Side Story: Esparda at Home

THE LIGHT OF THE SUN BEGAN TO SHINE THROUGH the room’s window, and the birds outside chirped proactively at one another. It was time to get up and prepare.

I folded my high-quality fur bedding, which would not have been out of place in the royal palace, tidied up, and then opened the closet and pulled out my clothes. My sleepwear was loose, comfortable attire that Lord Van had thought up, but my standard work clothing had not a single wrinkle when I wore it. It fit my body precisely.

Since coming to Seatoh Village, my living situation had improved considerably. The constant sense of urgency was gone, replaced by new things happening daily. We were constantly in the process of changing and developing both the village and town, which was certainly part of it, but the biggest element was how quickly both places were developing.

When new residents arrived, they required lodging and daily necessities, and if we did not have enough work for them, we had to make adjustments. The people of Seatoh Village foresaw this and made the necessary preparations as the village was expanded, so there was minimal chaos. But even then, the population was increasing at an unanticipated speed.

I thought we still had time to deal with this, but it looks like I will have to speed up the plan.

I cast my gaze out the window. Reflected in it was an old butler. Somehow, without noticing, I had reached the verge of turning sixty. I did not know how many years I had left in this world, but I knew I had to aid Lord Van however I could while I was still able.

Lord Van absorbed knowledge at a shocking rate and even knew things of

which I had no awareness. He was also able to put that knowledge to practical use. Child prodigy. These words were whispered in the marquis’ house, but I believed them to be true. It was certainly true that nobody like Lord Van existed among the people I knew. But babies who learned how to walk quickly stumbled just as often.

Lord Van quickly absorbed all sorts of information and put it to practical use in his territory. As a lord, his ability to take initiative recommended him, as did the kindness and warmth he showed his citizens. However, he ignored the way the kingdom worked, its culture, and its rules for how nobility should act. For a normal person, it was reasonable to think that all that mattered was whether a way of doing things produced positive results, but this approach ignored the needless friction it could create.

Lord Van was young, so it made sense that he did not lend much thought to such annoyances. Of course, if I mentioned it to him, he would undoubtedly understand, and he would be considerate of my opinions on the matter. However, should something happen to me, he might lack such consideration for noblemen and noblewomen who stuck rigidly to conventions and history of the land.

As an older man, it was my responsibility to pass my experience on to the younger generation. I still had much to teach him. First, I must keep a careful eye on the town and village while he is gone.

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door and the voice of a woman speaking from beyond it. “Good morning, Lord Esparda. We have visitors…”

“Good morning. Please wait a moment.”

I double-checked that my attire was in order. There were no problems, so I opened the door and exited into the hall. One of the maids who worked here at the manor was waiting for me. She was a former noble who had been sold into slavery. Despite her terrible misfortune, she had grown much happier since coming to Seatoh Village.

The current head maid, Till, was a cheerful girl, but she lacked discretion at times, and she frequently broke furnishings and daily necessities. Till also made mistakes managing food, sometimes even forgetting to make orders. Nonetheless, the maids respected her a great deal. I warned her many times not to cause trouble for Lord Van, but she showed no signs of improving.

Till was a handful. Still, it was thanks to her that the other maids had their acts together.

“Who are these visitors?” I asked.

“They’re representatives for a group of people who wish to move from Marquis Fertio’s territory to Seatoh Village. It seemed urgent, as they were the victims of bandits. I currently have them waiting in the village square under the supervision of the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order.”

“Understood. They must have traveled a long way, so please prepare food and drinks for them. However, we still do not know if they have any ulterior motives, so please do not offer them sustenance until after we have confirmed they are not dangerous.”

“I understand.” Her face tightened. She was born into nobility; she likely caught my implication.

It was common for spies from all sorts of places to present themselves before noblemen and noblewomen who were on the rise. They could hail from neighboring territories, the royal family, or sometimes even other countries, and they could also infiltrate as merchants, adventurers, or mercenaries. To prevent such a thing from occurring, we had to ask all newcomers where they came from and why. Right now, since Lord Van was a new baron, both he and Seatoh Village were receiving a great deal of attention.

