Chapter 29 (1/2)

“What kind of villages are Caralime and Yakiya?”

In his office, Ernst asked this question to the head butler.

“Caralime village is… aah, it’s that Kleber’s disease village. Because they have Kleber’s disease, they’re all lazy asses… ah, please excuse my rudeness.”

The head butler, Sington, hastily shut his mouth that had begun to slip.

“I’m not concerned about that. Continue.”

Ernst leaned back in his large chair.

“…That village is, the village where they abandoned their fields.”

“Their fields?”

“Yes. They said that they could live just by using it as pastureland, so they stopped cultivating their fields. Well, shepherds do have it easier.”

Was that so? Ernst, who had never cultivated fields or used them for grazing, didn’t have anything to contribute.

“Because of that, Meissen’s villages started letting go of their livestock.”

“Why is that?”

The tall-standing Sington continued to look down toward Ernst, who asked this question.

“Because a single village had a large quantity of sheep allowed to graze. The amount of wool they gathered from this wasn’t small. When they harvested an abundance of wool, they could sell for a lower price. The other villages couldn’t compete with the price of Caralime’s wool.”

So was that why the Kata and Latelle villages let go of their livestock?

Ernst, however, didn’t believe so simply that this was the only reason why their life became so pressured.

“Then, how about Yakiya village?”

“That one is… aah, the Lux Kingdom’s village.”

He said something strange. Ernst made a doubtful expression as he asked:

“Isn’t it a village of Meissen?”

“Eeh, well, that’s true, but… the people of Meissen think of them as Lux’s.”

“What do you mean?”

Unlike when he was discussing Caralime, the fluidity of the head butler’s words disappeared.

“The Bastelis river that serves as the border to Lux Kingdom doesn’t rage all year round. Every year, there are two months where boats can cross. The people of Yakiya village take on this job of crossing the river.”

Farmers were unable to pursue anything other than agriculture. Only riverfolk could take on the job of handling boats.

“Are the people of Yakiya not farmers, but riverfolk?”

“No… the previous lord had approved of their request to revise their position. Thus, several people of Yakiya aren’t farmers, but riverfolk.”

The reason why they didn’t all become riverfolk was most likely because the job of crossing the river could only be done for two months. And so, for the reason that they couldn’t fully change over, this roughly impossible had occurred.

“But why, then, is it called a village of Lux?”

Although the two countries were mutually keeping each other in check, they hadn’t cut off their diplomatic relations. On the surface, Lux Kingdom had was a friend of Rintz Kingdom.

When you took into account Meissen’s geographical location, if you were able to use boats, then rather than having to cross steep cliffs to enter your own country’s Rintz fief, it was much easier to cross the river to Lux Kingdom to sell your goods.

Be that as it may, since the Bastelis river could only be crossed two months a year, they wouldn’t sell all goods to the neighboring country; as such, Ernst didn’t understand why Yakiya village, which was the only one that met the river, would be ridiculed as being a village of Lux Kingdom.

“Yakiya village doesn’t sell their products to Meissen’s merchants, but to Lux’s merchants.”

“To Lux’s?”

“Yes. For that reason, Meissen’s merchants no longer do business with them.”

For the first time, Ernst set foot upon the militia’s training grounds, which he had always watched from above. Ganche promptly noticed and rushed to meet him.

“Lord Ernst. Has something happened?”

“No, nothing major… Could you tell me where the captain is?”

To give some reassurance to Ganche’s worries, Ernst gently touched his muscular arm. He was slightly damp with sweat.

Even though it was snowing, they continued to train so fiercely to the point that they were sweating.

Just like with his citizens, Ernst had to protect his troops, too.

Protected by Ganche, Ernst walked between the training militia soldiers who were unaware of his presence. Though their swords resonated with metal clangs every time they met, Ernst didn’t feel it was scary at all.

With Ganche by his side, Ernst had nothing to fear.

“Is something the matter?”

As always, Captain Targes was training the new recruits. The look in his gaze was as sharp as always, and even with Ernst in front of him, he didn’t bow to his knees.

“I just want to have a small chat. Do you have time?”

“…It’s very strange to ask that. You could just order me to do so.”

“That may be true. But if I always hand out orders all the time, won’t they become meaningless when they matter most?”

At Ernst’s words, Targes and Ganche exchanged a look with their eyes. Those significant gazes they exchanged several heads above Ernst made something bitter unfurl in his stomach.

“You can take as many hours of mine as you like. Now then, where should we go?”

This is something that we can’t talk about here, right? his eyes said. This man was able to guess this correctly, and to Ernst, it felt like he was able to see through even the jealousy in Ernst’s heart.

Ernst slightly diverted his gaze and grasped the arm of Ganche, who stood behind him.

“In that case, please meet me in my office. Aah, but you don’t have to come in a hurry.”

Targes chuckled, his laugh showing in his blue eyes that were particular to Kleber, as Ernst left. The militia soldiers lightly saluted around him.

Ernst adhered himself to Ganche’s large body without checking if he had closed the door to his office.

Over here, there was only one man who would be able to guess Ernst’s heart. He swiftly lifted up Ernst’s small body.

“Lord Ernst.”

“You don’t have to say anything… I know.”

Ernst brought his nose to that wide neck, breathing in to fill his chest with that beloved scent.

Ernst didn’t feel any pity for himself.

All he could do was feel jealous over everyone around Ganche.

No matter who it was, anyone who stood next to Ganche ended up looking like they were well-suited to him in Ernst’s eyes. This too-small body of Ernst’s wasn’t able to match up, and it was all too easy for those other people to leave Ernst in the dust.

Taking Ganche with them.

He kissed under Ganche’s ear with his tongue. Then his throat, and the point of his chin. He kissed Ganche’s cheeks, and from a close distance, he peered into Ganche’s copper eyes.

As Ganche gazed back into Ernst’s blue eyes, he returned Ernst’s kisses, deeply pulling him in with his mouth.

Tasting Ganche’s thick, hot tongue, Ernst closed his eyes, peace of mind finally settling over him.

One of Ganche’s muscular arms embraced Ernst as the two of them kissed each other, their breaths mingling into one. Then a loud noise interrupted them, breaking their romantic spell.

Ernst instinctively glared daggers over at the door. Seeing that, Ganche stifled a smile and softly lowered Ernst onto the floor.

The noise sounded once more. Ernst let out a sigh, and turning to the door, he called out:

“Come in.”

Captain Targes entered the room. His eyes held a strange laughter. He had probably been able to figure out why Ernst had changed his mind and expressly added that he wasn’t in a hurry to see him.

It was so that he could have a moment to enjoy some time with Ganche.

“Now then, I’ll take my leave.”

Ganche said this to Ernst and Targes before exiting the room.