Chapter 8

Chapter 8

THAT VERY DAY, I left to visit the villages in my domain. I instructed Valbo and the other dwarves to focus on repairing the castle wall for the time being.

Aside from me, members of the domain patrol included: Ild, Sedam, Reyha, Torrad, Djirk, Ted, and Fijika. I asked the Four Dark Elf Sisters to protect the castle along with Clara, whom I appointed my vice-regent. But I have to admit, the idea that we’re only going to split up like this more and more is pretty nerve-racking. Now I get all too well what everyone meant when they said we need soldiers.

“The three villages in your domain are respectively known as Edgewood Village, Healwood Village, and Backwood Village.” As we trudged along the barely visible path that ran through the dense greenery of the Endless Forest, Ild gave me a rundown of the villages.

Edgewood Village was the largest of the three, but even so, its population failed to hit two hundred. Nearly all of the villagers were woodcutters who hauled their wood clear to Yulei Village for sale.

Healwood Village, as one might infer from the name, benefitted from numerous types of medicinal herbs that grew plentifully in the area. Highly skilled healers had lived there for generations, making it a common place for merchants to visit.

The last of the villages, Backwood Village, was literally the village the farthest back in the forest. The people there primarily hunted to get by.

“Each village has its own well-defined characteristics,” I appraised.

“Come again?”

“Sorry, forget it.”

Fijika went ahead to deliver the notices to each of the villages that I was their new lord, but how would the people receive me? This forest had been under the control of bandits until just recently. I hope they don’t wind up saying, “We don’t need a lord anymore! Chase him out of town!”

***

We reached Edgewood Village, the closest of the three to Castle Getaeus, right before sundown. As the name implied, the village enclosed behind a crude wooden fence was on the edge of a large pond. All of the buildings were made of wood and horribly run down, even compared to the ones in Yulei Village.

“…You’re slow,” Fijika complained, waiting for us at the entrance. A tanned man in his peak years was with her. He introduced himself as the village leader.

“We swear our fealty to you, our new lord and master.” The village leader didn’t so much as hesitate to drop to one knee and pledge allegiance on behalf of the village. Yet the expression on his face was steeped in fear and apprehension rather than hope and relief.

“And I shall strive to repay you for your loyalty. Did you give him the letter?” After speaking to the village leader, I turned to Fijika. He shouldn’t be this scared if he read the letter Ild wrote for me.

“I did.”

“I-Indeed, I had the privilege of reading your letter! It said you will temporarily e-exempt us from taxes… The entire village is most grateful!”

“Uh-huh…”

Is it possible he thinks this is too good to be true? I didn’t have a keen eye at discerning this sort of thing due to my egregious inexperience. Never in my life had I spent any time “looking down” at the “little people.”

“Lord Sor—Wizard!”

“Lord!”

“I pledge my loyalty to you!”

Villagers gathering on the green prostrated themselves upon the ground the moment they saw me. Although they seemed respectful enough, it was unpleasant how they shared the same look of fear as the village leader.

“I already mentioned this in the letter to your leader, but I would like to develop this village just as I am Castle Getaeus. I intend to start by improving the roads that connect you with the castle and the Lawful Way in the near future. I hope you will help me with this endeavor.”

“Yes, my lord!”

With the formalities out of the way, the village proceeded to throw a feast in my honor. In tune with their low spirits, it was a depressing party. The food and wine I was served looked somehow sickly compared to what Mora and the others had prepared for me back at Castle Getaeus. I realized the village itself was impoverished, so I forced myself to down it with a smile.

Figuring it was the courteous thing to do, I gave the village leader a few dozen gold coins for all their trouble. When I did, suspicion instead of gratitude flashed across his face.

Based on what I learned from the leader, the three villages in the Endless Forest were indeed under the control of the bandits. The villages suffered horribly at their hands; the scoundrels periodically demanded food and valuables, and brutally slaughtered any who defied them as a warning.

After what they’ve been though, it’s no wonder they aren’t quick to trust strangers. When the village leader’s daughter came to refill my wineglass during the celebrations, her hands were trembling violently.

That night, it was decided I would sleep in the village leader’s house. Despite his respected position, the home was composed of just three rooms; it was no better than a log cabin. Seeing as all seven of us couldn’t possibly cram inside, I got the den to myself while the village leader and his family slept in the adjacent room that looked like it was used for storage.

