Chapter 160 - It Will Work (1/2)

Kirienne's parents had eight children, most of which lived in the same port town they did, and that was the only reason they were willing to let their daughter go off to live in a foreign land. They were so surrounded by family that they would hardly notice she was gone.

They had liked Jae well enough before he left because he was respectful and hardworking even if he was a foreigner. But they refused his suit due to the unpredictability of what life would have in store for their daughter.

Those reservations faded as time went on and word got around about how advanced the Kanta had become for such a tiny nation. Plus Kirienne had been sulking ever since Jae left, claiming she would never forgive her parents for keeping them apart.

Blaise got the impression that she had been driving them so crazy that at this point they would be happy to be rid of her to have some peace and quiet again. He had only known her for a few hours but she had been talking the entire time.

It immediately reminded him of Abby. Unlike Kirienne, she knew how and when to keep her mouth shut but the general energy they put out as they talked was similar.

This made him miss her more than he already had. He rubbed the ribbon tied around his wrist subconsciously as the meal progressed.

”So you folks are friends of the clan leader?” Daran asked casually.

Marcy nodded. ”Yes. Edmund here is his brother-in-law and I was quite friendly with him and his wife when they lived in the palace. We've stayed in touch. It is an honor to be a part of the first diplomatic delegation for the Kanta.”

He mulled this over before addressing Blaise. ”Then how did you get mixed up in all of this?”

His question was a valid one. He wondered that himself all the time. He had never intended to get involved in foreign affairs when he first became a Warrior. Traveling as part of his job was one thing; helping people he didn't know because of a woman was another.

”I am a Warrior; I escorted a relative of the clan leader's wife from here to the Kanta Mountains.”

Blaise left out not getting paid for it so Daran would think it had been a legitimate job. He didn't want to explain his conflicted feelings to someone he barely met.

Daran frowned. ”What was a woman from Annalaias doing in Shibatsu?”

”…it is a long story. But I fulfilled my duty and now and I am assisting these people to meet with members of the king's cabinet.”

He let it go after that because it seemed like Blaise was doing another job he had been hired for and would remain home after that. That wasn't his plan. If they succeeded in convincing the cabinet he was going right back to the mountains to help start a training camp.

After that was the problem. He was afraid he would be tempted to stay forever because of a certain amusing young woman with beautiful blue eyes.