The Alfred Family
"Alright, beans are all loaded! Let's move out!"
Tilt and Jack watched the cart groaning under sacks of beans and felt a hollow ache far deeper than simple regret. These were the beans they had weeded and tended with painstaking care all summer, right up until the day their father died. Seeing them handed over to strangers felt utterly empty.
Swallowing that futility, the brothers combed the harvested field for any stray kernels that had fallen.
"Hey, move aside!"
They weren't the only ones scavenging. The geese and chickens the mages had brought, along with the goats and horses, were already happily munching on spilled beans and the remaining lower stalks. Once the animals proved the beans were safe, even the wild mountain birds swooped in, hopping through the field and pecking up whatever they could find.
Something curious caught the brothers' attention. At first the horses and goats had tried to wander into the wheat field to graze. But when the mage stroked their heads and made a clear gesture that they were not to go there, the animals mysteriously obeyed and stayed within the bean field.
It didn't stop there. Whenever the stubborn geese and chickens attempted to slip toward the wheat, a creature the mage called Cole would dash over and block their path.
"You saw that, right?"
"Yeah. People say mages can turn folks into frogs or control their minds. Guess it's true."
"Looks like he really can command animals."
"Just watch yourself. Miss Yanne's been friendly, but don't get too casual with her."
"You watch yourself. Master said we have to wash every morning when we wake up and again after work. No skipping baths just because it's cold."
"I know, I know. I'm keeping it in mind."
Tilt had never been one for washing his face, but now it seemed he would have to do things properly.
Even while worrying about whether Michelle's sons were washing, the laborers were already swinging their scythes, beginning the wheat harvest. Threshing wheat was far more laborious than beans, so it took three full days.
Once the harvest ended, the workers announced they were moving on to the next field.
"When will you be taking the piled straw and bean stalks?"
"Huh? Oh, uh… I'm not sure. We were only told to harvest the beans and wheat, so we don't know about the rest."
When the harvest had been seized as collateral for the loan, there were no documents clarifying whether only the grain was taken or if the straw and stalks were included as well. Without paperwork it was impossible to tell.
At first glance straw and stalks might not seem like part of the harvest, yet they could be used as animal feed, bought, or sold. In this world contracts were far looser than modern ones, so it was possible the documents only listed the wheat and beans. Still, assuming anything without confirmation could cause trouble later. If they used the materials for feed and someone later demanded them, they would have to pay the value in cash.
"It was the Alfred family that took the job, correct?"
"Yes, sir. Well then, we'll be on our way."
The workers left, glancing back nervously as if afraid of catching stray sparks. Pressuring them wouldn't solve anything.
Jinwoo had considered running cultivation experiments in the kitchen garden and the newly harvested fields, but constant foot traffic over the leftover materials would be a constant distraction. It felt exactly like a quest had been issued.
Handle the Troublesome Harvest Remnants
📍 Location: The Fields
🎁 Reward: Peace of Mind
When he asked Sezanne, who had studied in Booktoria, she already knew about them.
"The Alfred family is a merchant house that runs the market in Booktoria. They hold the rank of baron, but they prefer to be called the mayor of the autonomous city of Booktoria."
Whether the mayor was a corrupt official who only filled his own pockets or not, the fact that a harvest seized over gambling debts had gone to a mayor's family left a bad taste in Jinwoo's mouth.
"The mayor is actually rather mild-mannered. Booktoria's current vitality is largely thanks to his smooth administration. As for the leftover harvest materials, though, I'm not certain."
While selling potions at the guild, Jinwoo had asked Guild Master Herio about the mayor and received a favorable assessment of his competence.
"The Alfred family welcomes visits from mages or other notable figures. Going in person wouldn't be a bad idea."
Following Herio's advice, Jinwoo decided to visit immediately. Since he was calling on a noble house, he neatly packed black-sugar toast and black-sugar hardtack into a clean wooden box to present as a gift.
When Jinwoo arrived at the Alfred estate, showed his B-rank mercenary badge, and asked to speak with the butler about the harvest matter, a sharply dressed man in noble attire appeared.
"I am Yunkel, the vice butler. Thank you for coming in person. Please, come inside."
Over tea, once Jinwoo explained the issue with the remaining harvest, Vice Butler Yunkel informed him that such materials had not been recorded in the documents. He even brought the contract Michelle's husband had signed for the loan; it only mentioned the beans and wheat from the field, with no reference to the stalks or straw.
"I was unaware of this detail. You may dispose of the straw and bean stalks as you see fit. Since we have taken possession of the beans and wheat, please take this document with you."
The matter was resolved with surprising cleanliness.
"Ah, these can be eaten as snacks, so please enjoy them. I'll take my leave now."
"Thank you. Our Alfred family always welcomes visits from mages, who are the very manifestation of wisdom. Please feel free to call on us anytime."
It was mere courtesy, yet it carried the proper dignity of a noble house.
After Yunkel had seen the mage named Jinwoo off, a maid approached with the small box of snacks.
"The servants may divide these among themselves."
"Oh my, it's so sweet I can't stop eating them."
"Same here. I've had plenty of sweet things before, but these are special."
"They said a mage brought them. Maybe they contain magical ingredients? Mmm. The way they melt in your mouth and release that sweetness is just wonderful."
