Translator: Willia

Roy felt as though he had entered the castle of a noble. It was as if he had passed through the world of darkness and finally arrived in the world of light.

That made him wonder if he was even allowed to be here, and he felt needlessly a little uncomfortable. That sentiment was shared by everyone, regardless of whether they were adults or children.

"Uh, but I think the adults and children should be separated for now."

Kaspar, who had been leading the immigrants, said this.

"The cattle need to be dealt with too. There’s no barn here, you know? Whose cattle are they?"

Julia also spoke with a slightly troubled expression.

Because the immigrants had all been living together under randomly pitched tents outside until now, they didn’t know what to do in a proper lodging facility.

"The cattle belong to us, but......"

Rena, the eldest of the four siblings, answered hesitantly.

"We can’t sell them right away, right?"

"We’ve got a long journey ahead and need to load our luggage, so I don’t think that’s an option. For now, let’s just tie them next to the lodging."

"Hmm, should we do that?"

Kaspar and Julia exchanged words with each other. But there was still another issue left.

"Our family can’t be separated. We’ve never done that before."

Hartmann’s wife, Elia, said. Kaspar thought for a moment as if troubled, then replied.

"There are quite a few people right now, so I’m not sure. I think it would be better for the children to stay in the apprentice lodging? Because, how should I put it, there’s a daily schedule and all, and having the whole family around might be a bit of a disturbance. The adults should stay inside the fortress, and the kids might be better off at the lodging......"

Since both the inner fortress and the lodging were within the castle, they weren’t that far apart.

After thinking for a moment, Hartmann replied.

"Alright. As long as you guarantee that I can see my son and daughter anytime, I will agree."

"There’s nothing to guarantee. You really can see them anytime."

Come to think of it, it wasn’t like they were being separated forever, and they only needed to stay like that while they were here, so Elia couldn’t stubbornly insist either. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel★fire.net

It was just that, having always kept her son and daughter close in her arms, she felt a bit uneasy about it.

"The facilities are better in the trainee building, but the atmosphere there is pretty intense. Competition is starting in earnest, so the kids are a bit sensitive. So it’d be better to stay in the apprentice building."

Julia said this while looking at the children. But really, what would be good or bad for the kids? They just had to do what they were told.

In the end, Hartmann, Julia, Bremen, and Blatter stayed in the inner fortress, and the children were to stay in the apprentice lodging.

Though it was just the next building over, and not worth making a fuss about, their steps were slow to part as they gradually grew distant. Elia kept looking back, and Roy and Beka also turned to look behind them.

The four siblings who had lost their parents just followed along blankly, and Bremen consoled Hartmann and Elia, saying it would be alright.

The lodging building had formerly been used as barracks, and each room housed four people.

Kaspar took the four siblings and Roy and Beka into the lodging and spoke to the apprentice on duty.

"Hey, got any empty spots?"

"Sorry?"

"These kids are going to be staying here from now on, so I’m asking if you’ve got room."

"Uh...... yes, just a moment. Oh, but are the girls staying together with them?"

"Of course not. The girls go to the girls' lodging."

"Then we’ll need two spots. Just a moment."

The duty apprentice checked something like a chalkboard attached to the wall. It was used to keep various daily records using chalk made from lime and charcoal.

"There are spots, but none that are next to each other. Here and here."

They were rooms far apart. But it wasn’t the time to be picky about this or that, so Kaspar took the youngest of the four siblings and Roy and left.

"You two wait here for a bit. I’ll take these two and come back."

Kaspar said to the girls.

Caught off guard by being separated, Roy suddenly seemed to feel the reality of it and called out to his sister.

"Noo, sis."

"Don’t be scared. You need to behave."

And so, the two boys were separated from their sisters.

Roy entered the room that Kaspar had guided him to. With Kaspar gone and himself left standing alone in a four-person room, he felt for the first time what it was like to be separated from his family and truly alone.

He could still hear the sound of people shouting training commands somewhere. Curious, he approached the window, and there in the backyard, he saw people training earnestly with swords. They looked to be around his age or slightly older.

Everyone was serious. Despite the cool weather, their clothes were soaked with sweat. The swordsmanship instructor teaching them kept a stern expression with blade-like eyes.

