I Transmigrated Into A Fantasy World To Farm And Build Houses!-Chapter 156: Picking Up Lost Children Wherever He Goes

The sound of cheerful laughter rang out at the door as Max and the others returned, their arms laden with all sorts of gifts carrying the salty scent of the sea.

There were exquisite combs polished from shimmering seashells, as well as various dried fish and fragrant seaweed. After a flurry of greetings, the group quickly moved the items into the cool cellar of the storage room.

Eric had quickly set aside a bag of gifts for Luci. Inside were two seashell combs, one large and one small, and a heavy cloth pouch. He thoughtfully explained that the large one was for grooming her fur in her beast form, and the small one was for combing her hair when in human form.

Luci took the cloth bag, clearly feeling its unexpected weight through the coarse fabric. She looked at Eric, her normally gentle eyes now shining with warmth and a touch of fond pride. She chuckled, her voice laced with affection:

"This little kid, you’ve only been on one trip and you’re already acting like a grown-up, even knowing to prepare gifts for me."

"Luci, open it and see if you like it." Eric scratched his head, his eyes shining with unconcealed anticipation.

Seeing the beast cub’s eager expression, Luci smiled resignedly and slowly untied the knot.

As soon as the bag opened, a fresh, pure fragrance carrying the salty tang of the sea immediately spread.

The round, lustrous pearls that Eric had carefully selected rolled gently into her palm, carrying a cool, pure feeling. Each one shimmered with a soft color under the light, heart-stoppingly beautiful.

No one could ignore the pure beauty of pearls, and the Snow Wolves were no exception. A flash of astonishment appeared in Luci’s eyes. She carefully cradled them with both hands, cherishing their pristine beauty.

"My goodness, so beautiful! Our little Eric is still the most thoughtful, much better than Max."

Luci preciously put the pearls back in the bag, gently tied it shut, and carefully held it to her chest like a treasure. She smiled radiantly, not forgetting to shoot a sideways glance at her son, who was standing beside her like a wooden statue.

Eric quickly tried to smooth things over: 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"It was also thanks to Max helping me find them."

"They really are beautiful!" Riley also looked over curiously, her eyes lighting up with interest:

"They look exactly like the pearls the sea beastmen use for trade, just not as big or bright as theirs."

Of course they aren’t as good, Eric thought silently. We only picked these up in the shallow water near the shore, while theirs are harvested from the deep sea. But he couldn’t say these things, so he just smiled and replied:

"We traded for them from the Ox-Head tribe. They’re pretty as decorations."

Riley and Kevin were still on night patrol, so they didn’t stay long. Before they left, Eric gave each of them a large seashell comb. Kevin was extremely excited about this gift.

He took the comb and casually tried a few strokes on Riley’s slightly curly fur. Miraculously, the tangled fur instantly became smooth and unbelievably neat. The feeling of the comb’s teeth gliding smoothly through the thick fur was truly an enchanting experience.

No beastman could resist the charm of having their sleek fur groomed. Riley and Kevin delightedly took the gifts, happily stood there grooming themselves for a long time before finally leaving.

It was already late, so Michael decided not to go home and disturb his family, staying at Eric’s house instead.

At the same time, Evan, a seemingly weak human that Eric had "picked up," also needed a place to stay. The Dwarves’ houses were clearly too small for his stature, so it was reasonable for him to stay here as well.

After Riley and Kevin were out of sight, Luci’s attention truly turned to the stranger. She looked Evan up and down and asked:

"Is this... a human? Why did you bring a human to the tribe?"

As the one who "picked him up," Eric had to step up and explain:

"Yes, I... I found him on the beach. At that time, he seemed to be affected by magic, and he had nowhere else to go, so I brought him back with me."

Evan politely bowed to Luci, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze:

"I truly have no one to rely on. Eric was worried about my safety, so he rashly brought me here. I hope I am not causing any trouble for you."

His long black hair cascaded softly over his shoulders like a waterfall, accentuating his fair skin. His black eyes were as deep as the night sky, gathering the brightest stars.

His figure was tall and elegant, draped in a long robe made of dark green Elven fabric, embroidered with complex and delicate matching patterns.

