Kays Translations

Chapter 129: Transience

The pioneer village was indeed right nearby. It seemed that people and carriages passed frequently between the garrison and the village, as there was a somewhat clear path, and they didn't get lost.

They knew that there were villages established to accommodate veteran soldiers after the war. After all, Princess Listille's village had been based on that idea.

However, they never could have imagined that Gwen (previously translated as Guren and Guen) would be the leader there. It might have been something they could have found out with a bit of research, but they didn't have any connections to do so. It would have been helpful to have a familiar merchant who traded with the Allied Nations, but such a person didn't exist.

They couldn't understand what was happening right in front of them. Claudia realized that this was indeed a foreign country.

Their miscalculation extended to their business as well. The wine, which they considered a main product, ended up only selling half. Dried meat and sausages sold as expected. Surprisingly, the baked goods they had prepared as a simple bonus because they felt that their assortment was lacking sold out first. The combination of rugged warriors and sweet baked goods didn't quite fit their image, but perhaps that was due to their own lack of imagination.

When crossing borders, preferences and norms, everything changes. Claudia realized that she had wrongly considered conducting business in a foreign land as an extension of her home country's practices.

Perhaps the people of the Allied Nations were more refined in terms of taste. Perhaps the term "barbarians" was nothing more than a silly label that Kingdom nobles used to establish a false sense of superiority.

In the end, they struggled against those so-called "barbarians," and the baseless sense of superiority held by the Kingdom's nobles turned into humiliation.

...It was a valuable learning experience; Claudia decided to think of it that way.

Growth starts from recognizing one's own immaturity. It was something, but it was frustrating. Lutz would likely be squeezed out as a means of stress relief, but there was no avoiding it.

"Stay there! Who are you people?!"

They were questioned by soldiers wielding spears at the village's entrance.

"We've come from the Walscheid Kingdom. I'm the blacksmith Lutz, this is my wife Claudia, and we have one escort. We'd like to speak with Knight Gwen."

"Gwen-sama, you say...?"

The soldiers openly displayed their wariness and lowered the spears they held vertically. Another soldier lightly slapped the shoulder of one of them.

"Isn't that Lutz? He's often mentioned in Gwenn's stories..."

"Oh, right..."

Upon closer inspection, they noticed that there was one less soldier present. Had they gone to inform Gwen? They acted quickly and efficiently.

Claudia and Lutz were led off the carriage and instructed to wait on the spot.

"I wonder how Gwen-san is describing us..."

"It doesn't seem to be in a negative way."

A perplexed expression colored Lutz's face as he answered. While being praised was a good thing, he wondered if Gwen was spreading stories about them to the point that the soldiers recognized them.

The waiting time was just a few minutes. A well-built man approached them with an unexpectedly lively stride.

As he came into view, they saw his face. It was Gwen, who looked rather out of place in noble attire.

"You guys came! Welcome, welcome, big welcome! Ahahaha!"

With a strange bearded face, Gwen put his arm around Lutz's shoulder and burst into laughter with high tension.

Not just Lutz, but the surrounding soldiers also widened their eyes. They had never seen Gwen in this state. He was the type to differentiate between his public and private personas, but the extreme contrast could leave those on the receiving end feeling bewildered.

"Claudia, you look well too. What's with that big butt? If you try smuggling something, we're in trouble, you know?"

"It's self-made."

"Well, well, my apologies!"

Smiling, he turned to the soldiers.

"These guys are my buddies. Just let them pass freely from now on."

The soldiers nodded, confused by the unexpected special treatment and warm welcome. Lutz and Claudia were equally puzzled.

"By the way, Gwen-san, what's with that outfit?"

"Does it suit me?"

"No, not at all."

Taking Claudia's response as a retaliation for his earlier flirtation, Gwen grinned wryly.

"That's what I thought. I agree. But you know, when dealing with big shots, you have to have a presentable appearance. If you're not put together properly, you might be looked down on or even turned away. Personally, I think a well-worn leather armor is the most honorable attire..."

His perspective was that of a frontline fighter through and through.

"By the way, what business brings you to this backwater place? You're not here just to see my handsome face, are you?"

"That's one of the reasons..."

While saying something untrue, Lutz continued.

"We were supposed to have an agreement between our kingdom and the Allied Nations for trade, but it seems to not be going well. We came to confirm the cause of that."

It was a straightforward statement without any negotiation tactics, but it seemed like the type of communication Gwen preferred. Either "yes," "no," or "I'll kill you" were the only three answers he needed. In wanting to reach a conclusion quickly, Lutz and Gwen were alike. 

"Staying out here and discussing this isn't going to cut it. Let's head to my house in the center; I also take care of village matters there."

With that, he instructed his subordinates to transport the carriage and allow the horses to drink water and rest.

As if Claudia had remembered something,

"Speaking of which, the two wine barrels on the carriage are gifts for everyone. Please enjoy them,"

She said, and the soldiers quickly got to work.

They thought it would be irksome to work for the kingdom's people, even if they were Gwen's guests, but not if they could get some booze. The plan to put a cruiser on the back of the truck was also abandoned.

Gwen walked out, dismayed at how cash-strapped they were, and Lutz and the others followed..

"Leftovers from sales, huh?"

Gwen asked Claudia with a smile.

"No, no, these are specially prepared for everyone."

"So Leftovers, huh?"

"...Yes, they are leftovers."

Claudia surrendered. She thought so, and Gwen nodded with an amused expression.

While the atmosphere of the village for veteran soldiers was similar to Listille's village on the kingdom's side, this place had much more vitality. When asked about the population, they were surprised to learn that there were around two thousand people. More than double the population on the kingdom's side.

"Where did the funds come from?"

Lutz asked. Although he felt it might be impolite to bring up money out of the blue, he wanted to know for the sake of Princess Listille, who was struggling with finances while managing her village.

"...I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that. It's something I haven't told anyone else."

Gwen said apologetically, and Lutz quietly backed off. His position was quite complicated, and there were likely things he couldn't reveal.

Forcibly prying further would probably go against the etiquette of men. This was Lutz's judgment criterion, as he had no understanding of negotiations and the like.

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