Naturvege entered the kitchen carrying a box full of wooden panels, he put it onto the table, a meaty bang. Then he sat down opposite Hierd. "That's what you wanted."
Hierd chose one out of the many panels of wood, the one he picked was a report regarding the food of Venit-Ille during the current year and read;
"Food stocks, abyssmal. Quality food, hard-to-come-by. Food, rarer than gold."
"What does the report mean by your stocks of food being abysmal? Do you even have any to last the month?" Hierd questioned, putting the panel down while simultatinously getting another one from the box.
"Ahah…" He nervously chuckled, "no…"
Then the next report read;
"No housing, too cramped. Crops don't stay for less than a week. The land 'was' fertile. Might need to find another place to farm."
"Who currently manages the village's agriculture?"
"That would the certain Mr. Fin over the barn." Naturvege said in earnest. "He lives with his wife and kids. Good man."
"Right, I would wish to meet with this man to talk agri." Hierd set the wood panel down, "now I want to talk kingdoms."
"I would rather not have my powers exposed to them so early; atleast until it is fully nessesary. I will summon food, water, but nothing too 'great' yet. And also, it would benefit this town more if I were to somehow fix their problems."
"Talk kingdoms, captain?" Naturvege questioned, tilting his head a little in curiosity.
"Yeah." Hierd reclined back for the seat to support his back. "If your kingdom cannot help you in your struggles, it must mean that they too are stuggling themselves. Tell me; is your kingdom poor?"
"No," Naturvege quickly answered. "The kingdom, I do not percieve as poor. We're two days away from the Marquis' city of Unchean, A bit over five days from the capital, and all is quite fine within those areas. Just not the villages. We are quite under represented when it comes to such things."
"I see… I understand…" Hierd put upon his hand onto his forehead, breathing slowly. Exhale. "Magic."
"Magic?"
"What is it to you?"
"A daily commodity, Captain, from fire, water, ground, and many other elements. Magic's... Magic's just a human trait."
"Alright." Hierd stood up, "if magic is normal, then I may be able to show a tidbit of my power. But showing them the vast extent of what my power can or cannot do would be rather damaging for my future I feel."
"Why had you questioned?" Naturvege said, putting the two panels of wood back into the box.
"Nothing in particular, I'll help with your village's problems, but in the meantime... Naturvege..."
"Yes, captain?"
"The footmen need physical training. Gather all the squads and say that you will replace me in the meantime. I'll have a cart full of food after about three hours. I'll have Alrife deliver it by then. And if they misbehave…" -Hierd's gaze was uncomfortably sinister- "tell me." A gleeful smile (truly a façade).
"Yes, captain."
"Ahem! I am acting in my purest form of intellect!" He imagined himself in a dramatic pose. "I am of such lordly presence!"
Hierd flew out of the chief's house with a smile upon his head. Phasing past the chief walking towards the field.
"I shall start at the first phase… Agriculture!" His thoughts were pre-occupied, yet he kept walking stead-fast to the bridge at the other side of the village. "I am not that keen in the subject, but I know some things. And those 'some things' should be enough to help a medieval civilization.
"The village's farm (as Naturvege told me): 'is just north of the village's only bridge on the stream, which is just down the main road.' I don't know the cardinal directions! Mr. Voice, I want a book that teaches me about this."
[the request is vague]
Hierd sighed, "give me a compass instead, actually."
[request granted]
A tiny brass compass appeared upon the palm of his hand. Immidiately, he opened it by the clasp and it told the direction of North.
He then crossed the bridge, took a left, then went forward. It was before a mass of trees, but immidiately after that was a clearing of dirt, tilled-land, and failed attempts. There was a water wheel at the river and looked to be responsible for the grinding of grain and the faster transportation of water to the farmland.
Right at the middle sat an elegant farmhouse (beside it was a red barn). It was two-storeys tall and carried distinctly victorian architecture. Passing the low-lying wooden gate and towards the house, he observed the crops that had recently been planted.
