Howard couldn’t trust them as he did Tina and Chris.
Unlike Grice, Ada, the other captain at Howard’s side, perceived his unease.
Ada, a mere sixteen-year-old girl, possessed a strength even greater than Howard’s current might.
She had once been a daughter of nobility, but circumstances had led to her fall from grace.
For a noble, her combat prowess was extraordinarily rare, as the empire’s aristocrats were mostly known for their greed and indulgence in pleasures.
Ada wasn’t as obtuse as Grice and seemed to have an inkling of Howard’s suspicions.
Just when everything seemed normal, Howard suddenly felt dizzy, his vision darkening.
It was as if an invisible hand had pushed him down.
He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, utterly beyond his control.
He felt as though he was enveloped in a thick fog, hearing indistinct voices and footsteps.
Gradually, his consciousness began to fade, and he felt himself sinking into an endless darkness.
Only the anxious voice of Chris, speaking of a dragon-riding magus and an enemy attack, lingered in his ears.
When Howard opened his eyes again, all he saw was whiteness.
“Where am I?” he wondered.
Slowly, a colossal figure emerged before him – the monster from the river.
“You have died,” it said, “I can help you to be reborn, but you cannot return to your original body for now, or he will target you again.”
Its blood-red eyes stared at Howard.
Howard guessed what was happening and was about to voice his many questions when darkness enveloped his vision once more, and he lost consciousness.
…
When he awoke this time, he found himself lying in a bed.
A flood of memories, not his own, surged into his mind, causing his eyes to widen in disbelief.
He leaped out of bed and looked in the mirror, only to discover that his appearance had changed.
This body was no longer his.
The body’s original inhabitant was Julian, a down-on-his-luck noble from the south.
…
“What’s wrong with him?”
Chris asked anxiously, staring at the unconscious Howard.
They had recently been attacked by a powerful magus who targeted Howard and then vanished.
Now, they were taking refuge in a village for rest.
The village doctor was tending to Howard.
“There’s nothing serious with this gentleman. He’s probably just exhausted. He should wake up by tomorrow if all goes well,” the village doctor reassured.
Hearing this, Chris sighed in relief.
Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t that simple.
To be safe, she decided to seek a priest for Howard’s treatment, especially since a magus had attacked him.
A regular village doctor might not understand the full extent of his condition.
…
Howard had sorted through his thoughts and roughly understood what had happened.
The information in his mind told him that he was now in the affluent southern part of the empire, while Chris and the others were in the north.
Although unsure of what the river monster had done, he knew he had to hurry and join his companions, as his true body was with them.
Julian’s ancestors had once nearly attained the rank of earl but ultimately failed and were imprisoned after a defeat.
Since then, the family had been in decline.
Over the years, the family had fallen from viscounts to barons, and from barons to knights.
Julian, now eighteen, was on the verge of losing even his knighthood.
His domain had been repeatedly ravaged by bandits, leaving it in shambles.
The villagers, struggling to sustain their own livelihoods, were unable to pay taxes to Julian.
Howard’s current identity was Julian, a knight under the lordship of Baron Fernsouth.
Baron Fernsouth was now preparing for war and had issued a conscription order.
In the south, even a knight with his own land was essentially a vassal, bound for several months each year to serve his superior lord.
Once a superior lord declared war, he could summon his vassals without compensation.
If the required service exceeded the stipulated months, the vassals had the right to refuse.
This was Baron Fernsouth’s first call to arms, and Howard, as Julian, had no reason to decline.
It was also an opportunity to potentially expand his own power.
After a day’s journey, Julian finally arrived at Castle Fernsouth on horseback.
…
“Is the lord still not awake?”
Chris glared at the village doctor, demanding an explanation.
The frightened doctor told Chris that he truly didn’t know what was wrong and suggested she wait another day.
Chris had sent for a priest, but to no avail.
Now, she had no choice but to rely on this village doctor and urged him to think of something else.
…
Baron Fernsouth greeted the weary Howard with a smile, extending a robust hand and saying, “We always welcome true warriors. Your arrival reassures me.”
This war was a defensive one for Baron Fernsouth.
