"Why are we going to the Pumpkin Farm at this time?" Helag asked, puzzled.
The autumn harvest was over, and there was nothing left at the Pumpkin Farm. It had no strategic value, and no one would bother causing trouble there.
Seeing Emil's awkward expression, Helag suddenly understood. "Alright, I'll go with you. But have you really thought this through?"
He had already noticed that Emil and Melissa were genuinely in love.
Emil's trip to the Pumpkin Farm was likely an attempt to avoid Melissa until she got married.
Emil playfully smacked Helag's head. "Kids shouldn't meddle in adult affairs!"
Helag could see Emil was in a hurry, so he quickly packed and left with him.
***
At the castle gate, two horses were ready, loaded with various supplies for the winter.
Helag glanced at Emil, noticing he looked weary, probably from a sleepless night.
"Emil!" Melissa's voice called from a distance. Helag turned to see her running towards them.
"Let's go!" Emil urged, mounting his horse and galloping away.
Helag, not wanting to get involved in noble affairs, quickly followed Emil.
As they crossed the river, Helag looked back to see Melissa kneeling at the castle gate, seemingly in tears.
The autumn forest had changed, with red leaves covering the mountains and fallen leaves carpeting the path, crunching under the horses' hooves.
Emil was silent, lost in thought, while Helag enjoyed the outing.
Despite his young age, Helag's experience from two lifetimes made him more mature than Emil. He knew that time would heal all wounds.
With no urgent mission, they took their time.
They even stopped at the cave where they had fought before. Emil poured two cups of wine on the ground, performed a knight's salute, and left silently.
Seven days later, they arrived at the Pumpkin Farm.
The farm was at the foot of the Emerald Mountains. After descending the mountain path and passing through the forest, they reached a wide plain.
The plain was dotted with fields of varying sizes, usually planted with wheat, pumpkins, and other crops.
With the harvest over, most fields were bare.
In the center of the Pumpkin Farm was a large courtyard, its walls made of thick stone, serving as a defensive structure.
"This is to guard against wild animals and occasional enemy raids," Emil explained.
The farm's gate was a heavy iron door. Emil knocked lightly.
After a while, footsteps approached, and a hoarse voice asked, "Who is it?"
"Captain of the castle guard, Emil, here to garrison," Emil replied.
"Who?" The old man inside seemed hard of hearing.
Emil raised his voice and repeated himself.
This time, the old man seemed to understand. The sound of a key turning in the lock followed.
Creak…
The gate slowly opened with a grating noise. An old man in a bulky cotton coat stood behind it.
His skin was dry and wrinkled like tree bark, and his eyes were cloudy.
"Are you Massimo? I'm Emil. Here's my badge," Emil said, handing over his knight captain's badge.
Massimo took the badge, felt it with his hands, and returned it without looking. "Come in."
"He's the farm's sole guardian, and he's been here for forty years," Emil explained.
"Forty years…" Helag was amazed at the old man's longevity.
"Remember, don't leave your room at night, no matter what you hear. There are demons in the mountains. In past winters, guards stationed here disappeared by morning. Be careful," Massimo warned as he led them inside.
"Demons? Do they really exist?" Helag asked.
Massimo ignored him.
Emil explained, "Guards were indeed stationed here in past winters, but they all disappeared. So, we stopped sending guards."
"Then why are we here?" Helag asked, feeling tricked.
Emil laughed, "Demons are just rumors. There are many wild animals in the mountains during winter, making it risky to go out at night. But are we afraid of wild animals?"
Helag agreed. Ordinary wild animals would be nothing more than snacks. But he couldn't dismiss the possibility of something strange, given this world's differences from his previous life.
The farm had a dozen buildings, large and small. The larger ones were storage rooms for grain and supplies and the smaller ones were living quarters.
Massimo lived in a small house at the farm's northern end, while Emil and Helag stayed in a three-story building in the center.
The house was messy, but they tidied it up, making it somewhat livable.
The house had a cellar. Emil opened the wooden cover, lowered an oil lamp, and descended when the lamp stayed lit.
The cellar contained sacks of flour and several large barrels.
Emil, delighted, picked up a barrel and sniffed. "This is good wine!"
They brought a barrel upstairs and poured fresh red wine into two cups, and the rich aroma filled the room.
"Cheers!" Emil said with a smile.
"Cheers!"
After the long journey, they were both tired and welcomed the wine.
With their knightly constitutions, they couldn't get drunk easily. With no one else around, Helag boldly asked, "Are you sure you won't regret hiding here?"
Emil sighed, "I already regret it, but some things are more important than my feelings."
"The baron's marriage alliance is to protect the entire territory. If my actions jeopardize it, I'll endanger the territory and the baron," he explained.
Helag was puzzled. "Protect the entire territory? Beharad can't do that."
Beharad was too poor to threaten Dur Valley.
Emil looked at Helag and said, "Do you know why the baron has controlled Dur Valley for so long? It's not because of the number of guards. It's because he's a great knight. There are few great knights in the Norton Kingdom."
"A great knight's power is a deterrent. No one dares to invade because a great knight can destroy entire families alone."
"Does that mean the baron…" Helag speculated. If Baron Buck was dying, Dur Valley would become a tempting target for everyone.
TL/n -
You can read up to Chapter 20 for free on p@treon.com/inkbound
(replace @ = a)
"Don't overthink it. The baron is in good health, nothing serious," Emil said, noticing Helag's worried expression.
