Hero’s Downfall Report

91 – Report on the Fall of Kindness (1)

“What is a hero?”

“A person who receives everyone’s respect and love by doing things that ordinary people cannot do.”

“Then the emperor is also a hero? “An ordinary person cannot become an emperor, and an emperor is respected and loved by everyone.”

“No. “An emperor cannot be a hero.”

“Why?”

“I also receive hate and hate.”

– Conversation between Emperor Ioannis II and the young Crown Prince

* * * * *

A nameless village located at the mouth of the Black Forest.

Even if they don’t even have a name, people live happily and cheerfully.

Moreover, today is a market day held once every ten days, and it is crowded with people from the five surrounding villages.

Although it is called a market day, the main purpose is actually to gather together with rural people to dance, eat, and drink.

Wherever you go, there is an abundance of alcohol and food, and people are divided into those who are already drunk and those who will soon be drunk.

It’s a shame that the people of Berta’s village didn’t come, but isn’t it fun to enjoy a local festival as much as you have it, and if not, as much as it doesn’t?

But it is difficult for the exciting atmosphere to turn into chaos.

Count Wördem’s guards are busy maintaining order, joking lightly and having a drink or two.

They break up fights, easily pick up rowdy drunks and throw them out of the market, and show kindness by finding the parents of a lost child.

Nevertheless, he did not take his eyes off the ‘foreigners’.

No matter how many times you see it in five villages, the clothes and behavior of the villagers are all the same. Foreigners who are different in face, clothes, way of speaking, and even smell are very noticeable.

This is especially true if the ‘foreigner’ is carrying Imperial Marks with him to buy things.

In the countryside, there is no place to spend money, so even in markets, the main transaction is mostly barter. Sometimes, when the price range doesn’t match or something is a little disappointing, we just pass around a fairy tale by adding a small amount of money.

So, it is natural that a young newlywed couple walking back and forth holding an imperial mark and a woman squawking like a strangled goose would attract attention from the gathered people.

But the Count’s guard, who wore a pheasant feather on his helmet, grabbed the newlyweds and warned them not simply because he wanted to say, ‘Don’t be too conspicuous.’

“Well, even if you both ride horses, there are no exceptions. If I disobey Count Wördem’s orders, I will be the one to have my head cut off. “It’s the same even if you’re armed.”

The guard pointed to the imperial sword hanging on Cain’s waist.

“Just looking at him, you don’t even have a knife in your hand, so just listen politely.”

Cain looked down at her own hands. Big, thick hands covered in calluses here and there. A copper ring on the ring finger of the left hand, indicating that the person is married.

No matter where you look, it looks like a commoner. ‘Knife marks’ So, he doesn’t look like a fighter with knife marks on his hands.

“When I got married, I heard that her hands were big, but I never heard that they were pretty.”

“Honey. You said it was warm and cozy…You did.”

Lily quietly added her words. She also wore a copper ring on her ring finger.

“I understand your concerns, Chief Warden, but how could it not work out? Yo. This?”

If Cain hadn’t stopped her by touching her with his elbow, Lily would have spoken as harshly as usual. Fortunately, the guard didn’t seem to notice.

“I’m usually the type of person who doesn’t say the same thing twice, but since you just got married, I’ll tell you.

You two seem to be taking the Black Forest too lightly, but this is not a mountain behind a village or a large forest.

I don’t know what’s inside. Do you know what happened a month ago when five horsemen like you insisted on passing by?”

“We don’t know.”

“There were no horses anywhere and only five people were lying in the middle of the road with broken necks.

Since then, the Count has also strengthened his policies. ‘Must be 15 or more people. ‘Whether on horseback or not, armed or unarmed.'”

Cain widened her eyes, ‘like a countryman.’

“Are there so many thieves in the forest?”

“You really don’t know anything about the Black Forest?”

“All I know is that it is incredibly large and old.”

“So, you should listen to people who know well.”

Cain scratched her head in confusion and Lily fidgeted.

The sight of a pretty and attractive young woman, who was half a span taller than her husband, looking embarrassed made Director Cho lose her gaze without realizing it.

Of course she quickly came to her senses. It was not because of the words of the prophet of her life and death that ‘she must not covet another man’s wife’, but because she was afraid of her wife’s eyes glaring at her from the other side of her market.

I had to do that in order to avoid hearing people say, ‘You’re saying it’s good again today?’

“Anyway. You can either wait here until the 15 companions are full, or you can go back. Still, there’s one person over there. “We just need to gather 12 more people.”

