Otoko Nara Ikkokuichijou no Aruji o Mezasa Nakya, ne? - LightNovelsOnl.com
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Last of the Devas SS I do for a while, one thing to note is to read this one before 26 Part 2, the author split this one into two parts for some reason even though they're posted right after each other. So that's how I'm doing it as well.
This is not a depressing story itself. And one of the more important Devas SS's with potential plot relation later (no idea up to current yet), so I suggest reading at least Part 2.
Next I'm doing SS21 which will have plot relation eventually but since 22 and 23 are just depressing pointless short stories I'm starting main plot again later today.
Side Story 26 Part 1 - In the Case of Mitsuse Kenji (Age 29 at time of accident)
"I will show you that I will be the one, who will protect the bodies and hearts of people working seriously!"
"I can't overlook evil that's running free!"
"Now, prepare yourself! Evil {Dark Corporation}!"
"Nyawhat? I'll show you I can remodel all j.a.panese into {Dark Corporate Slaves}!"
"Eat~ this! {Overworked-to-death Kick}~!"
"{High Quota Beam}!"
"A cheap attack like that, I'll negate it with this {Labor Laws Barrier}!"
"Now, everyone let's go!"
"{UQ Working Through Consecutive Day's Punch}~!"
"Monday!"
"Tuesday!"
"Wednesday!"
"Thursday!"
"Friday!"
"Guwa~ I'm being crushed~!!"
"Don't f.u.c.k with me {Consecutive days}.."
"Evil has been defeated. However, during this broken era a second and third {Dark Corporation} is trying to be born!! In order to save all the weak people, fight, {Mini-Colors After 5PM}!"
"You can consult with me at anytime!"
"Anonymously is okay as well!"
"We're the allies of laborers!"
"The warriors of justice labor standards won't lose!'
"Together the five of us are, {Mini-Colors After 5PM)!"
Mitsuse Ryouichi who was looking into the small screen of his smartphone at the recording looked up at his little brother Kenji and laughed. In the screen was Kenji's daughter Yuma enjoying some attraction park's hero show.
"And, are you meeting up with that engineering place tonight?"
Yeah, Kenji replied, while manipulating his smartphone and pulling up an image he had saved.
"Even if you show me something like a blueprint I won't know what's changed from before."
Ryoichi was looking at the small screen of the smartphone with a troubled face while saying to his little brother Kenji.
"Here and, here I made into a bay window. Also, I made the kitchen a bit bigger."
"Hm~n... By the way, mother and father wanted to see Yuma-chan. Next time bring her along to play. Since my kid's have gotten a bit bigger as well. It seems like they really want to play with their cousin."
"Wun, it's difficult to move until March~ There's an interview with the nursery at the end of next week after all."
"I won't say to overdo things but you've settled down quite a bit. Show your face occasionally and let mother and father relax a bit. Mihoko enjoys when you guys come over as well."
"Got it, when I return home today I'll discuss visiting on the weekend of the week after next. Tell sister-in-law we're in her care as well."
"Ah~ owa~!!!"
"What guhoe!!!'
............
When Mitsuse Kenji's consciousness started to get clear he raised his voice and cried. Even though it seemed like a large accident from the relief of being saved, the emotional shock of his eyes not being able to see, and from worry about his reliable five-year older brother Ryoichi who was sitting next to him until just a moment ago he was worried his feelings were exploding all at once. In addition, he was also just a bit worried about one of his seniors from the same company that was napping on the other side Futami.
Just like this, Mitsuse Kenji let out his first cry on Orth on the year 7428, month 2, day 14. He was a considerably energetic and large human baby with the name Hekusa.Barnes.
..............
Fortunately until he was three years old, Kenji was preciously raised. In terms of geography it was in the center of Viscount Bidden's territory over 200 Km North of the capital Randogruiz but politically it was a remote countryside and even though he was born as the child of a commoner in Zokuis village where the death rate for infants was high he was able to overcome it. During the first year or so he thought to search for a method to return to j.a.pan and in any case racked his brains to learn the language which ended up being one of the factors he was able to be raised normally. In caution other than the times he practiced speaking, he held back from talking with an adults tone of speech as well.
As a matter of fact there was a reason he was practicing in a place where no one else was around. If he had wanted to talk during the first year he could have normally talked but if he let's his guard down at all then it ends up baby speak in weird places. Eve now if he let's his guard down and intends to be speaking normally his words end up with a lisp and his words end up quite childish. The large portion of why he didn't want to talk was simply because he found that embarra.s.sing.
However, about six months after Hekusa turned three years old, a large calamity hit this land. {Locusts}. A swarm of locusts that appeared in the West exhausted the fields of Viscount Bidden's territory without end. According to the stories he heard there's records of them occurring once in every 70-90 years in this area. However, this time was a mere 38 years after the previous time. Since it was an occurrence with far too short of a period in between they were unable to take much of any measures against it and Viscount Bidden and Viscount Jonbugu's territories ended up taking a large amount of damage.
