"We will only need you to help with chopping the trees. I don't know where you are going, but you can leave the transportation for us tomorrow. The village is lacking young men's manpower, but we don't really need that much help."
"Okay."
The old man guided me to a forest nearby where some trees had already been chopped. At first, he showed me how to chop the trees and the right direction to make them fall, but soon, he left everything in my hands after I increased my strength and showed that I had a lot of power.
'I guess I started with the value that everyone has and just doubled it with a single level up.'
That made me wonder if only I had that power… then again, when I was about to become barbecue, someone fired a bunch of fireballs with more power than grenades so people could obtain power somehow. I was just a bit different than them for some reason.
(The Carpentry Skill Tree leveled up. You received 20 Experience points.)
(You have leveled up and received five Status Points and one Rank-up Skill Point.)
After two trees were chopped down, I received that notification. As expected, I could level up the skill trees, and I would gain experience according to the level of the skill tree. Adding more points in strength now would make me gain experience faster, but I decided not to stand out for now.
At the same time, I stopped hitting a tree when I heard a weird sound in the distance; before long, I turned around and saw three heavily armed and armored horsemen approaching the village.
'Ah, crap… what now?'
Those were some bad news… with an ax, perhaps I could fight, but it would be hard with the difference in reach. The horsemen approached, crossed the village while looking around, and soon knocked on some houses to ask people a few things there.
"I am going to talk with them for a bit. Keep it up."
I silently nodded, trying to keep my poker face… that was bad; I had a few questions and would be in a bad spot. I considered running away, but I couldn't outspeed the horses. If those guys could use magic, then I would be done for, but if they couldn't, perhaps I could fight somehow.
"... How can we help you?"
The old man tried to look as neutral as possible, but it was clear that he was a bit angry for whatever reason. Now that I thought about it, the royal family had just been killed, and an apparent war had ended, but I didn't hear anything about that.
"We are looking for a fugitive that caused some trouble last night in the city. Have you seen anyone around that looks suspicious?"
It seemed that the guards wanted to keep information about me as hidden as possible to avoid rumors; while that worked for me, it also meant that I would have trouble anywhere they were.
I looked over my shoulder for a moment, and I saw that the guards were humans, so it wasn't a matter of other people in other countries wanting my neck; even some humans wanted me dead as well.
"I heard that a bandit mugged someone during the night. The traveler only passed here for a moment and then went West while the bandit apparently headed East."
"I see. Thank you for the information."
Now I was even more confused than before… the old man had no reason to lie like that; he didn't even know that I was connected to the whole end of the royal family unless he connected the dots considering my appearance. If his wife and he worked in the castle, then they should know what my parents looked like, and then they connect the dots even more.
In any case, the guards fell for the lies and then left the village, heading East. It was unlikely that they would find anyone, so there was a chance that the old man would get in trouble in the future… even more so considering his past connection with the royal family.
"Tch, people nowadays have no sense of pride or loyalty anymore. They believe anything they heard that sounds convenient."
The old man returned, and then an awkward silence took over the area while I was chopping the trees. I wanted to ask why he helped me, but I didn't want to cause him more trouble under these circumstances.
"Don't sweat it, lad. I can understand the situation you are in."
"... You do?"
It wasn't only anyone related to the royal family that was captured and executed over the war… their retainers, friends, allies, and even maids and all of their families were captured or silently were gotten ridden off."
Wow… that was worse than I thought. Those guys were truly going far and beyond to erase anyone connected to the royal family from history. I heard that such a thing happened before on Earth, but experiencing it was quite dreadful and scary.
After a conflict, victorious factions aimed to eliminate any potential rivals who could claim the throne or lead opposition movements. Executing members of the royal family ensured that there were no legitimate heirs or influential figures left to challenge their authority.
Executing royals served as a form of symbolic justice. It represented a break from the old order, particularly in revolutions or uprisings where the monarchy was seen as oppressive. This act was intended to demonstrate that the new regime would not tolerate past injustices and that they were establishing a new era.
The execution of high-profile figures could be used as propaganda to solidify the new regime's legitimacy. It was often portrayed as a necessary action for the greater good, reinforcing the narrative that the new government was acting in the people's interest.
"I heard that their eldest son was a far cry if compared to the king, but he was getting better recently. I also heard that the king was also a skirt chaser, so I can understand why you are so nervous."
It seemed that the old man assumed that I was an illegitimate child or something; it didn't cross in his head that I was probably the eldest son of the king, even though I wasn't sure of that.
"Well, this war was pretty long and exhausted everyone, so I can understand why some people would eventually give up and no longer resist when our side had already suffered that much. Give it six months, and you will be fine if you don't say anything stupid."
I silently nodded and then resumed my work. While it was a bit tiresome, I kept chopping the trees to ensure the village had enough wood for the whole winter. In the end, I had the chance to get another meal for free, and that wasn't all.
(The Carpentry Skill Tree leveled up. You received 30 Experience points.)
(You have leveled up and received five Status Points and one Rank-up Skill Point.)
"Why don't you stay for dinner at least?"
"Do you want him to freeze during the night, woman? He has to look for a shelter soon before that."
"Then he can stay for the night."
"Don't be unreasonable! Here, use this if you need to protect yourself. It was my lucky bow when I was young. I got it for cheap, even though it is enchanted. It doesn't deserve to keep getting dust any longer."
(You have unlocked a new skill tree.)
Archery: Improves your skill in using bows and arrows.
Sharp Draw (Rank 1)
Bows do ten points more damage. (Requires Archery skill tree at Level 01)
Wooden Bow (Uncommon)
Damage: 10
Effects: Sharp Draw Rank 01 +
(You have unlocked a new skill tree.)
Analysis: Improves your skill in analyzing items, people, and creatures' parameters.
Novice Analyst
Learn the basics of analyzing items, people, and creatures. (Requires Analysis skill tree at Level 01)