Seirei Gensouki Konna Sekai De Deaeta Kimi Ni
Other Visitors

Other Visitors

The next day, though just like the other days, the village was filled with activity.

The harvest season makes autumn the busiest season of the year.

Rice, wheat, grains, vegetables, fruits, and plants all need to be harvested and preserved before winter arrives.

After that, the harvest must be sorted to account for the taxes and arrangements that need to be made in order for the surplus to be transported to the capital.

In addition, preparation is needed for the harvest festival to pray for a favorable harvest next year.

In addition, itinerant sellers visit the village more often during the fall.

In order to survive the winter, villagers have to buy supplies because farming is not questionable and wandering outdoors is very risky.

As expected, salt is in high demand thanks to its many uses in preserving food, such as drying and fermentation.

It was the most prosperous time of the year for the peddlers and in turn, the busiest in the village.

Normally, Rio would go hunting today, but the priority required him to help with the harvest in the morning.

On the other hand, Gon's party, which had arrived the day before, was secretly repairing their wagon.

It was almost like yesterday's fight was just a lie.

It was already past noon and Rio was taking a break from his work at home with Yuba when they heard a knock on the door.

「I will get the door. 」

"Please . 」

Letting Yuba remain seated, Rio quickly stood up and walked towards the door.

「Ah, Ume-san. What's problem?"

Ume, who acted as the mediator of the group of girls in the village, stood at the door looking a little confused.

「Rio, please tell Yuba-sama that the tax collector, Hayate-sama, has arrived. 」

Ume told him about the situation with a heartwarming smile.

「Fumu, I hear you. Then, will we immediately welcome him? 」

After hearing their conversation, Yuba stood up and walked out.

「Ah, Rio. Can I trouble you to prepare five more servings for dinner tonight? Some guests will join us for dinner tonight. 」

Yuba stopped and asked Rio before passing through the door.

「Understood. If that was the case, should I prepare a slightly more luxurious meal? I'm going to go hunting again this afternoon. 」

Yuba flashed a joyful smile at Rio's proposal.

「All right, see you. 」

「OK, we will return home for dinner at the usual time. Thanks for the hard work. 」

「Understood. 」

Confirming what needed to be done for the night, Rio saw Yuba off.

Finishing his remaining tea and putting down his tea, he continued his work.

Since he had already finished his part in helping with the ongoing harvest, Rio decided to go hunting that afternoon.

Traveling to several hunting grounds near the village, he managed a bit more of the game than usual.

After achieving a favorable result, Rio chose to return early to dismantle his catch.

When Rio returned home, he found that neither Yuba nor Ruri had returned yet.

After carefully clearing away the smell of sweat and blood, Rio started the preparations for dinner.

Following Yuba's instructions, he prepared dinner for eight people.

Having not made dinner for so many people in such a long time, his arm started to hurt.

The newly captured Renou bird will be served as the main course.

After that it will be rice, miso soup, and pickles.

While recalling the menu in his mind, Rio started cooking.

Moments later, a mouth-watering scent came out from the kitchen.

At that moment, Yuba returned home along with a few men.

"Welcome back . 」

Rio greeted the guests with his best professional smile.

「Mhm, I'm back. It smells really good, doesn't it? 」

Reacting to the room filled with the aroma of cooking, Yuba returned her greeting with a beaming smile.

Even the tastes of the other men seemed to be affected by the smell when their expressions were filled with anticipation.

「The smell is very good, Yuba-dono. 」

Seemingly eating her was affected by the scent, a well-dressed young man commented from behind Yuba.

「Hou, it looks like there is an unknown boy here but ..」

Following on from the previous comment, the young man's eyes sparkled with interest as he looked at Rio.

「The boy's name is Rio. He is currently living in the village for a while. 」

Yuba gave a simple introduction to Rio.

Hearing her words, Rio stopped cooking at once and came out from the kitchen.

"It's nice to meet you . Let me introduce myself, I am Rio. It's nice to meet you. 」

Welcoming the men, he did a deep and polite bow.

