Chapter 143 - How to Tame Your Madman (3)

Damian returned to his normal state. Despite experiencing such chaos, he performed his assigned tasks as if nothing significant had happened.

Menial tasks like those done by maids and laborers.

Though he possessed fighting abilities that left knights stunned for days, he silently performed his duties.

While he consistently expressed dissatisfaction with his role, he didn't neglect his assigned tasks, no matter how unreasonable they seemed. Thus, no one could criticize him.

"Here are the stew ingredients."

Damian focused on distributing the remaining ingredients to each unit.

It would have been better if he'd just stayed consistently mad. Having seen that battle-hungry look in his eyes, the guard knights found his current polite and calm demeanor more unsettling.

Knights gathered four or five around each bonfire, sharing thoughts about the day's duel.

"If it had been Hans or Bnuwell instead of that idiot Sorel, they would have won easily."

"Still far from matching the vice-captain or Sir Nielin."

Though they said things like how Damian's opponent had been careless or how he wouldn't stand a chance against their superiors, they knew. It made no sense to compare Damian with their leadership.

After all, he was just a first-year at Eternia.

"They say Eternia only takes exceptionally talented students from each country."

The knights couldn't help but raise their estimation of Eternia.

"That bastard didn't have a single scratch. With those reflexes, does it make sense that he'd clumsily trip over someone's foot?"

"..."

"That bastard let himself get tripped on purpose."

"That's going too far. He probably just got careless and tripped."

Though some aggressive knights boasted they would challenge Damian given the chance, they didn't specify when. The situation was unpredictable, and as veteran swordsmen, they had more to lose than gain—winning would be breaking even, and losing would cost them much.

This duel didn't bring about significant changes like altering the guard's intended course. Fighting, winning, and losing were just daily life for knights.

But not everything remained the same.

Now, no one mocked or looked down on Damian.

Soldiers who had been muttering fell silent when Damian passed by. They had to be careful not to cause trouble and risk being humiliated by someone so young.

Though the Imperial Royal Academy knights' psychological shock lasted long, they, too, soon had to acknowledge that carelessly provoking this Eternia youngster would end badly.

From early dawn, the guard busily prepared to move. Soldiers crossed paths carrying supplies on their shoulders while taking down tents and organizing materials. During this, Damian approached Bibi's direct advisor Gerald.

Damian spoke in an emotionless tone, as if reporting administrative work, "I wish to stand beside the Duchess."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd respect basic procedures. Just as you wouldn't go to the principal to change your schedule, you can't go to the top person because you're dissatisfied with personnel decisions."

"I said I would protect the Duchess, not her belongings and employees."

"The Duchess doesn't concern herself with every detail of soldier placement. Neither do I. Troop deployment is the guard captain's authority. Direct your complaints to him."

This was the best kindness Gerald could offer.

"..."

Damian left silently. He didn't seem ready to give up. He would surely return again in the afternoon and evening.

Gerald pondered while watching Damian. He didn't seem driven by self-interest or a temporary fighting spirit. Though he could gain enough fame without being at the Duchess' side, why did he desire it so strongly?

Until they understood his true intentions, they couldn't know, and even then, it was too early to utilize Damian fully.

Standing beside the Duchess required qualifications. One had to prove their abilities through harsh training and hellish journeys to earn that position. Moreover, direct guards had to share daily matters with Bibi. There was no reason to employ Damian at the risk of leaking confidential information about the Duchess.

The Duchess wanted to put Damian in danger. This was precisely why they tried to keep Damian from getting involved with Bibi.

Though Gerald sincerely served and respected the Duchess, her twisted aspects were sometimes painful to face.

The journey resumed. With so many people accompanying them, they left the Grace Mountains later than initially expected.

Until yesterday, they had been in Eternia's sphere of influence, so it was peaceful without threats like bandits or magic creatures. Around noon today, they entered the Principality's borders. Now they could no longer guarantee safety.

I sat silently in the rattling carriage. The maids also kept their mouths shut, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Though the duel had helped establish my position somewhat, there were side effects.

The problem was that the maids sharing the carriage found it difficult to deal with me since yesterday. It was understandable that those of the lowest status would feel uncomfortable around someone who had fought until bloody. It felt like the friendship we'd built had been undone.

The guard headed southeast. I wasn't informed of our destination, and the outside scenery told me nothing. However, judging by direction alone, we were certainly crossing through Barbisia.

