Chapter 15

When I was making the orb, the development of the hand pump was also progressing well, and I thought the toilet project was going smoothly, so I felt everything was going great.

At that time, my day started with morning practice, and in the morning, I received sword training from my grandfather. In the afternoon, I would stay at Nicholas's house, which was quite a tough schedule for a four-year-old.

(I do want to take a nap. I remember that sleep during childhood is important for growth, right? I don’t know much about it since I never had children...)

With the acquisition of sword skills by both Mel and me, the training became more practical, adding more combat-oriented forms to the practice. Until then, we had only practiced downward slashes from above and horizontal cuts from left to right, but now we learned thrusts aimed at vital points, powerful slashes using the whole body like diagonal cuts, and combinations of these techniques.

In this world, enemies are not just humans but also large creatures like dragons, small creatures like magical rats, and even flying creatures like harpies and giant bats. Therefore, the focus is not on specialized martial arts that target human weaknesses, like kendo or fencing, but on how to deal maximum damage efficiently.

My grandfather's training philosophy is to continue until the body memorizes the forms, and my older brothers spend most of their training time on practice swings. After three years, they have progressed beyond our level and can perform more practical movements.

We are still young, so we only train in the morning, but my older brother Rod and Mel's older brother Sim continue their training in the afternoon as well. The afternoons are usually cooler, but by dinner time, they are often seen staggering from exhaustion.

Meanwhile, while training us, my grandfather also trains the village's self-defense force. In Lastmore Village, about 150 men between the ages of 15 and 40 form the self-defense force, which is required to train twice a month. Every day, about ten people train in the west of the estate.

My grandfather is the commander and the training supervisor of the self-defense force. He raises his voice from morning to night at the training ground, but I have never seen him look tired.

(He is a bit older than I was in Japan, but he is very energetic. It feels like he is living proof that a simple diet and exercise are good for health.)

I haven't calculated the average life expectancy in this village, but there are hardly any people over 70. So, it seems that people usually live to their mid-60s, but my grandfather, who is in his 50s, is very energetic.

By late June, the development of the hand pump was in full swing, and I became very busy with detailed instructions for soap development. At that time, I didn't realize it, but I must have looked tired.

On June 30th, during lunch, we found out that Mel had acquired the sword skill, and we were all excited. Dan looked a bit envious, but he was genuinely happy for Mel as if it were his own achievement.

The next day was July 1st, which is the summer solstice in this world and a day of celebration. I didn't notice much because I was often near the estate, but the villagers who came for training had a festive atmosphere before the festival.

When our training ended, my grandfather came to talk about the next day's festival.

"Tomorrow is the festival, so everyone is going. Spend the whole day enjoying yourselves. Zack, come here for a moment."

My grandfather called me over and said, "Spend the festival with those kids. You've been working too hard lately," then smiled and added, "It might be hard to revert to your childhood, but try to enjoy yourself a bit," placing his hand on my head.

Compared to my life in Japan, where I worked over ten hours a day, I didn't feel like I was working that much. However, it seems abnormal in this world.

(Indeed, it would seem abnormal for a four-year-old to balance sword training and work. No, it's not just abnormal; it's practically unheard of. In Japan, only child actors might have such a schedule...)

I appreciated my grandfather's concern and decided to enjoy the festival the next day, though I didn't expect it to be very enjoyable. There were no stalls or performances. The festival mainly involved a priest from Bogwood coming to offer prayers, young men and women dancing, and the older men drinking. For small children like us, the only fun was getting a share of the delicious food the adults were eating.

Still, I expressed my gratitude to my grandfather, saying, "Thank you. I'll take it easy tomorrow."

The next day, July 1st, the festival grounds were set up by the Black Pool on the east side of South Hill, where the shrine is located. The shrine is a simple place with a modest statue, and no priest resides there. It's similar to a small shrine in Japan.

The priest arrived at the shrine around 11:00 AM, performed a 30-minute ceremony of gratitude to the gods, and then left to make it to Bogwood's festival on time. This pattern repeats every year.

