Old Man Park
Four days had passed since the annexation of the Rebion Viscounty.
Only now were the castle and its surrounding areas finally beginning to look clean.
Human waste was carted outside the city limits, where it was mixed with the abundance of wheat straw left over from the harvest season.
It was a strategy designed to kill two birds with one stone, as this was the proper way to ferment and produce high-quality fertilizer.
For the first few days after the annexation, many of the local residents had been gripped by anxiety, but the territory had now largely stabilized.
This was the direct result of a powerful campaign to win the hearts of the people.
Jeron had thoroughly rooted out Viscount Rebion and the corrupt officials within the territory while showing a lenient, benevolent side to the common folk.
The military had also yielded highly satisfactory results.
Although many of the Rebion family's original soldiers had departed, the remaining troops swore oaths of fealty and were permitted to continue their service as before. With this, the military strength of the Farrow Barony instantly doubled, numbering close to two thousand men.
Administrative districts were reorganized, and the three-year territory development plan was immediately implemented here in Rebion as well.
These were the fruits of the tireless efforts of Jeron and his vassals.
But the most prominent achievement of all was the massive haul of war spoils.
"The confirmed amount alone exceeds three million gold."
"Three million? Did I hear that correctly?"
"There might be even more if we keep digging."
At Sir Garcia's report, all the vassals gasped in disbelief.
The annual operating budget of a typical barony was usually around three hundred thousand gold.
To hear that they had secured ten times that amount in war spoils left everyone utterly stunned.
Yet, this was not the end of it.
"We haven't even seized the assets of the corrupt officials yet, and we suspect there are quite a few gold bars hidden in various locations. We will need to conduct a thorough investigation."
"Very well. Sir Garcia, continue to oversee the matter of the spoils."
"Leave it to me, my lord!"
Sir Garcia possessed an almost supernatural talent for sniffing out hidden wealth.
With their coffers overflowing, Jeron was able to implement even more aggressive policies to stabilize the public sentiment.
He pushed forward a tax cut that slashed this year's taxes by more than half, prompting the populace to sing praises of Jeron's virtue.
In truth, the commoners did not care who ruled them as long as their master was not cruel, which made the transition remarkably smooth.
High-quality jobs were created, providing the people with ways to earn a living even if they did not own farmland.
This alone was a monumental achievement.
"Sir Leyla."
"Yes, my lord."
"Pay the utmost attention to sanitation. The streets are getting cleaner, but we need a comprehensive overhaul of the system."
"I shall see to it immediately."
Sir Leyla deeply agreed with Jeron's words.
Having experienced life in a clean city, he had realized just how miserable it was to live in filth.
It was not merely a matter of smell; reducing the swarms of pests in the city had improved the quality of life beyond measure.
Since the vassals had also come to realize that clean was far better than dirty, no one raised any objections to Jeron spending money on sanitation projects.
"Tomorrow morning, we return to the Farrow castle. Prepare yourselves, for we will launch a campaign to subjugate the red orcs as soon as we arrive."
"Yes, my lord!"
As the sun began to set, Jeron quickly wrapped up his duties for the day and decided to visit the temporary quarters of Old Man Park.
From now on, the grandfather and granddaughter would be living in the Farrow territory.
Since Kang and his daughter were already at the Farrow castle, Jeron planned to set up a residence for the newcomers near the workshop.
They were fellow Koreans, after all, and Old Man Park shared a deep bond with Kang, making this the most logical decision. The elderly man and his granddaughter had gladly accepted the arrangement.
Jeron knocked on the door of the room where the two were staying.
"Are you in, Elder?"
"Ah, come in! I was actually waiting for you."
"For me?"
"Isn't it about time we paid a visit to Earth?"
"Is there any need to put yourself in danger? You and your granddaughter have suffered enough, so you should rest here."
"Haha, how could I do that? No matter what you say, I must go back at least once. I can't just abandon all the equipment and materials I've gathered over the years."
"Well, that is..."
Jeron understood Old Man Park's intentions.
Like Kang, he was a technician—and not just any technician, but someone with knowledge equivalent to a doctorate or higher.
To tell such a man to abandon the tools and materials he had spent years collecting was no different from telling him to die.
Furthermore, Old Man Park's possessions would undoubtedly contribute to the development of the territory, so Jeron could no longer refuse.
The only issue was the danger that awaited them on Earth.
"Elder, you've only just found peace. Will you be alright? As you know, Earth is currently in complete ruins."
"I've survived on that ruined Earth until now. Going back for a quick trip is only natural, isn't it? Besides, I must retrieve Yoon's remains."
"If that is the case, I suppose I have no choice."
Through their conversations over the past few days, Jeron had realized that Old Man Park was a deeply compassionate and warm person.
He was like an upgraded version of Kang.
While he couldn't help but carry the hardened traits of someone who had survived the desolate Earth, he was, at his core, a man who had held onto his humanity.
To such a man, leaving the remains of his comrade abandoned was unacceptable.
Jeron decided to accompany Old Man Park on this trip to Earth.
The only remaining concern was the old man's granddaughter.
"Grandpa... are you going?"
"Haha, I will only be gone for a short while."
"Can't you just stay?"
"There is someone who helped save you, child. It is only right to repay a kindness. Leaving things unfinished would be ungrateful."
"That... that's true. But you must be careful, okay?"
"I promise."
Park Ji-eun's condition was not good.
She had been kidnapped by scavengers, forced into slavery for a long time, and finally locked in a cage like livestock, waiting for the day she would die. It was only natural that she was traumatized.
