And so, Farmer stopped the fight between Kurou and Miller. The people gradually dispersed, and Kurou, too lazy to argue with them, went on to the back mountain to continue his training.
In the mountains, Kurou gathered chakra into his hands, now able to form a complete sphere.
Next, he controlled the chakra ball, spinning it in different directions to generate opposing currents. On the surface it appeared perfectly calm, but inside it pulsed with hidden force.
Anderson had been away on campaign for days and had not returned. Though the village looked peaceful on the outside, everyone was as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Households were picking up weapons, preparing to resist Anderson's return. Farmer's attempts at reassurance went mostly unheard. Meanwhile, Kurou spent every day training, eating and sleeping at Farmer's home.
One evening at dinner, Farmer said to Kurou, "Mr. Kurou, you must defeat Anderson and help us destroy the Evil Wolf Pirates. I've placed all my hopes on you."
Kurou was touched by Farmer's unconditional trust. "Don't worry," he said, "since I promised you, I'll do everything I can."
Veildan, sitting nearby, seemed gradually to have gotten used to Kurou's presence. Though her hostility had softened, she still didn't believe he could beat Anderson.
"Mr. Kurou…" Farmer said quietly.
"What is it?"
Farmer hesitated, then added, "If you can defeat Anderson, I'll let Veildan marry you."
Kurou nearly spat out his rice.
He waved his hands quickly. "No, no, that's not necessary. Even if I defeat Anderson, I won't ask you for a single grain of rice!"
Veildan flushed with anger. "What's that supposed to mean?! You make it sound like I'm dying to marry you. I would never marry an idiot like you, never!"
Veildan wasn't angry because she liked Kurou—far from it. She was furious because she had absolute confidence in her beauty. And indeed, she was stunning, flawless enough that even the word "goddess" fit. She was the secret or open crush of countless men across both villages. Any man hearing Farmer's offer would have agreed instantly and probably been too excited to sleep for days.
But Kurou… rejected it. Cleanly. To her, that was a denial of her beauty, her charm. How could she not be angry?
Her pride wounded, she turned to her father. "Papa, why do you trust him so much? This guy is no match for Anderson. Anderson will kill him for sure!"
Farmer: "..."
Kurou only smiled faintly at her words.
In contrast to Veildan was the vice-chief's daughter, Jenny.
Jenny was fifteen, petite and lovely—a sweet little loli in Kurou's eyes, a cheerful and innocent girl.
They first met when Jenny was flying a kite and it got stuck in a tree. Kurou happened to be returning from training when she saw him. "Big brother," she called, "can you help me get my kite down?"
Without a word, Kurou gathered chakra into his middle and index fingers.
White Blade.
A flash of white light cut through the branch, and the kite fell to the ground.
Jenny picked it up excitedly, bouncing over to him. "Big brother, you're amazing! What's your name?"
"Kurou."
"Oh! Can you fly the kite with me?"
"Uh…"
Kurou hesitated. He was sweaty from training and had planned to head straight back to Farmer's house.
But this little loli appeared out of nowhere. Seeing him hesitate, Jenny tugged on his arm, shaking it. "Come on, big brother! You're so strong—play with me for a little while."
Unable to resist, Kurou sighed. "Alright… fine…"
From then on, Jenny often came to find Kurou. Her sweet, innocent manner made it impossible for him to say no.
Veildan wasn't blind. She saw this every day, and every time she saw Kurou with Jenny, for reasons she couldn't explain, she felt irritated.
One day she couldn't take it anymore. "Kurou! My father brought you here to fight Anderson, not to flirt and pick up little girls!"
Kurou replied, "That's my business, isn't it? Besides, Anderson hasn't returned yet. What, do you want me to sail out looking for him? Aren't you afraid I'll just run off?"
"You…" Veildan's pretty face turned red with frustration, but she couldn't argue back.
Meanwhile, Jenny had also heard about Kurou's plan to face Anderson. With big, clear eyes she asked innocently, "Big brother Kurou, is it true you're going to fight Anderson yourself?"
"That's right."
"Then you must beat that bad man. Don't die."
Kurou sweatdropped at her innocence. "Y-yeah… got it."
Then Jenny's next words nearly made him cough up blood.
Touching her fingers together shyly, she said, "Big brother Kurou…"
"Hm?"
"My daddy said… if you can defeat Anderson… he'll let me marry you…"
HUH?!!!
Inside, Kurou's mind filled with a herd of stampeding alpacas. This vice-chief and Farmer really were cut from the same cloth. The customs of this village were beyond ridiculous…
Kurou had been in East Village for a month now. Finally, the day came.
Anderson returned.
The moment he arrived, he learned his brother had been killed. Furious, he led his men straight toward East Village.
The village sentries spotted the pirate armada approaching across the sea. They rushed down from the watchtower to raise the alarm. The villagers armed themselves and gathered at the docks under Farmer and "Guardian" Miller's command, prepared for battle.
Seeing Farmer, Miller frowned. "Chief, where's that kid?"
Farmer looked embarrassed. "He left early this morning. I haven't seen him."
What?!
The villagers gasped in shock.
Could it be… Kurou had already run away?
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter