Patrick spoke to his father with a serious expression.
“Father, even without monster attacks, the problems troubling the people of our fief are not just one or two.”
“Well, there might be some problems, but they aren't that serious, are they?”
"There's not enough food, so the people of the fief have to risk their lives every time they get through winter.”
“Hmm, that's...”
“There's also a great shortage of daily necessities, so their quality of life is low.”
“Ah, that's true. But.”
"The soldiers' weapons are also old, making it dangerous to send them into real combat, and there are no doctors or priests to treat people when they fall ill.” Faced with Patrick's sharp criticism, Baron Schneider could not say a single word in return. Because it was all true.
'Haa, I have nothing to say.' Why would Baron Schneider not know that his own fief was underdeveloped and that the lives of his people were hard? But most of the nobles in this region were like that.
The great forest located in the east was a remote land that rejected humanity, a paradise for monsters. It was common sense that a fief adjacent to such a place could not possibly enjoy the same standard of living as other places.
“Do you know what is needed to solve all of this?”
“Are you saying it's money?”
“Yes. Most of the problems I just mentioned can be solved with money.”
Patrick's words were the undeniable truth. Baron Schneider might have been a pushover, but he wasn't so foolish as to be ignorant of reality. Why would he not know about the various problems scattered throughout the fief?
And he also knew that most of those problems could be solved with a sufficient budget. He knew, but...
“Does that mean you have to go as far as to hunt dangerous monsters to earn money? You are the heir to this fief.”
The heart of a father worrying about his son. Mm, it's good. It's really good.
It's good, but... 'To put it bluntly, you're just getting in the way right now.’ Patrick let out a sigh and then spoke to his father.
“Father, do you see that?”
What Patrick pointed at was the hide of a Saber Tiger. Looking at the hide of the large monster, which had been cleanly beaten to death without a single sword mark, Patrick said.
“I took that down by myself.”
“Mmm...”
“How many more creatures around our fief could possibly be more dangerous than that?”
"Rest assured.
Your son is strong.”
“Huuuu, but you're still too young.”
Seeing his father, who couldn't be reassured even with logical persuasion, Jin Cheon smiled bitterly. Wouldn't a normal person, if their son brought home such a huge amount of money, say something like, 'Yes, keep up the good work,' and cheer him on? But Baron Schneider's eyes were still filled with worry and concern for his son.
It's frustrating. Truly frustrating. However...
'He's just like Master.' As if to prove they were both pushovers, their actions were quite similar. Back in the days when Jin Cheon was making a name for himself as a duelist.
The days when, to make the name of the Twin Dragon Sect known, he recklessly sent out duel challenges everywhere, not caring if it was to the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Families.
[You brat. Who told you to recklessly duel an elder of the Mount Hua Sect?]
[Challenging the Wudang Sect Leader? Withdraw right now. Cancel it.]
[You're challenging Shaolin's 108 Arhat Formation? Have you finally gone mad? Have you finally lost your mind!]
His Master, with a look of utter distress, had worriedly scolded and tried to stop Jin Cheon. Every time Jin Cheon achieved victory, the fame of the Twin Dragon Sect soared to the heavens and shook the martial world, but his Master considered his disciple's safety more important than such things.
Persuading his Master to get permission was actually harder than the duels themselves. 'Still, I know how to persuade people like this.' Jin Cheon spoke to his father in a gentle voice.
“Father, you've said it before. That… what was it? Noblesse Hommage?”
“It's Noblesse Oblige.”
“Ah, right. That. You said that nobles have a noble's duty, right?”
“Mmm...”
“Isn't it a true noble who does their best to protect the safety of the fief's people and stabilize their lives?”
"That's..."
“Isn't that what you taught me? With your own lips, Father.”
That detestable rascal. To have his own words thrown back at him, he couldn't say anything. Just then, a white, soft hand grasped Baron Schneider's wrist.
“Darling, for now, please respect our son's wishes.”
“My dear, you too...”
“You're the one who taught him that way, aren't you? Are you going to say now that it was just some ideal theory?”
"The man I fell in love with isn't that kind of man, is he?"
With his beloved wife siding with his son like this, the Baron could no longer refuse.
“I will speak to Lawrence. Tell him whatever you need.”
“Are you trusting me with this?”
“Yes. But you must never overdo it.”
“Yes, I understand, Father.”
Patrick succeeded in persuading his father.
'Now that I have his official permission, shall I start moving on a grander scale?' From the next day, Patrick began hunting monsters in earnest. He wiped out every Goblin village or Kobold pack he found around the fief.
On top of that, whenever he found large, profitable monsters like Trolls, Owl Bears, or Wild Boars... “Give me everything of value!” He would charge at them with bloodshot eyes.
As Patrick began to hunt monsters like a madman, something amazing happened. The monster attacks decreased to a degree that the people of the fief could feel. “The monster attacks have really decreased lately.”
“I know, right? Before, monsters would come and cause a ruckus at least once or twice a week.” “This month, it only happened once, right?”
