episode_0072

Licia didn’t ask what it was.

Being a smart child, she would have understood the meaning behind it.

Although she hadn’t experienced it in her current life, I knew from experience how difficult it was to balance work and study.

That experience had also helped me make the decision I was making now.

“Thank you.”

“If you do unnecessary work, it can harm your body and disrupt your focus. So, focus on your studies.”

Licia hugged the pouch I handed her tightly, even though no one was going to take it from her.

As we headed back to the inn, our steps momentarily halted. The princess, who had stopped with us and was looking at me and Licia, soon left with her attendants.

I sensed that this moment would be the last chance for me to have a proper conversation with the girl before leaving Balorgna.

She had asked me to take her to the university once.

Unlike back then, the subtle compulsion to go to the university and meet the saint had disappeared.

A question came to mind, so I decided to ask the girl before we left.

“I have one question before we go.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Why do you want to study?”

I had only heard it once a year ago, but I remembered it clearly.

‘Can salvation come to me too?’

I wondered if it was even the same person now, but the image of me desperately seeking salvation back then was unforgettable.

However, with everything that had happened since then and the passage of time, it wouldn’t be surprising if there had been a change in mindset.

Especially since the doubts and compulsions about salvation seemed to have disappeared recently.

“…Because I want to protect what’s precious to me.”

“Then what about the purpose you mentioned before?”

Licia had told me something. The fact that she would also learn magic from the saint.

If that was the case, she could protect what was precious to her. I understood that such a purpose arose from experiencing loss.

But what about the salvation I had mentioned before?

When I asked, the girl seemed to have already thought about it and answered immediately.

“I’ve already found it.”

And she looked me straight in the eye and continued.

“It’s you.”

“Huh?”

“My salvation.”

The word salvation was vague, as it could refer to anything specific.

Each person defined it differently.

For some, salvation was the hope for tomorrow. It could be money or family.

For others, it was a rich and satisfying life itself. It encompassed all the elements needed to achieve it.

But the one commonality in how everyone perceived this word was that personal happiness had to be involved.

“I was happy to be with you on the way to the university. I’ll miss you a lot.”

But I didn’t expect to hear that from her.

Salvation was distant, and chaos was closer in this world, and I thought Licia, the saint, would hear it more than me.

“I should have told you this earlier. I’m a bit late.”

Licia smiled brightly.

I hesitated for a moment on how to respond, but in the end, I simply said this.

“I was grateful all this time. Thanks to you, I was happy too.”

*****

The next day, I set off towards Alpen.

Although I left early in the morning, I bid farewell to the girl who had welcomed me, and the return journey didn’t take long.

When I had gone, I had spent about a month, but when I returned, it had almost halved. There were no companions, and most of the things that could be considered luggage were left behind, so it was natural.

The farming season had begun in Alpen this year.

Before entering the village, people working in the fields far away looked like dots from a distance.

The first person I sought upon returning to the village was the steward.

“Has anything special happened in Alpen while I was away?”

“I did send someone to inquire at Duke Rudolf’s residence about the whereabouts of the princess, but they said she wasn’t there, so they returned without saying anything.”

“Other than that?”

“Except for Count Kanosa warning to be careful as the empire might be in turmoil for a while, there was nothing else.”

“I see. Thank you for your hard work.”

Although it was his role to manage the village in my absence, gracefully deflecting numerous inquiries about the princess must not have been easy for him.

I instructed the steward to buy some beer for himself in the evening on my behalf and, leaving him singing praises behind me, I returned to my room.

For a room that had been vacant for over a month, there was not much difference from when I last saw it.

There was a bit of dust in the corners, but it wasn’t enough to bother the eye, indicating that regular maintenance had been done.

If there was any noticeable difference, it was that it felt a bit emptier than before.

With everyone in the village out in the fields and even the steward gone somewhere, the building was eerily quiet, at least in my personal opinion.

I knew why it felt empty.

“Early bird gets the worm! What’s for breakfast today?”

I said as I opened the door, but Lycia was not there to respond.

