Reading Nathan's report only made me lose any semblance of hope I thought I had left in me. I knew that trying to restore a barony that was known for being inadequate in all areas of production would not be an easy task.
''This is too much,'' I snivelled, tossing the report aside only to pick it up again. According to the memories I inherited, the infrastructure of our village was at best equivalent to the early stages of the medieval era.
They were made out of sticks, straw, barley, and mud. They were usually one-roomed huts that the household shared with the animals. They made their places themselves because they could not afford to pay someone to make them. Even if they could save enough money to have a basic roof over their heads, we lacked the skilled personnel capable of building them.
''This is a nightmare,'' I uttered, understanding that my woes would have to take a big break until all these issues were gone.
Grabbing the parchments Nathan had the decency to collect, I began strolling towards the stables. If I wanted to find a solution fast, I first needed to get a clear picture of the village and the land.
With winter soon approaching and their houses in such conditions, the losses we would have to endure would be catastrophic. The one thing we need most right now is capable hands, and them dying like stray dogs won't help anyone.
The sound of leaves rustling in the wind, followed by a distant rumble on the horizon, announced that the end of summer, and with it, our peace, was about to begin.
Finding the stables wasn't challenging since the only thing I had to do, was follow the loud neighs, accompanied by the stable man's curses.
Horses were always the noblemen's choice of mount. Each noble house was expected to have at least one war horse in its possession as a sign of readiness in case of battle. These elegant, powerfully muscled war-horses were a symbol of prestige and power, highly valued for their strength and speed in combat.
The cost of such a steed was astronomical, even for a noble. Unless you were noble, you were not allowed to have one in your control due to their importance and status in nobility. You could only purchase a Warhorse from specified breeders, selected by the kingdom, and only if you had the coins to maintain it.
To buy it, you need at least 200 gold coins and proof of nobility in your hands, alongside permission from a royal member, so seeing a warhorse in our stables certainly was something I didn't expect.
A man, probably in his fifties if I were to judge by his receding hairline and random spots of white on his beard, was trying to wash the warhorse, failing to scrub properly the tail, primarily because he was afraid of being kicked into oblivion.
''Easy there Bucephalus, hold still for me, will you?'' he impatiently urged, ready to cuss the animal for refusing to oblige. He has been taking care of this horse for over three months now and still hasn't learned how to behave. He still remembers when his Lord came looking for him, telling him with delight written on his face that he managed to acquire a real bonafide warhorse. It was an honour for a lowly stableman like him to take care of such an animal, yet who would have thought that it would cause so much trouble?
''I must have aged ten years in just a month,'' he scoffed, not realizing Ciaphas was standing right next to him, amused by his shenanigans.
'' You must be Emerson,'' I said loudly, announcing my presence unexpectantly, sporting an air of nobility on me.
Thanking my memories for remembering his name, I walked toward the horse before ordering Emerson to prepare it for a mount.
Even though he was rude, staring at me like he saw a ghost, too shocked to even say hello, in my memories, he was an earnest man.
Stumbling for a bit before realizing who was standing next to him, he performed a clumsy bow before rushing to prepare the horse. It probably was the first time, after who knows how many years, that he saw me asking for his services.
It was a well-known secret amongst the villagers that I was a good-for-nothing son that always spent his time in his mansion, so him watching me get out for once, and asking for a mount, was something that probably left him speechless.
''At least now he has some gossip to share with his friends'' I mused before mounting Bucephalus, slowly guiding him through the thick-leafed trees. I inhaled their minty smell and continued, delighting in the sound of my horse sliding through the leaves, ready to enjoy for the first time the scenery.
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Mushrooms grew under the shady roof of the forest, inviting all sorts of wildlife to it, turning the woodland into a living canvas of life. The moss-veiled trail snaked through the leaf-carpeted path, slowly directing me towards the village.
The forest's beauty was indeed soul-soothing, catching myself enjoying for once life in its purest form, full of vigour and activity from all kinds of animals.
The forest I entered was bamboo-brown and primitive. The grasses I stepped on were crackly beneath my feet because of the recent waterless period of summer, being in awe of the size and splendour of the trees. Their intertwined arms rose ever upwards, as far as my head could raise. They were like strongholds that stood proudly against the winds.
Suddenly the orchestra of chirring I could hear from them stopped. A pair of hawks were screeching high up in the canopy of the trees. Hawks are the hunters of the bird world. Their cruel, bloodthirsty eyes are always on the lookout for a hearty meal. In the winter, they raid chicken nests for their eggs, often damning the peasants to starvation. They drifted across my sight in a flash of flesh-grey and ink-black, trying to size me and my horse up. That was the last I saw of them, as they are slippery birds, full of suspicion.
I could see wild barley growing freely on the lumpy, mossy mattress of the path while the howling wind carried its fragrance with it. It was soul-refreshing to smell the earthly mix of the forest's perfume, something I never had the chance to do while growing up.
