SML Ch 57

Chapter 57

‘Is it just my imagination?’

Reynald glanced at Alex, faintly sensing an ominous premonition. If there was any consolation, it was that Alex did not immediately lash out in anger and pick a fight as he once had in the past. He merely walked in silence, his face a shade paler than usual.

“Alex, are you feeling unwell?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I’m just a little tired. A good night’s sleep and I’ll be fine.”

The young man forced an awkward smile as he said this. His expression suggested he was hiding something, yet his demeanor toward Reynald remained full of gratitude and goodwill. That only made it harder for Reynald to press him for details.

Why did this youth keep glaring at the princes with such displeasure? He seemed to think he was concealing it well, but being so young, he couldn’t completely mask his discomfort.

“You must be exhausted after running around all day, huh? Hold on a bit—I’ll figure something out!”

“Ah, yes. Thank you….”

But Serna was young as well, and thus the youngest prince didn’t seem to notice Alex’s unease either. No matter how perceptive he usually was about others’ feelings, it was natural that he might miss subtle signs of resentment from someone he wasn’t particularly close to—especially when that person was exhausted.

Above all…

‘He probably never imagined Alex would be annoyed when he offered help. Normally, people wouldn’t expect that.’

Unless the proposal itself was made out of malice, why would Alex be upset about someone offering to help? Truth be told, Reynald himself didn’t quite understand why Alex seemed so irritable.

They weren’t asking to use the fief’s resources—merely magical items brought from the royal castle. The villagers wouldn’t suffer any losses. There might be some trial and error, sure, but ultimately it could save them the time and stamina they spent running around all day.

‘I don’t get it. There must be a reason for his displeasure….’

Logically, Reynald could not guess what it might be. Perhaps Alex himself knew there was no sound justification for his feelings—hence why he wasn’t voicing them outright. Even if he felt unsettled, what good would it do to express it when he lacked a legitimate reason?

‘I’ll just have to keep a close eye on things. It’d be bad if this turned into a fight.’

If Alex ended up clashing with him, Reynald could handle it. But if the youth quarreled with a prince, that would be a major problem. Reynald sincerely hoped he could uncover the root of the issue before any conflict surfaced.

The gloomy-faced young man said nothing further, trudging in silence toward the castle.

“I see… So in the capital, this is resolved quite easily, then….”

After everyone had washed away their sweat and returned to their rooms, Reynald summoned Heide to brief him on the day’s events. More than anything else, Heide seemed fixated on the matter of the Crystal Clockwork Birds, muttering in shock.

“If a mage who knows the proper procedure casts a spell every year, they can alter the birds’ flight path entirely. Of course, if the mage doesn’t know the specific magic for rerouting the birds, summoning them would be pointless… Not to mention, that spell is intermediate-level at the very least.”

“A mage capable of something that useful would never come to a remote place like ours. Not even third-rate mages set foot in this backwater….”

Even so, hearing this explanation left Heide deflated. He continued to give a hollow laugh, looking as though he’d been struck by how something they considered such a grave problem was, in truth, nothing at all.

Observing this reaction, Reynald’s mind snagged on a thought, and he asked,

“Come to think of it, I heard Alex was usually the one handling the task of driving those birds away?”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct. As you’ve experienced yourself today, my lord, it’s a job that consumes an immense amount of stamina. And Alex—well, he’s big and strong, isn’t he? So the villagers rely on him a great deal.”

“I see.”

“Whether or not the birds are repelled properly can determine the success or failure of the year’s harvest. It’s that important. I’d gladly help too, but as you can see, with my leg like this…. Back before I was injured, I used to help shake the bells at least.”

Reynald tilted his head slightly, feeling as though he might finally understand Alex’s irritability.

This was a familiar dilemma for any seasoned commander of a subjugation force: The mission is accomplished, no one technically did anything wrong, and yet, as a result, the local community ends up worse off.

“Heide.”

“Yes?”

