Translator: Adel
Editor: Evelet
QC: AdCaelum
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 106: The Long Distance Ride (III)
Big thank you to our wonderful supporters Kate and Anonymous “M” for this week’s double release. We really appreciate the outpouring of love you have given our team and our lovely little silver-haired lord. Thanks to you, our wonderful QC AdCaelum was able to drink rejuvenating boba tea and make sure you get top tier translations!
The following day, the weather was perfect for taking a walk. There was a small amount of cloud cover so it provided partial shade from the sun’s harsh rays.
Having just returned from the trip, Vio got up a little late that morning. Once he had fully awakened, he went out on a ride, sharing a saddle with Legion.
They strapped a bag of writing materials and the lunch that Rille had prepared for them on the horse and set off at a leisurely pace.
“At this time of day, I think it would be better to go to the village of Amade first, don’t you?”
“Yes. The town is just around the corner, so we can go and see it anytime we want, and it would be nice if we could go to the village of Amade and the foothills of the Alpé Mountains.”
They had woken up late and been slow to prepare, so they had less time for their trip than planned.
Vio nodded at Legion’s suggestion and looked ahead with anticipation.
Heading down the road from the villa, they came to the north gate at the far end of town. After greeting the gatekeeper, they turned right and continued on the road leading to the village of Amade.
Legion pointed at the trees lining both sides of the road and began to explain them to Vio.
“It seems that you can freely pick and eat the apples on the side of this road. I heard they were planted with the thought that it was the least they could do for visitors, as they couldn’t give much hospitality to the customers who came to Leca.”
“Eh, that’s really what they’re there for?”
Vio looked up at the apples and saw that they were unripe. They looked hard and green.
“It looks like they won’t be ready until a little later in the season.”
“I’ll let you know when the apples are ripe. They ripen near harvest time, so it will take a while.”
“I am looking forward to it.”
Vio looked at the apple trees, and he was filled with a sense of amusement.
The harvest season was a little earlier there than in other parts of the Lesserhain territory because of the cold climate around Leca. Once the harvest festival was over, winter quickly swept in every year and embraced the town in a chilly hug.
The harvest festival was in a week, so preparations had to be made in haste.
“I have heard that it’s beautiful here once all the spring flowers bloom,” Vio said.
“Well, then you’ll have to see it next year.”
It would be one more thing to look forward to.
The average time it took to ride on horseback between Leca and Amade was roughly 30 minutes. After they had passed the road lined with apple trees, they entered the forest. Once they had followed the road through the forest for a while, they suddenly came to an open area. Beyond some fields, there was a plot of land where houses were clustered.
“That’s the village of Amade. In this field, we harvest buckwheat and turnips. Over there is an apple orchard. They say the apples grown in this orchard are a little bigger and sweeter than the ones on the side of the road,” Legion explained.
“Hey… are there places where the harvest is already finished?” Vio asked.
“The buckwheat harvests are in summer and fall, and I think the summer harvest is already done. What’s left in the fields is the fall harvest. As for turnips, we have spring and fall harvests, so the spring ones have already been harvested. They harvest the fall ones right before winter.”
“Ah yes, I think you gave me a report like that a month before we left for the trip.” Vio nodded as he started to recall.
There was a big difference between seeing it in writing and seeing it in person. He looked at the fields, fascinated by their development and growth.
When they arrived, they went straight to the village square and dismounted. The villagers who noticed Vio and Legion immediately came out.
An old man named Taurus, the village chief, appeared and rushed toward them using a cane. He wore a brown robe that looked like a hermit’s and had a noticeable liver spot on his forehead. With his gray hair and beard, he looked like the village elder in addition to being the chief.
“This is, ah… Lord Violant. We were not expecting you.”
“I’m sorry to come by unannounced, Mr. Taurus. I came back from my trip yesterday, and I wanted to go for a ride to see what the village of Amade was like.”
Taurus knew Lord Violant already because he had visited him at the mansion once.
“You just returned from a trip. Are you doing okay? Have you gotten enough rest?” Taurus asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. On this trip, I stopped by Endsk on the way back. I hired a botanist who is also a doctor, and a master magician as well.”
