Chapter 280

Yanchinus opened his eyes in the barn to see a girl holding a pitchfork.

“W-who are you?” the girl asked in a frightened voice with the tip of her pitchfork held against Yanchinus' neck.

“Give me something to drink and eat and I will reward you.”

Yanchinus remained unfazed. His calm tone had the dignity characteristic of nobility.

“S-sorry?” The girl replied, dumbfounded.

It felt as if she were standing before a lord.

“I don't have anything to give right now, but I promise that I will reward you.”

“What are you talking about asking for food after you’ve barged into someone else's barn?”

“What is your name?”

Yanchinus ignored the girl's words and just said what he wanted.

“Frey.”

“That's a pretty name. Now, would you mind removing that farming tool from my neck?”

Yanchinus slowly pushed the girl’s pitchfork aside and stood up with a limp.

“Are you hurt?” Frey asked.

“Don't worry about it. Where is this place? Do you know the name of the lord here?”

The limping man was too confident for someone who had sneaked into a barn.

‘Is he a noble?’

The man before her did not seem like an average, ordinary person.

“This is Haifa...”

“This is Count Haifa’s domain? I’ve come farther south than I thought.”

The sleep had cleared his head, and the geography of the empire came to Yanchinus' mind.

‘This isn’t actually that bad. If pursuers were on my trail, they would have expected me to take the shortest route possible, not drift down here...’

Yanchinus looked at Frey, who seemed to be of marriageable age.

“Where is your husband?”

“I am not married!”

Frey snapped for the first time, making Yanchinus shrug at her overreaction.

“Can I stay in this barn for another day or two, and could you keep it a secret?”

“Why should I?”

“As I said before, I will reward you. Is there anything you want? Money? Jewels?”

“You look like you don’t have a single cil to your name, so how could I trust you?”

Yanchinus laughed cheerfully at Frey's scrutiny.

‘To think I, the ruler of the world, would hear such words. But I can’t reveal myself as the emperor here.’

The political world was in chaos. Emperor Yanchinus reigned only because he had the power to do so. If a local noble discovered his identity while he was unguarded, there was no telling what might happen.

‘I need to inform a noble who is loyal to me that I am here.’

The emperor had confiscated many nobles' lands and properties. His power base was not the support of many nobles but the army as the professional soldiers were loyal to the emperor who paid their salaries, not their hometown lords.

Throughout his reign, Yanchinus pursued centralization, and many nobles became his enemies in the process.

‘I can’t trust Count Haifa.’

Frey also did her own thinking while Yanchinus was contemplating,

She was the first to speak up, “Are you a high noble? Higher than Lord Haifa?”

“I’m definitely not lower, I’ll say that much,” Yanchinus replied.

“Then I’ll keep you hidden. Promise you’ll reward me.”

As Yanchinus and Frey were talking, someone else approached from outside the barn.

“Sis? Who’s that?”

A sturdy boy entered the barn and grabbed Yanchinus by the collar.

“Stop it, Clion! He’s a nobleman!”

“A n-noble?”

“You must be Frey's brother, so I will forgive your insolence. By the way, you have a decent build. Why haven't you enlisted?”

Clion had a large stature for a commoner, and his demeanor was rather aggressive, suggesting he spent his youth playing the leader in the streets. Clion let go of Yanchinus and looked at Frey.

An argument ensued between the siblings.

“What are you going to do if Father finds out you're hiding this person? We should inform the lord.”

“He said he would reward us if we hid him.”

“Reward? Do you actually believe that? What if he's a criminal?”

“B-but...”

Frey half-sobbed while Clion sighed.

“Is this about the thing?” Clion asked.

“I really don’t want to do it.”

“You’d only have to be his concubine for ten years at most, and if you manage to have his child, you can live worry-free on the lord's money for the rest of your life. So what's the issue here?”

“I don't like that fat and stinky man. I get goosebumps just looking at him.”

“It's a better life than marrying a poor farmer and working the fields for the rest of your life, especially in a time like this! You’re an adult now, aren’t you? How are you so immature? What, are you planning to run away, or something? What’s going to happen to me, Father, and our siblings if you do that? Grow up!” Clion spoke harshly, his tone suggesting he was the eldest son.

Yanchinus roughly understood the situation based on what he had heard from eavesdropping. It was a common occurrence in the civilized world.

‘Seems like Frey is becoming the concubine of the lord's son here. That explains why she asked if I held a higher status than the lord.’

Yanchinus’ womanizing was well-known among the central nobility, so he wasn’t a stranger to this situation.

“Hah, you know what, I don’t even know anymore. I’m going to tell Father.”

“Clion, do you really want me to be with such a person? Truly?”

Frey pleaded with her younger brother.

“Then what do you want me to do? What about Father and our siblings? Should they all starve to death because of you? Do you think this is easy for me? You know I want to stab that bastard in the face, but enduring it is what being an adult is about. How long will you act like a child?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Don’t tell Father, Clion, please. Just in case this man can actually...”

Clion bit his lower lip, frowning.

“Do whatever you want. I’ll tell the kids not to go to the barn.”

“Thank you, Clion. You’re the best brother in the world.”

Frey hugged Clion and patted his head. Although Frey was shorter, she still had the presence of an older sister.

Seeing that the argument was over, Yanchinus asked again, “Now, if you're done talking, bring me some food and drink. I don't know how many times I've said it today, but I will reward you later.”

Frey nodded and, before leaving the barn, asked Yahimnchinus, “Oh, by the way, what is your name, sir?”

“You can call me Yan.”

Frey brought some modest food and left the barn. It was a half-rotten apple and a piece of bread with a hint of mold.

