One of my main errands in the village is to water the vegetable gardens of some of my neighbors but of course, before that, they had made me oath not to steal anything. If there's one thing I messed up with my portrayal, it was my character's innocence and purity. So I had to improvise, I acted foolishly as if I didn't know what the word 'stealing' was that they had to explain it to me then, and upon realizing the meaning of such a word I cried pretending I was sorry for my actions and that I only did what I was told by my father.
They were eluded with my act that they even gave me leftovers in exchange for watering their gardens, it's better than not being able to eat for the whole day even if I'm being fed like a dog. If only I had that reward money from that noble girl, I would've been able to have money for some important items. I am saving the ruby brooch for a later purpose.
Lupa Bricallis also worked her ass off doing this to fend for herself, that's how she got to meeting the protagonist, only, now I am not doing this simply as a last resort of survival after running away from my parents.
Had I stick with my character's damsel charms earlier on I would've been saved from starvation in multiple occasions but I don't really like faking my true intentions for too long especially when there's little to gain out of it, it's too early for that. I know that no matter how I act, this village's perception of me well never change. A change of heart can only last a few hours upon my act of plea and then they'd reset into their default personalities. After all their only purpose is to outcast me.
Now, as I am watering the last batch of radishes in the garden of my 10th neighbor, another thing I overlooked was that, even though the 7th God cannot interfere with my fate choices he could still influence me during scenarios for it to be in his liking. For example, like the scene with the intense hunger and my pathetic pleading in the market. No wonder why, it didn't feel like I was myself. And now that I'm aware of it, I won't fall for it the second time. He takes advantage of situation when I am experiencing intense feelings and emotions because I know it triggers the theatre's system to pursue an immediate option.
'Tsk, annoying bastard'
I went back to the riverbank and fetch for some more water but this time I didn't do it for the vegetables, I did it for the weeds.
In this village there are approximately 21 households and 5 local buildings for governs. The houses are all built out of wood and bricks, with roofs of hays and all of them are near each other which makes the roads enter-connected. In all of these roads, grows the pesky weeds. My most important task is to make these weeds grow and spread even more so it would reach into everyone's backyard before the last summer heat where the weeds would then welt and dry. This part of the kingdom has the longest period of summer so there's not much rain, only winter that comes after, plus weeds grow quickly so it's all the preparations I need.
Of course, I not doing any of this simply without reason. I wouldn't sacrifice any effort for nothing. Although when it comes to accomplishing tasks my frail body is a hindrance that carrying a whole bucket full of water is all the lifting I could do for almost a whole day's worth of work, sometimes I couldn't even finish half the day due to fatigue.
With a population of only 89 people, the folks here make their living by selling goods in the market near the main road where many mercenaries, visitors, and nobles would pass by. A popular destination amongst travelers, the visitors being the majority of the crowd rather than the actual population of the place. This is also the closest land from the protagonist's kingdom which only takes 2 weeks of traveling by caravan from here to their border unlike all the other territories that would amount to about 1 to 2 month worth of traveling.
After meeting the protagonist and my uneventful death, I'll be leaving this place when the winter comes.
I looked down at my burnt arm and began slapping it. The itch feels unbearable but it does calm down when you put ointment on it. I glanced at my height in the shadow. Come to think of it, I am growing fairly tall so I should be able to reach it by now. The thing that I utmost needed for my departure.
As I have grown accustomed to as a requirement every time I head home, is getting an offering for my father. So, I quickly went to the market place to steal some booze for my him. When I arrived, I found him drunk like he always is and asleep, sitting beside my crib with an empty bottle in his hand.
I made he was indeed asleep before I slowly got a chair and began snooping towards the bookshelf. For my escape, I needed a map of not just the village but the whole territory and since my father was a soldier, he should have a map of his own that was distributed from his service. I've looked through every paper work I could find in the house but I never found it, however I didn't get to look through the ones at the very top of the shelf. When I did tried to acquire it, even with standing on a chair and a few things, my height before wasn't enough. But since I recently had a growth sprout, I think I am now able.
Climbing the chair as swiftly as I could so it wouldn't make even a creaking sound, my palms began to sweat. My father despised any mentions of his work from us so if he were to find me with this, he'd probably just kill me on the spot and I wouldn't be able to save the protagonist then. I stretched my heel as far as I could and reached out my hand and with a sweat's drop from my forehead I eventually got it, the small folder of all of father's documents. But as I took it down though, along came the mountains of dust that was piled up atop of it that got into my eyes causing me to off-balance and fall. Because of this my father quickly jolted awake. I hid the papers in my back and rushed to give him the stolen booze I brought.
"Father, you're awake", I excused while rubbing the dust off my hair while handing him the bottle.
"Huh?", he rubbed his eyes as he gazed up at me.
"I brought you some rum father, just as the ones you like"
"Aha…rum. Give it to me", barely sober and half awake he reached for his rum.
It's been a while, since I last saw him. He looked skinnier than ever and clearly haven't bathe as well as I do. The house has never been cleaned since I left, with empty bottles and trash everywhere, and the smell of piss intoxicating the atmosphere that's making me nauseous. I doubt mother came back. There isn't even a lit lamp to shine in his lonely company so I went and lit one for him. I could have gotten him some food instead but who cares, he'll just barf it all out anyway with all the booze he's drinking.
"Have you been eating well, father?", I sneered sarcastically.
He didn't answer and just simply stared into nothingness whilst drinking. He looks so pathetic. Just a broken shell of what once was a fearsome, brute soldier filled with dignity and honor. Misery is the spell for a whole new personality.
"You know…you should take care of yourself father, what would our neighbors say", upon hearing my voice up closer when I went and put the lamp next to him, he got goosebumps that he instantly covered his ear and moved away from me.
"You little!---"
"What's wrong father? Are you hurt somewhere?". I tilted my head and took a step closer to him but again, he moved. Cowering from me of what looks to be, fear.
"Don't look at me with those damn eyes!"
"You're just like that whore! Belittling me, robbing me off every last penny!"
'Oh?'
I couldn't help but grin. He is after all, the village fool as they dubbed him to be.
"Hey 'Dad', don't you know the story about a great wall who sheltered a poor seed in between itself?"
" The hell are you spouting about now",he murmured to himself and stood up groggily.
"Because it shielded the seed in between itself, when it grew and grew until it was now too big to fit in between, the mighty wall crumbled. More and more each day until there was nothing left of it but ruins and only, the now grown seed prospered into a full grown tree".I walked towards the table with the lamp in hand and placed it there. I faced him once more.
"Misery loves a good company until it plagues you with its adversity".The man just looked at me as if I was a ghost, suddenly I became more interesting in his eyes than the cheap booze he had in hand. I wonder what I looked like to him, I'm clearly just being nice.
"You brought the storm upon yourself the moment you didn't heed its warnings"
Funny how he was the one who told me the story of the seed yet he acted like it was my very first time speaking.
As I walked out of the house into the dimly lit streets he kept screaming profanities until I was too far away to even hear him. I walked calmly as I did. Although I must have offended him, the man's too damn drunk to even chase after me.
People really, when they hit rock bottom because of their own foolish decisions, they blame the whole world for it. And I was no different, because everyone is simply selfish.
I am starting to feel uneasy. Considering how badly my family situation has progressed now, my first encounter with the protagonist is probably due in a few days. It's considerably hilarious how I'm risking the sake of own soul with a bet through saving this one person.