Volume 1 - CH 7

Waiting for Spring

Translated by Raizu

Two days have passed since my father Rudolph and his entourage went hunting.

My brother Robel said [I’ll be back tomorrow], so I thought that there must be some kind of trouble. But, my mother Rushieno said that it’s a [common occurrence].

Well, when you’re dealing with nature, there’s no such thing as always on schedule.

During that period, the morning training was canceled, but I and Rolo had Giroude to teach us lessons in sword and shield.

Giroude was reluctant at first, but in the end he listened to my request due to his caring personality.

[Hyah, hyah, that’s not it… come on!]

I received a strong impact from the top of my shield and was blown away.

Giroude stabbed me. But even with a wooden sword it’s still a fairly powerful blow.

[Guk, that’s hurt…damn.]

When I fell and gasped in pain, Giroude stepped on me from above.

[If you fall asleep during battle, you’ll die.]

[…..I yield.]

After I surrender, it’ll be Rolo’s turn.

But, he was also quickly overturned and forced to yield.

[Rolo, stand up and hold your shield up… like that. Block with your shield… thrust with your sword, block with your shield, thrust with your sword. Shield! Sword! Shield! Sword!]

Giroude enthusiastically taught Rolo.

Giroude is actually a squire.

He might be dull, but he’s a formidable fighter on the battlefield.

He’s not someone a 7-year-old can do anything against.

The class system in the Kingdom of Amoros is roughly divided into four.

The first is the Lord class, such as nobles and knights, basically the ruling class.

The titles are Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron, and Knight.

There are also special honorary titles such as associate baronet and knighthood that are conferred only for one generation.

Next is the class called commoners and citizens.

They are common people with land and citizenship.

And squires are commoners who serve the lord of their own free will. The squires are the lord’s private army group, a small but standing army.

By the way, commoners have surnames.

And then come the free people, the landless class.

Many merchants and tenant farmers belong to this.

Having land and citizenship makes one a commoner, but failing to pay taxes will make one a slave.

It can be said that this status can change fairly easily.

Basically, foreigners are also considered free people.

And lastly there are the slaves.

They have no human rights, and their treatment is up to their master.

However, the population of the Amoros region is small, so there is not much difference in treatment. People are a precious resource.

Some say it’s easier since slaves don’t have to pay taxes or serve in the military.

Freed slaves are treated as free people, but in reality they tend to be seen as lower than free people.

By the way, it seems that it is customary to have a maximum of one social status difference in marriage.

In other words, the lord may marry off his daughter to his favorite squire, but the lord’s family and the free people will never marry.

Except for the slaves, everyone who lives in Rudolf’s mansion, including Giroude, is a squire.

Although there were only 14 of them right now, they seem to have left squires in the territory of Lioncoeur in case of emergencies.

[Thank you very much!]

I could hear Rolo’s voice.

While I was drowned in my own thoughts, Rolo’s turn seemed to be over.

It’s my turn again next.

I called out to Giroude, saying [Please] and raised my sword and shield.

[Young Master, you have this habit of swinging your sword when you’re supposed to thrust.]

Giroude showed an example by throwing thrusts several times, and I followed suit.

It appeared that the image of the japanese katana is still too strong in my mind, that I ended up using slashes more often.

The swords of the Amoros region are straight swords, and will break easily if swung around.

[Now come.]

[Here I go!]

Thus I challenged Giroude once more.

===========

After practicing hard for a while, Rudolph and the others returned from hunting.

Even from a distance, I could see that two people were carrying the deer.

[Jiro, isn’t that amazing?!]

[That looks like a big harvest. We’re going to be quite busy later]

Just as Giroude said, the mansion was in an uproar as soon as Rudolf and the others arrived.

Women and slaves must all come out to dismantle and process the prey.

The prey brought back by Rudolf and the others included a deer, a wolf, several rabbits, and a wild bird.

They also brought back a large amount of firewood.

Both Rolo and Giroude started to work busily, but I didn’t know what to do and felt awkward.

Both my father and mother were busy commanding the household members.

So I decided to go see my brother to hear his story.

He was in the middle of butchering a rabbit.

[Big Brother, is there anything I can help you with?]

[Hmm, let’s see…the firewood is already taken care of by the slaves…then, pull this part out for a bit.]

I followed Robel’s instructions and pulled the edge of the rabbit’s skin, and he peeled off the skin with a knife.

[It was such a big hunt. It’s amazing.]

[Right? It was amazing how Dekos killed the wolf that was lured by the smell of blood. The javelin he threw went whoosh]

I listened to Robel while nodding my head.

Dekos is one of the retainers, a strong squire about 30 years old.

[Alright, it’s done. I’ll be tanning the skin, so take the meat to the women.]

Saying that, Robel stood up while holding the rawhide.

Looks like he’s changing workspace.

=========

As an aside, let me introduce how to tan hide here.