As I continued the moss-filled path, I ate a few bland-looking apples only to realize to my surprise, that they were mead sweet with a bitter twist. It was only after my stomach started acting up that I lived to regret it.
I urged my Horse to resume our path when suddenly my ears perked up at the metallic, chiming sound of a creek. It shimmered with a glitz shade through the lace of leaves. When the trees finally parted, I could see it was sliding into a small pond. The pond looked like a polished mirror of silver, with strands of swirl-blue twisting unhurriedly on the surface. A lustrous spillway led to a more rapid pond. Little rocks occupied the edges of the pond filed with rows of moss. They induced a stony gurgling as water met rock.
I must have spent at least an hour idling in the forest before finding the willpower to renew my course toward the village. I rarely had the chance to enjoy nature to its fullest so when I got the opportunity, I just grabbed it.
The steady trot of a horse, followed by Nathan's anxious voice searching for my whereabouts, snapped me back to reality.
''My Lord, what you did was extremely dangerous,'' he said panting, trying to catch his breath from all the screaming and yelling he did while in search of me.
''This forest has elemental beasts in it. If something were to happen to you, your father would never forgive me.''
Apologizing to Nathan profusely, promising I would never leave without him again, we slowly headed towards the village, finally having in our sights the first huts.
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Witnessing for myself the destitute condition of the sheds, lacking even the essentials a house should have while preparing for the winter, I nudged my horse to speed towards the village's square, ordering Nathan to gather the people up.
No less than an hour had passed before the first signs of human activity were seen, grouping up fearful and scared, toward the square, not comprehending what was going to happen to them.
With barely any money trickling down to the villagers from the barony, their circumstances were dire, to say the least. Watching them dressed in rags, having no shoes or any cloth that could protect them from nature's deadly elements, not even mentioning the beasts, only made me feel ashamed for my family's incompetence.
My family was responsible for these people yet they were in such conditions, barely having any muscle on their bones.
Some of them overheard my talk with Nathan, instructing him this time to bring forth the farmers first, and fear and panic started spreading among the peasants.
''My lord, please have mercy,'' some farmers begged while kneeling on the muddy ground, thinking I grouped them here to punish or kill them for the bad harvest.
Cries of small children and women were heard, adding to the cacophony with their sobs, believing I was about to massacre them to set an example for the rest.
The nobles were known for their cruelty towards the peasants, assuming I was the same.
'' I am not here to harm you,'' I loudly declared, wanting them to stop wailing and hear me out.
''There are some things I want from you,'' I continued, believing they calmed down a bit, only to rise a cacophony of cries yet again…
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It began as a whispering in the air. The sky was tar-black and the large clouds were moving towards the plaza we were currently situated, along with the peasants Nathan had grouped for me.
Soon the first drops of rain welcomed the start of autumn, bringing with it the blessing of life to the dismay of the peasants, knowing that winter was closing in on them.
With little to no protection against the extreme cold weather that was in store for them each year, the peasants usually tried their best to scavenge for any edibles they could find, aiding them to survive the winter as much as possible.
Having gathered them all here, I wasn't about to lose this chance just because some sporadic rain decided to show its ugly head.
''My name is Ciaphas Curze, Lord of these lands and also your Lord'' I shouted at the top of my lungs. If there was any chance of restoring the chaos this rain brought, it was now and I was not about to miss it.
''My esteemed father and Lord, Julius Curze, appointed me as your new ruler, the new Baron of this village and lands.'' Waiting for a bit, allowing the peasants to comprehend what was happening, I decided to unmount my horse.
The rain had stopped by now, barely turning the ground into slippery mud, returning order amongst the villagers, so I guess it was safe to talk to them with a bit more familiarity, in an attempt to soothe their worries.
''I tasked my trusted butler and friend Nathan,'' I continued, ''with reports regarding our barony's assets and strengths, and it became painfully obvious to me that your situation was at best a disgrace.''
disgruntled huffs and puffs were heard, followed by some whimpering voices of retort, before Nathan's cough brought them back to order.
''Having an awakened warrior as a butler sure has its upsides,'' I mused before deciding to get to the point. Bullying those poor souls was not my cup of tea.
''You, what's your name,'' I asked after pointing to a man that was kneeling on the muddy ground, scared to lift his head, fearing to offend me.
''My name is Gregar, sir'' he whimpered, tears flowing from his eyes.
''Looks like nobles are truly feared after all,'' I thought before returning my attention to Gregar.
''from now on, Gregar, you will stand as the head farmer. You will be responsible for all the other farmers here and make sure they are doing as they are told. I will teach you a new method of farming, and I want you to implement it on all of our farms here, Understood?'' I dictated, not allowing room for negotiation.
Observing Gregar for a good minute, not daring to utter even a whimper,
I breathed a sigh of relief. I feared a rebellion or a retort, some response that would challenge my authority or something similar.
Glad that nothing of the sort happened during my orders, I started explaining to him the crop rotation technique.
