Chop, chop, chop.
Crack, split... thud.
The warm summer sun bathed Rupert's body, the sky clear and saturated with a bright blue, dotted with a few white clouds drifting lazily above. Birds chirped and sang, cicadas buzzed loudly, and crickets rubbed their wings. Rupert, deep in the woods, had already cleared a small area the size of a farm using his old, second-hand axe. He wiped the sweat from his face with a small towel and sat on a stump. Reaching for the leather bottle beside the towel, he took a long drink. Sunlight glistened off his skin as he gulped down the water, droplets falling around his mouth and down his throat. Rupert let out a short sigh.
"Finally, that's the thirtieth one for the day," he muttered. "I guess I'm slower than usual today. My back hurts... all because of Mr. Han. He wouldn't lend me the horse yesterday, so I had to break my back moving the logs around. I'm not going through that again today. If he wants me to sell him the logs, he should at least give me a horse."
With that, Rupert moved through the woods, deciding not to cut the logs into planks today. Instead, he took only his minimal gear and headed into the mountains, moving through the shadows. The sunlight cast hundreds of small, varied beams on his lean frame. His deep black eyes were sharp, and his long black hair, tinged with gray, swayed behind him. The ground was covered in a green blanket of weeds and grass, and small boulders, mossy and soft, were scattered around. Wildflowers of white and yellow dotted the landscape, their fragrant scent cutting through the damp, rocky air and reaching Rupert's nostrils.
He was heading toward his home, deep in the mountains and further into the forest. The tall, sturdy trees occasionally blocked his path, but Rupert, skilled in navigating the woods, moved with confidence toward his house.
Ahead, the light marked the edge of the forest, signaling the start of the plains. As Rupert reached the light, he stumbled into a semi-circular clearing—his home. His log house, which he had built with his own hands over the years, stood proudly in the middle. Rupert was no professional lumberjack nor carpenter, but through countless failures, the cycle of trial and error, he had managed to construct a modest yet decent home. It was as big as a typical family house, resembling the mountain village homes, with an elevated first floor and a roof made of wooden shakes. Rupert stepped inside.
He put his gear away and sat down to relax for a moment. If I sit here too long, I'll get lazy and start thinking about skipping work, he thought. Shaking off the urge to rest, he cleared his mind of any thoughts of laziness and headed outside to begin stacking firewood. I didn't sell the logs yesterday because I had no carriage or horse. Today, I can't sell the logs either. I'll have to carry the firewood on my back instead. Firewood sells for less than logs, so I really want to sell the logs while it's still the dry season. When it's dry, I can move more logs with the carriage, but in the rainy season, the ground becomes too soft and slippery, making it much harder to transport them.
Rupert sighed. I guess I have no choice but to get a horse from Mr. Han today. But at least I can sell firewood for now.
With that thought, he shouldered a heavy load of firewood and set off for the town.
Rupert lived alone in the forest on the mountain, far from Tohe Village, a few thousand steps away. His life was quiet and secluded.
The fresh air, even in summer, breezed through the forest, cutting through the woods and sending its slight chilliness towards Rupert. During the day, while the sun shines brightly in the sky, sending its warm, gentle blessings towards the land, the air blows from the west, the seashore side, and onto the mainland. Tohe Village is located far to the western borders of the Angela Kingdom, hugging the shore tightly. Rupert's house is situated to the north of the village. He is heading south towards the village, climbing down the mountain one step at a time, careful not to fall while maintaining a constant, controlled pace to avoid losing control of himself and the firewood he is carrying on his back.
"Just how many years do I have to do this work to reach my goal? At the rate I'm getting paid currently, I would have to work the rest of my life. If I were to sell the logs and planks, I would get around 90 gold coins, and if I could sell that every day from now on, hmm, let's see, 90 per day for 1,000 days would be 90,000. I need around 600,000 to retire. I don't need anything in life besides food and a house. I can build the house myself, so I don't need to pay for a house. According to Mr. Han, I need that 600,000 to make sure I don't run out of money before I die. It would be a disaster if I were to live to 80 and ran out of money at that age. Yeah, at that age, making more money wouldn't be an option. One look at Mr. Han, and I can tell that I'm not going to be running and jumping around at that age. I would be exhausted just by thinking about cutting trees. 90,000... 180,000... 270,000... that's 7 times 1,000 days, which is around 25 years-no, it's like 20 years. Yeah, 20 years. I don't want to work for another 20 years." Rupert thought while descending the mountain.
