"Instructor?" Waterstream asked, puzzled. "What's that?"
"Ah... it's..." Kent realized this term didn't exist on the Crimson Soil Continent. Searching his memories, he continued, "It's like a trainer, someone to teach combat skills to the guards of my territory."
"Oh, I see." Waterstream nodded.
It wasn't surprising for him to make such an invitation, considering she had single-handedly taken down so many warriors from the Merfolk.
"You have a territory?" Waterstream picked up on a detail from the conversation.
"Yes, the Spear Hunting Territory. I'm the lord there," Kent replied with a smile.
"Spear… Hunting… Territory? The Spear Hunting Valley?"
"Yes, have you been there before?"
"I visited many years ago, but I never heard of a territory there," Waterstream asked, surprised.
"It exists, though it hasn't had a lord in a long time," Kent replied nonchalantly. "I only arrived a few days ago. I heard the Cave Tribe had taken captives, so I went to rescue them."
"Hmm." Waterstream responded with a neutral tone, showing no gratitude.
There was a long silence.
"Can I ask you a question?" Waterstream's voice was soft and hesitant.
"What question?" Kent looked at her.
"Why did you come to the Northern Frontier to be a lord? You're a noble."
Waterstream avoided his gaze; she wasn't used to direct eye contact, especially with men from the Highland tribes.
"A noble? I'm not comfortable with that label, and I don't like it," Kent laughed at himself. "We're all born with the same flesh; why should there be rich and poor, noble and lowly?"
Not only was he a noble, but he was also the heir to a royal clan of a powerful tribe. This identity had brought Kent no value—only burdens. From his otherworldly perspective, he firmly believed one's destiny should be self-made.
Kent's answer made Waterstream furrow her brow. She didn't quite understand his point, but it was clear that she was hearing something new.
"Then why did you come to the Northern Frontier?" she asked again.
Why come to the Northern Frontier? He was obviously framed and exiled to this godforsaken place...
Kent's heart was filled with a strange emotion. Yet, as an outsider from another world, owning an independent territory free from interference, where he could develop autonomously, didn't seem like a bad deal.
"To live more freely, to create a paradise," he answered, giving a somewhat grandiose reply.
"Live freely? A paradise?" Another unfamiliar term; Waterstream repeated it to herself. "What does that mean?"
"Ah, that's a place from another continent," Kent said thoughtfully. "There was a hunter who went hunting in the mountains and discovered a cave. The cave was deep and winding. After walking through it for a long time, he emerged into a wide valley filled with open land. Many people of different tribes lived there. The men hunted and farmed, the women made clothes, and the elderly and children laughed together. There were no noble or commoner distinctions, no grudges or disputes between tribes—only happiness and peace."
Waterstream was captivated, her eyes misting over.
"There were many peach trees in that place. Every spring, the trees would blossom, so they called it Paradise," Kent added.
"Is there really a place like that?" Waterstream asked.
"Of course. I intend to build a true paradise here," Kent said, meeting her eyes.
"A true paradise," she repeated softly to herself.
Waterstream's satisfaction value, +80.
Kent glanced at her in confusion.
"I have an idea," he said, "though I'm not sure if I should say it."
"What?" Waterstream's heart began to race.
"I was thinking… since your Blood Rose Adventurers are so formidable, maybe… you could…" Kent stammered a bit. "Maybe you all could move to the Spear Hunting Territory. We're still quite weak and need more allies..."
Waterstream let out a soft laugh.
"Weak?" she smiled gently. "You know healing magic. You'll become the most powerful territory in the Northern Frontier."
This was the first time Kent had seen her smile.
In their initial encounter, injured Waterstream had resembled a frightened beast; in battle, she had transformed into an unpredictable blade. But at this moment, she seemed to glow.
With just a slight smile, like ripples on a calm lake turning into waves, she crashed into Kent's heart. In a matter of breaths, Kent felt as though he had moved from autumn's chill into the warmth of spring. Her lake-blue eyes, like a bottomless pool, consumed him in an instant, drawing him into a dizzying trance.
"Are you okay?" Waterstream noticed his unusual behavior, her expression changing.
"Oh, I'm fine," Kent quickly recovered, his face turning bright red.
In this world, there was no concept of propriety between men and women; on the contrary, as a lord and noble, he held supreme power to do anything within his territory. But he hadn't expected to feel this way about a woman from this foreign world.
"You saved me..." Waterstream said. "As repayment, I can work as an instructor in your territory for a few days. However, about moving the Blood Rose to the Spear Hunting Territory..."
"I can pay!" Kent said hurriedly, realizing he was being too eager, then laughed sheepishly. "I'll hire you. After all, we're not exactly friends, right?"
"Mm." Waterstream gave him a puzzled look but nodded. "You're right. We can start by collaborating with me as an instructor. As for hiring Blood Rose, let's talk about it later."
"Of course, let's start with an instructor role. This will be the foundation for any further cooperation," Kent agreed. "But more than profit, what I need most is your trust. I know that's difficult and requires time and action. But I think this could be an opportunity—a chance to change the future."
Waterstream's satisfaction value, +50, +50, +50...
Kent was baffled, unsure which part of his statement pleased her so much.
Her lake-blue eyes stared at him intently.
Kent began to feel uneasy under her gaze.
After a long while, Waterstream looked away, a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
"Alright, let's start with you as the instructor," she said.
The carriage passed through the valley, with sunlight filtering through the trees, casting a dappled light across her face.
This was the first time they looked directly at each other. She raised her proud neck like a swan, her gaze challenging, leaving him nowhere to hide.
"I'm tired." Waterstream's face flushed as she turned away and lay down in the carriage.
Kent looked at her lying figure.
Her tattered animal hide clothes had holes that revealed strips of fabric wrapped around her body, outlining her graceful, powerful form. Her shoulders rose and fell with each breath. From her shoulders flowed down into a hollow waist, ending in long, straight legs—a silent allure.
"Have you looked enough?" Waterstream said irritably.
No sooner had she spoken—
Grrrrrrr...
An odd sound filled the carriage, originating, by sound and position, from Waterstream's stomach.
A strange silence.
"Splitting Blade!" Kent called loudly.
"Here, boss!" Splitting Blade responded, riding up quickly.
"Everyone speed up—I'm starving!" Kent shouted. "Before sunset, I want to be lying comfortably on a bed, eating juicy roasted beef!"
"Yes, boss!" everyone responded in unison.
What a strange man.
In the carriage, with her back turned to Kent, Waterstream touched her rumbling stomach.
I am a bit hungry.
Waterstream's satisfaction value, +50.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Unbeknownst to her.