To the Curtis Village
The first morning in the Abbott region was spent at the mansion of the Tryon family, the ruling lords of the land.
As I woke up on a bed far more luxurious than anything in the knights’ barracks, a knock came at the door, followed by a voice requesting permission to enter.
"Come in."
After my brief response, a maid entered the room.
"Good morning, Master Justin."
Marietta, the maid, greeted me with a polite bow. I returned the greeting, "Good morning."
She was the head maid of the Tryon household—essentially the one who managed all the other maids. She seemed to be around my age, though she wasn’t the type to express much emotion. I had seen her several times the day before, but there had been no noticeable change in her demeanor.
Despite that, the other maids appeared to trust her greatly, clinging to her often. She felt less like a boss and more like a dependable older sister figure.
"Is something the matter?"
"N-no, it's nothing."
I had been staring at her without realizing it… Maybe she found it suspicious.
"Breakfast will be ready shortly."
"Understood."
She naturally led the conversation toward breakfast. I had intended to leave the mansion immediately, but since they were going so far as to prepare a meal for me, I might as well accept their hospitality. Besides, I was hungry after waking up.
As expected, breakfast was shared with Lord Doyle, the head of the household.
Even as a Holy Knight, I had never had the opportunity to dine with nobility. There had always been an invisible wall between the two classes… but that didn’t seem to exist here.
After finishing my meal, I returned to my room to grab my belongings. Then, as I stepped outside to retrieve my horse—
"You're taking your time, aren't you?"
For some reason, Lord Doyle and several butlers and maids were waiting for me.
Huh?
This situation… Don’t tell me—they're coming with me?
"Um, Lord Doyle?"
"The roads from here are complicated. You wouldn't reach your destination just by looking at a map. Besides, I happen to have business in that village today as well."
"In the village?"
For a lord to personally visit a village where his subjects lived… something serious must have happened.
Could the reason they welcomed me be to deal with this trouble?
Feeling a bit uneasy, I followed behind Lord Doyle’s carriage.
The journey to the village took about thirty minutes.
It was closer than I expected, and the roads weren’t particularly difficult to navigate.
… Was he really just looking for an excuse to accompany me?
The Curtis Village we arrived at was just as rumored—a true countryside settlement.
So this is my new workplace, huh?
Even so—
"There’s no one around."
I muttered it out loud without thinking.
That was how empty the village felt.
"There aren't many job opportunities here. The young ones move to big cities to chase their dreams."
It was a harsh reality, but I couldn’t blame them.
For people filled with ambition, the slow pace of this village wouldn’t suit them. If they had the ability to work hard, moving to the royal capital didn’t seem like a bad decision.
But that also meant the village was facing a serious depopulation problem.
Industry thrives on manpower. When young people leave in search of work, it results in the loss of a vital driving force for growth. Even if they wanted to develop the village to retain its population, the lack of manpower made it impossible—creating a vicious cycle of further decline.
"If only there were a dungeon here, a guild could generate some revenue…"
"A guild, huh… But we don’t have the know-how to run one."
"What if you invited external experts to manage it?"
"I don’t have any trusted adventurers or connections to introduce reliable personnel."
"I-I see…"
At this rate, further development seemed unlikely.
As we walked around the village, we finally spotted some people.
An elderly couple carrying baskets filled with freshly harvested vegetables saw Lord Doyle and immediately rushed over, looking concerned.
"Henry, Gina, no need to panic."
Lord Doyle gently reassured them.
Wait—he remembers the names of the villagers?
Even if there weren’t many people, that was impressive.
As he chatted with the elderly couple, a group of three small children came running up to him.
"Welcome, Lord Doyle!"
"What brings you here today?"
"Look! I’ve gotten taller again!"
The children called out cheerfully, their voices loud.
Any other noble would have frowned at the noise—or worse, ordered them to be silent.
But Lord Doyle didn’t show the slightest sign of displeasure. He crouched down to meet their eye level, responding to each child’s words with sincerity.
"So this is… the Tryon family’s lord, huh…"
"Surprising, isn’t it?"
A voice murmured next to me—it was Butler Brough, who had somehow appeared at my side without me noticing.
He was the head butler, much older than Marietta. Judging by his graying hair and beard, he seemed to be in his late fifties or early sixties. Apparently, he had served the mansion since the previous lord’s time.
"Yeah… You wouldn’t see a noble this close to his people anywhere near the royal capital."
"Indeed. From what I’ve heard, this has been the Tryon family's way for generations—long before the previous lord’s time."
"For that long…?"
This was the complete opposite of the impression I had of nobility.
After that, we began moving toward the village chief’s house to greet him.
What do you think about this chapter?