Among them the center of Viscount Bidden's territory took huge losses, all of the wheat was eaten right before harvest, and even the roofs of houses, and clothes were eaten and damages. The woods were devoured turning only into tree trunks leaving a a miserable scene. The only thing remaining that the people could eat was the corpses of the locusts and even those the moisture disappears after a few days to a week and they become inedible.
As expected Viscount Bidden reduced the taxes but even then it still wasn't even half. The lord of Zokuis that was Viscount Garorias strictly collected the taxes. The Barnes family somehow managed to pay the taxes by selling the slaves they owned but their remaining slaves were just the elderly and young children so they declined to the point of having to worry about taxes from next year on. Within three years after that they had to worry about having anyone who could properly cultivate the land.
Hekusa was forced to work in the fields before he turned 5 years old and was given the heavy labor of pulling weeds and sprinkling water for a young child. He made good use of his nature to find the most efficient ways to relax and somehow managed to avoid dying from overwork.
However, near the end of his fifth year, just before turning six years old, one night Hekusa met G.o.d after falling asleep. It was an interview of a mere few minutes but thanks to that he gained several pieces of knowledge, resolved several questions he had, and was finally able to give up on some things.
I can't remain like this. My older brother should be somewhere in this world of Orth. If I somehow can match my power with that reliable and intelligent older brother then can't we do something? I should look for my older brother. However, even if a child without money or the power to make a living were to run away from home sooner or later it's only obvious they would die by the side of the road. Now is the time to endure the desire to run off and keep preparing honestly.
However, even if they just daze out while living the second child of a commoner is only given the fate of being kept until they die. One day they'll become a slave and be worked hard by the eldest child, depending on the case they might even be sold somewhere like this time. On occasions like that it's even possible for married couples to be split up. Hekusa remembers back to the spectacles he's seen these past 2-3 years until he was sick of it.
In order to avoid that there's not very many options in this Devas Kingdom. The best option he could think of was somehow make it until adulthood, volunteer for a knight group, and get accepted there. You can save up some money and your social standing will get higher. Even if you quit the knight group there's plenty of places after that including as a squire. If they become an adventurer after that as a former knight there's no lack of places to work as well. He should be able to search for his older brother with ease.
..Though it didn't seem completely impossible but this sort of future path seems to be difficult. It seems that I have a physical advantage from being reborn but there's no way of really telling if that's true. At the very least at five years old right now there doesn't seem to be any differences from other children.
Even the Unique Ability I have 【Skill Invalidation】 according to G.o.d it seems it has the ability to invalidate the abilities that people who were reincarnated have within a certain range center on myself but if it's the abilities of normal monsters, non-humans, or people of Orth then it doesn't have any effect so it's hard to call a useful ability.
I originally had interest in my Unique Ability but I didn't know how to use it. According to the conversation I heard from G.o.d, unless I'm near another j.a.panese person using their ability then I can't use my ability so it's really unrelated.
Even then I thought about ways I could make effective use of it but it didn't take much time at all to come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be useful other than fighting with other j.a.panese people. In other words, it wouldn't be of any help at all in getting accepted into a knight group. Furthermore, the Barnes family is in the middle of poverty right now, I can't imagine I'll receive any decent combat training. Even if I were to try and apply to the Viscount Bidden knight group like this it's only obvious I wouldn't pa.s.s. In the first place I probably wouldn't even be able to take the exam for it.
As a runner-up there's the method of aiming for the same knight group but not as a knight but rather as an enlisted infantry and then try to get promoted from there. Once again according to stories I've heard if you spend two years after being drafted the superior soldiers are able to make it as squad leaders in the army. If I give my best it might be possible to make it as a squire to some Viscount family somewhere.
Even if that's not the case the highest commoner soldier group in this Viscount Bidden's territory receives a salary of 500,000 Z after the two year drafting period, so they receive a decent amount of money, and they also receive wages of 1.5 silver coins per week during the draft (970,000 Z per year). There's also the possibility of saving this up and trying to start some kind of business. From there it might be good to save up some a.s.sets and search for my older brother.
There's no supposing what happens if I die in combat during the draft period. It seems that there's conflicts between Rombert Kingdom in the North over the Dirt Plains every year but even on the years where there's a lot of people who die in combat it's at most 200 people. Since it seems that there's years where less than 100 people die as well I thought I wouldn't be the one who dies if I make good use of my abilities. In the first place the possibility is higher that Viscount Bidden's territory won't make use of me in combat during the period I'm drafted. Since it's right after taking damage from locusts, it's not the situation to be going to war when there's no money for the next 10 years or so. Hekusa thought this was it.
The draft is an obligation for commoners between the ages of 13 and 25 years old. Both men and women are equally drafted but because of differences in power the women often get drafted later in age. Fortunately since I'm a man I could be put into the army at 13 years old. Wealthy commoner families can avoid the draft by paying four gold coins but the current Barnes family has no such leeway.
I couldn't think of anything else other than things that require a miracle. For example, the chances of being taken as a disciple for an artisan in the town are low but not impossible. However, there's no related occupation that I had from my previous life. The chances of being found by an artisan and made into a disciple are more unlikely than dying tomorrow.