「Mhm, I understand. My name is Saga Hayate. I am the tax collector assigned to this village. My greetings. 」

The young man introduced himself with a dignified look.

In Yagumo, it is customary to give the surname before the given name. In this case, Saga was the young man's surname and Hayate was the name he gave.

Her clothes resembled monk clothes, with a beautifully designed haori2 covering her shoulders. Two straight swords hung on his waist.

He seems to be several years older than Rio.

「Such as well, greetings, Saga-dono. 」

Hayate bowed lightly. When he raised his head, Rio could tell from his face that he was no ordinary person.

Judging from his behavior, the two straight swords hanging on his waist were also not just for showing off.

"Of course . 」

Hayate too, determined to be capable, saw how he carried himself and his stable center of gravity.

Hayate showed an amazed expression at Rio's polite demeanor.

「Well, although this is a bit early, will we have dinner? Rio, can you call Ruri back? 」

「No need because won't he be coming soon?」

The sun has started to set.

Soon, the night will come down in the village.

It's time for the job to be wrapped up and for everyone to go home.

「I'm home ~!」

Just as they were talking about it, Ruri came home with a carefree speech.

「I— Is this not Ruri-dono?」

Hayate suddenly lost all the calmness he showed up until then.

「Ah, Hayate-sama. It's been a while. 」

Appearing a friendly smile, Ruri greeted the surprised Hayate.

「Kamu— Yes, long time ago. You are still alive as usual. 」

「Yup, thanks for the hard work. Greetings everyone. 」

Hayate looked uneasy in front of Ruri's cheerful greeting.

Ruri also took the opportunity to give a light greeting to Hayate's subordinates.

「Now, I'll go to the kitchen for a while, okay?」

Therefore, Ruri headed to Rio's place.

「Iyaa ~ Come to think of it, I did smell something really good before entering. The food tonight seems even more impressive than usual. 」

Looking at the dishes Rio prepared, Ruri proclaimed happily.

His expression was no different from a hungry puppy waiting for his food.

「It will be done soon so please wash your hands first. 」

「Oke, thank you ~ Isn't it hard to make so many dishes yourself? Thanks for the hard work. I'll help set the table. 」

Expressing her gratitude, Ruri washed her hands and began to help Rio serve the dish.

「This ... I never thought I would be treated to a fancy dish and neither would dried meat. It must have taken a lot of effort to prepare such a meal. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 」

Hayate spoke in astonishment after seeing the plate.

He could tell that the meat served was fresh and not preserved in any way.

Although he knew there were hunters living in the village, it was impossible to prepare so much fresh meat in such a short time.

「Ahaha, that's because Rio is a great hunter. He probably caught the catch today. 」

Ruri told them about how they could get so much fresh meat.

「O ~ h, so Rio-dono is hunting for this meat. If I am not mistaken, I was told that Rio-dono is also cooking, right? That's pretty awesome for a guy. 」

Hearing her explanation, Hayate praised Rio.

A travel party that could not enjoy a satisfying meal for a while watched the party before them with sparkling eyes.

Everyone took their place around the table.

「I tried to recreate the dishes I encountered during a trip abroad. Enjoy . 」

With Rio's words as a gesture, dinner begins.

「Saga-dono, I would recommend you to start with this Renou bird dish. 」

Rio gave his recommendation to Hayate who was sitting opposite him.

「Hou ~ Awesome aroma, it really eats. Then, I will try this first on the recommendation of the chef. 」

Following Rio's suggestion, Hayate extended his chopsticks towards the Renou bird, splitting the meat into small pieces.

「I roast the Renou bird with spices that give it a unique aroma. 」

Hayate's nose twitched hearing Rio's seductive description.

「Fumu, of course ... it's delicious!」

While thoroughly enjoying the scent tickling his nose and eating it, Hayate carried a piece of meat to his mouth.

At that moment, the liquid from Renou exploded in his mouth. Hayate's eyes widened in shock as he expressed his impression.

「Hee ~ to really impress Hayate-sama in such a way, this ..」

While watching from the side, one of Hayate's aides also grabbed a piece of Renou's bird.

