Chapter 100: The Foster Mothers of the Soundgrind Fruit

Ada scolded Saul for his rash behavior, but he himself looked like the guilty one—rubbing his hands together nervously, his face pale, his eyes darting around uneasily.

“What exactly happened just now? Why was a wizard present?” Saul asked curiously, undeterred by Ada’s anxious expression.

“I told you not to be so curious. Around here, curiosity isn’t a good thing.”

But before Ada could continue, someone suddenly interrupted him.

“If that skinny kid wants to settle in town, he better know a few things. Aren’t you afraid he’ll offend someone by accident and lose his little life?”

Jayce stepped out from under the eaves where he had apparently been standing the whole time, quietly watching the scene unfold.

He gave Saul a sweeping glance and asked with a grin, “You got any sisters?”

Saul shook his head. “Just me.”

“Oh, then no need to worry.” Jayce spread his hands. “Grind Sail Town has always survived thanks to the Grinding Sound Fruit. But the fruit’s hard to grow—it often suddenly drops in yield. To keep up the town’s income, to maintain the protection of the Wizard Tower, our respected, great, beloved wizard lords choose a sweet, innocent girl every few years to serve as a foster mother to the fruit.”

“Foster mother?” Saul repeated in disbelief.

“Yeah, foster mother. They give their lives to feed a bunch of fruit—what else would you call that?”

“How exactly do they ‘foster’ it?”

Jayce’s expression suddenly darkened, though it quickly returned to nonchalance.

“Who knows? That’s wizard business. How could small folks like us get a glimpse?”

If his face hadn’t turned so ugly just then, Saul might’ve believed him.

Looks like being a foster mother isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

“Does this happen every year? Wouldn’t the town run out of girls? How would anyone keep having kids?” Saul pressed.

“It used to be less frequent—every three or four years. But lately, it’s been more often. This year alone, she’s already the third…” Jayce trailed off, lost in thought.

Ada couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed Saul and started dragging him away.

“Why are you chatting with that guy? He’s just a sleazy old loafer, doing nothing all day but harassing people. Stick with him and you’ll turn rotten in no time,” Ada grumbled.

“Ada, you know about this foster mother stuff too?” Saul asked.

It wasn’t until they’d walked several dozen meters that Ada stopped and turned to Saul. “Live here a few years, and you’ll find out eventually. You don’t need to worry about this stuff—you can’t do anything about it. That’s just how it is. This town… we survive because of that sacred fruit.”

“Do you know why the Grinding Sound Fruit’s yield is dropping?”

“How would I know? That’s something bigwigs worry about. You just focus on yourself.”

Thinking Saul just wanted to wander around town, Ada tried to drag him back to the fields. But halfway there, Saul slipped away, leaving Ada stomping mad before trudging off to finish his chores.

But Saul didn’t go far—he returned to the place that had drawn the crowd earlier.

Most people had dispersed by now. Only a few with family ties or those who enjoyed gossip still lingered.

Several folks were gathered around the sobbing couple, taking turns offering comfort.

Their words were all about accepting fate, staying calm—saying that they’d have another child in time.

As Saul approached, he spotted Aunt Jenny watching coldly from the edge of the group, no trace of that fake smile she wore earlier.

She looked more like a statue in the middle of the street—only shaped like a person.

Saul coughed lightly to get her attention.

She turned, saw it was Saul, and her face lit up with a smile. It was like she came back to life.

“Aren’t you the young man who came back with Ada yesterday? Why’re you wandering the streets alone?” She gave him a once-over.

“I just got to Grind Sail Town. Thought I’d look around and find some work,” Saul replied casually, then asked, “Aunt Jenny, what happened just now? Why did a wizard apprentice show up?”

“Apprentice, my foot—you better call them wizard lords.” She made a dramatic shh gesture, though her voice was anything but quiet.

Then, she eagerly launched into the tale of the town’s traditions.

Grind Sail Town used to be a poor, tiny village—its population and land area not even a tenth of what it is now.

Then one day, two passing wizards discovered wild Grinding Sound Fruit growing nearby and decided to settle here.

With their help, the yield of the Grinding Sound Fruit greatly increased, turning it into the town’s main source of income.

Thanks to the fruit, Grind Sail Town became a vassal of a powerful wizarding organization from afar. They traded the fruit for materials and supplies, bringing the town prosperity.

As the town grew, it was renamed Grind Sail Town.

But being on the border had its problems. After tensions between the Kema and Kenas duchies flared up, the town’s situation worsened.

Most of their military force was sent to the frontier at Desert Edge City due to unrest near the fortress, leaving Grind Sail with little defense.

Then came bands of wild barbarians, attacking from time to time. No one knew where they came from or where they hid.

The result? The Grinding Sound Fruit harvest dropped year after year, and soon they could barely meet their tribute quota.

To boost production and keep the protection of the wizards, the town had to increase how often they offered pure young girls to nurture the fruit.

“But doesn’t that wizard organization protect Grind Sail? Why don’t they wipe out the barbarians?”

Saul had heard from Nick that third-rank apprentices came regularly to collect the ripe fruit. Shouldn’t they be able to deal with a few barbarians while they’re at it?

After all, most barbarians were just stronger-than-average brutes—not much against a wizard.

“Well…” Aunt Jenny faltered. “I don’t know. The barbarians mostly attack outlying villages. No one knows where they hide—maybe they’re hard to catch.”

As she spoke, her gaze shifted toward the couple being led back to their home.

“You just settle in here. As long as nothing happens to the Grinding Sound Fruit, nothing will happen to the town,” she said, pausing for emphasis.

Then she turned back to Saul, all smiles again, and warmly invited him to her house—but there was something strange in her eyes.

Saul, having heard enough, didn’t hesitate to shake her off.

“Thanks, Aunt Jenny. I’ll keep looking for work. Don’t have any money right now,” he said with a cheeky grin before darting off.

Aunt Jenny stared blankly for a moment, then cursed under her breath, though she didn’t seem truly angry.

Saul jogged down the street, taking in the shops and scenery around him.

Though the town wasn’t especially prosperous, everyone walking the streets seemed peaceful and content.

Even the shabbily dressed old man sitting by the roadside could chat and laugh with the shopkeeper behind him about dinner plans.

It felt like a town with no worries for the future.

Because they had the Grinding Sound Fruit.

After a full loop around town, Saul returned to Ada’s courtyard around noon.

A woman was carrying a wooden basin outside and jumped with fright when she saw Saul. She quickly turned back and scurried into the house, slamming the door behind her like Saul was some sort of monster.

Saul glanced down at his hands—his magical disguise was still in place. What was she panicking about?

Ignoring the frightened woman, Saul turned left and entered the old madman’s room.

The old man had been fast asleep since returning the night before, and Saul hadn’t had time to check on him this morning due to Ada rushing him out.

Now that he was back, Saul saw the room was empty.

It was messier than before as if someone had deliberately searched it. Some things were even missing.

Saul rubbed his chin. “Ran off pretty fast.”

(End of Chapter)

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