If it wasn't an artisan but rather a merchant then something might be done but I've never heard of merchants taking disciples so I can't see any meaning to it. If you think about it with common sense there's no way they'd let anyone other than their own child succeed them. Even if it comes to finding employment at a large company it's hard to imagine an eccentric merchant who would hire some poor commoner brat in a remote place like this. If I can at least make an appeal then I think I could make a company larger than most merchants but since I have no contacts with them it's only obvious.
Even if, I somehow managed to make it into a merchant's company, there's no guarantee they'd conveniently understand advanced business methods as well. No matter what I suggest it might just end up pointless.
In other words, save up some money as a soldier, and come up with my own method of business, and succeeding like that has higher probability. Since Hekusa at that time didn't know that Devas Kingdom learned from the neighboring Rombert Kingdom and introduced a system where merchants require licenses that cost a large amount of money so that can't be helped.
Just like this Hekusa's childhood pa.s.sed by.
..............
9 years after the locusts, around the time Hekusa was facing the summer of his 12th year, Hekusa was visited by a large turning point he hadn't even expected. The Barnes family is still dragging along(Though it's not that unusual since let alone Zokuis village the entirety of Viscount Bidden's territory is like that but Hekusa has already given up on caring for the Barnes family for not getting over it at this point) the damage from the locusts and every year when the payment of taxes gets closer around the summer there's a sharp atmosphere.
One such a day, the party of a high ranking n.o.ble or royalty was supposedly pa.s.sing through Zokuis village. The only n.o.ble that Hekusa knew of was Viscount Garorias and his family. They're certainly living a better lifestyle than that of commoners and serfs but it was a small difference and he thought that the people who lived at the bottom of employment in his previous life still lived a more civilized and wealthy lifestyle. Now then, let's take a look at what the highest ranking n.o.bles or royalty or whatever of Orth look like. Thinking that he started pulling weeds along the roar they were supposed to pa.s.s by through the village.
Close to noon, when the sun was at it's highest, an army appeared with several knights at the front. The line of the army seemed considerably long and it was far enough that I couldn't see the end. Very rarely the army pa.s.ses through Zokuis village so it's not the way first time I've seen them pa.s.s through.
However, the army that's pa.s.sing through Zokuis village this time is different from the ones up to now. Just from a glance you can tell their equipment is expensive looking and above all the number of knights on horseback is more than usual as well. Normally it's about 1/20th the number of infantry but this time over 1/5 of them are cavalry knights.
Wa~han~ this is the escort army for the supposed high ranking n.o.ble. While resting from pulling weeds I was watching it. Shortly after two large carriages pulled by eight horses each approached escorted by the army. As expected watching them while standing will get my head cut off. The other day when a knight pa.s.sed through giving notice they said to lower your head to the carriage and that you're not allowed to directly look at it so I just lowered my head and looked up at it with just my eyes.
As expected it's quite the extravagant carriage. It's large enough that 10 adults can comfortably fit inside and the ornaments are fancy as well. It's truly the image Hekusa has of "n.o.bles". Suddenly the front of the escort army stopped in a vacant lot ahead of here. Since the time is what it is and there's a river up ahead they might be stopping to have some lunch I guess?
It's a long escort army that might even stretch over 1Km with over 500 people I guess? It seems there's over 5m between each cavalry and there's a few meters between the armed lines of infantry as well. Since they're all taking a lunch break and eating at once while letting their horses drink water it will probably take about 2-3 hours. The speed is slow. Right now they're going through the village where it's easy to walk so they move at the speed an adult walks but once they leave the village it will probably slow down even more.
They're probably moving three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. If you think about their speed as 3Km then they're probably only moving about 20Km a day. In the end they aren't even able to reach the speeds of armies of remote regions in the past. Thinking he's seen all there is to see Hekusa returned to farm work. I might be drafted next year and even if that isn't the case I might end sold as a slave.
I need to somehow avoid just that.
.............
One month later, the army is pa.s.sing through Zokuis village again. It was after summer just as fall was soon to come. Since he had already seen it once this time Hekusa had no interest. The fact that he ended up relating with them was truly a coincidence and truly the mixing of the heavens. Just like last when the line was resting in the vacant s.p.a.ce of the village, a disturbance occurred. Several of the precious source of proteins for the village the chickens were stolen. Just from a glance that's one of the ones with characteristic black feathers.
That's one of the female chickens we're keeping at the house. It lays our precious eggs one in every 2-3 days. I need to somehow take it back peacefully.
"Hahhahhahaha..Sel you suck."
"What was that! Then you try doing it, it's difficult."
"Hey, you all, don't let it escape..Che..so it missed."
"Your highness Alex. Don't hold the bow like that. You need to pull the bow upright with your right hand."
"Hn? Like this?"
"That's right. While pus.h.i.+ng down on the bow with your left hand..Ah, your grip is strange."
"Ah, Myul, stop chatting with Ren and you try doing it as well."
"..No, as expected I can already do that much."
"Really, just stop already. That chicken belongs to the villagers right? That's not very admirable."
"Ah..Yeah. I see."
