Ren Canahy looked at the two people in front of him with a keen eye.

The large bonfire in front of them cracked noisily as the hares kept roasting above it. One of Ren’s men approached the fire and with his sword turned one of the hares over so that the other side could as well start cooking.

“Thank you Margon,” Ren thanked the soldier.

“So how long did you say you’ve been here ?” Ogren asked as Hazel pulled the blanket around her tighter to keep away the cold. Ogren just had a vest but barely noticed the cold.

“A year , I think ,” Ren answered , his eyes still locked on Ogren .

“Thank you for taking us in last night , chief ,”Hazel was still struggling with the assassination of her parents.

When they left the capital and fled south , news had reached them on their way that the ministers had assumed control of the government and were working with the Drakonians. Even a fool could tell that this had been a well orchestrated plan to overthrow the government .

What baffled Hazel though , was the fact that information of the attack was kept secret until the very moment that the plan was carried out. It was most definitely an inside job that had the support of a powerful third party.

Given that prince Crimson had caused Hazel to be absent when her parents were murdered and the fact that his presence at the dinner table wasn’t even being acknowledged by the ministers who had assumed power , it was not difficult to piece out the puzzle.

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“You’re welcome princess ,”Ren smiled at her , a complete contrast to the look he had been giving Ogren.

“I am still shocked , how were you able to turn this place around?” Ogren asked , his eyes doing a sweep of the beautiful villa backyard that they were in.

His question was indeed a valid one. The south of Aropia , unlike the other regions , was largely autonomous and chaotic. Many people feared putting up their businesses around this region despite how lucrative the fishing industry could have been. They did this to avoid the regular raids usually carried out by bandits and pirates who came by sea.

This reality had left the south sparsely populated with the few inhabitants unable to leave living in constant fear and abject poverty. The central government , seeing as how it already had its hands full with the larger national crisis , had seemingly decided to give up on the South.

“It’s a good question ,” Ren started , standing up from the log he had been sitting on.

“When I got here , this place was no more than a nomadic zone where the only feasible economic activity was livestock pastoralism. The people kept moving and relocating , not because of the weather , but because the security here was so poor that staying in one place for more than a week was considered reckless,” Ren was reminded of how hard he’d worked to bring stability to the place.

“And yet what we found was a thriving town that even had a fortified wall around it . The only way I see this happening in the space of one year is if you had outside help from a foreign country ,” Ogren continued , his eyes following Ren .

“Did you?” Hazel gasped , her mind starting to label Ren as a traitor to the country as well.

Ren sighed .

“If that were the case , then your father wouldn’t have sent you to me now would he?” He was a little disappointed at them.

“I suppose you’re right. So was it my father who helped you rebuild this place then? Seems you two knew each other , albeit secretly,” Hazel continued.

“Yes , no matter what the condition the country was in , rebuilding a small village is still an easy task for the king ,” Ogren agreed with Hazel.

Ren was not the kind of person who would go bragging about his accomplishments in pursuit of fame. Telling Hazel and Ogren that he was the one who has single handedly built Haven town would have served him no purpose. On the contrary , it would only have attracted obligations he knew he wasn’t ready for just yet.

“You two nobles clearly know nothing.The chief built this place on his own without help from anybody,” Margon corrected , feeling angry that Ogren was giving the king the glory and praise that was meant for his chief.

Ren gave him an irritated look that disappeared before Ogren and Hazel could catch it.