Skollid, who had been dozing, frowned at the chatter of the maids. Here he was, bedridden and in pain, while they giggled and chattered as if they were having the time of their lives. Irritation flared.
He shook the bell beside his bed with sharp, angry jerks.
Tinkle-tinkle! Tinkle!
"Allie! Emma! Where are you? Get in here right now!"
"We're sorry, young master Skollid."
Allie, Emma, and two other maids came running at once, awaiting his orders. But Skollid noticed their mouths were still moving faintly, as if they were still chewing.
"What did you eat? What could possibly make you chatter so happily?"
"Well…"
"Tell me the truth without hiding anything. Have you already forgotten what I dislike?"
"F-forgive us, young master. A mage came today on business with Vice Butler Yunkel and left some sweets. They were so delicious that we couldn't help exclaiming over them."
"Cookies brought by a mage? Which tower was he from?"
"He wasn't from a tower, my lord. He was a mage who came to inquire about a harvest matter concerning the family."
"Is that so? If the cookies a mage gave you were so wonderful that you were smiling just from eating them, were they enchanted to make anyone who eats them laugh?"
"It didn't seem like that. They were simply very sweet confections."
Skollid knew the family treated its maids well. His gentle father and mother had often shared gifted sweets and leftover cookies with the servants. For maids who must have eaten sweet things frequently to make such a fuss, the reaction was unexpected. Now he was curious about the taste.
"What kind of sweets were they?"
"Th-these, my lord."
The maid behind the others offered a thin wooden box. Only a few pieces remained.
"Bring them here."
"You mustn't. You're not to eat food brought from outside."
"You've already eaten some, haven't you? Besides, it's not as if I can get any sicker than I already am."
"Even so, if we let you eat something arbitrary and it harms you, we'll be in serious trouble."
The maids tried to dissuade him, but Skollid snatched the box away. He popped a piece of black-sugar hardtack topped with white sugar into his mouth.
When he felt its firm texture, he inwardly scoffed at the maids. To think they had called something this hard delicious. Proper snacks enjoyed after meals or between them were supposed to be soft. The fact that they had squealed over something that didn't even meet the basics put him in a foul mood. He considered spitting it out.
But the moment the sweetness melted across his tongue, he stopped. It was sweet, yet carried a subtle, rich depth unlike the usual cookies he knew.
Sweet, but not merely sweet.
As he sucked on it to savor the flavor, the hard texture naturally softened. The hardtack began to break down, releasing the savory nuttiness of the grains that blended perfectly with the sweetness. Before he realized it, his jaw was moving on its own.
"Hmm. Not bad at all."
The chewing he had found tiresome now felt natural. The few remaining pieces of black-sugar toast and hardtack quickly disappeared into Skollid's mouth.
"They're good. Bring me more."
"Pardon? But…"
"Just ask Vice Butler Yunkel who that mage was and where he bought these. Use your heads. Why can't you even carry out a simple order?"
"Y-yes, young master."
When the irritable, sickly young master raised his voice, the maids could only bow and withdraw.
"Hmm. This isn't working."
Back home, Jinwoo worked with the Tilt brothers to stack the wheat straw in the shed using long three-pronged forks. He had heard somewhere that straw for animal feed was best when aged and fermented. He had cast his active buff on the piled straw again and again, but no fermentation occurred.
Thinking the large pile might be the problem, he separated a smaller bundle and tried again. Still nothing.
Maybe it's because I don't actually understand the process of aging and fermenting straw, so the buff can't activate properly.
In the end, he had no choice but to abandon the idea of using the buff to age the straw and bean stalks for animal feed.
"Ah! It's snowing!"
As they stepped out of the shed, white flakes were drifting down from the sky. Everyone looked up. The air was already quite cold; if it continued, the snow would surely accumulate.
"It's coming ten days earlier than last year," Tilt observed.
Jinwoo had been thinking they might have snowball fights once it piled up, but he caught himself. He had planned to sow seeds in the cleared bean field to test crops, but that would have to wait until the snow melted.
"Put the tools away and make sure the barn and shed are securely locked."
Tilt and Jack hurriedly drew water for the barn animals and carried it inside, then rushed to fetch more from the well. Though it didn't feel bitterly cold yet, winter had unmistakably begun.
"Are you all right, Sir Berk?"
"Ugh… No, I'm not. My head is pounding and my whole body aches. Luke, be honest with me. Do my arms and legs look normal? If they're bent at grotesque angles, tell me the truth. Do I look like I'm going to die?"
"Fortunately, they are as straight as you claim. Please stop exaggerating and get up. The horse slipped because of the snow, but you don't seem to be badly injured."
"What about Shalia?"
Only then did Berk think to ask what had become of the horse he had been riding.
"It appears her leg is broken. She can't stand."
If a horse could still rise on its own, the mages' healing spells could mend it. But if it could not stand at all, its fate was all but sealed.
"Haa… Put Shalia out of her misery for me. We should have stayed in Daiven until the snow stopped. This is what comes of my haste."
Berk watched with regret as Luke drove a sword into the back of Shalia's neck. Yet he knew regret would not change what had already happened.
"With snow still falling, travel will be difficult. What do you suggest?"
"We are nearly at Booktoria, but there is still a considerable distance left on horseback. Moreover, it's already dark and visibility is nearly zero. Moving any farther would be unwise."
"Then let's head for that house where the light is still burning."