Episode. 04 Snowfall (2)
‘It’s a big deal!’
High-ranking people often find it unpleasant to even hear the breathing of the lower class.
Even more, if it was Richard, it would have been more, but not less.
When Richard, who soon found the source of the sound, turned toward the child, Roman rang the bell in alarm.
The stiff old body trembled as if it would block Richard’s way at any moment.
“You have a bad fever.”
However, what Roman feared did not happen. Everyone’s eyes were focused on Richard.
Richard opened his mouth while placing his hand on the child’s forehead.
“Little boy. What is your name?”
“Ph, this is Fria.”
Freea’s trembling lips turned blue. It was only natural that he had been lying face down in this cold snowy field all along.
At that time, Freea felt a strange feeling in Richard’s hand.
Something very cozy and warm. The warmth of a sunny day seemed to envelop him.
“ah… … .”
“Are you okay now?”
Seeing the improved complexion of the child, Richard frowned.
Looking around, there was hardly anyone in the village who was in good shape.
Coughing teeth, skinny body.
Among them, there was a person wrapped tightly in one place with a cloth that had become frostbitten.
‘He must have enough faith to heal.’
Richard turned his head and asked Roman, who was standing there awkwardly.
“Is there anything to eat in this town?”
“that is… … doesn’t exist.”
Roman’s stomach burned black as he answered. He couldn’t understand Richard’s thoughts.
“Is the house well protected from the cold?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Are you safe from monsters and beasts?”
“Oh, no.”
“Aren’t you getting any support from the Hessian barons?”
Snowfall is a town with severe cold throughout the year. No matter how northern it was, only the surroundings of this town were strangely cold.
“That, that… … .”
Roman only rolled his eyes. Baron Hessen was also standing here.
If she answered yes to Richard’s question, it was impossible to know what would happen afterwards.
At that time, it was the baron who stepped forward.
“Brother Richard. Because this town is such a harsh environment… … .”
“I never asked you.”
The baron’s face turned bright red at Richard’s sudden interruption.
“Baron Hessen. Isn’t it time to be like that?”
“What are you talking about… … .”
“The villagers say they have nothing to eat. There is no firewood to escape the cold, and apparently there are no troops to protect the village.”
Richard muttered as he looked over the town.
“By the way, Baron Hessen is in this town right now? amazing! To find out the condition of the village by yourself. He is a great model for nobles.”
“Yes, yes?”
“From now on, Snowfall will be taken care of by the Baron.”
aww-
The baron gnashed his teeth without anyone noticing.
Do you even know what the hell this son of a b*tch is talking about?
From noble mtl dot com
But he couldn’t show his displeasure. The baron could not resist against the background of the immature child in front of him.
“Now, you know what you have to do, right?”
Richard, who merely raised the corner of his mouth, couldn’t be too mean to the baron.
“Aaron. Write down a list of supplies you need along with the drivers. Let’s ease the work.”
“All right.”
how the hell things work Seeing the bustling town, the baron suppressed his rising anger.
‘after… … I won’t be able to get enough of this kind of heroic play.’
If you just set the rhythm for a while, it will be over without a hitch. It was when he was repeating that to himself.
“I think there will be a lot of things to come to this village to play in the future, and I hope you show your progress at that time.”
Richard tapped the baron on the shoulder and said.
To feed this worthless village on the baron’s money?
‘Then do you support yourself! damn son… … !’
Gapjil also did not have such a gabjil.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Damn, is this house really the warmest place?”
I muttered as I tightened my coat.
The village chief led us to his residence. His house was in only slightly better condition than the others, but it was no different than shabby.
It is very difficult to see that the cold wind is blowing in a house where people live.
“I’m sorry.”
The frightened old man’s voice trembled.
I even gave the baron a blow for them, but it was clear that he was still afraid of me.
“I… … young master. As I already told you, we have nothing to return for your kindness.”
Why do you think I’m going to rip something out?
Even in such a run-down town, the perception of ‘Richard’ seemed to be widespread.
“ha… … done. Mary, you remain here.”
It’s cold inside or outside anyway, so I decided that I should at least walk around.
I stood up and whispered to Mary.
“It’s God, it’s faith, don’t talk about it yet. How can I ease that man’s vigilance?”
“All right!”
As if receiving a revelation from God, Mary’s eyes lit up.
When I went outside, the knights and soldiers of the Hessian Baron family were walking around busily.
In particular, the look on the baron’s expression as he was examining the support items was very spectacle.
‘If it’s your child, it’s not something you should manage properly.’
Of course, it’s not something I care about, but even at times like this, shouldn’t we use the crazy image?
