Chapter 44: Reward Part 2

Seeing Tibbers receive a promise of reward, Robert couldn't help but feel tempted as well.

Robert was the youngest among the trio of old, weak, and sick members, and the only survivor of the previous attack on this territory. Skilled in building shelters and woodworking, Ethan had high hopes for him.

Noticing Robert's hesitant expression, Ethan took the initiative to ask, "Robert, do you have something to say?"

Robert hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Lord Ethan, I discovered tracks of a large beast in the forest. Judging by the footprints, I believe it's a Shadow Panther over 10 meters long. It has marked our settlement as its hunting ground! This beast wasn't here before; it must have moved in recently."

Hearing this, Ethan recalled seeing green eyes in the forest on their first night. "So it's a Shadow Panther. No wonder we couldn't see its body!"

"Lord Ethan, you've encountered this beast before?"

Ethan nodded. "We saw it on our first night here, but it was too dark to see clearly. It didn't attack us, so we left it alone. These beasts are nocturnal; they won't come out during the day. As long as you stay on the ship at night, you'll be safe. Its presence can even act as a night watch for us."

Robert's face paled. "But, my lord, we need to go into the forest during the day to collect firewood. What if we encounter it then?"

Ethan smiled. "You're right. It is a risk, and though I'm not afraid of it, you might be. If there's ever a need to venture out at night, having a 10-meter-long panther around is dangerous. Don't worry, I'll find a way to deal with it in the next couple of days."

Everyone visibly relaxed at Ethan's assurance.

After dinner, Ethan didn't return to his room immediately but headed to the captain's cabin, now his study. With the impending snowstorms, he had moved the eagle nest inside, not out of concern for Little Yellow, but for the female eagle, worried she might not survive the harsh weather. Little Yellow had to stay outside for sentry duties.

As Ethan entered the study, the female eagle joyfully flew to his shoulder, chirping affectionately. She had grown fond of Ethan over these days, possibly influenced by Little Yellow. Ethan felt she was even more affectionate than Little Yellow and had named her Annie.

Ethan gently stroked her head. "Annie, do you like grouper?"

Annie seemed to understand and nodded.

"I'll catch more for you tomorrow. Stay with me, and you'll never be mistreated."

Just then, Angelina walked in, smiling at the sight of Ethan playing with Annie but saying nothing. She sat at her desk, busy with her tasks, occasionally pausing to think or write furiously. Ethan, not wanting to disturb her, put Annie back in her nest and sat at his desk, pretending to think.

Yes, pretending. Since Angelina had taken over the household affairs, everything was running smoothly, leaving Ethan with nothing to do, feeling almost useless. Not wanting to appear idle in front of Angelina, he feigned being busy with planning.

Suddenly, Angelina spoke up. "Ethan, I don't mind you teaching Lily dagger skills, but why promise she'd master it in a day? You're making things difficult for me."

Ethan was momentarily speechless before replying, "Why is it a problem?"

"I know your performance today was to motivate everyone to contribute to the territory," Angelina said, rubbing her forehead. "But such unrealistic promises shouldn't happen again. Do you know how much work it took to convince Lily to stay and work peacefully? I finally calmed her down, and now you've given her false hope. How am I supposed to handle that? I'm not against a reward system, but it needs to be practical. I have too many responsibilities to constantly provide psychological support."

Ethan smiled, understanding her frustration. Managing tasks while also counseling subordinates was challenging. "I get it. But trust me, this isn't a false hope. I can make Lily a master in a day, and I can do the same for you."

"What?" Angelina's eyes widened. "Ethan, are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Ethan said confidently. "Tomorrow, I'll teach you unarmed combat. Once you learn it, you'll see I'm telling the truth."

"Unarmed combat?" Angelina laughed. "If you want me to engage in some intimate wrestling, I can do that with you right now, no need to wait till tomorrow." Her expression turned serious. "But I'm discussing a serious matter. Respect that and take it seriously. This is important to me and affects my ability to work effectively."

Ethan's smile stiffened as he realized his words might have been misunderstood. He tried to clarify, "Trust me, by tomorrow, you'll see that I'm serious."

Angelina, seeing Ethan's playful demeanor, wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled, relieved that Ethan was no longer the anxious man from the ship. "You're quite the charmer, Ethan. I know you're trying to say my work has made you feel secure. Thank you! I've never felt so accomplished. Since you've praised me, I want my reward tonight. But don't worry, I won't exhaust you. I only need twelve times tonight. Is that okay?"

Ethan's smile froze, unable to laugh anymore.