TL/Editor: Raei
Proofreader: Pickhead7
Schedule: 5/week
Illustrations: None.
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Baron Damon's domain was exactly as expected.
"Lord!"
"Oh my! Has the Lord arrived!"
The sight of dozens of huts lined up on a clearing made by cutting down trees and the sight of a hastily built wooden fence to fend off intruders revealed it as nothing less than a bandit's hideout.
There were fields cultivated by clearing the land and livestock like chickens and geese wandering around, but the atmosphere hadn't changed much from when it was originally a bandit's lair.
"Hahaha! Your Lord has gone out and earned some money~"
"Long live the Lord!"
A quick look around showed that farming was a secondary source of income, and the primary source was tolls collected through banditry.
It was only natural that a domain in the mountains couldn't sustain itself on farming alone.
"The atmosphere is nice."
"But it's still just a bandit's hideout."
Ian grumbled in a not-exactly grumbling way, Belenka smiled wryly.
"Isn't it different from ordinary bandits? They don't kill every passerby they see."
"Even if they extort money from people?"
"If you think of it as a toll for using the road, it's not too bad. These are the local residents, after all, and they'll also take care of the monsters around here. As the roads become safer, more merchants will come, improving earnings."
"It's a virtuous cycle."
This era was inherently without foundation.
Starting as a bandit hideout, it could someday become a respectable city.
The name Damon could also become famous.
As soon as Ian and his party arrived at Damon's mountain hotel, an exciting room allocation followed, which was very medieval in its execution.
"Everyone, go into any house you like!"
"...?"
Since there couldn't possibly be an inn in this small domain, it meant just barging into any house you see and spending the night.
"Thank you! Lord!"
"Hehe. Let's go quickly!"
To Ian, this method of allocating rooms was absurdly ridiculous.
You could argue it was a homestay, but the problem was that it was a forced homestay.
However, Ian was the only one who found this strange.
The medieval people, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, opened the door of someone else's house they had never seen before and walked in with their dirty feet...!
Did you guys come from the GTA universe?
It was beyond rude; it was shameless.
Yet, no one in the domain dared to oppose the Lord's decision.
They just bowed their heads and prepared to welcome the sudden guests as if it was the most natural thing.
"Wizard Ian! You shall stay at our house!"
Baron Damon, at some point, had naturally put his arm around Ian's shoulder.
The preemptive arm-around-the-shoulder before extorting money might be an instinct engraved in human DNA.
"Me?"
Ian hesitated at first, suspicious that Baron Damon might be attempting something.
Accepting too eagerly and then being disappointed would be its own kind of nuisance.
However, as expected of a Baron who knew nothing about nobility, Damon immediately looked dejected.
"No, it was just a suggestion... If you don't like the humble cabin, there's nothing I can do... But it's the best house here..."
Ian quickly reassured the Baron.
"I was asking if it's alright for me to be invited. Galadin is here too."
"Galadin? What does he do?"
"Uh... um, a smart person?"
"He seemed pretty dumb to me."
Baron Damon's insight was chillingly sharp.
Just as knowledge and wisdom differ, being knowledgeable doesn't necessarily mean one is wise.
Baron Damon thought Galadin was somewhat lacking, and to some extent, he was right.
"If the Baron invites me, then I'm happy to accept."
"Hahaha! Then stay at our house!"
Just from hearing this, you'd think a neighbor was offering to let you stay the night.
"Get to know our wizard too!"
Was her name Kira?
Ian briefly made eye contact with Kira.
Kira's demeanor was that of a typical, irritable, and hysterical wizard.
She was utterly indifferent to Ian, as if she didn't even acknowledge his existence.
Had Ian not already had some experience with wizards, he might have been offended, but having encountered a few wizards before, Ian didn't take Kira's indifference to heart.
Wizards are just weird like that.
Eredith was considered normal by Ian's standards, but in fact, by medieval standards, she was a bit strange.
She was indifferent to worldly matters while wielding powerful magic.
The wizard Mani was also an eccentric person.
The very act of brewing soup filled with garlic as a prank was far from normal thinking.
It was fortunate that Ian was Korean, otherwise, this was like serving rice in mint chocolate soup as a form of hospitality.