During my spare time in the carriage, I thought about what would happen next.

Though I wracked my brain trying to remember what the dream landscape looked like, nothing specific came to mind. If I'd known the location, I could have roughly deduced when the prophetic dream's situation would repeat itself.

That crisis situation could happen as soon as tomorrow. Perhaps even tonight. I needed to quickly obtain a position where I could operate near the Duchess.

After meeting her once at Eternia, I couldn't even approach the Duchess, let alone speak to her.

I needed to identify which members of the guard might harbor rebellious thoughts and betray the Duchess. That was the most likely scenario.

And I needed to push them aside and be by the Duchess's side.

The problem was Nielin, the Duchess's guard captain.

A powerful warrior ranked among the top hundred swordsmen in the Principality. And he too was one of the pursuers in my dream.

That man would likely be my greatest threat.

According to the advisor, the guard captain still didn't trust me.

I needed to cross swords with him before the incident and gauge our relative strength. Though I wouldn't stand a chance without drawing my magic sword, the value of information gained from crossing swords would be significant.

He probably wouldn't ignore me if I just ran up and challenged him to a fight. If I kept pushing from below, he surely wouldn't be able to stay still.

Making it impossible for Nielin to ignore me was my first goal.

A mounted rider shouted loudly, "Everyone in position!"

The carriage wheels gradually slowed.

As evening approached, the carriages stopped at the entrance to a small village.

Crude fences made of woven branches. It was a small village with only about ten houses.

The maids in my carriage filed out in an orderly fashion as if they'd been trained.

I got out of the carriage belatedly.

The maids ran to wait in front of the Duchess' carriage.

A guard opened the door, but contrary to expectations, the Duchess didn't emerge immediately.

Soon after, one leg stretched out from the carriage door.

A long, pure white leg. Clearly the Duchess'.

Just as I wondered what was happening, a maid approached with shoes and put them on her feet.

Only after her servant put on her shoes did she step down from the carriage to touch the earth directly.

Bibi looked at the maids standing in line with bowed heads and said, "Where's the last one?"

"...?"

"There should be one more, where is he being lazy?"

The maids exchanged startled glances with round eyes.

"Ah, my lady. If you mean Polly, she stayed in Rigbed..."

"No, I mean the new worker from Eternia."

Soon, all the surrounding guard soldiers turned their heads to look at me.

Right, she probably wasn't looking for the Eternia third-year senior who joined the guard.

Soon after, advisor Gerald called my name, "Damian! Come here."

The Duchess had officially acknowledged treating me on the same level as the maids.

I calmly approached the Duchess.

"You called, Your Grace."

"Ah, yes. Finally, you come. I hear you got into trouble with a colleague and acted violently."

"That was a legitimate duel."

"Your assigned duties surely don't include such crude fist-fighting."

"...Just as dishwashing and carrying ingredients aren't my duties either."

"You seem unsatisfied with your assigned tasks. Why? You should be grateful to travel inside the carriage. Are you the one who requested to perform guard duty by my side?"

"I am."

"Ah, my loyal guard captain strongly insisted you shouldn't be put in the combat force. After careful consideration, I decided to accept his counsel. For your safety, you see."

"..."

"You haven't proven anything yet. So I can't entrust you with important duties. However, accepting your request, I'll propose a way for you to work by my side."

I had an ominous feeling.

"From now on, ready my shoes with my maids and put them on my feet directly. Whenever my two legs need to work, from morning to night. I'll let you work under me as you requested."

A moment of silence fell. Humiliating treatment. The guard knights gripped their swords tensely, watching for any sudden moves from me.

"I decline your proposal. If the guard captain cannot trust my sword, I will prove myself and earn the qualification."

"I thought it was a position fitting your background and abilities. How regrettable."

Background, is it? Since all the maids were orphans, is she trying to lump me in with them?

Just then, a messy commotion broke out from the village direction.

"Please let us see Duchess Bibi!"

"We've been waiting only for you, Your Grace!"

The villagers desperately tried to push through to see the Duchess despite the guards' threats.

Even with swords at their throats, they were so worked up they tried to break through the guard wall regardless.

The conversation with Bibi trailed off as everyone's attention turned to these outsiders.

Bibi shouted to the knight blocking the way, "Let them through. I'll at least hear what this is about."

