143 – Taming the Madman (3)
Damian is back to normal. Even after going through such an uproar, he carried out the originally given task as if it were no big deal.
The chores that maids and housekeepers do.
Even though his knights had the fighting ability to the extent that they struggled in shock for a while, he did his job silently.
Although he was consistently dissatisfied with his role, he did not neglect a given task, even if it seemed absurd. So he couldn’t blame anyone.
“Ingredients for stew.”
Damian devoted himself to distributing the remaining ingredients to each group.
It would have been better if I had been consistently crazy. Seeing those eyes that were hungry for a fight, the knights of the escort were more anxious than they were now, polite and calm.
The knights sat in groups of four or five around a campfire and exchanged words about the day’s duel.
“If it wasn’t Sorell’s idiot, a Hans or a Bnewell would have won.”
“It’s not enough for the unit commander or Nielen-nim.”
Damien’s opponent had been told that he was careless and that his superiors would not be able to break even a bone, but they knew it. It was absurd to bring the leadership to the target of comparison with Damian.
He was only a freshman in Eternia.
“Eternia is a place where only one of the few exceptional kids in each country goes.”
For the knights, the status of Eternia had no choice but to rise.
“That bastard didn’t have a single scratch. Does she think it makes sense to trip over his feet like an idiot with those reflexes?”
“… “
“He got that bastard on purpose.”
“That went too far. He must have just been caught off guard.”
Some of the belligerent knights shouted that they would challenge Damian to a duel if they got the chance again, but they didn’t say when they would do it. It’s a situation where you can’t be certain who will win, and since you’re labeled as a veteran swordsman, it’s because you have to win and lose a lot if you lose.
This duel did not bring about any noticeable change, such as the escort’s original goal being reversed. Winning, losing, fighting, and being beaten was just a daily routine for the knights.
But not everything went as it should.
No one mocked or looked down on Damian anymore.
When Damian passed nearby, the murmuring soldiers became quiet. Also, he had to be careful because he could cause a riot and get hurt by a young guy.
The mental shock of the knights from the Imperial Royal Academy was long lasting, but they had to admit it too. It’s Eternia’s kid, and if you touch it, you’ll get a serious nose injury.
***
From early dawn, the escorts were busy preparing for movement. Soldiers are busy carrying something on their shoulders as they walk through the tent and maintain supplies. In the meantime, Damian approached Gerald, Vivi’s direct aide.
Damien said in a tone devoid of emotion, as if he were reporting on his office work.
“I want to stand by the princess.”
“I want you to respect the basic procedure. Just as you wouldn’t go to the principal to change your schedule, you can’t go to the person at the top if you’re dissatisfied with personnel decisions.”
“I said that I would protect the princess, but I did not say that I would protect the belongings and employees of her princess.”
“Princess doesn’t care about the arrangement of her soldiers. I also don’t care The deployment of soldiers is the prerogative of the escort commander. Pour out your grievances on him.”
This was the best favor Gerald could do.
“…”
Damien goes back without a word. It seemed he had no intention of giving up. I will definitely come back during the day and at night.
Gerald looked at Damian and was lost in thought. I didn’t feel any self-interest, and it didn’t seem to be caused by a sense of self-interest that volatilized over time. It’s enough to gain fame even if you’re not by the princess’s side, so what is the reason for being so greedy?
You won’t know until you dig into the inside, and even if you know, it’s still too early to judge Damian.
You need qualifications to stand by the princess. She must prove her own abilities through rigorous training and her hellish journey before she can stand beside him. Moreover, the direct escort has to share daily life with Vivi. There was no reason to appoint Damian at the risk of leaking confidential information related to the princess.
The princess wanted to endanger Damian. It was for this reason that she tried to keep Damian away from Vivi as much as possible.
Gerald respected and served her princess with all her heart, but her twisted side was sometimes painful to face.
***
The journey has begun again. Because there were many people accompanying them, they left the Grace Mountains later than expected.
Until yesterday, it was under the influence of Eternia, so it was peaceful without any threats from bandits or witches. And today, around noon, I entered the border of the principality. Safety could no longer be assured.
I sat in the rattling carriage and was silent. The ladies-in-waiting also kept their mouths shut, giving off an awkward vibe.
Thanks to the duel, I was able to solidify my position, but there were also side effects.
The problem is that the maids sitting in the wagon with me have been having a hard time dealing with me since yesterday. Since they were on the same side and fought until they were covered in blood, the handmaidens in the lowest position could have been difficult to get close to. I feel like I’ve become friends at best.
The escorts headed southeast. I wasn’t notified of my destination, and I couldn’t tell from the scenery outside. However, considering the direction alone, it was certain that it would pass through Barbisia.