And then there was Professor Inglan.
Caught tomb raiding.
Ha. Ian shook his head.
Looking at it this way, the wizard lineup was legendary.
Indeed... The only normal wizard might just be me, [Ian Eredith Raven]...!
The only sane wizard, indeed. Q.E.D (Quod Erat Demonstrandum)[1].
Ian nodded his head in satisfaction, smiling contentedly.
Glancing at Ian, who was giggling to himself, Kira grumbled.
Wizards are all a bunch of weirdos.
This guy doesn't seem to be in his right mind either???
---
---
After inspecting what could either be a homestay or a guest house, Ian stepped out to take a look around the domain.
There, he bumped into Belenka, who was loitering nearby.
"I heard about it, Ian. You ended up staying at the Baron's house?"
"That's what happened."
"Hmm. I see."
"..."
What's she gearing up for now?
Ian gave Belenka a sharp look.
Based on his experiences so far, when someone dragged their words like that, they usually had something specific they wanted to say.
"I took a look at the houses. Given it's a small domain, it's not exactly a great place to stay."
Ian nodded in agreement.
The combination of being in the mountains, a small village, and a medieval lifestyle created a perfect storm of misery, even by medieval standards, showcasing a dire living situation.
First off, being in the mountains meant that predators and carnivorous animals roamed free, making it impossible to let livestock graze freely.
It wasn't a populous village that could afford separate guards.
Above all, it got cold at night, speeding up the consumption of firewood.
The people of this mountainous domain came up with a genius idea to solve these issues...
[What if we bring the livestock inside? Problem solved, right?]
It was a stroke of genius.
But at the same time, it was a devilish idea.
It protected the livestock from predators and shared their body heat to alleviate heating concerns, but...
You had to sleep under the same roof as the animals!
Enduring the smell! The noise!
Even medieval people disliked eating and sleeping under the same roof as livestock.
Naturally, they wanted to separate their living spaces.
But here, they lacked even the means to do that...
A countryside among countrysides, the very bottom of rural life.
Most houses here were structured to eat and sleep with the animals.
Only three houses had separate barns, the 'normal' rural homes.
And one of those three was Baron Damon's house.
Ian caught on to what Belenka was hinting at.
She wanted to change her accommodations.
"Why? Not satisfied with your lodging?"
"It's not my place to complain, but it's bothersome."
Ahem. Belenka cleared her throat.
"Ian. Appealing to the friendship we've shared so far, could you show me the favor of swapping places with me..."
"Nope. I don't plan on switching. Go back."
"Tsk."
Belenka, immediately rebuffed, then confidently said.
"In that case, based on our contract, I will demand the rightful privileges of a knight from my employer."
Bringing up the contract instead of friendship.
"Switch lodgings with me."
Ian just shrugged.
This was a legitimate request.
Belenka fought for Ian and, in return, was assured various rights. It was a typical knight's contract.
Being a skilled knight, she seldom needed to exercise this right because everyone took good care of her.
However, the current situation was a bit tricky.
The good accommodations had been shared among the priest, Galadin, and Ian...
Being a knight first and foremost, and a woman, Belenka felt a bit out of place in insisting on her part.
But Belenka didn't want to stay in the normal houses either.
"That's unexpected."
"What now?"
"I would've thought Belenka would be the type to happily snuggle into sheep's wool and sleep soundly..."
"What exactly do you think of me?"
Belenka looked at Ian with disbelief.
Every time Ian said something like that, it wounded her delicate heart as if she were a sensitive high school girl.
Which (knightly) high school girl would want to sleep in a barn/accommodation that smelled like animal dung?
Well, it's not something you'd say to a high school girl who could slice a person in half with a two-handed sword.
"You should try sleeping buried in sheep's wool. Do you even know how much they stink?"
"Uh. I've seen it when I was young. There was someone in the domain who raised sheep."
"..."
Right. This guy. He's the son of a farmer...!
Belenka sometimes forgot that because Ian usually carried himself so cleanly.
"Anyway. I formally request as my employer, Ian, to prepare a soft bed and clean pajamas for me. That is all."
"Well. I'll talk to the Baron. If things don't go well..."
"Then I'll sleep in your room."
