Chapter 342
Chapter 342
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 342
Chapter Title: Reincarnated as the Plum Blossom Sword Saint in a Count's Family
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I pointed to the clothes hanging on the wall. They weren't the fancy, fine garments we had originally been wearing. They were ragged, shabby clothes that peasants might wear.
"...No helping it. We'll have to make do with those."
"Can you dress yourself? Shall I help?"
"You're underestimating me too much. I can dress myself just fine."
I handed Elaine what looked like women's clothing and got dressed myself. There were more layers to put on than I'd expected. Or rather, more pieces of fabric to drape over my body.
First came the undergarments, then a thin layer, followed by thicker clothes. I threw on a coat that seemed made from rough leather and slipped into shoes with a damp, unpleasant feel.
Once I was fully dressed in short order, I glanced at Elaine. She was struggling after the undergarments. Born as the daughter of nobility and always dressed with the help of maids, she had no idea how to wear peasant clothes.
"Let me help you, Mother."
"...Thank you."
"There. Now we just need to tighten the laces."
"Weren't peasant clothes new to you too? You seem to know exactly how to wear them."
"I've always been curious about all sorts of things since I was young. I looked into peasant clothing before."
I lied without batting an eye.
The truth was, I knew how peasants dressed because I'd stripped a few myself. Some of them turned out to be beauties by my standards once cleaned up.
'Dressing is just the reverse of undressing, after all.'
Men's clothes were all pretty much the same anyway.
"Mother, what do you think about all this? I'd like your opinion as a mage. Were we kidnapped? Or...?"
"Kidnapping is unlikely. If someone had abducted us, they wouldn't have left us so free. Yujin, can you use mana?"
I tried to access my mana. But I couldn't feel it at all.
"...No. I can't sense any mana. It's like it's gone... ."
"Same here. Let's think this through calmly. We were strolling through the village when we were attacked by a massive wild boar emitting black energy that looked like a monster."
"Yes. It was a monster I'd never seen before. And the beast had wounds on its body. Three knights used auras but couldn't stop it—they were sent flying instead."
"My magic couldn't stop the boar either. It was a monster that could wipe out an entire village without breaking a sweat. Never mind why it was wounded... The beast charged at us but tripped over its legs and tumbled hard."
"It was an astonishing sight. Who'd have thought such a huge monster could flip that high into the air."
"The important part comes next."
"The boar crashed headfirst into the ground. And there was a wooden doll on its head. I couldn't see it clearly, but it looked like a farmer figure. The doll shattered, light poured out... and I lost consciousness. Oh, right—I tried to pull you into my arms to dodge midway."
"The wooden doll must have been an ancient relic. If it was magic, I would've noticed... ."
"But why would the boar have an ancient relic stuck in its head?"
"Two hypotheses. Either the boar fought another monster and it got lodged there by chance, or someone deliberately embedded it in the boar's head."
Elaine opened the wooden window and peered outside. Her eyes grew cold as she took in the view. Before us lay an unfamiliar farm, and far off, a small city built of stone. This wasn't Erenchir Village as we knew it.
"Which do you think it is, Mother?"
"The latter. Someone wounded the boar and set it on us. That's the most likely scenario."
"Then who...?"
"...I don't know. Our family has plenty of noble enemies, but none bold enough to pull off something this audacious. And if they could control a monster boar like that, it'd be more reliable to just come at us themselves... ."
"Hoo. Anyway, where are we? I hope it's near Erenchir Village... ."
"If an ancient relic's power swallowed us... we could be on the opposite side of the continent, or in some entirely different space like a dungeon."
"Either way, we're in for a rough time."
That was when we were talking.
Bang bang. A loud knocking came from the front door, accompanied by a man's booming voice.
"Hey! Told! The sun's been up for ages—still sleeping?! You promised to help with the potato harvest today!"
Elaine and I exchanged glances. I draped a cloth over her head. I figured her beauty might cause unnecessary trouble.
"I'll be out in a sec—hold on!"
I shouted back loudly.
For now, I needed to grasp the situation.
'Well, it's all part of my plan anyway.'
???
A wooden farmer doll.
As Elaine said, it was indeed an ancient relic. It even appeared in the original story. But its effect wasn't as impressive as one might think.
The farmer doll was a one-use item that invited people into a virtual world. Even if you died or got hurt here, you'd return to the real world unscathed.
'According to the original story's description of the farmer doll... some noble in the past made it to teach his spoiled kids a lesson about scorning commoners and peasants.'
In short, it was about a ten-day peasant experience. Ten days here equated to just three hours outside.
'Just endure ten days and we can go back to reality. But Elaine doesn't know that.'
As for the boar, that was Yuria's doing. I didn't know the details, but she'd used magic to control it. She was an archmage, after all.
The lack of mana in this world was the relic's creator's intent—to force a proper peasant life.
For reference, Elaine and I were set up as a poor peasant couple. My name here was Told, and hers was Tiel.
