Shao Yun didn't know how many times he had entered Babel's chamber, but as always, he immediately saw her sitting by the bed.
A trace of annoyance flickered in his chest as he complained grumpily, "Matriarch Babel, haven't you been calling me here a bit too often lately?"
Seeing Shao Yun arrive, Babel immediately rose from her seat by the bed, smiling warmly.
"Haha, come now, you speak as if I'm overstepping. You are a distinguished guest of the tribe! As the Matriarch of the tribe, it is only natural for me to pay attention and care for you and your companions," she replied gracefully.
Shao Yun, hearing her words, simply waved his hand, not wanting to waste time with pleasantries, and cut straight to the point.
"Alright, enough of these niceties. Just tell me—why did you call me here this time?"
Seeing his impatience, Babel stopped her flowery talk and got straight to the point.
"It's like this: you've successfully found the legendary Eternal Oasis and helped Jeht achieve her long-cherished wish. So now, what are your new plans or intentions?"
Shao Yun couldn't help but smirk at Babel's eagerness.
Especially considering that Lumine had only just brought Jeht back, barely settling in, yet Matriarch Babel's curiosity had already spurred her to come check on them—how impatient!
Deciding to tease her a little, Shao Yun said, "What if I told you we plan to stay here in the Tanit Tribe? Would you believe me?"
Babel's first reaction was disbelief—this sounded like pure fantasy.
But as she smiled politely to mask her surprise, a sudden thought flashed through her mind:
Who cares if there are really jujubes on that tree? No harm in trying. If he's serious… well, that would be a win.
So, she coyly leaned into his words, a charming smile blooming on her face.
"Ah… if you truly intend to join our tribe, then as Matriarch, I would of course give you the warmest, most enthusiastic welcome!"
She paused slightly before continuing, still smiling, "I can assign you to manage the tribe's commercial affairs, the duties formerly held by Adffi. A truly enviable position, very lucrative!
"Of course, I would also consider the two girls. I could assign them to relatively easy, light-duty tasks, allowing them to work comfortably."
Shao Yun hadn't expected Babel to take his joke so seriously.
He quickly waved his hands, clarifying, "I'm joking. We plan to leave. Jeht's wish has been fulfilled, and there's no need to trouble you further."
Seeing Shao Yun so eager to clarify, Babel did not show the slightest disappointment.
Instead, she let out a small sigh, muttering to herself, "Hmm… what am I even thinking?"
"Unless the Flower Goddess, Nabu Malikata herself, suddenly manifests here, trying to keep them would be sheer folly…"
Hearing Babel muttering, Shao Yun asked curiously, "Matriarch Babel, you called me here just to ask about our next plans?"
Babel shook her head slightly, extending two slender fingers with a smile, replying, "That's only part of it. There are two other matters to discuss."
"The first is about Jeht. She approached me, requesting to undergo her Coming-of-Age assessment ahead of schedule."
"By passing this, I can legitimately assign some tribe duties to her, helping ease my burdens. Otherwise, she's still officially considered a child…"
Shao Yun, curious about the scope of her authority, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? Really?"
Babel nodded with a smile and explained further, "Given the current situation, the tribe has lost two key members, Aderfi and Azariq, who were my right-hand aides. With them gone, I urgently need to stabilize the tribe's internal structure.
"So, delaying Jeht's coming-of-age ceremony a bit is not a problem. Special circumstances call for special measures—no need to stick strictly to tradition."
She paused, taking a deep breath, then added, "However, Jeht is adamant about holding her Coming-of-Age ceremony. She hopes you all can witness this important moment before leaving the tribe."
Shao Yun nodded thoughtfully, responding casually, "That works. If Jeht can complete her ceremony sooner, she can help you relieve some of your burdens earlier."
Though Babel outwardly smiled in agreement, inwardly she felt a pang of reluctance.
After all, holding this hard-won authority, how could she easily give it away—even to her 'pet'?
But before Shao Yun, she would never reveal such private thoughts, so she followed along.
"Indeed, you have a point. Moreover, I plan to formally adopt Jeht as my foster daughter after her ceremony. How do you like that idea?"
Playing her part convincingly, Babel's words sounded genuine.
