SML Ch 3

Chapter 3

An hour later, Reynald finally arrived at the castle within the fief. Built in the middle of the vast wasteland, the castle boasted a relatively sturdy exterior. Well, if one hoped to survive in a land teeming with monsters, the castle would have to be solid. Reynald nodded in modest satisfaction.

Once there, Reynald boldly knocked on the castle gate. With the horse’s reins in his right hand and a rope in his left, he waited for a while until the large wooden doors creaked open and a boy peeked out.

Upon seeing what lay behind Reynald, the boy’s mouth fell open in shock. Of course he’d be surprised — five burly men the size of houses were sprawled on the ground, tied up with a single rope. Wearing a nonchalant expression, Reynald handed over the reins.

“U-uh…?”

“Take this horse to the stable. It’s probably starving after such a long run, so feed it plenty.”

“Wh-who… who are you…?”

“I’m the new lord.”

The boy glanced back and forth between the reins and Reynald, uncertain of what to do. In the end, he grabbed the reins and rushed inside in a panic. Reynald smiled in satisfaction, thinking that at least the boy was more receptive than the patrol brats had been — at least until he heard the boy yelling loud enough to shake the castle.

“Mister Heide! Mister Heide! Some lunatic tied up the patrol guys and dragged them here, saying he’s the lord!”

That rude little brat! Then again, to a kid, the people he knows from his own village would obviously seem more trustworthy than some random middle-aged stranger. When the young men tied up on the ground started snickering, Reynald didn’t hesitate to kick one of them hard in the gut. Their laughter died out with a chorus of groaning coughs.

Letting out a deep sigh, Reynald finally stepped through the castle gates. The young men, too beaten to stand, were dragged along in a line, still bound by the same rope. Even while dragging five grown men behind him, Reynald grumbled to himself, certain they had no sense of respect for their elders.

However, the moment he stepped into the castle courtyard, he tilted his head at the unexpected sight. He couldn’t deny it was practical… but wasn’t a garden supposed to have ornamental trees or grass? Why were there sprouts that looked like garlic and onions growing right in the middle?

“Wait, really? The new lord actually showed up?!”

“You knew this was happening?”

“Well, we were informed, but… come on! What kind of lord would come to a place like this?! Of course I figured he turned back halfway! Just like all the others did!”

While Reynald was inspecting the garden plants, a man with messy blond hair came rushing out from inside the building. The boy who had taken Reynald’s reins still hadn’t made it to the stables and was fumbling around aimlessly.

Frowning, Reynald gave the boy a sharp look, and the man, apparently quick to read the mood, gave the boy a shove. Reluctantly, the boy began leading the horse toward the stable.

As the man slowly approached him, Reynald untied the rope binding the patrol youths. They rolled on the ground, groaning in pain, and the man looked at them with a baffled expression. When Reynald cleared his throat, the man spoke with an awkward look.

“Um, so… you’re the new lord of this fief, sir?”

“That’s right. And you are?”

“My name is Heide. I’m in charge of managing this castle — it’s not much, but I do what I can. Um… did those young men perhaps insult you in some way…?”

“Not quite. Just a bit of a misunderstanding, that’s all. It seems they’ve been without a lord for so long they forgot how to act. But honestly, how can such young men be so weak? Letting an older man like me handle them so easily — that’s disgraceful.”

Heide looked as if he wanted to say that beating up five young men by yourself was the more unreasonable part, but in the end, he just averted his eyes awkwardly.

Still, Reynald felt relieved to finally meet someone who could hold a proper conversation. Heide, it seemed, had been managing this lordless castle for quite some time. He looked to be only in his mid-thirties, but at least compared to the patrol brats or that boy, he seemed far more dependable.

“Is there a room prepared for me? I’m not expecting a grand welcome in such a modest place, but surely there’s at least somewhere for me to rest in my own castle?”

“Ah, well… please wait just a moment, my lord. We’ll begin cleaning the lord’s quarters right away. I’m terribly sorry…”

Heide bowed deeply, flustered, and Reynald sighed. Clearly, Heide hadn’t truly believed the new lord would ever arrive. And honestly, what sane lord would willingly remain in a fief crawling with wyverns? That would be the normal reaction. In that sense, Reynald was the strange one.

