"Hmm…" Nathan examined the area. To his surprise, there were about thirty children around the area. There were at least ten more children than yesterday.
The reason they gathered around the hut should be because of the girl before him. However, she actually realized the importance of this talk, so she asked them to wait inside.
There were only four people in this room: Nathan, Flora, and the twins.
The twins were already on their knees.
"We have decided to help you," said the girl.
Nathan nodded while crossing his arms.
"It's just…" The girl clenched her fists.
"What? Are you going to negotiate with me?" Nathan asked coldly. "Don't forget that it's you guys who have stolen things from us."
"Yes. However, I'm aware that it is my lord who allows such a thing. You're planning to take advantage of us from the start."
"Hoh? Your words… are not light, you know?" Nathan squinted his eyes.
"My apologies. I wonder how we can help you. But please… If you want to punish anyone, please limit it to just me. Everything is my fault. I believe the rest can fulfill your wish. I don't ask for much. Please allow them to live a decent life."
Nathan's expression turned grim, while Flora was slightly surprised by the way she spoke. She thought, 'This girl might be a bigger person than I gave her credit for.'
Flora tugged Nathan's arm, implying that she wanted to handle the negotiation.
Nathan sighed and moved slightly to the side.
Flora said, "Judging from your attitude and etiquette, it doesn't seem you're a commoner. Why are you hiding yourself in this place?"
"!!!" The girl's body shook, feeling hesitant to reveal the truth.
"If you don't tell us the truth, we can't trust you. Depending on your answer, not only will we take you in, but you may bring anyone with you as long as it's not too many," Flora explained.
Nathan glanced at Flora. 'We have decided to somehow recruit them because of her potential, so it doesn't matter how they negotiate, we'll accept it to a certain extent.
'However, this girl doesn't know about it. That's why she is using it as our negotiation piece. She has become even more sneaky…'
After some consideration, the girl lifted up her face and said, "I have long abandoned this name, but please allow me to formally introduce myself.
"My name is Iris Duncate. This is my twin brother, Aris Duncate."
"Duncate?!" Flora was stunned to hear that name. "That's a name I never thought I would hear again."
Nathan glanced at Flora, demanding an explanation.
"Duncate Family. One of the prominent families in the Liaystian Kingdom. They're known to be the guardian of the southwest. Their families have been defending the kingdom from the alien invasion.
"However, for some reason, they have been branded as traitors because they were planning to create an uprising.
"After some investigation, we'd found out that everything was orchestrated by a foolish man, Marquis Maldaive.
"First, there was an incident where Duke Duncate, one of the former world class summoners, fought against an elite class alien. It was supposed to be an easy fight, but for some reason, the duke never really fought seriously. It was as if he had been poisoned… Not that we confirmed that truth.
"As a result, Duke Duncate fell in battle. Without the duke, there was no one who could hold the invasion of the elite class alien, which resulted in the fall of the Duncate Family.
"And what happened next was simply so foolish that I couldn't help but question their thoughts.
"Marquis' Maldaive's territory was right behind Duke Duncate. They often cooperated with each other, but the new head was a lustful guy who fancied the duke's second wife.
"The pathetic thing was that after Duke Duncate died in battle, Marquis Maldaive didn't expect that the elite class alien would continue onward, destroying his territory as well. Of course, he also died when running away.
"It was such an embarrassment to the Liaystian Kingdom that they did their best to hide that tragedy.
"From our speculation, there was no way Duke Duncate didn't realize it. He might have realized it right after he was poisoned. As a result, he never fought back against the elite class alien, which resulted in him dragging the marquis down together with him.
"Unfortunately, the duke's prediction was also not entirely correct. Because the kingdom wanted to hide that embarrassment, they tried to kill everyone involved.
"Duke Duncate's children were scattered across the land, but when they were found, they would end up dying instead of getting help.
"It was such a tragedy, not only for the Liaystian Kingdom, but also for the world. After all, the Duncate family was known for their barrier. It could be said that they were the number one family specializing in barriers.
"Duke Duncate had three prominent children. They were Ray, Michael, and Iris Duncate. It was said that Ray Duncate was extremely talented in commanding the troops, which gave him the closest position to be the successor.
"Michael Duncate was a man known for his talent in the barrier. Iris Duncate was said to be a genius, surpassing both of them. She started walking after 6 months, learned how to read at 2 years old, and so on. It was said that if she awakened, she might become the biggest rival of those two.
"And her mother… was the second wife of Duke Duncate." Flora explained before pointing at Iris. "She is that Iris. Three years have passed since that incident. I have just never thought she would be here, especially in this state."
"…" Nathan closed his eyes for a moment.
On the other hand, Iris looked at both of them and realized their status. She realized Nathan, who was supposed to be the bodyguard, was more dominant. In addition, it wasn't easy to find such information. Being related to a duchess could explain it, but she didn't think that was the extent of her status.
Iris was sweating heavily. One wrong word, and everyone might lose their lives here.