“If the birds’ route is altered and there’s no longer a need to repel them… would there be other work suited to Alex?”

“…Hmm?”

Heide let out a vague, noncommittal noise, practically a groan, but Reynald immediately grasped the meaning.

“Well… what could there be? Maybe gathering fruit from the northern Swine Forest…?”

“That’s not happening this year. After all that ruckus with the princes, the creatures there would attack viciously even if approached by accident.”

“Or perhaps helping with the fields? Though Alex is, uh… not particularly skilled at that sort of thing. No one can be good at everything, after all.”

“What about work around the castle?”

“Honestly, I manage the castle on my own somehow. Though with the princes and knights here now, the workload has increased… Having extra hands for menial tasks would certainly help.”

But menial work was just that—menial. It wasn’t a role as vital as protecting the fields, a task that determined whether a year’s harvest would succeed or fail. No wonder Alex seemed reluctant.

Where there are monsters, there are people who make their living hunting them. In lands too barren for farming alone to sustain life, this is even more common. While subjugation forces were deployed because monsters generally outmatched local hunters, if the monsters were eradicated entirely, those hunters would be forced to abandon their trade and find new work. That transition was far from easy.

In some cases, hunters deprived of prey turned to hunting people instead—becoming bandits. This was precisely why Reynald made an effort to provide financial support to regions where he’d been deployed. Money bought time: time for people to retrain, to settle into new livelihoods.

He sincerely hoped Alex, who had given his all these past years, wouldn’t end up tormented over something like this. While Reynald mulled this over with a troubled look, Heide offered him a wry smile.

“You don’t need to worry too much, my lord. Alex isn’t incompetent, and our village is always short-handed. There’ll always be work for him.”

“In that case, I suppose that’s a relief.”

“If the princes really do come up with a magical solution, Alex will probably be the happiest of us all. He knows firsthand how grueling this work is. Sure, he might feel hollow about it for a while, but I doubt he’d be crushed over it.”

Reynald nodded, understanding. The years of hardship might feel wasted at first, but in the long run, this would be better for Alex as well.

“Thank you. Hearing that eases my mind considerably.”

“I’m glad. Alex is deeper than he seems—there won’t be any serious problems.”

“Let’s hope so. Ah, speaking of which… May I ask one more question?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Is Alex shy about physical contact? When I wiped away his sweat earlier, he looked terribly flustered and didn’t know what to do.”

“That’s news to me. Could he be unwell?”

“Perhaps. He has been overexerting himself lately—best make sure he eats well.”

With that, the conversation ended. Reynald returned to his quarters feeling lighter, silently hoping matters would resolve in a way that honored both Serna’s good intentions and Alex’s anxieties.

From the next day onward, Serna began accompanying the team to drive away the Crystal Clockwork Birds, armed with all manner of magical tools he had packed. Serna’s eyes brimmed with curiosity at the magical creatures he had never seen before, while Arun, for different reasons, joined in to assist Reynald. Since the birds weren’t particularly dangerous, Reynald saw no reason to stop them.

At first, things were rather chaotic. Prince Serna knew how to use magical tools, but he was no true mage; and the birds, having adapted after yesterday’s encounter, were not so easily fooled. Frankly, there were times when his experiments proved more hindrance than help, prompting the field owners and assisting youths to cast him somewhat reluctant glances.

Surprisingly, Alex’s demeanor was different. He was kinder to Serna than to any of the other youths. Even when Serna’s experiments got in the way, Alex never once snapped at him; he simply helped him up with courteous patience.

‘He doesn’t seem troubled like on the first day. I guess a good night’s rest helped him clear his head?’

Reynald was relieved by this change. Whether Serna’s attempts would succeed or fail remained to be seen, but Reynald wished for both youths to get along without major incident. At heart, they were both bright, good-natured individuals—he hoped they wouldn’t clash and hurt each other needlessly.

But, as life often proves, things rarely unfold as one hopes.