Ch.20Recruitment Notice (1)

In the nearby village of Alzar Barony, there lived a man who had just turned 18 this year, working as both a farmer and a member of the local militia.

Having reached the perfect marriageable age for a man of this era, he was, unfortunately, an abandoned child with no parents (or none that he knew of) to arrange his marriage.

As he worried about marriage—which was not optional but mandatory in this era—one day, while traveling to the city with the villagers to sell their crops….

He had what might have been the most intense experience of his life.

Just as he was about to be helplessly slaughtered by a pack of wolf monsters known as “the farmer’s nightmare,” a “righteous knight” whom he had never seen before in his life saved him simply because he happened to notice him in peril.

What’s more, the knight who saved him turned out to be the only son (and heir) of the baron who ruled the territory where he lived.

While he was still dazed by this encounter—something far beyond what an ordinary commoner could process—they reached the castle, their destination, and parted ways….

“That will be 21 silver coins in total.”

“…What?”

“Sigh, fine. 23 coins. Not a coin less.”

“…T-twenty-three coins?!”

“Oh, whatever! 24 coins! Not selling for any higher!”

Thanks to the knight’s kindness, the monster wolf parts that he and the villagers had helped collect and received as payment were sold at the monster parts trading post for the enormous sum of 24 silver coins.

Twenty-four silver coins in Korean won…. Though the prices differ from modern times and it’s not exact, it would be roughly equivalent to 3-5 million won—a considerable fortune.

A modern person might not consider this a particularly large sum, wondering why it’s described as an “enormous fortune,” but in this era, where the wealth gap was even more severe than in modern times, this amount was indeed worthy of such a description.

With that many silver coins, one could buy several hens—considered one of the best investments in medieval times—or, if spending all the money at once, even purchase a large livestock animal like a goat.

If one added a bit more money, it would be enough to buy an inexpensive pack horse or donkey. For mere commoners, this fortune was enough to inspire happy daydreams.

Of course, since this money wasn’t earned through anyone’s particular effort, it would typically go into the village’s common fund, but that didn’t stop one from fantasizing about what could be done with such wealth.

So the militia member, the young man, felt his lips curling into a smile as he grinned broadly, and while the agricultural products were being sold, he decided to use his rare free time to explore the capital….

“…Hmm?”

Suddenly noticing a curious gathering of about 20 to 30 people at one side of the castle, his curiosity piqued, and he slowly made his way toward them.

And then, as he squeezed through the crowd, he realized these people had gathered to look at something posted on the wall, but like many people of his time, he was illiterate and couldn’t read.

Though he could tell something was written on the paper, he didn’t know what it said. As he stood there troubled, he noticed a well-dressed man also looking at the notice and summoned the courage to speak.

“Excuse me, sir!”

“…Hmm, what is it?”

The well-dressed man looked at his dirty tunic and pants with obvious contempt, but having experienced far worse treatment before, this level of disdain was something he could easily brush off.

“I don’t know how to read. Could you possibly tell me what that notice says?”

“Tch. …Listen carefully, I’ll tell you once.”

Perhaps the wealthy man wasn’t twisted enough to mock someone who approached so politely. Clearing his throat and preparing to speak, he calmly relayed the contents….

“‘Seeking settlers for pioneer village. Dangerous creatures, low or non-existent infrastructure, harsh environment, mandatory compliance with orders, constant danger, survival not guaranteed, wealth promised upon success. Camille de Alzar, Knight’…. That’s what it says.”

After the man finished speaking, naturally, debates broke out among the crowd of 20-30 people, many of whom were also illiterate.

There were those who openly displayed their rashness and ignorance, others who seemed knowledgeable offering explanations, and the inevitable situation that arises when many people voice their opinions.

But even as the wealthy man who had provided the explanation departed, this man—specifically, a man named Pierre—was seriously contemplating what he had just heard.

‘Sir Camille… the knight?’

The reason was that Pierre actually understood the value of this recruitment notice better than anyone else present, even better than the capital’s residents.

※ ※ ※

The reason various benefits are offered to those who become members of a pioneer village is, naturally, because life in such a settlement is anything but easy.

First of all, a pioneer village involves creating a settlement from scratch in the middle of nowhere, which inevitably leads to conflicts with monsters and other creatures that originally inhabited the area.

Additionally, the process of developing proper farmland is extremely labor-intensive, and the sudden appearance of human settlements might attract monsters to the territory… or perhaps even expose settlers to mid-level attacks.

Especially if certain monsters or creatures with strong territorial instincts decide to rampage, one must be prepared for the pioneer village to collapse in an instant, even before human casualties occur.

In other words, all the infrastructure and living spaces built with such effort could be destroyed for absurd reasons.

On top of this, the psychological burden of abandoning a stable, if not wealthy, daily life to throw oneself into uncertainty cannot be ignored.

Most people living in the capital have established themselves to some extent, even if they’re just day laborers.

Unless their territory was poor and destitute—which wasn’t the case, as the current baron’s governance was exceptionally good.

Thanks to the territory’s food supply policies, grain prices were stable, and if one worked hard, there was no worry of starvation.

While expensive wheat might be out of reach, grains like rye or barley were quite affordable, so even the poorest person could have at least a bowl of barley porridge every day.

Furthermore, in Alzar Barony, where development and pioneering projects were gaining momentum, the population was relatively small compared to the demand for labor, making the treatment of workers among the best in the Frankish Kingdom—and that’s no joke.

The tendency to avoid taking risks once settled was particularly strong in the socially stable Alzar Barony.

But for a man like Pierre, such hardships and adversities seemed trivial, and moreover, he didn’t have much of a foundation to begin with.

He had been abandoned in a self-sufficient farming village where one wouldn’t starve.

Given the era’s need for labor, he could somehow establish himself, but despite being a native of the village, he was subtly despised, making the village both his hometown and not his hometown.

While he could cling to the village if he had nowhere else to go, he had fundamentally realized he was a foreign element that could never truly blend in—an unavoidable human sorrow.

Moreover, Pierre had personally met Camille de Alzar, the knight who would lead this pioneer village, and had experienced his character firsthand.

The fact that Pierre knew the knight to be compassionate and generous was also a contributing factor.

In short, by this point, it would have been stranger for Pierre not to apply, so he went to the government office without hesitation to submit his application for the pioneering project….

‘There’s no way I could be selected….’

At the same time, Pierre inwardly believed he couldn’t possibly become a member of the pioneering team.

Logically, with only 30 positions available and over 100 applicants that he had seen—many of whom appeared impressive at first glance—his chances seemed slim.

There were what looked like elite mercenary groups applying together, individuals whose attire suggested considerable wealth, and even former and current adventurers—the best talent for a pioneer village.

Instinctively recognizing his low competitiveness as essentially a day laborer rather than a true farmer, he couldn’t help but think his chances of being selected were minimal.

And so…

“Mr. Pierre, congratulations on your acceptance.”

“…What?”

Just as he was about to leave the capital with his fellow villagers, when an official came looking for him with this announcement, Pierre was utterly startled.

The reason, of course, was the completely unexpected notification that he had been selected as a member of the pioneer village.