episode_0011

From the early morning when the sun peeked over the horizon, the church was bustling.

Considering that humans are prone to squirm for an extra 10 minutes of sleep regardless of their circumstances, it was quite unusual. Especially when it involved the young boys and girls at their prime.

No surprises there.

They were the ones who had heard the news of the landmark of the church leaving.

While the girls simply bid farewell and waved their hands, the boys had a different reaction.

It was more of a lingering feeling of regret rather than fan sentiment for the departing superstar. The things they said were even more absurd.

“She’s leaving our village, that monster!”

“To become a good adult, you shouldn’t use such bad words.”

“There’s nothing as cruel as giving and taking away.”

“Maybe Licia was a woman who could have been my mother.”

“Don’t let the kids have such thoughts already. Their minds grow up too fast.”

The kids were already getting riled up. The last one looked particularly dangerous.

The future of the empire was truly bleak.

I was standing in front of the church. With the reins of the horse that had been grazing in the stable in one hand, and Licia’s hand in the other.

There was no grand farewell party since it wasn’t an official event. But with people gathering, it naturally turned into something similar as they joined in groups.

Father Phephin asked me while restraining the rowdy boys.

“So, will you come back someday?”

“When the job is done, I might come back. Maybe I’ll make a name for myself there and settle down.”

That was the nature of a knight. Just like there were those like me who wandered, there were also those who received land from lords and settled down.

And though it wasn’t something to be spoken aloud, most parted ways never returned. It wasn’t strange for them to encounter bandits on the road right after setting off.

That’s why every parting in this era held the possibility of being the last. Those who stayed behind prayed, and those who set out relied on faith.

Father Phephin handed me a pouch. I heard a familiar and comforting jingling sound from inside.

What’s this, pocket money?

But there was quite a bit of it.

“Stop talking nonsense, it’s just extra for your tuition.”

“I’ll take good care of it. But do I really not have my own pocket money?”

“You’re not a kid anymore, don’t expect too much. I believe you won’t squander it, that’s why I’m giving it to you. Don’t shake that belief.”

Giving a considerable amount of money for a four-month-old child, Father Phephin was indeed a very kind person. It was a rare trait these days.

As the strong-willed Papal Court and the Empire clashed, my faith that had been dwindling slightly rose.

I put the pouch in a bag tied to my waist to prevent it from falling out.

Despite the weight on my back decreasing rather than increasing every moment, Sancho, who felt it, grumbled discontentedly, but I ignored him. This guy needed some exercise.

The weather was pleasant, the sky clear. It was the perfect time to hit the road.

Recently, new rumors about the heirs had been circulating. They were already itching to go, following their instincts.

“The Emperor facing censure from the Pope! The dignity of the imperial family has been trampled upon. In that case, is there any need to continue to honor him as the Emperor? Someone more suitable than Heinrich should take up the Emperor’s mantle.”

“The Emperor’s criminal incompetence will lead the empire to ruin!!”

“Now, there’s no need to get excited. Let’s first see how the situation unfolds. …But do we have a suitable candidate? I think Duke Rudolf would be appropriate.”

The words were filled with bitterness, with each word dripping with hatred.

However, upon closer inspection, it simply meant that the Emperor should step down from his position.

Even now, the nobles, who had no choice but to betray the Emperor rather than be betrayed by him, openly proclaimed the legitimacy of their actions.

There was no need to question their motives. Nobles were a sad race who would groan in agony if they did not tear the Emperor apart on a regular basis.

“Well then, we should start moving gradually. Oh, right. Please give me the sword for a moment.”

The priest reached out his hand to me. I handed him the sword at my waist without a word.

He softly murmured a prayer as he moved his hands, and a faint white light flowed from his fingertips, soon seeping into my sword.

It was a light blessing. It was a temporary buff that would disappear in about 10 minutes anyway, so the emphasis was more on wishing for good luck in the future.

Peasants would ask for blessings on their farming tools for a good harvest, pilgrims would rely on their staffs for a safe return from a holy journey. For knights, it was, of course, their weapons.

“May the gods watch over your journey.”

“I’ve been in your debt for a while. I hope we can meet again soon.”