This village is where my followers will live from now on.
“young master. It’s cold. Why did you come out?”
“Hey, it’s cold in the house too. It is better to move.”
Before I knew it, I chatted with Aaron, who had come to my side.
“… … So, what the hell did you come here for?”
“Well, I have an idea of my own.”
At my words, Aaron’s expression turned strange.
“I heard that people around you say that the young master hates the cold very much. Seeing that you’ve come this far, you must have an idea… … .”
His expression was even more serious.
“If you do this out of simple kindness, the people of this village will be very angry.”
He said I was hasty. As if he had persecuted the Baron of Hessen as a pastime.
So, as if this village had fallen out of sight of the baron.
“The moment you stop paying attention to this village… … .”
I cut him off and pointed at the village that was all crumbling.
“You don’t feel anything when you see this tail?”
“yes?”
Aaron made an expression that he didn’t understand.
This is probably normal. As this world was set in the Middle Ages, it was insensitive to human rights.
“This village has no value as a territory. So, isn’t it natural to be neglected?”
It was not wrong. Resources are always finite and have value. Investing it in a town like this would be a loss.
“Then I can make it worthwhile.”
It’s not that I’m particularly full of justice or that I have great empathy.
Even if it was just me, I came all the way here out of necessity.
“… … ?”
Leaving Aaron tilting his head behind me, I looked down at the engraving on my right hand.
‘Will it really work?’
An engraving is a mark to recognize the owner’s qualities.
If the skill of the owner rises due to the talents that exist in this world, is that also included as a quality?
We don’t know yet. But you will find out soon.
“Aaron. Tomorrow we are going to climb the snowy mountain.”
◈ ◈ ◈
Aaron Meyer looked at Richard. Aaron had no idea what he was thinking.
‘You mean it wasn’t useless sympathy? What are you thinking… … .’
To him, Richard’s expression didn’t seem pretentious.
His face was full of confidence, as if he had foreseen the future.
It had been about two months since Aaron had assisted Richard in place of Gide.
Richard, whom Aaron had been watching over all this time, had no sense of frivolity in his words and actions, but he did not do anything to be called an idiot.
Rather, the appearance of hanging himself in training became a model for other knights, and the day he fell into a trance is still occasionally talked about.
Besides, Richard’s growth was too fast to say he lacked talent.
Physical strength trained to the level of a low-ranking knight in just two months, and basic swordsmanship that became proficient.
There was nothing that lived up to the notoriety of being a fool.
‘Could it be that you’ve been hiding yourself until now… … .’
For a moment, Aaron’s eyes widened. He thought his hypothesis was credible.
‘Insensitivity to mana… … Is it because of that?’
It’s a very harsh curse that no one else, the Battenberg lineage, can’t feel mana.
Battenberg’s bloodlines always had an invisible competition for the successor position.
It seemed like the successor had been decided now, but when Richard was young, the competition was overheating.
‘If Master Richard hadn’t hidden this talent, the other Masters who felt a sense of crisis would have reacted in some way.’
Then why now? Aaron, who had been thinking that far, hardened his face.
Aaron felt like he had a glimpse of the true face of the young master I was serving.
A predatory beast seeking an opportunity with its fangs hidden.
‘okay. Until now, he had been hiding his talent because of insensitivity to mana. Now there’s no reason to do that.’
“You are such a scary person… … .”
◈ ◈ ◈
The night at Snowfall was harsh.
“ha… … .”
I got up in the carriage. It was my resting place that I chose after wandering here and there to avoid the cold. Of course, even wagons cannot completely block the cold.
“Bocchan, good morning.”
“okay.”
Mary, who was up first, offered tea. Then he crossed himself and muttered.
“God bless you today. Ho-le.”
“… … okay.”
Still can’t get used to it.
This was the Horgyo greeting that Mary had made herself not too long ago.
With this level of sincerity, I wondered if I should give up the position of the religious leader.
I turned my eyes into the void.
‘Today, my faith has reached about 180.’
Mary and Melain seemed to be praying earnestly. I no longer invested my faith in basic swordsmanship.
It might be a matter of efficiency, but after entering the A rank, I felt like I was firmly blocked by an invisible wall.
‘Invest 100 in mana insensitivity.’
My chest is tickling. Originally, mana is sensed and stored through an organ in the heart.
To say that there was a problem with the process of feeling mana meant that there was something wrong with the heart.
‘This too is not far away.’
A heart that had already consumed a considerable amount of faith.
It seemed that a little more investment would make a big difference. I stretched out, praying for a speedy recovery.
Today was the day to climb the snowy mountain, so I had to move quickly.