Fifth Etiquette

At the edge of the desert is a large wooded area.

It's a marvellous spectacle that only nature can create: on one side is a desolate land, littered with gravel, rocks, and a handful of small shrubs. But just a few hundred steps away immediately add a myriad of shades of green.

A small river meanders through here. It is it that gives birth to this forest and holds back the desert in its tracks.

On the flat land, which was originally uninhabited and only infested by a few wild beasts, there was a large area of camp at some point. At the edge of the camp, a trench was dug and a wall of wooden piles was erected.

Although it is a very simple fortification, the defense is quite good. According to the books, unless the attacker has twice the superiority in combat power, it is extremely difficult to break through such a camp.

At daybreak, the sentry on the stake wall saw two men coming from the south, and, of course, a horse.

It made him a little more alert - but not very alert. Because one or two people can't possibly be a threat. Moreover, two people have one horse, which means that the other party is not a messenger or something.

In response to the sudden appearance of the two figures, the sentry yelled several times into the camp. So the main entrance to the camp was opened, and five or six men with weapons came to the door.

However, this slightly wary move is clearly pointless. Because it wasn't long before the sharp-eyed man recognized the figure walking in front.

"Ah, that's Claire, she's back?" someone said.

"Yes, it's her!, but who is the man behind her?" the others whispered to themselves.

"She brought back a horse...... Aha, it looks like a good horse, hey, there seems to be something on the horse's back, it looks like she has gained a lot! This coming-of-age ceremony, no one else can say that she can't do it. ”

"As I said, she's a girl with a lot of potential. She also has a good crossbow. ”

The other party is closer to the entrance of the camp. Now, everyone can see that the horse is carrying a lot of things on its back. The most conspicuous of these is a yellow wolf skin.

Mixed with wolf skins, there are quite a few other skins. Those are the hares that are common in the desert edges. Although this season is not the fattest time for rabbits, it is still a big harvest. Although rabbit skin is small, it is also small and useful.

The two men came to the entrance to the camp.

The guards at the gate were no longer hostile at this time, but only looked at the two men and the horse with curious eyes. Leading them was Claire, a girl who hunted alone for a rite of passage, followed by a strange man in a gray cloak.

The man had a very striking scar in the middle of his face, the bridge of his nose. The steady and agile movement of this man's walking, coupled with this striking scar on the bridge of his nose, everyone can instinctively feel the fierceness. If you follow the words of those southerners, it is a military temperament that exudes from all over the body.

Moreover, from the equipment on his body, his clothes, hat, and shoes, it is clear that this man is from the south.

The stranger led the horse. It's a pretty good riding horse, but it's carrying a lot of stuff on its back. One wolf's skin, five or more rabbit skins, a goatskin, and a large amount of bacon can be distinguished.

If you add this horse, it's really a great bonus. If a young man can get so much prey, there may be no problem with the rite of passage. No one can blame incompetence.

They came in along the gate. Although Ashrufat did not look left and right, he had already seen the situation of the entire tribe. This tribe is not a big tribe. According to his speculation, the number should be around five hundred, and no more than seven hundred. The guards of the tribe were poorly equipped, at least Ashorufat didn't see the familiar Chaos armor. Not to mention those higher-grade magical armors of the Chaos Champions and Lords.

A tribe of this size...... It should be a small tribe, or even a very small tribe. You know, the Chaos Legion that invades Gruni often numbers in the tens of thousands.

What made him a little strange was that although he was a stranger, no one came forward to question him. But a dozen men, all warriors with weapons, followed them. Claire seemed to have known about this, and she didn't ask much, walking straight to the center of the camp.

Here, there is a relatively rare tent. The reason why it is relatively rare is not because of its size, but because of its ...... Gorgeous.

Perhaps it is strange to describe a tent as "gorgeous". But Ashrufat couldn't find any other way to explain how the tent felt at this moment. The tents were embroidered with flowers, and they were dyed with precious dyes.

Then, a man stepped out of the tent.

While the clothes of the others around him, even Claire, were simple or practical, the man was lavishly dressed. Even in the noble ball of Eagle Falcon City, it is rare to see a man dressed in such luxury. His velvet robe was woven with gold threads in all kinds of beautiful patterns, almost like a peacock on the screen, white silk gloves, and shoes of fine texture, making people almost forget that this was a humble camp.