His adversary was the master of Castle Gajasu, Baron Hof.
Seizing the opportunity presented by the emergence of the Night Demon and the ensuing turmoil, Hof aimed to annex Castle Fernsouth.
Half a month had passed since the declaration of war and the mobilization of troops.
Having reorganized his army, Hof was now closing in on Castle Fernsouth.
The nobility of the south, unlike those Howard had encountered in Tarl City and Holy Light City, possessed unimaginable lands and power even as ordinary barons.
If Castle Fernsouth fell, Baron Fernsouth would lose the war, leaving his lands ripe for Hof’s taking.
Hof’s Castle Gajasu had assembled a force of a thousand, including over nine hundred conscripted peasants, nearly a hundred heavy infantry, and valiant knights.
Standing atop the walls of Castle Fernsouth, one could see the enemy’s siege engines moving on the horizon.
Due to poor management of his lands, Baron Fernsouth could muster only five hundred soldiers in total.
Some nobles were already showing signs of fear, peeking over the battlements and withdrawing with increased panic each time.
Howard, unlike the other distraught nobles, was not afraid of Hof’s thousand-strong army.
The river monster had whispered into his mind, claiming to have strengthened his body.
However, it warned Howard not to reveal his full strength too readily, to avoid attracting the attention of the magus who had targeted him before.
Howard addressed Baron Fernsouth, “My lord, do not fear. Although the enemy appears to outnumber us two to one, our advantageous position in the castle gives us the upper hand. Should they attempt a direct assault, our archers can repel them. We will surely hold our ground.”
Baron Fernsouth, his belly betraying his fondness for ale, approached and praised Howard, “Excellent! With you here, my fears are alleviated. Once the enemy retreats, I shall reward you with a fine piece of land!”
During the day, Hof’s forces approached Castle Fernsouth but did not immediately besiege it.
Instead, they set up camp beyond the range of the castle’s archers.
At night, when Hof’s army commenced their attack, Howard, who had volunteered for guard duty on the walls, was the first to spot the enemy’s movements and rang the warning bell.
Howard’s dedication stemmed from his own calculations.
The sound of the bell stirred the defenders of Castle Fernsouth into action.
Thanks to their timely response, Hof’s forces suffered heavy casualties and ultimately retreated.
Baron Fernsouth, instead of pursuing a counter-attack, chose to negotiate peace with Hof.
An unconditional truce was agreed upon, heralding immediate peace between the two sides.
A victory feast was held, where Howard, hailed as a hero, basked in accolades.
Baron Fernsouth announced on the spot that he would grant Howard two villages, Rui and Yami, both prosperous.
Howard stayed in the castle for two more days, after which Baron Fernsouth officially bestowed upon him the villages of Rui and Yami.
Having concluded his affairs in the barren Safa Village and packed his belongings, Howard temporarily moved to Yami Village.
His plan was to recruit and purchase horses there before hastily returning to his original location. 𝑖𝘳.𝒸ℴ𝑚
Traveling across the entire empire unaided was far too perilous.
Howard pondered whether to send a letter to Chris explaining his situation.
But would she believe such an extraordinary tale? He couldn’t fathom why the monster had transported him to such a distant place.
Yami Village was a land where golden wheat fields were a common sight, and the variety of cheeses was too numerous to count.
Giant windmills rotated with the breeze, and the mills were bustling with villagers hard at work.
The textile industry was also thriving.
The village chief presented Howard with a white cotton garment, allowing him to discard his tattered clothes and don something clean and neat.
As the weather cooled, the wheat harvest season approached, and the villagers could hardly conceal their excitement.
When the trading caravan arrived, after the villagers had harvested the wheat and given Howard his due as tax, the village chief represented the villagers in trading with the caravan.
Yami Village was known for its special cotton garments, which were exchanged for leather and beer.
Excess wheat was partly stored and partly sold to the caravan.
The caravan’s goods were diverse, not only agricultural products but also rudimentary farming tools.
The abundance of agricultural tools in Yami Village was a testament to its prosperity.
The next day, Howard announced his decision to change his name from Julian to Howard, to better acclimate to his new identity.
Then, he began the recruitment of Knight Squires.
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