Chapter 38: Parting

On the ninth day since arriving at the Red Leaf Tribe, Broly was invited by the Red Leaf Tribe's Clan Chief to the Deep Water Zone to participate in the operation of gathering freshwater pearls.

"We will use fermented water-spitting fish meat balls with a heavier blood smell to lure away the dangerous fish species in the Deep Water Zone.

After luring away the dangerous fish, the tribe's diving experts will take the opportunity to dive into the bottom of the Deep Water Zone.

Down below there are some large freshwater clams; using whole pieces of fresh fish meat can lure them to open their shells, and when they open their shells, the tree branches brought along can be used to pick out the pearls from their mouths.

Pea-sized pearls can be exchanged for six or seven bags of flour; if pearls larger than peas can be dug up, good quality ones can even be exchanged for half a month's rations for the tribe, or some iron tools.

But take care not to harm those large clams, so that they will produce new pearls again in a few years……"

On the small boat, Lidriel narrated to Broly the Red Leaf Tribe's livelihood for supplementing household expenses; they are a pearl-gathering tribe in the mangrove forest, earning money by diving into the dangerous deep water marsh regions to collect freshwater pearls from the bottom.

"Broly, your strength is very powerful; if you are willing to join the Red Leaf Tribe, I can yield the Clan Chief's position to you."

After finishing introducing the Red Leaf Tribe's money-making livelihood, Lidriel directly invited Broly.

These days, he had silently observed the boy's situation, knowing Broly's character was very good, he valued companions greatly, and more importantly possessed terrifying strength.

If he became the Red Leaf Tribe's Clan Chief, he would definitely be able to ignore the situation of the marsh region being separated piece by piece by mangrove forest land, and develop the Red Leaf Tribe.

So, upon discovering the boy seemed to be preparing to take some children who didn't want to stay in the tribe and leave, Lidriel had the idea of asking him out to talk.

As not very civilized tribespeople, Lidriel as Clan Chief also didn't have that many convoluted thoughts, directly offering the greatest sincerity to invite him.

"Stay. The Red Leaf Tribe can become a home for you and the other children."

To tell the truth, Lidriel was very sincere; he was even willing to yield the Clan Chief's position to an outsider child.

But no matter how sincere he was it was useless, because even if Broly agreed, the Crystal Palace would forcibly repatriate him back to his original world when the stay duration expired.

"I cannot stay." Broly shook his head. "Others who already have no home, if they are willing to stay, can stay, but some who want to go home, I am prepared to send them back."

Although the children who came out of the Great Forest with him and stayed in the Red Leaf Tribe all lived stable lives, there was still a portion of children who had no sense of belonging here; they envied Rivarina being able to go home, and also wanted to return to their own true homes.

"Do you know where their homes are?"

Lidriel asked.

"Those who want to go home have spoken of where they previously resided, although I don't know the way."

Broly spoke the truth.

"You don't know the way, then how will you send them back?"

"I also don't know the way to come here, but I still brought them here."

Broly didn't feel sending people home was a difficult matter; in the previous world he had done so before.

"The Empire's roads are not easy to travel, however, with your strength there should be no problem."

Lidriel sighed, knowing he could not keep Broly, and gave up.

"Can you help get some pearls?"

Broly nodded.

In one day's time, he brought up from the Deep Water Zone a pile of pearls more than everyone else combined.

"You've practically cleared this entire area's freshwater clams in one go, haven't you?"

Seeing the pile of pearls on the small boat, Lidriel smiled bittersweetly; the boy's efficiency was too high, this Deep Water Zone probably wouldn't need to be visited for a year or two.

At night, returning to the Red Leaf Tribe, Broly discussed the matter of leaving with the other children, and this matter was already known by some children.

"I'm sorry, Broly-san, I plan to stay here."

This was the thought of most children without homes; they had finally found a place to settle, and did not want to live a wandering life again.

"I want to go back. I don't believe my parents sold me; that must be a lie told by slave traders. I want to go back and find out the truth."

This was the thought of a child wanting to go home, while the others wanting to go home all had homes, but due to their age they didn't know the specific location of their homes, only remembering a simple place name of where they once resided.

"We need a map."

Nahashu said; he had no home, but wanted to leave together with Broly.

"Where is there a map?"

Broly asked; the children willing to leave with him looked at each other in blank dismay; previously they had almost all been in a state of drifting with the tide.

"I have a map, although it's not very precise."

At this moment Lidriel walked in from outside and said, holding a parchment scroll and a bundle in his hand.

"This is a map exchanged by my father, the Red Leaf Tribe's previous Clan Chief, from a traveling merchant; my father once wanted to take our tribe's gathered pearls to sell for a good price within the Empire's territory.