As she brought meat to her mouth in the same way—

「In— Amazing!」

He also exhaled a breath of admiration similar to Hayate.

The others were also tempted by the reaction of the first two and began to extend their chopsticks towards the Renou bird, immediately followed by the sound of slapping lips.

「What seasoning do you use to produce such a taste?」

Being very interested in the rich taste of the dish, Hayate asked Rio about his method.

「I added salt, pepper, herbs under the name rosemary, olive oil, and a little honey to really bring out the taste」

The original recipe also included garlic but some people did not like how it beat the herbs, which led to a decrease in flavor.

Rio had lined up the dishes to bring out the most potential of each dish, but he let everyone choose the dishes according to their liking.

「Fumu, I'm not used to most ingredients other than salt, pepper, and honey. Speaking of pepper, isn't it a special product of Toriconia? I heard it has a tingling sensation, I understand now .. 」

Enjoying the taste of meat, Hayate spoke in a low voice.

「Indeed, it was something I gained during the trip. 」

Blessed with cool weather all year round, Torikonia is a country located in the southwestern region of Yagumo. However, Rio had never traveled there before.

In fact, some spices like pepper were successfully cultivated in some countries in Strahl, but Rio received most of his supply of spices from the Seirei no Tami village where a large number were cultivated.

"I saw . To treat us with such a precious spice, allow me to express my sincere thanks. Are you willing to share with me your travel story later? 」

「Sure, I don't mind. 」

"Thank you . 」

After doing a beautiful bow, Hayate returned to eating.

Rio also started eating.

Everyone started eating in silence. Thanks to the unparalleled compatibility of the Renou bird and the white rice, everyone's chopsticks continued to move without any interruption.

Miso soup is also well seasoned, sparking further questions about the recipe.

Towards such appetizing dishes, Hayate and his aides secretly devoured their food as if in a trance.

After that, the village's special sake was served and before long, the men slowly became drunk.

「You guys, don't drink too much or tomorrow you will get drunk ..」

Hayate gave his subordinates a warning when he saw their faces blushing.

「Haha, worth noting, head. 」

His subordinate answered him with a wry smile.

Although their mood was a bit slow, they were unable to behave irresponsibly in the presence of their superiors.

Given that, they continued to drink in moderation.

Judging from his appearance, it was not because he could not drink, but he would not drink while working, even while being at rest.

He is a very serious man.

「You won't drink, Rio-dono? No need to hold back because of me, you know. 」

Seeing Rio, who was the youngest at the table, trying to accompany her and refrain from drinking, Hayate anxiously urged her not to mind.

「It's okay, I still have to clean up after that and I can't be late with my daily workouts. 」

Rio gave a reason why he also refrained from drinking.

Ever since he started living in the village, he would be stuck with helping around the village during the day so he made sure to always leave time at night for training.

Even when he drank, he would do so after training.

「Ah, so you learn martial arts. I'm hoping for as much as possible to judge from your center of gravity and the way you move your legs. 」

「Indeed, I did. Well, it's just on the hobby level. 」

「No need to be too simple. Traveling alone at your age is a testament to your abilities. 」

Hayate praised Rio, showing him a friendly smile.

Ferocious wild beasts, hostile monsters, and bandits, there were various dangers one could encounter during their journey.

One needed some level of skill in martial arts, otherwise, traveling alone would be suicidal.

Usually, traveling is done in groups.

However, in Rio's case, both his method of movement and speed could not be matched by an ordinary human. Hayate was not aware of this fact but still considered him a capable person on the basis that he could travel alone.

「I said it before, but would you share a story about your trip with me? I have travelled from village to village but have not travelled to another country. 」

With eyes radiated with curiosity, Hayate asked to hear about Rio's trip.

「Sure, if you are fine with my story—」

While nodding lightly, Rio told the story of his journey while ignoring the sensitive topics.

"I saw . So, your parents are old acquaintances of Yuba-dono and you are traveling to find your loved ones. As I thought, you are definitely not an ordinary person. 」

「そ う か。

After hearing a portion of Rio's story, Hayate uttered a few words of admiration.

