The Everwake also sneered.

As a seasoned Commander of city-state wars, Aiden Atwood had seen his fair share. His composure soon returned.

He looked at them, all traces of his initial wariness, defensiveness, and murderous intent gone. He spoke politely, "So, you’ve all crossed the Triangle Sea, and our Otterhaven City-State is the first place you’ve reached?"

Behind him, Riley Atwood stared at his Commander, his face a mask of confusion. He didn’t understand why Aiden was being so polite to a group of Savage Beastmen.

According to the rumors in the Beastman City-states, the other side of the Triangle Sea was a land cordoned off by the Beast God. It was home to a group of beastmen who ate raw meat and drank blood, who couldn’t find enough food to eat or clothes to keep warm, and who couldn’t even read the city-states’ script.

In the eyes of the city-state beastmen, those from Norfell were no different from Wild Beasts—they were savage brutes!

Calling them beastmen was already a courtesy.

’He didn’t know how these people had gotten their hands on a flying ship, but it was obvious the Otterhaven City-State had no reason to take them seriously. The female would go to the Commander, and the males would all be killed!’

Thorne clearly caught the malice swirling in Riley Atwood’s eyes. A flash of killing intent glinted in his dark green, slitted pupils.

Evangeline gave a slight nod. "Commander, I wonder if you might allow us to stay here for a while?"

They were still in the dark about everything on the New Continent, including the "Sharp Teeth Judgment" that beastman had just mentioned. It sounded like some kind of grand event, and stumbling into a local festival in an unfamiliar place often led to trouble.

’Though she wasn’t afraid, she found it tiresome. Her main purpose for coming to the New Continent was to find Caden Albright and Lachlan.’

’She also needed to ask the people of the Otterhaven City-State about the Grimgar City-State.’

Before Aiden Atwood could speak, Riley Atwood suddenly sneered. "You’re just Savage Beastmen from Norfell. You’re not qualified to enter our Otterhaven City-State. And if you want to pass through our territory, you’ll need to pay a toll."

As he spoke, he rubbed his chin. "You’re from beyond the impoverished Triangle Sea, so you probably don’t have any Beast Crystals or Beast Cores. How about this: just leave that flying ship behind as payment, and you can be on your way."

’As the captain in charge of the beastman laborers at the docks, he had always had some say in front of the Commander.’

’Why be polite to these savage brutes? Just say what you mean!’

"What did you say?!" Thorne, ever quick to anger, instantly transformed into a giant, ink-black Winged Serpent. He raised his triangular head high, baring his sharp fangs at Riley Atwood. Venom dripped from the snow-white tips, sizzling as it hit the sand, and the air crackled with hostility.

Thorne’s sudden outburst put the Otterhaven City-State beastmen on high alert, and they raised their steel spears one by one.

The males glared at them coldly, the violent aura surging around them so thick it seemed to make the air freeze.

Thorne flicked his forked tongue, his massive body coiling gently around Evangeline, shielding her completely within his embrace.

War was on the verge of breaking out.

SLAP—

A loud slap echoed. Riley Atwood staggered from the blow, nearly losing his footing.

His eyes were filled with terror. He didn’t even dare to look up at his Commander, his legs having gone completely weak.

Aiden Atwood’s icy gaze swept over Riley Atwood. "I’ll deal with you later!" he said coldly.

With that, he turned back to Evangeline and her group, his expression now gentle and polite, his tone apologetic. "My sincerest apologies. My discipline was lax, and I’ve made a fool of myself before our distinguished guests. It is an honor for the Otterhaven City-State to host you. Please."

As Aiden Atwood finished speaking, the Otterhaven City-State warriors resentfully lowered their weapons and moved to the side.

They stood respectfully on both sides, giving Evangeline and the others a grand welcoming ceremony.

Thorne narrowed his eyes, looked down at Evangeline, and slowly backed away a little, clearing the path.

With a flick of her wrist, the enormous flying ship that had been hovering over the sea instantly shrank into a palm-sized boat, resting in her hand. The sight plunged the surroundings into dead silence.

"A Druid!" Aiden Atwood’s eyes went wide, and he couldn’t help but gasp.

The gazes of the Otterhaven City-State warriors also fell upon Evangeline, their eyes filled with shock. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Druid? What does that mean?" The Everwake asked, raising an eyebrow and breaking the silence.

Aiden Atwood looked at Evangeline and took a deep breath, the shock in his eyes lingering.

The only reason he was treating these Savage Beastmen from Norfell kindly was that he could see how powerful their leaders were. They were exceptionally talented young beastmen whose strength was merely limited by their region, and he didn’t want to needlessly offend them.

Besides, this was a critical time with the "Sharp Teeth Judgment" just around the corner. If a fight really broke out, they would be the ones at a disadvantage.

The Otterhaven City-State was just a small coastal city-state. Its only notable asset was the seafood trade—transporting cleaned, fresh fish and shrimp to other Great City-States in exchange for City-state Coins to buy military equipment and bolster their own strength.

When dealing with these newly arrived Savage Beastmen, goodwill would surely bring more benefits than malice.

Of course, this was also because they had shown an absolute willingness to fight. If they had agreed to Riley Atwood’s demand just now, he would have swallowed this group of Savage Beastmen without hesitation. But they didn’t look like an easy target.

So, in the end, he chose goodwill and decided to welcome them into the city.

However, he had never expected that among this mysterious group of Norfell Savage Beastmen, there would actually be a "Druid."

Aiden Atwood’s attitude became even more polite. Although The Everwake had asked the question, he directed his answer to Evangeline. "Honorable Druid, please. I know you’ve just arrived in the Beastman City-states and are unfamiliar with everything. I will be happy to answer your questions."

Evangeline gently closed her hand, and the flying ship slowly vanished.

Watching this, Aiden Atwood lowered his eyes slightly and bowed a few inches deeper.

And so, Evangeline led her group of beastmen and followed Aiden Atwood, entering the Otterhaven City-State without a hitch.

Evangeline’s gaze swept over the beast-drawn carts on the street and the vendors selling fruits and vegetables. She smelled the aroma of roasted meat wafting through the air and raised an eyebrow slightly. ’The civilization in these city-states has developed quite rapidly.’

The members of the Grymdale Tribe and the Fallen Beastmen were dazzled. Seeing life here, they finally understood what a miserable existence they had led back in Norfell. The beastmen here had truly shed the "beast" part of their name.

But no matter how rapid the development or how advanced the civilization, there was no escaping social stratification—the high and the low, the noble and the common.

Evangeline watched with her own eyes as a beast-drawn cart rampaged down the street, knocking over several small vendors. The vendors dared not say a word, instead kneeling on the ground to beg the beastman noble for forgiveness. Only after the cart was far away did they wipe away their tears and start picking up the items from their stalls.

Aiden Atwood said nothing about it, clearly accustomed to such sights.

He led Evangeline to the most towering and magnificent building in the city-state. The warriors guarding it opened the gates.

But Aiden Atwood didn’t lead them straight inside. Instead, he turned to look at the large procession of Norfell Beastmen behind them and said hesitantly, "Honorable Druid, your people cannot enter the Commander’s fortress."

Perhaps fearing Evangeline would misunderstand, he added an explanation, "In the Beastman City-states, subordinate clans are considered lower-class citizens, not nobles. They are not permitted to set foot on even an inch of noble territory. I hope you can understand, Honorable Druid."

As he spoke, he once again placed his arm across his chest and bowed his head slightly, his attitude growing even more deferential.