We don’t joke with our food

A man's agonized screams soon attracted a pack of about forty jackal-men. They were armed with maces and crossbows, warily eyeing the ogres and continuously howling. 

Alexander's eyes flickered with confusion. 

Jackal-men are naturally cunning and fierce but not very brave, excelling in group raids against weaker creatures. Since when did they dare to confront ogres head-on? Had these desert hyenas changed their nature, or was there another reason behind their boldness?

As expected, a towering figure approached from the distance. It was a mountain giant, a creature whose size and stature could match an ogre. However, it was clear that the giant was not the main focus today. 

Perched on a chair on the giant's shoulder sat a green-skinned goblin, surrounded by colorful potion bottles. 

Alexander quickly understood that only a goblin could command a mountain giant. These giants have a large appetite and usually form a master-servant or employer relationship with goblins, requiring payment in money or goods to convince them.

Once convinced, a mountain giant's loyalty is immense. As long as the goblins can afford the price, the giants will do anything for them. Thus, wealthy and influential goblins often employ a mountain giant to showcase their strength and resources.

Goblins are an extreme race; wealthy ones control mines and conduct significant trades, while the impoverished ones are barely better off than desert rats. 

Observing the goblin before him, Alexander's lips curled slightly, indicating he was dealing with a wealthy individual.

Halting Foreskin, who was ready to smash the goblin into pulp, Alexander stepped forward.

"Goblin, what brings you and this pack of desert hyenas to our ogre tribe?" he asked.

"Eh???" 

The goblin was surprised; he was ready to launch a potion attack and did not expect the typically brute ogres to initiate a conversation.

"My caravan was passing through your tribe. Can you let them go?" Although Alexander didn't seem particularly fierce, the goblin remained on guard.

"Ha ha, of course!" Alexander opened his gaping maw in a terrifying laugh and handed his weapon to Foreskin behind him. 

"Now that you're here, why not be a guest in my tribe? It's already late, and you wouldn't want to camp outside, would you?"

The goblin became even more cautious. How could an ogre possess the wisdom to say such things?

"Can I refuse? Or are you planning to force me?" the goblin instinctively wanted to reject the offer. 

Alexander shook his head, "Of course, you can refuse, but…" 

Hearing this, the goblin was ready to throw his potion bottles. 

Alexander continued, "Those who are not our guests have no right to stay in the oasis! You and your pitiful jackal-men will have to spend the cold night in the desert outside." 

"Oh, and the stars above will keep you company!" 

"Or you could become our guest, enjoy a warm bonfire, and have a good night's sleep. You just need to pay half your goods as a protection fee." 

"What's your choice?"

The goblin was stunned by this barrage of words. It sounded eerily familiar, almost like the way he used to trick people into business deals.

The goblin was indeed tempted. If he refused, all his goods would be confiscated by the ogres. 

A battle with the ogres would likely end poorly for the jackal-men, and his relationship with the mountain giant was purely mercantile – it could ensure his safety but nothing more.

After a moment of thought, the goblin made up his mind. 

But could he trust the words of an ogre? What if he woke up in the middle of the night to find himself in a cooking pot?

"You make a good point, but how can I trust you?"

Alexander looked at the goblin and said, "I always keep my word. If I say I'll eat you, I'll eat you, even if you're smashed into pulp. If I say I won't eat you, even if you're washed clean, I certainly won't!"

The left head of a nearby two-headed ogre said, "Please don't doubt our word!"

The right head added, "Yeah, we don't joke with our food! WAAAGH!"

The goblin pondered and realized it was true. Ogres weren't a cunning race; they only believed in their own strength. Most importantly, with the mountain giant's help, he was confident he could escape if needed. 

With this in mind, the goblin agreed to Alexander's terms. 

"I'll go to your tribe, but what's the cost?"

"In addition to half of your goods, you need to pay five gold coins as accommodation fees."

The goblin's face fell as he reluctantly took out the money, as if it pained him. But though the price was steep, it was acceptable. 

He nodded, "Alright, I agree!"

Alexander clapped his hands, "Welcome to being my first guest. You can call me Alexander! I am the chieftain of this tribe."

The goblin relaxed a bit, "Zibnix, an alchemist. These jackal-men are my pets."

With the deal struck, they headed towards the tribe. 

Except for some disappointed ogres who missed a fight, everyone was quite happy. Alexander had a new customer, the goblin avoided a fight, and the jackal-men escaped being crushed. 

Back at the tribe, as night fell, the ogres dispersed, and Zibnix and his pets were settled on the outskirts of the tribe.

As the bonfire rose, Zibnix finally felt at ease.

"Hey! Zibnix, I have some clean, top-quality water here. Do you need it?" Alexander approached with an elven female slave, holding a bowl of clear water.

Zibnix looked over in surprise, his eyes widening. "Is there really such clean water in this world???" He thought of the enhanced quality and potency his potions would have if made with such water. 

The idea of drinking it seemed almost wastefully extravagant to him.

And why were there elves in an ogre tribe, and why did they seem unafraid? This ogre tribe was full of oddities.

"Ha ha ha, this is top-quality water I've painstakingly refined. Tempting, isn't it?" Alexander teased.

Zibnix's eyes flickered, "Are you selling this?"

Alexander nodded, "Of course. For enough goods, you can get two cups of this water. How about it?"

Zibnix's eyes widened, "How about fifty gold coins?!"

Fifty gold coins was a significant amount, enough to support a thousand poor people for a year. The cost of hiring a mountain giant was around ten gold coins per month.

Still, Alexander wasn't satisfied: "Not quite enough. This water is very clear, and who knows when I'll be able to refine more."

Alexander's fierce face showed a hint of hesitation, for show. 

The word 'refine' echoed in Zibnix's mind. Could this ogre tribe really have the ability to refine clean water?

For a moment, he even considered returning with reinforcements to force the ogres to reveal their technique. But he quickly dismissed the idea. 

If this had been a tribe without ogre mages, he would have confidently called for reinforcements to raid the ogre tribe. Unfortunately, this tribe housed two ogre mages. 

Furthermore, the process of refining high-quality water must require a significant amount of oasis water. The water resources of their oasis were limited; they couldn't afford to use them all for this purpose.

"How about I leave a jackal-man as well?" Zibnix suggested. "He can either guard the gate or serve as emergency rations."

Only then did Alexander nod, signaling the elven female slave to pass the water to the goblin. 

Zibnix left, leaving behind a jackal-man, who trembled in fear. The jackal-man, aware of what ogres were capable of, was terrified, now alone with his tail between his legs.

Alexander reassured the jackal-man, "Relax, you dirty little hyena. We won't eat you. Just be a good guard dog, and you won't lack food!"

Alexander glanced at the trembling jackal-man, offering rare comfort, and then ordered him to be tied up at the tribe's gate. 

The jackal-man lay on the ground, exposing his belly in submission.