「No, you overestimate me. 」

Rio lightly shook his head in embarrassment, although a slight smile could be seen.

From their conversation, Rio understood that Hayate was not the one who would praise others in vain.

Rio was also the type of person who became embarrassed when praised so straightforwardly.

As she continues to tell her story—

「By the way, is Rio-dono named after the ancient King Ryo?」

Suddenly Hayate asked such a question.

「Ryo? No, I have never heard of such a person .. 」

Although the two names were pronounced identically, Rio showed a confused expression as it was not a familiar name to him.

「Fumu, so so. Yes, it's the name of the legendary king, although nothing but the verbal story remains of that legend. Even so, not much is known about him. 」

Hayate began to read the stories of the legendary kings.

It all started over a thousand years ago.

Legend has it that a king ruled over a dynasty that stretched over the land that is now the Karasuki Kingdom.

Strong, wise, and compassionate, he was truly an extraordinary king.

Gaining love from his people, many gathered around him.

But he is too smart.

And too good.

As a result, little is known about her true self.

Even so, he was not lonely.

There is one person who really understands it.

That's why he can continue to survive for his people.

However, on one occasion, there was an inevitable disaster that resulted in multiple casualties.

Having believed that Ryo was an omnipotent king, the people became furious with the victims.

After their hopes were betrayed, his people blamed him.

When Ryo apologizes for his failure, he bears all responsibility and declares reform for the dynasty.

And thus gave birth to the Karasuki Kingdom now.

Thanks to his efforts, the country was very stable a short time later. Looking back, if the event did not result in casualties, the country would definitely fall.

It was then, for the first time, that people understood the greatness of Ryo.

However, at that moment, Ryo's country had long since passed.

The king of the Karasuki Kingdom at that time was a former subordinate of Ryo. Wanting to show his appreciation to his former king, he orders that Ryo's exploits be retold and handed down.

Some of his legends still exist to this day, having been passed down according to tradition.

「So such a king exists? This is the first time I've heard it. 」

「Yes, it is doubtful whether he really exists or not. It is not a very famous legend either. When I heard the story from my father for the first time, I pitied the king, but recently I had a different opinion. Anyway, I think it's a good name, it's very suitable for you .. 」

Hayate revealed a light smile.

He seems to like the story.

「Hayate-sama, Rio, please have some tea. 」

Ruri came with tea.

「Ah, sorry, Ruri-san. I forgot to clean. 」

Rio apologized to Ruri because he had already kept most of the dishes as he spoke to Hayate.

「Don't worry about that. Lately, Rio has been preparing dinner for us so this is nothing. Here you go, Hayate-sama. 」

With a sweet smile, Ruri served Hayate tea.

「T— Thanks for the tea! 」

Hayate's movements became clearly rigid.

Rio carefully noticed her awkward behavior.

She had a childish and awkward side to her, but Hayate was a sincere and honest person.

Rio had heard that Hayate was almost eighteen years old and he came from a prominent samurai family.

Despite coming from a high-ranking family, he did not recklessly abuse his authority.

A certain other nobleman could actually take a page or two from his book.

However, while Hayate usually displayed a dignified personality, when he met Ruri, he would suddenly show a completely innocent reaction.

It was obvious what kind of feeling he had for Ruri.

「Ahaha. Though, I don't know if such a simple tea is to your liking. 」

Ruri directed a sweet smile at Hayate.

「I— That's not true at all. This tea is brewed by Ruri-dono. No other tea is comparable. 」

Even before tasting it, Hayate had already started praising Ruri's tea.

「E ~ eh? It's just plain village tea, you know. You haven't even drunk, my goodness. 」

After receiving so many compliments, Ruri laughed sheepishly.

He seemed to have misunderstood her praise.

（No error. ）

Hayate's behavior only served to further strengthen Rio's beliefs.

It was not just flattery, but his true feelings.

Without a doubt, Rio was convinced that Hayate was in love with Ruri.

Her feelings can be read like an open book.

Still, it's not surprising.

Ruri is a very attractive girl, even from a cousin's point of view.

