Chapter 43: Lizardmen 

After the demonstration, Owen handed a set of gear blueprints to several blacksmiths.

He instructed them to use the water-powered milling machine to produce a full gear set, rotating among the blacksmith shops—each shop taking turns to familiarize themselves with the machine’s operation.

Currently, the steam boring machine under construction would require this gear set to regulate and stabilize the steam engine’s output, or else it couldn’t carry out the process of rifling gun barrels.

Furthermore, gears would be essential in the manufacturing of other future machines as well.

For each completed gear set, Owen would pay the blacksmiths a processing fee. At the same time, they were required to pay a usage fee for the milling machine.

This hydraulic milling machine had cost Owen a fair bit to commission and assemble—he certainly wasn’t lending it out for free.

Additionally, Jita was entrusted with an important responsibility. Owen handed him the key to the wooden mill house, placing him in charge of the milling machine’s management.

Owen would teach Jita everything about maintaining the machine, though he could also pass the responsibility to his apprentices.

With these arrangements made, Owen left the blacksmiths and their apprentices to study the milling machine on their own. He and Mapel then departed from the modest wooden structure.

Not long after they left, Owen saw a knight rushing toward him in the distance.

Did something happen?

A sense of unease arose in Owen’s chest, and he quickened his pace.

“Marquis Owen!”

The knight approached and gave a formal salute, then urgently said:

“Something’s happened! There’s trouble in the southwest—at the Labyrinthine Forest!”

“What happened exactly? Be clear.” 

Owen frowned.

“What’s going on in the forest?”

Trouble now, of all times? Winter was approaching, and all of Bianshu Town’s focus had been on the northern threat. He really didn’t want to divert attention to the forest.

“It’s beastmen—Lizardmen, to be exact! A group of them suddenly appeared on the forest’s outskirts. They were discovered in time by hunters.

They’ve now occupied a section of the outer forest and are in a standoff with our knights and patrol units.” 

The knight reported.

“Lizardmen?!” 

Owen exclaimed.

Lizardmen typically lived deep in forests, favouring damp environments. The heart of the Labyrinthine Forest contained the Wen River, which flowed from the Crosscut Mountains.
That’s where most Lizardmen settled, living by fishing.

Generally, they didn’t stray far from the Wen River, let alone approach so close to human settlements.

Why would they now appear at the forest’s edge—so near to Frontier Town? Something wasn’t right.

“Take me there, now.” 

Owen said to the knight.

“Lord Owen.”

Mapel suddenly spoke, worry in her voice.

“Their sudden appearance is far too strange. You’d be safer returning to the castle and sending someone else to meet them. If their intentions are hostile, we can immediately rally all our knights in Bianshu Town and wipe them out.”

When she said “wipe them out,” a flash of cold steel glinted in Mapel’s eyes.

When it came to Owen’s safety, Mapel always became extremely cautious—and merciless to potential enemies.

“Precisely because it’s strange… I have to go in person.” 

Owen refused flatly.

“Lizardmen don’t come this close to humans for no reason. Something must have happened to them.”

“But—”

Mapel tried to protest again, but Owen cut her off.

“No buts.”

“You’re here to protect me, after all. I trust you.”

Mapel’s cheeks flushed red, but she didn’t hesitate for long—eventually, she gave in.

“Very well… but please don’t stray too far from me, Lord Owen.”

On the way to the Labyrinthine Forest, Owen urgently contacted Winston.

As expected, Winston became very interested upon hearing about the Lizardmen.

[After all this time communicating with you, I’ll finally get to witness a non-human intelligent species from your world.]

[Meeting them at a time like this… I really hope we can avoid conflict.] 

Owen said with concern.

[That depends on whether you can earn their trust.]

Winston had previously heard Owen explain the existence of demihuman races.

Between humans and demihumans, there was a long history of mistrust and suspicion, and many wars had broken out over time.

Eventually, humans became the dominant power, forcing most demihuman races into wilderness areas or undeveloped lands.

Of course, some demihumans had relatively peaceful relations with humans due to minimal conflicts of interest—the dwarves, for example.

Just as they were about to arrive at the site of the standoff, Owen saw Viscount Jarvis hurrying toward them.

“Marquis Eisen, this could be dangerous. You shouldn’t have come.”

Viscount Jarvis immediately tried to persuade Owen to go back.

“Well, I’m already here. Let’s go take a look first.”

Owen had no intention of arguing. He simply turned and walked toward the standoff site, with Mapel close behind.

Seeing this, Viscount Jarvis could only shake his head helplessly and follow.

At the human side of the standoff, Owen saw not only knights and patrolmen, but also several hunters, as well as Fanny and Theresa.

Fanny stood at the front, holding a fireball in her hand, alongside several knights—apparently to intimidate the Lizardmen on the other side.

Theresa, meanwhile, was treating an injured man lying on the ground, surrounded by a few others.

Upon seeing the situation, Owen hurried over.

“What happened? Did the Lizardmen attack first?”

Just then, Theresa had finished casting her healing spell—the long wound on the man’s thigh had already scabbed over.

His leg was saved, and the injured man thanked her repeatedly.

“Thank you… thank you, Priestess… thank you so much…”

Theresa gave him a soft smile, then stood up and spoke to Owen with a serious expression:

“No, quite the opposite, actually. It was the Lizardmen who saved him.”

As it turned out, the man Theresa had treated was a hunter.

While hunting in the Labyrinthine Forest, he had been attacked and wounded by a monster. Though he narrowly escaped with his life, his thigh was badly injured.
He thought he’d die out there in the woods—until the Lizardmen found him and carried him away.

Rather than finishing him off, the Lizardmen brought him to the forest’s edge, where he was found by the knights and brought back.

On their way to the cathedral to seek help, they happened to encounter Theresa and Fanny, who came over to check on the situation.

And that was when Owen had arrived.

“So that’s what happened. It seems they don’t intend to fight us after all.”

Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean the Lizardmen had no ill intent.

It was possible they simply lacked the strength to fight or were recovering from setbacks and wanted to avoid conflict.

Still, the fact that no fighting had occurred yet was a good sign.

At least there wasn’t any deep-rooted hatred or open hostility—it might be possible to attempt friendly contact.

But first, Owen needed to figure out what was going on.

He remembered that one of the knights had said it was a hunter who first discovered the group of Lizardmen.

With that in mind, Owen turned to the hunters standing nearby.

“Which one of you first spotted the Lizardmen?”

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