many markers, placed along the surrounding roads.

Guided by some of these markers along the way, the people of the Flower Cat Tribe reached the north gate of the Crimson Star Tribe’s camp. Before they could enter, several robust individuals approached them with smiles, asking, “Are you participants from other tribes attending the market? Please follow me. I will brief you on some guidelines.”

Hearing this, the members of the Flower Cat Tribe were somewhat bewildered but followed along.

They were then directed to an area specially designated for traders from other tribes within the market.

Wide-eyed and uncertain, the Flower Cat Tribe’s members turned to Priest Lester and asked, “Lord Priest, what do we do next?”

Priest Lester was equally perplexed.

Fortunately, nearby were members of the Crimson Star Tribe. Lester approached a young couple who were organizing their goods and asked, “Hello, I am Priest Lester of the Flower Cat Tribe. Could you please tell me how I can meet the Lord Priest of the Crimson Star Tribe?”

Emily and Raham were startled.

Seeing who approached and hearing Lester’s question, they were even more surprised. “You’re a tribe’s priest?”

Lester nodded.

Confirming this, Raham felt a surge of pride. Under Lord Enzo’s call, priests from other tribes had actually come themselves, indicating Lord Enzo’s authority.

Emily explained, “Priest Lester, why are you seeking Lord Enzo?”

Lester hurriedly replied, “I have prepared generous gifts to present to Lord Enzo.”

This statement left Emily and Raham in a dilemma.

Raham scratched his head and said, “Priest Lester, the market has just opened. Lord Enzo must be very busy, and not only you, but many other tribes also wish to present gifts.”

Lester was taken aback by Raham’s words.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the Crimson Star Tribe would overlook the few animal skins he intended to offer.

Just then, Raham shouted, “Priest Lester, here comes Lord Amy. Let me ask for you. Perhaps there’s a chance to meet Lord Enzo.”

Lester looked up.

To his surprise, Raham referred to Lord as a fox woman.

In this jungle region, orcish tribes were rare, usually found only in distant areas beyond the jungle. Those orcs who entered the jungle were either exiled or became slaves to tribes. Yet, according to Raham, this fox girl seemed to hold a very high status.

At that moment, Emily shouted, “Lord Amy!”

Hearing the call, Amy walked over, and Emily and Raham quickly explained the situation to her.

Lester also spoke up, saying, “Lord Amy, the Flower Cat Tribe is willing to offer its most precious items, seeking the protection of the Crimson Star Tribe! These are three intact tiger skins of the white-browed giant tigers. Please deliver them to Priest Enzo.”

Amy rubbed her forehead wearily.

Since the official opening of the market, she had encountered several similar incidents. It was always members of other tribes who arrived early, coming not just to trade but out of fear.

That was deviating from Enzo’s planned approach.

Therefore, such gifts couldn’t be accepted.

However, Amy was well aware of the consequences of refusing them. These tribespeople would kneel and plead for forgiveness, believing their gifts were not generous enough, potentially offending the Crimson Star Tribe.

Amy had already complained to Enzo about this.

Enzo’s solution was straightforward. He said, “Amy, if they insist on giving, we’ll simply buy them. They’ll receive currency and will certainly spend it at the market. It’s a win-win.”

Recalling Enzo’s advice, Amy turned to Lester and said, “The Crimson Star Tribe welcomes everyone to the market for trading and guarantees the safety of traders. I will accept these three tiger skins on behalf of Lord Enzo as a corresponding gift—”

She took out three gold coins.

She handed them to Lester, then continued, “You can use these three gold coins to purchase any goods at the market. Of course, some items are restricted to Crimson Star Tribe members only.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep