Ch.66. Youth Association

No word better described Oakbrook Village than “backwater.”

Most residents made their living through farming. Or hunting wild game in the forest. The population was small too. All households combined barely exceeded two hundred people.

This year, there were forty participants in the coming-of-age ceremony, which was quite exceptional. It was thanks to the absence of any major famine for some time.

Out of ten children born, five wouldn’t survive infancy. Of the remaining, two would die growing up, either from starvation or violence.

Anyway, Rex’s generation was lucky. They were even called the village’s golden generation. With increased population came more labor force, so naturally, the adults were pleased.

For these reasons, Oakbrook Village was in the process of expanding. Behind it stretched a vast forest, and in front flowed a shallow stream.

‘The kids complain it’s too boring, but…’

Incidents were rare, and days repeated with everyone doing their own tasks. Boredom, in other words, meant peace.

The city was far away, and without any famous local products, even merchants only visited occasionally.

Oakbrook Village nominally belonged to Baron Webern’s territory, but in reality, it operated almost independently.

Three years ago was the last time the lord’s representative visited to collect taxes, and there had been no significant interaction since.

Rather, for those living in the village, the village chief’s influence felt greater than the lord’s. The uneducated genuinely believed the chief was higher in status than the lord.

It was no wonder people feared and treated him cautiously. Owning the village’s main facilities and vast lands, the chief could determine someone’s life or death with just his words.

If he said someone was irritating him, or someone’s child had caused trouble, adding that they needed to be “taught a lesson,” by the next day, a thorough “education” would be completed without anyone knowing.

Matching his authority, the chief’s house was the largest in the village. It was more like a mansion.

Occasionally, when important matters arose, the village elders would gather at the chief’s house.

Located at the highest point of the village hill, Rex had often glimpsed it while passing by. Naturally, this was his first direct visit.

Of course, Rex’s father, the village’s best hunter, confidently stepped into the chief’s front yard.

Creak.

“Oh, you’re here? Please, sit down.”

As soon as the door opened, the expressionless chief’s face brightened as if it had always been that way.

Rex bowed his head. Meanwhile, his father naturally approached a table and helped himself to some dried food placed on it.

“Um…”

As Rex hesitated, bewildered by his father’s bold behavior, the chief let out a hearty laugh.

“Gert’s been like this for ages. Please, make yourself comfortable too. By the way, that cloak suits you well.”

“Th-thank you.”

Suppressing the urge to hide in a mouse hole from embarrassment, Rex pulled out a chair and sat down. He neatly rolled up his leather coat and placed it beside him.

The chief’s wife handed him a wooden cup filled with milk, which had a sweet fragrance as if honey had been added.

After moistening his throat, he finally had the presence of mind to look around. Besides the chief and his wife, there were three more people in the house.

All were well-known figures in the village.

“Hello,” Rex greeted politely, and the youngest-looking man among them responded.

“Yes. No need for introductions, we all know each other, right?”

“Yes.”

“This is our first proper conversation though. Nice to meet you. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, so let’s get along.”

The man who spoke to Rex was named Tom. The chief’s son. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties.

He was someone no one living in Oakbrook Village could not know. He was confirmed to inherit the position of the next chief, and with his manly features, he was quite popular.

Though they were similar in age, as Tom had said, he and Rex hadn’t been particularly connected. More accurately, they’d never had any reason to interact.

Unlike the village boys who always hung out in groups, Rex had always been alone.

It wasn’t that he was ostracized; he was just always busy with various chores. After finishing his tasks, he would often retreat to a corner to train his physical strength.

“Are you Rex? You look quite unremarkable… but I heard you took first place in all the coming-of-age trials? Interesting.”

The man standing next to Tom with his arms crossed spoke up. His forearms were as thick as tree roots.

“I’m Greg. Kid, if you want to earn some pocket money, come find me anytime. I’ll work you to death.”

Greg was the village’s only carpenter. He made and repaired various furniture. When needed, he also doubled as a blacksmith.

At most, he hammered hoes or axes, but even that made him indispensable to the village.