If you’re not interested, please skip through.

The peeled skin is called “rawhide”.

As it is, the attached meat and fat will make it rot and unsuitable for use.

First is the “back plow”.

This is the work of scraping off the meat and fat on the underside of the skin with a spatula or knife.

Meat and fat must be removed carefully, since if you overdo it, holes will form in the raw hide, damaging it.

After “back plow” is done, the rawhide will be rinsed thoroughly with water.

Next is “fat removing”.

After simmering, wash it with hot water until it is no longer greasy… In modern times, it would be quicker to use detergent, but with medieval-level technology, there is no other way but to rub it carefully.

“Fat removing” is an important process that determines the quality of the hide.

Then, it is “soaked in a tanning solution”, and Alum is the most common tanning solution.

In the Amoros region, it seems that vegetable tannins are used in the tanning solution.

If you don’t have any tanning liquid, you can substitute it by “chewing”, but it would be difficult to produce a large amount of hide that way.

The leather is soaked in the tanning solution with a weight on top of it to keep it in place for several days (according to the author’s document, it is three days and three nights). If you alternate between the top and bottom, the unevenness will be reduced.

After that, the tanning liquid is washed with water, and the skin is softened by rubbing and stepping on it with a stick.

When it’s soft enough, it’s time for “drying”.

If it’s dry and you’re not satisfied with the texture, you can wet it again with water and step on it or rub it.

The key is to destroy the fibers until they become soft and dry well.

If you bang it on a board and stretch it out to dry, it will look good and can be sold at a high price.

The last step is “finishing”.

Scrub the inside with a brush or stick to cleanly remove shavings and make the thickness uniform.

Finally, let the flattened hair stand up and you’re done.

I think that if you tan a few pieces, you’ll be able to find your own tricks, key points, and useful tools.

I would like readers to take on the challenge.

By the way, there is a different kanji for leather before tanning and after tanning.

Now let’s get back to Varian Tanaka.

========

After that, the dismantling work continued, and by the time it had settled down, it quickly transitioned into the banquet.

Wine seems to be a valuable commodity in the Amoros region, but since the water isn’t exactly good, so instead of drinking water, they drink quite a lot of beer.

Today, everyone is having fun and making a lot of noise as they celebrate a good harvest.

The beer was like sake as it had no foam.

I was chewing meat in the corner with Rolo and Rona.

As expected, children don’t get alcohol.

[Eh, so the wolf will also be eaten!]

[Yes, it’s not very tasty, so it’ll be divided among the slaves.]

As Rona told me, my hands and mouth were greasy and greasy because I was biting into the meat with my hands.

[It’s salted and dried meat, isn’t it?]

[It’s not delicious], said Rolo while desperately chewing on the meat.

[It’s not delicious?]

[Yes, it can’t be helped since there is no food during the winter… salted food will spoils and gives you a stomach ache.]

It’s scary to imagine what it would be like to have a stomach ache after eating.

[Outside the mansion, some people die from winter sickness or the cold. Stomach ache is the least of my worries.]

Rolo spoke bluntly, but what the two children said was rather shocking.

…to even go as far as eating rotten meat…

The food situation seems to get worse during the winter, but even so, eating rotten meat is terrifying.

[Don’t you have winter vegetables?]

Since I’ve had the chance, I’ve decided to actively research.

I, Varian, a noble, can’t be used as a reference when it comes to the lives of commoners… their stories are valuable.

[Yeah, maybe turnips, cabbage, or green onions… But, winter vegetables are precious. We can’t grow vegetables when it snows after all.]

[We hang wrinkled onions and white beet roots!]

The two talked happily, but the content was not very pleasing.

I thought that the “winter sickness” that Rolo was talking about might be a lack of vitamins due to not eating vegetables.

When people become extremely deficient in vitamins, they become ill. Beriberi, scurvy, pellagra, and rickets. The symptoms that modern people know as vitamin deficiency are unknown to those who don’t know about vitamins. And it would be a terrible disease.

…..If I have the chance, I might want to try making sauerkraut as well….. if I’m not mistaken, I should be able to make it with salt and cabbage.

Sauerkraut is salted shredded cabbage that can be stored for several months.

Along with lime juice, it has a proven track record of being very useful in resolving vitamin deficiency among navigators during the Age of Exploration.

[What are white beets?]

[The leaves of white beets are delicious, but we slaves often eat the roots. It’s edible, although not that delicious.]

Rona told me about white beets, but I still haven’t seen the real thing, so I can’t imagine it.

It seems that winter vegetables are valuable, and white beets are also a food that I should know about since they have a lot of edible parts.

[White beets huh… I’m interested. Show me.]

[Alright. Follow me.]

Rona smiled at me.

When I looked around, I saw people lying on the ground drunk.

It seemed like the adults’ banquet was coming to an end.

=========

[Varian, come over here.]