It seems like the children of some n.o.bles ordered the soldiers to make a plaza with s.h.i.+elds and they were playing with the chickens of the Barnes family and some other households by shooting arrows at them. Since they're being taught the bow by a soldier who seems to be skilled at it, it certainly seems true that it's half play. Since the girl warned them, the two who were focused on shooting arrows honestly listened and stopped.
(We're saved. It doesn't seem like it's dead or hurt. That's great..)
Putting aside other households chickens, Hekusa was relieved he could confirm that his families chicken was safe.
Ordered by the girl one of the soldiers captured the chicken and walked over to here. Considering how simply he caught the chickens and was able to hold them without hurting them.
They must have been born in a farming village.
"Kid, here I'll return these. Sorry about that. Well forgive them. Since we can't go against them.."
The soldier said that and returned the black female chicken. Hekusa bowed his head to the kind soldier and after checking that the chicken wasn't hurt anywhere was about to leave.
"N? Wait!"
Just as he was about to turn around a voice called out. Hekusa went stiff from surprise and turned around nervously. In order to not look directly at them he was lowering his head but he couldn't hide the trembling of his feet. It can't be, next are they going to make me into the target or something?
"Raise your raise."
It's the voice of the one who was laughing first from before.
"Didn't you hear me? Raise your face."
I nervously raise my face. But, I still make sure to look away. Just from directly looking at them, you never know what kind of reason they could do something.
However, the four children of n.o.bles were shocked after seeing Hekusa's face.
"After all.."
"Sel, I'm amazed you noticed.."
"So they are out there.."
"Josh, deliver the chicken to that person's house...And after that, you. Come over here and show us your face closer."
Hekusa was standing there with no idea what had happened but the soldier from just now took away the chicken and when he was pushed on the back by a different soldier his head finally started to turn.
After going to their side he was pulled into the carriage without question.
"Raise your face. There's no need to look away either."
"Do you understand j.a.panese?"
"Relax, we're not anyone suspicious."
"You're a j.a.panese person right..Status Open..Barnes-san. Rest easy. We're j.a.panese people as well."
After closing the door of the carriage in a s.p.a.ce with just the five of them they all started talking in j.a.panese surprising Hekusa who heard it for the first time in 12 years.
"Eh? Ah, eve...even if you all speak at once like that.."
""He is!!""
"Oh~ so he was j.a.panese!"
"There was no mistake in my eyes!"
"Wo..Wow..There really was a j.a.panese person!"
"Yeah, oh my..that's great."
While the four of them were all surprised in their own way, Hekusa couldn't do anything but watch that in a daze. Of course they're surprised just as much as Hekusa as well.
Showing his status and being shown it, he didn't know what was going on. Unable to keep up with the sudden series of events while Hekusa was slowly explaining his situation, starting to feel irritated the most arrogant looking royalty (it's only obvious he was arrogant) Alex said.
"In any case, you don't have any attachment to your family right now I see. I'm sure your older brother is somewhere. It seems that you want to search for him right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Alright, wait just a minute."
Alex said that and left the carriage before talking to a soldier about something.
"Barnes-san, please relax. Alex won't cause any trouble for you."
"That's a round about way of doing it. Isn't it fine if he just orders them in one word?"
"Thing's aren't that simple right? Barnes-san is a commoner of this territory so we can't just do as we please without saying anything to the lord right?"
"That's why I said we should just tell it to that lord."
"Myulu. It's not as simple as that. This isn't the royal families territory. It would be best if you study a bit more."
"Yeah-yeah. Either way I'm the only commoner from a remote area.."
"Really, stop saying such depressing things every time."
Alex quickly returned to the carriage and made an OK sign with his fingers before smiling.
"Barnes. You'll no longer be a commoner but I can help you. One day I can use an appropriate reason to make you back into a commoner or n.o.ble as well so rest easy on that as well."
The trick was immediately identified. It's something simple. He talked with Viscount Garorias the lord of Zokuis village and at the same time offered a good amount of money to Hekusa's parents. He bought Hekusa as a servant slave and once they return to Randgriz they'll free him from slavery into a Free Person and at the same time it'll take the shape of Alex employing him.
If he's a Free Person then there's restrictions on his actions but since the royal territory is vast it would be difficult to search around all of it by the time he reaches adulthood. Since they already expect to have even more authority by then, if they have him take up some appropriate achievement then they can use that to reward him with becoming a commoner. As expected it's difficult to push a Free Person into the knight group. The army is fine but in that case it would be difficult for Hekusa to search for his older brother.
Hekusa was told they'd give him money so use that to hire some decent adventurers and for starters travel around the royal territory looking for his older brother. According to their conjecture there should still be one or two reincarnations in the royal territory. Since Sel is the son of Duke Stahlz he can at least give permission to pa.s.s through that territory as well so there should be at least 3-4 people in that total area.
It was an unbelievably good luck for Hekusa. He was a bit taken aback at becoming an adventurer but that can't be helped. He also understood that since there was no accurate map, it was important to walk around making a slightly more precise one. Since there's no measurement tools it can't be made perfectly but it should be fine as long as it's a bit more precise than now. Most likely, the achievement they were referring to is production of a map.
