Reunion
Joseph and Ogier turned the carriage back north once more. It was because winter was approaching.
“Why not just kill them before it gets too cold?” Derek asked with a somewhat displeased expression. It wasn’t that he feared the demonic beasts, but he didn’t like the idea of heading back to the village again.
“Engaging in war when the rivers freeze over is madness.” Joseph answered firmly.
Honestly, Joseph himself wanted to enter the village right away. But there was no other choice at the moment. They didn’t know the internal situation of Malešov. If they charged in blindly, they couldn’t predict what would happen.
‘If I’m unlucky, I’ll be surrounded by demonic beasts and die miserably.’
But setting up a camp near Malešov was also problematic. When temperatures dropped below zero, camping in the forest would be suicidal. No matter how much they bundled up, there was a limit to how much they could withstand the cold. In comparison, beasts, especially demonic beasts, were relatively insensitive to cold from the start. They had evolved to survive winter outdoors.
The winter environment was absolutely disadvantageous to humans. There was no need to adventure in such a disadvantageous position.
“Leave scouts near Malešov and wait for winter to pass in nearby villages.”
“Then it would be better to return to the castle once.” It was better to have a more comfortable place to spend the winter, after all.
But Joseph shook his head. “The enemy might move during that time. We have to keep monitoring.”
Unlike humans, demonic beasts can move sufficiently even in winter. If they get too far, they might slip away into the forest or to another location. Perhaps for Ogier, who was determined to reclaim Malešov if the enemy disappeared on their own, it would be a good thing. But Joseph’s goal of finding clues about artifacts would be thwarted.
‘Since I’ve made up my mind, I absolutely can’t let them go.’ More urgently, without faltering, more surely. After creating an environment where victory was inevitable, charge in and tear them apart in one breath.
Scouts were selected from the castle soldiers. “People will come to rotate every ten days.” The rest of the group decided to send periodic replacements from Doran village. Quite a lot of rations and additional rewards for the scouts. And Joseph’s carriage, which he had been using, was handed over.
Joseph had memories from his past life of working in places where it was below -20 degrees. ‘They’ll have a hard time.’
They had to endure ten days outside. It was impossible not to feel pity. It was said that sympathy comes from the bottom of the barrel. Joseph’s barrel was quite full now, so sympathy was easy to come by. Of course, it wasn’t just out of pity. Usually, when the group is far apart, soldiers think they are being left behind. No matter how friendly these soldiers were to Ogier and Joseph, when facing the cold that would peel their skin, their thoughts would change. They would want to abandon everything and flee. So they gave sufficient rations and a carriage that allowed them to avoid the cold relatively well. At the same time, by setting the rotation period to ten days, they instilled the mindset that ‘if I just endure a little longer, it’s over’, rather than enduring the cold without end. There was also a calculated meaning in that.
When Joseph readily handed over the carriage, the eyes of Ogier’s soldiers widened. The castle soldiers had seen them before, so they were just grateful. But these soldiers couldn’t help but be surprised. They knew that Joseph, as a magician, had a gentle personality. But to hand over the carriage they were riding as well…
The soldiers’ gazes soon turned to Derek and Jiren. Those lucky bastards. Their eyes clearly conveyed that meaning. Ogier also had a good employer, but he hadn’t given away things like this. It was an excessive benefit for those who had just become soldiers.
“You guys are envious. Always keep in mind to thank the magician.”
Derek and Jiren were flustered by the blatant gazes directed at them. Then Refn chuckled and whispered. The corners of their mouths twitched.
“We have to send people to the castle too… but expecting support might be difficult.”
“Indeed.”
Ogier sighed softly as he looked at the soldiers heading to Malešov’s vicinity. Joseph nodded. It wasn’t wrong.
Valois territory was short of people everywhere due to the war. That’s why Ogier and Joseph were wandering the territory hunting bandits. Even if they told Folmers about Malešov’s situation, it wouldn’t change much.
“Would it not be better to conscript?”
“Conscript?”
Refn, who had been watching the two with a complicated expression, offered his opinion. Ogier looked at him with a puzzled expression. He hadn’t thought about it even once until now. Since there were already soldiers brought from the territory, he might not have needed them.
Ogier de Danoa. Strictly speaking, the Danoa family was a vassal of Count Valois. If Count Valois or Folmers, who was acting in his place, gave permission, it would be possible to conscript soldiers from the village. It was different from recruiting individual soldiers like Joseph’s. After all, the people of Valois territory had to obey Count Valois’s orders unconditionally.
“Of course, it requires Viscount Folmers’ permission, but if possible, we could have at least minimal additional troops.”
“Hmm…”
Ogier’s gaze turned to Joseph’s soldiers. ‘They said they were recruited from nearby villages.’ Their somewhat clumsy appearance reminded him of his own soldiers when he had just left the territory. They had some backbone, but that was all for now. ‘It seems there weren’t any usable people.’