The loneliness that I had grown accustomed to living alone for half my life felt more awkward than I had expected. Perhaps it was because it had been so long. The words I had said to the girl about enjoying her company were not empty.

Disliking it, I opened the window wide. With a creak, the old latch made a sound as the wind rushed in.

The chirping of birds, the sound of the wind swirling down the valley, as they flowed in, I felt slightly better.

As I opened my eyes, blinded by the bright sunlight pouring in, outside the window, there were fields starting to sprout and turn green.

The land that had started farming not long ago would not be much different. There was still plenty of time left to see the fruits of their labor.

Yet, there were many corners where money would be spent.

Especially in such turbulent times, the prices of everything would rise, so it was necessary to be well-prepared.

The coins that seemed like they would never run out not long ago were now gone.

Of course, I did not regret it, and I had a plan.

One option. Somewhat cliché, but squeezing the village a bit more.

But I knew how foolish it was to draw on the goose that laid the golden egg. Even without teaching, I knew that there would be those who would suffer more than necessary just by laying an egg.

Option two. Despite owning land, my essence was that of a knight, so wouldn’t it be better to do what a knight does.

Not quite a good thing to say, but as spring approached, there would be plenty of work to be done.

Count Kanosa had decreed that he would not favor anyone.

His knights would also be somewhat influenced by this stance.

Of course, there were those who would directly jump into the fray for profit, and if not, there were those who would indirectly step in to some extent.

I respected those choices. I had no intention of interfering to that extent.

But I had decided to do something else during this time.

Because there was an attraction that would pique the interest of the nearby people around this time.

I turned my head to look further south.

The sea to the south was calm.

It was different from the sea to the north, where even the largest ship could be overturned by a single wave.

In other words, it was an ideal environment for sailors to set sail.

Once the winter, which obscured the view, passed, the ships would gradually head out to sea.

People said that beyond that southern sea, a new continent awaited.

The sea was calm, and as such, countless merchants and pilgrims crossed between the continent and the empire.

However, like a thread following a needle, there was something that inevitably stuck to the places where the merchants went, like a law.

“Yes, the wine I bought at the port was delicious.”

“Curse those damn pirates! How dare they repay kindness with enmity…!”

“They smoothly guide us from start to finish, how can we just sit still? Be careful when drinking next time. There may not be a next time, but it’s a valuable lesson.”

The presence of pirates at sea was not a particularly strange sight.

But reality was disappointing, as there was no navy to take down those pirates.

Honestly, anyone with a bit of common sense wouldn’t become a pirate.

Of course, being a bandit or a thief didn’t mean one was normal, but compared to pirates, they could be considered normal.

Just because someone engages in banditry or thievery doesn’t mean the mountains and fields suddenly disappear. They can escape in all directions, and obtaining food and water is easy.

If someone willingly gives up all these advantages and ventures into the sea, it’s hard to consider them sane.

People often said that those who lived by the sea were tough. This was not an entirely groundless statement.

The pirates at the peak of that toughness were a big headache, sometimes moving their stage from the sea to the coast.

Rumors had it that even the barbarians from the north occasionally came down here. Wasn’t this their exclusive territory?

If that was the case, their natural enemies couldn’t just sit idly by. The long-standing feud that began in Bolle was far from over.

The next day, I called for the steward.

He had been staggering around drunk on Jin Tang beer until the previous evening, but fortunately, he had regained his senses by morning and was fit for work.

“Please find any requests nearby that may require a knight.”

“Do you have any specific requests you prefer?”

“Bandits or wild animals are fine, and I heard that pirates are causing trouble around this time.”

“Understood.”

After sending off the steward, I stretched and got up from my seat.

I immediately prepared my sword and armor, and went to the stables to find my horse, Sanchu. After soothing the stubborn creature, I took it out and felt the old thrill after a long time.

It was clear that my body had stiffened from traveling to different cities and towns.

Such an attitude was not acceptable for a knight, so it was time to sharpen my rusty skills after a long time.