During the spare time in the wagon, I thought about what would happen in the future.
I racked my brains over what the landscape was like in my dream, but nothing came to mind. If only I knew the location, I would have been able to roughly deduce when the situation of the precognitive dream would be reproduced as it is.
The crisis situation could have happened tomorrow. Maybe it will happen tonight. As soon as possible, he must acquire a position where he can act alongside Gongnyeo.
After meeting her once in Eternia, she has been unable to even approach her, let alone speak to her.
Among the guards, we had to cull out those who would harbor treason and betray the princess. That’s the most likely scenario.
And I had to push them out and stay by the princess’s side.
The problem was the escort leader of a princess named Nielen.
A powerful swordsman who is said to be among the 100 people in the principality. And he is also one of the pursuers who appeared in the dream.
That man is the biggest threat to me.
Vivi’s aide mentioned that the captain of the escort said he didn’t trust me yet.
Before the incident broke out, it was necessary to put swords together and gauge their strength. There would be no chance of winning because I would not bring out the magic sword, but the information to be obtained from sword facing was worth it.
Wouldn’t they ignore me if I ran to them and asked them to fight? If you keep hitting from below, you won’t be able to stay still.
My first goal was to make sure Nielen couldn’t ignore me.
***
The rider on the horse shouts loudly.
“All in place!”
The rotation of the wagon wheel gradually decreases.
As evening drew near, the carriage stopped at the entrance of a small village.
Fragile fences made of twigs. It was a small village with about ten houses.
Then the maids who were in the same carriage as me came out of the carriage in perfect order. As if they had been trained.
I got off the carriage late.
The ladies-in-waiting rushed to the carriage of the princess and waited.
One of the guards opened the door, but Contrary to expectations, the princess did not come out right away and waited.
Soon after, a leg stretches out of the carriage door.
Long white legs. It was clearly a princess.
At the moment I want to know what I am doing. A lady-in-waiting approaches her with her shoes and puts them on her feet.
After the servant put her shoes on, she got out of her wagon and set foot on the dirt herself.
Bibi looked at the maids standing in a row and lowered her head, and said.
“Where is the last one?”
“… ?”
“There must be another one, but where is he laziness?”
The ladies-in-waiting open their eyes wide and exchange glances with each other as if embarrassed.
“Ah, lady. If it’s Polly, I’ll stay in Rigbed…”
“No, the new worker from Eternia.”
Soon after, all the guards standing around turned their heads and looked at me.
Yeah, I’m not looking for the 3rd year Eternia senior who joined the escort.
Soon after, my aide, Gerald, called my name.
“Damian! Come over here.”
The princess has officially admitted that she treated her day on the same level as her ladies-in-waiting.
I calmly approached the princess.
“You found it. Lady Gong.”
“Oh, yes. You’re coming now I heard that she got into a fight with her colleague and started abusive behavior.”
“It was a fair duel.”
“The job given to you is not to be vulgarly punching.”
“…Likewise, chores such as washing dishes and carrying food are not my job.”
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“You seem not satisfied with the work you have been given. Why? If you go a little further, you’ll appreciate being transported in a wagon. Is it you who asked me to escort you by my side?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, my loyal escort captain is adamant that you should not be included in the fighting force. After some deliberation, I decided to accept that advice. It’s for your safety.”
“…”
“You haven’t proven anything yet. So I can’t entrust you with an important mission. However, I will accept your request and suggest a way to work by my side.”
I have an ominous feeling.
“From now on, you and my ladies-in-waiting will colonel the shoes and put them on my feet yourself. Anytime my legs have to work from morning till night. As you request, I will let you work under me.”
A moment of silence flows. Humiliating treatment. The knights of the escort clenched their swords tightly with faces nervous about what kind of sudden action I would take.
“I will decline the offer. If the captain of the escort does not believe in my sword, I will prove myself and win my qualifications.”
“I thought it was a position suitable for your background and ability, but it’s a pity.”
I’m from. Since all the maids-in-waiting were orphans, did they put me in their place?
Meanwhile, a disorderly commotion broke out in the village.
“Please let me see Princess Bibi!”
“We have been waiting for Princess Gongnyeo!”
Despite the threat of the escorts, the villagers reluctantly pushed themselves forward to see the princess.
Even if a knife was thrust into their throats, the miasma rose up and they tried to break through the guard wall.
The conversation with Bibi fizzled out and everyone’s attention turned to the outsider.
A baboon shouted at her knight blocking her path.
“Send it. I’ll listen and see what’s going on.”
