Chapter 52

July 3rd, 4:00 PM.

We departed from Kilnarek and arrived safely in Bowden Village without any issues.

Bowden Village, with a population of about 300 people, was a small village surrounded by a wooden fence about 3 meters high. However, the fence was damaged in several places and did little to prevent monster invasions.

As a post station on the main road, the Ars Road, there were about ten inns, but the village did not appear particularly prosperous. The number of elderly people walking around the village was high, and there were few children or young people. The elderly had a tired and resigned look on their faces, which might be the reason the village seemed so bleak.

When I asked Guy about this,

"In this area, monsters often appear, making it difficult to expand farmland. If the village had no value as a post station, it would have been abandoned long ago... Therefore, perhaps the young people who cannot see hope in village life have left."

I wondered why they didn't hunt monsters.

"Why don't they hunt monsters like in our village? Besides, they can hire mercenaries here... Why don't they do that?"

Guy shook his head and explained that Rasmora Village was an exception.

"Rasmora Village is special. Without strong individuals like the previous lord or Walt, it's impossible to fight monsters. Even if they hire mercenaries, the mercenaries don't have any attachment to the village and only do the work for the pay..."

Without a commander like my grandfather and without skilled soldiers like our retainers, ordinary villagers, even when banded together, cannot stand up to even slightly stronger monsters like orcs. Rasmora Village also struggled at first, so it's probably unrealistic for a village's vigilante group to fight monsters.

In a larger village, a branch of the Adventurer's Guild would be established, but this village is too small, so no branch has been set up. While the guild regularly issues monster hunting requests, the village's distance from the branches in southern Kilnarek and northern Thornbrook discourages adventurers from coming.

Monster hunting is a very dangerous job, and the reward is high, but the reward for the same type of monster is almost the same. Therefore, few adventurers come to this village, which is far from the towns. In a prosperous village, the village might add to the reward, but this small village doesn't have the resources to do so.

The villagers also think that as long as the merchant caravans come regularly and their guards are present, the village is safe. Thus, they might have concluded that it's enough to do business with the caravans without expanding the village.

However, in such a small village, producing their own food is already a challenge. Therefore, they have to buy food for the caravans from outside. Naturally, this cost is added to the inn fees, but the money doesn't flow back to the village farmers. Overall, the inns don't generate much profit, and the village doesn't develop.

(A fortified city like Kilnarek might have more room for development, but the current state is that the village is only surviving thanks to the merchants. Moreover, with information coming in from outside, the young people don't see a future here and leave. If there were a lord, it might have been different, but without a leader, the villagers are just trying to survive each day. They might think they need to do something, but they don't have the time to think about specifics... Considering this, our Rasmora Village is actually a blessed village...)

I thought about these things as I walked through the village.

The village itself was about 500 meters square, and the inns were concentrated in the center.

The wagons headed east from the inns. There was a square or meadow about 100 meters square ahead, where the wagons were to be parked.

After parting ways with the merchants like Norton, the four of us went to look for an inn.

All the inns were old, two-story wooden buildings, and it was impossible to tell which one was good. Guy also rarely came to this area and was at a loss.

While we were hesitating, the guard captain Byron approached us.

"If you haven't decided on an inn, would you like to stay with us? It's not a great inn, but it's one of the better ones."

I signaled to Guy to make the decision. He answered for me.

"We'll leave it to you, Byron. We'll take two double rooms."

Byron nodded and led us. He stopped in front of an inn and pointed to it. As he said, the building and the garden were relatively well-maintained, and it looked the most decent in the village.

The impression didn't change when we went inside; the rooms were clean, and I felt a bit relieved.

(I was worried about bedbugs and lice, but this should be fine. Just introducing us to this inn was worth it, Byron.)

After deciding to leave the village, I asked experienced travelers like Lidi, Guy, and Hector about various things. Among the topics, there were many complaints about the inns, especially about pests.

In Japan, I lived in an urban apartment, so there were no significant pests. I often aired out the bedding and regularly used pest control agents.

In Rasmora Village, there was plenty of nature around, but thanks to the servants' cleanliness, I lived without encountering lice or fleas.

So, I thought about creating a pest control spell.

