Levi took a deep breath, his voice booming as he said, "I am Baron Levi, a Pioneer Lord of the Debei Kingdom and master of High Cliff Castle. I have come with your Princess, Baisitina, to aid you."

A series of whispers broke out on the wall, which stood four blades high.

They had no idea where this Baron from some Debei Kingdom had come from, nor had they ever heard of High Cliff Castle, but they knew their own Clan Leader perfectly well.

With his sharp eyesight, Levi could see some of the Archers lowering their Arrows in the moonlight.

Soon, a youthful voice called back, "I want to see my sister."

In the moonlight, a burly figure climbed atop the wall.

"It’s Mier."

Baisitina said happily from within Levi’s embrace.

With Baisitina’s confirmation, Levi nodded, lowered the Shield he held before him, and cupped his hands under the young woman’s bottom to hoist her over his head.

This made it easier for those on the other side to see her face clearly against the dark night sky.

If anything went wrong, Levi could quickly lower Baisitina and protect her in his arms.

"Mier, it’s me!"

Baisitina’s cheeks flushed red at being held by her bottom, but she immediately waved at the tall figure on the wall.

"It’s my sister, Baisitina!"

Standing on the wall, Mier used the moonlight to easily recognize the figure being held up by the Iron Canister below. It was indeed the sister he had been waiting for.

"Open the gate! Let my sister and her followers in."

Mier hurriedly ordered the Feder Remnant warriors to pull open the heavy hardwood gate, which was clad in iron plates and looked to weigh a thousand pounds.

After rattling off so many grand titles, he had been unceremoniously demoted several ranks to a mere "follower." The Lord clutched his chest, fuming.

’This guy... he’s the one who called me that "broken iron canister," isn’t he?!!’

"Move in."

With an irritated shout, the High Cliff Castle contingent filed through the gate. Levi brought up the rear, his expression sullen beneath his Iron Helmet.

Behind the wall was a wide, gentle slope. At the top was a flat area with four watchtowers, all manned by Archers.

Farther back were rows of wooden buildings that were surprisingly exquisite compared to those at High Cliff Castle. Most were two or three stories tall, arranged in neat, orderly rows. The ground was paved with gravel, forming flat paths.

Some of the houses even had small gardens out front, where vegetables like tomatoes were grown.

It was less a Tribe and more a small town.

The stars and moon hung in the sky. It was the dead of night, and while the moonlight was just enough to see by, lights shone from within the wooden buildings.

In the open square, aside from the Feder Warriors in Leather Armor holding Wooden Spears, many women and children were rushing about, tending to the wounded.

The wounded had either been unlucky enough to be "bitten" by an Arrow in the dark or had deep gashes on their chests, the skin and flesh torn open.

In truth, if not for the protection of the wall, the Dala Tribe, who fought like Jackal Wolves, would have long since overrun this small town.

The wall was built between two cliffs and was only about twenty blades long.

This narrow front meant the Dala Tribe’s four hundred Warriors couldn’t all attack at once, which made the pressure on the Feder Remnants far less severe than it might have seemed.

The Lord took off his helmet, holding it as he surveyed the town’s location. ’To have survived in the Kas Mountain Range for over a hundred years, these remnants must have a trick or two up their sleeves,’ he concluded.

The return of their Clan Leader brought looks of joy to the Feder Warriors’ faces, but it wasn’t enough to dispel the underlying sorrow and desolation that hung in the air.

"Sister, I didn’t think you’d make it back at a time like this."

A tall figure emerged from the crowd. He stood about one-point-nine blades tall and was built like a bull, but his face was still boyish. His happiness was a fleeting mask over a deep, bleak sorrow.

"???"

Levi glanced at Baisitina, who was less than one-point-five blades tall, then at this "brother," who was a good third more muscular than himself. He racked his brain but couldn’t fathom how these two were biological siblings.

Baisitina had mentioned she had a mischievous little brother back in the Tribe, and the Lord had always pictured a small brat. But now, he was silent.

’This is "mischievous"?’

"Mier, where’s Grandpa Mengdi?"

Baisitina’s gaze searched behind Mier, as if trying to find someone who wasn’t there.

"Grandpa Mengdi, Uncle Sith, and my brother... they all died in battle. That’s why I was acting as Clan Leader. It’s all my fault. I couldn’t protect them." Mier sniffled, his tears threatening to fall, but he fought them back with all his might.

Baisitina had suspected as much when she only saw Mier upon entering, but hearing the terrible news for real still made her body tremble. She took a deep breath.

She was the Clan Leader of the Feder Remnants now. If she showed any sadness at a time like this, it would be an unparalleled blow to morale.

"Mier, this isn’t your fault."

"Grandpa Mengdi and the others are gone now. You have to be strong."

Baisitina stood on her tiptoes and patted the shoulder of Mier, who had bent down just enough for her to reach, comforting him in a soft voice.

Watching Baisitina, who had the baby face of a little girl, act all serious like a miniature adult as she stood on her tiptoes to comfort the burly, one-point-nine-blade-tall Mier... Levi just couldn’t hold it in. He let out a small chuckle, despite the gravity of the situation.

As everyone knows, when heaven opens a door for you, it also closes a window.

Heaven had clearly blessed Mier with a powerful body, but his mind was still like that of a child who hadn’t grown up. He seemed clever and quick-witted, but he was far from ready to bear any real responsibility—a fact that all the Feder Remnants obviously knew.

Like a lost child who had finally found his mother, like a surging river that had found an outlet, the tears Mier had been fighting so hard to hold back could no longer be contained. They streamed from the corners of his eyes, ran down his cheeks, and converged at his chin, falling one by one to the ground.

"What are you laughing at? Are you laughing at me?" Mier suddenly looked up at Levi, his voice thick with tears.

"Er..."

’I am so busted...’

The Lord never expected to be caught red-handed.

...

"This is Baron Levi, a Pioneer Lord of Debei, the reigning champion of the Debei arena, and a True Knight who embodies the spirit of chivalry. From now on, we are his people."

Baisitina introduced him solemnly.

Most of the Feder Remnants knew what she had gone out to do. Filled with a bit of curiosity, they each placed a hand on their chest and bowed slightly.

’Even if his titles are a little inflated, someone with so many can’t be all that bad.’

Even with his thick skin, being praised so earnestly in front of a crowd made Levi’s face flush red.

"You must be my brother-in-law, right?" Mier asked at that moment, his face full of excitement.