Return of the General's Daughter-Chapter 22: The Master Returned

Just as Lara lifted the sizzling fish from the grill, a familiar figure emerged behind the mango tree. She noticed that Jethru did not come from the direction of the hanging bridge. Instead, he appeared from where the waterfalls were.

Could there be another entry to Galeya’s Throne?

During the modern era, the government undertook a project to create a stone staircase that wound its way from the summit of Mount Roca, carved out from the steep, craggy slopes of the mountain.

It was for the benefit of tourists and mountaineers. Like her, those who were more daring chose to rappel from the mountain peak down to the plateau.

Her gaze lingered on the waterfalls as the image of the staircase overlapped before it shifted back to the old man carrying a big bundle, one on his back and the other on his left hand. He looked worn out, and he must have traveled a distance.

The lingering aroma of smoke and freshly cooked fish mingled in the air as Lara set the fish aside and observed her master as he dropped two big sacks on the ground.

"Hmmm. Not bad. It looked like you found yourself at home. And your fish smelled so delicious. Where did you get that?" The white-haired old man swallowed his saliva.

"I caught them from the stream in the other mountain, Master," Lara answered nonchalantly.

"What? Why did you go there on your own? Don’t you know how dangerous Ourea is?" Jethru’s voice rose a pitch higher.

"I did not venture far, Master." Lara maintained her respectful tone.

"Hmmp! The wild animals in Ourea are very fierce. There are lions and tigers, even bears. One moment of carelessness, and they could turn your body into a meat paste."

"But I am unharmed master, Master." Lara turned around to show Jethru that she did not even have a single scratch on her body.

"You got lucky this time. What if you are unlucky next time?"

Lara rolled her eyes, then added very quickly.

"Then, will Master accompany me next time?"

"Hmmm. That’s more like it. You should not go there without me." ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"Grandpa, Grandpa, you are back!" Reya ran out of the house to greet the old man. Her excited voice caused him to shift his focus to her.

"You brought all these things? Let me help carry them inside."

She reached out to lift the burlap sack lying on the ground.

Thud!

She fell face down and landed on the sack.

"Grandpa, why is it so heavy? And why didn’t you warn me that it is heavy?"

"You did not even give me a chance to say anything. You suddenly grab it. So how is that my fault?"

Lara stretched out her hand to Reya and help her up. Then she picked up the sack and slung it at her back. Indeed, it was a bit heavy, but she still managed to carry it without breaking a sweat.

Reya’s face turned beet red. Her young miss was a pampered young lady, yet she could carry a heavy sack. She, however, was just a servant and used to do a lot of work, yet she couldn’t lift that sack. She was genuinely embarrassed.

"Girl, don’t just stand there! Carry the fish inside," Jethru admonished her when he noticed she was in a daze, following Lara with her gaze.

The old man carried the remaining sack inside. The moment he entered his house, his nose scrunched. There was a strong smell of blood that did not come from the fish. He hurried to the far end of the room and opened one of the clay jars.

"Wow, Grandpa! Your sense of smell is incredible! How did you detect that there was something hidden inside that jar?" Reya, who just entered the threshold with six barbecue sticks in her hand, blurted out.

Jethru looked at her as if she was an idiot.

Reya: "..."

Her expression was a mix of indignation and hurt as if she had been wronged in some way. The disappointment in the old man’s eyes was palpable. He regarded her with an air of disdain that seemed to cut deeper than any words could convey. What had she said that triggered such a dismissive response from him?

Jethru’s gaze shifted to Lara, who was looking back at him.

"Grandpa, I killed that snake when it tried to coil at me. Do you know how to extract medicine from it?"

The old man did not answer her immediately. He took the clay basin and poured the jar’s contents into it.

"What happened to the lower half?" He asked. He was regretful that it was not a full snake. He could do a lot from that big python.

"I encountered a wolf. Though it stood alone, I could sense that his pack was nearby. I could not fight a pack, so I gave him the other half of the snake."

"Good, girl. You did well. He reached out to ruffle Lara’s hair, but she stiffened. It took her much willpower not to throw the man to the ground.

Jethru opened the first bundle and handed the three, two sets of ready-to-wear clothes and shoes.

"Thank you, Master."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Three voices of different pitches said altogether.

He also handed Reya a folded white fabric, needles, and thread.

"Girl, I suppose you know how to sew, right? You can use this to make your undergarments."

"Great! I saw the needles and thread in that cabinet and wanted to ask your permission to use them, but that is no longer necessary. Thank you, Grandpa. You are the best!" she said, beaming.

Jethru looked at the girl’s acne-ridden face. Then he took a small cylindrical box from his pocket and handed it to her.

"This is for your face. Apply it before going to sleep, and the bumps on your face will disappear in a week." The old man said indifferently.

Reya’s eyes turned red.

She murmured a heartfelt ’thank you’ as she accepted the small, expensive-looking container with a bow.

Lara’s gaze lingered on the cylindrical box. She remembered that a 5,000-year-old alabaster pyxis box had been discovered in a crack in Galeya’s Throne. After being restored, it was similar in shape and color to the one Reya was holding.

In which era did she travel back in time?