Her appearance and personality were highly desirable; her beauty was like a flower blooming in an open field.

Many young men in the village were also competing for Ruri's affection.

As a result, Shin, who acted as the leader of the youths in the village, had a sense of competition towards Rio.

It is only natural that they are jealous because there is a man living under the same roof that they yearn for.

Of course, the suspicions related to Ruri and Rio's relationship were wrong.

Rio already had someone else in his heart and it was a fact that Ruri knew a secret.

Perhaps it was because Ruri subconsciously knew that they were cousins that she treated Rio as her own brother.

Or maybe he saw his dead younger brother inside him.

Thus, the fear of the village youths was unfounded.

While this feeling proved troublesome for Rio, it did not mean that he did not understand where it came from.

Therefore, Rio expelled their jealousy as if it was just a gentle breeze.

However, they found Rio's attitude unbearable and it only served to advance their hostility. However, they had no intention of causing him any trouble.

Moreover, they also could not overcome the feeling of rooting for Ruri's love.

Nevertheless, Rio wanted to support Hayate in front of him.

If praying for the future stability of his cousin, rather than being tied up by a man in the village, Hayate had a much better prospect.

However, that was only Rio's opinion, the outcome would depend greatly on Hayate's character.

Despite having just met, one way or another, Rio felt that Hayate would definitely cherish Ruri all his life.

However, in the end, it depended on how Ruri felt about her and if there was a problem in terms of the difference in their social status.

If Ruri fell in love with someone from the village, Rio would still support her decision.

However, despite the fact that she would soon reach the appropriate marriage age, she did not see any signs of interest from the person herself.

She had never heard the woman talk about any man, nor did the woman seem to recognize the approach of the village man.

However, due to the way he treated all members of the opposite sex equally, it only further added to their misunderstanding.

As for the matter regarding the difference in social status, Rio had no way of knowing whether it would cause trouble since he was not familiar with the marriage customs of this country in terms of nobles.

After all, she was at least convinced that Hayate was in love with Ruri.

Seeing that that was the case, he would not hesitate to support the man in front of him.

Rio managed to have Ruri, who brought them tea, join their conversation and let the two have a conversation.

Although he was a bit awkward, Hayate fully enjoyed his conversation with Ruri and occasionally sent a grateful look towards Rio.

Hayate's dream-like moment ended with no time and bedtime arrived too soon.

「Should we end up here?」

Without becoming too infatuated in her conversation with Ruri, Hayate knew when it was time to retire.

Rio also felt that it was the right time to come.

After tidying up after dinner, he led Hayate's party to their room and Rio did daily exercises in the park.

He did not use body strengthening nor did he improve his physical abilities, rather he only practiced swing training alone.

Sometimes, under the cover of the night, a leaf would flutter from one of the nearby trees and Rio would swing it.

Slicing the leaves, Rio would then return to repeatedly practice his swing.

Sweating, a white mist like steam rose from his body.

The one-handed mithril sword cut through the air and stopped at eye level.

「... Fuh. 」

Rio sheathed his sword and exhaled a deep breath.

「I think that's enough for today. 」

Satisfied with the training he did, he muttered in satisfaction and turned to return.

At that moment, Rio turned towards the trees after noticing that he was being observed from a distance.

「…」

The other party stood still in the distance.

He couldn't see the other party's figure due to the darkness of the night, but he was sure someone was watching him.

As a result of intense training, even from afar, the other party should be able to notice him.

There was no sign that the intruder had infiltrated the village.

In fact, Rio secretly created a magical barrier around the village, allowing him to detect intruders.

That's why Rio'll soon find out if an intruder enters the village.

However, he did not feel any reaction from the barrier.

Therefore, it must be someone from within the village.

Most, if not all, of the villagers, were already sleeping at this point, but of course, that did not mean no one had ever gone outside in the middle of the night.

Still, it makes no sense to be suspicious of someone moving at night.

While pondering over the matter, Rio recalled some unpleasant memories but decided to return home.

After washing his body, Rio took a quick drink and returned to his room, retiring for the night.