A Commoner's Glimpse
Yusne’s voice rang out like a clear stream, crystal and beautiful. “Blind man?”
“Ugh! How rude!” A middle-aged nobleman standing beside her suddenly flared up. “Mind your manners!”
“I’m supposed to be careful, aren’t I?”
“This gentleman is a very distinguished person! You shouldn’t treat him so casually!”
“Oh, just a commoner.”
“Commoner?! I’ve said it twice now—watch your tongue!”
“Throwing gold leaf at a commoner doesn’t turn them into gold.”
In today’s world, actors and bards weren’t treated well at all. Nobles saw them only as tools for entertainment or court jesters. No amount of money or popularity with the aristocracy could ever elevate them to the ruling class. The same went for how ordinary people viewed them—nobles treated them exactly the same. They were lowborn. “Then who are you? A soldier?”
“No, I’m Yusne’s personal manager! Hmph!” Yusne reached for him as if to stop the explanation. “Colant, don’t say another word and leave everything to me here.”
“But…”
“Colant.” Her voice carried weight. Colant shut his mouth, glaring at Cloud with pure resentment. Cloud flashed him a bright smile. The atmosphere quieted again. Yusne spoke calmly. “I’m a bard. I came here because Lord Aaron requested that I join the witch hunt and observe its beginning and end, so he can preserve the tale in song.”
“Why put a bard on the battlefield?”
“The lord wishes me to watch the entire hunt and compose a song about it afterward.”
“Oh, excellent. No matter what, sing me something right here!” Colant exploded again. “Your Excellency! Yusne-nim is the rising star of the entertainment world that every royal and noble in the kingdom wants at their side! Can you seriously believe someone of her stature would sing in this shabby place? Your words are exactly like someone who decides to eat chicken drumsticks at an inn to satisfy hunger, only to realize the bill is one thousand jen after devouring them, with only five hundred in their purse—classic financial collapse!”
The logic was completely backwards. Colant was simply too furious. Yusne frowned slightly and shouted. “Colant! Quiet down!”
“Y-Yusne-nim…!” Colant couldn’t answer, fidgeted, and sealed his lips. Yet he still glared at Cloud like a cursed duckling. Cloud just grinned at the scene. “So how did this great person end up in a regiment of idiots? Shouldn’t you be in a better unit?”
Yusne continued in her gentle voice. “I’m officially assigned here, but I’m not really supposed to be. I only stopped by today because the new centurion arrived for greetings.”
“Hmm, I see.” Cloud crossed his arms and nodded. “Still, it’s boring here. Every day locked inside, you’d go mad. No training today, so come out, joke around with the troops, and have fun. Like him.” He pointed at the distant Leonald, who was diligently explaining the unfairness to the assembled soldiers. Just watching made Cloud sigh. “If that’s your wish, I’ll make sure you can come out often.”
“Good. Let’s get to know each other better.” After Yusne’s introduction, she carefully walked deeper into the soldiers with her cane. Colant narrowed his brows and muttered, “Hmph. Remember this—we’re not soldiers of this place. You have no obligation to follow my orders. ‘Come out and have fun’? I’ll never leave!”
After the meeting with the centurion, Cloud headed to the command post. Unlike other units that followed strict daily schedules, Cloud’s Tenth Regiment received special orders every day and carried them out without fail. At the command office of the five-hundred-man centurion Torres. Cloud stood at attention opposite the obese man seated behind the desk. “That’s all for today.”
“Understood.” Cloud accepted the single document Torres handed him. “Watch over young Lord Leonald so he doesn’t get hurt. Keep a close eye on the soldiers too—observe what each one is really doing. There are too many airheads; be careful. If you look away for even a moment, they might get lost or something worse could happen.” Torres, with his fierce tiger-browed appearance and imposing frame, looked every inch a commander. Cloud left the office, scanned the paper, and let out a wry smile. The document read:
Mission: Milk the cows.
Location: Garren Ranch, north of the city.
Time: 13:30–17:30.
Cloud sighed deeply and was about to turn away when he saw Vivian approaching, carrying a tray balanced on both hands. He smiled warmly. “Lady Vivian!”
“Huh? Cloud?”
“What brings you here?”
“I’ve become Lord Torres’s turn-duty attendant.” She beamed and proudly offered the tray. “So we’re in the same unit?”
“Cloud is also from the Second Regiment?”
“Tenth Centurion of the Second Regiment Infantry. I’m the centurion there.”
“Wow, amazing! Already a centurion! When did you earn your promotion?”
“Promotion? I was just lucky.”
