Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Candice’s eyes flew wide open as she shouted. Luke stuck his tongue out at her with a taunt before she could catch him and ran off toward the village. Once he had gotten far enough that she couldn’t catch him, he turned around sharply and raised his voice.
“No matter what anyone says, I’m definitely going to come see noona, so wait for me!”
After that, Luke entered the Black Forest countless times to find the witch as he had declared. But he never again found the gap between the trees where the light had seeped out. He went into the forest and challenged it over ten times with his father or while avoiding his father’s eyes, but it all ended in failure. He could never meet the witch even once.
Had she hidden herself because she was offended by the kiss he gave without permission? It was as if meeting the witch that night had been a single night’s dream.
A disappointed Luke no longer entered the Black Forest, and Candice seemed to remain as a memory of his faint first love.
* * *
Leaving behind his first love that left only scars, Luke grew into a young man. His father had passed away not long ago, and the man who inherited his fields and became a proper farmer was, regrettably, not at all interested in farming. He had been forced to help with the work because of his father’s pressure, but he fundamentally had no interest in fieldwork.
Then a poster caught Luke’s eye. Asking in the name of the king. Are there no brave young men to join the monster subjugation squad? It was a notice to sweep out the monsters that had recently appeared in large numbers near the border. Those who could handle a sword or bow were given preference, but perhaps due to a lack of manpower, even beginners who had never held a weapon could apply.
The only things required were a strong mental fortitude that didn’t fear monsters and a heart to save the country, apparently.
Mental fortitude and a heroic spirit aside. What caught Luke’s eye was the reward given upon completion of the subjugation.
Simply applying and participating in the subjugation earned you 100 gold coins. On top of that, if your contributions were recognized, you could even be granted a territory, so he couldn’t help but be tempted.
“You’re the strongest man in the village. Shouldn’t you give it a try then?”
The man next door and the mill owner he had frequented since childhood both talked him up, so his interest grew even more. A title or territory might be too much greed, but anyway, 100 gold coins wasn’t money that just fell into your lap.
Luke applied for the subjugation squad without much hesitation. As a result, his choice was very successful. He achieved great merit in the monster subjugation and left a strong impression of his name with the king.
He even received a territory, which he never thought he would actually get. When he returned to his hometown three years later, he had become someone called Lord instead of Luke.
“Father would have been happy if he could have seen this.”
He was incredibly proud to see the people of his hometown welcoming him, the hero of the subjugation squad. But this pride didn’t last very long.
His wealth had increased after receiving generous rewards from the king, but that was no secret. There were far too many people who encouraged his extravagance now that he had just become a lord and was excited, and too many who aimed for the still vacant spot beside the lord, the position of the lord’s wife.
Even Mr. Creven, knowing that he liked his sweets, would come to offer sweets.
“I have brought the finest sweets from our shop, my lord. I hope they suit your taste.”
Apparently the man who had fiercely chased away the child drooling while watching through the window wasn’t Mr. Creven. Luke was flabbergasted by his attitude that had flipped like the palm of a hand.
Still, he was interested since they were said to be the finest sweets. He accepted them with thanks and ate, but as expected, they fell short of expectations. No sweets could compare to the cookies stuck to the witch’s house wall and the chocolate door in terms of taste.
“Is that noona still living in the Black Forest….”
The more he grew sick of people, the more he found himself looking back on his beautiful memories. The single night he spent with Candice was a regular that frequently came to mind.
Then one day. A report reached his ears that monsters seemed to have appeared in the Black Forest.
“But there has never been a single case in history of monsters coming down this far. They probably just mistook a wild animal or a tree shadow.”
Even the servant who reported it backed off, saying he had only heard it from his cousin so it wasn’t very credible. That fellow had often made unbelievable and strange claims since way back.
But that was enough of a justification. Luke said it was a serious matter and that he would go check immediately.
“Who would step up if not me?”
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