They looked the same. He was no conneseuir of plants, but if he were to be asked, he'd say; 'well I donno' but they look all the same.'
"Hello!" An old man approached him, Hierd stood up to face him. "You must be that man the whole village has been talking about day-in and day-out. Truly a wonderful service to have someone as talented as you in our rather small community."
"It is a pleasure." Hierd smiled, "but…" -He took his eyes off of the old man and then planted them onto the field of newly growing farmland- "I would love to understand the nature of your agriculture. Mr. Fin, I take it is your name?"
"You're right about that!" He joyfully cried. Fin was an old man, wiry, and rough looking. His adam's apple noticeably bulged out, his nose was like a hook, and his cheeks were a faint red. "What is it? With agriculture, sir?"
"What do you farm? B-by that I mean the crops. What crops do you plant here?"
"Seeds of wheat, sir! For rice is the greatest of crops for the upcoming winter times! Truly multi-fashioned it is."
Hierd sighed, "for years (I take it) you've planted only rice-crops?"
"You're right. That's common sense, sir."
He groaned in blatany irritation. Fin could not understand this random bout of irritation. "I am very sorry Mr. Fin. But it is not common sense, it is the lack of it. I am aware you might not understand the academic issue, and wish now to tell you. That it is bad."
Fin, rather than angry or disrespected by the comment, was greatly interested. "If you, sir, are who I think you are, then this may end greatly for I and Venit-ille's struggles in food. B-but please… Let's continue this discussion inside my house.
Upon the man's doorstep, Fin opened the door escorting Hierd within his humble farm home. It was rather nice and quaint, the fireplace was at it's wit's end yet still the home felt nice and warm in the natural coldness of the outside.
Hierd was led to the living room, where upon an old lady (same as the age of Fin) had been sitting.
"Ah," the old woman stood up as Fin eased to grab her and hug her tightly. "This is my wife," -he said as he turned to Hierd- "Elena, our acting-lord, Hierd Die Grace."
"Oh, he is that man." Hearing that, she bowed. "I am truly, sorry for not showing my respects as you entered our… Humble abode, Sir Hierd Die Grace."
"Please," Hierd sat down. "I enter your home under my own volition, and it is nothing truly personal. You may refer to me as Mr. Hierd, if it may suit you ma'am."
"Ahah," a weak cheery laugh. "I should make some tea!" She sprang up from her seat and down to the kitchen she went.
"As we wait," Fin started. "I would love to know about your ideas in agriculture, since Venit-Ille is dying to be fed a decent meal once in awhile."
"Y-yes. Yes." Hierd leaned forward and put his two elbows to rest upon his knees. "Now, your farm is a complete disaster, I say." Hierd put bluntly.
Fin was deeply intrigued. "I can see that, sir. Within your knowledge, how may I improve it?"
"By completely changing the way you think regarding farming, Sir Fin." Hierd brought out of his inner-suit pocket a small notebook, flipping it to somewhere in the middle; his thumb stopped it when he landed on the page he wanted.
"Fertilizer, crop rotations, and within crop rotations, you should plant Legumes."
"Legumes, sir? I've not heard of such a plant."
"Peas and beans, sir Fin. Peas and beans are what the Legumes mean."
Fin nodded, encouraging Hierd to continue. "How many animals have you currently in your barn?"
"There are three cows, five sheep, and two pig. We did at one point have chicken, but they were too troublesome for us."
"I see," Hierd closed the notebook, passing it to Fin. "Within this notebook, you will get the knowledge… The more detailed knowledge of what I will be entailing. You must… Collect. You must collect the… Feces of your animals."
"How horridly gross." Fin chuckled, but seeing the serious expression upon Hierd's face, he stopped immidiately. "W-why so?" He said, sweating.
"Feces are natural fertilizers," Hierd leaned back onto his seat after his knees started to sore. "They give the nutrients needed for your plants to grow better and with more quality. However you would also need the Legumes I mentioned to… Enrich the field more so, these will act like guards to a king, Sir Fin."