I accepted the sword back. It felt slightly warm.

Lycia was watching me closely as I received the blessing on the sword. I could roughly guess what she was thinking. I understand because I had a lot of those thoughts at her age.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“…Huh?! Oh, yes. It’s amazing.”

You mentioned wanting to study theology. Once you’ve done that, you may be able to learn magic as well, so maybe one day you’ll be able to give blessings too.”

“Me… really? I hope that day comes.”

The girl was quietly looking at her own hands, lost in thought.

It wasn’t an empty promise. She seemed intelligent, so I didn’t think it was impossible. Everyone started learning magic after they turned twenty, so if Lycia did well, maybe she could do it in her late teens.

It seemed like it was time for a farewell. I lifted Lycia back onto the horse.

“Oops.”

“Eek.”

And then I sat on the horse. Once I did, we were ready to go.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

*****

It would be evening by the time we reached the nearest city to Bolle in the south.

It wouldn’t hurt to stop by a village along the way like a rest stop, but it would be better to go to a bigger place since my purse was full for once.

So we continued along the road, making noise, and safely arrived in another city before sunset.

Before entering, I took off my chainmail armor and securely placed my sword in its sheath. It had been a day or two since leaving Bolle, so I had passed through without any trouble, but in a foreign city, it wouldn’t be wise to let an armed human enter.

Outsiders had to have their swords facing downwards and securely fixed, and bows had to be unstrung. Metal armor had to be taken off.

Most territories and cities followed these rules to welcome visitors.

After a bit of a hassle with the guard who saw my armor, I finally passed through the gate and headed straight to find an inn.

“Let’s rest at this inn tonight. I’ll go to the stable, so go ahead and reserve a room.”

“Sure, is there anything specific I should consider when choosing a room?”

“Just find a place for two people to stay for the night. We have to leave tomorrow morning anyway.”

I took out a few imperial coins from my pocket and handed them to the girl.

As I held the reins of the mountain horse and headed towards the stable, I glanced back to see if she was doing well. It felt like sending my child on her first errand.

If I were to worry about bargaining or meals, I would be better off doing it myself. But I believed that experiences like this were necessary for Lycia to learn how to stand on her own even when she goes to university.

I had looked into universities when I was eager to learn about magic, and I found out that students there often formed groups and frequently negotiated and threatened nearby merchants over food and rent prices.

So, even if I had to take a little loss, Lycia needed to learn the art of bargaining by giving and receiving money.

You have to lose money yourself to learn. In my past life, I learned by paying exorbitant tuition fees while watching the crazy fluctuations in stock prices.

“Oh, are you here?”

“Yes. Did you get a room?”

“Yes, it’s the room on the right side next to the stairs on the second floor. Here’s your change.”

I ran into Lycia as she came out of the inn to find me.

The girl gave me a coin and a few copper coins. Surprisingly, she seemed to have left an appropriate amount considering the lodging costs in the area.

“You didn’t order a meal?”

“I had bread with stew for breakfast. I already paid for that.”

If she negotiated all the way down to the meal, she must have haggled hard.

No, even I can’t do that much. Unless I’m holding a sword dripping with blood. Sometimes they let me stay for free in those cases.

Come to think of it, she said she was born in a bureaucratic family. That meant she had some knowledge about money. Helping administrative officials is related to that kind of thing.

I came to that conclusion and raised my head. The girl asked with a puzzled look when I didn’t say anything.

“Did I give you too much money?”

“No, it’s nothing. You actually calculated it well. But you must be tired from the long journey, so let’s go in and rest now.”

She seems to have some knowledge about handling money.

Maybe parenting isn’t that difficult after all.

With the thought that I didn’t need to worry about Lycia’s financial education, I entered the inn.

“Where did you go? I almost went to look for you…”

“….”

“Oh, hello. Innkeeper.”

I could immediately guess why the price was so unreasonably low.

No, it’s not that I bargained, but that they gave me a discount.

Lycia, facing the innkeeper, smiled as if she didn’t know anything.

Parenting a child who knows nothing about the ways of the world.

It might be more difficult than I thought.