Watching them, Roy strangely felt encouraged. Those kids were probably also living away from their families.

As he watched, almost entranced, time slipped by without him noticing. When the training session ended and the instructor left, most of the trainees sat down on the spot, exhausted.

Some wiped their sweat and went off somewhere, and soon the outer hallway grew noisy. Then, some apprentices entered the room Roy was in. Their eyes met.

The apprentices glanced briefly at Roy, then didn’t say a word to him and only chatted among themselves and took care of their own tasks.

"Is this soap?"

"Yeah, I snuck it from the city during the last festival."

"You didn’t buy it?"

"Hey, why would I spend money on something this expensive?"

"The problem’s not the price, this is the kind of thing girls use. You girly bastard."

"Then I won’t lend it to you."

"Being a girly bastard might not be so bad."

"Crazy bastard."

The apprentices giggled at the silly joke. Then, after changing into new clothes and washing up, they finally spoke to Roy, who was still standing there blankly.

"Are you new?"

"...Huh? Uh, yeah..."

"Hey, but what’s with those clothes? Someone might think you’re a beggar."

"Isn’t he really a beggar? What’s that smell? Smells like shit."

They weren’t trying to bully him, Roy really did smell. After living outdoors for a few days, he hadn’t had the chance to wash, and his body naturally gave off a stench. On top of that, since he’d been traveling with cattle, the smell of dung had clung to him.

Roy’s face turned red with embarrassment.

"Hey, what’s your name?"

One of the three apprentices, who looked a bit older, stared at Roy and asked.

"Roy."

"Hmm, a commoner. Good. It’d be awkward if a noble joined. What does your father do? Run a merchant company? Maybe a goldsmith?"

"Ah, no. He’s a woodcutter..."

Suddenly, silence fell over the room. Only the muffled voices of other children chatting in the hallway beyond the door could be heard.

"A woodcutter? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Then you must not have any money."

"Kids aren’t supposed to handle money..."

"What kind of nonsense is that? You think you can live on plain rice porridge without money?"

"...What’s wrong with rice porridge? Isn’t it okay...?"

"Hah."

All three apprentices sharing the room had expressions of disbelief. It was no wonder, since most of the children who joined the clan came from lower nobles or middle-class families.

The knight classes were too hard, dangerous, and time-consuming, whereas clans taught a level of swordsmanship that allowed one to at least protect themselves in this harsh world.

Among them, those with outstanding talent or strong resolve remained in the clan and pursued a future there.

In fact, once someone became a full-fledged clan member, especially one under the Viola name, they were never treated poorly anywhere. On the contrary, nobles and wealthy people would come pleading for help.

Given this situation, many parents competed to send their children to clans, and since clans weren’t charity organizations, they accepted apprentices in the order of those who donated the most.

In other words, a woodcutter’s child being here was a strange occurrence.

Maybe that’s why the apprentices’ gazes toward Roy changed. It was contempt.

"Anyway, go wash up quickly. And wash those clothes too."

"Where?"

"Don’t you have legs? Eyes? There’s water everywhere, do you need someone to teach you that? Go find it yourself."

One apprentice said harshly.

Embarrassed and flustered, Roy left the room. The hallway was full of novices and apprentices playing around, but no one spoke to him, they only gave him sidelong glances.

Kaspar was gone, his sister wasn’t there, and even Res, the youngest of the four siblings who was supposed to stay here with him, was nowhere in sight.

Having no other choice, Roy stepped out of the building again. He didn’t know where he was supposed to wash, but he remembered what the boy from his room had said, that there was water everywhere.

Roy figured, ah, he must have meant the lake. So he left the castle and went to the lakeside. There, he took off his clothes and washed himself. Fortunately, the water was so clear it was almost transparent.

But with no spare clothes to change into, he washed his clothes and then put them back on while they were still wet. Even though he wrung them out with all his strength, the moisture couldn’t be completely removed.

Carrying his shoes in his hands, he walked barefoot with squishing steps. When he returned to the lodging, everyone who passed by gave him strange looks as he stood there in his damp clothes.

Those gazes made Roy shrink inward.

When he got back to the room, the apprentices who shared it acted like he wasn’t even there.