Ild and the rest of my group pitched tents on the village green. I naturally tried to sleep outside with them at first, but got roped into staying with the village leader when he insisted Edgewood Village couldn’t possibly allow its lord to sleep outside. Still, I feel awful about putting him and his family out like this. From now on, I’m roughing it outside no matter what anyone says. In all reality, it’s probably more comfortable out there than on this musty pallet.

“…I should get to sleep.”

The livestock penned directly outside of the house were loud, and they stank. Desperate to get this night over with as quickly as possible, I closed my eyes to lost myself in sleep. (…But if I’m their lord, isn’t it my obligation to provide better lives for these people…?)

“Master,” whispered an alluring, husky voice, just beside my ear. Thoughts of a fledging lord’s duties swiftly vanished from my drowsy mind.

“Wha—?”

The silhouette of a mature woman was barely visible in the darkness. I thought I was going to have a heart attack for a split second—only to realize it was Reyha.

“I-Is there a problem?”

“I have apprehended your assailants,” she answered.

“Assailants?”

With bleary eyes, I threw the robe over my head, illuminated the tip of my Staff of Wizardry with magic, and left the house. Directly in front of it was the village green. There, three young men lay bound upon the ground. A young lady sat nearby in a crumpled heap.

“…I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault!” cried the young lady (the village leader’s daughter, I noticed upon closer inspection). For some reason, she threw herself at my feet.

“Mmph! Mmmph!” The gagged young men struggled to break free as they glared hatefully at me.

Ild and the others who’d set up camp out here were wide awake. Exasperation was plainly written on their faces.

“What is going on here…?”

“Wh-what is going on here?!” Dashing out of the house shortly after me, the village leader shouted the very same words I’d said right before him. I guess great minds think alike.

“These three tried to sneak into your room bearing weapons, so I apprehended them. The girl was following behind the three.”

Flying into a rage upon hearing Reyha’s explanation, the village leader grabbed his daughter by the collar and shouted, “What?! Kina, what in the world were you thinking?!”

“I couldn’t help it, Dad! I…I couldn’t bear to go through with it… So Kell and the others, they…” Kina protested. Going by the girl’s response to her father’s outburst…

Essentially the village leader ordered his daughter to “entertain” me for the night in hopes of ingratiating himself with me. Not wanting to do that, Kina turned to her three lifelong friends for help. Mustering their (reckless) courage, they tried to snuff my lights out, huh?

“W-we weren’t going to kill you…”

“We were just going to scare you a bit so you’d give up on Kina…”

“A-and aren’t you actually that evil sorcerer, Jargle?! You can’t trick me with all your smooth talk!”

A name I hadn’t heard in ages flew from the mouth of one of the young men once the gags were removed. To be fair, the forest surrounding the village kept it isolated. I suspect rumors about Geo Margilus make it here, but if they’re lumped together with the previous owner of the castle, Jargle… Well, it would hardly surprise me.

“What shall we do with them, Lord Margilus?” Ild asked calmly despite his exasperation.

Wait, “Do with them”?

“…By any chance, will my decision count as a court ruling?”

“According to the King’s Law, it most certainly will, since we’re in your domain. For the record, an attempt on the lord’s life is a crime rightfully punishable by death,” Ild explained.

“Master, with your permission, I will take it upon myself to execute them…after I make them suffer agony so great, it would make monstrosities of darkness wail.” Reyha certainly had a knack for the ominous.

The King’s Law was a legal system shared by the countries that had inherited the legacy of the Kingdom of Shrendal. I was in the middle of learning about it in detail from Ild and Clara, but I’d never expected to use my right as ruler to pass judgment so soon.

“And here I didn’t want to have anything more to do with trials…” Not that complaining would make the problem before me—or my duty to resolve it—magically disappear.

Pulling myself together, I addressed the three young men. “…Kell, Sacco, and Rye, was it? You were planning to take me on when you were under the impression I was an ‘evil sorcerer’ for the sake of your friend, Kina… Didn’t you think I might kill you?”

“…S-sure we did, but…”

“Several of my friends and fellow villagers lost their lives to Jargle and the bandits! I don’t care if I die if I can avenge them…!”

“K-Kina is my dear f-friend…”

“It’s all my fault! S-so, uh, if you must e-execute someone…p-please execute…m-me…”

The three young men and young woman desperately made their cases. The village leader merely stood aghast with lips quivering, the blood drained from his face.

I slightly raised my staff to silence the group before first addressing the dark elf. “Reyha.”

“Yes, master.”

“…I had you answer to the laws of Relis for your crimes. It is only fair I hold them to the law.”