Shao Yun waved nonchalantly. "Ah, that's not for me to meddle in. Besides Jeht's matter, what's the second thing?"
Babel got straight to it. "The second matter concerns the Eternal Oasis…"
Before she could finish, Shao Yun shook his head repeatedly, quickly interrupting, "You shouldn't be discussing that with me. Talk to Lumine; I never went to the Eternal Oasis."
Even faced with his firm refusal, Babel did not lose her composure, still smiling politely.
"I'm not asking for details inside the Eternal Oasis. The thing is, although the Jinni has decided to pledge loyalty to your wife, I still respect the Jinni's choice.
"But I wondered if we could discuss it with you first."
Shao Yun raised a hand, pointing behind him. "If that's the case, why not just talk directly with Lumine?"
A hint of embarrassment crossed Babel's face. After a brief pause, she explained, "It's simple. For such an important matter, I thought it proper to inform you first. From every perspective, you seem to be the team's pillar of support…"
Clearly, she was flattering Shao Yun, though he brushed it off.
"Sorry, you misjudged! The real pillar is Lumine. She handles these crucial decisions," Shao Yun replied.
Babel, realizing Shao Yun was not the key decision-maker, murmured thoughtfully to herself, "Ah? So that's how it is? I didn't realize it before…"
After a moment, she cleared her throat and summarized seriously, "Regardless, I sincerely hope you can persuade Lumine. The Eternal Oasis is immensely important to the Tanit Tribe; it carries the hopes of the entire tribe.
"And as you said, if you ever leave, handing over the Oasis to us for stewardship makes perfect sense.
"Besides, having the Ward in your hands may not benefit or affect your journey much…"
She paused briefly, then, with determination, continued, "Rest assured, your efforts won't be wasted! If you help persuade Lumine to entrust the Ward to us, you may request any terms.
"Be it a substantial amount of Mora, or rare and precious items, anything you request, I will grant without hesitation!"
Shao Yun gave her a faint, knowing smile, pointing out her true intention.
"You mean… you want the Jinni, Liloupar, in Lumine's hands."
Babel composed herself, adopting a serious, righteous demeanor.
"It's not that I want the Jinni. I only wish for the Jinni to be in the place best suited for her.
"Moreover, the desert environment… we truly need the Jinni, and the Eternal Oasis, to improve our environment. I hope you understand."
Shao Yun shook his head coldly. "As I said, Liloupar's master is Lumine, not me. You should speak with Lumine. Nothing else? I'm leaving—Paimon is waiting for dinner."
With that, Shao Yun ignored Babel's entreaties and left, leaving her standing there, watching his back fade into the distance.
After he left, a pensive expression crossed Babel's face, as she quietly plotted some unknown scheme.
…
When Shao Yun returned to his tent with dinner ready, Lumine and Jeht had finished their conversation.
Lumine sat quietly on the bed, patiently waiting for Shao Yun's return.
Seeing Shao Yun enter, she quickly got up, rushing forward, asking eagerly, "Shao Yun, what did Matriarch Babel want with you?"
Shao Yun set the stew pot on a cloth, straightened, and said to Lumine, "Two matters. The first is Jeht's Coming-of-Age assessment…"
Before he could finish, Lumine's eyes widened, interrupting him with surprise, "Oh? Really? Jeht mentioned this to me too.
"She said we could stay until after her ceremony."
Shao Yun casually asked, "Then when exactly will her ceremony begin?"
Lumine quickly replied, "Jeht said it starts now. She's preparing, and should soon pass the assessment and hold her Coming-of-Age ceremony."
Shao Yun, glad to have a reason to stay a bit longer, thought, perfect, a pillow awaits me.
"Then fine, we'll stay here a while longer."
Seeing Shao Yun agree so readily, Lumine finally relaxed, exhaling a long, relieved breath.
Jeht had cried buckets earlier to persuade Lumine, her tears streaking her face.
Lumine couldn't bear to refuse, so she relented.
Little did Lumine know, Shao Yun's real reason for agreeing so readily was not Jeht's ceremony at all—it was to gain heads of her fellow villagers, and, of course, to raise Lumine's [Deadeye] level.
===BREAK===
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