I narrowed my eyes and looked down at the maid. “Shall we? This is an excellent opportunity for you to observe how to process and question immigration candidates.”

The girl nodded studiously. “Y-yessir!”

The corner of my lips rose into a smile at her earnest response. We got moving, marching toward the village square. In my work as a butler, I could not afford to let any problems arise here in the village. On my pride, I would not let outsiders from another nation, royalty, or noble family worm their way into this village.

In the village square I found a few dozen men and women, all clad in tattered clothes and looking awfully thin. Their feet were covered in dirt, their eyes sunken. The oldest looked to be in their fifties and the youngest in their thirties. They looked miserable, and I could see that even the knights watching them with their swords drawn were not sure how to handle the situation. Many in the order had once lived under similar conditions; I was certain they wanted to feed them as soon as possible.

We had to do this the right way, however. Anyone who was on the verge of death would receive treatment first, but for now, they were all looking at me and waiting in silence. In that case, I should proceed with the questioning.

“Is this everyone?”

One of the members of the order turned to me. “Sir! We have the rest of them waiting outside the wall. Approximately two hundred individuals!”

I looked back at the men and women in front of me. It was possible that among the larger group were individuals paid to acquire information on Seatoh Village, but the dozens before me just then did not appear to be spies.

“Then I will ask you all a few simple questions. Please answer truthfully,” I said. Then I questioned each of them individually.

“I understand.”

The process took time because I was screening them one by one. Spies often panicked in these scenarios because there was no way for them to know how others answered their questions. Nobody I questioned showed any such panic; they acted naturally.

Someone who had gone through significant training might have been able to act their way through the interview, but I sensed no such ulterior motives among the people I interviewed. I checked with each of them, and they confirmed everyone seeking entrance to Seatoh Village was a known face, even those outside. In other words, everybody was from the same village. If that was the case, any spies would stand out immediately.

All we had to do now was prevent them from leaving the village for the first few months. If any of these villagers were hired to spy on us, they would begin to panic if they couldn’t move freely. We would be able to draw out any spies without actually investigating each person.

“Now then, I would like to formally issue licenses to you all to move here. We have paperwork to do, so please bring the people waiting outside. Once we confirm that everyone is present, we will offer food and drink. Is that understood?”

The dozens of villagers before me nodded seriously, stood up, and then ran out the front gates. Not long thereafter, more than two hundred individuals gathered in the village square, surrounded by the Chivalric Order. Everyone looked exhausted, in no condition to be scheming.

First, we needed to feed them. “I am sure some of them have not eaten in quite some time,” I said to some residents of Seatoh Village. “Please offer them soup and soft bread, food that won’t hurt their stomachs. Also make sure to tell them to drink their water slowly.”

The villagers assisting me nodded and began to move. Almost everyone who lived here came from somewhere else initially, so they understood well both the sadness that came from leaving the place you were born and the physical toll of moving from one place to another. This sympathy and consideration led to the weary travelers looking less concerned and more relieved as they ate.

Among them were many middle-aged men who, perhaps finally allowing relief to wash over them, began to cry. Some of the Seatoh Village residents and even order members cried in sympathy as well.

“You can take your time, okay? You’re safe now.”

“Hey now, stop crying. C’mon, have some water and feel better.”

“Are you all okay? If anyone needs medical treatment, please let me know. We’ll fix you right up.”

The villagers showered the travelers with their kindness, and people of all ages continued to cry. Even I found myself ready to let my guard down, but I knew I had to harden my heart. It was precisely because of how much they had suffered that the residents of Seatoh Village were so kind and gentle. However, from another angle, you could also say that made them easy to fool. If someone with ill intentions infiltrated our village, they could easily bring it to its knees. This would enable them to steal not only valuable ore, monster hides, claws, and other resources, but also our important weapons, like the ballistae and machine bows.

If a resident of Seatoh Village ever lost their life due to one of the weapons he made, Lord Van would be devastated. I needed to stay sharp so that never happened.

I was Baron Van Nei Fertio’s head butler, after all.