The moment the fat boss screamed, seven or eight burly men burst out of the shop in a rush.
Each of them was armed, faces twisted with fury as they scanned the scene for a target.
"Kill her!" the fat boss roared.
The thugs glanced at the blood-soaked wound on their boss's arm, then at the small girl standing coldly with a blade in hand.
For a split second, disbelief flashed across their faces.
A child… did this?
But hesitation lasted only a moment.
They surged forward.
"Wait."
A calm voice stopped them.
The fat boss turned and glared at the pale, white-haired young man.
"Wait my ass! She hurt me—none of you are leaving here alive!"
Logan had already seen everything clearly.
He spoke evenly.
"How about this—fifty thousand Beli. Twenty thousand for your medical expenses. The remaining thirty thousand buys that half-barrel of water."
The fat boss's eyes lit up.
The injury wasn't fatal—ugly, sure, but a scar was no big deal for a man. A month or two and he'd be fine.
"So you really are loaded," he chuckled, signaling the thugs to stop.
"One hundred thousand Beli," he said smugly.
"One less, and you're both dead."
The moment the words left his mouth—
The white-haired youth vanished from his seat.
A cold chill crawled across the fat boss's neck.
He looked down.
A jet-black dagger rested lightly against his throat.
From behind him, Logan asked calmly,
"Is that negotiable?"
"Yes! Yes! Absolutely!"
The fat boss nodded frantically like a pecking chicken.
In the next instant, Logan flickered back to his chair as if nothing had happened.
"Thirty thousand."
"No problem! Thirty thousand!"
The fat boss agreed instantly, looking as though he'd just seen a ghost.
The thugs completely abandoned any thought of fighting.
The gap between them was too vast—this wasn't even the same world.
"Master!"
Tuanzi glared at Logan angrily.
"Why give him money? Trash like him deserves to die a hundred times! We shouldn't give him anything!"
Amir, still holding Tuanzi's hand, panicked.
"Sister… I really did agree to this myself. The boss didn't force me. My father didn't either."
"I don't believe you!"
Tuanzi snorted coldly, Dragon-Slayer humming softly as she gripped it.
"You're my age, sold by your own father to that disgusting pig—and all for half a barrel of water?"
"If no one forced you, you think I'd believe that even if you beat me to death?"
Amir's heart felt like it had been struck by a hammer.
She bit her lip hard, tears flowing silently.
"I really chose this myself… My little brother has had a fever for two days. He hasn't had water. We don't even have money for medicine."
"Last night… I saw my mother cut her wrist and drip blood into his mouth."
"With that half-barrel of water, my brother won't die. My mother won't die. My father won't die."
"Our whole family can live."
Tuanzi froze.
Logan took a sip of tea and sighed softly.
"Now you understand why I paid."
"Yes, the deal is unfair. But it is voluntary. If he'd taken her by force, I would've let you slaughter every one of them."
The fat boss swallowed and nodded desperately.
"You acted out of justice—but it was still using strength to suppress others," Logan continued.
"On the surface, it looks righteous. In truth, it's not much different from pirates who kill and burn at will."
Tuanzi slammed Dragon-Slayer into the ground.
The hilt trembled violently.
"Then what was I supposed to do?! Just watch those scum sell their daughter for half a barrel of water?! Is that really worth it?!"
"She wasn't trading for water."
Logan shook his head.
"She was trading her life to save her brother, her mother, and her father."
"One life… for three."
"What could be more worth it than that?"
Tuanzi clenched her fists, unable to speak.
"…Was I wrong?" she whispered.
Logan smiled gently.
He stood, walked behind her, and rested a hand on her head, stroking her messy hair.
"No. You weren't wrong at all."
"If I hadn't stopped you, you would've killed him, taken the water, and saved a family."
"And with his death, more refugees might've gotten water too. That wouldn't be saving one family—it could've saved an entire town."
"To witness something like that and do nothing… that would be worse than being a beast."
Tuanzi grinned happily.
Logan tapped her head lightly and continued,
"But think about this—what exactly did that fat man do wrong?"
"He traded half a barrel of water for a… bride."
"It sounds disgusting. But in a desert where people die every day, it's almost normal."
Nearby, the fat boss—his arm now bandaged—was busy counting money. Hearing Logan's words, he looked so wronged he nearly cried.
"And even if you distributed all his water," Logan went on,
"what then? This land hasn't seen rain in three years. They'll still die of thirst eventually."
"So you weren't wrong, Tuanzi."
"You just didn't think far enough."
Tuanzi looked up.
"Then what should I do, Master? What's the right answer?"
"Think more," Logan said softly.
"Always think more."
Tuanzi frowned, then suddenly brightened.
"I know! We just make the sky rain! Then no one has to go thirsty!"
Logan smiled in genuine praise.
"Good. You're learning."
"But… how do we make the sky rain?"
She muttered, the question clearly beyond her understanding.
Logan rubbed her head gently.
"You've already thought far enough for now."
"Don't rush. Think slowly. Grow slowly."
"I'll give you all the time you need."
"Ah! I get it!"
Tuanzi suddenly jumped up, laughing loudly.
"When I don't understand, I'll just ask you! You definitely know everything, Master!"
She laughed openly, carefree and bright.
Nearby, Asam—still kneeling and bowing repeatedly—cried out hoarsely,
"It's all because of that foolish king! This is all the king's fault!"
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