Arc II – Agrarian Revolution
Chapter 11 – This World
1 month and 6 days since the summoning
Alan sat on the same terrace, and opposite him was Kamelia, who was preparing parchment and a quill.
It had gotten just a bit cooler outside; instead of the usual scorching sun, the sky was increasingly overcast with gray, rainless clouds, but the southern part of the continent remained warm.
“So, Alan…” Kamelia began, her face as calm as always.
“I wrote down in detail what you told me about the four-field system…
or at least what I remembered, and I want to verify if it is all correct.” She held the parchment out to him, but instantly stopped herself.
“Ah, you do not know how to read this language.
Then just listen.” She placed the parchment in front of her and began to read, but Alan only half-listened, his head propped on his hand.
‘Looking at you, no one would say you sold yourself and your future…
still as calm and collected as always.
Giving off absolutely no signs.
I’d envy that kind of self-control.
And…
how did she even manage to fill several parchments from a couple of stories?
…
or the answer is obvious as to why…’
“…in the second year we plant in Part One…”
‘That’s important, of course…
but right now my main priority is Tsinker Utew…
how the hell do I even contact him?
How do I find him?
I think he’s literally in the neighboring lands…
but still so far.
And there’s really no one to even ask…
if I ask Kamelia…
or maybe…
why not?
That doesn’t reveal that I already know everything…
and it makes perfect sense, considering I was constantly whining about iron.’
“…and in the fourth year in Part Three…” Kamelia continued.
Alan simply raised a hand.
“You don’t need to continue.
It’s exactly as I said.”
‘Fuck…
you’re such an asshole, didn’t even listen to what she memorized…
but saying I wasn’t listening is even worse.’
Kamelia stopped, and then set the parchment aside.
“Are you certain it is all correct?”
Alan nodded.
“Yeah, but we’re still a long way from that.”
She sighed.
“Yes…
we need to get new plows and seeds from somewhere.
This is a task for…
months, definitely.”
“Two or three,” Alan corrected.
“We’re hardly going to get anything done in the winter, it’ll be cold.”
Kamelia raised an eyebrow.
“Well…
actually no.
It is quite warm here in the winter.”
Alan froze.
“What do you mean…
warm?
How warm?
Is there snow at all?”
“I know what snow is, but I have never seen it in my life.
It does not fall here.
As for the warmth…
it is not that it is very warm, simply…
cool, perhaps?
I do not know how to explain it to you, I never thought about it.”
He simply nodded.
‘Uh-huh…
so the climate here is pretty warm.
Let’s start with the fact that I don’t even know where we are on the world map, so it’s warm here either because of warm ocean currents, or because of climatic zones…
speaking of the world, does she have any idea about it at all?
Highly doubt it, but…
I’ll ask.’
“Listen, do you guys even have a map of the world?”
The girl shook her head.
“I personally do not; I have heard that only the king and powerful dukes have them.
They are a very expensive luxury.
But I can tell you what I know.”
He leaned back in his chair.
“Yeah…
I’d really like to know.”
Kamelia sat up straighter, something flashing in her eyes.
“Then look, I know little and not precisely, but I know something.
To the north, Groliria borders Faarkia, a rather old and wealthy country, and I heard they elect their kings.”
Alan almost choked on his breath.
“Elect?!”
Kamelia nodded, sighing.
“Yes, I was surprised myself.
Also to the north, Groliria borders…
I believe…
Kanbannia; to the east are the Dwarven Mountains, but you already know that, and a bit to the south…
Innopose, I think.
Those are all our kingdom’s neighbors, and beyond that…
I do not know much.”
Alan leaned closer.
“I don’t care if it’s not much, I’m listening.”
Kamelia froze for a second.
“Very well.
The Arumelian Empire, you already know about that.
Not far from it is Yorgania, a merchant state of independent cities.
And in the very north lies The Sacred Svyatolian Lands, or simply Oronda, where the High Priest of the Holy Scripture presides.”
Alan didn’t move, digesting this.
‘Oh…
this world…
it’s not as simple as I thought.
An electoral monarchy, merchant cities, an empire, a theocracy…
and she doesn’t even know everything.
And here I am digging around in some miserable county…
yeah.
Alright, screw it.’
Kamelia placed her hands on the table.
“There are more countries, but those are all the ones I know of.”