Yanchinus’ eyes widened at the sight of the food that looked worse than the food waste of the imperial palace.

“This is disgusting,” Yanchinus complained as he forced the food into his mouth.

Clion, who was cleaning the barn, frowned as he listened to Yanchinus' grumbling.

“There are plenty of people who can’t even have that, sir. The lords empty our granaries to give to the barbarians, and then also scrape every last bit of it for the Imperial Army’s supplies. Our family is somewhat better off because our sister is to become the young master's concubine, but other families are lucky to even get one meal a day.”

“So you’re basically telling me to be grateful and just eat it.”

“You are a smart man, sir. As you can see, I don't believe a word you’re saying, unlike my sister. If you were truly a high noble, you'd be talking to the lord by now instead of hiding in a barn like this. I'm just letting you be for my sister's peace of mind. Leave when you’re well enough,” Clion spoke curtly.

“Clion, was it? Can I ask you to get me some parchment and tools to write a letter, along with some sealing wax?”

“Did you not hear what I said earlier? You saw the food we gave you; how do you expect me to get those things when we can’t even put proper food on the table?”

“If you’re okay with having your sister get taken away by a pig, feel free to disregard my request.”

Clion, who had been moving hay, stopped and stared at Yanchinus.

“I know nobles like you don't see us as humans, and I know you won't do such a thing for my sister, so I don’t want to get involved in troublesome matters. Besides, there's no way I can get those tools.”

“You seem capable enough to steal some from somewhere,” Yanchinus said slyly.

Clion burst out laughing and replied, “Steal? Good grief! Do you want to see my hand chopped off?”

There was no reason to risk his life for a self-proclaimed noble he knew nothing about.

“Clion, you’re turning down the biggest opportunity of your life.”

Yanchinus gave up persuading and lay down on the haystack as his stomach growled with hunger despite having eaten.

He spent the rest of the day resting to let the rest of the swelling and pain in his ankle subside.

‘I should steal a horse or something and make a move by tomorrow.’

Night was deepening. As evening fell, the farmhouse grew quiet with the exception of the occasional laughter and conversation coming from outside the barn.

“Clion, why can’t I go into the barn?”

It was the voice of a young child.

“It’s because I’ve just cleaned it top to bottom, and you’re just going to mess it all up. So stop asking now.”

Clion kept his promise and prevented anyone from entering the barn.

Yanchinus watched the outside through the gaps in the wooden planks.

‘Clion is a decent fellow. He keeps his promises and knows how to protect his family.’

There was no way a mere farmer’s son could prevent Frey from becoming the concubine of the lord’s son. It was a necessary sacrifice to protect the rest of the family.

Overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve one's will was difficult for ordinary people, and a mere farmer’s son would need divine blessings to oppose a lord.

‘Unless you’re Urich, that is.’

If Clion were Urich, he would have stormed into the lord’s quarters with an axe, caused a ruckus, and still made it out alive. But not everyone could be such extraordinary heroes.

‘To think I’d end up like this because of a mere barbarian.’

Yanchinus chucked. Emperor Yanchinus was born with everything and could do whatever he wanted, so it was only natural that he sought great achievements that other people deemed impossible.

‘But I’m losing everything to a barbarian who only has the blessing of the gods.’

Yanchinus dared to cross the Sky Mountains and explore the Eastern Continent because he had little faith. He defied the will of the gods, standing at the pinnacle of the human world.

“Heyyyy!”

A strange voice called out from outside. A nobleman on horseback was loitering in front of the farmhouse accompanied by three or four thugs.

“Freeeeey! My girl!”

It was a drunken young nobleman.

‘That must be the son of Count Haifa.’

The noble, just as fat as the rumors, kept calling Frey’s name.

Unable to bear it, Frey’s father and Clion rushed out.

“Young master, it is not yet the promised day! Please wait a little longer...” The father pleaded earnestly.

“Ugh, it’s not even a formal marriage! Are you saying the grace I’ve been showing you is not enough? You arrogant fools!”

“We are undoubtedly grateful for your grace—in fact, no amount of gratitude is enough. But...”

“I want to take that girl tonight! Frey, I am here! Let’s have a sweet night together!”

At the fat man’s gesture, the thugs dismounted and tried to enter the house.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, young master? I don’t care how desperate you are, keep your basic formalities!”

A commotion erupted inside the house. Furniture was broken, and the cries of a child and a woman were heard.

“What the hell are you doing in my house, you piece of shit!”

Clion grabbed a thug by the shoulder and swung his fist to start a fight with the thugs. Clion fiercely beat the thugs without backing down, and the intimidated thugs awkwardly retreated from the house.

“Young master, I don’t think we can take the girl unless we kill that guy. Should we kill him?”

The thugs looked at the sword hanging from the horse and asked.

“I-it’s almost the promised day anyway, s-so there’s no need to kill him and ruin the mood. But I will not forget this!”

The fat man, seemingly sobered up, drily coughed and rode away as Clion watched them, spitting blood-mixed phlegm on the ground.

Yanchinus, who had been watching the fight through the gap in the barn, chuckled. While someone was risking their life fighting barbarians, a commotion erupted here over a single woman.

“Kek, keke.”

Laughter kept escaping. The great battle that determined the fate of the empire was meaningless to the people here who were busy worrying about tomorrow and only cared about their immediate desires.

Thud!

As Yanchinus lay down to sleep, the barn door opened. Yanchinus twisted his lips as he saw a shadow silhouetted against the moon.

“Sir, is the promise from earlier still valid?” Clion asked with his face swollen.

“Of course, it is. It’s a promise between two men.”