In any case Hekusa had no choice other than to grab on the small thread that was hanging before him.
This is not a depressing story itself. And one of the more important Devas SS's with potential plot relation later (no idea up to current yet), so I suggest reading at least Part 2.
Next I'm doing SS21 which will have plot relation eventually but since 22 and 23 are just depressing pointless short stories I'm starting main plot again later today.
Side Story 26 Part 1 - In the Case of Mitsuse Kenji (Age 29 at time of accident)
"I will show you that I will be the one, who will protect the bodies and hearts of people working seriously!"
"I can't overlook evil that's running free!"
"Now, prepare yourself! Evil {Dark Corporation}!"
"Nyawhat? I'll show you I can remodel all j.a.panese into {Dark Corporate Slaves}!"
"Eat~ this! {Overworked-to-death Kick}~!"
"{High Quota Beam}!"
"A cheap attack like that, I'll negate it with this {Labor Laws Barrier}!"
"Now, everyone let's go!"
"{UQ Working Through Consecutive Day's Punch}~!"
"Monday!"
"Tuesday!"
"Wednesday!"
"Thursday!"
"Friday!"
"Guwa~ I'm being crushed~!!"
"Don't f.u.c.k with me {Consecutive days}.."
"Evil has been defeated. However, during this broken era a second and third {Dark Corporation} is trying to be born!! In order to save all the weak people, fight, {Mini-Colors After 5PM}!"
"You can consult with me at anytime!"
"Anonymously is okay as well!"
"We're the allies of laborers!"
"The warriors of justice labor standards won't lose!'
"Together the five of us are, {Mini-Colors After 5PM)!"
Mitsuse Ryouichi who was looking into the small screen of his smartphone at the recording looked up at his little brother Kenji and laughed. In the screen was Kenji's daughter Yuma enjoying some attraction park's hero show.
"And, are you meeting up with that engineering place tonight?"
Yeah, Kenji replied, while manipulating his smartphone and pulling up an image he had saved.
"Even if you show me something like a blueprint I won't know what's changed from before."
Ryoichi was looking at the small screen of the smartphone with a troubled face while saying to his little brother Kenji.
"Here and, here I made into a bay window. Also, I made the kitchen a bit bigger."
"Hm~n... By the way, mother and father wanted to see Yuma-chan. Next time bring her along to play. Since my kid's have gotten a bit bigger as well. It seems like they really want to play with their cousin."
"Wun, it's difficult to move until March~ There's an interview with the nursery at the end of next week after all."
"I won't say to overdo things but you've settled down quite a bit. Show your face occasionally and let mother and father relax a bit. Mihoko enjoys when you guys come over as well."
"Got it, when I return home today I'll discuss visiting on the weekend of the week after next. Tell sister-in-law we're in her care as well."
"Ah~ owa~!!!"
"What guhoe!!!'
............
When Mitsuse Kenji's consciousness started to get clear he raised his voice and cried. Even though it seemed like a large accident from the relief of being saved, the emotional shock of his eyes not being able to see, and from worry about his reliable five-year older brother Ryoichi who was sitting next to him until just a moment ago he was worried his feelings were exploding all at once. In addition, he was also just a bit worried about one of his seniors from the same company that was napping on the other side Futami.
Just like this, Mitsuse Kenji let out his first cry on Orth on the year 7428, month 2, day 14. He was a considerably energetic and large human baby with the name Hekusa.Barnes.
..............
Fortunately until he was three years old, Kenji was preciously raised. In terms of geography it was in the center of Viscount Bidden's territory over 200 Km North of the capital Randogruiz but politically it was a remote countryside and even though he was born as the child of a commoner in Zokuis village where the death rate for infants was high he was able to overcome it. During the first year or so he thought to search for a method to return to j.a.pan and in any case racked his brains to learn the language which ended up being one of the factors he was able to be raised normally. In caution other than the times he practiced speaking, he held back from talking with an adults tone of speech as well.
As a matter of fact there was a reason he was practicing in a place where no one else was around. If he had wanted to talk during the first year he could have normally talked but if he let's his guard down at all then it ends up baby speak in weird places. Eve now if he let's his guard down and intends to be speaking normally his words end up with a lisp and his words end up quite childish. The large portion of why he didn't want to talk was simply because he found that embarra.s.sing.
However, about six months after Hekusa turned three years old, a large calamity hit this land. {Locusts}. A swarm of locusts that appeared in the West exhausted the fields of Viscount Bidden's territory without end. According to the stories he heard there's records of them occurring once in every 70-90 years in this area. However, this time was a mere 38 years after the previous time. Since it was an occurrence with far too short of a period in between they were unable to take much of any measures against it and Viscount Bidden and Viscount Jonbugu's territories ended up taking a large amount of damage.
Among them the center of Viscount Bidden's territory took huge losses, all of the wheat was eaten right before harvest, and even the roofs of houses, and clothes were eaten and damages. The woods were devoured turning only into tree trunks leaving a a miserable scene. The only thing remaining that the people could eat was the corpses of the locusts and even those the moisture disappears after a few days to a week and they become inedible.