This would leave deep psychological scars, and she would need a long period of stability to heal.
"Elder, I will send a trustworthy maid to look after Ji-eun, so let us head to my quarters."
"Thank you."
Whenever his granddaughter was mentioned, Old Man Park's eyes would well up with tears.
As soon as Jeron stepped out of the room, he called Violet and instructed her to care for Park Ji-eun.
***
Whoosh!
Returning to Earth, Jeron felt a sudden rush of fullness.
Because the mana on the Karen Continent was on the verge of depletion, it was difficult to experience such a sensation there.
It was a strange irony that despite knowing how dangerous Earth was, he found himself constantly wanting to return.
Jeron took a deep breath and focused his mind.
While caution was always necessary on Earth, today required even greater vigilance.
Old Man Park had to survive.
It was not just out of human sympathy.
Old Man Park was essentially Kang's mentor.
He was an indispensable asset to the territory, someone who could accelerate their development even faster than before.
If Old Man Park and the Kang family joined forces, the synergy they would create would be unimaginable.
Jeron took a breath and sharply scanned their surroundings.
Old Man Park did the same.
Like the veteran survivor he was, he held a crossbow, warily watching every direction.
Swoooosh!
Only the sound of the wind rustling through the branches could be heard.
If there were any mutants nearby, Jeron's sensory perception would have picked them up.
Without a word, Jeron and Old Man Park first checked the scavengers' shelter.
"..."
Through the binoculars, the view of the shelter was gruesome.
The burned and half-destroyed buildings had collapsed into hideous heaps, and human bones were scattered here and there.
Although Jeron, Old Man Park, and Ji-eun had managed to escape, the others had not been so fortunate.
After overruning the shelter, the mutants had torn apart every living human and feasted on their flesh.
Everywhere lay chaotic evidence of how the people had met their ends.
Thick pools of blood had dried into dark, sticky stains, and streaks of blood stretched out in all directions.
Signs of mutants fighting over food were also visible in various spots.
Old Man Park spoke in a cold, calm voice, making Jeron wonder if this was the same man who had been tearing up back on the Karen Continent.
"The mutants have become much more vicious lately. Almost everyone left in the city has perished, and only a tiny fraction are barely clinging to life. With food running out, competition has naturally intensified, leading them to prey on one another."
"It seems this was the only large-scale shelter near Seosan."
"Indeed."
Old Man Park had spent years scouring Seosan.
Because his granddaughter had been captured, he had investigated the area with absolute thoroughness, uncovering every detail about Seosan.
"In truth, it wasn't just the mutants running out of food. The survivors had also reached a point where farming for resources was no longer viable. That is why the scavengers tried to lure the city's mutants outside."
"What a complete mess."
"There is no hope for life on Earth."
Only after confirming that nothing remained in the shelter did Jeron descend the mountain.
Seeing it up close felt entirely different from watching it from afar.
The horrifying splatters of blood, collapsed buildings, overturned vehicles, and human bones painted a perfect picture of the apocalypse.
Old Man Park clicked his tongue as he looked at a building destroyed by a secondary explosion.
"The armory blew up."
"What a waste."
"Tell me about it. Ammunition is hard enough to come by as it is."
"Still, it looks like there are quite a few magazines scattered on the ground."
"Let's gather them up thoroughly."
"Understood."
"First, before we begin our work, I must see if Yoon's remains are here."
Old Man Park had not forgotten the purpose of his return: to find and bury his comrade's remains.
Some might call it a pointless endeavor, but Jeron believed it was a duty that any decent human being should fulfill.
Burying a fallen companion was only natural.
The place the scavengers had used as a human meat locker still bore clear traces of its horrific purpose.
The bones of those who had died trying to escape the warehouse were visible.
The bodies that had once hung inside like meat in a butcher shop were entirely gone.
At the spot where Yoon had died, two mangled human bones lay scattered, chewed beyond recognition.
Old Man Park pulled a wrapping cloth from his breast pocket and gently wrapped the two bones.
"Are you sure this is Yoon?"
"Yes. Yoon used to boast that his two front teeth were made of gold."
Jeron and Old Man Park searched for a sunny spot.
Since they were at the shelter, finding a shovel was not difficult.
Old Man Park dug a small grave.
It would have been best to recover the entire body, but everything except the skull had vanished. Finding even the skull was a stroke of luck.
Once the grave was finished, Old Man Park took out a bottle of soju from his backpack and poured it over the mound.
"I hope you find peace and happiness with your wife in a better place."
Splash. Splash.
Though soju was a precious commodity, Old Man Park poured it generously over the grave and clasped his hands together.
Jeron also offered a silent prayer, wishing the deceased peace.
"I was with Yoon for about a month. I stopped him when he tried to commit suicide after his wife was kidnapped. I was the one who convinced him that we could find her."
"..."
Jeron listened quietly to Old Man Park's story.
Remembering the deceased before their grave was Old Man Park's own way of holding a funeral.
"We held onto hope. We even talked about living together once we found our loved ones. But to think it would end like this... Perhaps it would have been better if Yoon had died back then."
"Elder, I did not know him, so I cannot speak on his behalf. However, is it not more important for a human to live a meaningful life, even if it is only for a single day? In the end, he achieved his revenge. That alone made his life meaningful. And now, the husband and wife are buried together. What greater blessing could there be?"
"Haha... Yes. Being buried together is indeed a great blessing."
With that, they turned away from the grave.
Afterward, Old Man Park did not speak of Yoon and his wife again.