We were dragged out by Panres, the neighbor farmer who'd come knocking in the morning, to do fieldwork. I'd planned to refuse, but at Elaine's suggestion to go along with things for now, we ended up working the fields.
"Told. Why's your wife so useless at this?!"
Panres glared at Elaine irritably.
We were crouched in the field, digging up potatoes. It was my first time harvesting them, but without mana, my physical abilities matched reality's, so it was no trouble at all.
Elaine, on the other hand, was a mage without mana—essentially a normal person. Having been born nobility, she couldn't do fieldwork properly.
"She was raised delicately."
"Delicately? You've grown up together in this village since you were kids—what nonsense."
"Just kidding. She's not feeling well. I didn't tuck her in last night."
I grinned lecherously, and Panres swallowed hard. He was still a bachelor.
"Hah, yeah, if I had a beauty like Tiel for a wife... ."
Even in Panres's eyes, Elaine looked like a beauty. Well, who wouldn't think so up close?
'The original protagonist found farm work novel and fun... but what's fun about this? I really... .'
While working, I snuck glances at Elaine. She sighed, exhausted from the labor.
???
Afternoon.
We took the harvested potatoes into the small city. You couldn't live on potatoes alone, so we had to sell them.
"Potatoes for sale! Freshly dug potatoes!"
Panres bellowed in the market. He wanted to sell them at a high price. Elaine pretended to help while scouting the surroundings.
Sunset came after. We got our share from Panres.
"Told. Let's grab a drink at the tavern."
"Sorry, next time. My wife's not doing well."
"Tch... Fine. Don't forget you promised to help tomorrow too."
I returned to the rundown farmhouse with Elaine.
On the way, she staggered. Exhausted from her first hard labor ever. I scooped her up like a princess.
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
"You look beat. Let me carry you."
"I can walk. Put me down."
"Nah."
"You... ."
Elaine wriggled to escape my arms. But when I held firm, she gave up. She couldn't overpower me.
"...Do as you like."
"Yes. I will."
Her cheeks flushed slightly—not my imagination.
Back home, we boiled and ate potatoes, then discussed our situation.
"This is a completely different world from where we were. I asked a merchant about the date and country—totally unfamiliar ones."
"...How do we get back?"
"...Hard to say. Not enough info even to guess. Worst case... we might not be able to."
"... ."
The mood turned gloomy.
Elaine examined her pale, slender hands. They were scratched from the day's fieldwork.
"Mother, you look tired. It's late—let's sleep. I'll bed down outside."
"...You know there's no space outside. Let's sleep together. We're mother and son, after all."
"If you insist, Mother... ."
We lay on the hard bed in just thin clothes. Despite the insect chirps outside, Elaine fell asleep quickly. The unaccustomed physical labor had worn her out.
I waited until she was deep asleep. Then I carefully pulled her into my arms.
Several hours later.
Elaine woke up in my embrace. I pretended to sleep desperately. My right hand was on her butt, and my groin was erect— this could end in more than a scolding.
"... ."
She sighed softly, removed my right hand from her butt, and woke me.
"Morning. Get up."
???
The second day mirrored the first. After work, we toured the city for clues. None turned up.
Third day. Fieldwork in the morning, then the square in the afternoon. A peasant family was executed there. Crime: insulting nobility. Overheard flat folk said they'd defied a noble.
Elaine didn't speak, but she looked depressed. Maybe thinking we couldn't return. Her iron will was starting to waver. Perhaps due to lacking mana.
A mage unable to use mana. A nightmare.
Fourth day. Holiday. We stared blankly around the house. No idea how peasants spent days off. We killed time with idle chit-chat. Nothing but gossip to do.
I felt us growing closer. Probably because in this world, we only had each other to rely on.
Fifth day. Morning brought a loan shark demanding repayment.
"If you borrow money, you pay it back—that's the way! Huh?! 340 nelpi! Pay up now!"
"100 nelpi borrowed a month ago is now 340?! You joking?!"
"Read the contract! Told! You stamped it yourself! Pay now! No money? Sell your wife then!"
"You bastard!"
I fought the loan shark's gang with fists, ending up bedridden. Elaine nursed me worriedly.
Of course, it was all an act. No way I'd lose to those punks.
"What about the aftermath? Fighting like that."
"Mother, they crossed the line first. Telling me to sell you—how could I hold back?"
"Thank you. Glad you're with me. If I were alone... ."
"I feel the same. I can endure because you're here."
Elaine stroked my head. I nuzzled into her bosom like a spoiled child. She didn't push me away.
Sixth day. Dragged my unaccustomed body to the fields. Swinging a hoe made me think screw farming—maybe rob someone.
'We're closer, but she still sees me more as a son than a man. Still, with a decisive trigger... .'
It was afternoon.
The loan shark I'd beaten yesterday returned with a noble. A ugly noble with greasy face, chin up, strutting toward me.
"Where's this Tiel woman?"