Chapter 228: They Were Stronger Than Me (3)
Chapter 228: They Were Stronger Than Me (3)
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t anticipated this.
In fact, ever since he had indirectly experienced the Living Calamity in the Tower of Truth, he had kept those entities in the back of his mind.
That was why he had adjusted his goals.
He had decided to carry out his pioneering activities cautiously, doing his best to avoid any confrontation with those known as the Apostles of Kalaron.
One hundred kilometers east of the Schneider estate.
The very reason he had established the pioneering city of Ava at that specific location was to avoid provoking the Apostles of Kalaron. And yet…
‘Even after being so careful, it still came to this?’
Patrick crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
Everyone watched him in silence.
After a moment, he spoke.
“Sages.”
“Speak.”
“With our current strength, it would be impossible to face an Apostle of Kalaron, wouldn't it?”
“I believe you know that better than anyone.”
“Yeah. Well, I suppose so.”
Even if it had been in a virtual world, Patrick was the only one who had actually fought against an Apostle of Kalaron.
He didn't even need to ask. He knew better than anyone what had to be done.
“Evacuate the city. Everyone retreats.”
“Patrick.”
“Are you planning to just abandon all of this?”
“Young Master.”
Protests erupted from many sides.
The pioneering city of Ava was currently undergoing rapid development.
The infrastructure was almost complete, and once the reclaimed farmland along the Moana River basin began full-scale production, it would bring in a massive harvest starting next year.
Everyone present had poured their blood, sweat, and tears into achieving this.
And now, Patrick was telling them to give up those fruits and retreat.
“Young Master. Are you saying we should just run away without even trying anything?”
“Yes.”
Sanson spoke up, his voice thick with frustration.
“Why are you acting so unlike yourself? I don't know what those things are, but shouldn't the Young Master be saying that everything can be solved if we just beat them to a pulp?”
“Well, normally, that would be the case. But listen, Sanson.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I only say things like that when the opponent is weaker than me.”
“……?!”
Sanson was struck with shock.
If he were to interpret what Patrick just said, it meant…
“I experienced those things called the Apostles of Kalaron in the Tower of Truth. And now that I’m saying it…”
Patrick spoke as everyone’s eyes fixed on him.
“They were stronger than me.”
That single sentence was enough.
It was reason enough for Patrick to decide on a retreat.
*
There were three reasons why Patrick had constructed the waterways on the Moana River.
First, to facilitate the smooth transport of goods between the Schneider estate and the pioneering city of Ava.
Second, to secure land for farming by driving out the monsters in the Moana River basin.
And finally, the third reason.
To evacuate people to safety as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency.
And now, that third reason was proving its worth.
“Board in order! Stay in line!”
“There are plenty of ships. The next one will arrive shortly, so wait your turn and don't push!”
“Depart! Tell the next ship to dock immediately!”
The people retreated onto the ships as quickly as a receding tide.
Though they were saddened to abandon the city they had worked so hard to build, they followed orders without resistance.
It was better than dying, after all.
Of course, not everyone felt the same.
“Mom, Dad, where are we going?”
“…We have to go home, dear.”
“But our home is here. My school is here, and my friends are here too.”
The mother looked troubled, unsure of how to explain the situation to the child who held her hand, completely oblivious. The man who appeared to be the father explained the situation succinctly.
“A dangerous monster is coming, so we have to run away. We’ll go somewhere safe for now, and then we’ll come back once it’s safe again.”
“Really? We can come back later?”
“…….”
The father fell silent.
He didn't know how to explain it.
He looked at the pioneering city of Ava with sorrowful eyes.
‘To think we have to leave this place…’
He had turned his back on his hometown, where he had been starving due to a poor harvest, and settled in the Schneider estate.
Leaving one's hometown with an entire family was not an easy decision, but he had no choice if he wanted to survive.
Since it was a rapidly developing city, he could find work, but since he had abandoned everything he had before, he didn't know if it would take decades to settle down again.
To him, the pioneering city of Ava had been his hope.
For the initial settlers, housing was provided for free just for moving to the city, and jobs were given in the city's construction.
They were told they would be given farmland after three years, and above all, the five-year tax exemption was the biggest draw.
As the head of a family, he had made the decision based on this sweet proposal.
If he worked hard for just five years, he could settle down.
For someone who had been prepared to suffer for over a decade—no, perhaps for the rest of his life—this was hope.
