episode_0104

A gift from Count Anitul? I rode in the expensive carriage I received and headed to the estate of Baron Hipro, which was closest to the village of Lugeron.

“It’s fun to be a coachman with such a good horse and carriage.”

“Ms. Navira, you’re a good driver. Have you been a coachman before?”

“My dead husband was a groom, so I learned it by watching him over his shoulder.”

“When you say husband, are you referring to the village chief’s son?”

“No, Mr. Farrell and I are remarried. My husband passed away before we came to this village of Lugeron.”

“Oh, I see. Sorry for bringing up a pointless topic.”

“It’s okay. It’s an old story anyway.

​

Was it really okay? As she talked to me, Butterfly began to speak more and more comfortably.

“I don’t know about Mr. Sign, but there are a lot of displaced people in the West.”

“Are there that many disasters?”

“That’s right. Monster attacks are common, and some people even run away from the village because of the lord’s tax rate.”

​

According to Nabira, there seem to be many places in the West that are as difficult as Lugeron Village, although not as difficult as Lugeron Village.

“But it is very difficult to settle down in the place you fled to, so some people become slash-and-burn farmers.”

“I see.”

“The last place these people come to is the village of Lugeron.”

“Why?”

“Because there were almost no taxes and no management, it was a place where the nobles could avoid their eyes. Well, there is no discrimination against outsiders in the village of Lugeron, but at least I think it is definitely better than other places.”

“Have you been to many other towns?”

“Yes, because my family has been displaced since I was little.”

“Then what about the other family members?”

“They’re all dead. My father was eaten by a monster, my mother was raped by visiting village men, and then killed. My brother got hurt while fighting to save me, and he died from the wounds he received that day.”

“…..”

Although Butterfly spoke calmly, it was uncomfortable for me to hear it.

I really asked for nothing.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“Haha, Mr. Sian has a cute side that is different from his appearance.”

“Navira, if you harass me, I will not forgive you.”

“Hoohoo, sorry Elsia. I made a mistake because your husband’s reaction was cute.”

Because they were similar in age, Nabi treated Elsia with friendliness.

I guess they’ve become a lot closer since the party.

“But Elsia, which city are you going to?”

“I’ll think about it when I get to Baron Hippo’s territory. Since Count Anitul was wiped out, things have been chaotic, so if possible, I’ll go to Sahard’s duchy.”

“When you enter Sahard Duchy, you have to pay a toll, right?”

“It’s better to pay money than to get in trouble for nothing.”

“Hmm? You’ve changed a bit. There used to be a rumor going around town that you were a woman who only cared about money.”

“Be noisy.”

It took about half a day to reach Baron Hippo’s estate.

‘You said it would take about 5 days at a normal walking pace?’

Looking at the map, it didn’t seem that far, but the road was rougher than I thought, so it took longer than expected.

If you run in a straight line, you should be able to get there faster than this.

‘I hope the road is completed soon.’

The estate of Baron Hipro, which we arrived at in that way, is…

“The atmosphere is chaotic.”

“There’s no way around it. Baron Hipro was also a vassal of Count Anitul in name only.”

The nymph protector is so strong that it seems that even the vassals of the exterminated Count Anitul have been greatly affected.

Then why did you touch the nymph…

“So, who are you?”

Among the villagers who were wary of the dazzling carriage, an old man approached cautiously.

Nabira answered the old man’s question on my behalf.

“We are from the village of Lugeron. We will stay for one day and leave tomorrow morning.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but the times are such that we cannot accept outsiders into the village.”

“That’s what Mr. Si-an said.”

“Then there’s nothing we can do.”

It was a shame that the neighboring town was closed off, but it didn’t really matter.

It’s not my territory anyway, and there’s no reason for us to get closer right now.

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

“Huh?”

When turning the carriage around, trying to leave the village.

I saw a familiar middle-aged man running towards me.

Although it’s a little worn, he looks like he’s a nobleman judging from the clothes he’s wearing… Where have I seen that man?

The man came straight to me and asked.

“Ho, are you a nobleman in the village of Lugeron?”

“Noble person?”

“Yes, aren’t you the one the people of the Holy Kingdom called a warrior?”

“Ah, yes. I am that person.”

“Oh! So that’s the warrior. My name is Baron Hipro.”

“Ah, you.”

