I monitored their reactions as I spoke, cutting myself off when I saw their expressions grow increasingly serious. That worried me a little bit.
“Um, just to be clear, I haven’t lost my mind or anything,” I reassured them. “Got it?”
They shook their heads and waved their hands at me, looking a lot more panicked than I anticipated. The vibe was like a pack of criminals walking death row. “O-oh, we know!”
I laughed a little and shrugged. “I mean, I get it: what’s a brand-new baron doing going up against a huge foreign nation, right? Well, I happen to have a passion burning in me that makes me unstoppable.” Dropping my voice to a whisper, I added, “I will eat curry and rice again no matter what, and I won’t lose to anyone while I pursue that goal.”
The interviewees looked at me blankly. I ignored them.
“Going forward, I’m going to start making moves to increase Seatoh Village’s population. If that influx of people includes anyone with the potential to become acting governors or Chivalric Order commanders, I’ll assign them positions regardless of birth or race. At the end of the day, the most vital quality for them to have is a great personality. I’ll select people who are earnest and serious when it comes to their work. I’d like you all to make sure you don’t get left behind when that happens.”
The five interviewees stood up straight.
Emira
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AGES, I HAD THE CHANCE to speak to Lord Van directly. We’d last spoken when he greeted us personally upon our arrival in Seatoh Village.
When I became a slave, I despaired having lost my father, seen House Khomi collapse, and sacrificed my own future for my family by selling myself. Being thrown in a cage and fed like livestock certainly did not help. The other caged slaves said that I would receive favorable treatment because I was a showpiece slave who would sell well in the market, but I found that hard to imagine. Talking to the other slaves on the way to Seatoh Village changed my perception, but at the time, I truly thought my circumstances were as wretched as they could get.
Being a slave meant having a price put on your existence, and that price dangled cruelly over your head. I learned that I was worth four gold. A high price for a slave, perhaps, but that scarred me nonetheless. The Bell & Rango Company bought me in a business deal akin to a mass purchase, done with the same levity one might display when purchasing a large quantity of bread—but I was the one being bought. I thought that my self-esteem had already been beaten out of me, but I must have still had a shred of it left, because even now I recall how hard it was to keep myself from sobbing.
What horrible sin had I committed? How miserable would I have to become before I could be forgiven? Those were the questions that preoccupied me when we reached Seatoh Village and I came face to face with Lord Van. He was an eight-year-old child, but even at that young age he had the aura of a nobleman. That was my first impression of him. But as he spoke to us now, I was forced to rewrite that impression.
What kind of life did he live to become landed gentry at his age, set his gaze to the future, and put his plan into action? Sir Esparda and Sir Dee must have been providing him with an excellent education, but even then, this was unfathomable from someone so young. He spoke of goals to make Seatoh Village stronger and more bountiful. He promised to protect his citizens’ quality of life. With most of the people moving there having no wealth of their own, he provided them with food and shelter, all paid out of his own pocket.
Everything about this was unbelievable. Before I was a slave I grew up in a city that I thought was well-off, but Seatoh Village was something else entirely.
Now, Lord Van continued to make good on his word. When I learned our village would participate in the war against Yelenetta, I braced myself for the worst—but somehow he and the others returned home without a single casualty. Not only that, but rumor had it that Lord Van’s powers contributed significantly to our country’s victory.
Hearing this, perhaps because I was raised by a family of knights, I found a sense of loyalty growing within me, the likes of which I’d never felt before. I needed to work even harder, I thought. I needed to be useful to Lord Van. But that was not the end of things.
Approximately a year after our first meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with Lord Van again. He was nine years old now. While the other villagers had chances to casually socialize with him, the others and I received instructions directly from Sir Esparda, so we never had that kind of free time on our hands. This was the first I had seen of him in a long time.
Something was different about Lord Van. Perhaps he was taller now? Something about his eyes was different, certainly. I sensed a strong determination in them.
And then he declared that we would invade Yelenetta, the very same country that had attempted to invade us. To protect his home country, he would willingly pit himself against a massive, powerful enemy.
That fact alone made me tremble. I wanted to run off that moment and brag about him to everyone whose path I crossed. Feeling my heart racing, I placed a hand over my chest and curled it into a fist.
I understand now. I was born to serve Lord Van.
Perhaps this was cliche, but it felt like destiny. My once gray world was suddenly full of color.