It was an opportunity to settle down as a normal resident and provide his children with an environment that, while perhaps not luxurious, was at least free of want.
And so, he had moved to the pioneering city.
Every day since arriving, he had thought to himself:
I made the right choice.
The residence given to his family was just one unit in a five-story apartment complex, but since it was a brand-new building, there wasn't the slightest inconvenience.
There were plenty of jobs, and the wages were sufficient.
He had been so happy he could cry when he sent his child to the school the Young Master had built for the children's basic education.
Watching the city develop day by day, he felt a sense of pride, thinking, I am contributing to the growth of this city.
Hope, happiness, peace…
Everything he had ever wanted in his life was right here.
He had considered this city his second home and had vowed to spend the rest of his life working hard here. And yet…
“Dammit…”
He clenched his fists, trembling.
Tears welled in his eyes.
He knew he shouldn't show weakness as the head of a family, but…
In the face of a reality where the hope he had built up and the daily happiness he thought would last forever were crumbling, he was just an ordinary human being.
And he wasn't the only one feeling this way.
Everyone else around him wore the same somber expression, sharing the same sentiment.
*
On top of the outer wall near the harbor of the Schneider estate.
“…This sucks.”
Patrick was there, drinking straight from a bottle.
In his sight were the refugees boarding the ships.
A father weeping in a sense of helplessness.
A mother soothing a young child who didn't want to leave.
Even the elderly, who found it difficult even to move, were forced to carry bundles in their hands…
All of this made Patrick furious.
“Fuck, goddamn pieces of shit…”
These were people who had lived with hope for a new life in this pioneering city.
The fact that he couldn't protect their daily lives irritated Patrick.
Being unable to protect people because of a lack of strength.
This was the fifth thing Patrick hated most in the world.
As he always said, once you get into the single digits, it’s no joke.
Patrick’s rage had reached its peak.
Yet, despite that, Patrick endured.
His instinct was to draw his sword immediately and charge at the enemy threatening this city. But…
[Live with some goddamn thought in your head. Thought!]
[Let me split your head open just once. I’m curious if there’s the same stuff in there as everyone else, you lunatic.]
[Brother, you’re insane, aren't you?]
[You… well… you’re hopeless.]
“I know! I know, you bastards!”
Patrick shouted out loud.
He knew. He knew that the situation was very different from his days as the Radiant Dragon Hero in his past life.
Radiant Dragon Hero Jincheon.
He had gained fame for actions that seemed like recklessness molded into human form, but the truth was, he could act that recklessly because he was a man of the Martial World.
“Thinking back, life was easy and good then.”
The current Patrick was not a man of the Martial World.
He was the heir to the family that led the Schneider estate.
At first, he hadn't understood what that meant.
But after going to the Academy, learning a bit about how the world worked, and gaining experience through his knight training, he had come to realize it.
The weight of being the heir to a noble house.
Once he became aware of that, a responsibility of a different kind than when he was a martial artist weighed down on his shoulders.
‘It’s different. It’s definitely different.’
To put it bluntly, even if the Twin Dragon Sect were to fall, it wouldn't have a major impact on the lives of the commoners.
Of course, there would be some chaos in the power structure between the involved merchant groups or nearby sects, but it would soon settle down.
Another sect would step into a similar position and take over that role.
This was true even for the Shaolin Temple, the pillar of the Martial World.
If Shaolin fell?
It would be a massive event.
But only within the confines of the Martial World.
To the ordinary people living their lives outside of it, it would be something they’d talk about for a while before just moving on.
Fundamentally, the Martial World was a separate world, isolated from the rest of the Central Plains.
But the Schneider family was different.
If this family fell, the lives of everyone living on this land would become miserable.
Most of the estate’s residents would die.
Even those who survived would lose everything and become refugees, forced to wander and beg in other territories.
That was the weight a noble responsible for an estate had to carry.
“Ugh… being a noble isn't all it’s cracked up to be once you actually try it.”
But what could he do?
Even if it was a second life, a human cannot choose where or how they are born.
In the end, Patrick couldn't just charge in according to his temperament.
“Phew… endure. I have to endure for now. Who was it? That weird king who slept on firewood and licked gallbladders because he liked the taste? Let’s endure like him.”
It’s called Enduring Hardship for Revenge, you idiot.
And he didn't do it because he liked it.