"Then why?" Helag asked.
"Rumor has it that Simon from Beharad has contacted a mysterious wizard," Emil said gravely.
"A wizard? Do they really exist?" Helag's interest was piqued.
"I haven't seen one myself, but they likely exist. Otherwise, the baron wouldn't be so eager to seek help," Emil explained.
He took a sip of wine and continued, "The baron and Simon's families are mortal enemies, a feud that can never be resolved. Recently, Simon's youngest son died in a horse race, and he went mad, convinced it was the baron's doing."
"The baron is a great knight, and ordinary people can't deal with him. Simon must have realized this and sought out a wizard, though who knows what price he paid."
"Upon learning this through an informant, the baron arranged the marriage alliance with the Duke of Tulip. With the duke's influence, the wizard likely won't target the baron."
"As long as the baron is around, the territory's people will be safe."
"So, how could I be with Melissa? The baron said we weren't suitable. This marriage must succeed, and I came here to avoid affecting it."
"Do you know why I brought you here?" Emil asked, seemingly drunk and talking to himself.
"Because if I didn't, the baron might have eliminated you. You overheard my conversation with Melissa at the training ground. The baron is ruthless and would remove anyone who might jeopardize the marriage. Coming to the Pumpkin Farm with me is the safest option."
"I see," Helag said, surprised by the revelation.
"Does Melissa know all this?" Helag asked.
Emil shook his head. "She doesn't know, but she might find out someday."
"When's the wedding?"
Emil downed his drink. "In a month. The baron will send Melissa to Limru Province for the wedding."
According to local customs, since Baron Buck's status was lower, he had to escort the bride to the groom's home for the wedding. On the wedding day, a banquet would be held at the castle to thank their friends and family.
They drank late into the night as a fierce wind howled outside, making the door rattle.
"Is that the wind… or someone crying?" Emil suddenly put down his cup.
Helag laughed, "You must be drunk. The wind sounds like that."
"No, listen carefully," Emil said seriously.
Seeing Emil's seriousness, Helag began to listen intently.
"Woo… woo… ah…"
Helag took a deep breath, realizing he indeed heard someone crying.
"Massimo warned us not to leave our rooms at night, no matter what we hear. It seems there's something strange here. The missing guards probably didn't encounter wild animals," Emil said, his face grim.
"There's definitely something odd. We shouldn't act rashly. Massimo has been here for years without incident, so staying inside should be safe," Helag reasoned.
"Tomorrow, we'll investigate the area," Emil decided, planning to look into the matter during the day.
Helag returned to his room, feeling drowsy from the wine.
The wind continued to howl, mingled with the sound of crying, but as Massimo had said, nothing happened as long as they stayed inside.
The next morning, Helag and Emil were safe and sound.
The weather was beautiful, and Massimo lay on a chair, basking in the sun, looking relaxed.
"Massimo, did you hear any crying last night?" Emil asked the old man who had been there for forty years.
"What?" Massimo didn't hear clearly.
Emil moved closer and repeated the question.
"Crying? Do you mean the wind? I heard it when I was young, but after my ears got damaged, I haven't heard it since. Now I'm old and can barely hear you, let alone the wind," Massimo replied.
Helag smiled and gestured for Emil to check outside.
The Pumpkin Farm was surrounded by mountains, making it hard to pinpoint the direction of the crying. They decided to explore and look for anything unusual.
Helag rode across the plain, feeling a sense of freedom as he gazed at the distant snowy mountains.
"Let's check the north first," Emil said, consulting the map.
The north was a snowy mountain range with a deep lake at its base.
"This lake is strange. It only has water in winter; it's dry the rest of the year," Emil explained by the lake.
"That's odd," Helag said, staring at the calm surface, seeing nothing unusual.
He crouched by the lake, feeling something strange.
"Feeling dizzy?" He realized that staring at the lake bottom made him slightly dizzy.
"This lake is peculiar."
He leaned closer, sensing something in the lake.
A pale face floated on the surface, gender indistinguishable, with hollow eyes.
[Warning! Warning!]
[Unknown radiation detected! Effects unknown!]
"Helag! Wake up!"
Helag realized he had fallen asleep somehow. Emil shook him awake, looking serious.
"What happened?" Helag asked, confused.
"You fainted by the lake. I called you for a long time before you woke up," Emil explained.
"Fainted?" Helag had no memory of it. "I saw a face in the lake, like someone who had been submerged for a long time…"
Emil didn't doubt him but cautiously pulled Helag away. "I looked at the lake bottom too but saw nothing unusual. But your fainting means something's wrong. I couldn't see anything, but my instincts tell me this place is dangerous. Let's go and never come back."
Emil had no desire to investigate further. His curiosity was tempered by his rationality, avoiding anything beyond his capabilities.
"Unknown radiation…" Helag pondered the information from Deep Blue, wondering what it meant.
[Detected radiation energy compatible with body. Stored internally. Usage unknown, insufficient data.]
[Mental strength increased by 0.3]
Helag was intrigued. It was the first time he had seen his mental strength change.
So far, food and training have only increased strength, agility, and constitution. Mental strength had never changed.
He had never met anyone with high mental strength. Even Baron Buck, a great knight, only had 3.
"Check body data."
[
Helag Merlin: Strength 2.0, Agility 1.6, Constitution 2.2, Spirit 1.5.
]
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