Joseph had a subtle expression. When recruiting soldiers, quite a few had gathered, but only three were selected in the end. But Refn’s thinking seemed a bit different.
“After all, we only need those who can withstand in front of demonic beasts, so it won’t be difficult to train them.”
This time, it wasn’t about finding bodyguards who protect against enemies and fight when necessary. It was just about creating a wall by hiding behind shields, which was possible even without talent. Then Ogier nodded.
“Ah, now that I think about it, you were the ones who trained my soldiers too?”
At that, Arke and Ogier’s soldiers scratched their noses with embarrassed smiles. It was like remembering the hell training that continued until they fell before the demonic beasts.
“Then we can recruit soldiers from Doran village.”
Ogier said that, but the castle soldiers had somewhat uneasy faces at the word “Doran village”. It was because of the dream incident that had happened in Doran village not long ago.
“…What happened there?”
Ogier asked Joseph after seeing their expressions. Joseph briefly explained what happened in Doran village.
“Indeed, it will be worrying. But there’s no lack of solutions, is there?”
“What kind of method do you mean?”
Joseph asked with an odd expression, and he added without hesitation. “Hang the neck of that old woman who first told you about the dream.”
“…What?”
No, what is this nonsense. Joseph looked at him with a dumbfounded face. ‘I’m curious how that head works sometimes.’ Why kill that old woman suddenly? Why is that a solution?
Joseph was just staring blankly as Ogier burst into laughter.
“Ah, I see. You have a peculiar personality, so you couldn’t think of that.”
“…Peculiar? Me?”
Joseph couldn’t hide his dumbfounded look, so he cleared his throat lightly and continued. “The curse that comes riding on the dream is solved by killing the first person who had that dream. Then the revelation will reach you but get cut off in the middle.”
“…?”
“Wait, now that I think about it, that old woman might really be a shaman! Find that woman, hang her first, and think about it.”
“If it’s a mistake?”
“Then it’s a pity.”
“…”
Joseph thought anew that he was fortunate to be a magician. If he had met him as a commoner, what treatment would he have received… ‘I forgot for a moment.’
In the end, Ogier was still a noble. This world was a world with very clear classes. It was the world itself, not that Ogier was strange. ‘This world is like this if you adapt.’
In fact, Refn and the soldiers also thought the same as Ogier. It was just that Joseph at the time hadn’t accepted it.
“For now, let’s think about that later.”
“If it’s easier that way, do so.”
Ogier nodded as if he had no particular thought. With that, the group moved back to Doran village along the road.
When they arrived at the village, the village chief was at the entrance. It seemed he had confirmed Ogier’s flag approaching from afar. The village chief looked visibly startled when he saw the magician who had left return. The magician who had spread anxiety in the village had returned. And this time, a noble even!
“Ah… Oh, oh… Oh… Welcome back!”
The village chief bowed his head deeply as if hiding his expression and greeted. Then he immediately guided Ogier and Joseph to them as if nothing had happened. His demeanor was so natural that Ogier didn’t notice anything strange. Like the village chief, the residents had been anxious about Joseph’s return, but it soon subsided. Joseph was Joseph, but this time there was a noble.
- A noble! And a knight! The magician is scary, and now a noble, and a knight! With one word from Ogier, the future of this village was decided. In the moment of frowning, the necks of several people might hang. If you upset them, disaster might come. To the residents, Ogier was such a being. More terrifying than the hazy superstition that had faded over time was the noble in front of their eyes. Joseph knew that Ogier wouldn’t do that much, but the residents here didn’t know that.
“Let’s see… Well, first, vacate two houses.”
Ogier instructed the crawling village chief. Although he brought soldiers, Joseph was still a commoner. There was no right of refusal. Joseph decided to use the house he had used before, and Ogier the house of the fallen soldier. As the two soldiers unloaded and organized their luggage, someone came. Precisely, not Joseph’s house, but from the nearby fence, watching this side.
“Auk!”
It was Auk, who had been selected as a soldier but couldn’t follow. Derek discovered him and approached happily, and Auk said while clinging to him with a pained expression. “Hey, hey, Derek. Am I done for? What happens… ”
“…”
Auk was trembling with fear. Derek couldn’t say anything. On the day they left the village, Joseph didn’t say anything about Auk who couldn’t return. But he must have thought he was looking down on him. He had felt fortunate to leave without any punishment. But now he’s back!
“W, well…”
Derek didn’t know how his employer thought of Auk. So he couldn’t really say anything. Derek first took Auk to Joseph. He thought it was better to surrender voluntarily anyway.
“Magician. Auk wants to see the magician.”
It was just informing Joseph calmly. Joseph had a subtle expression at that. “Have him come in.”
Auk who came in front of Joseph immediately prostrated himself on the floor. “Magician! I’m really, really sorry!”
Auk’s voice was trembling. He was slapping his head on the ground and begging. “What happened?”
Ogier, who had come to Joseph’s house, asked. Refn explained briefly, and he opened his mouth indifferently. “He has to be killed.”