“It’s, it’s almost done….”
The problem was the brazier. The brazier with its embers completely extinguished needed new firewood.
“There should be firewood in the storage!”
Since they were currently at Ronan’s house, Ronan readily decided to use his own house’s firewood. Anya grabbed Ronan, who was about to go outside. Having courageously come to help, he didn’t want to use their precious resources.
“Ronan, you s-said you were sh-short on firewood.”
“A few pieces are fine.”
Ronan shrugged his shoulders. Then Joel shouted from across the room.
“You idiot! Will that be enough to light the fire? It’d be better to bring some from our house.”
“Your house absolutely needs the brazier because of Ellin. What if the firewood runs short during this snowstorm and Ellin’s condition gets worse?”
Joel immediately shut his mouth, stung by Ronan’s words. Then I’ll bring some from our house. From ours too! Soon young voices clamoring here and there filled the old house.
“St-stop, stop.”
Anya, who had grown up as the youngest in the imperial palace from the moment he was born, had always wondered what it would be like to have younger siblings. Listening to the children’s chatter at this moment, Anya thought. Perhaps it would feel like this. The boy quickly tore the hem of his robe straight down with a knife. The little ones gasped in surprise.
“L-let’s try burning th-this for now.”
Since the robe was thick wool material, it would last longer than other cloth. Anya threw it into the brazier without hesitation. The remaining embers clung to the cloth and soon flames rose up. He immediately hung the pot over it and carefully sprinkled the herb Ronan had finely ground. Throughout the cooking, Anya tore and added his robe several times.
A rather decent food smell began to warmly fill the house. The little ones clapped and rejoiced. In a good mood, Anya gathered a small amount of magic. After several days of practice, he could feel warm energy at his fingertips. Anya, who instantly created light, placed his hand on the completely extinguished lamp. He didn’t think it would work, but… surprisingly, a droplet of light clung to the lamp’s wick and crackled as it burned, creating a bright light.
Anya sniffled and let out a small exclamation at what he’d done. It was the same for the other little ones. They rejoiced at the wondrous magic and eventually even jumped up and down.
“Mistress, what is all this!”
People who had come inside after smelling the food drifting through the window cracks stood at the doorway with utterly astonished faces.
“No… how… there’s fire in the brazier… well, it is needed to cook.”
Someone muttered blankly.
“Look over there. The lamp is lit too.”
They had surprised faces at the interior that had become much more like a person’s home. Though their attitude wasn’t entirely joyful. In a situation where they needed to conserve, precious firewood and oil had been used, so though they couldn’t say it, their mouths went completely dry. Since snowstorms became more frequent and longer with each passing year, they had to tighten their belts as much as possible to endure.
“Ronan!”
Ronan’s birth mother, Raelli, just shouted her troublemaker son’s name for no reason. Ronan couldn’t stand the itching in his mouth any longer and finally spoke aloud.
“The Master is a mage! And this precious fire wasn’t made from firewood but by burning the mistress’s precious robe!”
At that sound, everyone made sounds similar to sighs while looking at Anya. The young mistress who hadn’t yet completely shed her boyishness stood at a distance in an awkward posture. People’s gazes gradually descended. The hem of the expensive robe the high-status boy wore was cut to shreds.
Raelli was the first to present Anya with a blanket crudely made from animal hides. With a deeply moved face, she seated Anya at the head of the table. They stubbornly refused, saying they would eat after Anya finished his meal first, but eventually they all ended up sitting around the table together.
“We are truly ashamed to host the great master of Tildyen at such a humble meal.”
The innkeeper, who had been constantly mindful of the lord couple, bowed his head first with a somewhat fearful look. The others kept silent. This was because all the noble lords who had come to Northernmost as commanders until now had unanimously not hidden their raw criticism, calling life here a ‘barn where beasts live.’ They brought dozens of servants from their own territories and repaired the best houses available. All the materials used to repair those houses had to be voluntarily (actually forcibly) offered by the Northernmost residents.
“I-I’m fine.”
Anya, who couldn’t dream of such circumstances, was flustered by their sudden gloom.