"?!"
"What. Why?"
Belenka said with a deadpan (slightly sulky) expression.
"If you don't like it, say it now."
"No, it's not that I don't like it, but..."
Ian was puzzled.
He wondered, is this really okay?
---
---
Providing lodging and meals for a knight was a Lord's natural duty.
Though it was temporary, Ian, who had sworn loyalty to Belenka, had to solve her lodging issue.
'Maybe we should just sleep together.'
The least troublesome solution was to simply put Belenka in Ian's bedroom.
The Baron had given Ian a good room, and there was enough space for both to comfortably stay.
The only issue...
Ian, hailing from a country of the East known for its etiquette and the principle of "men and women not sitting together after the age of seven," found the idea of cohabiting with a woman to be somewhat... complicated.
In fact, even by medieval standards, it was considered somewhat... complicated.
Even though no one would openly talk about it, behind their backs, there would be whispers suggesting something... complicated between Ian and Belenka.
It wasn't that the rumors would tarnish Ian or Belenka's reputation...
But the thought of Lucy's face made him feel a bit guilty.
Rumors are unpredictable, and by the time they reached Lucy's ears, they might have morphed into "Oh my, I heard they have a child together~".
It was simply easier to arrange for separate accommodations.
So, Ian went to seek out the wizard Kira's room, hoping to ask if there was a way to accommodate Belenka.
As a wizard trusted by the Baron, she occupied the largest room in the Baron's house.
"Kira, are you there?"
A moment of enlightenment struck him.
Wait, the Baron's house?
He was staying at the Baron's, and he was about to ask to share a room?!
Although Baron Damon was notably poor, even taking that into account, a medieval noble's house was indeed shabby by modern standards.
Talian Hall was a splendid mansion, though.
"Just a moment!"
Sounds of thumping came from inside.
Ian nodded.
Ah, she's cleaning her room because she has a guest.
Classic female behavior (the room is a pigsty).
Having a sister, Ian knew this all too well.
It's extremely rare for women to live tidily. They've just mastered the skill of hiding their messiness...!
So, Ian patiently waited for Kira to finish cleaning(?) her room.
A little while later.
"Hmm. Hm-hm."
Kira greeted Ian, arms crossed.
"What's up all of a sudden? wizard? I thought we wouldn't cross paths during your stay in the domain."
"...?"
"Why are you standing there like an idiot? Did you call me out here to say something, or can I go?"
Seeing Kira pour out informal speech from the get-go, Ian forgot everything he had prepared to say.
He was shocked.
Even Lucy used formal speech when they first met!
And here she was, not some elder-level wizard, and seemingly of a similar age, just spewing informal speech?
Having become accustomed to the medieval fantasy wizard life, Ian's cosplay and daily life had merged into one.
His daily life was like method acting.
And the aspect of 'wizardry' Ian worked hardest on was being 'eccentric'.
Unbeknownst to himself, Ian had embodied the 'wizard's eccentricity' that medieval people so adored, almost like a passive skill.
In front of Ian appeared a wizard who was thoroughly impolite.
Wizard Ian wasn't going to take it.
Ian erased all the polite remarks he had prepared-
And started acting in the familiar way of a wizard.
"But Kira, do you know me?"
"... Huh?"
"We're talking for the first time, aren't we? When did we meet for you to be so rude-
Ahaha. So we're already friends! I didn't even know I had such a rude friend! Typical of a wizard, right! Hahaha!"
"Um, well..."
"Why speak so formally all of a sudden? We're friends, aren't we? Hey, I'm tolerating your rudeness because we're friends, otherwise, you would have been stabbed by now~"
"..."
"But Kira, I have just one favor to ask. Since we're friends, you can grant it, right?"
Kira felt a chill run down her spine as Ian unloaded a barrage of nonsensical words.
Look at those eyes filled with madness...
That guy, he was out of his mind!
'What a bizarre wizard!'
Are all wizards like that?
I've never met a real wizard, so I don't know!
---
[1. raei: In mathematical or logical proofs, "Q.E.D." is traditionally written at the end of a demonstration to signify that what was to be proven has been successfully demonstrated. It's essentially a way of saying "I have proven what I set out to prove." ]
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