Chapter 24 – Chapter 2: Patrol – 1
The work proceeded immediately.
As soon as Lord Kinthorpe’s instructions were given, a large warehouse opened.
Inside the warehouse, there was a lot of firewood that the residents of Taildon had carefully saved to survive this winter.
Servants brought donkeys and carts and piled up firewood one by one.
The five completed carts were dragged up the mountain.
“Oh my god.”
“Oh my god-! Look what Ritz brought!”
When we returned to the village, the elders cheered.
When I told him that I had gone to the village below to get firewood, he hugged me and cried, saying, ‘As expected, Ritz is the only one!’
The supplies were unloaded into the empty warehouse, and the cart was returned to Taildon.
This somehow allowed me to take a breather.
It was a heavy burden on my shoulders, but it still felt good to see that people liked it.
Uncle Marvin asked.
“Who will manage the warehouse now?”
The position of warehouse manager that Ruyev was in charge of must be refilled.
Everyone in the village looked at me. As if waiting for the village chief’s decision.
Ah, now… I have taken charge of this village. That’s what I think.
I opened my mouth heavily.
“Everyone. I hope you give Tia a chance to make up for it.”
“No way…”
“Yes. If she’s that guy, I’m sure she can do a good job.”
The villagers exchanged glances while whispering to each other.
But no one objected.
The serious task of managing the village’s precious supplies.
If Tia can do what Ruev was able to do because she has received strong trust, the elders will definitely look upon her favorably.
At the same time, I was confident.
I’m sure Tia will do well. Because he’s smart.
After finishing work, I went back to the pharmacy.
There was no Tia.
I couldn’t help but be surprised when I opened the barn without thinking.
Very neat. Everything is the same.
It was really spotless.
Okay. It was just a matter of giving it some time.
Why did he speak so harshly to Tia?
I’m almost ashamed of myself.
“Ha…”
I slowly sat down on the chair.
I got firewood, and I can make medicine again.
Maybe I can take a breather with this.
The moment when her tense body relaxes, and she tilts her neck back.
“Ugh.”
Suddenly a bitter taste rose up her throat.
“Cold, cold… !”
When she spit out the accumulated phlegm, bright red blood dripped down.
“Ha-. Ha-. Damn it!”
It doesn’t make sense.
Is this what happens if you don’t eat for just one day?
I immediately got up from my seat and looked through the bookshelf.
Neck and chest pain.
I searched for a treatment that was effective for vomiting blood, but I couldn’t find it in any book.
That can’t be possible. I remember seeing it before, was it a mistake?
First, I quickly ground it into powder with the remaining medicinal ingredients and tried it.
However, like Tia’s recovery medicine, the effect did not appear immediately.
“Knock-knock-!”
Instead, the coughing only got worse.
As I was leaving the pharmacy to get some rest, I ran into Tia who was coming up the hill.
“… Ritz? Oh! There’s blood on my hands… Are you coughing again?”
“Don’t mind. You just need to get some rest. Rather, Tia, please take care of the warehouse management from now on.”
“Warehouse management? That’s Luev…”
“It’s not there anymore. I told people you were going to do it. Cough! Cough! If you don’t know something, ask the elders.”
“That… “Did Ritz decide?”
“Yes.”
Tia asked in an incomprehensible tone.
“Why do I have to do that?”
“You can do well.”
“I am… “You haven’t said anything yet?”
I was starting to get a little annoyed.
Of course, it was a decision I made on my own without asking for Tia’s opinion.
He was the only one who could do this anyway.
Right now, Tia is doing nothing for the village.
“Tia. Then what are you going to do?”
“… Huh?”
“What are you doing now? “Why did you come to the pharmacy?”
“Recovery medicine to give to Ritz…”
“I told you I would do that!”
Tia’s eyes widened.
Why are you so ignorant of my feelings?
Please be mindful of that level.
You don’t have to work hard, so just pretend to help the villagers.
“Cold, cold…”
I came to the table with the lord of Taildon while vomiting blood.
What have you been doing all this time?
If you don’t want to do even this, what on earth do you want to do?
“Tia. We’re not kids anymore. Now… “I’m an adult.”
The time we spent dreaming carelessly and without thinking is gone.
Maybe we won’t be able to go down to the village below and eat ginger biscuits together, have a secret snack party late at night, leisurely read a book, or climb a mountain holding hands.
It will only remain as a good memory from childhood.
Because I have become an adult.
“You can do it, right? “I’m giving you the job because I trust you’ll do a good job.”
“… Huh. I will do it.”
“From now on, if your aunts ask for help, please go with them. You will be able to learn a lot.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Ritz…”
Tia lowered her head, turned around, and went down the hill.
The guy is getting further and further away.
She let out the cough she had been holding in.
“Cough! Cough! Wow.”
There was a fishy taste in my mouth.
* * *
The next night.
“Cough! Kellogg! Cough!”
The cough got worse.
I opened every book I could find and tried medicine that seemed to help, but there was no sign of improvement.
She managed to calm her breathing and headed to Uncle Marvin’s house.
“Hey, Ritz. Is this really okay?”
“Yes. “Keuhum!”
“It doesn’t look okay. Don’t overexert yourself and just go in and rest.”
“No. “This is not a big deal, so don’t worry about it.”
I wiped my mouth with my sleeve.
Uncle Marvin looked at me with a worried expression, then sighed.
Kirik.
The uncle took something from her cupboard.
It is a lamp.
She took an ember from the furnace and put it in it,
Grumbling-!
As the fire bloomed brightly, the surroundings became brighter in an instant.
The man handed me a lantern.