Other than a classic-style silver ring on his finger, he wore no other jewelry, yet his entire being exuded an indescribable noble and ethereal aura.

Accustomed to the sight of tall, strong beastmen with muscles coiled like ancient tree roots, a delicate and slender youth like Evan truly gave off a completely different feeling.

Faced with such a person, Luci’s words of refusal caught in her throat. She thought to herself, well, our tribe already has Dwarves, adding one human probably won’t hurt...

"Oh well, how much can one human eat."

Luci quickly switched sides, her tone softening considerably:

"Since Eric picked you up, just stay here. To be wandering at such a young age, you humans really don’t know how to love your cubs at all. Eric’s place is very warm, you can stay with him for now, and next year we’ll help you build a house."

Evan’s gentle and polite expression almost cracked when he heard the word "cub."

Cub?

He was a dignified magician, yet in this woman’s eyes, he had become a small creature in need of protection?

The corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

Seeing that Luci had agreed, Eric breathed a sigh of relief and went over to the earthen bed to check on Leo. The little fluffy golden-furred lion cub was curled into a ball under the thick blanket, sleeping so soundly he was even snoring softly.

All the noisy conversation hadn’t managed to wake him. Eric gently pinched Leo’s nose, then placed the animal hide bundling A Mat into his arms. The fast-asleep Leo just reflexively turned over, his arms wrapping around the warm animal hide.

The noses of Snow Wolves were extremely sensitive. Luci took a soft sniff, then frowned at the strange animal hide:

"There’s the smell of a beastman in here, it seems to be... the Snake tribe?" That distinct scent, both cold and slightly pungent, was unmistakable.

"Ah... this..." Eric scratched his cheek in embarrassment, stammering:

"On the way back, I also... also picked up a beast cub from the Snake tribe..."

Hearing this, Michael could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing. Even Max, who always maintained a serious expression, couldn’t help but let the corner of his mouth twitch into a smile.

Luci resignedly reached out and patted Eric on the head:

"Did you go to refine salt or to pick up lost children? Why did you even pick up a Snake tribe cub? Where are its parents?"

Recalling the process of "picking up" A Mat, Eric’s face flushed red, and he hesitated, not knowing how to explain.

Michael chimed in with a grin:

"It was like this, Luci. When we went to pick fruit, our little Eric went off to play by himself, and somehow he accidentally stepped on this baby..."

He vividly recounted the scene of Eric’s panic upon discovering he had stepped on a small snake, gesturing with his hands and feet, making Luci laugh so hard she clutched her stomach, almost crying with laughter.

"You all are truly a bunch of troublesome cubs, not a single one of you stops making people worry for a minute." Luci said, still laughing as she poked Eric’s forehead with her finger, concluding with an affectionate sentence.

Eric was so embarrassed he just wanted to find a hole to crawl into, so he quickly changed the subject:

"Oh, that’s right, Luci! The fruit we picked is very sweet and delicious, and it even bears fruit in winter. We have a few left, you should try them."

Saying that, he took out a few milky-white fruits and offered them to Luci with both hands, fawning.

Back in the tribe, the tension from the long journey seemed to melt away, replaced by a feeling of relaxation and safety.

After nearly a month of traveling, everyone was exhausted. After sharing the sweet fruits, Eric took out a large wooden tub, preparing for a relaxing bath.

He had installed a stove made by the Dwarves in the storage room. Now, the fire was lit, and the coal inside quickly began to burn fiercely. Before long, the metal chimney pipe was heated until it glowed red, and the entire storage room became as warm as spring.

The two large pots attached to the earthen bed were also filled with hot water, steam rising thickly. One by one, they went into the room to bathe, washing away the dust and fatigue of the road. Evan had intended to refuse, but he was pushed straight inside by Eric, given no chance to say another word.

Mixing hot water into the large wooden tub, soaking in the warm water, feeling every muscle relax, all the fatigue from the journey seemed to dissolve with the steam.

Everyone had to admit, Eric’s decision to dig a well inside the house was truly brilliant. Getting water was now both convenient and didn’t require going out to the river to suffer the cold, break the ice, and then toil to melt it.

It was an absolutely wonderful indulgence after many hard days.