As expected Viscount Bidden reduced the taxes but even then it still wasn't even half. The lord of Zokuis that was Viscount Garorias strictly collected the taxes. The Barnes family somehow managed to pay the taxes by selling the slaves they owned but their remaining slaves were just the elderly and young children so they declined to the point of having to worry about taxes from next year on. Within three years after that they had to worry about having anyone who could properly cultivate the land.
Hekusa was forced to work in the fields before he turned 5 years old and was given the heavy labor of pulling weeds and sprinkling water for a young child. He made good use of his nature to find the most efficient ways to relax and somehow managed to avoid dying from overwork.
However, near the end of his fifth year, just before turning six years old, one night Hekusa met G.o.d after falling asleep. It was an interview of a mere few minutes but thanks to that he gained several pieces of knowledge, resolved several questions he had, and was finally able to give up on some things.
I can't remain like this. My older brother should be somewhere in this world of Orth. If I somehow can match my power with that reliable and intelligent older brother then can't we do something? I should look for my older brother. However, even if a child without money or the power to make a living were to run away from home sooner or later it's only obvious they would die by the side of the road. Now is the time to endure the desire to run off and keep preparing honestly.
However, even if they just daze out while living the second child of a commoner is only given the fate of being kept until they die. One day they'll become a slave and be worked hard by the eldest child, depending on the case they might even be sold somewhere like this time. On occasions like that it's even possible for married couples to be split up. Hekusa remembers back to the spectacles he's seen these past 2-3 years until he was sick of it.
In order to avoid that there's not very many options in this Devas Kingdom. The best option he could think of was somehow make it until adulthood, volunteer for a knight group, and get accepted there. You can save up some money and your social standing will get higher. Even if you quit the knight group there's plenty of places after that including as a squire. If they become an adventurer after that as a former knight there's no lack of places to work as well. He should be able to search for his older brother with ease.
..Though it didn't seem completely impossible but this sort of future path seems to be difficult. It seems that I have a physical advantage from being reborn but there's no way of really telling if that's true. At the very least at five years old right now there doesn't seem to be any differences from other children.
Even the Unique Ability I have 【Skill Invalidation】 according to G.o.d it seems it has the ability to invalidate the abilities that people who were reincarnated have within a certain range center on myself but if it's the abilities of normal monsters, non-humans, or people of Orth then it doesn't have any effect so it's hard to call a useful ability.
I originally had interest in my Unique Ability but I didn't know how to use it. According to the conversation I heard from G.o.d, unless I'm near another j.a.panese person using their ability then I can't use my ability so it's really unrelated.
Even then I thought about ways I could make effective use of it but it didn't take much time at all to come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be useful other than fighting with other j.a.panese people. In other words, it wouldn't be of any help at all in getting accepted into a knight group. Furthermore, the Barnes family is in the middle of poverty right now, I can't imagine I'll receive any decent combat training. Even if I were to try and apply to the Viscount Bidden knight group like this it's only obvious I wouldn't pa.s.s. In the first place I probably wouldn't even be able to take the exam for it.
As a runner-up there's the method of aiming for the same knight group but not as a knight but rather as an enlisted infantry and then try to get promoted from there. Once again according to stories I've heard if you spend two years after being drafted the superior soldiers are able to make it as squad leaders in the army. If I give my best it might be possible to make it as a squire to some Viscount family somewhere.
Even if that's not the case the highest commoner soldier group in this Viscount Bidden's territory receives a salary of 500,000 Z after the two year drafting period, so they receive a decent amount of money, and they also receive wages of 1.5 silver coins per week during the draft (970,000 Z per year). There's also the possibility of saving this up and trying to start some kind of business. From there it might be good to save up some a.s.sets and search for my older brother.
There's no supposing what happens if I die in combat during the draft period. It seems that there's conflicts between Rombert Kingdom in the North over the Dirt Plains every year but even on the years where there's a lot of people who die in combat it's at most 200 people. Since it seems that there's years where less than 100 people die as well I thought I wouldn't be the one who dies if I make good use of my abilities. In the first place the possibility is higher that Viscount Bidden's territory won't make use of me in combat during the period I'm drafted. Since it's right after taking damage from locusts, it's not the situation to be going to war when there's no money for the next 10 years or so. Hekusa thought this was it.
The draft is an obligation for commoners between the ages of 13 and 25 years old. Both men and women are equally drafted but because of differences in power the women often get drafted later in age. Fortunately since I'm a man I could be put into the army at 13 years old. Wealthy commoner families can avoid the draft by paying four gold coins but the current Barnes family has no such leeway.
I couldn't think of anything else other than things that require a miracle. For example, the chances of being taken as a disciple for an artisan in the town are low but not impossible. However, there's no related occupation that I had from my previous life. The chances of being found by an artisan and made into a disciple are more unlikely than dying tomorrow.
