Chapter 85: 85 Hospitable Irene

Chapter 85: The Hospitable Aileen

Once the battle plan was finalized, Ronin led his men in a half-circle around the crater, arriving directly in front of the Purple Fruit tribe's stronghold.

Only when he arrived here did he notice two crude watchtowers rising from the southeastern slope of the Purple Fruit tribe, with two figures pacing upon them, showing a slightly stronger sense of defense than the Green Bamboo tribe.

According to Wharton and Dandy, the three-party alliance used the Grey Earth tribe as its head, and its geographical location was also closest to the Black Collar tribe.

If the latter wished to attack either the Green Bamboo or the Purple Fruit tribe, they would inevitably have to pass through the territory of the Grey Earth tribe. Otherwise, they would have to make a massive detour through the mountain forests.

Thus, Ronin deduced that the purpose of these watchtowers was to monitor enemies approaching from the southeast—namely, the forces of the Black Collar tribe making a detour.

From this, it could be seen that although the Purple Fruit tribe had fewer people, their defensive awareness was relatively sharp.

Regrettably, it never crossed their minds that anyone would approach from the direction of the Green Bamboo tribe. When the two sentries on the watchtower spotted Ronin standing before the stronghold's main gates with his men, they froze, utterly at a loss for what to do.

Meanwhile, those inside the stronghold, seeing a group of strangers blocking the gates, fell into a panic, scattering in terror and shouting in dismay.

Only the boldest youths hid themselves away in spots they deemed secure, peering out with a single eye to spy upon the strangers.

"There is no need to panic, everyone. I am a guest of your chieftain."

Styling himself as a guest, Ronin first pacified the frantic tribesmen before turning to Wharton and Dandy. "Very well, now it is time for you to perform."

"You have both been to the Purple Fruit tribe and know where its chieftain resides. Now, I expect you to invite her here with my utmost sincerity, so that she and I may have a proper discussion."

Since he intended to resolve the matter through negotiation, Ronin decided to accord them some respect; rather than leading his men to corner her in her home, he chose to wait quietly at the gates of the stronghold.

Wharton and Dandy exchanged a glance. The promise the lord had made the previous day still echoed clearly in their ears, and faced with the first task entrusted to them, both were eager to execute it flawlessly to leave a favorable impression.

"Rest assured, my Lord, we will certainly bring them here!"

They immediately set off at a run toward the depths of the village, searching for Mage Jenny and her husband.

As the company waited, a group of five or six children came running down the right-hand mountain path, laughing and playing, their cheerful giggles causing Ronin to daze for a moment, as if such a sound did not belong in a place like this.

He turned his head to look, and almost simultaneously, his men did the same—a collective movement that frightened the children into freezing on the spot, their merry chatter instantly dying away.

Ronin noticed that the children were quite young, likely around eleven or twelve years old. Their eyes held fear and hesitation, and several of them huddled closer to the center.

Ronin could not help but study the girl at the center.

She was an ordinary young girl, dressed in simple clothes without any ornate decorations. Yet it was easy to see that the linen of her garments was relatively new, unlike the threadbare tatters of her companions.

Her features were not particularly striking, but her eyes were bright. Though clearly frightened, she drew courage from her companions leaning against her and asked bravely, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Her tone carried a sense of ownership, as if this place were truly her home.

Ronin offered a gentle smile and signaled his men to lessen their hostility. Stepping forward two paces, he said warmly, "Hello there. I am a guest of the Purple Fruit tribe, waiting for Mage Jenny's arrival. You may call me Ronin."

Upon hearing this, the children's tension and fear instantly dissolved, and the girl who had spoken even stepped forward with a smile, offering a slightly clumsy curtsey.

"Hello, sir. I am Jenny's daughter, you can call me Aileen."

She asked with a smile, "Why are you looking for my mother?"

Looking at the innocent young girl, Ronin hesitated, finding himself somewhat reluctant to tell her that the purpose of his journey was to annex the Purple Fruit tribe.

He could only change the subject. "I heard that the Purple Fruit tribe has a kind of purple fruit that is quite delicious, so I came to see it for myself."

At this, Aileen burst into laughter. "Then you have come at the wrong time! There are no purple fruits in this season. If you come back next June, I will surely prepare a large sack for you."

As she spoke, something seemed to occur to her, and her eyes lit up. "Oh, that's right! We do have 'white fruits' to eat right now. Would you like to try some?"

White fruits?

Ronin raised an eyebrow. The Purple Fruit tribe certainly possessed an abundance of fruit; first purple fruits, then white fruits—did they also have black and green ones?

"Alright, it's a promise then. You must bring me some to taste later," Ronin said with a chuckle.

"This thing isn't like ordinary fruit; it needs to be fried in a pot."

Aileen introduced it enthusiastically. "It tastes even better if you can add a little oil! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much oil left in my house. But don't worry, my mother always tells me to be polite to guests, so she will definitely bring it out to entertain you!"

"Mage Jenny is truly a hospitable person," Ronin chimed in.

While the two were conversing merrily, a middle-aged couple rushed over in great haste. The moment they saw Aileen talking with Ronin, their faces paled drastically.

"Aileen, what are you doing!" the woman shrieked.

Her attire was exceedingly plain, the fabric even slightly inferior to what Aileen wore. However, her skin and facial structure were quite fine, elevating her modest features from average to pleasant.

In contrast, the bearded man standing beside her appeared more weathered, his face bearing numerous marks left by the passage of time.

Ronin glanced at Wharton and Dandy behind them and knew instantly that this couple before him was the leadership of the Purple Fruit tribe: Mage Jenny and her husband, Sir Horn.

Even upon hearing her mother's cry, the girl still failed to realize the danger Ronin posed, saying with a smile, "Mother, Mr. Ronin says he is your friend and has come as a guest. I was just about to offer him white fruits tonight!"

This child...

Jenny's heart sank halfway into her chest upon hearing this. She hurriedly bowed to Ronin. "My Lord Baron, please forgive Aileen's rashness. She is only a child of thirteen."

Beside her, Sir Horn bowed deeply. "Indeed, Lord Ronin. Wharton and Dandy have already conveyed your intentions to us. I believe we can have a better discussion."

Though they spoke thus, their eyes remained glued to their daughter, utterly terrified that Ronin might commit some dangerous act to harm Aileen.

Only then, from her parents' uncharacteristic words, did Aileen perceive that Ronin's identity was far from ordinary. She froze in place, completely at a loss.

Ronin smiled gently and patted Aileen on the back, gesturing for her to return to her parents' side.

He smiled and said, "Please put your minds at ease. I come with the utmost sincerity and will not harm your child, nor anyone else here."

Ronin continued, "Aileen is very warm, lively, and brave. The world is so vast; it would be a profound pity for such a wonderful child to be trapped in these deep mountains without ever having the chance to see the outside world."

His tone then shifted. "But now she has that opportunity. No, all of you have that opportunity. As Aileen's parents and as the leaders of the Purple Fruit tribe, I hope you will make the right choice."

(End of Chapter)