“Hic. Buuuurp.”

The last man offered no greeting, continuously hiccupping and burping. Judging by his flushed face, he seemed quite drunk even though it was morning. The strong smell of alcohol eventually made Rex cover his nose.

“Ethan. Runs the brewery.”

The man replied briefly in an annoyed voice, then waved his hand dismissively. As if nothing was more important than drinking right now.

Ethan brought a large wooden cup to his lips. Gulp, his Adam’s apple moved roughly. Then another burp.

“Burp.”

By now, Rex’s father had also approached and was tilting his cup alongside Ethan.

“Good grief.”

The chief shook his head as if he had a headache.

“Father. A moment…”

As Tom whispered in his ear, the chief cleared his throat as if he’d forgotten something.

“Well, anyway, I called you here partly to get acquainted with these people, but there’s another reason. Let’s see… one person is still missing.”

It seemed like things would only proceed once the remaining person arrived. Rex quietly sipped his milk and took the opportunity to examine the inside of the chief’s house.

It truly was the finest house in the village. Even Rex’s family, who were well-off, couldn’t compare.

The mansion had two floors with a small garret. The garret was a small room right under the roof, typically used as storage or servant quarters.

Feeling too self-conscious to explore as if it were his own home, Rex returned to the first floor. Even the first floor had plenty to see.

A mounted deer hung on the wall, and a soft bearskin was spread on the living room floor. The furniture was also high-quality, seemingly made from fine hardwood.

The most impressive item was a longsword standing upright next to the fireplace. Commonly called a bastard sword, a two-handed sword. Its sleek blade captivated Rex’s gaze.

Swords are commonly considered the exclusive domain of knights. Only skilled blacksmiths could create ones that were effective in actual combat.

Swords made by amateurs had dull blades that couldn’t cut enemies. Moreover, they would break or bend before being swung a few times, essentially making them worthless.

Even if one obtained a well-made sword, it was hard to use effectively. A sword only showed its true power when wielded by someone trained in formal swordsmanship.

There was a reason poor mercenaries used clubs, axes, or maces. These weapons could kill opponents even with rough swings.

‘Someday, I too…’

I want to wield such a magnificent sword.

Rex stared at the longsword, entranced like a girl in love.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Tom, who had approached without Rex noticing, spoke to him.

“It is.”

Rex replied without thinking. Tom smiled awkwardly and answered.

“It’s a family heirloom passed down for generations. Well, though it’s been neglected in this house for decades.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a sword up close. Even when a knight visited the village before, I could only watch from a distance and didn’t get a good look.”

“A sword is meant to be wielded, but there’s no one who knows how to use it. It might as well not exist, really.”

“That’s true…”

Rex murmured in a regretful tone. Though he had never harbored dreams of becoming a knight in his life, now that he had seen the longsword with his own eyes, his thoughts seemed to be changing a bit.

Well, it wasn’t unusual for a boy in his formative years to admire knights.

‘If I develop the power of the mark… and receive more blessings.’

Rex, with his gaze fixed intently on the sword, fell into contemplation. He still didn’t understand how the blessing worked. To find out, he would need to meet the giant in his dreams again.

[My name is Kaordix. Remember well the name of the god you must serve. If you perform your tasks smoothly, our next meeting will naturally come.]

He recalled the words that completing the task would lead to the next meeting.

[Your task is simple. Fight, kill, and offer the lives and honor you take to me.]

As Rex pondered whether he should really become a mercenary, Tom observed him with a curious gaze.

Creak.

“Greetings to you all!”

Finally, the door that had been closed all this time burst open, and a loud voice resonated.

The owner of the voice, which immediately drew everyone’s attention, was someone Rex knew well. After all, they had competed just yesterday.

Even looking at him again, it was hard to believe they were the same age; he had such an aged appearance.

“I’m Hoan. Huh? You, why are you here?”

Hoan’s eyes widened upon discovering Rex. Strangely, he immediately averted his gaze, as if feeling uneasy about something.

“Finally, you’re here.”

At the chief’s words, Hoan explained with an embarrassed face.

