CH 147

“Morning,” I said. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, I slept without issue,” Henblitz said.

“Yes! I slept perfectly!” Kuruni said.

It was the day after we arrived at Bidden Village.

After sleeping in my original room for the first time in a long time, when I went to the living room, Henblitz and Kuruni were already there.

Both of them are amazing. From the other side, it would have been unreasonable for them to have tagged along, so I wonder if they feel like they can’t bother me with complaints first thing in the morning. It’s okay for me to relax to some extent.

“Kuruni, what about Miu?”

“Ah, it looked like she was still sleeping, so I left her alone. …… Should I wake her up?” Kuruni asked.

“No, it’s fine. I think she’s tired from traveling since she’s not used to it,” I said.

As Kuruni said, Miu must have slept in the same room as her last night and doesn’t seem to be awake yet.

And like I said, I believe she’s tired from moving in the carriage. It wasn’t a long trip or a particularly harsh trip, but traveling long distances is really tiring if you’re not used to it.

So, I decided to have Miu get a good night’s sleep. They say that a child who sleeps well grows up well.

“Oh my, good morning, Beryl,” the Old Lady said.

“Morning, Ma,” I said.

And my parents were in the living room, too. The Old Man was sitting in a chair drinking tea, and my Old Lady was preparing breakfast.

In that case, does it mean that I was the one who was the slowest to wake up, excluding Miu? It’s not like I’m competing, but it’s kind of frustrating. Even though I’m a pretty early riser in the morning, I’ve been beaten out.

“Then, shall we eat first?” the Oldy Lady said as she started arranging breakfast on the dining table.

Let’s eat for now. If you don’t take in energy, your body and mind won’t work. And after eating, I would like to take a light bath.

Whether in the countryside or the city, it’s still summer all around. It’s been a while since sunrise at this time, but it’s still hot enough to make you sweat.

I wouldn’t call it a luxury to bathe in hot water, but it feels good enough just to take a bath in cold water at this time of year.

Luckily, Bidden Village didn’t have trouble with water sources, so if it’s just plain water, it can be used somewhat luxuriously. I don’t know if this will be the case once the farmland and population increase. There are some advantages to having fewer people.

“Let’s eat,” everyone in the living room said, our voices echoing.

It was the same yesterday, but the manners in such small details are important. I was raised quite strictly around here, not to mention my parents who raised me like that, Henblitz and Kuruni are also firm in their manners.

Always remember to be grateful for the food and above all for the person who made it.

By the way, breakfast is bread, salad, and chicken bone soup.

In Baltrane’s inn, milk is added here, but unfortunately, Bidden Village doesn’t do much livestock raising. Meat is mostly hunted or purchased from merchants, and if you can get milk, it’s goat’s milk, and if you also get eggs, you’re lucky.

After comparing it, I think again, but after all, I can only feel that the standard of living in Baltrane is amazing. It makes sense that if a lot of people gather, a lot of goods will follow in their wake.

“Will the dojo start a little later?” Henblitz asked.

“It will,” I said. “Let’s take a tour of the village and take a bath while we’re at it.”

“We’re going bathing! That sounds so nice!” Kuruni said, jumping at my suggestion.

I don’t mind, but I think you should have a little more mature and feminine.

Even though Sir Henblitz is here, please refrain from bathing with this old man. No, if you tell me to my face that you don’t want to do it, I might get hurt. I have a complicated personality.

“I’ve brought enough clothes to change into!” Kuruni said.

“I, I see…” I said.

Other than my worries, Kuruni was already ready to go bathing.

Since Bidden Village is close to the Aphrata Mountains, there are quite a few streams running nearby.

Because the streams are untouched by humans, the water quality is sufficient. It is very important to have nearby water sources that are suitable for drinking, let alone bathing. Even if it takes labor to draw and transport it to the village, the monetary cost of acquiring water here is almost zero.

“Well then, after eating, let’s go for a walk to a stream,” I said.

“A stream!” Kuruni said, her excitement rising.

But, Henblitz didn’t seem to feel too enthusiastic about it. It’s so hot that I want to take a dip.

Besides, if you go to the nearest water hole, it seems like I can guide them around Bidden Village as well. That being said, all of this is new to them.

“Okay, thank you for the meal,” I said.

If you don’t eat in the morning, your body won’t last, but you can’t eat a lot right after you wake up.

