SCT-Novel Chapter 100.2: Weisshem Has Changed
Chapter 100.2: Weisshem Has Changed
Chapter 100.2: Weisshem Has Changed
In the past, hardly anyone paid Bosha much heed when he came to the Indahl post office. However, this time, as his carriage pulled up, a small crowd immediately formed around him.
"Hey, Laurie, what's going on with Weisshem?"
"Is the new lord there a black magician?"
"I heard Weisshem is full of undead!"
"My uncle went to Weisshem and hasn't returned since. Have you seen him?"
The cacophony of voices left Bosha at a loss as he was unsure which question to address first. Just as he was caught up in the chaos, the chief called out from the second-floor window, "Is it the mailman from Weisshem? Come up quickly!"
Bosha offered his apologies to the local staff and hurried into the building.
In the office, the concerned chief inquired, "Has the new lord of Weisshem affected business at the local post office?"
"Um... yes, business has been booming at the office; many people are coming to send parcels and letters," Bosha answered nervously.
"I mean, has this new lord interfered with your work?" the chief asked again.
"No." Bosha quickly shook his head. "The new lord and the... the new undead mayor have never come to the post office."
At the mention of "undead mayor," the chief's face turned ashen, and he gasped sharply. "O Lady Gold Coin... The mayor of Weisshem is an undead?!"
News of Weisshem's new lord being the illegitimate son of a viscount had already been circulating in the city for a week.
In this world, noble families having illegitimate children wasn't a novel concept. In fact, it wasn't just limited to nobility; even merchants and the more prosperous middle class often had semi-public affairs. Inspiring stories of outstanding illegitimate sons being brought back into the main household by their noble or wealthy fathers and receiving a portion of the family's resources were quite common.
As long as there weren't many scandalous rumors about the mother, such as a reputation for promiscuity or hailing from a particularly impoverished background, the matter of a noble's illegitimate child becoming a local lord was unlikely to attract widespread attention. Were it not for the new Weisshem lord rising to power through the use of necromancy, the people of Indahl wouldn't even find this whole matter worth discussing.
However, the undead being involved changed the whole gist... While local lords allowed spellcasters to construct mage towers, no lord would welcome a black mage!
Bosha Laurie didn't want others to perceive his hometown as a terrible monster, so he feebly tried to explain, "It's true... but these undead haven't made Weisshem worse..."
Shutting down the red-light district had at least put an end to the lecherous gazes from nosy villagers whenever his wife returned to visit relatives in the countryside—Weisshem didn't have a great reputation, and if a young woman mentioned that she was from Weisshem, others would often regard her with the same suspicion as a whore.
On top of that, the master of those undead, Lord Rex, was quite an amiable gentleman. Not only did he sell high-quality fabrics to the townspeople at low prices, but he also provided job opportunities for those struggling to survive in Weisshem. Bosha's neighbor, a widowed woman in her forties, hadn't been able to find laundry work after the red-light district was shut down. Now, at least, she was able to find work in the sanitation bureau and had lunch and dinner provided for.
"It can still get even worse, huh?" The chief misunderstood Bosha's point and sighed pessimistically. "Don't be in a rush to return back. Come with me to the city lord's manor. Lord Adra III wishes to meet those coming from Weisshem."
Bosha froze in place.Updated chapters at novelhall.com
Indahl's lord, Adra III, wanted to see him?!
Half an hour later, at the city lord's manor.
Bosha Laurie, who had only ever met Baron Marcus' steward, found himself in the lord's manor's anteroom, completely uneasy, not daring to raise his eyes to the high and mighty city lord seated in the main chair.
This was probably the first time in his life that Adra III was meeting such a lowly commoner in his anteroom. He wrinkled his nose as his gaze moved from Bosha Laurie's messy hair to his wrinkled, dusty postal service uniform, then to his dirty shoes on the marble floor.
"Everything's fine of course, Caroline," Bosha reassured his neighbor's daughter while helping move her luggage into the carriage. "I just saw Aunt Winnie buying groceries at Martin Street yesterday, and she seemed great."
The young woman, Caroline, breathed a sigh of relief, climbed into the carriage, and sat on the letter case.
Another young chap who climbed on after Caroline chimed in, "There, I said that nothing major would happen; otherwise, Sir City Lord would have sent the city defense force over. Bosha is still delivering mail from Weisshem which proves that I was right."
The final two passengers teased him, "Stop bragging so much. Who was so worried they couldn't sleep for days and received a ticking off from the supervisor?"
"Yeah, had there not been someone holding you back, you would have already walked back to Weisshem on foot."
Bosha wasn't as relaxed as these fellow Weisshem youngsters, but he didn't dare bring up what he'd witnessed at the city lord's manor and the fury he faced. After all, if something big happened, he couldn't bear this responsibility.
Carrying the weight of this unspoken burden, Bosha acted nonchalantly as he set off from Indahl.
During the journey, the passengers occasionally leaned toward the small window, conversing with Bosha and inquiring about the situation in Weisshem. Bosha had to choose his words carefully to provide a comforting narrative.
Around three in the afternoon, the carriage arrived at Weisshem.
At this time, the marketplace was bustling, and Bosha's passengers, who got off at the town gate, felt a huge sense of relief when they saw farmers flocking into town for the market. Other than the missing colored lights on the tree by the gate, the town didn't look too different from when they had left for Indahl for work half a year ago!
Even the militia guards at the gate were familiar faces!
The streets were filled with people they knew—
"AHHHHHH—!"
Caroline, a young girl working in a high-end restaurant in the southern district of Indahl, dropped her bundle, screaming in sheer terror.
The other three youngsters were equally frightened and huddled together.
Farmers carrying their produce and townsfolk with baskets of vegetables, as well as two players who had just walked out onto the town's main road, were startled by this intense and harrowing scream. Everyone came to a standstill, looking around in all directions.
Upon discovering that the source of the scream was a young lady, they were relieved. Caroline, still shaking in fear, pointed at the two undead creatures.
"You gave us quite a shock!"
"We thought something terrible had happened. Geez..."
The farmers, who were busy trying to sell their vegetables, shot disapproving glances at the frightened Caroline. After some grumbling, they continued with their own tasks.
Housewives, whose hearts were pounding from the ear-piercing scream, also cast annoyed looks at Caroline.
The two undead creatures, who had elicited the scream, were making a "KABAKABA" noise, perhaps in protest, too.
Caroline and her three fellow Indahl workers were left dumbfounded...
Bosha, who hadn't driven the carriage away yet, felt extremely embarrassed. "Didn't I tell you? There are many undead in town now... If you're scared, you can just avoid them. They don't interact much with other people."
Caroline and the three shaken youngsters: "..."