Published: January 4, 2026
As we entered the village, I pulled the reins and stopped the carriage.
“Mule, stay put there until I call you.”
“Miki!”
After giving the mule a gentle warning, I jumped down from the carriage with Luke in tow.
“I’m a traveling merchant, and you’re my apprentice.”
“Huh? Ah, yes! Understood, master!”
Luke quickly nodded, understanding that this was a cover to keep our identities secret.
With Luke by my side, I stepped into the village.
The village lacked vitality.
In fact, it looked as if it had been plundered, with clear signs of devastation.
“Master… what’s going on here…?”
Luke must have sensed it too, as he looked up at me with a troubled expression.
“Hmm… Is anyone here?”
I took a breath and called out loudly.
I made sure to sound as non-threatening as possible.
For a moment, it seemed like someone inside the tightly shut houses responded; several doors creaked open slightly, and people peeked out through the cracks.
But no one came outside.
Just as I was about to call out again, an elderly woman emerged from a house a little ways off.
She leaned on a wooden cane, her steps shaky but fitting for her age, as she approached.
“And who might you be?”
The old woman asked cautiously, her guard up as she inquired about my purpose.
“I’m a traveling merchant. Our drinking water has run out, so I was wondering if you could spare just a cupful. Of course, I’ll pay you for it.”
“…”
She stared at me intently, as if trying to discern whether I was telling the truth.
“Very well, please wait a moment.”
She said, then turned on her heel and headed back to her house.
As she walked, she beckoned with a gesture, and a young man came out from the house.
“Fetch water from the well.”
“Understood.”
The young man nodded but cast a wary glance at me before running deeper into the village.
After a short wait, he returned carrying a cup filled with water.
He and the old woman came back to me, holding out the cup.
“Will this be enough?”
“It’s plenty, thank you.”
“M-master, this—”
Luke was about to say something, but I took the cup before he could, tilting my head back to drink it all.
I understood what Luke wanted to say.
The water the man had fetched was far from clean.
Though still young, Luke, a eunuch, was used to the water found in the imperial court.
Especially recently, since I had been taking care of him, he was accustomed to only seeing pure water.
The emperor’s luxury was such that specific tea leaves were brewed with water from particular locations.
If you got even more particular, snow stored over winter would be melted and boiled just before use.
Compared to that, this water was indeed dirty, but it was not undrinkable.
After finishing the water, I handed the cup back to the young man.
“Thank you. This really helped. It’s not much, but please accept this—”
I said as I pulled out a silver coin to give them, but the old woman slowly shook her head.
“No, no. I cannot accept money for a mere cup of water.”
“The value between a cup of water at home and one you drink on the road is different. Please accept it.”
I offered the silver coin again, but she shook her head once more.
“If you take it now, not only will it be taken from you, but you may be beaten and even have your life endangered. Please keep it.”
“Hmm!”
I reacted a little dramatically.
I could more or less predict what she meant and feared.
I could understand and imagine it, but Luke could not.
“Why would accepting this put you in danger?”
Luke asked straightforwardly.
Perhaps because of his innocent question, the old woman sighed softly but answered without hesitation.
“If you carry it now, the lord’s army will take it from you.”
“The lord’s army?”
“Excuse me, but have you been having your food stolen?”
Seizing the opportunity, I asked in place of Luke.
Being an adult rather than a child, I was met with a bit more suspicion.
Both the old woman and the man behind her furrowed their brows, and the man even leaned back in caution.