"My lord, the remaining fish has been loaded!"
The whale that had washed ashore on the beach weighed at least twenty tons. It was a relatively small sperm whale, and Nalant and the others had cut away eight or nine tons of meat that afternoon.
After distributing meat to the serfs, nearly a thousand pounds of fish and several hundred pounds of whale oil remained.
"Good. Let's head back to the castle!" With a wave of his hand, Nalant led the party back, while the three wagons behind him were packed to the brim.
Once they got the whale meat back, he would have Thomas arrange for it to be dried into fish jerky, which the guards could eat later.
Although most nobles' guards weren't lucky enough to eat meat every day, Nalant knew it was impossible to build an elite force without sufficient protein.
Dark Creatures often invaded his territory, so he had to keep Quick and the other guards in good physical condition.
Next, he would begin putting them through intensive training, using methods from his previous life.
Night had fallen completely. Nalant led the party onward, and a little over an hour later, they finally reached Wheat Leaf Village.
"Vivian!"
As they passed the village square, Nalant saw Vivian stepping out of a stone house.
"My lord!"
"What are you doing out so late?"
"My lord, I was just sorting through the register and lost track of time," Vivian explained quietly.
Nalant nodded. Thanks to the enhanced vision of a Title Knight, he could still see how exhausted she looked, even in the dim light. His heart ached for her.
Though the girl had awakened her abilities, she had suffered from malnutrition for a long time, and her body was still very frail.
"Come up. I'll take you back." Nalant reached out to Vivian.
"Thank you, my lord!" Vivian's fair cheeks flushed slightly. After all, they were in full view of everyone, unlike last time, when everyone had been busy scrambling for meat soup.
Besides, perhaps it was just her imagination, but Vivian felt that her lord looked especially handsome today. He had always been handsome, but tonight, seeing him made her heart beat faster.
"Quick, keep a steady pace and make your own way back to the castle!" Once Vivian had settled in front of him, Nalant gave the order.
Then he urged his horse forward, taking Vivian with him at a brisk pace.
Feeling the cool night breeze and the lord's presence behind her, Vivian slowly closed her eyes.
It would be wonderful if things could always be like this! A shameful thought suddenly crossed Vivian's mind, but she quickly pushed it away. She knew it was impossible. After all, she was only a serf.
"Vivian, would you like to learn how to ride?" As her thoughts wandered, Nalant's voice reached her ears.
"Ah, may I, my lord?" Vivian was taken aback.
In this world, horses were precious commodities, about as expensive as sports cars had been in her previous life.
Even an old workhorse was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
In Storm Territory, aside from Nalant, probably only Thomas and Quick knew how to ride.
"Of course!" Nalant replied with a smile. "I'll start teaching you after dinner!"
As a future master archer, Nalant thought it was important for Vivian to learn to ride.
After all, she wasn't good at close combat. If she learned to ride, she'd be much safer if a battle broke out.
"Thank you, my lord!" Vivian's heart was filled with sweetness. She wasn't especially eager to learn to ride, but her lord's kindness made her feel a warmth she had never known before.
When he brought Vivian back to the castle, Thomas was already waiting eagerly.
"Welcome back, my lord!" The moment the warhorse stopped, Thomas immediately took hold of the reins.
"Thomas, Quick will be bringing back several wagonloads of fish soon. Arrange for it to be stored properly, then have the servants make two pots of meat soup so they and the guards can enjoy a good meal." Nalant dismounted, pleased, and gave Thomas his instructions.
"You are truly a kind and generous lord. I'm sure they'll be grateful, my lord. Your bathwater is ready, and dinner is prepared as well. You can eat as soon as you've washed up!"
After enjoying a relaxing hot bath and finishing dinner, Nalant began teaching Vivian to ride.
The horse he chose for Vivian was his own mottled horse, named Little Flower.
It wasn't as good as a proper warhorse, but it had received some basic training and understood simple commands.
In the castle's front courtyard, the guards watched enviously as Vivian received instruction from their lord.
Of course, they knew there was no point envying her. Not only was Vivian a Title Knight, but their lord would never give them a "hands-on" lesson while sharing a horse with him.
The next morning, before dawn, the serfs of Storm Territory began heading out with baskets slung over their shoulders.
They weren't getting up so early to work. Instead, they were preparing to visit the neighboring Barony of Quinte.
Each of them had received over fifty pounds of fish the previous night, which meant they wouldn't have to worry about going hungry for the next few months.
But the thrifty serfs wanted to take the opportunity to sell some of the fish and trade it for other necessities, especially salt, which was essential for preserving fish.
The journey from Storm Territory to the Barony of Quinte wasn't far. It took only half a day.
By noon, the people of Storm Territory had reached White Salt Town in the Barony of Quinte.
Inside Quinte Baron Castle, Quinte was enjoying a sumptuous lunch. The broad dining table was laden with honey-roasted bread, mushroom soup, fresh grilled fish, a platter of fruit and vegetables, and, most precious of all, an entire cut of monster meat. The meal was worth more than a gold coin.
"My lord, something incredible has happened in town!" Just as Baron Quinte was eating heartily, a servant brought a guard in to report.
"What is it?" Reluctantly setting down the monster meat, Quinte wiped the grease from his hands on his clothes and asked impatiently.
"My lord, there's a lot of fish in town—great big pieces of white fish, at least a thousand pounds' worth. And it was all brought by those unlucky folk from Storm Territory!" The guard stole a glance at the food on the table and swallowed before answering.
"Hmm? A thousand pounds of fish? How did those unlucky folk from Storm Territory get it?" Quinte was startled. He couldn't help glancing at the grilled fish on his table. It was a delicacy he could enjoy only occasionally, even with two servants he'd specifically trained to fish.
"Apparently, their lord gave it to them!"
"That Land of Misfortune has a new lord again? Come on, let's go see!" Quinte couldn't be bothered to finish eating. He headed straight out of the dining hall.