“A doctor and a botanist? That is quite a variety of professionals.”
“He’s a botanist who is studying wheat cultivation in cold regions. Besides that, he is familiar with medicinal herbs, so I’m thinking of having him teach people how to cultivate simple medicinal herbs that can be grown indoors.”
Not only Taurus, but also all of the villagers started to buzz with excitement over what Vio was telling them.
“Medicinal herbs that can be grown indoors? That sounds even more useful than wheat, and it will help us during the harsh winter months.”
“He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s a nice guy, so I hope you all welcome him warmly and get along with him. By the way, would you be so kind as to show us the Leca flower garden?”
“Of course! Right this way.”
At Vio’s request, Taurus nodded his head and started walking towards the back of the village. Vio and Legion followed Taurus, and for some reason, the villagers started to follow them.
“…? I’m sorry that we disturbed all of you during your work; you can return to it,” Vio said after stopping and turning around. The villagers stared back with confused looks on their faces.
“Are we not allowed to come with you?” one of them asked.
“Well sure, but… it really isn’t all that interesting, is it?” Vio tilted his head and asked.
Taurus laughed when he saw Vio wondering why the villagers were following him, seeming confused for some reason.
“Everyone wanted to meet and get to know you, Lord Violant. Please don’t say such a thing wouldn’t be interesting.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to interrupt all of you during your break.”
“Hahaha, we are thankful for your concern. Please come this way.”
Vio began to wonder if he had said something wrong. Taurus burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Vio whispered to Legion, “Did I say something wrong?”
“Well, I think the concept of a noble who cares about a peasant’s break time might have been something they never could have imagined.”
“Is that what it was? They must have had it tough.”
Unlike those who lived in town, the farmers who lived in the village were treated as serfs and were considered the property of the lord.
Vio looked disappointed, imagining someone in a noble position who would be so insensitive. Legion couldn’t help but giggle at seeing Vio in such a state.1
“I thought that was a nice thing to say, Lord Violant. Oh, watch your step. It’s muddy,” Legion commented.
“Oh? Oh, thank you.”
Vio jumped over the puddle, feeling unconvinced.
At the end of the area where the houses were gathered, a fenced-in flower garden of Leca flowers was visible.
It seemed that a place that was originally a part of the forest had been cleared out and was now maintained as a field for Leca flowers.
“That warehouse is where we grow flowers during the winter. We also plant them between the trees in the apple orchard. When we harvest, we also harvest the wild Leca flowers that grow on the sides of the fields. Although the wild Leca flowers can be a little more difficult to maintain.”
“Yeah, if you were to let them grow everywhere, you wouldn’t have any place to walk.”
The flower garden was bigger than Vio had expected. He was shown the warehouse, but it was still empty inside. Instead, flowerpots were lined up right outside.
“After the harvest festival, we will move the seedlings from the field here and put them in the warehouse.”
Vio was impressed by the way the entrance and exit were partitioned with curtains to prevent the heat from escaping during the winter.
“Keep up the excellent work and please let me know if you need any more vermin repellent paint,” he said.
“I understand, thank you.”
Vio took a look around and didn’t see anything wrong.
“Well then, let’s get going now.”
“Where to?” Taurus asked.
“To the base of the Alpé mountains, where Sir Legion and I will take a long ride together. Hehe, it was amazing. When we were at King’s Landing, Legion had a skirmish with the personal knight of the princess from a neighboring country and they tied. This ride is his reward.”
“Ah, is that so? …He must be the best knight in the land. But the weather looks a bit dicey, so please move quickly.”
Vio looked up at the sky. There were some clouds, but the weather seemed fine.
“Does it though?”
“Yes. It smells like there is rain coming. There are a few clouds over the mountains, and I think the rain will start this evening.”
“Okay, I will be careful,” Vio replied, but he was still skeptical.
Perhaps sensing Vio’s doubt, Taurus added, “If you need shelter from the rain, please use the cave at the foot of the mountain. You know that spot, don’t you, Sir Knight?”
“Yes, I understand.” Legion nodded his head and urged Vio to hurry.
