Chapter 137: The Price of a Soldier

There were no inns in the Saligari village. They didn’t have a custom of welcoming outsiders.

Occasionally, travelers would stay at the chief’s house. This was both to hear stories from other lands and to keep them under observation.

Gwen and the others, who had quarreled and parted ways with the chief, couldn’t stay at his house. Instead, they managed to persuade a relatively large household to let them stay.

A famous domestic coward, a former slave, and a group of merchants from the kingdom. Everyone was a source of trouble and an object of scorn, but the landlord’s attitude changed when he was given a single gold coin, and he even prepared a meal and a bottle of wine for them.

Claudia and the others were unfamiliar with the taste of the wine. Gwen explained that it was quite exquisite. 

“It’s a pretty good product. This is the kind of stuff that’s brought out during festivals or New Year’s.”

Gwen made it clear that offering such wine to guests was a sincere welcome and that they had no intention of harming them. With that assurance, Gwen raised his cup. It was proper etiquette to finish the drink when presented with such a good wine.

Claudia felt like she was about to burst into laughter at the host’s quick change of attitude, but she quickly reconsidered. When the host received the gold coin, what might he have thought?

Perhaps he wasn’t blinded by greed but rather saw the coin as a way to feed his family. The problem of favoring only warriors in a village stricken by poverty seemed to run much deeper than anticipated.

The part of his neck that had been covered by a collar seemed to bother the former slave, as he scratched it while saying.

“My name is Nero, nice to meet you!”

Nero’s voice, despite the dire circumstances of the village, was oddly cheerful. It was as if the grim reality of the village and those who had enslaved him were entirely unrelated. He might have even wished for their demise due to their oppressive treatment.

“By the way, Nero, do you have anywhere to go from here?” 

Lutz asked with a slightly tipsy expression.

“Umu, it’s not something to boast about, but there’s really nowhere.”

“If it’s not something to boast about, then the ‘not boasting’ part wasn’t meant to be a prelude to boasting. You really aren’t boasting.”

“I have family back in my hometown, but…”

“Then why not just go back?”

While this seemed like a natural question for the family-oriented Lutz, Nero smiled wryly and shook his head.

“Just before I was sent off for military service, I found out my wife was cheating on me…”

“Ah, I see.”

“And it seems the child isn’t even mine…”

“I’m truly sorry.”

Lutz looked at Claudia, and she nodded heavily.

By the course of events, they had released the slave. Now that it had come to this, they couldn’t just abandon him.

Despite being a tribe that valued fighting and winning, they had easily freed a slave. Maybe they were thinking about disposing of him soon, considering the food supply was running low.

“Nero-san, as a veteran soldier, you might have to request acceptance from the princess,” 

Lutz suggested.

“And if Claudia asks, the princess would likely accept it gladly, right?”

Ricardo said there shouldn’t be any problem, but Claudia shook her head before answering.

“…That’s why it’s difficult.”

Even the third princess, Listille, who led the pioneering village, is struggling with finances. Still, if Claudia asked, she would likely try her best to make it work. With no one else to rely on, who else could offer a place for veteran soldiers?

“Hey, what does it mean for me to be entrusted to the princess? I hope you’re not referring to the second princess. Please, spare me; I might become a sex slave this time.”

Nero was needlessly worried. Even the infamous second princess had the right to choose, after all.

“Don’t worry. The third princess, Listille-sama, has established a village for displaced veteran soldiers. We’re suggesting you be accepted there.”

“Is there really a place for veteran soldiers? Oh, I see. So the country hasn’t abandoned us after all.”

Nero nodded contentedly, but he began to feel uneasy when he noticed the cool atmosphere around him.

“…What’s going on? Did I say something strange?”

“Nero-san, you’re not mistaken. What’s strange is the behavior of the people in power.”

“What happened?”

“Listille-sama established the pioneering village not as part of the nation’s policy, but on her personal initiative. While the royal family provided initial funding, they’ve since been left to fend for themselves.”

Claudia explained the situation, leaving out the kidnapping incident. She detailed the founding of the village, the financial difficulties, and their purpose in coming to the Allied Nations to expand trade.

Disappointment spread across Nero’s face after he finished listening.

“Ku, so it’s true that the soldiers were helped solely by one person’s goodwill…”

They were still abandoned by the country and considered a hindrance.

“Hey, tell me. Why do the nobles and aristocrats have to be so hostile to us? Weren’t we the ones sent to war by their orders?”

Claudia responded to Nero’s sense of tragedy with a feeling akin to a death sentence. She didn’t want to say it, but if she didn’t, he probably wouldn’t be satisfied.

“Soldiers are an expense just by their existence. And if there’s no war, there’s no purpose for them. The truth is, once you’ve fortified minimal defenses, you wouldn’t want to support them with your own money.”

It costs money to support them. It costs money to provide pensions. There are limits to the lands that can be divided among them. If they were to give lifetime pensions to all veteran soldiers, the finances would collapse immediately.

It’s all about money, a financial issue.

Harsh as it was, Claudia couldn’t bring herself to unilaterally blame the nobles. Managing a territory required enormous funds, and it was a natural inclination for a lord to want to minimize expenses.

What would happen if they favored only warriors and neglected the lives of commoners? The answer might lie in the Saligari village. It would become generally impoverished, and as a result, lower-ranking warriors would become unable to sustain themselves and turn to banditry. It’s a vicious cycle at its worst.

“I understand that we fight to protect the country. But at least, I wish they wouldn’t look away from the responsibility of sending people to their deaths…”

Neros bowed his head, his shoulders trembling. He might be crying. Everyone silently continued to drink, not saying a word.

Eventually, Nero raised his head and once again bowed to Claudia.

“Please take me to that village. While it’s not ideal to increase mouths to feed, I’ll definitely show that I can be useful.”

“Understood. I will also talk to the princess and make the request.”

“I’m grateful…”

This man might become a loyal subject of the princess someday. Claudia hoped for that.

After making sure the conversation had come to a close, Gwen stood up.

“Well, I’m going out for a bit.”

It was past 7 PM, and it was already dark outside. It seemed like a time when everyone was finishing dinner and preparing for sleep. Everyone found it strange that he was leaving at this hour.

“Are you going night crawling?” 

Ricardo made a trivial joke. Gwen frowned at it but soon smiled and replied.

“Well, something like that.”

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