Old Peter was a worker in a mine in the Far North. Years ago, he had made a lot of money as a traveling merchant and had a happy family of four.
But life is unpredictable. As international tensions rose, his business became harder and harder, and eventually, he even started losing money.
As for his wife, she displayed the innate “loving” nature typical of her sort — at his most desperate moment, she took their two children and all the family assets, disappearing completely!
Now, the already struggling Old Peter was completely bankrupt. He was left with a mountain of debt, and his trade business was ruined.
To make a living, he traveled north and found a job as a miner in this freezing land.
To save money, he lived in the humblest wooden cabin and used his spare time to tend a vegetable garden. During the autumn harvest, when food was cheapest, he would buy large quantities of grain to survive the winter.
Through these methods, he had survived fourteen springs and autumns in this cold northern region.
But this autumn, everything changed.
A cat-type monster with fur like steel needles had rampaged through the farmlands, and his losses were the most severe!
The garden was a wasteland, and the monster had destroyed the cellar. Only two-tenths of his food had escaped the disaster!
To avoid buying overpriced grain, he planned out every single grain of rice, but even so, hope for surviving the winter was slim.
Today was his day off. In previous years, this was his most peaceful time — lying in a rocking chair by the fire, letting his mind go blank and forgetting his past troubles.
But now, he sat in his barren garden all day, sighing in distress.
“Sigh… Please thaw soon, or I’ll really starve to death…”
He poked the frozen soil with his finger while a thought crossed his mind.
‘About a week ago, in the middle of the night, a bright light suddenly flashed in the town. Then there were the voices of girls and the sound of monsters fleeing.’
According to rumors, it was the Acting Lord who had driven the monster away, though it had not been confirmed yet.
However, since then, there had been no more reports of anyone’s food being destroyed.
He thought that if he could just plant the seeds and grow something, it would at least ease the food shortage this winter.
At the same time, he was wondering how much money he actually had left to buy that expensive grain.
After some thought, he sighed again, his face full of helplessness.
“Oh, Goddess, please let the land thaw quickly.”
“Old Peter, do you have any rice left?”
Just as he was praying to the heavens, a trembling voice came from above him.
The man’s clothes were disheveled, and his hair and beard were messy from lack of grooming.
“Just enough for a few more days. Johnson, are you here to trade for rice again?”
“I have no choice. The child’s mother has no milk because she can’t eat enough, and the baby won’t stop crying from hunger.”
Old Peter looked at him and sighed helplessly. “How many times is this this month?”
In early autumn, Johnson’s wife had given birth to a daughter. This was definitely the time when the mother and child needed food the most.
Their family was almost drained of funds from buying the overpriced rice. Driven to desperation, he could only resort to bartering.
Johnson pulled two frozen eggplants from his chest. “This is the last of our food. I really have no other choice. Compared to us, giving the child a bit of rice water is what matters most!”
“Sigh, alright. Your family has it hard, and the child is more important.”
Old Peter took the frozen eggplants, went into his house, and brought out a small bag of rice to hand over.
He knew in his heart that this would not be the last time. Next time Johnson came to his door, he would likely be begging rather than trading.
If things continued like this, something bad was bound to happen in this town.
‘Will I have to find another way again?’
Just as he was despairing, a commotion broke out on the street.
People ran out of almost every house. They all looked excited and were rushing in the same direction!
“What are you waiting for? The Lord is here to distribute relief food!” someone shouted at the stunned pair.
The two of them widened their eyes. After sharing a quick glance, they joined the running crowd.
Soon, Old Peter followed the crowd to the central square of the town. A caravan was parked in the center like a long dragon. Brown rice bags lay quietly in the freight wagons, waiting to be collected.
Knights in armor stood on both sides, and the occasional neighing of warhorses could be heard. The lead carriage was especially luxurious — something only the noble families living in the north of the town could possess.
Two young girls stood at the front of the carriage. One of them seemed as if she did not feel the cold at all, wearing white stockings, a short skirt, and a thin shirt even in the dead of winter.
He recognized her. She was the current Acting Lord.
But the girl beside her was a stranger to Old Peter.
She was the complete opposite of the Acting Lord, wearing a long black robe and a wide triangular hat that covered her head, leaving only her beautiful face visible.
The gauze bandage over the girl’s left eye was particularly striking. At that moment, she was holding up a magic wand, making the bags of rice land steadily onto the raised hands of the crowd.
Indeed, the newcomers were the Acting Lord, Shirley, and a tall girl in black witch robes, Anis.
After about half an hour of distribution, Shirley stood on the carriage with her hands on her hips and shouted to the crowd below, “Is there anyone who hasn’t received their food yet?”
Seeing no response, she nodded with satisfaction. “Very good. You don’t have to worry anymore. The Fronster family will distribute relief food regularly to help everyone get through this winter!”
Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately broke into cheers. Many people set their food down and jumped for joy, waving their arms and shouting “Hurrah!” Some were even moved to tears.
Shirley did not stop the praises. She stood on the carriage and clapped rhythmically, as if celebrating with the people or leading them like a conductor.
Only after the crowd settled down did Shirley speak again. She took a step back and stood side by side with Anis.
“Please allow me to formally introduce my sister, Anis. She was responsible for all the clearing missions within the Fronster family territory, and she was seriously injured because of it.”
Everyone’s gaze fell upon the gauze covering Anis’s left eye in silent understanding.
“Some time ago, a cat-type monster was constantly attacking this town. Although it didn’t hurt anyone, it destroyed the food everyone relies on for the winter. Thanks to Anis’s efforts, that monster has been subdued. It will never come to the town to harm you again!”
The crowd clapped and cheered. Shirley’s words once again ignited the atmosphere.
The young lady of the house was truly dedicated to her people — they could never repay such kindness!
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