By noon, the ceremony was over, and the Black Pool Pavilion, the only tavern in the center of Lastmore Village, became the center of the festival. People started gathering in the village center, and tables, wooden platforms, and chairs were set up. The tables were filled with dishes brought by the villagers, and barrels of alcohol were opened at the Black Pool Pavilion.

Without any specific signal, the party started spontaneously, and the sound of a flute could be heard from somewhere, followed by the sound of a guitar-like string instrument.

Within an hour, the village was enveloped in the bustling noise of a festival.

The four of us wandered around the festival grounds without any particular purpose. Whenever we saw delicious food, especially meat dishes prepared for the day, we would get some and eat while weaving through the red-faced villagers.

(I wish there were some sweets. It's all just snacks to go with drinks, so I get bored quickly. Ah, I wish I could drink alcohol...)

I looked around the grounds but found few sweets, only some baked goods with berries similar to blueberries and bread with honey. Sugar is supposed to be traded through the commercial city of Aurelia in the south, but I rarely see it, probably because the village is off the trade route.

(Producing sugar is probably impossible. Sugarcane can't grow this far north, and I don't even know if they have beets... Honey might be an option through beekeeping. I should think about it...)

Despite my grandfather's warning, I couldn't help but think about developing local specialties and reforming the village. I thought to myself that I must be a workaholic.

While walking, I spotted Einos Vassal, Walt's son, and his fiancée, Jean Garland, Nicholas's daughter. Jean, who usually works at the estate, was wearing a bright, colorful dress dyed red and yellow, similar to German or Austrian folk costumes. Einos, standing next to her, was holding her hand with a contented look on his face.

(They look so innocent. They must be the happiest now, as they are getting married in the fall. There's no sign of pre-wedding jitters...)

Seeing them, Mel and Sharon suddenly clung to me.

(They are so mature. Even at this age, girls act like this?)

I held both of their hands and walked through the grounds with them. People who knew me teased me, but I ignored them and held their hands firmly.

(Tomorrow, rumors will probably spread that the lord's second son is a womanizer. Still, it's a shame for Dan, who really wants to hold Mel's hand.)

The noise of the festival gradually grew louder, and the music from the flute and string instruments became more upbeat. Young men and women began to dance to the music, similar to a folk dance. The women wore bright, colorful folk costumes like Jean's, and the men wore decorative cloths around their waists to attract their desired partners. The circle of dancers grew larger, and it seemed that all the young people in the village were there.

(I didn't expect it to be so impressive. There must be dozens of people.)

As the sun began to set, a stream of people started to leave. The tavern remained noisy, but elsewhere, a slightly melancholic and sad atmosphere began to spread, signaling the end of the festival.

We walked along the path between the hills, occasionally stopping to enjoy the scenery.

(Despite everything, I had a pretty good time. I should thank Grandpa.)

The sky was not yet sunset, but it was beginning to turn a light crimson as we walked back to the estate.

The next day, the village returned to its normal routine as the winter wheat and barley harvest began, and the festival's afterglow was gone.

We resumed our usual daily routine. On July 21st, Dan finally acquired the sword skill. When I talked to him, he seemed very regretful for being the last one to acquire it and had been practicing swings at home as well. Seeing my grandfather's surprised face behind the happy Dan, I asked him about it that night.

"Normally, it takes at least three months to acquire a skill, and for those without talent, it can take six months. You and Mel acquired the skill in one month, and Dan in two months. My training methods have been the same as before, which means you three have exceptional talent."

"I understand, as I was granted talent by the gods, but those two are even more impressive."

"Yes, that's true. You have the mind of an adult and a clear goal, which allows you to endure rigorous training. Ordinary children would give up like Dan did at first. But you three... even Rod, who is very responsible, didn't complete his training until he was six, which took a year."

"Probably because of that. We acquired our skills early because of it. If my brother had done the same, he would have acquired it earlier, right?"

My grandfather nodded.