“If that is what you wish,” she replied.

…Not that there is much of a law to hold them to. Even under the King’s Law, a lord essentially wielded full authority over his domain. In other words, I was the law. This is too much pressure!

Forcing back the urge to start screaming and crying, I began mulling over the situation. Emotionally speaking, I didn’t care to punish any of the boys. That said, I’d look weak if I acquitted them for attempted assault (or attempted homicide, depending on the viewpoint) against their lord.

“Hrrn…” If I was supposed to be the law, I should at least execute it in a way that satisfied everyone.

“You are guilty of attempted assault on your lord. However, I am partly at fault this time for failing to resolve a grave misunderstanding. Taking this into account…the three of you are ordered to serve forced labor at Castle Getaeus. The term is three years… Furthermore, you will be assigned the most difficult position: soldiers. You’d best brace yourselves.”

“Y-you’re making us castle soldiers?!”

“…I-I’ll do it! I’ll do anything if you don’t execute me…!”

“Th-thank you…”

They probably interpreted the call to arms as purely punishment for their crime. Their faces were by no means beaming with joy, yet there was most certainly a hint of relief that they weren’t condemned to die. The young lady broke into a great smile, tears streaming down her cheeks as she threw herself upon the other three. I was sure that sparing her alone made it worthwhile for them.

The village leader and other local spectators breathed heavy sighs of relief. If there was anyone I wanted to come down hard on, it was Kina’s father, but I’d have to reconcile myself to letting him off with a sound scolding from Ild.

“I think that was a wise decision. We need soldiers who know this forest like the back of their hand,” Ild whispered next to me. Come to think of it, that’s a good point.

There is a legitimate possibility we could fight daemons at the castle, so I might actually wind up cutting the lives of these three young men short, I thought with a heavy heart, but there was no going back on my decision to take up the mantle of lord.

“Anyway, aren’t there two more villages? …I sure hope I can get a decent night’s sleep at the next one,” I grumbled.

“We’ll have to wait and see, but it is your duty as lord to resolve the problems your people bring forward,” Ild replied dourly at the sight of my sour expression. “That holds true regardless who you are resolving the problem for.”

***

Having completed our inspection at Edgewood Village, our party set out for Healwood Village. The village elder was an old woman from a long line of healers. Beloved by the other villagers, the clever old woman was something else.

Learning from our mistake in the last village, I sent Ild ahead to explain the situation in person before I made my appearance. As a result, discussions with the elder went smoothly.

“You can see we’re not much of a village, but that didn’t stop the bandits from milking us dry. If you are willing to keep us safe from now on, we will happily serve as your loyal subjects,” the elder swore.

“Of course. It’s a pleasure to officially accept you and your village into my domain, then.”

The elder said the population of Healwood Village was approximately 130, so I suspected the people were barely getting by. Just like with Edgewood Village, I not only promised to ensure the safety of the village and improve their standard of life, but also informed the elder I would not collect taxes for the time being. As could be expected, the elder and villagers were thrilled by such exciting news, but…

“I am terribly sorry, but to be honest, I have one more favor to ask of you.” The shriveled old woman shrank in on herself even more as she begged me to help…exterminate undead.

According to the village elder, just recently, undead soldiers suddenly began wandering the forest at night. Between the fact that they didn’t actively attack humans and didn’t appear near the village, thus far there hadn’t been any casualties. Unfortunately, they did appear in the same area as some invaluable herb clusters. At least on a financial level, their presence was devastating the village.

“It’d take money we simply don’t have to hire adventurers…and we can’t very well turn to the city troops or Calbanera Knights when we aren’t paying their taxes.” After hearing the village elder’s explanation, there was no way I could ignore their request as the lord of this land.

***

For someone accustomed to city life in modern Japan, the forest at night was surprisingly dark. Yet even my maladjusted eyes could make out my surroundings thanks to the pale white light of the moon shining through the canopy of trees overhead—not to mention the phosphorescent glow emitted by our unearthly targets.

There were about twenty of these humanoid undead stumbling and staggering through the forest. The distorted double-file line they fell into only increased the creep factor.

They were possessed zombies. According to the warrior-priest Torrad, the spirits possessing the reanimated corpses took the form of a yellow glow that enshrouded their bodies. I doubt it’s a coincidence they share the same traits as D&B’s “wights,” but there’s no way for me to prove it.

