Hell Mode: Volume 1, page 24
I’d been trying to decide between joining the boar hunts and staying home to hunt albaherons, but now the answer is as clear as day.
“Father.”
“Hm? What’s the matter, Allen?”
“Please let me be the feudal lord’s guide.”
“What?!”
“I’ve got to tell him how hard you and everyone else in the hunting party are working!” Allen beamed brightly. If I can convince the feudal lord of the enormity of what father’s done so far, he just might make him a commoner.
Deboji’s face lit up. “Ohhh! You’re interested, boy?!”
Rodin looked surprised but did not express his opposition. Neither did Gerda. By now, they both had faith that Allen actually could accomplish what he said he could do.
“So, what’re we gonna do now?” Gerda asked, moving the conversation along.
“Mr. Deboji, is the equipment I asked for done yet?”
“Mm-hm, they’re in my warehouse. You want to see them now?”
“Yes, please. I want to go over how they’re meant to be used and how it would affect the way the hunts go.”
Allen had decided to dedicate himself to the great boar hunts. With the feudal lord coming soon next month, it was time to kick things up a notch.
Chapter 12: The Feudal Lord’s Visit
It was now mid-October. Allen had turned eight.
The feudal lord would be arriving that day. Allen would have to serve him during the feast that evening, as well as accompany him the following day so as to explain everything happening during the great boar hunt. If the lord had any questions, it would be Allen’s job to answer them.
And so Allen got up bright and early and, after grooming himself, headed for the village chief’s house. Neither Rodin nor Gerda was with him, as he was the only one granted permission to see the feudal lord.
Allen arrived before 9 a.m., then went into sleep mode—literally, in his case. A little before noon, a commoner working at the house woke him up and told him to take a bath to wash himself up.
A bath! I think this will be my first proper bath in this world. The most I’ve done is take a dip in a pool of well water.
A few times by this point, especially on the hottest days in summer, Allen had drawn a large tub of water and gotten in naked. Because he was a serf, he had no access to soap, and had just wiped himself down with a hemp cloth.
Now, Allen sighed with satisfaction as he lowered himself into the heated water. He soaked inside for a bit, then scrubbed his body thoroughly before the water cooled off.
After his bath, Allen received a fresh set of clothes. The outfit was made of material noticeably nicer than what even commoners normally wore.
Then Allen was made to wait another three hours. This time he was to stay awake and on standby, just in case.
C’mon, what’s the point of making me wait around for this long?
Nearly an hour had passed since Allen heard the 3 p.m. bell ring. Only then did the feudal lord’s procession finally arrive at the village, sending everyone inside the house into a frenzy of activity. By the time the feudal lord reached the house, he and his party found a feast waiting for them to enjoy by themselves. Deboji, as the representative of the village, was the only person to join them at the table.
Allen had questioned Deboji about the feudal lord beforehand. The lord lived in Granvelle City, the capital of this fiefdom, which was a five days’ journey from the village. The current head of House Granvelle, Baron Granvelle, was who Allen would be serving. As he had been on the road for the past five days, he was sure to be quite spent.
While Allen was busy mentally reviewing everything he had learned, before he knew it, it became time for him to make his appearance. The spacious kitchen in the village chief’s house was currently a war zone, with five or six women all rushing about, cooking their own dishes simultaneously. They then artfully plated the dishes one after the other in quick succession.
Deboji stood before the door leading into the dining hall, looking quite nervous. The feudal lord was already seated and waiting inside. Deboji told Allen to follow him closely, took a deep breath, then walked in and gave his greetings.
“Please allow me to extend my warmest welcome on behalf of Krena Village,” Deboji said to the lord’s party before continuing in a voice loud enough to be heard through the door, “Bring in the food.”
Allen began bringing the dishes over to the lone table within the large hall.
The person all the way in the back should be the feudal lord.
The man sitting in the seat furthest from the door—in other words, the seat of honor—had pale purple hair and eyes that looked as sharp as a hawk’s. His features, which gave him the appearance of a man in his mid-forties, conveyed his no-nonsense personality.
Allen wordlessly carried the dish to the feudal lord’s seat, doing his utmost not to stare. After the lord, he then served everyone else. The kitchen staff had placed all their finished plates on a table near the dining hall entrance, sparing Allen the trouble of returning all the way to the kitchen. As such, he only had to go back and forth between the entrance and the dining table. For some reason, only he had been entrusted with the full service during the meal, while the other servants remained entirely hands-off.
So, I have to bring the feudal lord his plate first, then to the five others here, including Deboji. Hm? There’s a child at the table. Is she the baron’s daughter?
Allen carried the food over to each person in turn. First the feudal lord, then the butler-like man with white hair and a mustache next to him, then the knight captain and vice-captain whom he recognized from when they visited the village to meet Krena. Sitting on the other side of the feudal lord was a young girl who also had pale purple hair. She appeared to be around Allen’s age.
The girl also seemed curious about seeing a boy her own age in attendance. She kept shooting glances at Allen.
“Deboji, you have done well in expanding this village,” the baron said to the village chief.
“Th-Thank you, milord.”
