A refreshing morning.
The early morning sunlight gently entered through the old window, a welcome sight.
"Ugh."
Creak.
An old man slowly lifted himself from the bed. As the days went by, there wasn't a single part of his body that didn't ache, from his back to his joints. He needed to see his only precious grandson get married before he died, but he was unsure if his body would hold out until then.
With these thoughts, he changed his clothes. The cold air in the room was sharp. Today was chilly, so it looked like he would need to dress more warmly.
This was his birthplace and a place with almost no contact with the outside world, Rubid. This small village might not have anything grand or extraordinary like the big cities, but it was always peaceful and constant. Even when he recalled his childhood memories, there wasn't much difference from now.
The only thing that changed was the people. The buildings and nature remained the same.
Birds began to chirp outside. Listening to their sweet sounds, he started another leisurely day…
"Chief, Chief⎯⎯! Come out quickly! It's urgent! Hurry, hurry."
Thump, thump, thump.
A man knocked on the door vigorously, calling for him. The sudden noise startled him enough to momentarily straighten his bent back. He patted his back with his fist and opened the door.
"What is it? You say it's urgent?"
The young man standing at the door was out of breath, as if he had run from afar. He continued speaking in between his gasps for air.
"Huff, huff. Well, there's this splendid carriage that has appeared, and they're asking for the highest authority in the village. We tried to handle it ourselves since it's early in the morning, but they just won't listen…"
"Wait, wait. You're speaking too incoherently for this old man to follow. So, someone has come to the village…?"
The young man exhaled deeply and frowned. Why would such a high-ranking noble suddenly appear and stir up this quiet village? The young man was clearly flustered by the situation.
He kept repeating that there was no time and they needed to hurry, while pulling on the chief's hand. But the chief couldn't just leave without knowing the situation. He insisted on at least knowing which noble family the visitor was from, shaking his head.
"Ah, how frustrating. We need to go quickly! Do you know how much trouble the villagers are having right now?"
"No, listen here. I at least need to know which family's person it is so I can speak."
The young man made a distressed face. There was no time to waste, but he couldn't argue endlessly.
"Schugenharz!"
The man urged the chief.
"Yes, yes, the son of the Schugenharz family is here in our village!"
"What…? Wait, whose descendant did you say?"
Upon hearing that name, it was as if his long-neglected brain suddenly sprang to life with a jolt. Even though he was largely ignorant of outside news, he knew that name. It was one of the few noble families he knew, second only to the imperial family of the Empire.
The son of such a prestigious family had come to this rural village. Why? For what reason? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't come up with a plausible explanation.
Though filled with questions, he knew what he needed to do first.
"Oh, let's hurry!"
Fortunately, his busy legs remembered how to run. He ran up the sloped hill on his thin legs, panting heavily.
---
"What a shabby village."
Rubid village looked so regressed that it seemed as if the word
The so-called village chief could only bow his head without any reaction to my words. I thought this place was full of people who didn't even know the emperor's name, but surprisingly, the influence of Schugenharz extended even to this remote village.
"Y-yes, exactly as you said. Our village of Rubid has nothing to boast about except its natural surroundings."
"That nature is included in my comment."
"Ah…."
I wasn't expecting grand mountains or impressive rock formations, but even the nature this man spoke of was nothing noteworthy. It could be called charmingly simple, but it didn't catch my eye.
"… excuse me… Sir."
The hesitant chief's demeanor was far from pleasant, but I nodded to allow him to speak.
"May I ask… why the esteemed descendant of Schugenharz has graced our humble village with your presence?"
"You may not."
"Yes?"
Were all commoners like this? His reaction was so similar to Emma's that it was uncanny.
The chief looked up with a foolish expression.
"I said, you have no need to know."
"I… I see. I apologize for my impertinence…."
"I'll be staying here for a few days, so provide me with the best room. Ah, as the chief, your room must be the best."
"… yes, understood. If my humble quarters suffice, I will have them cleaned immediately."
The chief's eyebrows twitched momentarily.
Don't make such an ugly face. I wasn't a thug who was going to give you nothing in return.
Thunk.
I dropped a bundle filled with thin silver coins onto the ground, and it made a satisfying sound. The chief peeked at it from the corner of his eye.
"Open it and check. I've put in enough to be fair."
The chief cautiously unwrapped the ornate bundle, as if he was handling a suspicious object. Carefully, he peeked inside.
"Is, is this… all for us?!"
His eyes widened, and his hands trembled as he held the bundle of silver coins.
Yes, it seemed commoners' reactions were all similar.
I put in an amount equivalent to the best inn in the city of Rhodes. This should be more than enough for staying in this small village.
"If you don't want it, I can give you only a part of it."
"I will clean the room immediately. Please wait just a moment!"
"Forget the room cleaning. Get me some sheep. Fresh ones, too."
"Sheep, you mean livestock? Understood! I will prepare some very lively ones right away."
The chief's busy day had begun.