Ch.1818. Dren Barony (2)

After waiting at the gate for about ten minutes, I spotted a male servant approaching me from the other side, likely sent by the lord.

A man in formal attire that unmistakably marked him as “a medieval lord’s servant.” He approached me and carefully addressed me with the aristocratic manners I had studied for the sake of etiquette.

“The lord has requested me to escort the Druid. If it’s not too presumptuous, may I guide you directly to the reception hall?”

“Yes, please do.”

Following the servant, I walked along a well-maintained though unpaved path until we reached the inner fortress—a wooden stronghold. After entering the fortress and proceeding straight ahead, we arrived at the castle’s reception hall.

The hall was rustic and modest, adorned with bear pelts and deer trophies, furnished with well-maintained pieces. There, waiting in armor, Baron Dren brightened upon seeing me and spoke.

“O Druid, thank you for honoring my humble domain with your presence!”

“…? Ah, yes. Thank you for your hospitality, Baron Dren.”

Despite having never met before, the lord’s welcome exceeded my expectations, strengthening my inner suspicions. Nevertheless, I smiled at him and began gathering some basic information.

“Baron Dren, I was quite surprised.”

“…Surprised?”

“Most people can’t even distinguish between a mage and a druid, yet your soldiers immediately recognized me as a druid! How did you manage to train them to identify me so readily?”

While putting on an exaggerated and sly act, I observed Baron Dren’s reaction. I needed to know if there was some dark conspiracy afoot, or if something serious had actually happened.

“Ah, that’s… because of the situation currently unfolding in our domain.”

“Situation?”

“Yes. Out of desperation, I instructed my soldiers to be vigilant. I told them to alert me if the master of the Aleinos Forest—a druid—should arrive. But I never expected things to turn out like this!”

“…I see. Might you be acquainted with my master?”

When I asked this tentative question, Baron Dren’s face suddenly lit up, suggesting he might indeed know my master.

“Your master’s name remains in our family’s secret records! I even met them once when I was young, regarding forest management issues. But… are you saying that person is your master?”

“Yes, Baron Dren. I am Gregory Aleinos, the chief disciple of my great master and mother, Dalia Aleinos.”

The baron’s reaction to my words seemed to be one of understanding.

Despite appearances, the baron is a warrior who has reached the intermediate level as an aura awakener, befitting a nobleman of the Frankish Kingdom. Just as I noticed his intermediate status, he could likely sense that I was an intermediate-level druid.

And here, a problem arose.

“Gregory Aleinos! Please, please help us with the calamity that has befallen our domain! I will prepare suitable compensation, I beg of you!”

I couldn’t help but be flustered by this unprecedented situation—a domain lord humbling himself and desperately pleading for help.

In this world, a lord’s position is not established by bloodline alone. In this society closest to the feudal system, nobility means being fighters against external threats. The power of nobles in this other world typically stems from their personal martial prowess.

How could a baron who inherited his position as a lord of the Frankish Kingdom, an intermediate warrior and knight in his own right, be weak?

Tearing apart bears with bare hands or cleaving boulder-sized rocks with aura-infused swords is basic for them. Knights in this world are superhuman beings who can be hit by catapults and stand up again, dusting themselves off as if nothing happened.

So what kind of calamity could be so severe that such a knight would be unable to resolve it himself and need to seek my help?

“May I ask for a more detailed explanation?”

“O-Of course!”

To understand exactly what had happened and how the situation had developed, I asked for clarification. The baron, perhaps relieved that I showed interest, began explaining in detail.

※ ※ ※

About five years ago, there was a famous incident in the Frankish Kingdom that even I, who never left the Aleinos Forest, knew about.

The so-called Beast of Gévaudan incident. A large-scale attack in the southeastern Gévaudan region of the Frankish Kingdom that claimed over 3,000 victims.

It was attributed to a wolf monster called the Beast of Gévaudan.