The undead were equipped with battered armor and shields along with horribly chipped swords and spears. Emitting the occasional groan from bodies as shriveled as mummies, there was no doubt they were the walking dead.

“Army of darkness! This is the realm of the living!” Torrad planted himself before the marching undead and presented the holy symbol of the goddess he worshipped. Upon reciting verses from a sacred tome, blinding light began to shine down on the undead army. “In the name of the winter protector, Ashginea, I command you: Souls of the deceased, begone!”

“Grah! Argaaa…!”

“…Phsshhh… Urggle…”

“Wow! Turn Undead!” I couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement from my position on standby with Sedam, Djirk, and Ted. We were supposed to be ready to leap into action the moment Torrad needed support.

Bathed under the holy light, the yellow glow that shrouded the decaying bodies began to dissipate as if it were evaporating. Free of the glow, or rather, of the spirits, the soldiers crumbled to the ground one after another. They were merely corpses once again.

Impressive as he was, not even Torrad could exorcise twenty possessed zombies all at once. But Djirk and Ted advanced to the front and fended off the remaining soldiers while he blasted them with another Turn Undead. The group of possessed zombies didn’t even stand a chance when the divine light showered down on them a second time. It’s easy to see why they’re respected as an elite adventuring party throughout the area, even over in Relis.

“…I’ve checked the surroundings. No other undead are in the vicinity,” Reyha said.

“Uh-huh.” I only half-heartedly listened to the report Reyha made after having combed the area for more enemies.

A bit giddy from seeing divine power in action for the first time, I amiably slapped Torrad’s muscular shoulder. “Well done! I’m sure this will set the people of Healwood Village at ease.”

“Indeed… It’s just…” said the warrior-priest with a hint of sadness mixed with fatigue. When casting Turn Undead, there was a risk that a cleric would come into contact with the mind or memories of the target undead.

“These were soldiers drafted to fight against daemons in the War of Loss. I suspect they awakened when they sensed that daemon nest a little while back.”

…Does that mean even the undead are enemies of the daemons? Come to think of it, I don’t hear too much about “monsters” in this world other than daemons. For there to be enough work to warrant establishing “adventurer” as an actual job, wouldn’t it mean there are other nasty things out there?

“Yeah, there sure are,” Sedam said when I asked. “Of course, daemons are the nastiest of the bunch.”

“Magical beasts and spirits like the ones we just fought are pretty common in remote areas,” Ted explained.

Aside from the daemons, the monsters in Sedia could be broken into three broad categories: magical beasts, monstrosities, and the undead. Both magical beasts and monstrosities were creatures negatively influenced by mana in the natural world. The term “magical beast” described any wild animals, insects, and plants that had been “distorted by mana” and then branched off into their own independent species. On the other hand, monstrosities were creatures that partially transcended matter.

“Some common magical beasts we’re hired to deal with include kobolds, fire spiders, and death’s-head bees,” Sedam said.

“I still haven’t seen a monstrosity…not that I ever want to run into one,” Ted added.

Yeah, I’m with you on that.

***

The next day…

“Hoo… Hoo…”

“I-I’m exhausted…”

“Huff… Huff… Huff…”

“Keep on pace! You can’t march too fast or too slow! One breath per step! Don’t change your gait!”

We were on the forest trail to our final destination, Backwood Village. Along the way, Djirk was training the three young men we’d unexpectedly enlisted in Edgewood Village. All of our equipment was strung across their backs. It wasn’t as if we were punishing or bullying the boys. According to Djirk, this was a common form of march training. Apparently, he’d actually served in a military unit once, which was why I placed him as commander of their training for the time being.

“A good eighty percent of a soldier’s job is walking. And if the entire army can’t cover the same distance at the same time, it’s useless in battle! I’ll be sure to hammer this point into them right from the start!” Torrad promised.

The image I had of soldierly training was more along the lines of repeating sword, spear, and assault exercises. Leave it to an ex-pro to know how it’s really done… For the record, this hike was a walk in the park compared to what the Mage Knight cadets had had to endure.

Fortunately, we managed to reach Backwood Village before the three new recruits collapsed from exhaustion. With a population of a hundred, it was the smallest of the three villages…and the most difficult to reach. Between the two, I could only imagine how horribly impoverished it would be.

In fact, some of the homes there were no better than pithouses. But going by the complexion and physique of the villagers, they seemed far healthier than the people in the other two hamlets. When I brought it up with the village chief, he explained that all of their hunters boasted such great skill that they never suffered for want of meat or furs. They also weren’t hit as hard by the bandits as the previous two villages, thanks to their distance from the bandit fortress (now Castle Getaeus). What’s more, they were able to defend themselves to a certain degree with their hunting skills.

