#695 The Farm Graduates’ Activities – The Humans’ POV (2/7)

I’m Ritheseus, a human who has just returned from the farm.

When I returned to the mansion I once served, it was in ruins.

An utter shock!

It’s so dilapidated that it can be called a haunted house or a ruin, but to my surprise, people still live here.

Starting with Grand Chamberlain Vilardo, whom I first encountered at the entrance, surely the scattered servants throughout the mansion came rushing next.

“Ritheseus! It really is you!”

“You’re alive!”

“You’ve grown up so muuuuuuuch!”

Everyone who gathered was familiar.

They’re the fellow servants who worked with me in this mansion while serving the feudal lord.

“Gardener Riege, Madam Friarde, Chef Sindenney...!”

All of them were nice people who had taken care of me when I was young.

However, they all look emaciated, nothing like they used to be.

Like this ruined mansion, they have been exposed to the elements and have lost their vitality.

“I’ve missed you all... But how did things turn out like this...?!” 

Besides, there should’ve been more servants in the estate.

There were attendants and maids my age, and things were bustling back then.

“...Only we are left in this mansion. Everyone else has gone.”

“Huh?”

The grand chamberlain explains the situation, but his voice is filled with bitterness and regret.

“The estate no longer has the financial leeway to hire many servants. We prioritized the younger ones to move to other places to work...!”

“We couldn’t let their future rot in a place like this. It’s enough for us old people to share the fate of this decaying mansion.”

Wait a minute...! Please wait a minute...!

What on earth happened?

Just a few years before I went to the farm for training, this was supposed to be a respectable lord’s mansion.

It was never luxurious, but still, it had enough cleanliness and nobility to be proud of compared to other territories.

The employees were also supposed to be a coordinated group of professionals.

But... this drastic change is too depressing!

“We had no other choice...! No matter how hard the servants try, nothing can be done if an incompetent lord is on top. These past few years have been a reminder of that...!”

“That’s ridiculous! Sire is not incompetent!”

He took me in when I was given up for apprenticeship and raised me like his own son!

Calling him incompetent is nothing but a false accusation, and I won’t forgive anyone who does that!

“No... you’re wrong, Ritheseus...! It’s understandable that you don’t know because you just returned today... but the person you respect is no longer the feudal lord...!”

“What?!”

“Now, this territory is under the control of his stupid son, Saldacase...! Since he took Sire’s seat, our territory has been getting worse and worse, almost destroyed...! We’re in a hopeless situation!”

***

Afterward, I was guided around the mansion and entered a separate annex.

There was the lord... no, the former feudal lord.

“Ritheseus...?! Is that you, Ritheseus?! You were still alive?!”

“Sire!”

I rush to my benefactor lying in bed.

For a moment, when I heard about the succession, the worst imaginable thought crossed my mind.

That’s why I’m relieved to see the lord, rather, the former lord, safe and sound.

Nevertheless, seeing him confined to his sickbed, unable to get out of it... It appears his condition is quite severe...

“I’ve become a senile old man...! Just as you left for your journey; my health took a drastic turn for the worse. It’s become difficult to even leave the bed, let alone fulfill my duties as the feudal lord of this territory...!”

“Is that why the succession took place, sire...?!”

And Saldacase, his heir, took over...?!

“I had hoped he would be a worthy successor, bringing prosperity to our domain. But I soon realized that was wishful thinking on my part...!”

Lord Saldacase, the son of our kind and considerate lord, was an incredibly selfish child who detested studying.

He had never prepared himself to become a lord, yet he assumed he would naturally become one someday.

He treated the servants like slaves, and during my time serving here, I had to endure a lot of unpleasant experiences because of him.

“I thought my son was diligently studying and physically and mentally preparing to become my successor. But that was just for appearances. He doesn’t have the slightest intention to love and protect our people.”

“As soon as Saldacase... I mean, Lord Saldacase became the feudal lord, he raised taxes and used the increased revenue solely for his own pleasure, without returning anything to the people. He’s a typical corrupt ruler.”