“Am I late? I’m sorry. I tried to come as quickly as possible, but my stomach started hurting on the way…”

Even the spirited Hoan was just a puppy in front of the village elders. The chief gestured lightly to Hoan, who was gauging the atmosphere.

“It’s my fault for not setting a specific time. Come, exchange greetings.”

Hoan hesitantly bowed to the adults.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“How’s your father? I haven’t seen him lately.”

“Burp.”

Though not as prominent as those gathered here, Hoan’s father was also one of the village elders. Unlike Rex, Hoan had lived an outgoing life, so everyone seemed to be acquainted with him. The exchanges were relatively familiar.

Hoan conversed with everyone once, and finally greeted Rex’s father.

“Hello, Uncle Gert. I’m Hoan.”

“Hmm.”

Gert examined Hoan with his lips sealed. Under the inexplicable gaze, Hoan smiled awkwardly, and Gert also smiled in response.

“Heh heh.”

For some reason, it was an unpleasant laugh. But Hoan couldn’t show his discomfort. The two continued to laugh out loud, as if competing to see who would stop first.

“…Hahaha.”

“Hahaha!”

This strange resonance of laughter only ended after the chief intervened.

“Now that everyone’s here, shall we start our discussion?”

The chief clapped his hands to focus everyone’s attention.

“As you all know, I arranged this meeting because of Rex and Hoan, because of you two.”

Rex had already anticipated this, so he remained calm. But Hoan hadn’t, as he asked with round eyes:

“What?”

“Since we’ve already wasted quite some time, I’ll get straight to the point. Would you two consider joining the Youth Association?”

***

The Youth Association was, as the name suggested, an organization for the village’s young people.

One couldn’t just join if they wanted to; they needed either the consent of the majority of the Youth Association members or the chief’s permission.

The criteria for selection were simple. One either needed to have useful skills or have parents who held a solid position in the village.

Once in, they would regularly gather to build camaraderie, and if any need arose, everyone would help each other.

Supporting and pulling each other up… frankly speaking, it was essentially established for their own benefit.

The president of the Youth Association was, of course, Tom, who was designated as the next village chief. And Tom’s father was the current chief.

In reality, the Youth Association was the chief’s personal force, executing whatever he commanded.

If he ordered them to beat someone, they would. If he told them to collect borrowed money, they would threaten or seize household items to somehow gather the amount.

Though they didn’t receive regular wages, all the village boys dreamed of joining the Youth Association. In lieu of wages, the chief occasionally threw them some pocket money.

Above all, being in the Youth Association meant one could walk with their shoulders high in the village. The girls liked it too.

At one point, Rex had also wanted to join the Youth Association. But now, it felt somewhat ambiguous? He couldn’t immediately respond.

The chief said he would give them a few days to think it over. His father, seemingly uninterested, just kept drinking beer.

“I’m going to do it.”

They were on their way home. For some reason, Hoan was walking with him. Hoan suddenly declared.

‘Well, there’s no reason to refuse.’

Since it was an expected response, Rex didn’t reply. But Hoan pouted as if something had irritated him.

“What about you?”

“Don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

“Hey. If I join, you should obviously join too!”

Rex made a face of disbelief, wondering when they had become close enough for Hoan to act so familiar, considering they barely knew each other until yesterday.

“Why should I?”

“Ah, what’s the problem? Why won’t you join?”

“I didn’t say I won’t. I said I’ll think about it.”

“That’s the same thing.”

Rex moved his legs, trying to shake off the annoying Hoan. After walking a bit, they reached a fork in the road, and Hoan, who had been chattering nonstop, fell silent.

“My house is that way. See you.”

“Please just go.”

“Even if you beg to join the Youth Association later, it won’t work, so decide wisely.”

Rex waved his hand behind his back and turned away. He could faintly hear Hoan’s voice from a distance, but he let it go in one ear and out the other.

“The Youth Association…”

I guess I’ll have to think about it tonight.

Would joining the Youth Association really help my future?

With such thoughts, he returned home.

Two days later, goblins were spotted near the village.