Roy took off his clothes again, hung them by the window, and got into bed. Since he had nothing, there was nothing else for him to do.

The apprentices kept chatting among themselves and came in and out of the room, but naturally, no one told him when mealtime was.

Left to go hungry, Roy thought that maybe after sleeping one night, he’d be able to see his parents again, and endured it.

Evening came and there was a roll call, and Roy tried to sleep in his bed. Night deepened. But he couldn’t fall asleep.

Compared to sleeping outside, this bed was like sleeping on clouds, but his heart was uneasy, so he couldn’t sleep.

Eventually, he needed to pee. After holding it in for a long time, he put on his still-damp clothes and went out.

After finishing his business and returning, he found the door to the lodging wouldn’t open. Huh?

Afraid of waking someone, he couldn’t knock, and the guards near the castle gate seemed unfamiliar and scary, so he couldn’t approach them either.

Asking for help from strangers was just too difficult a task for young Roy.

When he looked back toward the inner fortress where his parents were, he saw lights glowing through windows here and there. He wanted so badly to go to where his parents were, but he didn’t.

So Roy decided to do what he was good at, enduring.

Stars twinkled in the night sky, and behind the lodging, the four siblings’ cow was tied up. Right now, the only familiar thing to Roy was the cow. He hugged the cow and sobbed quietly. The cow turned its head toward the boy as if to embrace him.

In the cold and hunger, Roy crouched beside the cow, dozing off now and then, and nearly spent the entire night outside. Only when morning came could he go back into the lodging.

No, he couldn’t go back in. That was because he ran into his parents, who had come out from the inner fortress.

“Roy.”

His mother, Elia, called out to him. She wore a look that clearly showed she had no idea her son had spent the night outside.

But she was beautifully clean and wearing new clothes, and his father looked like a dignified knight.

So Roy stared blankly at the dramatic transformation of his parents.

“How was the lodging? Was it uncomfortable?”

“...Uh. It was fine. So comfortable I slept like I passed out.”

“Right? I was actually worried too, but the people here are so considerate. Enjoying all this for free makes me feel kind of guilty.”

Roy just smiled and hid the truth. Because it had always been his long-time wish to grow up quickly and lessen the burdens of his sister, his mother, and his father. He couldn’t be a burden.

His mother looked so excited, like a girl returned to her youth. She was so dazzlingly beautiful that Roy couldn’t say a word.

“...So, if you’re okay with it, Roy, you might be staying here longer.”

Roy didn’t really catch what his mother was saying. He just understood that he was supposed to stay here for good.

“Uh, what about you, Mom? What about Dad?”

“Well, it’s not decided yet, so we’ll talk it through.”

“Oh...”

“Why? You don’t like it?”

“No, it’s just...”

“You’re almost ten. It’s time for you to leave your mother’s side. It’ll be hard, but you have to accept it. You won’t get another chance like this.”

His father said.

Roy stood there blankly for a moment, then forced a smile.

“You’re right. Yeah. A comfy bed, no starving, I get to learn swordsmanship. No one’s coming to kill me. I’ll never get another chance like this in my life.”

His father reached out and patted Roy’s head.

Roy felt his father’s touch and thought that just as his father had endured and held on for the sake of the family, now it was his turn to do the same. He was only nine years old.

Though nothing was set in stone yet, Roy had to continue staying in the lodging for now.

From then on, he followed the apprentices as best he could, picking things up over their shoulders bit by bit. He attended roll calls, ate the free white porridge, and quietly sat in the corner during swordsmanship classes as if he wasn’t even there.

Fortunately, there was no physical abuse. He only had to endure harsh stares, contempt, and loneliness.

He occasionally crossed paths with his sister Beka, but they didn’t exchange many words. Even between siblings, boys and girls were required to live separately once they were under apprentice status.

His sister seemed to be having a hard time too, but since she was with three of the four siblings, she seemed to be managing decently.

But Res, the youngest of the four siblings and around Roy’s age, adapted surprisingly well. He behaved politely toward the existing apprentices, ran errands here and there, and to Roy’s eyes, walked around wearing a stylish gambeson and a cloak.

Roy approached Res while he was with the other apprentices.

“Res, Res.”

“Huh? Roy.”

“Did you buy that? The clothes.”

