Chapter 17
The battle with the knights was over. Gerda rushed over to Krena.
Gerda checked Krena for injuries. Krena had exchanged sword blows with the knights dozens, even hundreds, of times. She looked at him as if to ask what he was doing, but Gerda ran his hands over her cheeks and limbs, making sure she was all right. She'd taken a direct kick from Raybrand, the man called the Knights' Vice Commander, and been sent flying dozens of meters into a wall. Gerda checked her stomach and back, too, while Krena giggled and complained that it tickled.
She didn't have a single scratch. Not even a bruise. All that had happened was that she'd gotten a little dirt on her clothes when she hit the ground.
(Huh, has she always been this tough? We swung wooden swords around when we played knights, but does that mean she'd never gotten hurt?)
Allen and Krena played knights with wooden swords for about an hour every day. Allen sometimes got hit on his hands or feet, and he often ended up with bruises. But now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember Krena ever getting hurt.
The Knight Commander broke into an even colder sweat when he saw that Krena didn't have a single mark on her body. Raybrand, who'd fought her, had been carried away from the plaza, unable even to stand.
"You did well to raise a Sword Saint. She displayed truly remarkable strength."
The Knight Commander addressed Gerda. As Gerda knelt to check that Krena was unharmed, the commander slowly offered him a hand.
Gerda was wary. They'd called him to the plaza and suddenly made Krena fight a knight. It had turned out all right because she'd won, but Krena could have died.
The Knight Commander stood still, his hand still extended. Gerda wondered if the knight meant that the commander was offering him a handshake as a way of saying he should forgive them. Gerda had always been rather short-tempered. His blood rushed to his head, turning his face red. When he fought with Rodan, Gerda was usually the first to throw a punch.
Even so, Gerda reached out his hand. The difference between the Knight Commander and a serf was like heaven and earth. His precious child, his best friend, and his friend's child were all here. His face still red, he struggled to suppress his anger, then respectfully reached out and shook the commander's hand.
Clink.
Gerda flinched. There was something hard in his hand. From the feel of it, he could tell there were several coins in his palm. Though startled, he silently pulled his hand back. A quick glance showed him about three gold coins. The commander had slipped them to him under the guise of a handshake.
"Now then, Village Chief. I'd like to take our time discussing what comes next, too."
"Y-yes, we've begun preparing a banquet at my home."
The Knight Commander began discussing what came next with the Village Chief, who'd approached them, as if nothing had happened. Apparently, he'd been considerate enough not to show a large sum of money like gold coins in front of so many serfs and commoners.
"How thoughtful of you. Your name is Gerda, correct? Will you come with your daughter?"
"Huh? Ah, yes."
Gerda answered, but kept glancing over at Rodan.
"Hmm? Well, if you're worried, you may bring your friend along, too."
Gerda wondered if the commander was trying to ease his wariness. When he looked at Rodan, Rodan nodded to say he'd go, too. Krena said Allen should come along as well.
They were told that preparations would take some time, so the banquet, which would include dinner, would be held at the Village Chief's house after three. Rodan said he'd go tell Michilda and Telesia about the situation, and that Allen should stay with Gerda and Krena.
Allen followed Gerda. They rarely came to this part of the village, which was its center, so the sights around them were all new.
(It's pretty big. There were over a hundred people at the plaza earlier, too. I wonder if the village has a population of about three hundred.)
Since this was the village center, there were quite a few shops. His gaze drifted toward what seemed to be the commercial district.
(Oh, a weapons shop. I can see plant leaves inside that one over there. A vegetable shop? No, it looks more like an herbalist.)
As he followed Gerda, Allen looked around at the shops and their surroundings.
The Village Chief's house was not far from the plaza. It was Allen's first time seeing it, and he thought it was quite large—about the size of two houses in the real world. He'd lived in shacks that were barely more than lean-tos, so this seemed like a very solid house.
Gerda was told to wait there while they made preparations, and he and the others were shown into a room, perhaps a guest room, where they could relax.
(The Knights showed up not long after noon, so the banquet will probably start around three or four. Oh, right. I need to Create and Synthesize.)
Allen checked the Grimoire to make sure his magic had recovered. Gerda and Krena were there, but no one else could see his cards or Grimoire, so it didn't matter. He Created and Synthesized to earn Skill experience.