“I must endure. I must endure.”
Patrick mastered his own emotions.
Even if he evacuated all the citizens and Galloping Death destroyed the city, he had to endure.
He would endure for now, and then he could build a new pioneering city in a lower region.
Even if all the money invested in building this city vanished into thin air, he had to endure. Endure…
“Argh… I have to endure losing all that money. Do you have any idea how much money I poured into this city?!”
Ah, that seemed to be the part that pissed him off the most.
“My moooooneeeeey!”
*
The residents of the pioneering city of Ava were smoothly moving to the rear.
It was thanks to Patrick’s order to prioritize people over any other resources during the retreat.
As a result, another place had suddenly become busy.
It was the Schneider estate.
Because the people fleeing from the pioneering city were flocking in all at once, they had suddenly become busy trying to protect them.
The one directing the operation was Baron Schneider.
“My Lord, it seems we will be short on temporary housing.”
“Prioritize housing for children and the elderly. If there isn't enough room, have them stay in the rooms of the Lord’s manor.”
“My Lord. If the Young Master finds out…”
As Chandler spoke with a troubled expression, Baron Schneider gave a thin smile.
“I am still the Lord.”
“Uh… well…”
When Chandler, the apprentice butler, still hesitated, Butler Lawrence, who had been watching from the side, barked an order.
“Did you not hear the Lord’s command?!”
“I’m sorry! I will follow your orders!”
Chandler shouted hurriedly, bowed, and rushed out.
Lawrence then frowned as if dissatisfied and said, “My apologies. I will make sure to give him a stern scolding later.”
“Hahaha. Don't be like that, Lawrence. Can't you understand Chandler’s position?”
“How could I possibly understand it?”
“Hahaha…”
Unlike Baron Schneider, who laughed lightheartedly, Lawrence’s frown did not fade.
The real power in the Schneider estate was already Patrick.
No one was unaware of this.
But.
“Even so, it is unacceptable to prioritize the Young Master over the Lord.”
Lawrence, the old butler who had dedicated his life to the Schneider estate, spoke firmly.
There was no doubt about Patrick’s ability.
However—or rather, because of that—as someone who had been loyal to the Schneider family his entire life, he had to maintain the family’s structure properly.
Only then would the hierarchy be smoothly established when Patrick eventually took over the family, wouldn't it?
As long as the person holding the family seal was Jacob Schneider, his master had to be Baron Schneider.
Naturally, the person the family’s vassals followed had to be the same.
“Tsk, the young ones these days have no sense of propriety.”
“Hahaha. It happens.”
The Baron laughed.
In truth, despite his words, Lawrence was also someone who cherished Patrick more than anyone.
He had educated him personally since he was a child and had essentially raised him like his own grandson.
And Patrick also thought of Lawrence as someone special.
The high-quality staff Lawrence was currently holding was a gift from Patrick himself.
It was a luxury item that only high-ranking nobles would use, but after seeing Butler Lawrence using a cane, Patrick had bought it and presented it to him.
People said his son was violent and rough, but Baron Schneider knew.
He knew his son had a warm heart and cherished his people.
‘It seems you’ll really be fine without me now. No, it might be better if I’m not here.’
The young people of the estate were secretly hoping for Patrick to take over the estate soon.
Baron Schneider had made up his mind to hand over the position of Lord as soon as his son graduated from the Academy.
Although there seemed to be a slight problem now, his son would surely overcome it.
His job was simply to hold this position until then and pass it on.
‘That will probably be my last duty as Lord.’
And just as he was about to focus on his paperwork again…
A soldier rushed into the office of the Schneider estate, threw open the door, and shouted.
“My Lord! It’s an emergency!”
“What is it?”
Baron Schneider’s expression hardened.
His experience from guarding this estate for a long time was telling him.
That most of the time when soldiers came rushing in like that without even a greeting, it was something bad. And…
“It’s a monster stampede!”
“…….”
“…….”
The faces of Baron Schneider and Butler Lawrence hardened simultaneously. And the soldier, his face pale, continued his report.
“We have confirmed that a monster legion of unidentifiable scale is swarming toward the estate. We must respond immediately!”
The pen in Baron Schneider’s hand snapped. He immediately stood up and shouted.
“Mobilize all the military forces of the estate immediately. We must protect the territory!”
“Yes, sir!”
An unprecedented crisis was thus approaching the Schneider estate.