“Oh, this? You just ask the clan’s supply officer and they give it to you. Didn’t you know?”

“Uh, I didn’t.”

“Really? Come on. Let’s go together.”

Res took Roy to the storage area. It was a place where weapons and food were kept. When Res spoke to the person there, they really gave Roy clothes, shoes, and a cloak that roughly fit him.

Roy couldn’t hide his amazement. He had thought it impossible to receive brand-new clothes for free, not hand-me-downs, but actually new.

In fact, these items were normally provided only to officially admitted disciples, but compared to the large donations, the cost was trivial. Of course, Roy, Res, and the other children were given these supplies under Volka’s special instruction.

The stitching was meticulous, and the gambeson wasn’t filled with cheap scraps, but with a blend of wool and down feathers.

Roy, still in a daze, looked at Res walking cheerfully and said,

“You’re really amazing.”

“Hmm? Why?”

“You made friends, and you’re adapting so well.”

“Oh, that? I lied.”

“What?”

“I said my parents run a cattle farm under a lord. People were nicer after that.”

Res’s parents had already passed away. His father had been wounded by a bandit’s sword and died after a long illness.

“Is that okay?”

“What is?”

“Lying like that… is it okay?”

“Who cares? The kids here are also living apart from their families.”

“...Anyway, thanks.”

“For what? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

At the word friend, Roy finally felt a little of the heavy weight in his heart lift.

With that, Roy barely, little by little, began to adjust to clan life. He didn’t know what would happen next, but it seemed even the adults didn’t want to leave this place.

But on the fifth day since arriving, Res came at dawn and woke Roy up, then led him out of the lodging to somewhere. It was the storage building.

There was a padlock on the door, but it was only for show; it wasn’t actually locked.

“I’m only telling you this because we’re friends.”

Res casually opened the door and went inside. Unfortunately, Ricardt, who had woken up early and stepped out for some fresh air, was watching from afar.

Res took Roy to the area where food was stored. The shelves were full of high-quality ham, cheese, and liquor wrapped in paper.

These were provisions set aside for emergencies or to be given to clan members traveling outside the autonomous territory.

Nearby were also expensive potions and premium liquors specially collected by Volka, who was fond of drinking.

Res began grabbing ham and cheese and eating them as he pleased.

“R-Res.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Why not? Oh, you’re afraid we’ll get caught? It’s fine. The supply officer only takes a quick look in the evening. He sometimes comes in the morning, but we’ll be out before roll call, so we’ll be gone before then.”

“That’s not the point. It’s just... wrong to do it.”

“What are you talking about?”

It seemed that Roy and Res had a stark difference in values.

Unlike Roy, who had properly learned from his parents what should and shouldn’t be done, Res had long been without a mother, and with his father now also gone, he had no scruples when it came to survival or satisfying his desires, no matter the means.

Roy felt that this wasn’t right and grew increasingly anxious, but Res remained completely nonchalant.

"Should we try a bit of liquor?"

"Res, please..."

"Don’t worry about it."

Res stood on tiptoes and reached for the premium liquor on the high shelf. That’s when it happened. The bottle tilted and fell to the floor.

Crash!

In that instant, the two boys froze. It was not something that could be fixed just by cleaning up. The evidence of the act was plainly there.

As if time had stopped, the two boys stared blankly at the broken bottle. The only thing that moved was the liquor spreading slowly across the floor.

Then, without even attempting to clean up, Res abruptly ran out of the storage room.

Roy followed him for the moment, but suddenly, Res shoved Roy back from outside the door and slammed it shut. A metallic click followed.

A truth Roy couldn’t accept, didn’t want to accept, flashed through his mind.

“Re-Res?”

Roy called for his friend. But only the sound of footsteps walking away echoed beyond the door.

He tried the door, and just as he feared, it didn’t open. He was completely locked in. Roy was so shocked and dumbfounded that his heart pounded as if it would explode.

Then, fortunately or unfortunately, the door opened just before roll call. A grown man stood silhouetted against the light. He was none other than the supply officer.

He said,

“Got you, you little rat. I’ll cut your damn hand off.”

The supply officer grabbed Roy roughly and dragged him out.

Ricardt watched silently from inside the inner fortress, looking out through the window.

****

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