Of course, Reno had no interest in this woman.
The woman was tall, looked ordinary, and dressed very simply.
The reason why Reno cared so much about her was because of her identity.
She looked a bit like Charlotte Linlin. If nothing unexpected happened, this woman was Charlotte Linlin's mother!
They appeared in Elbaph at this time, and they must have come to abandon Charlotte Linlin.
It was really a coincidence. What he thought came true, and he intercepted them halfway.
This was good—it could save him a lot of time, and he could also establish a bond with Charlotte Linlin as soon as possible.
In Reno's view, Linlin's parents were also two big fools.
Just because Linlin had a big appetite and ate a lot, they abandoned her.
If other forces or the Marines knew about Linlin's talent, they would be fighting to take her in.
Especially the Marines—such a good prospect, they would wish to have more of her kind.
With Linlin's talent, as long as she received proper training, becoming a Marine Admiral in the future would be a certainty.
A Marine Admiral was one of the highest-ranking figures in the Marines and the entire ocean.
As her parents, they would surely enjoy wealth and glory in the future.
However, they also considered one thing for Linlin—her appetite was simply too large. Even if they abandoned her somewhere else, no one could afford to feed her.
So, they deliberately came to the giant country of Elbaph.
The giant warriors were huge in size and had big appetites. If Linlin was adopted by the giants, feeding her would be easy.
"Rogge, don't go to the island yet. Keep an eye on the merchant ship."
After recognizing their identities, Reno gave a decisive order.
"Yes, young master!"
Although he didn't know Reno's exact intention, Rogge never questioned him.
While docking the ship at the shores of Elbaph, Rogge kept a close watch on the merchant ship that was slowly approaching from the opposite side.
Soon, the merchant ship docked.
After deceiving their daughter, Linlin's parents tricked her into thinking there was a lot of food on the island, leading her to the shore.
Taking advantage of this moment, the couple returned to the merchant ship.
Linlin, who was only five years old, was still naive. She heard her parents say that there was plenty of food on the island, that she could eat as much as she wanted, and would never go hungry again.
Happily, Linlin stayed behind. At this moment, she had no idea she had been abandoned by her parents. Even when they left, she cheerfully waved goodbye to them.
The merchant ship slowly sailed away and eventually disappeared completely from Linlin's sight.
Linlin looked around, then walked into the forest to find the giant village her parents had mentioned.
As long as she found the village, she would have a lot of food to eat.
Watching Linlin wander into the forest alone, Reno's eyes lit up, and he waved his hand:
"Rogge, go and keep an eye on the little girl. Use food to lure her to a secluded place, and don't let her find the giant village."
Linlin, trusting her parents completely, was intent on finding the giant village.
Now was not the best time for Reno to appear before her. Only when she was unable to find food and fell into hunger and despair could he become the light in Linlin's heart.
"Understood, young master!"
Reno had already explained two possible response plans to him on the way here.
Rogge took several agile guards with him. While monitoring Linlin, he used various desserts and delicacies to lure her away from the giant village and toward an uninhabited area.
Linlin, wandering through the forest in search of the giant village, suddenly noticed some fallen fruits on the ground not far ahead. They were ripe and looked very tempting.
Linlin ran to the fruit.
After glancing around and confirming that no one was there, she picked up the fruit and started eating.
"So sweet."
A happy smile spread across Linlin's face. What her parents said was indeed true.
There really were delicious things here.
She hadn't even found the giant village yet, and there were already such sweet fruits. If she did find the village, she couldn't imagine how many delicious things there would be.
Linlin was filled with anticipation as she feasted on the fruit.
The fruits on the ground quickly disappeared, and before long, Linlin had eaten them all.
"It's so sweet."
She licked her lips a few times, still unsatisfied.
"Hmm?!"
"What's that smell?!"
At that moment, Linlin's nose twitched instinctively.
A fragrance!
It was an aroma!
Linlin smelled a scent she had never encountered before. It triggered a sensation she had never felt before.
The fragrance rushed into her body like a wave, causing an intense reaction. Linlin's small face flushed red, as if she were intoxicated.
Something inside her urged her to find the source of the scent and devour it.
"Linlin wants to eat."
Following the enticing aroma, Linlin moved her small nose and walked toward the source.
Soon, she found it.
"Is this… a cake?"
Linlin's eyes brightened as she examined it.
"Cake! It's really cake!"
When she realized what was in front of her, Linlin was overjoyed.
Because of her enormous appetite, her parents couldn't even afford the cheapest food.
For her, cake was a luxury.
She had only heard about it from her parents' descriptions but had never tasted it herself.
Now she was sure—her parents weren't lying. The cake had to be delicious. The aroma alone was enough to make her body react.
Already unable to contain herself, Linlin looked around and, seeing no one, eagerly devoured her prize.
At that moment, Rogge, who was hiding in the shadows, observed Linlin's excitement and felt somewhat skeptical.
There seemed to be nothing particularly special about this little girl. His task had been completed so easily with just a bit of food—it felt too simple.
Although he had his doubts, Rogge dared not be careless.
He gestured to his men, signaling them to erase all traces of Linlin's path to prevent her from retracing her steps.