If it wasn't an artisan but rather a merchant then something might be done but I've never heard of merchants taking disciples so I can't see any meaning to it. If you think about it with common sense there's no way they'd let anyone other than their own child succeed them. Even if it comes to finding employment at a large company it's hard to imagine an eccentric merchant who would hire some poor commoner brat in a remote place like this. If I can at least make an appeal then I think I could make a company larger than most merchants but since I have no contacts with them it's only obvious.
Even if, I somehow managed to make it into a merchant's company, there's no guarantee they'd conveniently understand advanced business methods as well. No matter what I suggest it might just end up pointless.
In other words, save up some money as a soldier, and come up with my own method of business, and succeeding like that has higher probability. Since Hekusa at that time didn't know that Devas Kingdom learned from the neighboring Rombert Kingdom and introduced a system where merchants require licenses that cost a large amount of money so that can't be helped.
Just like this Hekusa's childhood pa.s.sed by.
..............
9 years after the locusts, around the time Hekusa was facing the summer of his 12th year, Hekusa was visited by a large turning point he hadn't even expected. The Barnes family is still dragging along(Though it's not that unusual since let alone Zokuis village the entirety of Viscount Bidden's territory is like that but Hekusa has already given up on caring for the Barnes family for not getting over it at this point) the damage from the locusts and every year when the payment of taxes gets closer around the summer there's a sharp atmosphere.
One such a day, the party of a high ranking n.o.ble or royalty was supposedly pa.s.sing through Zokuis village. The only n.o.ble that Hekusa knew of was Viscount Garorias and his family. They're certainly living a better lifestyle than that of commoners and serfs but it was a small difference and he thought that the people who lived at the bottom of employment in his previous life still lived a more civilized and wealthy lifestyle. Now then, let's take a look at what the highest ranking n.o.bles or royalty or whatever of Orth look like. Thinking that he started pulling weeds along the roar they were supposed to pa.s.s by through the village.
Close to noon, when the sun was at it's highest, an army appeared with several knights at the front. The line of the army seemed considerably long and it was far enough that I couldn't see the end. Very rarely the army pa.s.ses through Zokuis village so it's not the way first time I've seen them pa.s.s through.
However, the army that's pa.s.sing through Zokuis village this time is different from the ones up to now. Just from a glance you can tell their equipment is expensive looking and above all the number of knights on horseback is more than usual as well. Normally it's about 1/20th the number of infantry but this time over 1/5 of them are cavalry knights.
Wa~han~ this is the escort army for the supposed high ranking n.o.ble. While resting from pulling weeds I was watching it. Shortly after two large carriages pulled by eight horses each approached escorted by the army. As expected watching them while standing will get my head cut off. The other day when a knight pa.s.sed through giving notice they said to lower your head to the carriage and that you're not allowed to directly look at it so I just lowered my head and looked up at it with just my eyes.
As expected it's quite the extravagant carriage. It's large enough that 10 adults can comfortably fit inside and the ornaments are fancy as well. It's truly the image Hekusa has of "n.o.bles". Suddenly the front of the escort army stopped in a vacant lot ahead of here. Since the time is what it is and there's a river up ahead they might be stopping to have some lunch I guess?
It's a long escort army that might even stretch over 1Km with over 500 people I guess? It seems there's over 5m between each cavalry and there's a few meters between the armed lines of infantry as well. Since they're all taking a lunch break and eating at once while letting their horses drink water it will probably take about 2-3 hours. The speed is slow. Right now they're going through the village where it's easy to walk so they move at the speed an adult walks but once they leave the village it will probably slow down even more.
They're probably moving three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. If you think about their speed as 3Km then they're probably only moving about 20Km a day. In the end they aren't even able to reach the speeds of armies of remote regions in the past. Thinking he's seen all there is to see Hekusa returned to farm work. I might be drafted next year and even if that isn't the case I might end sold as a slave.
I need to somehow avoid just that.
.............
One month later, the army is pa.s.sing through Zokuis village again. It was after summer just as fall was soon to come. Since he had already seen it once this time Hekusa had no interest. The fact that he ended up relating with them was truly a coincidence and truly the mixing of the heavens. Just like last when the line was resting in the vacant s.p.a.ce of the village, a disturbance occurred. Several of the precious source of proteins for the village the chickens were stolen. Just from a glance that's one of the ones with characteristic black feathers.
That's one of the female chickens we're keeping at the house. It lays our precious eggs one in every 2-3 days. I need to somehow take it back peacefully.
"Hahhahhahaha..Sel you suck."
"What was that! Then you try doing it, it's difficult."
"Hey, you all, don't let it escape..Che..so it missed."
"Your highness Alex. Don't hold the bow like that. You need to pull the bow upright with your right hand."
"Hn? Like this?"
"That's right. While pus.h.i.+ng down on the bow with your left hand..Ah, your grip is strange."
"Ah, Myul, stop chatting with Ren and you try doing it as well."
"..No, as expected I can already do that much."
"Really, just stop already. That chicken belongs to the villagers right? That's not very admirable."
"Ah..Yeah. I see."