The path opened and several village elders approached and knelt before the Duchess.

A stench rose from them as if they hadn't washed for months.

The knights pointed their swords, ready to cut them down at any sudden movement.

Black grime caked the old man's wrinkled face, and he was missing several front teeth. Rather than mere beggars, they looked like people who had long suffered from famine.

The eldest-looking one stepped forward as the representative and spoke, "Your Grace, great and wise Duchess, I am the chief of this nameless small village. Please take pity on us. We have waited at the edge of despair only to see you."

Then he prostrated himself, pressing his forehead to the ground.

Bibi frowned. She seemed quite displeased with this situation.

"I heard no one lived in this area. So why have you settled in such a remote place?"

"We are slash-and-burn farmers driven from Barbisia."

Barbisia—territory of the Principality, but abandoned land ruled by no lord. And also where our guard must pass through.

"What crime did you commit?"

"We couldn't pay tribute to the priest. We..."

"Yes, so what is it you wish to say?"

"We've moved our settlement several times for farming. For a year or two after moving, there's no problem, but then as if cursed, sudden crop failures come. We experience the same thing even after moving. No matter how much effort we put into clearing fields and sowing seeds, the grain won't grow. We can no longer move, and we're so starved we might have to eat the corpses of stillborn babies. Please, show us mercy."

"...Guide me to the village. I will see the situation here myself."

The old man rose with his frail body trembling and guided them into the village.

The Duchess took the lead with the long line of guards following behind.

The village was quiet as if plague-stricken. In front of a collapsing house, a woman held a skeletal infant, watching the Duchess with frightened eyes.

Village people opened their doors and came out one by one. All their faces showed clear bone structure from starvation. They were seriously hungry, and the young children were so weak they didn't even cry.

Because of her wide-brimmed hat, I couldn't see the Duchess' expression as she looked around.

The Duchess suddenly stopped walking and turned around. Then an unexpected order fell from her lips.

"Release the extra grain here, immediately."

The guard set up camp at the village outskirts. Even releasing extra food couldn't fully feed the starving people. There was the risk of sudden death if they ate too much at once after long starvation. Even so, they were satisfied just having thin porridge for meals.

The villagers were temporarily freed from the risk of starvation thanks to receiving enough grain to last several weeks.

Unexpectedly, the Duchess' compassion seemed to work well.

Is there some political calculation I can't gauge? 

With many witnesses, it might make for a nice touching story.

Whatever wind was blowing, Bibi didn't stop there.

"Bring out my golden cups!"

An attendant went to the supply wagon and brought a rectangular wooden box. Opening the lid revealed over ten golden wine cups.

"If you promise to abandon this land and make a new settlement in Rigbed, I will grant you these cups."

The golden cups were more than enough to establish a living foundation in Rigbed.

The village chief knelt and pressed his head to the ground in thanks.

"We will never forget this grace even in death."

If it was for a touching story, releasing food would have been enough. There was no need to be so excessively generous to people of abandoned lands. A thought crossed my mind that Bibi might be more merciful and inclusive than the strict and extravagant impression fixed in my head.

The maids truly respected the Duchess too.

Perhaps the Duchess was only being cruel to me.

***

I awoke in the dead of night. I heard unfamiliar footsteps outside my tent. Too light and careful to be a patrol soldier's footsteps. As if trying not to reveal their position.

I quietly rose from my bed and carefully took my sword.

Coming out of the tent, I saw a black silhouette moving with a lowered body toward the village outskirts. What reason could they have for moving so secretly?

My instincts whispered that I couldn't let this go.

I followed the silhouette while suppressing my presence.

The black figure stopped in front of a lone tall dead tree on the village outskirts.

Someone was already waiting in front of the dead tree. A tall figure with a sturdy build.

Soon silver armor glinted in the moonlight. Somehow familiar.

I slowly closed the distance to eavesdrop on their voices. One of the silhouettes was a maid I knew.

"Sir Nielin... is that..."

Nielin was the guard's commander-in-chief.

"Absolutely... secret. The Duchess'... must never reveal... if... then... die."

Important matters seemed to be exchanged, but due to my hearing limits, I couldn't properly grasp the details. A maid meeting the commander-in-chief at night was extremely suspicious.

I moved closer to hear their conversation more clearly.

Suddenly Nielin drew his sword and muttered while looking toward where I was hiding, "A rat has crept in."