The man was not very old, about fifty years old, and his hair was very soft and neatly combed. To be honest, aside from other aspects, he gives people a very strong sense of femininity. Or let's use a simpler and more common word: sissy.

"Claire, you're back. The man spoke, his voice soft, with an indescribable charm. But there are a few twists of their own. "Looks like your hunt is going well. ”

His gaze rested on Ashrufat, then swept over the horse and its prey.

"You've had a great harvest. His gaze returned to Ashrufat. "Even took a slave and came back. ”

Ashrufat frowned.

"He's not my captive. Claire finally spoke.

"Not your captive, then, isn't this horse your trophy?"

"Yes...... Yes. ”

"You mean to say that you came back from your hunt in the wilderness without bringing back the loot?"

"No!" this time it was Ashrufat who spoke. "All on horseback are her trophies. ”

"So, who are you?" asked the strange man who spoke. "Ah, maybe such a question would seem rude. My name is Assowen, and I am the wizard of the Prince of Joy and the current leader of this tribe. ”

"My name is Ashrufat. Ashrufat replied. "A ......" he has no intention and cannot hide his origins. "A traveler from the south. ”

"Claire," Asowen glanced at the girl. "You see a lone traveler, and you go up and invite him to our tribe......? It's a rarity. ”

"It doesn't seem like many southerners come here. Ashrufat said.

"Yes, not much. Assowen admitted. "Even I, for the first time, saw people from the south. I mean, of course, the lone traveler who came on his own initiative. So, this guest—let me call you so—why did you come to me?"

"I just want ......," Ashrufat said. "Stayed here for a short time. Ashrufat felt that he didn't need to hide his purpose. "I hope to learn something...... The knowledge of living in the north prepared me for the next step of my trip. ”

"Ah, ah, the request is simple. "As long as you can get the consent of a full member of the tribe, you can share the same tent with him and be a member of the tribe for the time being." However, as you know, this means that you don't get special treatment. Of course, I promise that there will be no discrimination against you - just as much as I do against most members of the tribe. ”

"Thank you so much. Ashrufat replied. "I ...... A good cook and I believe I can prove that I am a useful person. ”

"It's too early to say thank you. Assowen laughed, not sure if the smile was malicious or benign. "As I said, first you have to get the consent of a full member of the tribe. Who is this person who invited you and agreed to share your place and food with you?"

"I can ......," the girl said.

"You're not a full member yet, Claire. Assowen kept his previous smile and interrupted Claire. "I confess that if all you bring back this time is your spoils of war—captives, horses, and prey—then everyone will recognize you as a full member in advance, including me. But now, all you bring back is your prey. ”

His gaze lingered on Claire's crossbow at her waist for a moment. "Moreover, you have missed an excellent opportunity to the point of doubting your abilities...... Whether it has reached the level of an adult. ”

Claire was actually tempted to say that the man named Ashrufat was far from being as harmless as he himself said. However, they had already reached a confidentiality agreement before. And Ashrufat has indeed fulfilled his promise, and most of the so many prey are obtained by Ashrufat.

The Prince of Pleasure's creed does not include lying. She finally decided that she was going to keep her promise, so she kept silent.

"If there is no invitation from a full member...... Am I going to have to leave?" asked Ashrufat.

"Hah...... Leave?" someone behind him laughed. Ashruphat turned his head and saw a stout man with a fleshy face and a spear in his hand. While the spears of others were held in their hands, the tips of which were pointed upwards (which is the correct way to hold a spear in normal times), he held his spear flat, and the tip of the spear was aimed at Ashrufat's chest.

It doesn't look good. Ashrufat sighed softly inwardly.

"Wait a minute, I should still have a chance!" Claire finally spoke. "Let God decide if I'm qualified or not. ”

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to say. Asowen said. His eyes rested on Ashrufat's body, like a butcher trying to figure out the fat and lean dù of an animal to be slaughtered. Of course, as mentioned earlier, Ashrufat's equipment is really very simple, and there is hardly anything to covet in particular. So Asowen quickly looked away from him.