The faint sounds of morning hovered over the village as the sun rose lazily from behind the hills, illuminating the fields and wooden huts. The air was crisp, soaked with the smell of damp earth. The villagers, during small duties, passed a tall man with a calm look and tired hands. He himself pulled a cart packed with sacks of grain to a nearby mill, which will process it into flour so needed in the village. The man's name was Kellan, and he had arrived in the village five years ago. He took one of the abandoned, dilapidated huts at the very edge of the village. He quickly brought it back to a usable state, and then began to be actively involved in the village.
Although, as he says himself, he was not even thirty years old, he was known as a strong man. For most people, he was just another farmer, quiet, distant, but always ready to help. However, no one guessed who he really was. Like the others, he started working in the fields every morning, facing the daily hardships of rural life. In situations where the average person carried two sacks of grain, he carried five, thanks to which he quickly earned the name of a diligent man.
At first, when he appeared in the village, people gossiped and asked him about his origins. And he always answered with a smile that he was nobody important. That he chose the countryside as a steppingstone from the crowds of more crowded cities, where life rushed at its unbridled pace.
Kellan wiped his sweaty forehead in the shadow of the whirling wings of the mill here. He stretched his warmed-up muscles a bit and then began to unpack the car. In his own style, he took two bags under his arm and then moved towards the entrance to the mill.
- Wilfred, I brought another delivery of grain! – The echo echoed on the walls of the working mill
- Put it where it always is, I will come back in a moment. – answered him a quieter, visibly age-weary voice.
The man did so, it took him less than fifteen minutes to unpack the car, it would certainly be faster, but the size of the door and Kellan's appearance made it impossible to unload faster. When the wagon was empty again, the boy sat down on a bench under the wings of the mill. Soon after, Wilfred appeared. An older man with completely blue hair and a slight curvature of the back. He spent his entire life working on a millstone, just like his father and his father's father.
- Thank you for another help, boy. The man sat down on the bench next to him, took one ear of grass and placed it in his mouth.
- I am happy to help.
- You help the whole village immensely... To tell you the truth, I do not even remember what it was like before you arrived. In the past, oxen were harnessed to this cart, not people, although there is not much difference. - The man laughed sincerely at his comparison.
- It is a good workout for muscles, thanks to which I do not fall out of shape – the younger of the men smiled back
- You have come to peaceful times, boy, before your arrival more than once unpleasant guests came here, demanding gold. The forests were restless, full of wild animals and other monsters. Now it is a quiet place.
- You're right, this is what I needed, peace and quiet. – Memories flashed through the boy's head
The kingdom of Aldebryn ruled by King Alistair III, where the village was located, was adjacent to the Empire of Damarion, ruled by Emperor Regan IV. He was not at peace with Aldebryn, which caused numerous conflicts. Although there was no full-screen war yet, it was a matter of time. There was also the Duchy of Sylthoria, which was ruled by the self-proclaimed prince Elian Sylthoria. It had positive relations with both neighbors. However, it was known at the courts that in the event of a conflict, he would take the side of the Empire.
On the first day he appeared in the village, it was besieged by a group of bandits. These people took advantage of the fact that the village was located on the border of the state. More precisely, on the edge of the Empire of Damarion and the Kingdom of Aldebryn. The village of Eden, like other surrounding villages along the border, was often plundered by bandits. However, it was known that they were bandits on the orders of Regan IV. Bandits appeared out of nowhere and before the Kingdom's troops arrived, they fled into the forests or to the other side of the border, where the Kingdom's troops were not allowed to enter.
On that day, the bandits stopped appearing in the area anymore, even their former camp was found by chance. In which all the stolen valuables from the village were located. Why did the bandits leave their camp in panic, leaving all their loot behind? No one knew that except Kellan himself, who had come to the camp under the cover of night. He easily dealt with the whole group of men. That same night, he found one of the more drunken villagers and carried him in his sleep near their camp. After waking up, he quickly sobered up and informed the village elders.
- I hope that this peace will last forever. He added after a moment of thought.