“Now, let’s slowly walk around the village holding this lantern. If it’s cold, Merid’s house has a fireplace, so I warm up there once in a while.”
“Yes.”
“If something happens, just blow this horn as hard as you can to wake people up. Never try to do anything alone. Of course, don’t even go near the forest. “Understand, right?”
“Yes. Collock.”
“Then, please stay overnight, Ritz.”
I held the lamp firmly. It’s heavier than I thought.
This is the fire that has been responsible for the nights of this village so far.
Even in the worn-out handle, you can feel the maintenance of the adults who have protected the village.
A ‘man’ who was not baptized could not keep watch.
Watching the night alone when everyone else is asleep is a sacred duty given only to members of the village.
But tonight, I decided to stay alert.
I was going to hold a baptism ceremony soon anyway, so I thought I would first formally report that I am a member of the village and the village chief, and learn about bad things in advance.
The elders highly praised my will.
Everyone returned home with Uncle Marvin as the last one.
Then, cold air descends along with silence.
If it’s small, it’s small, if it’s wide, it’s wide.
I became alone.
“Whoa…”
It’s cold.
It’s a shame I brought Marie’s scarf with me.
If it weren’t for this, even her mouth would have frozen.
“Hmm. Let’s go.”
Patrol began.
Quiet. I couldn’t hear anything.
Every time I take a step, the only sound is the clatter of a sword hanging on my belt.
Relying on the pale light and weak heat of the lantern, the darkness of the outskirts was illuminated.
When I looked at the dark forest, it felt a little eerie, but it was quite bearable as I walked around with the comfort of knowing that people’s houses were closer.
The scenery of the village at night was very unfamiliar.
There was no movement or sound, so it felt as if everyone had disappeared in an instant.
I stare blankly at that and then pick up the pace again.
About the time I came down the field, past Aunt Sherry’s, and down the hill again.
Tia’s house is visible.
Of course, the patrol route included this large house.
I naturally walked closer to Tia’s house.
I lowered the cover to block the light from the lamp for a moment, then walked over to the window and looked inside.
It’s dark, and you can’t see anything.
Tia is probably fast asleep by now.
“…”
But it’s strangely ‘too’ quiet.
I made some footsteps on purpose while coming here.
Tia, who is a light sleeper, doesn’t react at all.
I opened the lamp cover and illuminated the inside of the window.
I was worried that Tia would wake up if such a dazzling light came in, but that was unfounded.
“… Huh?”
The bed was empty.
Tia, who should have been lying there covered with a blanket, was nowhere to be seen.
The angle of the lamp was turned to illuminate the house in detail.
Same thing. Tia was nowhere to be seen.
However, seeing that the closet was open, it seemed like I had gotten ready for bed a little while ago.
I went back there to see if it was in the backyard, but it wasn’t there.
The door to the basement warehouse is also closed. It didn’t seem like he went down there.
“Where did it go?”
I looked around Tia’s house.
It’s dark.
This guy suddenly disappears without a word.
She is not feeling well.
Should I blow my horn and wake people up?
… No.
If you call the villagers, they’ll think Tia had an accident again.
There was a high possibility that she would never get over it this time.
Even for him. I couldn’t do that.
Hwieeeeeing-.
While looking at the dry forest blowing in the wind.
Suddenly, a memory hit me in the back of the head.
… No way.
She lifted her lantern high towards the stream.
I saw an unnatural bush that looked as if it had been forced open.
She put her foot in it, and a small path appeared.
Hold a lamp to a bare tree.
There were rough knife marks on the trunk.
About the size of a span.
This is the mark Tia left every time she passed the first path in the forest.
I had a strong intuition.
I followed the trail, guided by the sign.
It was an unusual road that went around the village in a very large way.
It was hidden by a dense pine forest, so it could never be found with the naked eye.
If I hadn’t found Tia’s mark, I wouldn’t have even known about the existence of this road.
Sabak. Sabak.
It continues to go down.
It was hard to follow because I couldn’t see my feet clearly, but I could feel that I had come quite far.
When you can’t even hear the sound of a babbling stream.
“Ha-. Ha-. Cough!”
I saw a two-story house beneath my feet.
It’s as expected.
It was Uncle Posao’s general store.
This secret passage was a road that led directly from Tia’s house to the general store.
“…”
And… The shadow of the curtain is reflected in the second floor window.
Why is Uncle Posao still awake?
I immediately covered the lamp.
I made as little noise as I could and slowly went down the slope.
As soon as I set foot in the garden, I walked quietly until I reached the front gate.
There is no sound yet.
I carefully pushed the door and entered.
Kkeikik-.
My heart is pounding.
I feel like I have become a thief.
An unpleasant smell stings my nose.
Every time I take a breath, the discomfort rises.
Still, she kept going in.
With a nervousness that makes my skin tremble, I take one step at a time.
Be careful not to make any footsteps.
I reached the stairs on the second floor.
Soon, a faint noise began to be heard.
Geek… Geek…
It felt like the second floor was being pressed and then stretched.
An irregular yet regular noise is heard.
I held my breath and stepped on the stairs.
Geek… Geek…
Each time you go up one space.
The sound is heard more clearly.
Sweat flowing down the back of my head and soaking my spine.
“Whoa, whoa…” …”
I can also hear Uncle Posao’s breathing sound.
When I was halfway up the stairs.
I could see light coming through the gap in the door on the second floor.
“Huh-. Ah… Ahhh-!”
A strange man’s voice that you can’t tell if it’s a moan of pleasure or a groan of pain.
Now… One thing has become clear.
This is by no means an ordinary situation.