Alan didn’t answer, he just stared blankly at the table, blinking, digesting it all.
The countess allowed herself a slight smile, and immediately returned her face to its usual expression.
Alan finally shook his head.
“Alright, that’s very interesting…
but right now, in the shithole we’re in, that won’t help us.”
She immediately nodded.
“Yes, I agree.
So, do you have any ideas?”
He licked his lips.
“What do you know about Baron Utew’s heirs?”
Kamelia’s face remained unreadable this time.
“And why do you need to know that?”
Alan narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Aside from him, there’s no way for us to get the amount of iron we need.
I think we can somehow try to talk to his heirs.”
Kamelia was silent for a few seconds.
“Then listen.
The eldest son…” she stumbled slightly.
“Zinder…
quite a typical nobleman, as you can imagine.
The middle one, Linter, strongly dislikes his older brother out of envy that he will inherit the lands.
The youngest, Tsinker, he is…” she scratched her eyebrow.
“He is quite strange, but overall a decent person.
Always…
calm, to the point that it is a little frightening.
That is it.”
Alan slowly nodded.
‘Just look at that…
how smoothly she dodges the facts about marriage.
Alright.
Basically the same thing Golna told me.’
“I see…
and can you put me in touch with one of them?”
Kamelia clenched her fists slightly in her lap.
“Why do you need to?
Their…
father, the baron, is already old, they are tearing each other’s throats out for their lands.
It is not the…
best idea.”
“But why?
We essentially have no other way to get iron and start the agricultural revolution.”
‘Kamelia, Kamelia…
I almost feel sorry for you.
Wanting to hide the fact of the suitor consideration, and to start changing something in these lands…
you’re not much different from me.
You also find problems for yourself.’
Kamelia was silent for a full minute, her eyes darting across the table, and her heart beating frantically; fortunately for her, Alan couldn’t hear those heavy, rapid beats, and finally she exhaled almost imperceptibly.
“Very well.
I will try…
only I advise against dealing with Zinder,” she said quickly.
“He is no better than his father.”
Alan nodded.
“Alright.
I’d…
like to see the youngest.”
Her shoulders immediately relaxed slightly.
“Understood.
But as you understand, this will take time…
perhaps three or four days.”
1 Month and 6 Days Since the Summoning
Early in the morning, when the sun had barely begun to rise, Alan sat by a window in the corridor, looking out into the courtyard.
He had bags under his eyes, but sleep still eluded him.
‘Damn…
why has so much shit piled up all at once lately?
This marriage, the psychological games, the fields, the barons who dream of hanging me by the balls…
and Kamelia is under as much stress as I am right now, if not worse.
Fuck…
and how do I sort out this mess?
What am I gonna say to this Tsinker?
“Hey, I’m Alan, I need iron that your old man stubbornly refuses to give”?
I know almost nothing about him anyway.
I’ll have to improvise.’
Suddenly there was movement in the castle courtyard; Alan peered closer, hiding slightly.
Kamelia, without Lorgi, but with five guards, was preparing horses.
Alan peered closer.
‘Looks like she’s going to personally visit the Utew barony.
But why on horses?
Why not a carriage?
Doesn’t look like an official visit…
unless she just needs to be fast.’
No one wasted any time in the courtyard; three minutes after they all appeared, all six of them quickly hopped onto their horses and rode out of the castle grounds.
Alan stepped away from the windowsill.
‘Okay, alright, they’re gone.
And what do I do now?
I’m not gonna sit around scratching my balls…
well, three or four days…
right!
There has to be a library somewhere here!’
He immediately went down the stairs; the castle was completely empty, dark, and cool since the sun hadn’t risen yet.
His footsteps echoed hollowly through the corridors, and he turned toward that very kitchen and opened the door.
Inside sat a few servants: an old man, two young maids, an older woman, and a young guy.
They were sitting at the kitchen tables drinking some sort of tincture and talking about something.
“…he does not love her, I am certain of it, Gorgen simply wants to take her father’s inheritance,” the older woman said.
“That cannot be!
I saw them at a feast here a few months ago, he doted on her!” the young girl objected.
The old man snorted.
“Believe me, when ten villages and a castle are at stake, you would treat a pig like a bride.
Have you even seen his second wife?
A good quarter of the taxes goes to feeding her.”
