BOPE 57

Chapter 57 ….

Leaving Farmer behind, who had started his belated meal with an awkwardly grateful face, Donghee headed straight for the front door.

Without even changing out of her clothes, she left her apartment and headed directly to the convenience store.

“Where is it…?”

Donghee’s eyes darted back and forth as she searched for something.

After wandering around the store for quite some time, she finally found what she was looking for and began placing it into her inventory.

All 400 available slots quickly filled with the same item.

Though they weren’t brand new, she was confident that they would be incredibly helpful to her workers.

“Wow! I’m such a good lord, aren’t I?”

Donghee puffed up her shoulders proudly and muttered to herself, prompting a sudden appearance of the status window.

-Such an ellegance and nicesome choice! Trying to win the favor of your territory’s people with a very cheep but thoughtful gift! Clap, clap for your excellent and great taste!

You’re totally mocking me, right?

Donghee narrowed her eyes, and the status window quickly scribbled “Oops!” before disappearing again.

* * *

Near the dusty wasteland, a temporary shelter had been built.

There was nowhere nearby to block the wind, so the workers needed a place to rest and eat.

“I can’t believe the lord even prepared something like this. Truly a benevolent person.”

“I know, right? I ate so well this morning, I feel energized.”

“Coming here was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Henry and Ned had already become devoted followers of Lord Grace.

Some people were still unsure, but most, like Henry and Ned, found their opinion of the lord improving the longer they stayed.

At first, they had feared they might leave empty-handed without work. But the generous treatment they were receiving now felt like a dream.

The two men felt like they could do anything the lord asked.

As the workers chatted, a cart piled high with something rolled in front of them.

A foul, sour, musty smell wafted from the black heap stacked on the cart. It looked like wilted grass or a collection of useless weeds.

“Is that fertilizer?”

“Ugh, even if it is, spreading it over this kind of land won’t do any good. Even if it rains a lot, the ground dries out in half a day.”

“Right.”

“Well, whatever. Our job is to work and get paid.”

Because they had been given a place to sleep and enough food to fill their bellies, some workers even pitied the lord for wasting energy on what seemed like a futile endeavor.

“Attention!”

As they murmured among themselves about the mysterious pile of plants, the knight commander they had seen in the open field yesterday called out loudly. Beside him stood a man in worn clothes, just like the workers, standing neatly with good posture.

The man had a mop of curly hair that stuck out like a broccoli and large eyes that scanned the crowd nervously.

“This man is Farmer, the foreman who will oversee the land reclamation. Address him as Foreman from now on!”

All eyes turned to Farmer, who blinked his big eyes in surprise.

“Hic!”

The sudden attention made Farmer so nervous he hiccuped. A few giggles erupted among the tightly gathered workers at his comical display.

Red Bear frowned, clearly displeased with Farmer’s foolish behavior.

But Farmer, deeply anxious, didn’t even register the commander’s disapproving glare or the snickers from the workers.

All he could think about was doing a good job.

Clearing his throat, Farmer began to speak.

“From now on, we’ll be splitting into two groups to—hic!—get started. These five rows will—hic!—dig up the rough stones in the ground. These two rows—hic!—will help me—hic!—prepare the fertilizer. The rest will—hic!—carry the cleared stones—hic!—outside.”

Even under Red Bear’s piercing gaze, Farmer’s hiccups showed no sign of stopping.

Laughter bubbled up again, but Red Bear’s sharp glare quickly wiped the smiles off their faces.

As the mood turned serious, Farmer’s hiccups gradually subsided.

With great effort, he managed to finish his instructions and let out a long sigh of relief. Though his words were occasionally interrupted by hiccups, he had said everything he needed to say and looked visibly more relaxed.

Then Red Bear stepped forward.

“What you are about to receive is a pair of work gloves, specially granted by the lord for your safety. Be grateful and accept them with the spirit of Lord Grace’s deep care for her people!”

As he gave the speech, knights began distributing rolled-up cotton gloves to the workers.

Donghee had rushed to the convenience store and brought her old gloves for this very purpose.

Farmer, who had received a pair in advance, had tears welling in his eyes again.

Most of the workers had never owned gloves in their entire lives. They stared in awe at the clean, white cotton gloves placed on their hands. Henry was no different.

“Are… are these really for us?”

He asked again, still holding the gloves in his palms.

“All of you will wear these gloves, granted by our lord, while working!”

“W-what?!”

The workers’ reactions were even louder than when they received the gloves.

These precious gloves… for working? And in dirt, no less?

“But… they’ll get dirty if we wear them…”

Henry wasn’t the only one worried. An older worker raised his hand, voice full of anxiety, worried that soiling the gift might offend the lord.

“They’re to protect your hands. Don’t hurt yourselves.”

The response only made them more confused.

Getting injured while working was as natural as walking to them. It was just part of life.

Despite repeated orders, most workers didn’t wear the gloves. Instead, they tucked them away safely in their clothes.

“I’ll give mine to my wife. She’ll be thrilled.”

“I’m giving mine to my daughter. Imagine her face when I say it’s from Lord Grace!”

These people had only ever worn coarse fabrics and patched-up hand-me-downs.

To them, the gloves were soft, plush, and luxurious. There was no way they could bring themselves to get them dirty.

Eventually, even Red Bear gave up trying to convince them and silently watched them work barehanded.

Still, everyone’s face wore a smile—perhaps because they now had a precious gift to take home.

* * *

The mercenaries, knights, and lumberjacks headed toward the Black Forest, their faces tense.

Though it was broad daylight, the densely packed trees made the forest as dark as night.

It wouldn’t be surprising if a monster sprang out from any direction—the eerie air was thick with danger.

The sun couldn’t pierce the canopy, and the cold bit at their skin. White puffs of breath floated from mouths and noses.

Urune, now leading the logging team in Red Bear’s place, stepped forward with his sword drawn.

The massive greatsword, which no ordinary person could even lift, rested easily in one of his hands. His thick arms were about the size of another man’s thigh.

In the deathly silence of the forest, only the rough breathing of the group could be heard.

To reach the komo tree grove, they had to go even deeper into the forest.

“Oh! There are daltturak flowers blooming here—we must be close to the komo trees!”

Dirk, acting as guide, spotted the flowers and shouted joyfully. He had an excellent sense of direction and was knowledgeable about plants—an essential asset to the knight order.

But then—

“Shhh!”

Urune quickly silenced him.

But it was too late. Rustling noises were already sounding all around them.

Dirk, flustered by his own outburst, gripped his sword tightly.

“Lumber team, down!”

At Urune’s command, the carpenters dropped to the ground, while the knights and mercenaries slipped between them in defensive formation.

It was an emergency formation they had practiced many times before entering the forest.

The knights and mercenaries standing among the prone workers drew their swords and watched all directions.

Fwoosh!

Screeeee!

Suddenly, a group of agitated birds erupted into the sky, startled by the movement in the trees. Their dark silhouettes made the already gloomy sky even darker.

Screeeeech!

“East side!”

As a flurry of wings shot through the air like arrows, Urune shouted. The knights swung their blades in perfect timing.

Kyaaaargh!

“Ahhh!”

“Eek!”

Swooping down on the workers were massive, bat-like monsters called Kulen.

Each one was the size of a grown man with wings spread, a large vampiric monster that fed on blood.

Even in the dark, their fangs gleamed.

“Help! Save me!”

“Ahhhh!”

The terrified workers ducked their heads between their knees and screamed.