"My full name is Luke Ibn Alphonsine Hiera. Even though I am no longer a prince, I am still a member of the Hiera Imperial Family. From this day forward, I am here to lead this village, which is my right. In the future, you will be my people. I am your lord."
Luke glanced at the crowd for a moment and did not hesitate to say these words. Everyone's gaze had changed, and even though he said he was no longer a prince, the fact that they were facing a literal royal blood naturally frightened them.
"From this day forward, I forbid you to die. I forbid you to leave the village until you have recovered, consumed enough food, and built proper shelters. From today onwards, I will work for you, and you will work for me," Luke added to his words.
He didn't smile much anymore. If his sisters or one of his mothers had seen him, they would have been truly surprised, but there was nothing to be done. There was little reason left for him to smile.
Within a short time, sounds like an earthquake began to emanate from around the village, and within seconds, the village was surrounded by a wall of earth several metres high.
Meanwhile, Kevin managed to return shortly after, and then kept glancing at the villagers' homes.
"Sir, I would like permission to gather wood. Even if it takes a while, I can build huts for the villagers."
Upon hearing Kevin's words, Luke shook his head from side to side and said, "No. We can't do anything without a proper sketch. Use fire magic to melt the snow in the middle of the village and solidify the mud in the ground. I want you to set up a large tent."
Kevin immediately bowed his head as if accepting the order and once again walked through the villagers, leaving an area ten metres wide in the middle of the village, exactly as Luke had said, covered in flames.
In bright blue flames.
As Luke examined everything, he noticed the villagers trembling and, to be honest, he felt sorry for them. Despite having experienced a great trauma and being exiled by his father, he was still the Light of Hiera, the Light of the Empire.
Taking a deep breath, Luke turned to the old woman.
"Form a single line," he said calmly.
Though the old woman couldn't understand what was happening, she quickly carried out Luke's order, and within seconds, all forty-one people were standing in a single line.
Luke then began taking thick animal furs out of his magic bag and distributing them one by one to everyone.
Shortly thereafter, the bright blue flames Kevin had created had melted everything around them, leaving not a single snowflake in the fifty-metre area at the village centre, and the ground was dry enough to set up a tent.
After the massive tent, several metres wide and a few metres long, was set up, Kevin returned to Luke's side and said, "Everything is ready, sir."
Luke nodded and said, "Well done, Kevin. Decorate the inside of the tent nicely. Look at their faces, their noses are bright red, and their tips are pure white. If we had been a little late, it would have been too late for everything. Warm them up quickly. Rub alcohol on the white areas of their bodies to help them heal."
As if he had understood the order, Kevin brought each person into the tent, and Luke, as if relieved, found a large rock covered in snow.
After wiping the snow off the rock and throwing it to the ground, he sat down on the rock and began watching the snow falling on the ground as if he no longer cared about life.
His life's purpose had been erased in a single day; he had been exiled by his father and forced to come to the land his hated grandfather had left him as a joke.
He was no different from a clown.
Still, he hadn't given up. Even if his purpose in life was lost, he could still build a place where he could live. Perhaps a place where others could trust him again and where he would not be a disappointment.
He was sad... Even if this trauma would leave him in the future, he wanted to experience this sadness for at least a few months.
As he watched the snow falling from the sky with these thoughts, he saw someone leap over the village wall as if nothing had happened.
Callum had jumped over the wall with a beast of burden on his back.
A huge wild boar was on his back.
"A mutant wild boar, sir. It's quite a rare thing. I think it weighs around 400 or 420 kilograms, can give us food enough for two, even three weeks." Callum said suddenly.
Luke couldn't take it anymore and, smiling for the first time in a month, said, "Well, then, spill its blood and get to work. Even if I have half a ton of food in my magic bag, fresh meat is better."
Callum shook his head and said, "As you command, sir!" and began the process.
At that moment, Luke stood up from where he was sitting and approached the dead mutant wild boar to help Callum.
At that moment, he saw something he hadn't expected:
[Gather]
"Gather?" Luke said curiously.
As soon as he said the word, the mutant wild boar glowed slightly, and then dozens of pieces of meat fell to the ground, onto the snow. Even wild boar's blood was in bottles.
Before Luke could understand what was happening, he saw Callum staring at him with his mouth open.
"I've never seen such magic, sir!" Callum said suddenly, he was really excited.
Luke wasn't much different. Like Callum, he stood there with his mouth open, carefully watching the dozens of pieces of meat lying on the ground, on the snow.
He looked at his own hands. At that moment, he realised how useful the gift the great Goddess of the Night had bestowed upon him truly was.