BXBX NOVEL Chapter 20: Clara's Departure
She remained silent for a moment before looking up and saying, "Enzo, I need to go back. Being away for so long will raise suspicions within the Chagga Tribe. Besides, Crue is also about to leave the Chagga Tribe and head to that unknown place."
Upon hearing this, Enzo didn't immediately respond.
Initially, to counter the threat posed by the Chagga Tribe, he had coerced Clara into assassinating the Chagga Tribe's priest, Crue, to eliminate the threat and absorb the Chagga Tribe.
But now, Clara had chosen loyalty, making the situation different.
Enzo asked, "Are you confident?"
Clara didn't provide a definite answer, saying, "I'm not sure, but if it comes to close combat, Crue wouldn't stand a chance against me."
Her response was filled with uncertainty, causing Enzo to hesitate.
After a thoughtful pause, he instructed, "Clara, when you return this time, refrain from rushing to confront Crue. He is unaware of the situation, and you may continue to serve as the commander of the Chagga Tribe's combat unit. I will notify you when the time is right. During this period, remain in the Chagga Tribe as before. If Crue inquires, you may divulge some information about archery."
Clara nodded in agreement and replied, "Very well."
As she turned to leave, Enzo called out to her.
Placing his hand on Clara's abdomen, he noticed that the scars from previous battles had faded due to the last treatment, leaving her abdomen smooth and appealing to the touch.
However, now was not the time for such thoughts.
Enzo's palm emitted a green glow, which slowly infused into Clara's abdomen.
Sensing an increase in her strength and a warm sensation throughout her body, Clara also felt a strange, indistinct power residing in her abdomen.
Upon completing the process, Enzo said, "I have imbued your body with some totemic power, which will activate autonomously in case of injury. Be cautious upon your return."
Clara nodded once more, then suddenly embraced Enzo and kissed him.
The two engaged in a mutual exchange of kisses, their tongues intertwining in a frenzy of passion, until Tia entered the scene and addressed Enzo, saying, "Enzo, I wish to undertake the assassination mission alongside Clara!"
Clara furrowed her brow and refused, "Tia, this is too perilous."
Enzo, instead of hastily declining, inquired of Tia, "Please share your thoughts, Tia."
Tia earnestly replied, "I possess the strength of a wild boar and can catch the Chagga Tribe priest Crue off guard at a critical moment. Even if the assassination fails, the other members of the Chagga Tribe won't be able to stop me, and I can ensure Clara's escape. This is the most prudent course of action."
Enzo was somewhat taken aback.
The Tia of the past would not have contemplated so deeply.
He looked at the young girl standing before him, her amber eyes reflecting determination and wisdom, and in the days of training, Tia had grown considerably.
This realization filled Enzo with contentment.
Therefore, he agreed to Tia's request, but made it clear that all actions after reaching the Chagga Tribe must be guided by Clara's arrangements, and no one was allowed to act independently.
Tia agreed.
...
Time passed quietly, and life in the tribe continued as usual, with no apparent changes.
The next morning.
Enzo bid farewell to Clara and Tia, accompanied by Amy.
Before leaving, he took out his shining silver dagger and placed it in Clara's hand, saying, "This dagger is yours to use for now, but it must be returned."
Clara nodded and pledged, "I will come back."
Tia bid farewell to Enzo with resolve: "Enzo, I will personally take down the priest of Chagga Tribe ."
With that, they set off towards the Chagga Tribe.
Enzo, feeling low, returned to the camp with Amy. Sensing his emotions, Amy softly reassured him, "Enzo, Clara and Tia will be fine."
"I hope so." Enzo sighed.
However, Enzo was not one to dwell on melancholy for long. After a brief period, he gathered the leaders from various regions, inquired about the situation, and once assured of everything being in order, he sought out the resting Huge Silver Backed Bear, Betta, outside the camp and playfully nudged it.
Startled awake, Betta, upon seeing Enzo, eagerly sought his approval.
Enzo quickly called out, "That's enough! Stop it!"
