"And weren't you quite dissatisfied after losing just now?"
It wasn't unreasonable for Raizel to ask this question, as the Chief's reaction seemed inconsistent; he had accepted being defeated by Raizel with dignity, yet he seemed unwilling to accept the loss in the tribal war.
Cain was still struggling with whether to speak up, for it wasn't a glorious matter to recount.
Suddenly, a minotaur behind him shouted indignantly, "We were betrayed!"
Cain let out a heavy sigh and admitted, "Losing to you was fair and square, so I accept it."
"Next to our Hammerfall Tribe, there is a larger tribe called the Bloodhoof Tribe. I fell in love with the daughter of the Bloodhoof Chieftain and went to propose marriage. At first, everything went smoothly..."
Cain's expression darkened. "Until the night of the wedding, when our entire tribe was drugged through the wine. We became weak and powerless, unable to muster any of our strength or Magic Power."
"We were easily defeated without even being able to struggle. We should have died then, but the Bloodhoof's daughter pleaded for us, asking them to spare our lives if we surrendered."
"Bloodhoof said he would let my tribesmen go if I knelt and begged for mercy."
"With my tribesmen's lives in their hands... I surrendered."
Cain's veins bulged as he recalled the day he knelt in submission, his face contorted with rage.
"But he still broke his promise. Later, my tribesmen were humiliated and slaughtered..."
"The reason I wasn't killed immediately was because Bloodhoof said he wanted me to witness my tribesmen die before my eyes..."
"Afterward, Bloodhoof's daughter secretly released us and let us escape. Only eleven of my tribesmen, including me, remain from a tribe that originally had over a hundred members."
At this point, Cain clenched his eyes shut, but tears still streamed down his snout uncontrollably.
"How could this be?" Lucy covered her mouth with both hands, deeply shocked, for even though minotaurs weren't human, they were still living beings capable of suffering!
"Damn it!" Natsu couldn't hold back either upon hearing this, punching the side of the carriage in frustration.
Raizel remained calm and asked another question, "I want to know why Bloodhoof did this?"
"Talent," Cain grunted. "I possess a talent that's one in ten thousand among minotaurs. You've noticed it—I'm much taller than the others. Not only that, my strength, speed, and endurance are far superior to ordinary minotaurs, and I've also inherited the innate skills of the Minotaur Kings: War Stomp and Berserk."
"Given time to grow, I could become even stronger. It's not impossible for me to lead them back for revenge, provided we have enough food."
Raizel nodded in understanding, in short, Bloodhoof knew about Cain's talent and feared his growth, so he took advantage of the wedding to betray him.
"Another question: Why have you robbed so many caravans? Logically, one caravan should be enough to sustain you for a long time. Do you have other uses for the goods?" Raizel asked, puzzled, as the stolen items weren't food supplies but merely cargo.
Cain's eyes widened like copper bells, showing great surprise at Raizel's words.
"What???"
Raizel caught a strange scent in the air and looked at Cain seriously. "I've asked the Guild Master. The total value of each merchant convoy isn't low, and even if you were pure carnivores, the wealth from one raid should last you a long time."
"Then why did that person say those things weren't valuable?!" Cain roared, standing up.
"I knew it was strange!"
"Have we been deceived?"
"Damn it!"
The minotaurs began whispering among themselves, their voices gradually growing louder with anger.
"Quiet! Let me finish asking first," Raizel gestured for the minotaurs to settle down before continuing. "How do you handle the goods you steal each time?"
"We can't enter towns, so we threaten an herb gatherer who comes into the mountains to exchange the goods for food," Cain explained.
"What do you eat?"
"Both meat and plants—whatever we can get."
Raizel nodded thoughtfully. "And he said those goods could only be exchanged for a little food?"
Cain seemed to be catching on to the deception, nodding slowly. "Yes, he said they'd only last us a week."
Brian shook his head in disbelief. "Impossible! No matter how much you eat, the total value of those goods should last you a year or more!"
Cain stood up angrily, smashing his fist into his palm. "What?! He's been cheating us!"
"It appears so."
"How do you contact that person?"
After organizing his thoughts, Cain explained, "We leave one item under a rock at our agreed spot. He checks daily, and if there's something there, he'll appear the next day to take the goods and exchange them for food."
"I see. He's been keeping most of the stolen goods for himself."
Raizel turned to the bodyguard. "Brian, I have an idea. Let's release Cain first and have him place something at the meeting spot today. After we find that person, we can see how many of the stolen goods remain. What do you think?"
Brian seemed tempted but shook his head hesitantly. "I can't make that decision alone. I need to consult the Boss."
"Don't worry, I have a solution."
Raizel immediately contacted John using Archive Magic to transmit his voice.
"I agree. If we can recover some, even if not all, I won't pursue the previous incidents," John's voice echoed back, approving Raizel's proposal after understanding the situation.
"I have another suggestion, Cain, Guild Master John," Raizel looked between Cain and the projection of John's will. "I wonder if you'd be interested in hearing it."
"Please continue," John responded with interest.
"Guild Master John, didn't all your caravan guards run away? How about hiring Cain and his people? With them, your caravan's goods would be secure."
Raizel turned to the chieftain. "Cain, you said you need time to grow and require food. How about working for John?"
Natsu was taken aback, having thought Raizel intended to help Cain seek revenge.
He asked confusedly, "Huh? Raizel, aren't you going to help them take revenge on their tribe???"
After hearing Cain's story earlier, Natsu had been eager to charge into battle on their behalf.
Raizel shook his head firmly. "No, this is Cain's own matter. They should resolve it themselves."
Raizel had no intention of getting involved in helping Cain seek revenge, for this was the minotaurs' own affair, and judging by their behavior, they clearly intended to handle it themselves—otherwise, they wouldn't have been biding their time like this.
"Unnecessary!"
"We don't need it!"
"Right! We should avenge this ourselves!"
After Raizel finished speaking, several minotaurs chimed in agreement.
Cain nodded heavily and said, "Right, this is our own matter that we need to complete ourselves. As for the proposal you mentioned, I can do it—as long as there's enough food."
John seemed somewhat tempted, but thinking about the amount of food Cain's massive physique would require, he added cautiously, "I need to know their food consumption and the compensation to calculate the costs."