The first idea was a spray-type insecticide, similar to B○tan, but I couldn't think of the active ingredient and gave up.

The next idea was a warm air mattress dryer, using wind and fire magic to create warm air.

I managed to complete it, but it required a combination spell, so I couldn't create a spell, and the magic consumption was unnecessarily high. Just as I was about to give up, I saw Lidi and came up with a simple solution.

In other words, doing it alone would require a combination spell, but if two people worked together, it could be done with simple spells. I raised the temperature of the air, and she sent the wind.

This way, both of us had spells, and we could use a pseudo-Peltier effect spell for temperature control, which was easy and consumed less MP. The wind wasn't a strong gust, so Lidi's burden was also minimal.

We practiced many times and completed the warm air pest control spell.

Just to be safe, I used the spell today, but I couldn't tell if the bedbugs were dead.

I decided that if I wasn't itchy in the morning, it would be a success.

Since there was time before dinner, I decided to practice swordsmanship with Guy in a nearby open space.

Sharon also practiced defensive swordsmanship with Lidi, and the four of us worked up a sweat.

Since just swinging the sword was boring, we started a mock battle using nearby sticks as swords.

Guy's swordsmanship was different from my grandfather's or Nicholas's; it was a self-taught style that emphasized speed. He moved quickly from side to side, targeting vital points like the neck, wrists, and knees. After becoming a retainer, he learned swordsmanship from my grandfather and others, so his self-taught style was quite refined.

On the other hand, my swordsmanship was the orthodox style I learned from my grandfather. However, I added some modifications.

The biggest change was the use of magic combat techniques to enhance strength and reflexes.

Magic combat techniques involve channeling magic into the body to temporarily boost physical abilities, but the timing is difficult.

The magic consumption is high, and it can't be used continuously. It's best to use it instantaneously, like I did with Byron, but when swords clash, one must focus on the battle, and there's no time to channel magic.

Therefore, I trained to use magic combat techniques instantaneously when taking a step back.

However, overusing magic combat techniques can cause severe muscle pain. Sometimes, it can even lead to stress fractures. While healing magic can treat muscle pain and stress fractures, a stress fracture during a critical moment would be useless. I trained carefully, always mindful of the optimal magic control.

Recently, I've become quite accustomed to it and can perform acrobatic movements like a top gymnast. I consider this technique, along with magic, to be one of my trump cards.

While Guy and I were practicing, mercenaries had gathered without us noticing.

I thought Byron and his team were also training and asked if we should step back if we were in the way.

Byron shook his head and bowed in front of me, asking, "Could you spar with me?"

Guy stepped forward to protect me, saying, "You should stop."

Byron was a powerful swordsman who used a large two-handed sword.

Since there were no such swordsmen around me, I wanted to spar with him.

Guy was probably worried about me getting seriously injured. I stopped him with a hand and stepped forward.

"I'd like to learn one move. As long as it's not a killing blow, I don't mind a broken bone. Please, I'd appreciate it."

When I bowed, the mercenaries murmured in surprise. They were probably surprised that a noble child would bow to a mere mercenary or that he would accept injuries without complaint.

Byron shouted, "Quiet! That's disrespectful to Lord Zacharias!" and silenced his subordinates.

He had a training wooden sword, which was over 1.5 meters long. A direct hit to the head would not be a simple injury. The mercenaries might have been surprised by this.

As he slowly raised the wooden sword, his large body seemed even bigger.

(It's like a club. The pressure is intense. He's not a traditional swordsman like my grandfather or Nicholas, but he has the aura of a seasoned warrior. If I don't attack first, I'll be knocked down in a minute...)

I didn't intend to win.

I just wanted to learn from sparring with this type of swordsman.

However, when Byron raised his wooden sword, my thoughts changed.

The killing intent he emitted was not ordinary; my skin tingled, and I felt a shock like electricity.

(If I don't kill him, I'll be killed. I feel like I'm facing a real killing intent for the first time...)

I used magic combat techniques to jump to the right before Byron attacked.

I moved about three meters to the side and charged straight from his left side.

At that moment, something wavered.

I followed my instincts, abandoned my attack, and rolled to the right.