Now I remember.

A skinny man who was beaten up next to Count Anitul when he visited the village of Lugeron.

At that time, I was so busy with Count Anitul’s gift that I didn’t have time to check whether he was alive or dead.

Well, I wasn’t interested either.

“If you don’t mind, could you please invite Young-ae to our house?”

At his question, I looked at Elsia for a moment, read her silent signal, and then answered.

“If you do that, I’ll be grateful.”

“Thank you!”

Fortunately, I didn’t have to sleep out today.

. . .

Baron Hippo is the official lord of the village of Lugeron, but as everyone knows, he has been neglecting the village.

Why? Because if you visit for no reason, you might end up being food for monsters. That’s why everyone was reluctant to visit the village of Lugeron.

The notoriety of the Dark Forest was so great that it is said that Baron Hippo actually almost died there.

“If the warrior hadn’t saved us back then, I wouldn’t be a human being in this world anymore.”

“Oh, I see.”

I don’t remember, but I think I was a lifesaver to Baron Hippo.

‘I really don’t remember.’

As I had accidentally become a benefactor to a nobleman, I cautiously asked Baron Hipro.

“I happened to take over the village of Lugeron. Is that okay with you?”

“It’s okay. In the first place, the village of Lugeron was a territory I couldn’t manage.

“Hmm… ”

Baron Hippo was a more personable person than I had expected.

There was no aristocratic pretense, and he seemed neither arrogant nor greedy.

‘It seems like you’re being careful because you’re in front of me, a warrior.’

Looking at his frugal lifestyle, perhaps this is his true self.

“Thanks to the warrior, our territory also has some breathing room thanks to the road that was blocked.”

“Are you having a hard time these days?”

“Haha… That’s pathetic.”

Baron Hippo explained the current situation in the West with a carefree smile.

“Because of the crimes committed by Count Anitul, not only Count Anitul, but also all the nobles who supported him were placed under the inspection of the Black Sky Knights.”

“Black Sky Knights?”

“One of the three knight orders owned by the Imperial Family. It’s a secret place, so I don’t know much about it, but they have so much power that even nobles can’t speak carelessly in front of them.”

“I see.”

I heard about the Black Knights through Helen.

It is an order of knights secretly led by the first emperor, and the place where the emperors of the past enter after retirement.

In terms of martial arts novels, they are like the elders of the Demonic Cult.

Perhaps the organization that holds the real power in the empire is the Black Sky Knights. Since such an organization has decided to start a fight, the West will be turned upside down.

“Is Baron Hippo okay? It would be hard to see a good sight if a knight like that passes by.”

“Fortunately, I was able to get through safely thanks to the second apostle’s defense.”

“Thank goodness.”

As expected, Helen is thorough in these matters. She doesn’t like it when innocent victims are harmed.

“But because of that, I was marked by Count Anitul’s vassals.”

“Why?”

“Because I led them to the village of Lugeron. An atmosphere was created that made me a traitor. It couldn’t be helped. I’m weak in such political fights.”

“Still, it’s unfair. Baron Hipro did nothing wrong.”

“It’s okay. My family was lucky enough to become noble, so from the beginning, we were looked down on by the nobles.”

“Even if you are a noble, life is not smooth.”

“Haha, I also wonder what it would have been like if I had become an ordinary farmer.”

Baron Hippo began to talk nonsense as if he was drunk, perhaps because he had had too much to drink while eating.

He then gave me a detailed account of the situation in the West.

. . .

“The situation is worse than expected.”

After finishing the meal, let’s go into the room that Baron Hipro gave us.

Elsia gave her opinion.

“Even Count Anitul’s vassals never dreamed that they would be involved in the slave market.”

“It wouldn’t be strange if he were executed since he was in collusion with Hadron, an enemy of the Empire.”

“I think it would be good to go to Lugardrian in Sahard Duchy as planned.”

“Where is the Cat Kit Shop?”

“It’s a company in name only, but it’s still a good company even if it’s rotten, so it’s better to do business with Cat Kit Company.”

“Elsia doesn’t seem to like the Cat Kit Shop.”

“Yeah, those stupid cats are stupid and it’s a pain in the ass every time they have to calculate.”

“Oh, I see.”

Come to think of it, I often saw her looking like she was losing her mind when it came to calculating the amount of money she had spent.