“It has been fifteen years since the Land Reclamation Decree was issued, and there are no other fiefdoms which have been as successful as ours. Deboji, you are the one who has brought the villagers together and directed them through all the development thus far. I say this once again: you have done well.”
“Land Reclamation Decree”? What’s that?
Allen kept his ears perked as the feudal lord praised the village chief. After all, there was no telling when he might pick up on information that might affect how tomorrow’s great boar hunt would proceed.
Deboji bobbed his head in deference. “I did it for your and the people’s sake, milord.” His appetizer lay almost entirely untouched. Granted, eating was the last thing on the chief’s mind at the moment.
“I do apologize about the matter of the great boar meat. It was an order from His Majesty, after all.”
Hold on, the king of this country is the one telling us to hunt more great boars? The scale of this conversation suddenly blew up.
Because the topic of the conversation had now turned toward the great boar hunts, Allen started paying even more attention. He had to continue serving all the while, which kept him very busy indeed.
“H-His Majesty’s order?!”
“Indeed. To be more exact, it was Lord Carnel who instigated it. That reprobate was the one who broached the topic of the great boar hunts during a royal audience. Thanks to that big mouth of his...” Lord Granvelle seemed to quiver with anger at the memory. His glare sharpened and his attitude underwent such a sudden change that it left Deboji in a cold sweat.
Without even looking at the baron, the butler-like person, who appeared to be around sixty years old, interjected, “Master, you are frightening the good village chief. As long as the quota of twenty beasts is achieved, your reputation will surely improve once again.”
“Hm? Ah, yes. Apologies, Village Chief Deboji. Put simply, mention of the hunts reached His Majesty’s ear, and thus he ordered the number of hunts be increased.”
“Of course, milord.”
As the feudal lord revealed the circumstances behind his quota for twenty great boars—sharing only information that was absolutely necessary—it became time to bring in the main course, a meat dish. Allen laid the plates before each person at the table in turn.
After taking a bite, the feudal lord’s eyes widened. “Mm?! What is this meat? It is delicious!”
“It really is!” agreed his daughter, equally impressed.
“What sort of meat is this, Village Chief Deboji?” the feudal lord asked again.
“What? It’s, uh...”
When Deboji faltered, struggling for words to answer the sudden question, Allen sidled close to the table. “Kindly allow me the honor of answering, my lord. This is albaheron meat. The beast was caught yesterday and presented to the village chief to serve to Your Lordship. The cuts being served are of the breast, thigh, and liver. Herbs have been used in abundance to impart flavor.”
“Mm? Is that so...”
All eyes turned to look at Allen. Those at the table had all been curious this whole time about the child with very unusual black hair and eyes who was waiting on them. Allen, who noticed the gazes, bobbed his head briefly in acknowledgment before continuing to retrieve the dirty plates. Although there were only six people seated, he was the only person serving. Therefore he needed to move quickly at all times. He briskly made the trip back and forth between the table and the room’s entrance multiple times.
“What a well-raised son you have, Deboji. I have never heard you mention him before.”
“Huh? Oh no, milord. This child is not mine,” Deboji replied in a fluster. “He’s the son of a man named Rodin.”
“Rodin?”
The knight captain, who had shared the table with Allen at the feast two years ago, started. “Ah yes, I remember him now! My lord, this boy is the son of one of the two men who spearhead the great boar hunts.”
The feudal lord turned toward Allen. “You are Boar Hunter Rodin’s son?”
“Yes, my lord. I am Allen, son of Rodin. I have also been granted the honor of accompanying Your Lordship on tomorrow’s hunt.”
“Deboji, is Rodin a former noble? His son seems very well-mannered.”
“N-No, milord. Rodin’s line has always been serfs. I knew Rodin’s father personally.”
That moment, the girl who Allen thought was the feudal lord’s daughter exclaimed, “Huh?! There’s a serf in this room with us?!” Her head whipped around to stare at Allen, her charming face scrunched up in disgust.
“Wh—?!” The feudal lord turned to rebuke her. “Cecil! Serfs are important denizens of our realm too! Do not ever say anything of that nature again!”
“I-I’m very sorry, father...” the girl apologized, tears in her eyes. However, she then immediately turned to shoot Allen a dirty look, as if she was blaming him for her getting scolded. Her eyes, which were slanted rather like a hawk’s—a feature she had clearly inherited from her father—and crimson in color, overflowed with emotion.
Allen averted his gaze on purpose. Why’s she glaring at me like that? What’d I even do?
“So then, Allen,” Lord Granvelle said, picking the conversation up where he had left off. “You said you will be the one accompanying me on tomorrow’s hunt?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Make sure to properly explain what the hunters are doing at the time.”
“Of course, my lord.”
“And Zenof, make sure to listen closely to his account.”
“Yes, Your Lordship!”
Oh, the knight captain’s name is Zenof? Wait, why is he supposed to listen to me? What’s going on?
Seeing the questioning look on Allen’s face, Zenof said, “Son of Rodin, understand that the quota of twenty boars is a royal decree. In other words, it must be achieved at all costs.”
