The story of the black silk female knight

Ziye is one of them. Although her ninjutsu talent is not as good as others of her generation, she has always had strong social skills and is proficient in the etiquette of various countries and races. She has been in charge of the ninja village's diplomacy for many years.

Valensa felt a sense of familiarity with Ziye, which was likely because they had known each other before... As a diplomat from Shinobu Village, Ziye had certainly been to Fran, and more than once or twice.

As for Valensa's lack of memory of Ziye, it's probably because Ziye disguised herself when she met Valensa before... After all, she was a ninja, hiding her identity to stroll around and relax in private, which is quite normal, as she happened to meet Valensa, who was just an ordinary noble lady at the time.

At least that's what Chibako thinks.

Valensa thought back carefully... She did know quite a few kind older sisters when she was a child, most of them were noblewomen active in the social circles of the French capital.

After all, the Badr family used to be a great noble family, and they often held banquets and social events.

At that time, Valensa, as the eldest daughter of the family, often had to deal with the greetings and gifts from noble ladies along with her mother. Among them were many kind older sisters who were very familiar with Valensa, but Valensa could not even remember their identities.

It's probably because in her past life, every time she went back to her hometown for the Lunar New Year, she would encounter a large group of relatives... many of whom she couldn't even remember by name or know their relationship to her, yet they could still drink and chat together.

Perhaps Ziye was once one of those kind older sisters?

This explanation is indeed logical... and it's currently the most appropriate explanation.

So Valensa stopped thinking about it for the time being and continued to inquire about who the old woman Ziye mentioned was.

"Grandma is Brown Leaf Grandma..."

Chiba went on to explain the old woman's situation.

Brown Leaf was also one of the children adopted by the head of the Chiba family from a young age, and a core member of the family outside the family.

However, Brown Leaf is probably the most senior person in the entire ninja village. The head of the Chiba family who adopted her was eight generations ago, counting from Chiba Grass. Brown Leaf is now over 400 years old.

Chiba's mother sacrificed herself in a large-scale battle against the Fog Demon 11 years ago. Before her death, she did not formally establish an heir—because Chiba's eldest and second eldest sisters were both too outstanding.

Although the eldest sister, Chiba Shin, was the first to break through to the Shining rank in ninjutsu and obtain the complete family inheritance, the second sister, Chiba Rui, was not to be outdone. She abandoned ninjutsu for swordsmanship and followed closely behind, also breaking through to the Shining rank... In fact, because she was not limited by the inheritance limit, her actual combat power was even better than that of her eldest sister, Chiba Shin.

Both were powerful figures of the Shining Rank, their skills in serving Himiko were equally matched, and the favor they received was also comparable. They were also unwilling to admit defeat to each other and both wanted to become the head of the family and surpass the other.

However, the result of this is that neither of the sisters has become the head of the family yet, nor have they obtained all the power of the Chiba family. They only have command of some ninja units.

The daily management of the ninja village is currently handled by that old woman with brown leaves... She is now considered the acting village chief.

If anyone else were to take this position, it would definitely cause suspicion and dissatisfaction among the sisters, Chiba Shin and Chiba Rui, but there would be no problem with Granny Brown Leaf.

After all, Granny Brown Leaf has served the Chiba family for over 400 years, always working diligently and conscientiously. She is also highly capable in both personal strength and management, and is respected by all.

As for the battle for the family headship between the Chiba sisters, Chiba Shin and Chiba Rui, Granny Brown Leaf had long ago declared that she would remain neutral... No matter who becomes the family head in the future, she will do her best to assist them.

At the same time, Granny Brown Leaf also served as an insurance policy for the Chiba family... She used her prestige to limit the family power that the Chiba sisters, Shin and Rui, could mobilize, keeping the internal conflict within a certain range and preventing the Chiba family from suffering too much loss due to the succession struggle.

In fact, Chiba Shin and Chiba Rui had a very big fight before, which even affected the Teido family and many civilians on Mirror Island, and had a very bad impact.

Even Himiko was alarmed that time... The Queen was furious and gave both sisters a severe beating.

