Chapter 20.6

Side Story: Memories of the Boss – Perchetta’s Perspective (2)

Then there was a debate about whether cows or pigs were stronger, and Ral suggested we find out. We decided to do it on a large scale, so each of us borrowed (without permission) a pig and released them into a cattle pasture. Well, it turned into quite a commotion. At first, they were all calm and peaceful, but Ral, finding it boring, started whipping the pigs and cows as she pleased. Things quickly spiraled out of control, and we ended up fleeing the scene. Ral apparently received a severe scolding for that incident. She’s the kind of person who doesn’t run away in such situations. She causes mischief but takes responsibility for it.

We did a lot of meaningless mischief because we were just kids. One time, Ral thought it would be fun to have a pond, so we dug up someone’s field and diverted water from the river to create a pond. With our large group, it was done in no time. The owner of the field, whose land was turned into an unauthorized pond, was furious, and Ral ended up being scolded alone. The next day, we all worked hard to restore it. Thanks to that incident, I learned about the structure of embankments and fields, so it wasn’t entirely useless. It’s proving useful now.

We also got into serious trouble when we decided to chop down trees in the forest and build a secret base in the mountains. It turned out the trees we felled were part of a reforestation project by a nearby village. They had been carefully nurtured for decades to be sold as timber. Being kids, we had no idea about such things, but the scolding taught us that people grow trees for a reason. There’s meaning even in getting scolded. Ral, who received scoldings more than anyone else, learned many things. Although She never seemed to learn his lesson.

Then, there was a time when there were bandits and some of our little guys went missing. They were abducted by the bandits. Ral became incredibly angry upon hearing this. She mobilized all of us and started a hunt in the mountains. When we discovered the bandits’ hideout, Ral, along with a few skilled individuals including myself, launched a surprise attack on them at night.

Even though Ral was strong in fights, we were just kids. Our opponents were armed bandits. I was scared to death. However, Ral, like a monkey, swiftly maneuvered through the trees and descended upon the campsite the bandits had set up in a hollow. We couldn’t abandon our boss, so despite our fear, we had no choice but to give a battle cry and charge in. I thought I was going to die.

Ral mercilessly attacked the bandits with her spear and bow and arrows, while the rest of us battered them with clubs. In the midst of the chaos, we managed to capture all the bandits and rescue the kidnapped kids. We contacted the town’s soldiers, handed the bandits over to them, and ultimately, the bandits were hanged. The soldiers were more exasperated than impressed. They did praise us somewhat, but also advised, “Next time something like this happens, contact us before taking matters into your own hands.” It was a reasonable request. Although I doubt Ral would ever listen to something like that..

Regardless, Ral had a strong sense of justice. If anyone tried to bully the weak among his friends, he would beat them up, hang them from a tree, and leave them there for three days. He would take the initiative in helping the elderly or those who were physically unable to move due to injury or illness in the fields, or he would make us help them. Of course, we would not back down if they said something unreasonable, even if they were adults. He once beat up a family that was disciplining their children more than necessary and made them understand by beating up the parents.

We admired Ral for such qualities and truly looked up to her. We felt that as long as we were with our boss, we could accomplish anything, and in reality, when we were together, we never lost to bandits or even bears. I wanted to spend my whole life following our boss, that’s how I felt.

However, when we turned thirteen, as adults, we had to start helping with our families’ work at home. My family was a farming family entrusted with a large field by the lord, and we had hired workers to cultivate it. Being the eldest son and the successor, I had a mountain of things to learn and tasks to fulfill. That meant I no longer had the luxury of running around the territory with Ral every day.

During that time, my father mentioned something to me in passing: “Would you consider marrying the Baron’s daughter?”

Marry Ral? I was taken aback by the absurdity of the idea. Frankly, I saw Ral as my intimidating boss, someone so fierce and unpredictable that I couldn’t even imagine her as a woman. Marrying Ral? It was out of the question. I immediately declined. …Oh, yes. I regretted that decision later on.

Ral apparently went to the imperial capital when she came of age and brought back a souvenir. She seemed disappointed that we couldn’t continue our adventures together, but she understood that I had to learn the family work and didn’t hold it against me. Like me, Ral’s subordinates gradually grew up and couldn’t play together anymore. Ral became quite lonely.

After coming of age, Ral gradually became more feminine and beautiful. It had gotten to the point where if you hadn’t seen her for a while, you’d turn around and ask, “Who is that?” Her long, silver hair was stunning. Ral had been growing it out since the time we used to run around and play, complaining, “I want to cut it, but my mom won’t let me.” Ral’s mother was right. It was a good thing she didn’t cut it.

Ral’s family served as the Baron, acting as the lord’s representative and handling various matters. Although it sounded important, Ral’s parents were just ordinary folks without any airs of grandeur. Even Ral couldn’t escape getting scolded by their parents and looking downcast from time to time. Ral also started assisting the Baron after coming of age, riding horses and running various errands. Her equestrian appearance was mesmerizing. When we spotted her in the distance, we would all cheer and wave our hands. Ral would stop the horse, smile proudly, raise their hand, and then swiftly give a signal to the horse before galloping away. It was so cool. I can still vividly picture it in my mind.

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