Immediately, the ground where I had been exploded, and the shockwave hit me.

Byron's serious attack had struck the ground, and I was shaken by the aftermath.

(What was that? If I had continued my attack, I would have been hit... He's really trying to kill me. It reminds me of my first mock battle with my grandfather...)

I took a step back and caught my breath.

"Indeed. To avoid that attack is impressive. Now, let me attack."

Guy was shouting something, but I didn't have the time to hear it. The reason was that the nearly two-meter-tall giant was approaching me with incredible speed.

His attack was not a large swing but a sharp thrust, taking advantage of the length of the large two-handed sword.

I heard the sound of the wind being cut, and I felt the fear of death from the sharpness of the attack.

I shouted "Clumsy!" in my mind and desperately deflected Byron's sword.

However, my light deflection only made a dry sound, and the attack's trajectory hardly changed.

I twisted my body to avoid the tip of the sword, but this movement put me on the defensive. Byron saw the opening and charged at me with his massive body.

I was hit by the impact, as if I had been run over by a car, and flew several meters, hitting the ground without time to take a roll.

The impact felt like my lungs were empty, and I was sprawled on the ground.

Guy stepped in, saying, "That's enough."

I tried to speak but couldn't due to the impact.

At that moment, I still wanted to continue. I wanted to land at least one hit and struggled to stand up with the wooden stick.

Byron, who had been silent, saw me stand up and said,

"Lord Zacharias still wants to continue. Sir Jakes, could you watch a bit longer?"

I managed to stand up and said to Guy in a whisper, "I'm fine... I think I'm fine..."

(While I could deflect my grandfather's sword, I couldn't with this man's... What should I do? Can I only avoid? Is there another way...?)

At that moment, I couldn't find a solution.

I just thought about using speed to disrupt him.

I used magic combat techniques on my legs without much thought.

As soon as I finished, I feinted to the left and jumped to the right, accelerating and closing in on him.

I thought I had to get inside his guard. If I could get inside, I could do something.

I feinted a few times and, with determination, jumped into Byron's guard.

When his sword passed where I had been, I was sure I had won.

(Yes, this is it!)

I struck his unprotected side.

However, the next moment, my vision spun.

I was knocked to the ground, looking up at the sky, with his large wooden sword pointed at me. I was completely confused.

(What happened? I should have won with that last attack. Why am I on the ground?)

"You are impressive. I am a fourth-class mercenary, and I didn't expect to be pushed this far by a mere ten-year-old."

Byron smiled, withdrew his sword, and offered his right hand. I took it and stood up.

"It was a good lesson. Thank you. Really... By the way, what did you do at the end?"

He smiled and said, "A leg sweep," shaking his foot slightly.

(To use a leg sweep in that situation... This is the strength of someone trained in real combat... As my grandfather said, I lack experience...)

I bowed again, saying, "It was a good lesson. Could you train me when you have time?"

"I understand. It was a good lesson for me too."

I smiled and said, "Hey, can we stop with the formalities now?" but he shook his head.

"I might serve you in the future. I'm getting used to it now."

(It seems he's not just a tough guy. If he says he intends to serve me, he can turn even the embarrassment of being defeated into a heroic tale. If the people who love hero stories hear it, it will sound like a loyal retainer who joined after admitting defeat. Moreover, this way, time might solve the problem. If he thinks about the future, he can use the excuse that he's letting a child shine...)

I also understood the purpose of this mock battle.

(This is a show for his subordinates. My movements are not ordinary for a ten-year-old. He wanted to show that their captain didn't lose to just a child... Another possibility is that he wanted to show a reason to respect me. If left as is, the mercenaries might resent me. This was a way to ease that tension... Considering this, the killing intent at the beginning was probably intentional...)

After the mock battle, we returned to the inn and wiped the dust off our bodies.

There were marks from being thrown to the ground, but no bruises from the body check or leg sweep.

(He held back quite a bit. According to Guy, he's on par with Nicholas. I can't win against him even if I try. Well, I'll think of it as meeting an interesting man.)

After that, Lidi and Sharon were quite angry, so I explained my theory to them. They didn't seem convinced, but Guy agreed with my thoughts, and they eventually calmed down.