I'll Trust You This Once

In a daze, Hozzenplozz had several stamps placed on the back of his right hand.

The alchemists had created a dye using several herbs and minerals that was difficult to wash off skin. It was initially used for dyeing cloth, and legend had it that someone had both sides of their buttocks amputated because their pants bled color. Later, it was used for body painting in certain special circumstances.

Many of the people managing the refugee camps were students from Weissenburg University, marked by their distinctive red hats.

"Can you read?" the student who stamped him asked Hozzenplozz.

Hozzenplozz replied, "A little."

The student pointed to the bottom row of letters and numbers on the back of his hand and said, "This is the number of the tent where you and your aunt will be staying. You'll go wash up and get your supplies in a bit. Someone will take your aunt, and then she'll be brought to the tent."

Hozzenplozz subconsciously agreed. Then, an older woman wearing a yellow hat came over, asked for their names, and led Old Mrs. Kaspar away.

"Let's go," the student wearing the red hat said, pointing to a large tent in the distance. "Go there to wash up first, change your clothes, get your things, and then you can eat."

As soon as he mentioned food, Hozzenplozz obediently followed.

He walked to the front of the large tent and smelled hot water and what seemed to be the scent of some medicinal herbs. The ground was made of wooden planks laid on stones.

As he entered the large tent, a red hat immediately asked him, "Do you have anything valuable on you?"

Hozzenplozz shook his head.

The red hat asked again, "Is it okay to change out of your old clothes?"

Hozzenplozz shook his head again.

Then he was ordered to take off all his clothes.

Hozzenplozz hesitated slightly, then was held down by four large men in boxer briefs who stripped him completely. All the hair on his body, except for his eyebrows, was shaved clean.

Hozzenplozz, stark naked, was pushed behind the curtain inside the tent. There were individual cubicles made of cloth curtains here, with several large tubs of hot water in the central passage. The smell of medicinal herbs came from here.

"Do you want to wash yourself or should I help you?"

The voice of another bald, large man brought him back to his senses.

"I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself!"

Hozzenplozz made his choice.

He was then given a wooden bucket and a brush. He filled a bucket with the medicated water and scrubbed himself clean in the cubicle.

"This is soap paste," the bald, large man said, bringing over a wooden bucket. "Wash yourself again with this."

Hozzenplozz scooped some sticky, sulfur-smelling soap paste with his hand, smeared it all over his body, and scrubbed again with the brush. At this point, the bald, large man helped him by bringing over a bucket of hot water. A piece of linen cloth was placed on the edge of the bucket.

After finishing his bath and drying himself with the linen cloth, he followed the big man's instructions and took the linen towel to another curtained area.

There were many shelves here, piled high with clothes.

Like everyone else, he received a pair of boxer briefs, a short-sleeved pullover shirt, a pair of long pants, and a pair of straw sandals. After getting dressed, another stamp was placed on the back of his hand.

When he walked out of the other side of the large tent, he received a large piece of linen cloth, a Plastic Bag containing a bowl and spoon, and another stamp. This was his blanket and his Cutlery for eating.

Someone wearing a yellow hat saw him standing there in a daze and led him to the tent where he would be staying, informing him that he could only go eat when the bell rang.

Hozzenplozz sat in the tent in a daze. On the other side was Old Mrs. Kaspar, also in a daze, holding her small stone mill in her arms.

"What should I do next?" Hozzenplozz finally had time to think about the future. "Should I go back to being a notorious bandit in some mountain forest?"

But being a bandit is also hard work. You're constantly on edge, and sometimes you have to hunt. If you tried to sell the furs you caught, merchants would think you stole them and wouldn't dare to buy them.

The sound of the bell interrupted his thoughts. Hozzenplozz pulled Old Mrs. Kaspar and went to the dining area, carrying the bag with their Cutlery.

He didn't need to ask for directions this time; he just followed the others.

They each received two bowls: one for soup and one for a multi-grain steamed bun.

As he was about to get his soup, a voice saying "Grandma?" startled Hozzenplozz.

Frederick was in his tent discussing matters concerning the camp with old Franz. Just then, someone arrived with four people. He had seen two of them today; two were wearing yellow hats.

Old Mrs. Kaspar's grandson, Kaspar, had been swept away by the water but was pulled onto a tree not far downstream by his friend Zoppel, who had climbed it. However, the tree was soon uprooted, and the two of them drifted downstream on it for three days and three nights.

They were rescued by kind people downstream, but Kaspar fell ill. Zoppel had taken care of him, and by the time Kaspar recovered and returned to the village, the people had already fled.

The two of them followed the fleeing people, asking for news along the way. They finally heard some news about Old Mrs. Kaspar, but they took a wrong turn halfway and ended up arriving at the camp a few days early. They were currently working in the kitchen.

"You're that Hozzenplozz?" Old Franz exclaimed in surprise after hearing the whole story. "That notorious bandit?!"

Hozzenplozz, tied up securely, had a ashen face and nodded.

Frederick looked at him quietly, thought for a moment, and asked, "Why did you save Old Mrs. Kaspar?"

"I'll give you one chance to answer. You must tell the truth. I can tell if you're lying."

He couldn't actually tell if someone was lying, but it was enough that Hozzenplozz believed he could.

Hozzenplozz said dejectedly, "I couldn't just run off and watch her get swept away by the flood, could I? I would have nightmares."

Frederick nodded and said solemnly, "I can see that you are essentially a good person."

"If Kaspar and Zoppel are willing to forgive you, I will pretend not to know about your past actions. You can also come and live in Wessen Territory, but any illegal or criminal behavior will be punished according to the law."

Hozzenplozz suddenly looked up, staring incredulously at Baron Weissen, whom he had met once before. Then he turned his head, looking at Kaspar with anticipation.

"I'm willing to forgive him this once," Kaspar said. "He saved Grandma."

Zoppel also said, "I'm willing to forgive him this once too."

Frederick nodded and asked Hozzenplozz, "Can you promise to live honestly from now on and not commit any more crimes?"

Hozzenplozz immediately replied, "I promise I can!"

Frederick said, "I'll trust you this once. Go eat first."

When Hozzenplozz walked out of the tent, his feet felt like they were treading on clouds, floating and unreal.

The next day, he put on a yellow hat and became a lumberjack.

After finishing work that day, he took a wooden tag representing the heavy labor he'd done and went to the mess hall.

The steaming pea soup in the pot smelled so good; he could have two bowls.

The steamed bread in the steamer was made of pure flour, freshly baked, warm and soft. Placed on a mat made of fresh straw, it carried an extra hint of wheat aroma. He could have two loaves.

For some reason, Hozzenplozz felt this was the best meal he had ever eaten in his life.

But there was still a slight regret in his heart because he hadn't cut the most wood in the team that day. Otherwise, he could have gotten a small piece of cheese.