A gust of wind blew from Rupert's right-hand side, blowing his long neck hair to the side. His smooth, thin hair strands, so soft yet dense, danced and swayed through the air as if a ghost was pulling his hair. Rupert, deeply saddened thinking about the long future awaiting him, felt as if he was mentally being blocked by an iron wall, completely hopeless. He was going to work for a long time from now on. The future is not exciting for him at all.
"I need to ask Mr. Han to find me a high-paying job as a carpenter or something. I would need to work 20 years if I were to save everything I earn while only selling logs and planks. This is clearly not realistic, as I would normally be selling firewood for most of the year, thus I would actually need to be working for 40 or even 50 years to save certain amount to retire. That's right, being optimistic isn't going to help anybody. It will only raise my expectations, and when I fail to meet those expectations-which I certainly would- I will only become disappointed and hurt myself. I have done this job for 7 years now. What's a few more decades to go? People work for decades, so why can't I do the same? Am I less incapable than other? No, I'm not.
... Recently, time has been moving faster and faster. If this keeps up, then the next decades will pass by in an instant. I can't wait to reach retirement. It's going to take a while, but it is a peaceful life. I will enjoy the journey to my retirement. There are many who are bound by this world's inescapable problems, unable to enjoy peace and a relaxing life. I will, for their sake and for my own, in my retirement and in the years leading up to retirement, enjoy my days eating delicious food, lots of meats too. Then, maybe I can buy some pen and paper and learn to draw. Maybe I can become a huge artist in the west even." Rupert laughed slightly in his heart.
The future is uncertain, and Rupert could only combat the uncertainty with his mind, grabbing and holding onto this peaceful life.
Rupert reached the base of the mountain, the valley, being flatter with a few hills here and there, covering quite some distance before his eyes. The village before his eyes housed a dozen thousand villagers, being a mid-sized village in this world. One-third of the village is on the hillside, while the rest is on relatively flat plains. The houses are built on raised foundations to cope against extremely rainy weather and flooding. The stone pillars underneath the first floor are built by the priests underlings abilities, the pillars sturdy beyond reasoning. The space between ground and first floor approximately the height of Rupert. To an outsider it may seem unnatural but these houses are made to combat the harsh weather of this region.
The Angela Mountains, where Tohe Village is located, is a rainy region where it rains more than one whole season per year.
The sun poured down its light from above, brightly shining on the village houses, making their dark brown reflect pure, untainted brown colors, the colors sharp and consistent. The wall around the village, made out of pointy wooden logs, thick and sturdy, planted in the earth, unfazed by nature, blocks any and every unwanted creature, with two gates on opposite sides of the village.
Rupert walked down the hill and towards the western gate, entering the village. Being midday, the village was fairly crowded with workers going up and down the village in a hurried manner. "I'm living my life not so different from you guys. I'm working hard too, you know," Rupert thought to himself as he remembered the newly assigned guard a few minutes ago sneering at him with disgraceful eyes, as if to tell him that he, who is not providing any value to the village and is living as an outcast, should not leech off the village's economy. The bigger reason for his sneering was that he could not stand watching a younger kid having an untamed life, unbound from the rules and norms of the village, living his life more freely than him. But he can't do anything to Rupert realistically, since he is officially coming to the village to trade his firewood. Denying his entry to the village without cause is punishable and is an act of disruption of the village entry rules. Besides, Rupert was born in this village, and this is his home village. Having been in and out of the village so many times daily for the past few years, the guards already knew him and granted him access without a word.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Mr. Han... Mr. Han, wake up, Mr. Han." The old man called Mr. Han by Rupert was napping in his chair, slightly leaning against the wall in the back of the workshop. Upon entering the building, the small room of the workshop is filled with example products of a few different textured wooden planks and timbers hanging on the wall, some rooftop materials of different types, some grainy and hard, and others smooth, soft, and lightweight. This person who just woke up from a midday nap is Mr. Han. He is an old man around his 60s, short in build, with a light gray robe covering his whole body, hiding away this man's true identity. Rupert knew him well already. He learned early on in his childhood not to let his eyes deceive him, for what he sees could be far from reality. Rupert, in his younger years, learned some basic carpentry skills from this man, and although he looks weak and scrawny right now with his robes on, he is a demon when fired up.