Since then, Chiba Shin and Chiba Rui seem to have changed their focus of the struggle... Instead of fighting and vying for power within the family, they have been using various methods to serve Himika and win her favor, hoping that the Queen will personally confirm their legitimate right to the throne.

Himika isn't stupid... It's so satisfying for the two sisters to fight tooth and nail for her, so she definitely can't let them decide the winner too quickly.

So after that incident, Chiba Shin and Chiba Rui rarely returned to the Ninja Village, spending most of their time on Jade Island trying to seduce the Queen in various ways.

It was precisely to prevent Chiba from taking the opportunity to develop her own power within the ninja village and join the struggle that they arranged for Chiba to study in Fran, where she would stay for three years... If Chiba fell in love with some random man in Fran and eloped, perhaps Chiba Shin and Chiba Rui would be even happier.

Of course, this has also led to Granny Brown Leaf being the one managing the ninja village in recent years... which makes this acting village chief currently very prestigious in the ninja village.

Although it wasn't appropriate to make hasty judgments without having seen the old woman in person, Valensa, having read too many conspiracy-themed works in her previous life, couldn't help but have some thoughts.

Could this old woman with brown leaves have ill intentions?

Could the conflict between the Chiba sisters, Shin and Rui, have been deliberately instigated by her in order to seize power in the ninja village?

However, these are just wild guesses based on one side of the story and should not be taken seriously.

First of all, the powerful and wealthy in this world place great importance on lineage.

Without the status of a core member of the bloodline, no matter how high her seniority and reputation, once either Chiba Shin or Chiba Rui officially gains Queen Himika's approval, Brown Leaf will still have to relinquish power... In that case, not only will all her previous efforts be in vain, but she may also offend the new head of the family and ultimately suffer disgrace.

Brown Leaf has served the Chiba family for over 400 years, and her reputation is definitely very high... Under normal circumstances, even the head of the family would treat her with great courtesy, so she has no need to scheme against her anymore.

More importantly, there are indeed some strong individuals in this world who uphold the path of protection and can maintain the purity of their childlike hearts for hundreds of years for the sake of their beliefs.

For example, the bald-headed principal of the War Academy seems to have always regarded protecting the Fran and even humanity as his responsibility.

Other top experts who reached his level would have long since detached themselves from worldly affairs to seek self-breakthrough, but he has been serving as the principal of the War Academy... providing generation after generation of military talents for Fran, while guarding the capital with his peak Moon Radiance combat power, deterring all kinds of villains.

And Granny Brown Leaf, who has served the Chiba family for over 400 years, might also be someone like the bald-headed headmaster... So we can't jump to conclusions yet; let's wait until we meet her before making any decisions.

Half an hour passed quickly, and Ziye reappeared, leading Valensa and the others to a restaurant not far from their residence... In a standard Japanese-style private room with paper walls and wooden sliding doors, the group met the old woman, Brown Leaf.

She was the only person Valensa and her group had seen since entering the ninja village who wasn't wearing ninja attire. She was only wearing a very loose robe, and you could see from the collar and cuffs that there were many bandages wrapped around her underneath.

Grandma Brown Leaf herself also gave a very bad first impression.

She has a gloomy temperament, a domineering attitude, speaks in a somewhat sarcastic tone, and looks at everyone with suspicion. Even Chiba Grass seems to be a little afraid of her.

They said they were having dinner with Valencia and the others to welcome them, but I didn't feel any welcome at all.

Moreover, Grandma Brown Leaf didn't touch a single bite of the food on the table; her presence here seemed more like a threat and a declaration of rules.

"You are all friends of the Third Miss when she was studying in Fran. You are all guests... Even though the current situation is rather delicate, and even though the Ninja Village is a military-controlled area and does not receive tourists, I still welcome you."

"However, this is a military-controlled area after all, and many places involve classified information. In order to avoid causing unnecessary misunderstandings and friction that would upset the Third Miss, I hope that everyone will not wander around the village or look around aimlessly with their strong senses."

When Brown Leaf mentioned the words "powerful perception", he stared intently at Valensa, his eyes full of threat and warning, almost as if he were calling her by name.

"Of course, I know you all came to Sword Island for tourism... It wouldn't be good to ask you all to stay in your accommodations, so it's not impossible for you to visit some places that aren't classified."

