Chapter 21: Care

Chapter 21: Care

When they got home, they saw many people standing at the gate from afar. As Danny trotted her horse closer, she realized it was the Duke and Duchess along with many Knights.

Bran asked, “What is this about?”

“I don’t know.”

So, under everyone’s gaze, the idiot duo rode their horses up to the crowd. Bran raised his small hand and waved, shouting like a leader inspecting troops, “Hello, everyone.”

The Duke rubbed his forehead, thinking to himself that this rascal’s idiot title might stick with him for life. Out loud, he said, “Get down first, then talk.”

Knight Aisa stepped forward a few paces and reached out to lift Bran down from the horse. Freed from the burden in her arms, Danny also jumped down. Then, as the two stood before the Duke with their idiot expressions, the Duke could only say helplessly, “We came to congratulate you on moving into your new home.”

Seeing Bran still looking confused, the Duchess had to squat down and explain quietly, “It’s a custom in the Northlands. Everyone here has gifts for you.”

Bran asked without thinking, “They’re not free, right?”

Amidst the nearby chuckles they couldn’t hold back, the Madam’s face turned a little red, and she gave Bran a light pat. Then she looked up and told Danny to open the door so everyone could go in. Afterwards, noticing the two rabbits and pheasants hanging from the saddle of the horse behind Danny, the Madam’s face seemed to turn even redder.

When guests come, someone naturally has to serve tea and water, but currently Bran and Danny were completely unprepared. Luckily, the small Manor Bran owned was big enough; fitting all these people wasn’t a problem. Dozens of long rectangular tables and chairs were scattered around the open first floor. The Knights busily gathered and arranged these tables and chairs together, then lit a bonfire.

At this point, Bran and Danny, as the hosts, became mere spectators. The two watched the busy people around them and began their usual habit of zoning out. The Duke and Duchess, noticing this, sighed in unison.

Though Northlanders were rough, it didn’t mean they were truly foolish; they just had their own unique ways of doing things. So, everyone knew about Bran’s current situation. When they came, they all brought some drinks and meat, but no one expected this idiot pair to have made absolutely no preparations…

Bran whispered to Danny, who was standing beside him, “Should I write down what they gave? So it’ll be easier to return the favor later.”

Danny rolled her eyes. “No need. Northlanders don’t think about that. Once a gift is given, it’s given.” She paused, then emphasized, “We give because we want to give.”

“Why didn’t you remind me that the Northlands had such nice customs?”

Danny rolled her eyes again. “Given your situation at the Castle, who would think anyone would give you gifts?”

“True. So what’s this all about then?”

“The swords and knives you repaired for them probably made them very happy. A good personal weapon is a Northlander’s life. They want to repay you somehow.”

“Oh.”

…

Weapons and armor are a Warrior’s life. The son of a Duke was nothing special, especially a somewhat Idiot son. Even a Duke’s son who could make high-quality blades wasn’t a big deal. But a person who could efficiently and quickly make and repair all kinds of blades—even if he was an Idiot—would be treated as a treasure by all Northlanders.

Although this kid was indeed a bit of an Idiot, the Knights in the Castle now basically knew this kid didn’t remember people. His way of telling people apart was: family, his Attendant Danny, and then Knights. The distinct aura formed by a group of Northlander Knights through long years of killing was something no one could ignore, but this kid seemed to only remember they were Knights. Trying to get him to distinguish specific Knights was pretty much hopeless. Currently, the only one whose name this kid remembered was Aisa, because he led the construction of his Territory and often dealt with him. But judging by the kid’s attitude, how long he’d remember it was also a question…

This somewhat quiet kid who zoned out habitually was surprisingly easy to deal with. He almost never refused the Knights’ requests, at least when it came to handling weapons. Even if he couldn’t do it right away, this kid would explain when he had time, or that your request was behind someone else’s. Then he’d take out a notebook and write down your name. When he finished the previous Knight’s request, he’d have that Knight inform the next one. Then, when meeting again, this kid would seriously look at the name in his notebook, stare at your face, and ask, “Are you so-and-so?” Once, some Knights joked around and swapped places, pretending to be each other. This kid still kept a straight face and went through the motions of handing things over. This amusingly frustrating incident had long spread throughout the entire Castle.

This kid’s biggest trait, and the one the Knights liked most, was his generosity—to put it plainly, he didn’t overthink things. Aisa once asked Bran why he gave the Single Blade to Danny. Bran’s answer was, “I like her.” Aisa then asked why he agreed to repair his sword and make new weapons. Bran answered, “You don’t annoy me.” So, do you know the value of these blades? Bran answered, “Priceless.”

Everything showed this kid wasn’t completely senseless. But did it mean this kid actually had some real issues? Shouldn’t he try for an equal exchange? Didn’t he know about equal exchange? Wouldn’t the Duke and Duchess or your Attendant tell you? But Bran still went his own way. And so, many Knights ended up benefiting from a kid, and a somewhat Idiot kid at that.

…

Northlanders didn’t easily owe favors. Today, everyone took this opportunity to try and compensate the kid a little. So, Bran received some gifts that day: six half-grown White Wolves, several foals, and a pair of Snow Falcons. Later, someone would deliver supplies like fodder, food, and fuel. This finally saved Bran from the crisis of famine. More gifts would come later—maybe a few sheep from this family, a few cows from that one, perhaps even more White Wolves, foals, and Snow Falcons. These would arrive gradually, depending on how far each Knight’s Territory was.

Adult White Wolves could grow over 2 meters long. The horses of the North were tall, hardy, unafraid of heat or cold, and not picky about fodder. Snow Falcons were huge with almost no natural predators; they were like eyes in the sky. With this trio, Bran finally felt like a successful man of the Northlands.

The Northlands was in a state of half-hunting, half-herding, and its iron smelting industry was very developed. Fine horses, White Wolves, and Snow Falcons were specialties of the Northlands and indispensable companions for Northlanders, whether for hunting or herding. Although iron smelting in the North was advanced, it mostly served their own needs and was rarely sold externally. This was inseparable from the Northlander tradition of treating weapons as life. These things were also symbols of a Northlander’s wealth.

…

As Bran stood at his doorway, waving his little hand in a reluctant farewell, he was quite pleased with this group of Knights. No matter what these Knights thought, exchange itself didn’t really involve debt. What was precious in others’ eyes might be a simple task for him. Favors were a slow, steady flow, so one shouldn’t demand too much. Slowly, they would exchange what they had and didn’t have, slowly get to know each other, and slowly accept one another.