New chapter of May Our Village be Happy is out (1/2 chapters)

 

 

Perfect Winter

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Upon entering the month of December, the air finally took on the qualities most emblematic of winter. The movement of people between domains sharply declined, economic activities all but ceased, and society itself appeared to fall into a deep slumber, so quiet that it seemed the world had paused its breath entirely.

The Valentine territory was no exception. Even in normal times, this small rural territory experienced few visitors or travelers passing through its borders. When winter arrived, it became a terrestrial island, entirely surrounded by forests and rolling hills. There was not a soul from outside to be seen, and for the three months of winter, the world within these boundaries consisted solely of roughly one hundred souls, lord and subjects alike.

Within this miniature world, the majority of its inhabitants, including Mika, greatly curtailed outdoor activities and spent extended hours indoors. What they chose to occupy themselves with varied from person to person. Those skilled with their hands engaged in domestic crafts, some played board games reminiscent of what in Mika’s previous life he would have called “tabletop games” with their neighbors, while others, wishing to recover from the labors of the busier seasons, spent much of their time in slumber.

In the grand chamber of the lord’s mansion, at a long wooden table, Dimitri, the devoted retainer of Lord Mika, sat across from Marcel, the foremost representative of the villagers, both holding pens and staring intently at sheets of paper. They diligently practiced the reading and writing of characters.

“…I believe I am beginning to understand them, little by little.” (Dimitri)

“Do you? To me, they still appear nothing more than a collection of peculiar marks upon the page…” (Marcel)

As Marcel’s pen scratched across the paper, Dimitri compared the exemplar prepared by Mika with his own writing and, with a furrowed brow, responded.

Marcel, serving as the representative of the villagers, had voluntarily chosen to learn reading and writing, knowing that such skills would be useful in assisting Mika in the future. Dimitri, whose duties primarily involved protection, had been instructed by Mika that even a basic level of literacy would be necessary for a retainer of the lord. Each of them devoted a set portion of their daily routine to study. On this day, Mika had called them both to the table to assess their progress over the past several weeks.

“Truly, I never imagined the day would come when I would be studying letters. I have confidence in my strength, yet as for these things… Marcel-san, I am astonished that you volunteered so eagerly to learn.” (Dimitri)

“Hahaha, in truth, acquiring the ability to read and write has been a secret aspiration of mine since childhood. I was raised being told that I was clever and quick of mind, and eventually I found myself in the position of speaking with the family of the lord as the representative of the village, yet ultimately, I was but a single villager of a small hamlet. The previous lords of the Dondand family were not the type to teach their subjects to read and write. Therefore, I am truly grateful to Mika-sama for granting my wish. Once I become capable of reading and writing, I must repay his favor with even greater contributions.” (Marcel)

As Marcel spoke, he continued to copy letters with quiet determination.

“I see… If Marcel-san can say such things, then as a retainer of Mika-sama, I cannot afford to speak of weakness. I have been placed under such expectations; I must not disappoint them.” (Dimitri)

“Dimitri-san, you truly admire Mika-sama, do you not?” (Marcel)

Marcel spoke with a gentle smile as he observed Dimitri’s broad back hunched over the paper, fully absorbed in the task before him.

“Indeed…… in my home village, I was mocked for being large and needlessly strong, and treated as a runt by my family. In the end, they sent me off to war to rid themselves of the nuisance, and I was chased, defeated, and almost killed without understanding why. It was Mika-sama who rescued me, and thus my life was completely transformed.” (Dimitri)

As he recounted his story, a natural smile appeared upon Dimitri’s lips.

“Mika-sama rose swiftly to become lord, and I became his retainer. I was given a room in the mansion, and fed meals identical to those of Lord Mika-sama, to my fill, every day. Mika-sama always says I am strong, dependable, and full of potential. But it is not only him; even the villagers of this land always praise me as reliable. To be recognized by everyone, without ridicule……” (Dimitri)

“……You mean you have a place of your own?” (Marcel)

“Yes, precisely. I can feel that I have a place in this world. I never imagined I could live a life such as this. Mika-sama appointed me as his retainer, and all this was accomplished in less than half a year. If I continue to serve Mika-sama, my life may only improve further. Indeed, it will undoubtedly improve. To live while looking forward to tomorrow, next week, next month, next year…… it is the first time I have ever felt this way. I must repay Mika-sama properly. To do so, I must strive even harder. I am no longer the third son of a poor farming family.” (Dimitri)

Dimitri slowly, yet steadily, copied his own name onto the page.