He poked this demon when he was younger, waking up the passion of the man unknowingly. Rupert asked a question while on training in his early years, although he has forgotten the question, he remembers clearly Mr. Han's brown-greenish eyes shining brightly, the muscles in his face turning stiff, the veins in his forehead and face pumping with hot blood. He took off his robe, revealing a body unattainable by many, even with years of hard training. The muscles were so dense, and his body so lean, revealing saturations throughout his whole body. He then shut himself in the workshop for days on end, refusing to come out, much less train Rupert. Rupert hopelessly spent that week hunting for food in the forest, plucking and eating wild berries and catching snakes for food. At the time, Rupert was only 7 years old.
Mr. Han came out of the workshop backroom after 6 days, looking malnourished and depressed yet again. At that time, Rupert was not concerned about Mr. Han in the slightest; he was only there to learn carpentry from him. But looking back, Rupert slightly regrets not asking about his welfare.
Mr. Han let out a deep grunt. "... Is it already so late?" he asked with eyes almost thin, woken up from a nap. It seemed his vision was a little blurry. "No, Mr. Han, I came early today because I skipped working on the logs today," Rupert said to him with a calm and indifferent voice. "Why would you do that, you brat?! Are you so rich already that you can waste a beautiful day like this?" Mr. Han let out his complaint in a grumpy, irritated voice. I was having a peaceful nap on this beautiful day, I wasn't supposed to wake up this early, my peaceful nap got disrupted by this ungrateful kid.
Although it was midday in summer, it was only slightly warm inside the workshop. Mr. Han doesn't do carpentry himself anymore, so the workshop is empty, and customers are few most of the time—a perfect condition and environment for lazing around all day. Rupert, indifferent to Mr. Han's complaint, replied in a calm manner, "Mr. Han, I did not have a horse and carriage yesterday, so I moved the logs around by and worked on them with my own strength, and I couldn't bring it down to village to you. Today, I woke up to unnecessary fatigue, which slowed me down all morning while cutting down trees. I figured out moving the logs around myself without a carriage is inefficient and a waste of energy. Thus, I came here today without working on the logs." With a slight pause, he continued in his mind, Besides, it's not like you have been outside since morning, calling me out as lazy. It's not like you are any better than me. You have been napping here all day, drinking wine like an addict. No, you are an addict. He dared not let out his thoughts, for his only source of income was sitting right in front of him.
The only person in this village who would be willing to buy from Rupert was this old man, Mr. Han.
"I see, Rupert. I told you two days ago that I was going to lend the horse to a merchant friend of mine yesterday and that he will have the horse for a while. He was heading down south to Helsi Village, but one of his horses got sick the day before. He came to me, requesting my support, so I lent him the horse. I can't just turn a blind eye to a friend who is in trouble. Besides, it's not like I lent it to him for free. In exchange for me lending him my horse, he is going to bring back their signature wine, Golden Flower Wine of Helsi Village, with him." Mr. Han talked in a low, calm, serious voice.
Rupert did not buy it. You old man, you can't fool me. Just how long do you think I have known you for? You might be able to trick other villagers, but I am not so easily deceived. You were at the tavern for a drink when you heard the rumor about Sanshi, the merchant in need of help. You were previously not even interested in this man, not even greeting him in public. Although he is a small-time merchant, you, who are an even smaller merchant than he is, should be the one taking initiative of going up to him and making connections. Yet you refuse to sit on the same level as others. I know you were not in the slightest thinking of helping him out of your good will. You were only interested in the free wine that came from lending him your horse. You don't even use your horse for anything these days. So you grabbed onto the opportunity, trampled over me, and disrespected me as your student and your material provider, all in the name of free wine. Rupert was infuriated with Mr. Han, but he couldn't do anything nor say anything to him.
There aren't many carpenters in the village, and those who work as carpenters all have their own official wood suppliers who cut and supply clean and neat processed timbers to them. Their timber quality is much higher than Rupert's, the supply high and consistent. Who would want to buy timbers from an unknown kid? He cannot supply the carpenters' needs efficiently and will only mess up their workflow and efficiency. They cannot afford to add an uncertain variable to their work when they don't need to. In reality, these carpenters don't need some unprofessional kid's timbers; they have their own high-quality wood suppliers.