"However, the terrain within the ninja village is complex, and there are many traps and mechanisms used to defend against enemy infiltration. To avoid any accidental injury during your visit, please make sure to visit during the daytime and be accompanied by Ziye throughout the visit."

"Finally... although it may be a bit rude to say this directly, I still have to say it... our ninja village is a military-controlled area, not a tourist attraction. Please leave as soon as you have satisfied your curiosity."

...Are you really welcoming us here? Or are you probably just hoping to chase us all away with sticks right now?

Valensa inwardly grumbled, her impression of Brown Leaf extremely poor, and she even wanted to stand up and leave.

It's just a run-down village. Do you really think I care about it?

But when Valensa saw the aggrieved expression on Chiba's face, which was on the verge of tears, she softened again.

Forget it... It would be too hurtful for her to have a falling out with her family and leave after such a warm invitation. I'll just have to bear with it for a bit.

Moreover, although Brown Leaf's attitude was extremely bad and unpleasant, objectively speaking, her words were not without reason.

The Ninja Village is indeed a military control zone of the Four Islands Alliance, and should therefore refuse foreign tourists... especially now that Tama Island has gathered many experts, creating a tense atmosphere.

Let's keep a low profile for the next couple of days. Tomorrow, I'll honestly follow Ziye to see Cao Cao's life trajectory from childhood to adulthood, and try to leave the ninja village the day after tomorrow to go to that small village to find the blacksmith... and inquire about information on radioactive minerals.

Thinking of this, Valensa forcibly suppressed her dissatisfaction and obediently nodded to Brownleaf:

"Don't worry, Grandma. We just want to see where Cao Cao lived and trained since she was little... After all, Cao Cao is a very outstanding anti-demon ninja, and we are all very curious about how she grew up."

"That's it..."

Seeing that Valensa obediently gave in, Brown Leaf's tone softened considerably.

She thought for a moment, then looked at Ziye beside her:

"In that case, let's take them to the Ninja Academy again tomorrow... They can visit the training courses from the first to the fourth year."

"Yes, Mother-in-law," Zi Ye replied respectfully.

"Well... then this old woman won't disturb your fun any longer."

Having said what needed to be said and received a satisfactory reply, Brown Leaf left the restaurant immediately without any hesitation.

The group, who had just been intimidated by Brown Leaf's aura, finally breathed a sigh of relief... Brown Leaf, who could live for over 400 years, was undoubtedly a Radiant-rank expert. Apart from Valensa, the others had been under a lot of pressure just now.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Brown Leaf wanted to personally announce those rules... because Chiba Rui took away all the village's high-end combat power when she returned yesterday. Brown Leaf is likely the only Radiant-rank expert in the entire ninja village at present. Only she can deter Valensa and her group, who also have Radiant-rank experts.

"I'm sorry, my mother-in-law is a bit serious, but she really didn't mean any harm..."

Compared to brown leaves, purple leaves give people a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.

The person spoke softly and pleasantly, wore a beautiful ninja uniform that resembled a maid outfit, was well-versed in aristocratic etiquette, and maintained a very humble attitude. Their sincere apology made it impossible for anyone to be angry.

Indeed, the dissatisfaction that arose in everyone's hearts due to Brown Leaf's tough attitude was quickly and skillfully resolved by Purple Leaf's gentle words at the dinner table.

Chapter 61 Tour

The first night in the ninja village has arrived.

Having just arrived in an unfamiliar place, and having already had a blast on Mirror Island for the past two weeks, Valensa and her group didn't engage in any deep conversations tonight and opted to sleep soundly.

The old woman with the brown leaves was a bit tough, but the quality of the hospitality was impeccable... At least the house was very large, enough for Valensa and the others to each have their own room, and there was a good variety of daily necessities, most of which were high-end items.

However, although each person has their own room, Valensa and Tia still live together. And when Valensa went out to the kitchen to find snacks, she saw Melody tiptoeing into Gil's room.

Now, Tia, who was a little tired after a long day, was fast asleep. One of her white over-the-knee stockings was still on, while the other was mostly pulled down. She was also holding a book that was about the thickness of a brick in her arms. Her breathing was even, and there was a satisfied smile on her lips. She must have been having a good dream.