‘That one person’ is currently arguing over the price of goods in the market.

From Noble mtl dot com

“No, it’s not expensive leather, at best it’s a cheap pigskin coin pouch. Why is it so expensive!”

“Then why don’t you try making it!”

“Give me the ingredients! How slow are your hands? The stitches have all burst, this! The leather will cost more! “It’s hot, it’s hot!”

With the stall in front of them, Maria and the peddler are at odds. The guard commander burst into laughter.

“From the looks of it, she looks like a woman from the city.”

“Really? “How do you know?”

The guard continued to smirk at Cain’s question.

“I heard city people are like that. Once you see an item, you only think about saving money. If you want something that cheap and good, you can buy it in the city… Eh. And you can’t do that and that. “I need to be more careful.”

Cain also nodded her head at Director Cho’s point.

“I think you’re trying to cut too much.”

“That too.”

“What else is there?”

“You’re a foreigner. “Like you.”

Director Cho gestured with her chin to Cain, Lily, and Maria, who were disguised as newlyweds.

“Even if it is a marketplace where people from five villages gather, in the end, that person is that person. No one is increasing significantly and no one is decreasing. Because it’s obvious.

But a foreigner like that can make such a loud noise? It won’t happen. Rural people don’t look favorably on outsiders.

Seriously, how can we tell whether that person is a nice girl from the city or a would-be thief who committed some crime and went into hiding in the Black Forest?”

She seemed to think that what she had said was a bit harsh, but Director Cho cleared her throat.

“Plus, that woman’s destination was the same as yours. ‘Berta Village’. Guarded by Roberta of Her Kindness, one of the Seven Heroes. “In many ways, you are not so lucky.”

It was an embarrassing situation.

Black Forest. It is a huge and dense forest that stretches from the western part of the empire through the central part to the southern part. It is named so because it is so dense with trees that not even sunlight can penetrate, and it is dark all year round.

The names given to it are as diverse as the dark shadows. A fugitive’s hideout, a traitor’s shrine, a deserter’s barracks, a sanctuary for witches and wizards…

But the most famous nickname is ‘the forest where the king is held.’

Before the emergence of the empire, there were several kingdoms. Kingdoms fought with each other, and naturally there were more losers than winners.

The place where the fallen royal family hid most was the Black Forest. And most of them committed suicide by hanging themselves from trees.

The nickname ‘King’s Forest’ means that there were as many kings who committed suicide by hanging themselves from trees as there were fruits.

Of course, there are people who are successful. Didn’t the founder of the empire receive a revelation from the two-headed eagle in this black forest, grow his power, and go out proudly?

However, even with the national power of the empire, the Black Forest was so large, vast, and insidious that nothing could be done about it.

In the end, the empire neglected the forest, so if you go a little deeper, you can often find the foundation stones of old fortresses, castle walls, hideouts, and towers. Enough to serve as a base for a band of thieves of a certain size.

Is it just that? Even the animals are nasty here. Since they have never had much contact with people, rather than being afraid, they approach with curiosity.

Even rabbits approach us from a distance, but what about things like wolves, wild dogs, and leopards?

So here, it is common sense to move ‘in groups’.

Cain, a security agency agent, also knew this fact well, and deliberately arrived at this nameless village according to the 10-day market schedule.

After Jang was discharged, he was among the returning villagers to go to ‘Berta Village’ where ‘Kindness Roberta’ resides.

But today, the people of Berta village did not show up for the 10-day market.

“Actually, even if it is a 10-day market, not all villages always come. There is nothing we can do when there is a big event or a major disaster occurs. Or when the road is cut off or there are very dangerous things roaming around. But Berta Village is a bit… “

“What happened?”

In response to Cain’s question, Director Cho scratched his chin.

“Berta village is located in the deepest part of this place. Before Kindness Roberta came 10 years ago, it wasn’t a place for people to live. It was like a village of thieves. Really.

Roberta personally subdued the bandits around her, taught them how to live like humans, and created a ‘village’ where they could work and live with sincerity.

Since then, the village of Bertha has always brought high quality leather, meat and valuables. Things that even noblemen would like, such as fancy stag horns.

But three or four months ago, the village people didn’t look very good. ‘What’s going on?’ I asked, and Roberta the Kind said that everyone was worried because she wasn’t feeling well.

So, the people here at the market took care of everything. Kindness Roberta is truly ‘kind’. But since then, people from Berta village have stopped coming, and today they don’t even set foot.”

“Oh my.”