"Introducing the concept of chemistry might not be the play here. Legumes enrich… More rather; help the soil in returning it's nitrogen. A natural fertilizer." Hierd thought.
"A-and…" Fin was reading the contents of the notebook to it's last minute details. As displayed within the small notebook were pictures and images that displayed the proper ways of farming. The ways of collecting manure and the ways of proper irrigation and what not. The whole library of essentials!
"By good greatness…" Fin could not believe how simple and how readily available these techiniques were. And reading the notebook, he found himself deeply ashamed for not knowing these techniques sooner. He put the notebook down. "I am truly grateful. Sir Hierd. Truly. I must put these to the test at haste! So I may help my village prosper!"
Fin bolted out of the door just as his wife had entered the living room. "And there he goes." She commented, "ah, Sir Hierd Die Grace… A cup of tea?"
"Thank you, ma'am." Hierd accepted the cup, basked first in the aroma of the offered cup then a first taste. A sweet, floral taste. And the aftertaste? A lingering flower rested upon Hierd's mouth.
"What great tea you've brewed, ma'am."
"Ohoh," she chuckled, "You are welcome, sir Hierd."
( * )
Hierd had bid his adieu to the old lady, and he started back for the village. He had seen Fin within the barn, collecting the manure while persistently and earnestly reading the contents of the notebook.
"I can parse from conversations I had had with Alrife and Naturvege that last year's Auferstehen was… Something (to say the least)." Hierd thought, slowly yet methodically making his steps leading towards the village bridge.
"A neighboring village of Venit-Ille, the certain 'Ridge Village' had taken refuge in this village because of the lack of their arms against the Auferstehen monsters.
"Because of this, Venit-Ille is packed with people. I had seen a small off-track road near the chief's house that led to a couple of hastily made houses. I thought it was simple medieval poverty. But they were made like that because they needed as much housing as possible for the refugees."
Hierd, now on the main street, then taking a right; was now on the aforementioned newly constructed houses. He observed that there were countless of people there who were idling by. Playing games with their children, or chatting with each and each about gossip or about Hierd.
When they saw him casually walking within their road, they did not know how to act, and simply (like a lord) had bowed whenever Hierd had gotten too near to them.
He found himself facing the facade of a large house, larger than the others and constructed with more planning and time involved. There was a person who stood at the doorstep, Hierd walked over to the man.
"Good Afternoon."
"G... Goo' dafternoon, s-sir! W-what is your… business…" -the man shrieked to himself when he thought the word business wasn't apropriate and disrespectful in the situation- "S-sorry sir. May I inquire about… About your appearance here…?"
"Please be at ease, gentleman." Hierd nervously chuckled. "I want to see your village's... chief..."
"Ah, I see... Pl-please, follow me."
Hierd let the man gather his belongings on the ground and as he went inside, Hierd followed.
The townsfolk were eyeing out the captain, Hierd, who looked and acted of nobility, and they did not dare to even approach him. A slew of men, women, children alike were sitting on the boarded-wooden floor.
"By-holy… This scene looks like a gymnasium after an earthquake. Like a disaster had just fooken swept them... Well I guess a 'disaster' did sweep them."
"Where is your chief?" Hierd questioned him as the man had just stood there eyeing out the watching crowd.
He didn't reply but after a second round of him observing the twenty or so people, he finally responded.
"There! Sir…"
Hierd followed the man, the chief was minding his business with a pile of paperwork and a group of his own men.
"Good afternoon." Hierd initiated the conversation with the chief, who paid him no mind until the man from before had merely tapped his shoulder.
"Is he deaf? Pen and paper should be more morally accepted than shouting to an old deaf man with a high position."
The men surrounding him hadn't minded but after he touched him, the chief finally reacted. A jolt. He was astonished.
"Ah! The lordly man who showed that... That Car 908kay!" Hierd's inner self wanted to laugh but his body simply rejected such an embarrassment of a thought.
The chief got up from his seated position, with a bright face, he said:
"I am Hadi, chief of Ridge Village! Pleasure to meet you, my lord!"