*’Did they figure out I’m a prince… By the way, I heard Rips Mohan was from this village too.’*
Anya hoped they would never know his bloodline was Claicer. The boy deliberately raised the corners of his mouth as if nothing was wrong.
“P-please eat. N-not all the repairs are f-finished yet. You n-need to eat and gain str-strength.”
After Anya held the old spoon in his hand and ate a spoonful of stew, it didn’t have the savory flavor of what he ate at Tildyen Rock and had a strong sour vegetable taste, but it was reasonably edible. Someone sniffled and made crying sounds. We’re saved now. Northernmost is saved. The stew that a ruler cooked for the ruled for the first time in Northernmost history spread warmly in their hearts more than ever before.
“Thank you for the meal!”
The children clasped their hands neatly, closed their eyes, and offered a prayer. It was a prayer of gratitude to the First Goddess before meals. Anya had never offered prayers, but he clasped his hands following the children. The Northernmost people seemed to believe in the First Goddess. Was there a temple here? Now that the empire’s history had exceeded several thousand years, believing in gods was closer to symbolism than religious meaning.
“Does it suit your taste?”
Joel asked with great tension. Anya put the chunks from the stew in his mouth and chewed. The plain vegetables were very delicious. He quenched his thirst with warm goat’s milk. It was savory.
At the satisfaction blooming on Anya’s face, people finally hastily shoved stew into their mouths without exception.
Though they received wages for working at the wall late into the night, it wasn’t enough to live abundantly. Since Northernmost didn’t have a developed market, they received supplies from merchant guild associations that came in spring, but with the difficult transport costs added, a sack of wheat cost 1.5 to 2 times more than in other cities.
“It’s the first time in my life.”
One woman who had quickly scraped her stew bowl clean to the bottom muttered in a tearful voice.
“I prayed to God every day. When my husband was dragged to the wall, when I belatedly learned I was pregnant with this child.”
She embraced her daughter in her arms.
“Even when my husband was growing cold beyond the wall… I prayed without missing a single day.”
She stood up and bowed toward Anya.
“Thank you. We will never forget the grace of caring for us lowly people.”
The rest also stood up in a group and bowed. The little ones also bowed following their mothers in clumsy postures. They firmly believed that sending Duke and Duchess Evernight to Tildyen was precisely God’s response to their long-held wishes.
“Ah….”
Tears welled up in Anya’s brown eyes. The boy thought every single day that he was probably the most pathetic and worthless being in this world. Books said that all people were precious beings who lived carrying their own calling. But no matter how much he tried to believe that, he couldn’t completely believe that fact whenever he clutched his stomach that hurt from being too hungry every night, whenever his siblings hung him on a tree and beat him. I’m someone who deserves to die. That fact was always positioned in one corner of Anya’s heart.
“Thanks to the wages Duke Evernight gave, everyone was able to live without starving to death. Moreover, thanks to installing the magical devices that block the troublesome snowstorm, we can now stretch our legs and sleep comfortably.”
Raelli spoke with emotion while kissing her precious son Ronan’s head. Joel shouted triumphantly from the side.
“I heard they’ll select personnel to manage the wall once it’s completed. Ronan and I will build our strength until then and apply.”
Strong will and trust shone in their eyes. Anya sniffled.
At first, he had clearly pitied their lives. Felt sorry for them. But they seemed to shine more than anyone.
Naive and cheap pity….
Was this what Evernight was pointing out? His petty pity for simply trying to help one-dimensionally with the difficulties they faced. What kind of feelings did he harbor toward these people who lived most diligently, satisfied with their work, silently going about their lives?
The stew going down his throat was delicious but at the same time heavy.
No, Duke Evernight. What I felt toward them wasn’t naive pity but precisely a sense of kinship.
“Mage, mage. Will you come back to the wall after the snowstorm ends?”
The little ones asked while seeing him off. Evernight told him not to go anywhere near the wall, so next time… he wasn’t sure. Anya stroked Ronan’s head.
“I’ll come.”
Tonight, something he wanted to say to Evernight came up. Though they lay with their backs to each other every night without saying anything, today he must look straight into his eyes and definitely tell him.
It’s not cheap pity, it’s sincere. I’m a person of Tildyen now too.