He spoke as if he was sorry, but Cain quickly calculated it. If it was three or four months ago, it matches the time when Arius was attacked. After that, Roberta would also have received letters from ‘William’.

The villagers stopped going outside…It can’t be a coincidence.

“This is really embarrassing. My brother-in-law will be waiting a long time.”

Lily matched the rhythm to Cain’s signal. She even had tears in her eyes as she held onto Cain’s shoulder tightly.

“I’ve come this far, but it doesn’t mean I can’t see my younger brother, does it?”

Director Cho felt his wife’s gaze glaring at him like an angry bear from across the stall and let out a deep sigh. ‘It’s a good time. I had a time like that too.’ Director Cho cleared her throat, comforting the young couple that one day they would be just like them.

“Great. Did you say you have a relative living in Berta Village?”

“Yes. He became a monk after receiving a call from God, and was said to be receiving guidance from an old monk who was living in seclusion near the village of Bertha. I came like this because her wife’s wish was to see her brother, and it’s really a shame to have to turn her back after coming all the way here. “Is there really no way?”

“You mean old Friar Henry. He’s a good man.” Director Cho nodded her head. “Actually, it’s not like there’s no way.”

“Is there a way?”

Hearing Cain’s desperate question, the guard looked Cain and Lily up and down.

“It’s possible if you spend some money.”

“You mean money?”

“Anyway, 15 or more people will suffice. If you really want to, our guards will escort you to Berta Village as if it were patrolling. Including that woman with a good voice, only 12 of us can be ‘hired’ for a while. I guess that’s okay. One-way is possible, but if you calculate the round-trip cost in advance, I’ll give you a small discount. What do you think?”

Cain was speechless at her embarrassing suggestion.

“Think about it carefully. If not today, you never know when you’ll get in there. And are you going to miss the opportunity to see your brother-in-law, escorted by the Count’s excellent guards? It seems like an opportunity to show off to your lovely wife. “

Lily also made a firm decision and grabbed Cain’s arm tightly.

“Honey. Since we’ve come this far, let’s spend some more money. If that doesn’t work, sell even this copper ring… “

“Wait a minute. Wait for a sec.” Cain hastily waved her hand away. “I’ll ask that person and come back. Because I’m not sure if he’ll come with us or not. Please wait a moment.”

Cain quickly moved towards Mary. Maria was still arguing fiercely.

“Me. Greatness. Excuse me.”

“What!” Maria turned her head and glared at Cain.

She said, “I heard she is going to the village of Bertha. Actually, the guard made a suggestion… “

After hearing her situation, Maria looked shocked. But before she could complain, Cain quickly drew a line between her and her.

“Otherwise, it would be difficult to enter the village today, or even within 10 days. And… If you go with us, you can save money for at least two people. “Let’s go together.”

“This is not a crazy person. “Are you out of your mind?”

Mary opened her mouth and looked at Cain. She wanted to tell Cain that she was getting too carried away, but instead she turned her attention to the peddler.

“Instead, I will buy you this leather pouch. How is it?”

“Oh my god, look at the crap this woman is talking about! The voice is so loud that even the guard over there can hear it. “I’ve been in the business for 20 years and this is the first time I’ve seen such a disgrace!”

“You said you’ve been making leather pouches for 20 years, but this is the only thing you’ve made? “This is my first time seeing something like this!”

Cain, who was so embarrassed by her, quickly paid the price. But Maria didn’t move.

“I bought it for you.”

“You only bought one.” Maria shook her purse in her hand. Cain looked at Mary in despair.

“Then how much longer…” “

“Buy four more.”

The peddler politely sent a suggestion to Cain, who was unable to continue her words.

“What? If that’s the case, I’ll give it to you at half price. Cheap, cheap. “You’re getting four for the price of two.”

“It’s five for the price of three. “If you do this.”

“Whatever it is, it’s not the price, is it?”

Maria happily accepted five leather bags. And they started rubbing each other hard. Cain and Maria whispered to each other in low voices as they returned to the guard.

“Why did you buy the leather pouch?”

“Everything is useful. Just quietly watch. “What did you get?”

“I understand that there must be trouble in Bertha Village and that the discipline of the Count’s guards is a mess. Or the Count has made up his mind to steal the money.”

“That’s not a good sign. Let’s continue to pretend we don’t know each other. Hello! Wow, you are tall! “Your breasts and butt are bigger!”

At Maria’s embarrassed greeting, Lily stamped her feet with her face turning bright red.

Two hours later, as soon as the market ended, Maria, Cain, Lily, and Count Wördem’s 12 guards departed for the village of Berta.