Valensa was never able to get such high-quality sleep.

She agreed to Granny Brownleaf's request and didn't use her Radiant-rank super-strong perception to randomly probe the village, but her hearing, having completed the evolution of her life level, was indeed quite strong.

Even though Valensa didn't want to hear it, quite a few voices still reached her ears.

The most obvious sounds were the clanging of various blades and the turning of mechanical gears, noises that could not be made by just a few people.

Considering the ninjas' fighting style, Valensa figured it must be the ninjas training... Perhaps this training method was a military secret of the ninja village, and one of the reasons why Granny Brown Leaf warned Valensa not to misuse her senses in the village.

Another prominent sound is the familiar and beloved sounds of nightlife.

The people of the Four Islands Alliance particularly like to build houses with wood, so the sound insulation is naturally not very good. Not everyone knows how to use various magical barriers that can block sound... The sounds made by young couples and lovers during their intimate conversations at night can travel very far.

At the very least, a Radiant-rank expert could hear it very clearly.

Perhaps it's because the ninja profession requires so much endurance, but Valensa noticed that many nighttime conversations in the ninja village were quite intense... especially among the female ninjas, who didn't seem to like gentle approaches, but rather preferred being treated roughly.

Valensa even overheard a young couple arguing nearby... The reason was that the girl wanted the boy to be a little bad, a little rough, a little perverted, but the boy was very gentle and tender and couldn't bear to do it. As a result, the girl got angry and scolded the boy for being useless and worthless, and even wanted to break up.

This is quite interesting. Valensa lay next to Tia, hugging a pillow, naturally filtering out the sounds of the ninjas training and focusing on listening to the young couple arguing.

"Help...help!"

Just as Valensa was listening with great interest, another frightened and weak cry for help rang out near where the young couple was arguing.

The terrified and hoarse voice likely belonged to a man, and he probably wasn't very old.

At first, Valensa thought it was just some bullying from the ninja village... Isn't it normal for a timid boy to be bullied by thugs while wandering around alone at night?

In a ninja village, where every household has a ninja to fight demons, surely there wouldn't be any demons attacking people in the village?

Such things almost never happen in a border town like Franlensjegin.

However, after listening for a while, Valensa realized that things were not so simple.

The boy who cried for help only shouted that one sentence and then fell silent. Not long after, a chewing sound came from the direction he had called for help... much like some kind of large insect eating.

...Could there really be unlucky souls who encounter monsters at night and get eaten?

Valensa was very curious and wanted to go see it in person.

But she had already promised Granny Brown Leaf to behave herself and didn't want to make things difficult for Thousand Leaf Grass, so she had no choice but to give up the idea and continue to concentrate on listening.

But the cry for help only came out once, and the chewing sound was quick and faint. If Valensa hadn't been a little more serious in trying to eavesdrop on the young couple's argument, she probably wouldn't have even noticed it.

Moreover, the chewing sound lasted for less than 20 seconds before falling silent, leaving only the echoing sounds of the young couple arguing fiercely.

Valensa, who wasn't very sleepy to begin with, found it even harder to fall asleep after her curiosity was piqued.

After hesitating for a moment, she jumped out of bed and slowly put on her clothes and black stockings in a way that wouldn't disturb Tia's rest. She then stepped out of the room in open-toed sandals and went to the door.

The two ninjas, who stood as straight as statues in front of the cabin, were visibly surprised when Valensa pushed the door open and came out. They immediately became wary.

"Hey, you two, don't be nervous."

Valensa simply waved her hand and came out carrying a tray full of pastries, nuts, and dried fruit snacks:

"I wasn't planning on going out, but my friends were all asleep and I was having some insomnia, so I was just bored and wanted to chat with someone."

The two ninjas remained silent, neither letting their guard down nor showing any hostility.

"Don't worry~ Don't worry~"

Seeing this, Valensa took out a few more bottles of juice and placed them on the wooden floor along with the tray of snacks. She then lifted her skirt and sat down on the floor through her black pantyhose.

"I won't ask any sensitive questions, just casual chat... like, does your ninja village have any special delicacies? What are some good places to eat on Sword Island?"