Salad on bread and soup without other ingredients is a menu that skillfully strikes such an exquisite taste. Let’s call it my Old Lady’s touch.

“Ma, take care of Miu once she wakes up,” I said.

“Yes, yes, you can go,” the Old Lady said.

A quick breakfast, my sword, a towel, and a change of clothes. I leave the house with just that.

Henblitz and Kuruni also came out with only the bare minimum of luggage.

“It’s a tranquil morning,” Henblitz said. “You don’t see this too often in Baltrain.”

“Haha, that’s one way to put it, huh?” I said.

Henblitz narrows his eyes at that, but, well, it is one way to put it. It’s a backwater shithole, is another way to put it.

Baltrain is lively and noisy first thing in the morning, so it might be just right for people who are used to all that noise. You might get tired of it after a few days, though.

All you can hear is the chirping of birds and the sound of the wind rustling the trees. For certain reasons I was in Blatrain until yesterday, so it’s been a while since I’ve been inside this silence. What can I say? It’s a silence that seeps into the heart.

Having said that, as far as our dojo is concerned, it will get quite noisy after a while. Because the disciples are coming.

Until that time comes, let’s enjoy this long-awaited silence.

“That’s the only post station in the village,” I said. “That’s the only blacksmith in the village.”

“What kind of stuff do they work in the forge?” Henblitz said.

“Essentially farming tools,” I said. “There’re also people like me so they also make swords.”

While walking around, I will briefly explain Bidden Village.

I thought I would take them on a tour, but most of the facilities are the only ones in the village. We’re the only swordsmanship dojo in the village.

In a countryside like this, there is little taste in aiming for the so-called second catches, whatever is left after the best have their pick. This is because it is nothing more than a scramble for what few customers we have.

The exceptions are hunters and farmers. In the former, the prey that can be caught depends on the skill level of the hunter and the hunting ground. Even if you are a latecomer, you can aim for turning the tables depending on the assets and skills you have.

After that, there are also things like becoming an adventurer to get ahead in life and reverse your fate in one shot. Well, most of those people will come back if they fail, and conversely, if they succeed, there’s no reason to come back to the countryside like this.

That’s why there’s a reason why even if you’re a child, you don’t know what to do, and even if you grow up into an adult, you’ll have your reasons for taking root in such a sleepy village. Let’s leave aside whether it is forward-looking or backward-looking.

“It feels like everything you need is here,” Kuruni said.

“Right?” I said. “Well, even if it’s small, this is that sort of village”

In terms of size and quality, even if you put out your best, you can’t beat Baltrain. Even if it’s just a blacksmith, the blacksmith here isn’t bad at it, but if you ask me if I can make a fine work, it’s probably no. I think Valder’s smithing arm is much better.

Well, even so, Bidden Village manages to maintain a minimum standard of living. Some places may be more spartan and sparse than others.

“But… it’s a little surprising,” Henblitz whispered while I was guiding them through the village.

“Hmm? What is it?” I asked.

“No, it’s that Bidden Village is not that far from Baltrane,” Henblitz said. “It could be a little more developed…”

“Oh, that’s what,” I said. “To put it bluntly, there’s no reason to develop.”

“No reason?” Henblitz replied, confused.

“Right,” I said.

I tried to answer outright but it seems he didn’t get it.

As I said, this village has no reason to develop. It’s not like I hate this village or anything like that, it’s just a fact when I look at it objectively.

“First of all, what is beyond this village?” I asked.

“… The Aphrata Mountains, I suppose?” Henblitz said.

“Yeah, that’s right,” I said.

If you look at the linear distance alone, there are countless towns and villages farther from the capital city of Baltrain than Bidden Village. As Sir Henblitz says, the distance alone isn’t that far. Assuming that there are no troubles along the way, it is a route that can be reached in a day by carriage.

However, despite its location, the number of people in Bidden village has not increased, and it has remained a rural area both now and in the past.

“So, the land in this area isn’t exactly barren, but it’s not particularly fertile either,” I said.

“Hmm……” Henblitz hummed.

Agriculture is relatively prosperous in the Rebelis Kingdom. So, there is a certain amount of technology and knowledge of that system. On top of that, even though I wouldn’t say that this area is unsuitable for agriculture, it still takes time and money to cultivate it.

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In other words, we need a reason to spend money and time to develop this land. You need a trigger that is enough to attract people.

