Under the warm sunshine that signaled the end of winter, at the wooden gate of Vindia city, citizens from every walk of life gathered into a crowd to wish their beloved baron a safe journey. Flowers were thrown, people shouted blessings, and some even prayed for my safe travel.
I was grateful to them, yet I could not quite understand why their emotions ran so high. It was true that I was well loved, but they were treating me as though I were marching off to a battlefield or something. I was merely going on a leisure trip to visit a friend in another city.
"For the divine's sake, please don't jinx it!" I shouted in my mind, as my carriage rolled past the gate and onto the road, led and followed by Elena and the rest of her comrades, while John and his knights were left behind to continue drilling the troops.
I trusted Elena to be my bodyguard for this trip. She had proven herself reliable, especially since the Second Battle of Farville.
The journey would take one day to reach Venetia. Marquise Arina Ursunovsky would also be joining me along the way when we met at our designated rendezvous point. I planned to stay in Venetia for two days before returning to my domain. Safe routes and reputable inns had all been planned beforehand, so there should have been no trouble along the way.
Or so I thought.
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Under the blazing sun, our journey was as smooth as butter.
I gazed out of the carriage window throughout the day as the scenery gradually transformed. The melting snow and pinewood tundra of the northern lands slowly gave way to verdant green fields and temperate forests. According to Elena, this region was known as Middenland, an area where the kingdom's capital city was located. Middenland lay between the cold northern territory known as Nordenland on which my fiefdom are located and the swampy southern region called Suddenland.
It was useful information, which I took the time to jot down in the small notebook I carried with me, journaling everything I observed during my journey to Venetia.
The trees were lush and vibrant, the grass dotted with colorful flowers, and the temperature warm and welcoming, clearly signaling the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
The dirt road we traveled on was firmer than the roads of old Vindia, though it was still just a dirt road. There were no torch lamps lining the path at all, suggesting that people did not often travel between domains along this route.
An hour passed, and as the sun reached its zenith, we arrived at our first stop. This rendezvous point was a small village called "Riverside", where I would wait for Arina and her men at the local inn, the "Napping Giant Inn", a surprisingly large two-story building.
The village itself was small and unassuming, nestled in a valley between a river and gentle hills covered in trees and greenery. The villagers were equally modest. The only notable thing was a notice posted on the board in front of the inn:
"Mercenaries Wanted! Goblin Extermination Quest!"
The notice detailed the location and reward and bore the authorization signature of the village elder. It did not interest me in the slightest, as it was neither my objective nor my responsibility. Elena, on the other hand, seemed quite interested until I reminded her of our mission, after which she reluctantly relented.
We parked our horses and carriage in front of the inn and went inside.
"Welcome, travelers! We have warm food, warm beds, and warm drinks," said the innkeeper, an elderly woman behind the wooden counter. Her two sons and young daughter served as the inn staff.
The interior was modest, built from oak and elm, with a dining area for meals and a common living space on the ground floor. The second floor housed the bedrooms and latrine.
I signaled Elena and her men to choose their rooms and rest, while the innkeeper's two sons carried our luggage upstairs. The little daughter served me a mug of ale, which I gladly accepted with a warm smile.
With everything settled, there was nothing left to do but wait for Arina and her men. To pass the time, I struck up a conversation with the innkeeper.
As I sat on a chair by the counter, I noticed anxiety etched deeply into her wrinkle-lined face.
"How are you today?" I asked, trying to sound friendly.
"Very well, milord. How may this humble innkeeper serve you further?" she replied nervously.
"No, no, I just want to talk. There's no need to be so formal. I'm only a low-ranking noble," I said, trying to put her at ease.
"Oh! Then I would be grateful to talk," she said with a smile. "What subject would milord like to know?"
"Well… how are things going here?"
"Badly, milord. A group of our village hunters disappeared into the forest a week ago. Only one returned, telling of how goblins ate his friends alive," she said grimly.
"Oh. Did the village elders inform your local lord?" I asked with concern.
"Yes, milord, but—"
"But?"
"He said, 'Go fund your own salvation, you lowborn!' So we put up that notice, in case any adventurers or mercenaries pass through."
"Any luck?"
"Nein, milord."
"I'm truly sorry to hear that."
"Do not worry, milord. We will prevail, just as we did during the last plague."
"Plague?"
"The pox plague, milord. It came like a raging storm and claimed my husband and many of my neighbors. It was made worse by increased taxation decrees at the same time."
"Your liege sounds cruel," I said, my eyes filled with sympathy.
"I… indeed, milord. But please, tell no one that I told you this," she said with a bow.
We spoke for another hour before I excused myself and went to the common living area to read a book I had brought from home.
It was a cozy space, furnished with a humble table, chairs, a bearskin rug, and a fireplace. Perfect serenity for reading.
As I sat down, I noticed a silhouette in the corner of the room. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Elena showing her weapons to the innkeeper's daughter.
"This is called a stiletto! It has slain many goblins!" she said proudly, holding up her dagger.
"Wow! How many?" the girl asked, eyes sparkling.
"Hmm… maybe a hundred?" Elena replied uncertainly.
"Wow! Big lady knight is so cool!" the girl exclaimed, bouncing with excitement.
"Want to hold it?" Elena asked, grinning.
Concerned for the child's safety, I walked over.
As soon as the girl saw me, she bowed fearfully and hurried away.
"See you later!" Elena waved.
Now only Elena and I remained.
"Ave. True to the condotta. How may I serve you, my lord?" she asked, smiling as firelight reflected in her ruby-like eyes.
"I just wanted to speak with the girl."
"Too bad. It seems she fears you, which is normal for commoners. A smart instinct, even," she said, sheathing her dagger behind her thigh.
"Well, then it's just us. I'll talk to you instead." I sat and gestured for her to join me.
"Oh? Have you taken a romantic interest in me, my lord?" she teased as she sat down, her large build making the chair creak.
"Not even a little. I want to know why you thought it was appropriate to give a dagger to a child. That could end in an accident."
"With respect, my lord, every boy and girl should know how to defend themselves. Training wounds heal. Wounds from enemies do not. Those simply kill."
"That's logical, but have you heard of a disease called tetanus? When was the last time you cleaned that dagger?"
"Tetanus?" she asked, puzzled.
I explained the cause and symptoms as simply as I could. As I spoke, her face grew pale.
"Thank you for enlightening me, my lord," she said quietly, bowing deeply. "I could have killed a child. I would never forgive myself." as she said, I notice a hint of tear hidden at the corner of her eyes.
"Just… be careful next time," I said awkwardly before excusing myself against the weird atmosphere of a cool warrior-type girl getting all teary before me .
I then decided to take a long nap, to gather up my strength and have a fun relax trip in Venetia.
My room was modest, smaller than my mansion's bedroom and plainly decorated. The bed was of poorer quality, but I did not complain. Back on Earth, I had slept on a mattress in a shabby room. This was still an upgrade.
I slept until sunset, until the twin moons rose.
Then I awoke to a familiar sound.
Chaos. Fear. Shouting.
"A battlefield," I thought as screams echoed outside the inn.
"Goblin!" a villager screamed before his voice was cut short.
I inhaled deeply and prepared myself to act as a commander once more.
"Divine beings, please bless this village with your mercy," I murmured as I opened my door—
—to find Elena and her men fully armed and armored, already standing at battle readiness.