“You must have studied hard in the training days. So cool.” Cloud felt embarrassed as her praise continued. “Wait, Cloud seems so different now.”
“Appearance?”
“No. I’ve seen your looks before, but your eyes… They’ve changed a lot.”
“How so?”
“Before they were overflowing with lewd energy. Now they look so clean and pure. People can really change, huh… Waaa…” Vivian gazed intently into Cloud’s pupils and let out an exclamation. “Lewd energy, huh.” Cloud chuckled, a smile on his lips as he said seriously, “I need to get my head straight too. I’m about to become a dad soon.”
“A dad?”
“Exactly. Anyway, I should go. See you later.”
“Take care.” Vivian watched Cloud’s retreating back with a puzzled tilt of her head. “Has Cloud gotten married…?” She turned toward the direction she had originally been heading. “Anyway, he’s changed. Too changed. It would have been nice if he looked like this back then too.” She gave a slightly wistful smile and knocked on Torres’s office door. Cloud, walking down the corridor, turned back and offered Torres’s office a bitter smile. “That Torres brat… I thought his brain was made of muscle, but he’s got good taste in women. Of all people, he picked the most curvaceous priestess in the regiment as his turn-duty attendant. Envy… pure envy. That’s why I have to rise up.”
At that moment, lewd thoughts surged in his head. The afternoon teatime event between superior and secretary. The image of Torres and Vivian sharing sweet private moments. Just imagining it made something stir. His lower body stirred, and a faint surge of anger at being cuckolded rose. “No way that actually happens. Either way… She was naked with me not long ago, and now seeing her like this feels new. Fresh… It’s a pity. I want to touch her again. But throwing lewd jokes at her and pestering her was something I could only do when I was single. Ugh…” Cloud clicked his tongue, turned around with a shrug, and smiled. “Now I have a family I need to protect. Don’t look at other women, Cloud.”
***
“Oh my, I don’t know how grateful I am that Lord Aaron sent soldiers to help.” At Garren Ranch on the northern plains, the Tenth Regiment members were milking cows, three men per cow, with great energy. The ranch owner was delighted to serve Cloud juice. “The shortage of hands was already a daily problem, but you’ve saved us. If we don’t milk the cows on time, they get mastitis and cause a lot of stress. Thanks to you, they’re dancing with joy.”
“Glad I could help.” Cloud held a juice glass in one hand and looked thoughtfully at the soldiers. Yusne had greeted him and left. Leonald was still there, searching for non-fairness materials. The other soldiers seemed to enjoy milking. They laughed and chatted like children while working diligently. Their skills were lacking—milk often spilled on the floor—but their bright, pure friendship was endless. “It’s fine, it’s fine.” The ranch owner smiled brightly, enjoying the rare excitement of people in his usually quiet ranch. “Boring.” Not the time for that. He felt like he was wasting time. On a fine day, in a beautiful spot, watching his subordinates work, sipping cool juice—himself—looked utterly pitiful. “I have to do something, anything…” It would be nice if a terrifying monster appeared in this peaceful plain. After defeating it, I could enter the city and request a promotion, right? Promotion. Promotion. Promotion. Only promotion floated in his mind. “Hey, boss.” Lucy approached in gray work clothes, rubber gloves on both hands. White milk clung to her hair, face, and swollen breasts like semen. It reminded Cloud of Elena bitten by the moyuchung and somehow made the idle moment more fun. “What is it?”
“If you’re not doing anything, take this old man with you.” “Grandma! Don’t leave me, Grandma!” Latinus clung to Lucy’s waist, weeping as he refused to let go. “You keep interrupting my work and make it unbearable.” “No! I won’t go! You’re my life’s partner!” Cloud patted Latinus’s shoulder. “Old man.” “Huh?” “Lucy isn’t Grandma. Grandma is over there, see?” “Where?” “Over there. Don’t you see?” Cloud pointed at the cow calmly eating fodder. “That grandma is milking and eating. Go quickly and suck on her milk so the old man gets energy too.” “You mean I should leave the milk out?” Latinus’s eyes sparkled. “Oh no, you damned hag! Showing off her tits while eating in front of everyone! Get over here now!” Latinus quickly pulled away from Lucy and stormed toward the cow, shouting. When the cow ignored him, he mistook the fodder bucket for a table and tried to overturn it with both hands. But the bucket was carved from a large stone the size of a human body, so the old man’s strength was no match. He only tugged at it and groaned. “If he collapses from high blood pressure, it’ll be a disaster.” Cloud chuckled. Lucy, watching quietly, clicked her tongue in amazement. “The boss really has terrible taste.”