Ch.94Report on the Downfall of Kindness (4)

Following the winding path, a village surrounded by wooden palisades came into view. Situated on a gentle plain with a small stream flowing through it, it was surprisingly spacious for a settlement built in a clearing of the dark, gloomy forest. It seemed adequate for thirty-three households and approximately one hundred twenty people.

The log cabins were quaint, decorated with charming wooden sculptures and small flower beds that made them pleasant to look at. But the smile didn’t last long, due to the longhouse at the center of the village, which was as large as a city church.

Unlike other buildings made of ordinary brown and dark brown wood, this particular structure used wood with a distinctly reddish hue. With the bark stripped off and meticulously finished, it resembled a massive skinned dead beast.

But what caught the eye were the four corners. Thick wooden pillars that seemed impossible for humans to have planted were embedded there, blood-red in color with carved human faces screaming with open mouths, making them extraordinarily grotesque.

Next to it stood a three-story mansion built of ordinary brown logs. At the top, a flag bearing the image of a boar’s head fluttered—the symbol of the Bördem family.

“The Kindness Roberta stays in that building. The first and second floors are for village administrative work, and the third floor is her living space.”

The fat man provided information about the village like a tour guide. Most of it was already known through prior research, but many of the finer details were new.

Ten years ago, Roberta returned after defeating the Demon King and settled here. Back then, this place was merely an empty field with a stream running through it. Roberta transformed it into a proper village.

Of course, she didn’t do it alone. The Black Forest was home to many bandit groups, large and small, and Roberta subdued them one by one through force.

“So you too…”

At Kain’s question, the fat man and the skinny man smiled good-naturedly.

“Yes. We were thieves too. We used to block roads and extort tolls, or sneak into villages at night with others to steal things. It’s embarrassing to admit now… but the Kindness Roberta saved us.”

“Saved you? How?”

Of course, Kain already knew the answer, but he pretended not to know to maintain his disguise as a naive country youth. The good-natured fat man calmly recounted the old story.

The Kindness Roberta brought order to the Black Forest by subduing the thieves. The forest was too vast to control entirely, but subduing the notorious area near Bördem County was enough to ease the Empire’s concerns.

This place was where the worst of the worst gathered to compete in villainy. Who could do the most evil deeds. Who could commit unimaginable atrocities… Inspired by each other, these villains competitively committed worse and worse acts.

Then the Kindness Roberta appeared before them.

Roberta didn’t physically torture them. She didn’t shoot anyone with arrows or cut them down with swords. Instead, she played with them like hunting prey.

The villains suffered from arrows that flew at them at random times—while relieving themselves outdoors, while raising glasses for a toast, or while being chased by the count’s soldiers.

Those who ran into the forest to catch Roberta found themselves trapped, hanging upside down from trees for a full day. Suspended upside down in the deep, dark forest, the villains couldn’t even scream.

They knew fierce wild beasts prowled nearby. But none of those beasts could approach the villains. Their throats had been pierced by arrowheads.

As dawn broke, with the upside-down villains covered in their own filth and emitting a terrible stench, Roberta appeared before them.

“Will you hang here and become food for beasts, or will you follow me and live like a human being?”

The villains chose the latter. Though inwardly they were filled with thoughts of stabbing Roberta in the back when the opportunity arose. But such thoughts faded when they saw other criminals who had surrendered to Roberta first.

“I know what you’re thinking. I thought the same thing. But this ordinary life… it’s not so bad…”

Of course, it wasn’t entirely ordinary. When there were grievances, they fought with fists. Roberta herself was no exception. Well, it was closer to a beast pack than civilized human life.

But for those who had chosen to be beasts rather than humans, it was the most relatable form of governance. Roberta reigned over them and reformed them one by one.

“Now we’re older… actually, more than that, we got tired of beating each other up all the time. At some point, we stopped fighting. It’s exhausting, and if you don’t finish today’s work, you have to do more tomorrow, which nobody wants.”

The fat man muttered like an old melody.

Much later, the criminals reportedly shed tears when they heard what Roberta had done for them.

Roberta vouched for them. This vouching didn’t erase their crimes or reduce their punishments—crimes that deserved hanging three times over. The list of their crimes and due punishments remained recorded in the Empire’s registry.

Instead, Roberta’s request was to postpone the execution of those sentences. She asked them to wait until she had reformed these people into new individuals. Her reasoning was that hanging someone who was more beast than human was mere slaughter, but the death of someone who deeply repented their actions was noble.

The Empire agreed. There were conditions—Roberta had to manage them strictly, and they couldn’t leave the Black Forest—but these were bearable terms.

“The forest is vast, and there’s plenty to do. The Black Forest is harsh, but it’s livable. Some have even formed new relationships.”

The skinny man waved to a woman nursing a baby in the doorway.

“We didn’t earn money, but we earned lives instead. Everyone built the village, wielding axes and sweating together. We worked together to drive away wolf packs, learned hunting skills from Roberta, and sold leather at the market… When people hear we’re from Berta Village, they don’t play games with money. Of course, we charge fair prices, never overcharging.”

“So did you build that longhouse too?”

At Kain’s question, the fat man shook his head.

“No. That building was here before we arrived. Judging by its bizarre appearance, it might have been built by some heretical religious group. But it’s empty inside. We used it as temporary housing for a while, but after everyone built their own homes, it became the village hall and storage area. Still, it looks quite bizarre, doesn’t it?”

