TESE Episode 1
Two Empires, The Slave of the Empire (TESE)
1.
Nobody ever taught me, but I knew a lot from the moment I was born.
'As the Strasse Empire and El Pasher Empire compete to pursue a war of conquest, the entire world was engulfed in the whirlwind of war.'
'The reduction of the jurisdiction of the noble courts is one of the policies aimed at strengthening imperial power.'
'Fort Abraham has never been captured by outside invasions in 50 years.'
Do you believe in reincarnation? Originally, I didn't believe in such things. However, after experiencing it myself, I couldn't help but believe it.
I was a man called 'Levnoad van Strass.' I was the crown prince of the Strasse Empire and also someone who met a pathetic end, poisoned by someone. When I was miraculously reborn on this land, I remembered everything from my past life.
But there is a difference between remembering and understanding. So, I couldn't immediately make Levnoad's experiences and knowledge in my head my own.
What did I think when I was a tiny newborn baby? I had no thoughts. No, I was hungry. But it was painful because my mother didn't give me milk often. I remember that.
Maybe when I was six? At that time, I first thought about wanting to go to the Strasse Empire. I imagined the endless green plains. It felt good to imagine running a horse with all my strength, feeling like my stomach would burst. I was excited, my chest swelled with anticipation, and I thought about how to leave for the Strasse Empire. But then, did I just go to the back hill to pick grass because Beti next door wanted to play? But then, did I just go to the back hill to pick grass because Betty next door wanted to play?
It couldn't be helped. I was a child at the time. A little boy who acted impulsively according to his instincts.
I spent some time like that, and when I came to my senses one day, I found that people were calling me ‘Ray.’ A slave owned by the El Pasher Empire, the property of Count Vincenzio.
Yes, a slave. Moreover, I had been reincarnated not as a commoner but as a slave, treated like livestock. And to make it worse, I was a slave to the enemy nation.
It was absurd, but I was still living as Ray. Of course, I sometimes think about who killed me, Levnoad? What happened to Strasse? And how I want to escape this filthy place and regain my former status.
Bang!
"Ray!"
Suddenly, Betty burst into the room, slamming the door. I was lost in my thoughts and was startled. I don't know why El Pasher women are so aggressive.
"Betty, I told you to always knock."
"More importantly, Ray! There's a commotion outside!"
What happened? Did the fathers gather again for daytime drinking? It seems like they got scolded by Count Vincenzio for the same reason yesterday.
I bit my tongue and headed outside with Betty. There were quite a few people gathered in the yard. But there was no drunk person in sight. Since my mother was nearby, I approached to hear the situation.
"Mother"
"Ray, have you come?"
My mother smiled and tousled my hair like a puppy. I had strongly demanded her not to do this several times, but she forgot what she said yesterday and repeated the same actions every day. The sweat in her armpits emitted a slightly nauseating smell. However, I didn't really dislike the smell of my mother. No matter how many times she ignored my requests, I couldn't get angry easily. I sighed as I tidied up my messy hair and asked my mother again.
"Did something happen? Betty told me something big was happening and that I should come out."
"Oh, Betty called you. Can you see the broken axle of the waterwheel over there? That's what caused all this commotion."
I raised an eyebrow.
"It looked old and unreliable, I guess it finally fell apart, huh? But if the watermill is broken, shouldn't you inform the Lord, what are you doing here?"
"Usually I would but those idiots got scolded by the lord for drinking yesterday. If they say the waterwheel broke today, the Lord who was already uncomfortable might get angry. At this rate, they might face serious punishments. These people, why do you drink so much!"
"This woman, seriously. Alright even if I die, I die. Did I know that the waterwheel would break down!"
Suddenly, my mother and father started fighting, raising their voices. I put my hand out between the two and stopped the argument.
"Just a moment, you two, don’t fight and just listen to me. The waterwheel broke down on its own due to time. It had nothing to do with father drinking yesterday. If you make an issue out of yesterday's incident, it's just finding an excuse. Count Vincenzio knows the situation. It’s hard to imagine that he would take out his anger on innocent slaves."
The surroundings become quiet. Not only my parents but others, too, were suddenly paying attention to my story.
"Is it believable because Ray said it?"
"Yeah, we've never suffered from listening to Ray's words."
"But Ray! How dare you call the Lord 'Count'? What if you get caught and beaten to death?"
"I admit that this guy is smart, but can we blindly trust him and be at ease? Fixing the waterwheel will definitely cost a lot of money. Even if he's the Lord, if it reaches that point, won't he get angry?"
For a moment, they seemed to be interested in what I said, but they started to chatter again, without logic or context. I smiled bitterly. Well, I couldn't expect too much from ignorant slaves.
"All right, enough! Pay attention! We can't hide the fact that the waterwheel is broken forever. If he were to find out later that we were lying, wouldn't Count Vincenzio be even angrier?"
I raised my voice to get people's attention again.
"Yeah, that makes sense, right?"
"I guess there's no choice but to tell the truth, right? The lord is a good person, so he might forgive us this time."
So, because you haven't done anything wrong this time, there is nothing to ask forgiveness for? But trying to persuade with logic won't yield a sensible response. I pushed my father forward.
"Father, go to the Lord's residence and report that the waterwheel is broken. And everyone else, gather the broken parts in one place. That way, when the repairman comes, we can fix it immediately."
"I guess so."
"Let's do that."
"Wait a minute! Why do I have to go to the Lord's residence?"
Only then did people start murmuring and moving. It was a simple task, but I stood there for a moment, watching the situation, fearing that the slaves might not follow the instructions properly and start rambling again. At that moment, my mother pulled me and grabbed my arm. I frowned slightly and looked at her. I always found being interrupted during work the most unpleasant thing.
"Hehe! As expected Ray is the best. Without our son, nothing in this town would run properly. Now, have this while you work."
Whether she knew my feelings or not, my mother smiled and offered me a handful of mame roots. It is a tree root that tastes sweet when chewed for a long time, a favorite snack among the slaves of Vincenzio Castle. I stared at it for a moment and eventually accepted it.
"Well, okay."
Back when I was the Crown Prince, I could enjoy much sweeter and more exquisite snacks than this. I wouldn't have even glanced at such messy tree roots.
Suddenly I looked around. Vincenzio Castle was situated in a region abundant with grain. Above all, the lord was a wise and generous man, so everyone, from commoners to slaves, was at peace. The slaves who gave birth to me, or rather my parents, were foolish, but kind and warm.
"Mame roots aren't that bad."
I returned to the lodge with Betty, chewing on mane root. Ordinary daily life passed by like that.
* * *
___________________________________________________________________________________
Comments
Post a Comment