In the Daliandel region, where literacy rates scarcely exceed ten percent, the poor often cannot even write their own names. Dimitri, at this very moment, was gradually transforming from the third son of a humble farmer into a capable and competent young man.

“Now then, how are you two faring today?”

At that moment, Mika himself descended from the second floor of the mansion. Upon seeing Dimitri and Marcel display their papers, he smiled.

“Indeed, to be able to write this much in only a few weeks is more than sufficient. Marcel, you are as quick to grasp concepts as I expected. And Dimitri, your skill is far greater than anticipated. I had thought that simple reading and writing would suffice, yet at this pace, you may soon be able to read full texts…… as expected of my dependable retainer.” (Mika)

“Tr-truly? I shall strive even more to live up to your expectations.” (Dimitri)

“Indeed, I am counting on you. But take it step by step, without haste.” (Mika)

Dimitri nodded eagerly, filled with joy, and Marcel returned a gentle smile as their eyes met.

……

Mika himself was no exception to spending the majority of the long winter indoors.

With the shorter hours of daylight, he awoke later and retired earlier than in other seasons, so the hours he remained awake were briefer than usual, yet the excess of leisure time was still far greater than could be spent merely idling. In his natal household, Mika had passed many a winter engrossed in reading.

Though the Carossa family was that of a minor lord, its history was considerable, tracing back to the era of the great empire. In the small castle that had accompanied this family throughout history, there existed a surprisingly rich collection of books for such a minor lordly house. As long as he read quietly, the presence of an idle child would elicit no objection, and Mika had read the collection of over one hundred volumes many times.

Yet the Valentine Territory—the former Dondand domain—contained virtually no books when Mika became its new lord. The previous members of the Dondand family, fleeing and abandoning their lands and people, took with them nearly all items of value, including the few volumes of books that remained.

In his previous life, Mika had been an indoor-oriented, cultured individual, and reading was his sole pastime in this life. In a world with far fewer entertainments than his previous one, reading remained one of the rare pleasures he could enjoy. To avoid the dullness of winter, Mika had instructed Ernest during the autumn to acquire books on his behalf.

By comparison with medieval Europe of his prior life, the Daliandel region of this era had achieved some advancement in plant-based paper. Thick leaves of a certain magical plant could be sliced into thin sheets, dried, and converted into a serviceable white paper, slightly rougher than that of the old world, yet sufficient for reading. Moreover, some famous works were mass-produced via woodblock printing in larger cities. Thus, while books remained expensive, they were not as prohibitively costly as in medieval Europe. With a budget of two gold coins, Mika requested Ernest to collect various storybooks, even in poor condition if legible. Ernest returned with eight books.

Half of these books Mika had read in his previous household, yet that was irrelevant. Any readable text sufficed. Feeling the comfort of having books at hand, Mika welcomed the winter.

“Here, please have some tea.” (Helga)

“Thank you, Helga.” (Mika)

On one morning, Mika, seated in the grand chamber and absorbed in reading, acknowledged Helga, who had placed a wooden cup upon the small table beside him.

“Mika-sama, you truly do love reading, do you not?” (Helga)

“Yes, indeed. I am especially fond of storybooks. When I travel through the worlds of these stories in my mind, the reality that awaits when I close the book seems all the more precious.” (Mika)

“My, what profound words, indeed.” (Helga)

With a gentle smile, Helga, wishing not to disturb Mika’s reading, quietly withdrew. Mika took a warm sip of tea, exhaled in contentment, and returned his gaze to the book.

This was his method of experiencing winter to perfection, and Mika felt it to be as serene and blissful as one could imagine.

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)