All the servants laughed, when suddenly the young guy turned to the doors, and his smile instantly vanished.
The girl next to him was still smiling, oblivious.
“Tell me about it!
I would even marry a frog if I were offered such a thing!”
The guy slapped her on the shoulder several times, and the girl turned to him in annoyance.
“What?”
He swallowed and silently nodded toward the doorway, then everyone turned, paled, and immediately stood up.
“Lord Advisor!”
That girl stood so straight you could measure a level against her.
“Forgive us…
forgive us!
We were just…”
Alan blinked.
“Uh, I just…
came to ask where the library is…
I think…”
“Third floor, the door by the window,” the old man said.
Alan nodded slowly.
“Uh-huh…
thanks.” He stepped out and closed the door.
‘Hah…
what a cozy little get-together they’ve got going on here.
Reminds me of the time I walked into the department and the professors were sipping tea.’
He stopped.
‘Wait…
second wife?
Is there…
polygamy here or something?
Okay…
another fact for the bank.’
Alan was already walking up the dark stairs.
‘The fact that I can’t read is…
very bad.
But maybe these books will have pictures.
Although if I recall how they drew in medieval Europe…
no one triedto make it realistic, especially concerning religious subjects.
It was the meaning that mattered there.’
He began climbing to the third floor.
‘And maybe among all this I’ll find at least something about The Stranger.
Wait…’
He stopped.
‘Why don’t I just carefully ask…
if there’s Svyatol, then there has to be…
some kind of anti-Svyatol?
That’s just the perfect and careful way to find out if The Stranger is the local Satan!’
Alan slapped his palm against his forehead.
‘IDIOT!
I WAS SO BUSY SORTING OUT THIS MESS THAT I DIDN’T EVEN THINK OF THIS SIMPLE THING!’
Seven minutes later he was already standing in the corridor, and in front of him stood a sleepy Golna.
She rubbed her eyes slightly.
“How may I help you, Lord Gothwald?”
“I was wondering about Svyatolism here…
that’s your main religion, right?”
The maid’s sleepiness instantly vanished; she moved her hand away from her eye.
“Absolutely correct.
Why do you ask?”
Alan clasped his hands behind his back.
“You see…
in my world there was a god too.
Literally called God, and his main enemy was Satan.
Do you have something similar?”
Golna nodded.
“Of course we do.
That is Guktus.”
Alan blinked.
“And you say that name so easily?”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
Alan scratched his cheek.
“Well…
forbidden word, bad omen and all that, eh?”
The girl shrugged.
“Where did you even get that idea?”
He waved his hand.
“Alright…
never mind.
So what is this Guktus all about?”
Golna looked around.
“If we are having a long conversation again…
would you care to sit down?”
Alan shook his head.
“No, I just want to ask about this.”
The maid nodded.
“Very well.
Guktus is the embodiment of absolute chaos and irresponsibility.
He sometimes comes to people in their dreams, lures them with sweet words, and grants them unprecedented power…
so that they sow chaos in our world.
And Svyatol left the Holy Ritual of Summoning Heroes for people, which the priests discovered three hundred years ago, so that we could fight against the gukteks, the people to whom Guktus gave power.”
Alan just froze for a second.
“Alright…
thanks…
and by the way, why are you snoozing?
You’re technically supposed to be working by now.”
Golna yawned.
“My lady gave me a day off while she is away…
well, I presume you have already guessed where she went.”
“Yeah.
Well then, I won’t bother you anymore.” He turned to leave, and then glanced over his shoulder.
“And hey…
sorry about…
well…
about what happened.” And he left.
The maid froze for a second, didn’t answer, and then slowly went back to her room.
Alan stood by the window; the sun had already shown its first rays, rising behind the castle.
‘Okay…
so I guessed absolutely right.
Comes in dreams, gives power…
yeah, that’s definitely about The Stranger.
And it turns out his name is Guktus too…
so why the hell didn’t he say his name?
Afraid I’d figure out he’s the local Satan and tell him to fuck off?
Though…
it’s not like he was exactly pouring sweet talk into my ears…
no, he was, of course, but there was no point in it at all.
He didn’t want anything, just shoved regeneration onto me with no credit card required…
is he really just…
bored?
That’s nonsense.
I don’t believe it’s just out of boredom.’