An Ordinary Boy

“I-I see…”

Ran, after receiving a full explanation, was half in doubt but accepted it for now.

All of these trees had been born from an aptitude, and by that aptitude the village’s food supply had dramatically improved.

Even the sand bandits had been reformed, and now they served as soldiers working under Dan and Meg like extra arms and legs…

She looked at the men—once bandits, now soldiers.

—Their appearances were still entirely those of ruffians, but their eyes were no longer clouded.

On the contrary, their gazes were clear and pure.

“You guys… you really don’t intend to steal anymore?”

“Of course not! We would never do such a thing again! We’ve been reborn, and we’ve learned the truth of the world!”

“O-oh… I see.”

Overwhelmed by the fervor of the ex-bandits, Val could only nod.

Whatever their situation, it seemed true they had indeed reformed.

“And these fruits, huh…”

Ran and the others looked down at their hands.

There they held peaches and apples, offered to them by Dan.

Apparently, they had been harvested from those very trees.

“In my hometown we had peaches too! Let me be the judge of these peaches!”

So saying, Garda bit into one of the peaches he held.

And then—

“D-delicioussssss! What is this!? I’ve never eaten a peach like this in my life!”

Seeing Garda devour the peach ravenously, the others couldn’t help but grow interested.

Soon they each took a bite as well—

“““D-deliciousssssss!!”””

They were utterly enchanted by the flavor.

“—Ah!”

As she absentmindedly ate the fruit handed to her by Dan and the ex-bandits, Ran finally snapped back to herself.

This fruit… it was delicious. Too delicious.

What Ran liked best was the peach.

Its juiciness, the nectar within, the melty texture.

Just as Garda had said, it was so delicious she wondered what the fruits she had eaten until now even were.

It was dangerously good—so much so she thought it might have addictive substances in it.

“This is… dangerous.”

Ran, overwhelmed, could only murmur, having lost her words to describe it.

The members of White Silver Wings silently nodded in agreement.

Then they began eating more fruit again.

Their munching continued in silence.

So absorbed was Ran in the fruit before her that she only noticed quite late when an unfamiliar figure stood right in front of her.

“Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Woody, and I serve as the lord of this land.”

Woody—the boy who had become lord of this village.

Ran decided to calmly observe the boy standing before her.

…All while chewing on fruit that gushed with juice.

At first glance, he looked like an ordinary boy.

But his manner carried a faint air of refinement.

She sensed the elegance she had once been forced to experience from nobles.

‘I came all the way to the desert just to avoid nobles… and yet even here, their hand reaches.’

Most likely, she thought, the kingdom had chosen some aptitude holder suited for development and intended to conquer the desert.

If so, it would be best not to get too involved and to leave quickly.

There were other places beyond the reach of power’s hand.

But without letting any of that show, Ran gave him a pleasant smile.

“Hello, I am Ran, a merchant. I used to supply this village with goods… but it seems that won’t be necessary anymore. We’ll be taking our leave.”

“W-wait, please!”

It was Woody who panicked as Ran prepared to depart.

If she left now, the trade he had hoped for would end before it began.

Believing she misunderstood, Woody conveyed his heartfelt intentions.

He wanted to use these fruits and their by-products as the start of trade goods to somehow develop the village.

Seeing his sincere attitude, Ran believed his words were not a lie.

She could not say all suspicions were gone, but she felt no malice in him to exploit the villagers or desert folk.

‘Business begins with trust. Then first… I have to believe in him. If he betrays that… well, I can cut him off then.’

Woody and Ran shook hands.

“I intend to bring happiness to everyone in Tree Village, and to all connected with it. So please, I hope for your continued support.”

“Yes, likewise. For a merchant, the true calling is when everyone who handles our goods can be happy. I’d like to walk the same path as you, Woody-sama.”

It would have been easy to dismiss his words as naïve.

But Ran did not.

Those who laughed at others’ dreams were the lowest.

As a child, Ran herself had long been laughed at for her dreams—yet she had achieved them.

She didn’t want to become like those who once mocked her.

And so, from then on, Ran began visiting Tree Village regularly.

With a trade route finally established, Woody was at last able to distribute fruit under the Tree Village Brand.