He can only sell the firewood to the merchants in the village. One trip to the village will only be enough for a meal, the merchants offering only lowest prices to him. With such prices, he would need to make two trips per day at least just to maintain his life. And in doing so, he would constantly struggle to make a living besides just surviving. Is a life really worth anything if you are constantly struggling to survive? How is it any different from beasts in the wild?
Rupert does not want to live a life of constant struggle. He wants to live a life full of relaxation and peacefulness.
"How am I supposed to work on the logs now then?" Rupert asked, his voice calm. "Hmm, let's see. I thought about it a little yesterday." One jar of wine is not enough. I should have asked for more from Sanshi. I should have been greedier. He was in need of help. What is wrong with using that as an advantage? I should have asked for two or three wine jars at least. If I asked for more, maybe he would have rejected my offer for help. Maybe not? Damn it, was I in fear of his reaction to my offer? He should have been jumping at any offer given, since he would be profiting much from his sales anyway. I should have asked for a portion of the profit, then used that as a starting point, drifting conversation away from profit, to end up with more wine jars. Maybe it would have turned out differently. Augh... What's done is done. It's now all in the past, and I can't change the past. Hmm... I really want more of that wine. It is truly the best wine in this region. Its aroma is delicate and crisp, reminiscent of wildflowers in sunny meadows, while its taste is harmonious, a subtle sweetness balanced by refreshing acidity.
He thought while reaching into his robe with his hands.
He pulled out a pouch almost empty of gold coins, the pouch fist-sized in worn fabric material. He reached out his hand with the pouch in it and signaled Rupert to take the pouch. Rupert took the pouch from him, and upon opening the pouch, his eyes raised slightly, shocked. Rupert counted, and there were 10 large gold coins. Rupert looked at Mr. Han with confusion and asked, "What is this money for?" although he had his assumptions and guesses already. He knew that this much money wouldn't be handed to him for no purpose. "I want you to head to Helsi Village on the carriage right now. Sanshi will be heading back after tomorrow. Go there today and buy five Golden Flower Wines. Spend tomorrow there and find Sanshi, then head back with him after tomorrow. It's not a problem if you can't find him, but you would be spending your money on a carriage back home that you could have saved otherwise." As Mr. Han was telling him this, he took 450 gold coins out of his pouch and put them on the desk in front of him. "50 coins for woods, use this 400 as travel expenses. The change is your payment."
Rupert's deep, dark eyes shone brightly. He was in joy because, with 400 coins, he could save at least 200 coins if he spent it wisely. If he found Mr. Sanshi there, then it would be 260 coins at least. He would then be able to save all of it at once. This was a chance to save up more than a week's worth of savings in one go.
The carriages leave at the fourth bell. With that thought, he took the coins on the desk and put them in the pouch, then secured the pouch by putting it in his pants pocket. He then took his leave, but he did not rush. Although he was overjoyed over this matter—an unexpected opportunity to earn some coins—he was calm beneath the surface. His mental state was like an empty vase just being tipped over, nothing being poured out. This event changed nothing in him, for his goal of a peaceful life and retirement was still much further than his current economic state allowed. But unbeknownst to him, his heart rate increased slightly.
With the next goal in sight, Rupert walked through the village, passing through the crowds and carriages on the stone-paved road. The hustle and bustle of the day truly showed the liveliness of the village. Everyone is busy with their own life, none of them truly interested in others. Yet, this chaos brought by their selfish desires and goal has brought them together here in this moment. The noise is deafening. The merchants eager to sell their goods, the old women in a group surrounding the shop owner and haggling, the kids running after one another in the alley, another kid crying in a corner, probably lost, while the shop owner beside him is calling for customers. This was the main shopping district of Tohe Village. In order to reach the eastern gate where the carriage was waiting, Rupert was walking through the shortest route there. He would usually avoid the busy street, as he had no reason to be here other than shopping from time to time. But this time, taking the shortest route was the rational and obvious choice.
After walking to the end of the shopping street, he took left and right turns, slowly reaching the carriage awaiting by the gate. The carriage owner requested 60 coins as the expense, and Rupert handed it to him in a swift motion, hiding away the amount of money he had in his pouch.
With this, Rupert Anghert was on his way to Helsi Village to buy wine jars for the old man, Mr. Han.