“However, we are in need of more fruit and vegetables…as well as medicine,” said the chief.

“Understood. I’ll see what I can do. At any rate, your situation should improve once I repair the paths between the villages and castle.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!”

With his robust build and black beard, the village chief was the image of a professional hunter. Just like with Healwood Village, my discussions with the village chief were going smoothly, free of any misunderstandings like the one that arose in Edgewood Village. The key was sending Ild to explain the situation before I arrived.

“Once the village is back on its feet, we will give a portion of our spoils to you as taxes.”

“I’d appreciate it. Oh, before I forget… I wish to recruit any volunteers you may have to work as soldiers at my castle. Do you have any lads who might be interested?” It wasn’t as if the incident in Edgewood Village had given me a taste for recruiting soldiers, but I figured a skilled hunter could prove useful in the future.

“This isn’t a mandatory draft, right? I will ask around…but I would not get my hopes up if I were you,” he answered.

“I understand. I won’t impose that on you, so forget I even mentioned it.”

The villagers appeared to carry out relatively fulfilling lives here. On the one hand, that was a relief to see, but on the other, the stress of knowing it was my responsibility to protect their way of life was already giving me an ulcer.

Having learned my lesson from Edgewood Village and the fiasco there, I made it a rule of thumb not to spend the night in these villages. As such, our group prepared to set out for the path home as soon as my conversation with the village chief drew to a close. Yet right as we were about to step out of the village, our party was forced to an abrupt halt when a young man fell in front of me.

“……”

“M-my lord!”

“What do you want?” I silently motioned for the dark elf standing before me to fall back, before turning my gaze fully on the young man prostrated before me.

“R-right! I am Nox, a resident of this village! Please allow me to work in the castle!”

“Nox… Hmm…” As I studied the pale, stick-like lad, he lowered his head, a look of sheer desperation etched into his face.

I threw the village chief a sidelong glance that said, “This contradicts what you told me…” He met that meaningful glance with a knowing nod.

The village chief went on to explain that the lad was the son of a destitute merchant who had fled to this village over a decade ago. Having done business with the merchant a number of times, the villagers couldn’t simply turn him and his son away. Despite taking the two in, the father soon succumbed to an illness. Ever since then, Nox had lived here in the village as dead weight.

“I don’t have the strength to learn how to hunt, so I’ve helped around the village in what little ways I can…but I don’t want to put them out more than I already have.”

“…Then what can you do?” Ild asked the pleading young man sternly. Although he was gentle and kind on the whole, I appreciated how Ild was a firm steward when it came to the castle.

“Uh, well, I can read and write… If it’s basic, I can also do some arithmetic.”

“Excellent! You’re accepted!”

What?!

“I-I am terribly sorry,” Ild apologized. “Lord Margilus, I did not mean to undermine your authority.”

“No, it’s fine. I have to admit, I’ve felt bad about all of the work you’ve had to handle alone. Let’s go ahead and hire him.”

“Thank you kindly! I will strive to do my best!”

Indeed, a great deal was being asked of Ild. Not only did he conduct negotiations with the dwarves, he also oversaw the castle chores and calculated salaries. If a local peasant could serve as his assistant, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. The village chief even vouched for the lad, claiming, “Don’t turn to Nox for muscle or hunting, but he has a sharp mind. I’m sure he will be of good use to you.”

***

Thus, all three villages were mine both in name and by oath. They were realistically too small for taxation, but whether that changed would depend on how well I governed the land. At least for now, the three new soldiers and Ild’s freshly recruited assistant could be considered pleasant surprises.

Speaking of Ild, instead of heading back to the castle, he set out for Relis with Nox in tow. They were going to recruit new soldiers and gather the necessary supplies… Honestly, what would I do without him?

***

As I walked back to Castle Getaeus with a considerably lighter step than I had on my way to the villages, a black shadow advanced toward me. The shadow was Sasara, the youngest of the Four Dark Elf Sisters entrusted with protecting the castle.

“Master! Sister Reyha! …I-I have important information to report!”

“What is it?” Reyha asked.

She definitely has bad news. While fear for the worst struck me speechless, Reyha asked Sasara to explain the situation on my behalf.

“The castle is currently under siege by a group of soldiers roughly thirty strong! Th-they claim to hail from the warrior clan!”