“Yes, sir.” Allen turned toward the knight captain and bowed his head to indicate that he was listening. He’s going to explain things to me?
“After we observe tomorrow’s hunt, if we determine that it would be difficult for this village’s hunting party to meet the quota without aid, we knights will join in as well.”
Wait, so they’re not here just to observe?
The reason why the feudal lord had come to the village was finally made clear. Although Krena Village had indeed successfully met the quota of fifteen boars last year, there was no guarantee they could reach twenty this year. The feudal lord had grown concerned and therefore brought his knights to the village to help out if necessary. It was all to ensure that the royal decree from the king was properly carried out.
“Thank you for the kind explanation, milord.” Deboji bowed in thanks, a look of understanding on his face.
“My lord,” Allen said, drawing the feudal lord’s attention back to himself.
“What is it? Do not worry. If you explain things well, my knights will take care of everything else. You may rest assured.”
“I’m sorry, my lord. That’s not it. All I wanted to say is, twenty is nothing.”
Deboji choked on his saliva as the feudal lord and knight captain both widened their eyes in surprise.
“Tomorrow, Krena Village will show you, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that we can definitely fulfill the quota of twenty great boars when we all work together.”
Allen spoke clearly and firmly, lowering his head as all six pairs of eyes focused on him. There was no hesitation whatsoever in his demeanor. He sounded so sure of himself that everyone found their breath taken away.
＊ ＊ ＊
After the dinner was over, Allen stayed the night in the village chief’s house. The next morning, everyone sprang into action at 6 a.m. As Allen had not brought any luggage with him, he was ready to go at any time. All he did was tie his wooden sword to his waist the way he always did.
Eventually, together with the feudal lord, the knight captain, and the knight vice-captain, he left Deboji’s house. The feudal lord’s daughter stayed behind at the house with the butler-like man—who turned out to be, in fact, a butler. Allen recalled him being referred to as “Sebas” during the previous night’s meal.
Wow, the village square’s been converted into a camping ground.
The open area in the center of town was now filled with knights’ tents. They had set up camp in case they would indeed have to take part in the great boar hunts and would therefore need to remain in this village for a while. And without quarters or anywhere else to stay, naturally they needed to erect their own tents.
The knights had finished their preparations by the time the feudal lord and his group reached them. Instead of riding their horses, they were to march on foot behind the feudal lord.
Oh hey, I see Dogora!
Allen spotted his friend peering at the knights from a distance away with sparkling eyes. There were twenty knights this time, twice the number that came to see Krena years ago.
Soon enough, the procession reached the village gate where a group of forty commoners and serfs were standing in wait. This was the hunting party, including everyone who had participated in the previous years’ hunts plus a few newcomers.
“They’re wearing armor!” the knight captain exclaimed as he noticed what half the men had on.
Allen nodded. “Yes, sir. That is leather armor created from great boar hide. We have not been able to outfit everyone as of yet, so we prioritized those who needed it most.”
“What do you mean by ‘need it most’?”
“It would be easier to explain at the hunt itself, sir.”
A look of understanding dawned on the feudal lord’s face. “So this was the reason behind Deboji’s petition.”
Last year, the feudal lord had received the report that this hunting party had successfully brought down eighteen great boars. However, Deboji had, on their behalf, requested permission to keep everything other than the meat for eight of the eighteen carcasses. This, too, had been Allen’s suggestion.
Because the feudal lord wanted meat, they would send the meat. However, Allen’s idea was to use the skin, bones, tusks, and horns of eight great boars as an investment to improve the quality of future hunts. Of course, Allen had gone to Rodin and Gerda first, and it was the two of them who had approached Deboji.
The feudal lord had accepted their petition, especially in light of how the group had surpassed the quota of fifteen boars. He had agreed, on the condition that they successfully manage to hunt twenty this year.
“Yes, my lord,” Allen replied. “The materials we saved went toward preparations that will ensure we can fulfill the quota of twenty great boars this year.”
“Impressive.”
“Of course, it was my father, Rodin’s idea,” Allen added. His aim today was to hype up Rodin as much as possible, emphasizing the enormity of his contributions in the hope of convincing the feudal lord to grant his entire family commoner status. As such, Allen was crediting Rodin with all the ideas he himself had come up with. After all, his ideas would sound more credible coming from an adult than a child anyway.
As everyone was now gathered, they all began making their way toward the hunting grounds. The serfs and commoners walked ahead with the knights taking up the rear. There were only two men on horseback—the knight captain, who ordered Allen to join him in the saddle, and the feudal lord, who had foregone the comfort of the carriage that he had ridden to Krena Village in.
Three hours later, the group arrived at the usual hunting grounds. There was a strange new structure there now. It was a two-meter-tall platform made of wood that was large enough for ten people to stand on.
“Mm? What is that?” the feudal lord asked.
“This was created to make your viewing easier, my lord. If you would please climb to the top.”
The lord nodded, then climbed up the ladder on the back of the structure. He took one of the seats that had been installed at the top. Allen and Zenof also climbed up after him. The vice-captain remained on the ground, coordinating with the other knights to surround the structure as protection of their lord.