He then infused the recovered totemic power into the body of the Huge Silver Backed Bear, which emitted an exhilarated roar, appearing to grow in size and manifesting a certain supernatural force.
Sizing up the situation, Enzo muttered, "At this rate, in about half a month, you will step into the supernatural realm."
Betta understood and stood up joyfully, towering at a height of seven to eight meters.
It then crouched down and joyfully sprinted through the vast patch of grass outside the camp.
Enzo smiled and allowed Betta to have fun
Smothered in resentment, a shout rang out, "Hey!"
Enzo glanced over to see Jessica, a silver-haired girl, glaring at him with fury, occasionally casting a wary eye on the exuberant Huge Silver Backed Bear, Betta, frolicking nearby.
"What are you doing here?" Enzo inquired.
Jessica approached, locking eyes with Enzo, and shouted, "Give me Betta back!"
Enzo's eyes turned icy as he coldly retorted, "If that's all you came here to say, you can leave. Also, I'll forgive your unauthorized intrusion this time. But next time, I can't guarantee you'll leave here alive."
Jessica was startled by the intensity of Enzo's gaze and hastily retreated.
As she moved back, she finally became aware of several patrolling figures in the dense foliage and on the small hills, all armed with bows and arrows aimed at her. If it weren't for her conversation with Enzo, she might have met her end by those arrows.
Enzo chuckled and pressed on, "Do you understand now?"
Under the threat of death, Jessica finally nodded.
However, as she saw Enzo preparing to return to the Crimson Star Tribe, she summoned the courage to intercept him, recalling Ms. Lucy's instructions before her departure. "I came to find you for another reason." she declared.
Halting in his tracks, Enzo inquired, "What is it?"
From the small pouch tied around her waist, Jessica produced several bamboo slips and handed them to Enzo, stating, "Priest Lucy sent me to teach you the barren mountain script."
Taken aback, Enzo examined the twisted symbols on the slips and asked, "Why?"
Shaking her head, Jessica replied, "It's the decision of the Lord Priest."
Upon hearing this response, Enzo scrutinized Jessica closely, observing the panic and trembling of the young girl.
What did Lucy want? Did she still want him and Jessica to conceive offspring?
Enzo couldn't be sure, but he was indeed intrigued by the barren mountain script, so he did not refuse.
After burying the bamboo whip obtained from the Venom Tribe bamboo forest outside the camp and using the power of the totem to bring forth new life, Enzo led Jessica into the Crimson Star Tribe.
By this time, Jessica had gradually regained her composure.
However, upon entering the camp, she couldn't help but be amazed.
Pottery!
The Crimson Star Tribe actually had pottery!
And what were those red houses? What about the specially treated land, growing a host of green plants? What were those? And the caged animal cubs...
Jessica was filled with curiosity about everything in the camp.
At this moment, she suddenly had some doubts.
Ms. Lucy frequently regaled her with tales of the archipelago's past, painting a picture of a bountiful and progressive land where knowledge flowed freely and vibrant gatherings abounded....
However, the archipelago did not possess any of these that the Crimson Star Tribe had.
Is Enzo truly nothing more than a mere priest of a small tribe?
As Jessica's mind wandered amidst the present circumstances.
Enzo suddenly came to a halt, causing her to inadvertently collide with him and stumble backwards to the ground.
Enzo swiftly reached out and caught Jessica before she fell.
In the next moment, a sudden change came over Enzo's countenance.
The girl's arms were fair and smooth, exuding a remarkable softness, yet it was not the true reason behind Enzo's altered expression. He sensed a disturbance in the totemic power within him, as though there was something about Jessica that was drawing the attention of the tree leaf totem.
It is not just drawing, but also resisting.
Directly, Enzo inquired, "What is the source of your priestly inheritance power?"
Jessica wriggled free from Enzo's grasp, stood her ground, and warily questioned, "What are you aiming to achieve? Ms. Lucy has the ability to sense if I am in danger. If you lay a hand on me, you... you should be well aware of the consequences!"