Chapter 30: Has Grandma Traveled Through Time Too?

“Are you saying that the Wildling tribe and the Boarfolk often clash?”
Leo listened to Fisha’s introduction, and found the part that intrigued him most.
“Boarfolk, very strong. Wildlings, super strong. Longbow, invincible.”
Fisha’s eyes shone with adoration, her flatbread forgotten, as she waved her paw excitedly while describing them.
Leo secretly mused, “When you wanted to surrender and leave, you most likely planned to join the Wildlings, hoping they’d help you get your revenge...”
But outwardly, he remained gracious, asking, “Can you help introduce me to the Wildling tribe’s leader? Perhaps we could discuss joining forces against the Boarfolk.”
How to become friends quickly?
Naturally, by finding a common enemy!
In the wilderness, a straight thirty-mile distance is neither far nor near; if the path isn’t right, the real journey might triple.
But as long as you stay long enough, the Boarfolk are bound to come knocking—conflict is inevitable.
The Boarfolk aren’t as easy to fool as the Dogheads.
Put another way, the Boarfolk aren’t smart enough to be deceived; while you ponder communication, they’re simply wondering how to eat you.
They don’t understand the common tongue at all.
Fisha the Doghead was clearly troubled; their relationship with the Wildlings was nowhere near as close as Leo imagined.
The Wildlings regarded this Doghead tribe much as country folk do the dogs at the village gate—not intimate, but not particularly hostile either.
Iron ore was traded only once every month or two, and if the Wildlings were in a good mood, they might lend a hand, help out a bit.
Ultimately, it came down to disparity in strength—the Wildlings didn’t take the Dogheads seriously, letting them survive and conveniently using them as a forward post or cover.
Thinking back, when Leo attacked the Doghead tribe, is it possible the Wildlings had no news of it?
Perhaps they were watching secretly all along, waiting to see what would happen.
Olivia, always busy, walked over and saw the little mouse gnawing at flatbread, her face covered in crumbs. She grabbed a towel and scrubbed the little mouse clean in one vigorous motion.
Freya, seeing this, hurriedly lay down and stretched her neck, pushing her enormous head into Olivia’s arms, eyes half-closed, awaiting her turn for care.
This giant groundhog had been easily tamed by Olivia after just two meals, preferring her even to its own mother.
Leo was certain: if he and Olivia both fell into water, Freya would surely rescue Olivia first!

Olivia was not as outgoing as Freya—she remained a little apprehensive of the giant magical beast.
But seeing Freya so meek and harmless, Olivia gathered her courage and carefully wiped the crumbs from the groundhog’s head.
Taking another step, Olivia found herself face-to-face with Fisha the Doghead.
Seeing the husky-faced Doghead also covered in food crumbs, Olivia hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t resist—she pressed the towel to Fisha’s head and wiped her clean.
Fisha, whose build resembled a fox-person from a fantasy world and was AI-generated beyond alteration, stood stunned; this sudden display of maternal affection had left her utterly bewildered.
Leo watched Olivia’s smooth, practiced movements, almost suspecting his grandmother’s spirit had crossed into Olivia’s body.
After finishing her flatbread, Freya was content, sitting by the campfire, stroking her belly comfortably. She said to Leo, “Do you want to visit the village beneath the great waterfall? I can take you!”
“You?” Leo was surprised. “Have you stayed there before?”
Then he caught on, “Did they drive you out because you ate too much?”
“Hmph! I did eat too much—but I wasn’t driven out!” Freya grew indignant, stamping her short legs. “I left on my own.”
“Why?”
“Because! Because...” Freya said unhappily, “Because they treated me too well.”
Leo was speechless. “You left because they were too good to you? What kind of logic is that? So I’d have to beat you twice every three days for you to stay?”
“Oh, you’ll understand when you get there.” Freya was unwilling to explain, laboriously turning around and presenting her plump backside to Leo, refusing further conversation.
The campfire where Leo sat was so fantastical in its scene that other villagers rarely joined; most gathered at other fires for meals and watched from afar.
When Olivia walked over, several girls her age immediately surrounded her, whispering in secret.
“That groundhog is so huge! And its speech is so cute—it seems barely ten years old...”
“The little mouse is the prettiest, just so quiet...”
“Yes, she’s so dazed, almost seems not too bright...”
“I think that Doghead is the smartest—last time she even greeted me.”
As they chatted, someone noticed something extraordinary, “Don’t you think Leo’s circle of friends is a bit too broad?”
A person-shaped little mouse as dazed as a groundhog, a giant groundhog as lively as a husky, and a mature, steady Doghead!

All of them are female!
“Olivia, you have to be careful—keep a close eye on your Leo!”
Olivia glanced back at the campfire scene, so out of place with the rest of the village, and laughed, “What are you worried about? That Leo will start a circus?”
As a widow with experience, Agatha had the most to say. She grabbed Olivia’s hand, speaking earnestly, “When a man’s been single for too long, even a donkey starts to look charming. Leo and the little mouse sleep together all the time—now you think nothing of it, but in a couple of years, when the little mouse grows up?”
Olivia shook her head. “Leo’s so thick-headed—what could he possibly be thinking?”
“That was before! Now Leo’s wised up. Look at him—is he still the same fool as before?”
Agatha gazed at Leo with a wistful expression.
In the past, Leo would sneak onto her bed at night just to steal her pig!
What a waste of those strong muscles!
Olivia looked at Leo, silent.
Leo, focused entirely on his campaign—the pursuit of wild beasts—had no time for romance.
He convened a brief meeting with Ulyan and several camp leaders, settling on details for negotiations with the Wildlings. The next day, he set out for the great waterfall again, bringing Freya, Fisha, and gifts.
Originally, Fisha was unwilling to go, but she couldn’t resist Leo’s persuasive words and reluctantly tagged along.
Common enemy, united front, driving out the savage and embracing civilization—a few words, and Fisha found herself shouldering a historic mission her tribe was never meant to bear.
Bringing Fisha made perfect sense to Leo.
The Wildlings aren’t easy to negotiate with—if they’re displeased, a single arrow from the shadows could end Leo’s incursion.
When life and death are at stake, Leo wanted as many familiar faces among the Wildlings as possible.
Even if it ended in conflict, if most of his party were their acquaintances, the fight would likely never happen.