Johnson fell silent.
He suddenly remembered what Vice Captain Todd had once told him — during conversations, Aven always seemed capable of seeing through your inner thoughts, seizing the initiative completely.
Originally, Johnson had planned to use the threat of the nobles as a starting point, creating a sense of crisis for Aven, then offering the lady's goodwill as a lifeline. But Aven didn't play by the rules at all. That plan had completely fallen apart. It was obvious — Aven truly didn't care about the nobles' threats.
"You don't need to worry about the nobles," Johnson finally said.
"Until the Abyssal Beast Tide ends, Aspiration City will shield you from their pressure."
He explained this to show Aspiration City's stance and also to demonstrate their sincerity.
"Thank you, Lady Mira," Aven nodded slightly, feeling somewhat moved. The kind-hearted lady had indeed lived up to his expectations.
Johnson sighed with relief and continued probing: "The lady can shield you from the nobles, but what are you planning to do about the coming Abyssal Beast Tide?"
Aven had, in fact, been preparing for that for some time. He'd been cultivating the Mightyenas and Glooms precisely in anticipation of the Abyssal Beast Tide.
The Abyssal Cavern was in the northeastern corner of the territory — the first line of defense against the beast tide. Fruitvale Village was in the southeast, so the pressure it would face was relatively small.
If they truly couldn't resist the tide, then he would have no choice but to retreat southeast with the Mightyenas and Glooms. He remembered that in the far southeastern corner of the Sinnoh continent lay Marina City.
However, reaching Marina City would mean crossing the entire Black Forest — an extremely dangerous route that would require powerful Pokémon to survive.
Now that he had finally put down roots in Fruitvale Village, Aven had no desire to leave. The land and orchards provided excellent development opportunities, and the current lady's attitude was favorable.
Besides, even if he reached Marina City, he might have to start from scratch again. He had no confidence that he could secure the same development conditions — he might even be driven out by the local lord.
Moreover, since he was holding the noble heirs, if Fruitvale Village truly faced danger, the nobles definitely wouldn't sit back and do nothing. That made those heirs a useful protective charm for the village.
The greatest threat to Fruitvale Village wasn't the beast tide itself, but the gray mist that seeped from the Abyssal Caverns. This mist could corrode Pokémon consciousness — both the Mightyena and Gloom were helpless against it.
What exactly was the gray mist from the Abyssal Caverns? It could drive Pokémon mad. Yet, beast gear could suppress its effects — what was the connection between the two? The matter of the Abyssal Beast Tide loomed like a dark cloud over all of Aspiration City. Living within it, even Aven couldn't help but feel pressure.
Though all citizens would be relocated to Aspiration City during the beast tide, that obviously didn't include Pokémon like the Mightyenas or Gloom.
To protect them, Aven would have to both resist the tide and prevent the gray mist from corrupting his Pokémon. The first goal required improving their strength. The second required him to uncover the secret behind the mist.
The only thing he knew so far was that magical equipment could protect Pokémon from the mist — that was his only current lead.
"What does the lady want me to do?" Aven asked, ignoring Johnson's clear attempt to probe.
Johnson glanced at him in frustration. His diplomatic tactics weren't working at all.
Sighing, he decided not to beat around the bush anymore and spoke directly:
"The lady needs your help resisting the magical beasts."
"Because I'm an apothecary?"
Johnson nodded helplessly. "Aspiration City needs the potions you can make."
"Alright!"
Aven agreed without hesitation.
He had always planned to go to the front lines to uncover the mystery behind the mist — this was the perfect opportunity.
Johnson was surprised by how readily Aven agreed. After thinking for a moment, he added, "You can name your conditions."
"A noble title and a piece of land." Aven took a deep breath and spoke with utmost seriousness.
Johnson froze for a moment, then unexpectedly smiled.
"That can be arranged, but only if you make significant contributions during the Abyssal Beast Tide."
Seeing the smile on Johnson's face, Aven was briefly stunned. It seemed Lady Mira had already considered this possibility — or perhaps even expected it? Then again, it wasn't hard to guess. From the way Fruitvale Village was developing, it was obvious Aven intended to make it his own domain. Only by turning it into his own fiefdom could he fully develop it.
According to this world's feudal system, lords governed their vassals, but vassals could create their own laws, regulations, and policies within their own territories.
This legal authority was what Aven valued most — only with it could he implement his advanced ideas from the future world and turn them into reality.
Moreover, becoming a noble would finally give him equal status in negotiations with other nobles, turning the conflict from "nobles vs. commoners" into "nobles vs. nobles."
Of course, when the lady officially conferred his title, it would likely face great resistance. That meant Aven had to perform exceptionally well during the Abyssal Beast Tide.
Once both sides reached an understanding, the conversation became much more relaxed.
This time, Aspiration City had brought a great amount of food and potion materials, which immediately caught Aven's interest — they were exactly what Fruitvale Village lacked most.
As Johnson walked through the village, still standing strong amid the winter snow, he couldn't help but express his admiration.
Aside from forging a cooperation with Aven, he had also come to recall the knight squad stationed in the village.
He originally wanted to check on the noble heirs as well, but Aven refused to discuss the matter, leaving Johnson helpless.
Still, the knights might know something about the heirs. He hoped they were all doing well — otherwise, not even His Highness might be able to suppress the fallout completely.
To counter the Abyssal Caverns this time, His Highness had truly worked hard. He hoped Aven wouldn't let him down — that he could share the burden. Of course, this was also a chance for Aven to change his own fate.
(End of Chapter)
(TN: I think I would be changing Cave to Caverns from now on.)