It was part of his daily routine to level up his Summoning Skill, which he'd started working on when he turned one. At first, he could only do it twice a day, but now he could reliably Create and Synthesize three times a day. He believed that if he wanted to grow stronger, it was important to keep steadily working at it without end.
His daily routine was over in just a few seconds. He looked around the room.
(As you'd expect, life is on a different level for commoners—especially at the Village Chief's house—than it is for serfs.)
He soon ran out of things to do. At home, he had plenty to keep him busy: looking after Mash, testing his Summons, throwing stones, and so on. But here, he was bored. He thought he could understand why Reversi had become popular in a world with nothing to do, and soon began to doze off. When Allen fell asleep, Krena leaned against him and dozed off beside him. Gerda watched the two of them with a fond look, thinking they were such sleepyheads.
"Hey, looks like it's about to start."
"P-Papa?"
Rubbing his eyes, Allen looked around and saw Rodan. He remembered that they were at the Village Chief's house. He'd been taking a nap, so about two hours had passed.
Allen followed Rodan and Gerda. They were heading to the main hall of the Village Chief's house.
He heard a hubbub of voices. Quite a few people had already arrived. There were nearly ten knights, as well as villagers—including children. It was quite a large hall.
(Oh? That's the Village Chief's child, and who was that other kid again? The one with the talent of an Axeman.)
Apparently, the banquet wasn't just for the knights, the Village Chief, and Gerda. There were also villagers who seemed to be important people in the village, judging by their relatively fine clothes.
They were told to sit there, and took seats near the head of the table. The Knight Commander, the Village Chief, a woman who was probably the Village Chief's wife, and their child were at the same table, along with the child with the talent of an Axeman and what were probably his parents. There were about three tables, and theirs was the place of honor. The other knights and villagers had taken places at the other two.
The banquet began with the announcement that the Sword Saint had arrived. The Village Chief and Knight Commander gave opening remarks, but Allen didn't hear them. It seemed they were making a speech to commend the village's development.
(Oh, Mormo fruit! I have to take two—or, no, three—home for Mama.)
Allen noticed that a fruit from another world called Mormo was on the table. He planned to sneak some home as a souvenir when he got the chance.
Everyone ate as they pleased. The knights, who had probably traveled a long way, were eating heartily. It was hard to believe they were the same people who'd seemed so hostile when they met in the plaza.
The Vice Commander wasn't here. Allen didn't know if he was still in no condition to eat, or if he felt awkward after fighting Krena.
(The Knights' attitude has changed. Is it because they know she's a Sword Saint now? But if Krena hadn't really been a Sword Saint, they probably would have punished us.)
As Allen wondered about this, the Knight Commander spoke to the Village Chief.
"Now then, Village Chief, you've done an impressive job developing this village. I came three years ago, and it's grown considerably since then."
"Y-yes. All the villagers have worked hard to help the village prosper."
The Village Chief bobbed his head repeatedly. Up close, he looked to be in his forties, stout and well-built. His child was quite thin, so Allen thought the boy hadn't inherited his father's build.
"Now, I feel bad saying this to a Village Chief who's worked so hard for ten years to build this village, but..."
"Oh? What is it?"
The Village Chief looked concerned, as if something had gone wrong.
"I've heard from our lord that if the Sword Saint is the real deal, this village will be renamed Krena Village."
"Huh?"
Until now, it had been called the Pioneer Village. They'd been told it would receive a name this year. People had assumed it would be named after the Village Chief, who'd worked so hard to develop it, but the lord had decided to name it after Krena. The Knight Commander apologized, saying he was sorry.
(He seems a lot more deferential than when we first met. Was he always like this?)
"W-well, that is the lord's decision."
The Village Chief didn't object. It could be said that nothing would change even if he did.
(I see. This village will be known as the birthplace of a Sword Saint.)
The banquet had only just begun, but the Knight Commander had apparently wanted to tell them this first. More and more food was brought out as they talked. Since coming to this other world, Allen had only eaten vegetables and meat roasted or boiled. This was the first time in a while he'd had a carefully prepared meal. He ate heartily, while one by one hiding Mormo fruits by his feet.