Taylorian Town...
Once you step into this place, you'll notice that the strange occurrences so widely discussed in the outside world suddenly come to a halt here, with almost no news able to spread within.
One of the main reasons is that the townsfolk here have no idea what the outside world is talking about. In fact, some members of the wagon teams have discussed matters concerning the Tacoma region in the town, but such news typically fails to circulate here. How would the long-term residents of the town know what Tacoma is? As for the Old Gods? That probably sounds similar to what the churches preach—most people just listen to it as a story, gradually finding themselves unable to retell it, so such news simply doesn't spread in the town.
It's far less interesting than the fruit trees sprouting on the southern mountain.
Luke had received a letter from Claude a few days ago, saying that the lord was returning!
The letter also mentioned bringing some things and others along... When Luke saw the names on it, he had felt uneasy for days.
"What's wrong, old friend? The lord is coming back, but you don't seem too happy about it." Dantey asked from the side.
The two had been partners for years. In this small town, one was a guard and the other a scholar, both serving as the local lord's right-hand men. During Sean's absence, they had been maintaining the town's daily operations together, so they knew each other well.
Dantey was older, having made a name for himself back in the old baron's era, while Luke had become a scholar after completing his studies later, making him slightly younger than the other.
"It's nothing, nothing... Of course I'm happy the lord is back. And I saw the list in the letter—there's a witch lady mentioned, said to be a famous sorceress from Koga City, who came because she admires the lord."
"Right, right... I saw that too. Hahaha!"
Speaking of this, it had indeed caused quite a stir at home.
Whether it was Luke, Dantey, or the old servants at the baron's estate, everyone working in Taylorian Town had started serving since the previous baron's time. Some even older folks had watched 'Sean' grow up, and seeing him return with a witch lady...
It felt like watching your own child grow up and bring home a girlfriend.
"I never thought our lord was so impressive—this is truly the Viger family's legacy!!"
"Who says it isn't?" Luke forced a smile.
In town legends, there was a story about the previous Viger baron's travels, where he supposedly charmed a witch lady too. It was just a rumor... no one knew if it was true, but many townsfolk believed it.
"Then why do you still look unhappy?"
"Do I? That's not what I meant..." Before Luke could explain, shouts from the townsfolk outside interrupted him.
"They're here, they're here! The lord is back!"
A crowd instantly gathered.
Nearly a thousand people, except for those who couldn't leave home, had come running... after all, it was their lord returning.
When Sean had left, he did so quietly—it took nearly a month for the townsfolk to realize the Viger baron was gone. Now, he was finally coming back...
"Look, they're coming!" someone said.
On the road outside the town, carriages could be seen from afar, and there was more than one...
But the first carriage was the one carrying the Viger baron.
"Later, there'll probably be a lot of people staring at you, but the townsfolk are all good-natured." As they neared the town, Sean saw the large crowd and warned Ignia in advance.
Behind him were Claude and Esmeralda, the siblings, but their clothes were normal, not as flashy as Ignia's, which would draw attention.
"So what? There are way more people in Koga City," Ignia said.
Sean thought about it and figured she was right.
When he was heading to Elinta Tower, he often heard people talk about the witches there. She was probably used to being the center of attention in the city.
As they approached the town, the carriages couldn't move forward through the crowd, so Sean had to get out... He would wait for the crowd to disperse before letting the carriages in.
Stepping down, he walked into the town.
The townsfolk immediately started cheering...
"The baron is back..."
"Where did you go this time, my lord?"
"...My lord, who's that pretty girl beside you?"
The residents of Taylorian Town weren't well-educated, so they said whatever came to mind when excited, asking questions very directly... Many of them even made Ignia, who claimed to be worldly, hide away.
She clung to Sean's arm, slowly moving behind him...
Still wearing her witch hat, she didn't dare lift her head.
But she mustered the courage to look up... thinking, I should have worn a noble girl's hat instead of this witch one.
"She's so beautiful..."
"So pale..."
"I think her dress is really special!"
The discussions about Ignia continued around them.
Sean walked straight up to Luke and Dantey, whom he hadn't seen in a while...
"My lord."
"Mm, you've worked hard during this time!" As the lord, Sean knew he hadn't done as well in many aspects as his two assistants. Without them, he had no idea how the town would have been managed.
"We're happy to share your burden, my lord." Dantey smiled sincerely, but Luke looked a bit awkward.
From earlier until now, his eyes kept darting toward where Claude and Esmeralda stood behind Sean, with rare tags like [Nervous!] and [At a loss!] appearing above his head...
Sean found this quite amusing.
His scholar, who knew everything from astronomy to geography, never expected to show such a reaction one day.
"It's not convenient to talk here. Let's head back first. Oh, Dantey... later, have the townsfolk take out the meat we brought and distribute it among everyone..." Sean didn't let Luke handle it this time, mainly because the man was clearly distracted.
On his way back, Sean had spent all the money he had, including what he'd collected from the Grand Duke in Rietis using his status, at the market. He bought various vegetables, meats, and daily necessities, especially salt, to send to the town as a gift for the townsfolk.
Though the town had thousands of people, families made up less than half, so these supplies should be enough to share...
Afterward, there would be a town-wide banquet.
But Sean didn't have to attend such an event—his presence might make the townsfolk uncomfortable while eating. So, most of the time, he let Dantey and Luke represent him, while he privately invited the key people.
Then he could just go home!