"Children can't do that. Mel and Dan are doing it because of your influence. They are even practicing swings on their own... I hope they don't overdo it."

I was also worried about that. In my case, I have memories from my previous life, so I can control myself to some extent, but I can't expect that from small children. I asked my grandfather to advise them not to overdo it.

The next day, my grandfather told them, "If you overwork yourself, it will only delay your progress. From now on, do not practice swings when I am not watching." Mel nodded obediently, but Dan, who was very regretful for being the last one, nodded reluctantly. I felt something was off with Mel, but I thought she was just following my grandfather's orders.

That evening, while practicing swings with my grandfather, the two of them appeared with wooden swords and started practicing. When I asked what they were doing, Mel said, "It's okay if we do it together."

Even as children, they were very competitive and didn't want to fall behind me.

Regarding the village reform plan, the spread of toilets would start with securing wood, so it would likely be after the fall outside the central area. Until then, we would need to address and follow up on the issues.

I left the development of soap mostly to Nicholas and only checked in once a day. The hand pump project was progressing smoothly, but the installation was limited to three wells due to the time it took to secure materials.

The composting of the estate's toilet, which we started by digging holes, had been going on for over a month, but it hadn't fully turned into soil yet.

(Would it take two or three months?)

I sighed at my limited knowledge.

(Sigh... I know rushing won't help, but as a tech guy, I have a strong desire to see results quickly. It might be a bad habit from a results-driven culture... At least it's cleaner, so I just need to be patient.)

I was feeling a bit anxious about the lack of immediate results.

In August, the village was hit by a heat wave. The terrain is like a basin, so on windless days, it felt like the temperature exceeded 35 degrees Celsius.

My grandfather stopped the midday training and shifted the time to the cooler mornings and evenings. Our training schedule for the younger group was also reduced, and we only trained in the cool morning hours.

(Summer is hot, and winter is cold. It's like the climate in Kyoto. Kyoto? ...Kawadoko!)

Feeling stifled by the heat, I remembered the "Kawadoko" in Kyoto, where platforms are set up along the Kamo River for cooling off. Lastmore Village has rivers to the north, west, and south. The Black River to the south is the outflow of the Black Pool, but the Aarn River to the north and the Fin River to the west are clear mountain streams and quite cold.

(The Fin River isn't very wide. If we set up a platform near the water mill, it might be quite cool. I'm worried about monsters, but it's not a place for children to go alone. If someone could come with us...)

I thought about where to set it up and considered the materials, but then I gave up.

(No, it's not possible. We used a lot of wood for the toilets, and we need it for Einos's new home. It's more of a leisure activity, so I'll make it a goal for next year...)

After the festival, there were no major events, and we entered late August, with the wheat and barley fields swaying in the breeze.

On August 20th, it was another hot day. After the early morning training, I checked my status as usual and smiled to myself. My sword skill had increased to level 2.

Name: Zacharias Rockhart

Age: 4

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Hometown: Lastmore Village, Rockhart Territory, Northeastern Border Region of the Kaelm Empire

Level: Swordsman 2

Skills: Sword Skill 2, Martial Arts 6

(Since I only practice swings, only my sword skill has improved, but we will start mock battles soon. When that happens, my evasion should improve. My specialty is "evasion." I want to improve it quickly...)

While thinking about this, I took a nap in a shady spot with good ventilation. Just as I was dozing off, I heard the sound of hooves clopping up the hill.

(That's unusual. A visitor, maybe?)

The only people who ride up to the "Manor Hill" where the estate is located are our family, servants, and the packhorses that deliver goods. No one was out today, and it was too hot for deliveries.

(Curious. Who could it be? I should go see...)

I went to a spot in the west garden of the estate where I could see the path leading up to it.

When I arrived, the rider had dismounted on the opposite side from me. The horse blocked the view of the person's full body, but I could see brown leather boots, dark green pants, and a short cloak, which made the person look like an adventurer.

When the person came in front of the horse, our eyes met, and I was speechless.

There stood a beautiful young woman in leather armor.