CHAPTER 71: FAMINE IN DERGON

Yesterday, Gideon had sent summons letters to the village chiefs of Dergon and Algus. But until evening, not a single one of them came.

Today, envoys from Dergon Village had arrived asking for Gideon’s help.

What Noelle said the other day turned out to be true. The problem striking Dergon was famine.

Gideon did not know how severe their famine was. But by looking at Nath’s thin body and her pale, once-beautiful face, Gideon could imagine how bad it really was.

"Welcome to my manor. Let’s talk inside."

Gideon invited the three of them in. They got off their horses and followed him. Nath froze for a moment, staring to the side, watching the long line of villagers at a clinic.

The door to the manor opened, and Nath, curious, immediately asked about what she had seen.

"What are they standing in line for? Is there a disease outbreak here?" Nath asked.

"Just routine health checks for the villagers. Better to prevent than to cure."

"You’ve heard of that before, haven’t you?" Gideon asked, glancing at her.

"What’s the point of curing if they’re not sick?" Nath asked.

It seemed she did not know the saying. Never mind.

He and the three guests arrived in the lounge. Gideon asked the maids, who had been on standby ever since he came in, to prepare food for them, from light snacks to a full meal. He knew how hungry and exhausted they must be.

Gideon sat down, Nath with her two companions also sat. He began to ask some basic questions about Dergon, such as the villagers’ livelihoods and the reason behind the famine.

Some maids came in bringing food: snacks, cereal, and several kinds of dishes. Nath’s eyes widened. This was the first time she had ever seen real food served in front of her.

Meanwhile, back in her village they only ate spoiled and soggy food every day, just enough to keep their stomachs from being empty.

Gideon noticed Nath’s reaction, her longing for the food before her. He told her not to hesitate and eat, Nath showed her hunger as she devoured the food without restraint.

The maids who saw it thought of a wild beast being fed, disgust and sadness clear on their faces.

Gideon turned around and waved his hand to the side, signaling the maids to leave. He did not want Nath and her companions to feel intimidated.

"We’ll talk while eating, to save time," Gideon said as he poured wine for Nath.

Nath cleared her throat, her cheeks puffed with delicious food. For a moment, Gideon could see her eyes glisten, as if she felt joy and luck that she could still taste real food again.

They drank between bites, then answered Gideon’s questions. He realized how busy they were eating, so he only asked simple questions that could be answered with a nod or a shake of the head.

A nod for yes, a shake for no.

"Is the famine because the villagers were greedy?" Gideon asked. Nath shook her head.

"Is the famine because of disease?" Gideon asked. Nath fell silent, thinking, then nodded slowly.

"Is the famine because of crop failure?" Gideon asked. Nath immediately gave a firm nod.

Disease and crop failure. There was a chance their irrigation water was contaminated. Nature would not do that on its own, there were only two possibilities.

"Is trash scattered everywhere?" Gideon asked. Nath nodded.

"Is there a big shop that pollutes the river?"

Nath paused, still chewing, her focus fixed on Gideon. She nodded. There was a big shop that employed many villagers, but ever since it began operating, one by one the farmlands had failed.

Industrial and household waste. It seemed they had poisoned the river by dumping it all there.

The waste affected public health. Many became sick and lost their appetite, and it was made worse because the river water could no longer irrigate their farmland. It was truly a complex problem.

Still, Gideon had to go there himself and see the situation up close. Just then Viviene came down from the second floor to get some snacks in the kitchen, and Gideon spotted her.

"Viviene."

Viviene was surprised, quickly walking over to Gideon while abandoning her plan for snacks. She stood gracefully beside him, catching the attention of Nath’s two companions, who were stunned by her beauty.

"Do you know anything about the big shop in Dergon Village?"

"Big shop? Are you talking about the cloth factory?" Viviene asked.

"Yes. Do you know about it?"

"The owner is a businessman named Hector. He was Nozel’s friend. With Nozel’s power at that time, Hector was allowed to build the factory there," Viviene explained.

"I didn’t know that factory was actually causing problems."

Gideon had identified the root of the problem, corruption and broken bureaucracy. Nozel had ignored the villagers’ health for profit. The money Hector must have given Nozel all this time had to be huge.

But Hector was not lucky. The position of Baron had already changed from Nozel to Gideon. Gideon did not know Hector, and he would not hesitate to shut down the factory if it violated regulations.

"Are you planning to do something about it?" Viviene asked.

"Yes. The factory is bringing problems to the village, not the factory itself or its workers, but its waste."

"It’s true the factory has provided jobs, but they forgot, or maybe never knew, how to dispose of their waste properly," Gideon explained.

Viviene looked forward, watching Nath, who was still busy with the food before her. For a moment, Viviene felt Nath seemed familiar, as if she had met her before.

Yes! Viviene remembered. She had once received guests from Dergon about a failed harvest. Jacques had come with Nath. She recognized her.

"You are Jacques’ daughter, aren’t you?" Viviene asked. Nath nodded.

"Ah, yes, I remember you."

"Do you need me to help you with this case, Lord Gideon?" Viviene asked.

Gideon shook his head. Viviene already had enough tasks, and he didn’t want to burden her further. He and his team would handle this problem using the modern methods they knew.

What mattered most was stopping the factory from dumping waste recklessly and educating the villagers to switch to healthy water sources, like wells, for example.

Viviene nodded. She wanted to help Gideon directly in the field, to see how he acted. But she knew she already had much work. She could not help him much in this case.

Nath finished her meal, and Viviene went back upstairs. Now Gideon and Nath could talk calmly, with her stomach full, hopefully she would not get sleepy.

"Do you have a solution for our problem?" Nath asked.

Gideon stayed quiet, his hand holding his chin as he thought hard. To solve their issue, he and his team had to go there. But Lena and the others were busy with their current duties.

The patient line stretched long, and it could grow even more if the medical treatments succeeded. Luke and Lyra had to make sure the well digging went smoothly, which was why they could not just leave.

Solving the problems in Dergon Village seemed to require more help than Gideon had first imagined.

"I will try to find the best solution soon. For now, I will send plenty of food supplies so the villagers can survive and get proper nutrition," Gideon replied.

"When my team is ready, I will go there and settle the problems in Dergon."

"You’re not lying, are you?" Nath asked.

Gideon shook his head. He had no intention of disappointing them. He only needed to wait for the right time to address Dergon’s problems.

"Alright. I’ll keep your words, Lord Gideon."