Chapter 77
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Preparation for Childbirth - 2
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“What? Why are you here?”
Petra, who had been doing housework, greeted me when I arrived at Tom’s house. Come to think of it, this was the first time we’d met since I returned from the expedition.
“Petra, long time no see. How’ve you been?”
“Same as always. Oh, right—what happened to the shield I gave you?”
“Ah, that shield...”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly at her question before answering carefully.
“It broke.”
“How?”
“Ran into something strong. It sliced through blackwood like paper.”
“I see. Well, nothing to be done about that.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t take care of it and ended up wrecking the shield you made me.”
“It’s fine. If everyone came back safe, that means the shield I made performed as it should.”
“Y-yeah.”
They were opponents so formidable that it hadn’t helped much in the end, but I didn’t bother telling Petra the full truth.
“Is Tom inside?”
“Yeah, he’s working.”
Following Petra’s lead, I was able to meet Tom in the forge.
“Tom, the meeting’s soon—already hard at work?”
“I was making the farm tools you told me about.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard, or you’ll end up sick later.”
“Haha, at my age, not working feels more tiring.”
Tom chuckled as he spoke, then handed me one of the farm tools. It was a hoe I’d taught him how to make out of boredom before.
Looks like he’d gotten started now that spring was approaching.
“This one’s the best of the batch.”
“You did a great job.”
“I made this one.”
Petra, who’d been watching from the side, showed off the hoe she’d made. Was she fishing for praise?
“You did great too.”
“Definitely better craftsmanship than yours, Dad.”
“Heh heh, Petra, you challenging your old man now?”
True to their artisan family roots, they had strong pride in their work. But please, not in front of me—I’m no expert.
To change the subject, I asked Tom something I’d been wondering about.
“Tom, mind if I ask you something?”
“Hm? You? Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“Do you know why there are no elderly women in the village?”
“Hmm...”
Tom pondered my question for a long while before finally speaking.
“I don’t really know.”
“You don’t?”
“Well, I’m an outsider too, after all.”
“Haven’t you lived here for over twenty years now?”
I glanced at Petra as I asked. She seemed to sense the conversation dragging on and started brewing herbal tea.
“True enough, but the villagers still haven’t fully accepted me as one of their own.”
“What? But you’ve done so much for the village...”
“When I settled here, your adoptive father Ian was around. From the elders’ perspective, I came in during easy times.”
“Even so...”
“I’ve heard stories too—back in the day, a lot of people died from monsters coming out of the Dark Forest.”
In the end, even Tom didn’t know.
“So why are you curious? It’s pretty common for rural villages to have few old ladies.”
“Chloe’s due soon, so I wanted help from an experienced woman.”
“So you’re about to become a proper father. Congratulations in advance.”
“That’s why I’m so worried.”
“That’s normal. It’s a rite of passage every man goes through.”
Tom’s words gave me some real comfort. We exchanged a few more words about childbirth, and when the time came, Tom and I headed to the Village Chief’s house.
As expected, the main topic of the meeting was choosing someone to manage the watermill.
“Who do you recommend, Tom?”
“Not really planning to recommend anyone.”
Tom didn’t seem too interested in the watermill. More precisely, he had no interest in the money flowing through it.
The man really embodied artisan spirit.
“But won’t Jace get picked?”
As Selnia predicted, the mood favored her husband.
“He’s always been a good kid—helps out the villagers like it’s his own business.”
“Is that so? I’m not a fan of him.”
I had no personal fondness for him because of what happened with Selnia.
And above all, the fact that he hadn’t come to ask for help himself but sent his wife instead rubbed me the wrong way as a fellow head of household.
“Same here. He’s not very manly, always looking over his shoulder at others. Seems like he’s aiming for Village Chief, but watching him hesitate and hold back even now is frustrating.”
“...But didn’t he sacrifice himself to protect a comrade in the war?”
“That’s what makes it even more stupid. A guy with a wife and kids sacrificing for who? It’d be one thing if it was reliable family or friends, but saving that blockhead? Short-sighted fool.”
I was at a loss for words at Tom’s blunt recitation of facts.
Come to think of it, hearing it that way...
“That’s why everyone’s recommending Jace. Easy to take advantage of.”
“I see.”
They claimed it was his kind nature, but everyone had ulterior motives.
Politics is tough.
Just as the mood was tipping that way, I raised my hand to speak.
“So, Jace for the watermill...? Sian, something to say?”
“I recommend someone else.”
The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to me in the corner.
What? First time seeing me talk or something?
“Who do you recommend, Sian?”
“Austin.”
“Austin? You mean the blind kid?”
The last remark came not from the Village Chief, but from the next oldest elder.
“A guy who can’t see won’t manage it properly.”
“Not at all. Quite the opposite—because he can’t see. His hearing’s sharp, so he can spot problems early.”
The watermill manager job wasn’t demanding anyway.
The guy who used to own the mill and embezzled funds hadn’t managed it properly either.
And if something broke, Tom or I would fix it regardless.
In other words, the manager just needed to collect the usage fees.
“And since he can’t see, he can’t embezzle.”
“Well, when you put it that way...”
Everyone seemed convinced.
Except a few.
“ entrusting an important village role to an outsider feels off.”
I hadn’t realized it, but the boy named Austin was an outsider too.
The Village Chief took issue with the word “outsider” and snapped at the elder who’d spoken.
“Are you discriminating against outsiders right in front of Sian?”
“N-no, that’s not it... Austin hasn’t contributed much to the village like Sian has. If anything, he’s been a burden.”
“That’s not for you to decide. Discriminate with that ‘outsider’ talk again, and I won’t forgive you as Village Chief.”
“...Understood.”
One wrong word and you’d be chased out of the village.
The Village Chief had some backbone.
Well, you can’t be Village Chief without it.
“Um...”
As the conversation paused...
“If he can’t see, won’t it be hard for him to collect fees?”
Jace spoke up, worried about losing his spot.
“No need to worry. Unlike before, we will be charging fees.”
“How will you charge them?”
Everyone perked up at the mention of fees, unlike before.
I explained the revised fee system I’d already discussed with Tom.
“By usage count. So much per use.”
“Won’t that mean he earns less?”
“It’s not about making big money. And this way, everyone can use it without worry, right?”
“When you say it like that...”
In the end, the blind boy Austin got the watermill job.
As I said, zero risk of embezzlement, and who’d openly oppose the owner’s decision?
One person aside.
...
“Um, Sian.”
“Yes, Jace?”
After the meeting, as I headed home, Jace struggled to catch up with me.
“Could you reconsider that decision from earlier?”
“Hmm...”
Predictably, he wanted me to backtrack.
I thought for a moment before responding.
“Even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you.”
It wasn’t just because of Selnia’s request—I personally didn’t want Jace managing the watermill.
Especially with his personality, easily swayed by others.
“Why not?”
“I want to stay neutral in village matters. But with your personality, I doubt you could.”
“It’ll never cause you any trouble. And if I sacrifice as manager to help the villagers, won’t everyone be happy? Your reputation would improve too.”
“You’re simpler than I thought, Jace.”
“Pardon?”
His words sounded like someone with good guy syndrome, leaving me dumbfounded.
Probably his Village Chief ambitions fueled that personality, but sorry—I’m not here to make your dreams come true.
Selnia knew exactly what she was asking for.
She must’ve anticipated her husband’s nature when making that request.
In modern terms, a guy like that would stand surety for friends and get taken advantage of.