As I recall, a wolf monster that had evolved to high-rank appeared, leading hundreds of its kind to ravage human territories for three years.

A high-rank monster is comparable to an adult dragon. That’s why, although it took considerable time, the pack was eventually eliminated when its leader was killed by an extermination party led by a Sword Master.

However, one problem remained… While the Beast of Gévaudan itself was eliminated, not all of its pack was exterminated.

The surviving remnants scattered in all directions, causing trouble…

“So, the threat you’re referring to, Baron Dren… is it the remnants from the Beast of Gévaudan incident?”

“Yes! And they’re quite substantial in number!”

The reason Baron Dren had to request my help was that the remnant forces operating in this domain were beyond the capabilities of his troops and his own abilities to handle.

One might wonder how a domain’s military could be overwhelmed by mere remnants of a beast pack, but the description is misleading.

They may be called remnants, but nearly two years have passed since their dispersal, and two years is ample time for wolf monsters to multiply their forces.

Furthermore, the exact identity of the Beast of Gévaudan was a monster called the Fen Wolf, among various wolf-type monsters.

It’s a distant descendant of the wolf deity “Fenrir” from ancient mythology, whose existence has been confirmed, and is considered the strongest in its class among wolf-type monsters in terms of pure combat ability.

Depending on its nutrition during youth, it can grow to intermediate rank, and while it lacks special abilities, its innate talent for mana control and superior physical capabilities guarantee the Fen Wolf’s ferocity.

“…They’re attacking the city?”

“Y-Yes! At first, they were secretly raiding villages, but suddenly they began attacking the city!”

Perhaps due to the high intelligence of these Fen Wolves, they initially conducted guerrilla warfare by quietly attacking rural villages, but now they’ve begun launching frontal assaults on the city.

…My hometown village was probably devastated in those initial raids.

In any case, from what I heard, the baron’s domain was in dire straits.

Apart from the baron himself, there were no knights (intermediate warriors), and the regular troops—the men-at-arms—numbered only about 20 and were little more than well-armed militia.

For a remote domain that had no reason to maintain a large military due to its previously safe surroundings, this incident truly deserved to be called a calamity.

Two intermediate Fen Wolves and approximately 200 low-rank Fen Wolves. It would certainly be unreasonable for Baron Dren to face them alone, despite his considerable age, but with my assistance, victory might be possible.

However… there’s still no compelling reason for me to risk my life helping him.

What could I possibly gain from this impoverished and devastated barony? At best, I might receive some money, but that hardly justifies my involvement. It may seem selfish, but that’s reality.

Among the rewards the baron could offer, what I could obtain right now is…

‘Wait, there is something.’

The moment a potential reward came to mind, I tried to conceal any hint of interest, following the basic principles of negotiation, and spoke arrogantly.

“Baron, you must know what I’m about to say.”

“Yes! If you assist us, I will do my utmost to reward you! So please, please help us!”

“Do you think I would be moved by mere monetary compensation, Baron?”

“…Pardon? Then, may I ask what you desire?”

“Hmm… How about granting me a village as a manor?”

“A village, you say?”

“I don’t ask for much. Just… I noticed there’s a ruined village near the Aleinos Forest. That would be sufficient for me.”

“That place, if it’s…”

For a lord, land is both wealth and power—an absolute symbol of strength that cannot be casually relinquished.

Normally, demanding territory as payment would be almost impossible to accept, but…

“…Yes! If it’s that village, it’s certainly possible!”

After all, giving up land that has been abandoned for nearly a year and is uninhabitable is something he can afford to do when facing a situation where his castle might fall at any moment.

And the question of what to do with village land doesn’t apply to me.

In my position, where I’ll have to live in the Aleinos Forest for at least a few hundred years after my journey ends, I can think of it as a property to use as I please.

Or it could serve as a residence for any monster companions I might acquire in the future.

…I can’t deny having some self-interest in potentially taming a Fen Wolf, which might evolve into a Fenrir with proper care.