The mill was located on a slight hill, from which you could see numerous surrounding fields and roads. One of these roads was just being driven by a carriage, drawn by four snow-white horses. Along with the carriage rode several armed men on proud steeds. They drove quickly, along the road that went straight to the village of Eden. The borders of this type were not an everyday occurrence, except for the tax collector who came every month for tribute, but even his wagon could not compare to the one that was just arriving.
- Oh, some lady from the castle must have come to visit us. - said an experienced man who had seen more than one such carriage.
- Too early for a tax collector, isn't it? - I will run to see what is going on and then I will tell you!
- Oh, you young people, you still have this enthusiasm. Fly and do not pay attention to the old grumpy.
The boy quickly found himself next to the wagon again, and then ran with a lighter load towards the village. When he reached the main market square of the village, people had already gathered. Also curious, like him, on what occasions people from the castle came. He parked the stroller in a side street and blended in with the crowd. He heard many voices talking among themselves.
- Tax collector? We are in the middle of the harvest!
- He does not drive a different cart, he looks poorer.
- Did the king himself visit?
- Maybe some new noble person wants to show himself?
- I tell you, there will be troubles.
Numerous conversations and gossip were interrupted by one of the knights, who dismounted from his horse and stood in front of the carriage standing with the god. Facing the crowd.
-Quiet! You have the unheard-of honor to see the chariot of Anabell De Varienn herself, the second daughter of Count De Varienn, graciously ruling over these lands, Chief General of the army of the kingdom, defender of our borders and people by appointment of King Alistair III himself.
- It is enough, they already know perfectly well who I am, thank you for these formalities. A woman's voice came out from behind the carriage door, which opened after a while, and a beautiful, blond-haired woman got out. She was no more than twenty years old.
- You can march off, I'll take care of the rest.
She took a few steps towards the crowd and gave people a moment to take a closer look at her. The young nobility has long, golden hair that glistens in the sunlight. Her eyes are bright blue. She is dressed in armor that looks sturdy but also elegant. The armor is well suited to her slim figure, emphasizing her feminine curves. Compared to the armor of her escort, this one is much more ornate and finesse, with delicate ornaments that add to her unique style. Although she wears armor, there is a lightness and grace in her posture and movements.
- Hello good people! As you already know, I am Anabell de Varienn, daughter of your Lord, Count De Varienn. You are wondering why I came to your charming village. Well, our people noted a strange relationship. While the other villages on the border with the Empire are constantly invaded by bandit groups, your village is an exception where there has not been such an incident for several years. That is why my father commissioned me to find out why your village is so special, and why I am asking all of you for help. If you have any useful information, my father will pay for it handsomely! I will stay here for a few days to observe the area, I would ask you to behave naturally and not pay much attention to me and my people.
After this longer monologue, the woman and her five-person entourage moved towards the mayor's house. He welcomed them as best he could, hosting them throughout their stay at home.
Kellan exhaled heavily, fearing that his cover might become known. How would people react if they found out who he was before? What he had to do before he became a simple farmer with a simple past. He did not expect that anyone would notice his achievements in the defense of the village. However, as it turned out, it did not go unnoticed. All he had to do was stay hidden until the nobility got tired of sitting in the countryside and returned to her castle chambers. The crowd managed to disperse, leaving the man alone in the square, he only looked at the village leader's hut and then returned to his daily activities.
Five days have passed since Anabell arrived at the village. It began to intensively collect information about the life of the residents. Her presence aroused mixed feelings: on the one hand, they were honored by the visit of the nobility, and on the other hand, they felt anxious. Anabell talked to the villagers, asked questions about their daily lives and, most importantly, about the lack of bandit attacks on their village. She also asked about the surrounding forests, where she found out that no beasts were to be found. Which were often the cause of disappearances. All this was puzzling to her.
However, the inhabitants quickly noticed that the Count's daughter was more familiar than she seemed. She talked not only about what she was interested in, she was also able to listen to people's needs and their problems. She joked with them and sometimes even played with the children running everywhere. To what extent was it her true nature and to what extent was her acting to win people over. We do not know.
Until now, he had managed to avoid meeting a nobility. He took jobs outside the village and often returned late in the evening to make sure he would not meet her. However, this avoidance could not last forever.