But he failed; Empire people are very rejecting of foreign tribes; not only did thieves set their sights on us, even some feudal lords and nobles set their sights on us; we suffered heavy losses, and this map was shelved within the tribe.

It has no use for our tribe now, but for you who want to return to the Empire side it might be useful."

As Lidriel spoke he handed over the parchment scroll map; this was an object from over ten years ago, but preserved intact; the patterns and text on it were fairly clear.

Although Broly couldn't understand the map, Nahashu could; he was a knowledgeable person, seemingly having received a good education in the past, even etiquette cultivation.

"A very old thing; indeed an Empire map. Green's home is roughly here."

Nahashu found Green's home on it; of course only the general orientation on the map; the specific location would still have to wait until they were nearby to figure out.

"If you're not in a hurry to leave, wait two months in the tribe; a boat merchant will pass by nearby; they can take you back to the Empire; I will help pay that sum."

"I don't have that much time." Broly shook his head; the time he had left stranded in this world was only 49 days.

"However, if you don't need me to send you home, you can stay here."

Broly said to the children wanting to go home, but no one was willing to stay.

After all, Big Brother was visibly powerful; following Big Brother, even in a forest teeming with Danger Beasts, they could walk out as if on a stroll.

So, going home was still safer being sent by Big Brother.

"Since you're all leaving, then this is the travel expense gift I prepared for you."

Lidriel seemed to have anticipated this situation long ago, directly setting down the bundle in his hand.

The bundle was opened, revealing the pearls inside.

"After reaching the Empire side, unlike here, there are many places where money is needed; our tribe has no Empire money, but we have pearls that can be exchanged for money; with the money obtained from exchanging these pearls, it can make your journey a bit easier."

Of course, having money also makes it easy to run into trouble, but Lidriel looked at Broly, and with this powerful kid around, there should be no problem.

"Thank you, Clan Chief Lidriel."

"No need to thank me, you've also helped our tribe a great deal; helping Rivarina return home goes without saying, and you even moved over a whole mangrove forest. With that bordering mangrove forest, our Red Leaf Tribe will be able to expand into a larger tribe."

In the Water Marsh Region, the area of mangrove forest determines the size of the tribe residing on it; the larger the mangrove forest, the more people it can support.

"Eh, do you need those things?"

Broly tilted his head.

"Then shall I move some more for you?"

Lidriel opened his mouth, but did not speak words of refusal.

"If possible, then it would trouble you."

In half a night's time, Broly moved over a pile of mangrove forest from other places in the Water Marsh Region; if Clan Chief Lidriel hadn't called a halt halfway through, he might have moved all the surrounding mangrove forest over.

"Some must be left as transfer points."

Their own mangrove forest area expanded nearly tenfold just like that, which made Clan Chief Lidriel a bit embarrassed; just one map and a bag of pearls obtained this much repayment.

The next day, Clan Chief Lidriel gave the Red Leaf Tribe's largest ship to Broly and the child who would leave with him.

Of the 73 little companions Broly originally brought with him, only 14 remained now; the other children were at the Red Leaf Tribe's new boundary, seeing them off with red eye sockets.

After a journey of sharing weal and woe, this group of children without vessels had long since established a sincere friendship.

Now they had to part, and perhaps would never meet again, so naturally the grief was incomparable.

"Nahashu, sorry, I shouldn't have said you're a noble's child."

"It's fine, after all what you said wasn't wrong either."

"Pony, stop picking poisonous mushrooms, those really can't be eaten."

"But that one is really delicious."

"Bang!"

Cornelia knocked her on the head, then said to the companions on the shore: "I'll watch over her."

"Chikushi, we'll always remember your grilled meat."

"If there's a chance, I'll come back and make it for you again."

"Red eyes black eyes, stop stealing Big Bro's meat."

"We didn't steal, he gave it to us voluntarily."

The heterochromatic sisters felt they had been slandered.

……

"Broly-san, we'll always remember you!"

Finally, everyone shouted.

The parting words moved Broly a little; he seemed to experience a kind of reluctant emotion.

At the same time, he also missed the Other World a bit, Fujimura Taiga who treated him very well.

"I'll also work hard to remember you all."

Broly replied to them, and the reason he used 'work hard' was because he hadn't remembered everyone's names and appearances.

After all, seventy-plus people is too many, and they aren't Crystal Palace-recognized wives.

The ship sailed far away, leaving the Red Leaf Tribe behind.

The sorrowful mood of parting gradually calmed, and Green suddenly asked Nahashu: "You really are a noble?"

"Just an illegitimate child, I've even fallen into slavery, that's just an identity with no real use."

This was a simple Q&A between two friends whose moods had turned around.

And after Broly's mood turned around, what he thought was: can go to other places to find wives now.

(Chapter End)