“Well, I think this is the most important thing. Geographically, there’s no reason to go anywhere from Bidden Village,” I said.

“What do you mean?” Henblitz said.

“It’s a traffic dead end, this place,” I said.

If this were, for example, a key point connecting towns to towns, the story would change. However, there are only the Aphrata Mountains beyond Bidden Village. There is no reason to go through this village even if you go to the neighboring Saluazalc Empire.

Although it is a village, there are exchanges with neighboring villages and trade with major cities such as Baltrain. However, rather than for development, it is the minimum necessary for the people who live there to go about their lives.

Due to these reasons, this Bidden village will always be a remote countryside. Rather, I think that it is a place that is well-developed, for its circumstances. Normally there is no post station in such a dead-end settlement.

“It would be different if this continent were a little more peaceful…” I said.

“That’s true… though it’s the same everywhere,” Henblitz said.

Above all, the monsters that exist here and there are extremely troublesome. In such a rural area, even the defense of the highway is unstable. Under these circumstances, it would be unreasonable to ask people to grow and develop freely.

In fact, even Bidden Village is busy dealing with saber boas almost every year. I’m sure there are many smaller and less notable incidents.

“If only we could do something about that mountain…” Henblitz said.

“… It will be difficult in the current situation,” I said.

“I suppose it would be,” Henblitz said.

Anyway, those Aphrata Mountains are an obstacle. No, it’s a water source and there are some blessings from the mountains, so it’s not all bad points.

However, at least if those mountains were flat, it is possible that Bidden Village would have prospered as one of the relay points connecting the Empire and the Kingdom. It might have become so big to be called the Town of Bidden.

Well, to put it more simply, our ancestors who settled down in such a place and started a village would end up being the ones to blame. There’s no point in saying that, and it’s nothing more than a pipe dream to say that the Aphrata Mountains should disappear.

“It’s difficult, isn’t it?” Henblitz said.

“That’s right. Nothing goes smoothly,” I said.

Perhaps in the future, if there are more people, more technology, and fewer threats, that will not be the case. However, I think it will take at least several decades, or even hundreds of years, to achieve that goal.

In short, we can’t do anything with just us now. However, at least when it comes to the Rebelis Kingdom, they should be focusing on magic research in order to aim for such a future, so I would like to expect the future drawn by its ruler.

“Oh, you can see it now,” I said.

“Ooh!” Kuruni cried.

And after walking like that while chatting for a while, I could see a clear stream crossing the plain.

The current is calm and the water depth is shallow. Even the deepest part of the river is only knee-deep at most, and it is a small river that is completely unsuitable if the purpose is to swim.

However, there is less danger of drowning. Because it is close to the village, it is one of the life-giving spots in the village where people take care of everything from fetching water to bathing the children.

“The river itself is small and the view is nice, so I don’t think it’s dangerous,” I said.

“Roger-dodger! Hyoo!” Kuruni cried as she flew away at super speed.

How badly does she want to take a dip?

She took off her shoes and stepped in, and when I thought she was knee-deep, she plunged face-first into it, and after a while, she whipped her head out and shook it. Is she like a dog?

“Vice-Captain! Master! The water is so great!!”

“Hahaha, that’s good to hear.”

Kuruni shouts with a perfect smile.

Well, I think bathing in the stream in the morning on a midsummer day is quite a luxury. In a sense, it can be said that it is a life that cannot be experienced in the capital Baltrain. There are a lot of steam bathhouses over there, but there is no river nearby that you can so easily dip into.

“But, what should I say…?” I muttered.

“Right…” Henblitz said.

“I can’t figure out where my eyes should be…” I continued.

“Yes…” Henblitz said.

Me, Henblitz, and Kuruni are all wearing light clothes. It’s summer, so it’s natural.

So, when your whole body is bathed in water, your clothes naturally stick to the body. If you’re not careful, it becomes transparent.

In other words, due to various circumstances, Henblitz and I were in a situation where we couldn’t look directly at Kuruni.

“Let’s cool off a little further away, shall we…?” I asked.

“Yes, let’s……” Henblitz said.

I can’t see the shadows of other villagers at a brief glance. It was a blessing amid misfortune.

Next to Sir Henblitz, I put my feet down in the babbling stream. The water was moderately cold, refreshing my heat-flushed body.