To be fair, Reynald should have turned back as well. The moment he saw how infested the land was with monsters, the logical response would’ve been to storm back to the capital and throttle the king. But Reynald’s years of experience hunting monsters across the country had become his downfall. Trusting his instinct that “this much is manageable,” he had forged ahead, and somehow, he’d actually made it here.

He seriously considered leaving even now. There was still time to undo all of this. He could cite the patrolmen’s rudeness and the unprepared state of the lord’s quarters as reasons for offense, then simply mount his horse and return to the capital.

Of course, the king probably wouldn’t let him go that easily. But it still seemed preferable to being stuck in this mess of a fief. Reynald firmly believed he deserved far better treatment.

But—

“It’s getting dark.”

“We’ll have your quarters cleaned before bedtime, my lord! A-and we’ll prepare dinner as well!”

Reynald clicked his tongue in irritation. The sun had already started to set. This was a place where dozens of wyverns roamed in broad daylight. If he left the castle at night, he’d surely be surrounded by monsters in no time.

At the very least, he’d have to stay the night. Reynald made up his mind — just for one night. At first light tomorrow, he’d leave this fief behind.

Heide bustled around calling people together. But despite all his effort, the results were underwhelming. The villagers weren’t exactly cooperative.

Every time Heide shouted that the new lord had arrived and that they needed to clean his quarters, people stared at him like he was insane. That’s when Reynald finally realized: the patrol youths weren’t especially rude. The people here all treated the idea of a lord like some mythical creature.

“So, he’s… what? The lord?”

“I’m telling you, he is! Have I ever spoken nonsense before? Just go clean the damn quarters! You’ve got nothing else to do anyway!”

“Well, if you say so, I guess I believe you… but really? A lord? In this dump?”

Most of the responses were lukewarm at best, but Heide was persistent. He chased people down to recruit help cleaning the lord’s quarters and asked passing women to help prepare dinner.

After observing all this closely, Reynald came to two conclusions. First: Heide was actually quite well-trusted by the people here. Second…

“Whew, they’ll be cleaning your quarters now. Shall I give you a tour of the castle in the meantime, my lord?”

“I’d appreciate that. But first, let me ask something.”

“Yes, my lord? Please ask anything.”

“Those people — they’re not castle servants, are they? They’re fief residents?”

Heide flinched, staring at Reynald in surprise. Judging by his role, Heide must’ve been acting as a steward of sorts. But even if there hadn’t been a lord for ages, regular servants wouldn’t speak to a steward so casually.

People treated Heide like one of their own. More importantly, Reynald had another reason for his suspicions—

There’s no way a lordless castle would keep this many servants. This is practically a squatter’s den.

Outside the castle, there hadn’t been a single living soul. But inside, it was packed with people. Every step Reynald took down the corridor, he passed two or three individuals.

It wasn’t hard to piece together what had happened. Life outside was too dangerous, so many had migrated into the vacant castle for safety.

“Yes, that’s correct. Um… well, since it’s winter…”

“Monsters are more active during winter. I understand.”

“Thank you for understanding. Truly, living outside the castle is extremely dangerous. There’s no telling when monsters might attack.”

“Then, how many people are staying in the castle right now? Are all the fief’s residents living here?”

“Yes. Thankfully, the castle is large enough to accommodate everyone. At the moment, around two hundred people are living inside.”

“Hard to say whether it’s fortunate that the castle is big, or that the population is small. Where is everyone staying? Guest rooms alone wouldn’t suffice.”

“Most of them are in guest rooms or servant quarters, but due to the limited space, some have pitched makeshift tents at the ends of corridors. At least, no one is occupying your lordship’s quarters.”

Reynald gave a wry smile. He was relieved he wouldn’t have to kick anyone out just to secure his own room. But Heide seemed to misread the expression slightly.

“Um, my lord…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Just for the winter… please don’t drive the residents out of the castle.”

Heide’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke, his face clouded with visible worry.