After cleaning up the banquet, I was stopped by Rudolph when I returned home.

Rushieno was also there.

I remembered this atmosphere.

It’s when my parents scold me.

I obediently answered “yes” and approached.

[Varian, I hear you’ve been teaching letters and swords to slave children lately.]

I muttered [there it is] in my mind in response to Rudolph’s question.

I always knew that if I educate Rona and Rolo, slaves, one of these days my parents would scold me.

They say servants are easier to handle when they’re stupid and obedient. It’s the same even in this world.

Even when I was still Sei Tanaka, temporary workers and part-timers who talked about workers’ rights were avoided.

I think what Rudolph wanted to say was, “Don’t give wisdom and power to slaves”.

[Yes, Rona and Rolo have 『tolerance』 to forgive my past mistakes, 『diligence』 and 『modesty』. I learned the teachings of the Sacred Heaven from them, and they learned letters from me. We learned from each other. It’s hard to find friends like them.]

That was the answer I prepared in advance.

I just think that it would be difficult for my parents to object if [God] was brought up.

[Hmm, the teachings of Holy Heaven… Didn’t you learn them at church?]

[Yes, but Reverend Rinel said that the teaching is meaningless unless one can apply it in their daily life.]

Rushieno seemed pleased with that answer.

I had the feeling that she’s more religious than Rudolph.

[I’m glad you’re studying at the church, Varian. But… it’s going to be hard if you get along too well with Rona.]

Rushieno seemed to be worried about me and Rona becoming an item.

Rudolf had a child born to a concubine, so it was no wonder she’s worried.

[Yes, I know I can’t marry her… it’s true that we’re on good terms, but I’m a noble and she’s a slave.]

When I said it clearly, Rushieno let out a sigh of relief.

[While I was studying at the church, I had a big dream. To make that dream come true, we need 100… No, 10,000 Rona and Rolo.]

I stared at Rudolph strongly.

“Church” is a useful word in this society, so there is no reason not to use it.

[What dream?]

Rudolf solemnly opened his mouth. It was so powerful that I think he wasn’t drinking until just now.

I scolded myself to get rid of the pressure.

This is where I must hold out.

If my parents approve, I should be able to expand my activities in the future.

I strained my stomach.

[Yes, I want to create a land where everyone can live a cleaner, less hungry and colder life. To do that, I can’t do it alone. I need friends.]

Rudolf showed a slightly surprised expression, but his expression soon turned serious.

[Do you want the title of Earl?]

[No, I don’t care about the place. It doesn’t matter if it’s the capital or a foreign country, as long as I can make this dream come true.]

I immediately denied Rudolf’s concerns.

Rudolf let out a sigh.

[However, if you give power to your slaves, they will run away, and if you give them wisdom, they will rebel.]

Rudolf keeps asking questions, but I could see that he no longer treated me like children.

[Then, I’ll provide them more profit to make them stay.]

[I see, then that’s fine. You can’t bind people with just affection.]

Rudolf nodded gravely.

[Rushieno, when spring comes, return Varian to Lioncoeur. Give Varian an education as a warrior.]

[Just him on his own?]

Rudolf and Rushieno started discussing something.

…oh, has the wind turned unexpectedly?

I twisted my head in my mind.

[Varian, your goal requires strength. No one will obey a weak man. Train yourself in the land of Lioncoeur to become a warrior stronger than anyone else.]

I was so surprised that I forgot to reply.

I never thought that I would be leaving the royal capital.

[Fufu, are you surprised?]

[Yes, I am surprised.]

Rudolf muttered pleasantly, and I bowed my head obediently.

Rudolph recognized me early on and left me… it’s not something that can be done easily.

[I hope you’ll assist your brother.]

[Yes. I promise that there will be no rift between me and my brother.]

I swore to my father.

As I was also a father before, I understand his concerns.

Rushieno was flustered.

[Rushieno, we’ll be going back to Lioncoeur in the spring. We’ve lived in the Royal Capital for two years. It’s about time.]

[Ah… don’t surprise me like that, I felt like my heart was going to jump out.]

Rudolph and Rushieno began to create a friendly atmosphere, but they are both 32 years old and still young.

I can understand the bewilderment of the two… after all, this 7-year-old is actually 41 years old. I would hate to have a child like this.

However, the two are working hard to be proper parents for Varian… I bowed my head and thanked them.

[It’ll be in spring. Wait for spring to come.]

Rudolf placed his hand on Rushieno’s shoulder and headed to their room.

…maybe I’ll have a younger brother or sister soon…

I absent-mindedly watched my parents off while imagining something rude.

It’s a sudden development, but Lioncoeur may be more suitable for my goals than the Royal Capital, which is owned by someone else.

I made a fist pose. It’s a quiet guts pose.

When the Japanese Major League, who was called a pioneer, achieved a no-hitter and no-run streak, he struck the same pose. Of course, I was the only one who knew about it in this world.