Johnson had already been to Fruitvale Village many times.
Previously, his visits were all for purchasing healing potions, but this time, he had come to negotiate.
The matter of Fruitvale Village detaining eight noble heirs couldn't be kept under wraps. In fact, the nobles were informed as soon as Todd returned to Aspiration City.
Lady Mira had no intention of concealing anything about the incident and publicly disclosed the full details of the battle between the knight order and Fruitvale Village.
When the nobles heard that the knights had actually been defeated, they were stunned—unable to process the news.
And upon learning that their heirs had been captured, their anger erupted. They demanded that the Lady dispatch troops immediately to crush the rebellious villagers and rescue their children.
As for whether it was the nobles who had provoked the conflict in the first place, they didn't care in the slightest. To them, the opposing side was just a group of lowly commoners. That's how arrogant nobles were.
However, in the current situation, launching an attack on Fruitvale Village wasn't feasible. Plus, with the noble heirs still held hostage, all the nobles could do was bark threats. In the end, negotiation became the only realistic path forward.
If they wanted their children back, these nobles would undoubtedly have to bleed a little—pay a heavy price.
But once those heirs were released, it was certain Fruitvale Village would face brutal retribution. Johnson truly felt concerned for them.
Still, this wasn't something he should be worrying about. His job was to carry out this negotiation.
The journey had been relatively smooth. The armored Rhyhorn carriage rolled steadily across the desolate plains.
Johnson occasionally glanced out the window. Perhaps because of the knight order's recent hunting operations, there were very few wild beasts along the way.
As soon as a faint foul odor reached his nose, he knew they were close. He also spotted what looked like the former battlefield between the knight order and the villagers of Fruitvale Village—a chaotic, debris-strewn land that told of how fierce the fighting had been.
And yet, despite the devastation, not a single magical beast on either side had died. That alone was a miracle—and a testament to the skill of that apothecary named Aven. He had to be a master-level apothecary.
'If he were willing to help defend Aspiration City from the Abyssal Beast tide, the knight order's casualties could be significantly reduced,' Johnson thought to himself. That was also one of his objectives in visiting Fruitvale Village: to seek cooperation.
Relying solely on the village's Gloom and Mightyena wouldn't be enough to qualify them as partners for Aspiration City.
But if you factored in Aven the apothecary master, then it was more than enough.
To show sincerity, Johnson had brought many supplies, including ample food and alchemy materials.
Fruitvale Village, after all, was just a small rural settlement with very limited resources.
Feeding the Gloom wasn't a problem—they only needed soil, sunlight, and water.
But those Mightyena required a lot of food. The provisions Johnson brought could solve their food problem for quite some time, reflecting Aspiration City's sincerity.
After traveling a bit further, the convoy spotted a few figures in the distance.
Johnson instructed the knights escorting him to stop. As the figures drew closer, they could see it was a few villagers riding Mightyena.
These villagers were young, dressed in hunter gear, carrying metal farm tools. Their Mightyena didn't wear magical beast gear, yet still seemed unexpectedly docile.
'Villagers from Fruitvale Village and their Mightyena,' Johnson thought. In all of Aspiration City's territory, only Fruitvale Village could tame an entire pack of Mightyena without relying on equipment.
"Sir Johnson?"
When Peter saw the curtain on the carriage part, he immediately recognized the familiar tax officer who had often visited their village.
Johnson nodded to Peter. After explaining his identity and purpose, Peter led them toward the village.
The closer they got to Fruitvale Village, the more pungent the smell from the Gloom became. The knights accompanying Johnson wrinkled their brows in disgust, unable to endure the stench.
Peter and the other villagers exchanged glances but said nothing. To them, the Gloom were their most trusted partners. They wouldn't even flinch when standing face-to-face with them.
As they entered the village and saw knights moving around comfortably, Johnson finally let out a breath of relief. It seemed relations between the knight order and the village were rather amicable now.
They soon arrived at the familiar orchard. Aven was there, holding his Petilil in his arms and smiling in greeting.
"Sir Johnson, are you here again to purchase healing potions?" Aven poured a cup of water for the visitor.
Johnson took the cup and drank before looking at Aven and saying with a wry smile, "You probably know why I'm really here this time. You've caused quite a stir."
After speaking, he tried to read Aven's expression, hoping to glean something. But to his disappointment, Aven's face remained calm and composed.
"A stir? Sir Johnson, you really know how to joke."
"Detaining nobles without authorization—isn't that a pretty big stir?" Johnson said bluntly.
Aven just shook his head slightly and replied, "In my eyes, there are only enemies and friends—no such thing as nobility."
Upon hearing this, Johnson was suddenly struck with a chill. He stared into Aven's eyes and saw that this young man truly held no reverence for nobility whatsoever.
"We'll discuss the noble matter later," Aven said, picking up his glass of water with a calm voice. "Let's talk about your real reason for coming here."
If this tax officer had come just for the sake of those nobles, Aven would have been deeply disappointed.
He had no intention of releasing those noble heirs anytime soon. Fruitvale Village was still far too weak to withstand the fury of the noble class.
Only when their strength was equal could negotiations be meaningful—and only then could they gain real benefits.
He didn't think it would take too long. Maybe by spring, if all went well, Fruitvale Village would be strong enough to stand against the nobles.
Also, with those noble heirs in his hands, if danger ever came to Fruitvale Village, those nobles would never just sit by and watch. In that sense, the hostages were a perfect shield for the village.
(End of Chapter)