Chapter 86 - 85: Hospitable Erin

Once the battle plan was set, Ronin led his men halfway around Ring Mountain until they were directly in front of the Purple Fruit Tribe’s stockade.

Only then did he see two simple watchtowers on the southeastern slope, with two figures moving about on top. Their defensive awareness was a little stronger than that of the Cyan Bamboo Tribe.

According to Wodun and Dandy, the Grey Soil Tribe was the "head" of the Tripartite Alliance, and it was also geographically closest to the Black-collar Tribe.

If the Black-collar Tribe wanted to attack the Cyan Bamboo or Purple Fruit Tribes, they would have to pass through the Grey Soil Tribe’s territory. Otherwise, they would have to take a long detour through the mountain forests.

Ronin thus guessed the watchtowers’ purpose was to monitor for enemies approaching from the southeast—namely, the Black-collar Tribe taking the long way around.

This showed that even though the Purple Fruit Tribe was smaller, their defensive mindset was quite strong.

Unfortunately for them, they could never have imagined someone approaching from the direction of the Cyan Bamboo Tribe. When the two sentries in the watchtowers saw Ronin and his men standing before the stockade gate, they froze, momentarily unsure of what to do.

The people inside the stockade, seeing a group of strangers blocking their gate, grew flustered. They scattered in fear, crying out in panic.

Only the bolder youths ducked into what they believed were hidden spots to peek at the group of strangers with one eye.

"There’s no need to panic, everyone. I am a guest of your chief."

Ronin presented himself as a guest, first calming the panicked Wildmen. He then turned to Wodun and Dandy. "Alright, now it’s your turn to perform."

"You’ve both been to the Purple Fruit Tribe and know where its chief lives. I want you to go, with my utmost sincerity, and ask her to come here. I wish to have a proper discussion with her."

Since he intended to resolve this through negotiation, Ronin decided to show them some respect. Instead of marching his men straight to her home to corner her, he chose to wait quietly at the stockade gate.

Wodun and Dandy exchanged a look. The Lord’s promise from the day before still echoed clearly in their ears. Faced with the first task their Lord had given them, they were both eager to complete it cleanly and efficiently to make a good impression.

"Rest assured, Lord. We will be sure to ask them to come!"

They immediately ran deeper into the stockade, searching for Jenny Mage and her husband.

As everyone waited, a group of five or six children came running toward them from a mountain path to the right, shrieking with laughter. The joyful sound left Ronin in a bit of a daze; it felt out of place here.

He turned to look, as did nearly everyone around him. The sudden attention startled the children, who froze in place. Their cheerful chatter came to an abrupt halt.

Ronin noted that the children were young, around eleven or twelve years old. Their eyes were timid and evasive, and several of them huddled closer together.

Ronin’s gaze fell upon the girl in the center of the group.

She was an ordinary little girl in simple clothes, with no ornate decorations. It was clear, however, that the flax of her clothes was newer and less tattered than that of her companions.

Her features weren’t particularly striking, but her eyes were bright. Though she was clearly a little frightened, with her friends huddled around her, she still found the courage to ask, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

She spoke as if this place was her home.

Ronin smiled faintly and motioned for his men to lower their guard. He took two steps forward and said with a smile, "Hello. I’m a guest of the Purple Fruit Tribe, waiting for Jenny Mage to arrive. You can call me Ronin."

Hearing this, the children’s tension and fear immediately eased. The girl who had spoken even stepped forward with a smile and gave a slightly awkward bow.

"Hello, sir. I’m Jenny’s daughter. You can call me Erin."

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

Looking at the innocent little girl, Ronin hesitated. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that the purpose of his visit was to annex the Purple Fruit Tribe.

He could only change the subject. "I heard the Purple Fruit Tribe has a delicious fruit called the Purple Fruit. I wanted to come and see it for myself."

Erin burst out laughing at his words. "Then you’ve come at the wrong time! There are no Purple Fruits this season. If you come back next June, I’ll be sure to have a big bag ready for you."

At this, she seemed to remember something, and her eyes lit up. "Oh, right! We do have ’White Fruits’ now. Would you like to try some?"

’White Fruit?’

Ronin raised an eyebrow. ’This Purple Fruit Tribe certainly has a lot of fruits. First Purple Fruits, now White Fruits... I wonder if they have Black Fruits and Green Fruits too?’

"Alright, you said it. You’ll have to let me try some later," Ronin said with a smile.

"It’s not like a normal fruit. It needs to be fried in a pan."

Erin explained enthusiastically, "It’s even better if you fry it with some oil! Unfortunately, I don’t think we have much oil left at home. But don’t worry! My mother always tells me to be polite to guests. I’m sure she’ll bring some out for you!"

"Jenny Mage truly is a warm and hospitable person!" Ronin echoed.

Just as the two were enjoying their conversation, a middle-aged couple rushed over. Their expressions changed drastically when they saw Erin talking to Ronin.

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

Her clothes were very plain; the fabric was of even poorer quality than Erin’s. However, her fair skin and pleasant features elevated her otherwise average appearance.

The man with the full beard standing beside her, on the other hand, looked more weathered, his face etched with the marks of time.

Ronin glanced at Wodun and Dandy behind them and knew at once. The couple before him were the chiefs of the Purple Fruit Tribe: Jenny Mage and her husband, Horn Knight.

Erin, hearing her mother’s cry, still didn’t grasp the danger of Ronin’s presence. She simply smiled and said, "Mother, Mr. Ronin says he’s a friend of yours visiting! I was just planning to serve him some White Fruit tonight!"

’This child...’

Jenny’s heart sank. She quickly bowed to Ronin. "Baron, please forgive Erin’s impertinence. She’s only a thirteen-year-old child."

Horn Knight, at her side, bowed deeply. "Yes, Lord Ronin. Wodun and Dandy have already conveyed your intentions to us. I believe we can have a more productive conversation."

Though they said this, their eyes never left their daughter, terrified that Ronin might make a dangerous move and harm Erin.

Only then, hearing her parents’ uncharacteristically deferential words, did Erin realize there was something unusual about Ronin’s identity. She stood frozen, unsure what to do.

Ronin smiled faintly and patted Erin on the back, gesturing for her to go to her parents.

He smiled. "Please, rest assured. I have come with the utmost sincerity. I will not harm your child, nor anyone else here."

Ronin continued, "Erin is warm, lively, and brave. It’s a big world out there. For such a wonderful child to be trapped in these remote mountains with no chance to see it... that would be a great shame for her."

His tone shifted. "But now, she has that chance. No—all of you have that chance. As Erin’s parents, and as the chiefs of the Purple Fruit Tribe, I hope you will make the right choice."