The road opened and some of the village elders approached the princess and knelt down in front of her.
The stench came up as if it hadn’t been washed for several months.
When the knights make an unexpected move, they aim at the point of their swords as if they would cut them right away.
The wrinkles on the old man’s wrinkled face were covered with black patches, and several of her front teeth were missing. Rather than being just a beggar, he is a figure who has suffered from a long famine.
The eldest-looking old man spoke as a representative.
“Princess, the great and wise princess, I am the head of this small, nameless village. Please have pity on us. At the end of despair, we have been waiting to see only the princess.”
Then he fell flat on his face, pressing his forehead to the ground.
Bibi furrows her brow. This situation seemed very unpleasant.
She said, “I heard that no one lives in this area. But how did you settle down in this remote place?”
“We are slash-and-burn people driven out of Barbisia.”
Barbisia is the territory of the principality, but it is an abandoned land ruled by no lord. And it’s where our escorts have to go through.
“What crime did you commit?”
“I couldn’t pay the tribute to the priest. We….”
“Okay, so what are you trying to say?”
“We moved several times for farming. There is no problem for a year or two after moving, but suddenly a bad harvest comes, as if it has been cursed. Even if you move, you experience the same thing. No matter how hard you work to clear the field and sow seeds, the crops do not grow. They can no longer migrate, and they are so famine that they have to eat the corpses of their unborn babies. Please, have mercy.”
“… Guide them to the village I will look into the situation here myself.”
The old man trembled his frail body and got up and led us into the village.
The princess took the lead, followed by a long procession of escorts.
The village was quiet as if it had been plagued. In front of her crumbling house, a woman cradled her skinny newborn child and looked at her princess with her frightened eyes.
The villagers open the door and come out one by one. The cheeks were all dry, and the outlines of the facial bones were clearly visible. They were severely starved, and the children did not even cry as if they had no strength.
Because she was wearing a long-brimmed hat, I couldn’t tell what the princess looked like when she looked around.
The princess stopped her abrupt steps and turned around. And from her mouth came her unexpected command.
“Grow extra grain here, right now.”
***
The escort camped at the entrance of the village. Even with extra food, it was not possible to feed the hungry. This is because there is a risk of sudden death if you starve for a long time and pour in food at once. Even so, they ate thin porridge. Those were the faces that were satisfied with just that.
The villagers were freed from starvation for a while because they were given an amount of grain that would keep them from starving for several weeks.
Unexpectedly, it seemed that sympathy was working well for the princess.
Did it involve a political judgment that I can’t fathom? There are many eyewitnesses, so there may be some good jokes.
No matter what the wind blew, Bibi didn’t stop there.
“Give me my golden cups!”
Then an attendant went to the wagon and brought a rectangular wooden box. Opening the lid revealed dozens of golden wine glasses.
“I will award you these cups if you promise to abandon this land and find a new home in Rigbed.”
As long as the golden cup was enough, it was enough to prepare a living foundation in Rigbed.
The village chief knelt down and stamped her head on the ground to express his gratitude.
“Even if I die, I will not forget your grace.”
It is enough just to unwrap food to create a good story. There was no need to give so excessively to the people of the forsaken land. Bibi may be a benevolent and tolerant person, unlike the naive and extravagant impression that has stuck in my head.
The ladies-in-waiting also respected her princess with all her heart.
Maybe the gongnyeo is only vicious towards me.
***
I woke up in the deep dawn. It was because I heard the footsteps of a stranger outside the tent where I was lying. The sound was light and very cautious to be the footsteps of a soldier on watch. As if you don’t want to get caught.
I muffled my voice and got up from my bed. And carefully took the sword.
When I came out of the tent, I saw a black silhouette lowering itself in the dark and moving out of town. Why the heck is it moving so secretly?
My gut tells me I shouldn’t miss this.
I also killed the presence and followed the silhouette.
The black figure stopped in front of an old tree standing alone on the outskirts of the village.
Someone was already waiting in front of the old tree. He is tall and has a well-built appearance.
Soon after, the silver armor glistened in the moonlight. Somewhere familiar
I slowly closed the distance and overheard their voices. One of the two silhouettes was a maid I knew.
“Mr Nielen… maybe that….”
Nielen is the commander of the escorts.
“Never… It’s a secret. Gongnyeo’s…… It should never be said… If… if… Die.”
It seems that an important matter has come and gone, but my hearing is limited, so I couldn’t grasp the details properly. It was suspicious that the maid and the commander-in-chief met in the middle of the night.
I moved closer to them to hear more about the story.
Suddenly Nielen drew her sword and muttered as she looked in the direction I was hiding.
“A rat crawled in.”