He took the worst possible course I could imagine...!

His misconduct had been a problem even before I left for training, but the plan was for the grand chamberlain and others to discipline him.

But that plan was thwarted due to Sire’s ill health.

Once Saldacase gained power, he began firing any subordinates he disliked, and in the end, only the old servants and this dilapidated mansion without any repair budget were left...?!

“Where is Saldacase? Where is he while his mansion is in such ruins?”

“He’s in a city in the neighboring territory... There’s a rather large entertainment district where he’s frolicking, using the taxes he milked out of the people.”

I felt a surge of anger, hot enough to steam from my head.

Is he seriously indulging himself in the sweet benefits of power and wealth without fulfilling his responsibilities as a feudal lord?

How is he any different from the Order that was left suppressed by the Demon King’s Army?

The feudal lords of the Human Kingdom were reputed to be working hard to support their people because the royal family and the Order were a disappointment.

And yet, he’s single-handedly ruining that reputation.

He’s insulting and causing trouble for all the feudal lords of the Human Kingdom.

“...No.”

Before that, I felt anger towards myself.

My studies on the farm were tough but enjoyable.

Lord Saint, Sensei, and many other people were kind, and I was able to devote myself to thriving in that environment.

But I was so engrossed in the fun that I was completely unaware of the dire situation in this place, which should be my hometown...!

What’s the point of growing up if that’s the case?!

Am I a fool?!

My mind was filled with words of self-reproach.

“...I apologize for the trouble you’ve had to go through.”

I kneel and attend to Sire at his bedside.

“Although it may be presumptuous of me to say this after being absent during such trying times, I intend to work with all my might for this territory now that I’m back. I will restore this dilapidated mansion to its former glory as soon as possible.”

“Oh, Ritheseus...!”

The former lord, lying in his sickbed, grips my hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.

I was surprised at how small his hand felt. Smaller than I remembered, even.

I had served him since childhood, but was his hand always this small?

No, now is not the time to dwell on such thoughts, Ritheseus.

It’s time to make up for the mismanagement that happened in your absence.

I will deal with Saldacase, the idiot son, in due time... 

But for now, the priority is to repair this dilapidated mansion.

“Sire... living in such a rundown mansion will only depress you further and delay your recovery. Creating an environment conducive to your recovery is paramount.”

“T-That’s easier said than done. Restoring a mansion this decrepit is not an easy task. If it were, we would’ve done it a long time ago,” says Grand Chamberlain Vilardo.

I’m sure they did everything they could to maintain the dignity of the mansion, but despite their best efforts, it ended up in this state.

“Saldacase, the damn fool, has squandered the family’s wealth, leaving the mansion with virtually no assets. We can barely afford the medical bills for Sire, let alone the cost of repairing the mansion.”

“Don’t worry. I will take care of everything myself.”

Well, to be precise, not entirely by myself.

It was surprisingly easy to stand in the center of the once-familiar mansion. It was my well-known place of duty, after all.

I start chanting a spell...

“O hidden beings that dwell in the gaps of all creation, reveal your forms in exchange for my energy...”

The magic I cast was something I learned on the farm. 

I summon the spirits that support the workings of nature.

“Eek! What are these?! Ghosts?!”

Grand Chamberlain Vilardo was taken aback and stumbled. 

It must have been a shock to suddenly come face to face with materialized spirits.

My magic can’t quite materialize spirits as solidly as the earth spirits at the farm.

But in return, the price of summoning is limited to the mana I emit.

“Spirits, vanquish the encroaching weeds, mend the cracks that mar the earthen walls, and dispel the accumulated dust within these rooms. I intend to repay you well in return.”

Upon hearing my request, the translucent spirits flew off in unison, faithfully carrying out my instructions.

Always be polite and respectful when borrowing the power of gods and spirits. 

Sensei’s teachings are proving to be invaluable already.