It seems like the children of some n.o.bles ordered the soldiers to make a plaza with s.h.i.+elds and they were playing with the chickens of the Barnes family and some other households by shooting arrows at them. Since they're being taught the bow by a soldier who seems to be skilled at it, it certainly seems true that it's half play. Since the girl warned them, the two who were focused on shooting arrows honestly listened and stopped.
(We're saved. It doesn't seem like it's dead or hurt. That's great..)
Putting aside other households chickens, Hekusa was relieved he could confirm that his families chicken was safe.
Ordered by the girl one of the soldiers captured the chicken and walked over to here. Considering how simply he caught the chickens and was able to hold them without hurting them.
They must have been born in a farming village.
"Kid, here I'll return these. Sorry about that. Well forgive them. Since we can't go against them.."
The soldier said that and returned the black female chicken. Hekusa bowed his head to the kind soldier and after checking that the chicken wasn't hurt anywhere was about to leave.
"N? Wait!"
Just as he was about to turn around a voice called out. Hekusa went stiff from surprise and turned around nervously. In order to not look directly at them he was lowering his head but he couldn't hide the trembling of his feet. It can't be, next are they going to make me into the target or something?
"Raise your raise."
It's the voice of the one who was laughing first from before.
"Didn't you hear me? Raise your face."
I nervously raise my face. But, I still make sure to look away. Just from directly looking at them, you never know what kind of reason they could do something.
However, the four children of n.o.bles were shocked after seeing Hekusa's face.
"After all.."
"Sel, I'm amazed you noticed.."
"So they are out there.."
"Josh, deliver the chicken to that person's house...And after that, you. Come over here and show us your face closer."
Hekusa was standing there with no idea what had happened but the soldier from just now took away the chicken and when he was pushed on the back by a different soldier his head finally started to turn.
After going to their side he was pulled into the carriage without question.
"Raise your face. There's no need to look away either."
"Do you understand j.a.panese?"
"Relax, we're not anyone suspicious."
"You're a j.a.panese person right..Status Open..Barnes-san. Rest easy. We're j.a.panese people as well."
After closing the door of the carriage in a s.p.a.ce with just the five of them they all started talking in j.a.panese surprising Hekusa who heard it for the first time in 12 years.
"Eh? Ah, eve...even if you all speak at once like that.."
""He is!!""
"Oh~ so he was j.a.panese!"
"There was no mistake in my eyes!"
"Wo..Wow..There really was a j.a.panese person!"
"Yeah, oh my..that's great."
While the four of them were all surprised in their own way, Hekusa couldn't do anything but watch that in a daze. Of course they're surprised just as much as Hekusa as well.
Showing his status and being shown it, he didn't know what was going on. Unable to keep up with the sudden series of events while Hekusa was slowly explaining his situation, starting to feel irritated the most arrogant looking royalty (it's only obvious he was arrogant) Alex said.
"In any case, you don't have any attachment to your family right now I see. I'm sure your older brother is somewhere. It seems that you want to search for him right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Alright, wait just a minute."
Alex said that and left the carriage before talking to a soldier about something.
"Barnes-san, please relax. Alex won't cause any trouble for you."
"That's a round about way of doing it. Isn't it fine if he just orders them in one word?"
"Thing's aren't that simple right? Barnes-san is a commoner of this territory so we can't just do as we please without saying anything to the lord right?"
"That's why I said we should just tell it to that lord."
"Myulu. It's not as simple as that. This isn't the royal families territory. It would be best if you study a bit more."
"Yeah-yeah. Either way I'm the only commoner from a remote area.."
"Really, stop saying such depressing things every time."
Alex quickly returned to the carriage and made an OK sign with his fingers before smiling.
"Barnes. You'll no longer be a commoner but I can help you. One day I can use an appropriate reason to make you back into a commoner or n.o.ble as well so rest easy on that as well."
The trick was immediately identified. It's something simple. He talked with Viscount Garorias the lord of Zokuis village and at the same time offered a good amount of money to Hekusa's parents. He bought Hekusa as a servant slave and once they return to Randgriz they'll free him from slavery into a Free Person and at the same time it'll take the shape of Alex employing him.
If he's a Free Person then there's restrictions on his actions but since the royal territory is vast it would be difficult to search around all of it by the time he reaches adulthood. Since they already expect to have even more authority by then, if they have him take up some appropriate achievement then they can use that to reward him with becoming a commoner. As expected it's difficult to push a Free Person into the knight group. The army is fine but in that case it would be difficult for Hekusa to search for his older brother.
Hekusa was told they'd give him money so use that to hire some decent adventurers and for starters travel around the royal territory looking for his older brother. According to their conjecture there should still be one or two reincarnations in the royal territory. Since Sel is the son of Duke Stahlz he can at least give permission to pa.s.s through that territory as well so there should be at least 3-4 people in that total area.
It was an unbelievably good luck for Hekusa. He was a bit taken aback at becoming an adventurer but that can't be helped. He also understood that since there was no accurate map, it was important to walk around making a slightly more precise one. Since there's no measurement tools it can't be made perfectly but it should be fine as long as it's a bit more precise than now. Most likely, the achievement they were referring to is production of a map.
In any case Hekusa had no choice other than to grab on the small thread that was hanging before him.