“This is all thanks to the young master.” “He's an amazing person. To go into the monster-infested forest every day for our sake at such a young age...”
"He's a true noble.” Patrick entered the forest every day to find and hunt monsters because he was looking for profitable ones. But as a result, the people of the fief were deeply moved.
This was because the monster attacks, the biggest threat to the Schneider Fief, had significantly decreased. No matter how much of a genius he was, how could they not be moved when the still young Patrick went into the forest every day to catch monsters and look after their safety? Among the people of the fief, Patrick's reputation soared.
And it wasn't just the people of the fief who began to see Patrick in a new light.
“Uwaaaaaaah!” “Drop dead! Young master!”
“Let's crush him!” The gazes of the soldiers training under Patrick had also changed greatly. Combat training with Patrick, which followed four hours of enduring the horse stance while carrying a boulder the size of their own torso on their heads.
In truth, until recently, the results of this training were merely an increase in the soldiers' endurance and a way for Patrick to relieve stress. But a while ago, the soldiers' attitudes changed.
Their attacks still couldn't touch a single strand of Patrick's hair, but now a fierce determination could be seen in the way they tenaciously clung to him.
'Their gazes, at least, have become sliiiightly useful.’ The soldiers' attitude toward training was so fervent that Patrick even had this thought.
The reason for this change in the soldiers' attitude was that they had recently learned of Patrick's actions. The young master they had thought was just a demon with a rotten and wicked personality who took pleasure in tormenting people was, in fact, dealing with the monsters around the fief without their knowledge. And he was doing it all alone.
Brian was with him, but that fact was neatly ignored. When they learned this fact, the soldiers wore expressions mixed with awe and shock. Their lord, Baron Schneider, was a kind and excellent lord, but he wasn't the type of noble who bravely defeated enemies and raised the morale of his soldiers from the front.
Compared to him, what about his son Patrick? He was only ten years old, yet he was already taking the lead, fighting and shedding blood in dangerous places before anyone else. Well, he hadn't shed a single drop of his own blood, but let's just overlook that.
In any case, to the soldiers, Patrick was truly the most ideal form of a noble. A heroic noble from the old tales, valiant and strong, who stood and fought before them. Amidst all this, Sanson gathered the soldiers and spoke.
“As you all know... the young master is currently dealing with the monsters around the fief in our place.”
“We know, brother.”
“As expected of the young master...?”
"I knew he was strong, but still.” Looking at his admiring comrades, Sanson nodded and said.
“The young master is monstrously strong. We all know that. But I am ashamed.”
"What do you mean?"
“Why do you think the young master is subjugating monsters all by himself?”
“That's because...”
The soldier who was speaking hesitated. And as if to say 'See?', Sanson nodded and spoke.
“It's because we are weak.”
“Because we are not strong enough to be of any help, he fights with only that fellow Brian, without taking us along. Because we are weak!”
At Sanson's resolute words, the soldiers squeezed their eyes shut. They had been so moved by Patrick's heroic deeds that they hadn't thought about it. This miserable reality, that they, who should be standing behind that hero, were unable to be with him.
Sanson spoke resolutely.
“I know the training the young master makes us do is hard. But let's all follow him with our lives on the line. We must become stronger.”
"Yes, sir!"
And so, the soldiers' attitude toward training completely changed. A fervor to follow Patrick, an anger that couldn't forgive their own weakness.
And...
“Uwoooargh!”
“Just get hit already! You demon!”
"Kill him!
Let's kill him!” Well, let's just interpret it as their fighting spirit having improved.
"Foolish things…”
Patrick said, watching the soldiers charge at him with burning fighting spirit.
“If you could close the skill gap with fighting spirit or grit, what would be the point of having skill?”
And at the same time, Patrick's body vanished.
Simultaneously... Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
"Kuaaaack!"
"Aack!"
“Keoheok...”
They couldn't even see when or how he had struck. By the time Patrick's body reappeared just as it had vanished, a dozen or so soldiers were already moaning on the ground, having been thoroughly beaten all over their bodies. It was truly movement like a flash of light.
“Kkeueung...”
“Oo...oooo...”
“Aigo, someone's going to die. I'm dying....”
Once all the soldiers had fallen, Patrick spoke with a refreshed expression.
“Alright, morning training ends here. Now, everyone get to your duties until the afternoon.”
And as Patrick was about to leave to hunt monsters, one soldier stepped forward and spoke.
“Yo... Young master. Just a moment.”
“You are... Soldier A.” "I'm Oliver.”
“Right. Speak. A.” For a moment, Oliver looked like he had bitten into something sour, but he quickly composed his expression and spoke.
“Young master. This is by no means a complaint about your training, but a pure question to resolve a doubt we currently have.”
“Stop beating around the bush and just say it.”
“You're too fast, young master. We can't do anything.”
“Well, that's only natural. That's just how it is.”
Even in his past life, there was no human faster than Patrick.
"Is that all? Then I'm leaving."
“Wai- wait a moment. Young master.”
"Ah, what is it?” Patrick spoke curtly to Oliver, who was once again holding him back. Then, Oliver said...