''The technique I will impart to you is called crop rotation. Listen carefully, because I don't like repeating myself,'' I said using a stern voice, trying to make him take seriously what I had to share.
''The way crop rotations works are quite simple, even for you. Different crops are planted on the same field in alternating years. For instance, one year, you will plant wheat and the next year you will decide to plant rye or barley. Yes, you heard right, Barley. These two crops use different nutrients, the nutrients used by one crop, let's say wheat, will be absorbed while that crop is growing. Those nutrients are used up when the wheat finishes maturing. The next year, you will grow barley in that field, because barley use up different nutrients in the soil. Because those nutrients were not used up in that field the previous year, the field is primed for the barley.
Waiting for Gregar to understand what I had just told him, and of course, catch a breather myself, I continued addressing the problem regarding fertilizer.
For them, the concept of placing dung on their crops was unheard of, resorting to cropping sacrifice to solve their problems.
'' From now on, all of you will have the duty of putting the dungs of your animals outside. Every day, the farmers will come to pick them up and place them as fertilizer, on their crops.''
A look of disgust was visible on all the faces of the villagers, thinking I went mad.
''You want us to put shit on our food?'' a villager sneered, followed by similar remarks and questions from almost all the villagers.
Believing I was crazy or something, they tried to play it off as a joke before I was forced to maintain order, requesting Nathan to whip the villager who started all this charade. Watching their villager flogged quickly turned them obedient.
''Do as I say and your taxes will be lowered,'' I finally said, mad at myself for losing my cool and whipping that poor man. Being a ruler wasn't an easy affair and maintaining order was a must, I consoled myself before the panicked screaming of a hunter reached my ears.
''MONSTERS, THEY ARE MONSTERS''
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With a broken bow in his hands, desperately trying to walk toward the closest person his bloodshot eyes could see, he managed to scream the words ''MONSTER'' one more time before collapsing near some tree he had clutched onto to catch his breath.
With his bow now laying flat on his feet, being in a delirious state from all the running he probably did, I decided to loom closer toward him.
Not every day do you see a person, and from the looks of it, a hunter running out of the woods, fearing for his life, screaming something about a monster.
Without wasting any time, I ordered Gregar to fetch some water while I had the peasants tell me if they recognized him. There was no way to convince me to walk close to potential danger, especially when I knew almost nothing regarding the barony's enemies and their ploys, without first taking some precautions.
With Nathan by my side and the peasants reassuring me that he was indeed one of the local hunters of our village, Eric, I felt more comfortable getting closer to him, after having Nathan act as a probable meat shield that is.
The first thing I noticed was the broken bow. It wasn't just missing a string but was almost broken in two like it was used to club someone or something with it.
''It appears Eric run into some trouble,'' I said while staring at his green shirt, now red from all the blood covering most of his body. There was a big gash at his right leg, going straight up to his thigh, having turned into ruins whatever was remaining of his pants.
With most of his body now covered with gore and sweat, I removed his upper shirt in search of some wounds that would justify all these crimson liquids on himself.
''This blood can't be his,'' I stated quite frightened, noticing that
'his quiver was also empty. The smell of blood and iron, combined with his awful stench, was beginning to turn my stomach upside down. Battling with myself not to puke in front of all these peasants, I managed to regroup my thoughts.
''Nathan, grab a capable local who is familiar with the woods in front of us and have one of the peasants take care of Eric,'' I stressed before hinting at the trail of blood our hunter had left for us to track.
''I have seen these wounds before,'' Nathan interrupted, signalling me to go to a more secluded spot, away from the prying eyes of the people.
''It's a mutated Tigra, probably two years old,'' he declared, certain it was an elemental beast that did the deed.
''He probably ran into one of these beasts while hunting, somehow stupidly provoked it, and chased him until he reached our village,'' he continued, trying to dissuade me from going after the monster.
''the Tigra must have used a wind claw attack, striking his thigh and causing the huge gash you see. From the looks of it, it must have warned him not to trespass on his territory or something similar, or else our friend here wouldn't even be alive to tell the tale. You can't just escape from an elemental beast, he said while stroking his beard, staring at the blood trail the hunter left with a doubt visible in his eyes.
The hurried footsteps of Gregar snapped me out of my trance as he brought some water along with some makeshift plank to use as a stretcher for Eric.
The moment the fresh cold water came in contact with Eric's ripped lips, he grimaced in pain, trying to shake the plank off his feet before falling again.
With a motion hard to pick with the naked eye, Nathan, like a ghost seen in anime movies I used to watch, appeared next to him, trying to keep him from passing out again.
''What did you see, what happened?'' Nathan gently questioned, trying to steady Eric's head.
Raising his head while in extreme pain from all the running and hits he endured until he reached the village, he pointed at the looming forest.
The crunching limbs of the trees rustled and shook their crackling leaves as Eric, fighting with all his might against the sweet embrace of death, whispered one word before finally surrendering himself to his eternal slumber.
Northmill.