As they talked, they reached the steps of the village hall. After knocking on the door and explaining their business, a woman missing her left hand guided them upstairs.

“That woman was a con artist. She was famous in Aksiburg, lost a hand because of it, and fled here, but now she’s a proper worker!”

“Well. As the Prophet of Life and Death said,” the woman retorted.

“Better to cut off a sinful hand and go to heaven than keep it and go to hell!”

* * * * *

The fat and skinny men left, and the one-handed woman went upstairs to call Roberta. Meanwhile, Kain, Maria, and Lily looked around the room.

Roberta’s office looked more like a hunter’s exhibition than an office. The floor was covered with a giant bear skin rug, and one wall displayed all kinds of animal hides.

On another wall hung arrows, bows, and knives. The bows varied in size, and the arrows had different appearances. They seemed designed for hunting different beasts.

“I’m sorry!”

After a short wait, a small woman entered with quick steps. She was tiny, barely reaching Lily’s waist. Though in her mid-to-late thirties, her small stature and face made her look around twenty.

But there was no sign of someone who was “bedridden.” No sunken eyes, dark circles, coughing, cracked voice, or wheezing breath… She showed none of these symptoms. She was incredibly energetic.

“I’ve been rude to visitors who’ve come from afar! I’m Roberta, the village leader here.”

Kain, Lily, and Maria awkwardly stood up. This was, of course, part of their rehearsed script. They looked like “country bumpkins suddenly meeting a legendary hero.” Roberta waved her hands.

“Oh, please sit down, sit! No need for such formalities. I should be the one showing respect. Sit, sit. Do you all like apple cider?”

Soon, cold cider was placed before the three. It was fermented apple with a slight alcohol content, which enhanced the sweet apple aroma and refreshing taste.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Maria, a nun from the Magdeburg parish. These people are a newlywed couple I met on the road…”

Maria recited the story she had repeated many times—that she had come to inquire about Brother Henry and see if he needed anything.

“Ah. So you’re not relatives of Brother Henry. And the others…”

“No. We have no relation.”

“Oh.” Roberta’s large brown eyes filled with vitality.

“So our lovely newlywed couple is just touring the Empire?”

Kain shrugged as if to indicate he would answer.

“Actually, I have an old friend in the northern region of the Empire. He’s a soldier in the border guard, and when I told him I got married, he invited me to bring my wife for a visit. I agreed and set a generous timeframe, using it as an excuse to tour the Empire. Our hometown is in the south.”

“Ah. So you’re not just wandering aimlessly. If you don’t have a place to stay, you could live in this village!” Roberta giggled. At Kain’s signal, Lily responded gently.

“It seems like a nice village. Pastoral, quiet… and seeing those tall palisades outside, it looks like we wouldn’t have to worry about beasts!”

“The high palisades certainly keep dangerous creatures from rushing in recklessly. But we still need to be careful when hunting. And, in fact… you’ve probably heard about this village already, but humans are the most dangerous beasts of all?”

Roberta clapped her hands and giggled.

“Being human, we can be worse than beasts, and being human, we can be better than angels.” Maria recited a verse from scripture.

“But I’m curious why you called us here.”

“Ah, well, this and that!” Roberta smiled broadly.

“Actually, outsiders don’t usually come here. So you’re objects of curiosity for the villagers, and meeting me serves as a warning: ‘Roberta has her eye on them, so don’t mess with them!’

I’m joking. Just joking. The truth is, the road ahead is very rough and dangerous with wild beasts. So I wondered if I could help you in some way. And since you’re visitors looking for our Brother Henry, I wanted to treat you well!”

“You pay attention to every detail of village affairs.”

Maria was genuinely impressed. Roberta took a swig of apple cider before answering.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but sometimes Empire criminals come to the village. They want to live here. So I send letters to our dear Count and the Empire, then provide them with houses and put them to work.

And I keep emphasizing: ‘I can understand if you’re clumsy at work. You’ve probably never done it before. But for those who don’t even try and are lazy, only the gallows await!’

Wow. That’s surprisingly good motivation. Well, with a hangman’s noose dangling behind your back, anyone would be motivated! In this situation, I can’t help but take an interest in village affairs.”

Indeed, in a village where criminals hide, one would need to know all the details of village life. But that wasn’t all Roberta had in mind.

“Anyway, it’s already too late to pass through today. Even if it weren’t the Black Forest but an ordinary forest, it’s past three in the afternoon now, and the sun will set in just two hours. Then it becomes dangerous. So I’m asking you to stay here tonight.”

“We truly appreciate your kindness, but we’ve actually already been invited elsewhere.” Maria smiled awkwardly. Roberta looked disappointed.

“Oh dear, someone beat me to it! Are you staying at Brother Henry’s place?”

“Yes. That’s the plan.”

“Ah. Well, that can’t be helped. Instead, let’s have dinner together at that large hall over there.”

“We really appreciate your kindness, but we haven’t prepared anything… I wonder if we’d just be consuming your precious food for nothing?”

“It’s certainly not free!” Roberta stamped her foot lightly. “People tend not to eat well when it’s free. So I ask for a small payment. Not money, of course. Stories.”

“Stories. Is there a particular story you’d like to hear?” At Kain’s question, Roberta leaned forward.

“I’ve heard there’s a monster roaming the Empire. Have you heard anything about that?”