The Local Lord

“Greetings, Great Hero Haruki, saviour of Tythe and all of Lys,” a somewhat stout man greeted me from atop a black horse.

Just after I’d picked Yelena up from school, I’d heard the knights riding into town. Twenty of them on good, strong stallions, each decorated in freshly polished steel, barring blue cloth banners with a reddened cross for a crest.

Viscount Timothy Penfield, the local lord’s son, came to visit Kappen, completely unannounced.

I was glad George was sick in bed at home, with Alex to watch over him; his love of knights and fancy armour would’ve made him run up to the lord’s men without a second thought.

Acting purely on instinct, I scooped Yelena up into my arms, before turning to face Timothy with a forced smile.

“Nice to see you again, Lord Timothy.”

“It’s Viscount Penfield now, Haruki,” he answered somewhat aggressively. “Father passed two weeks ago and I have now officially been appointed his successor.”

“My thoughts and prayers go out to you, your family and your late father.”

“…Yes.” Timothy snapped his fingers and three servants emerged from a nearby wagon. They placed some footstalls near Timothy’s horse, allowing his lordship to descend. “My father was often in your debt during the Great War; he spoke about you saved him and this viscounty, and how he could never do enough to repay you.”

When did that happen?

I spoke to the late Viscount twice; once when I first arrived and then a year later when he tried to hitch his daughter to me even though he knew I was married.

God, how many years ago was that now?

How time flies.

Alex and I both turned 27 this year, Yelena was 7 and George was 6.

Timothy here was still in his teens and it showed.

His hair was greasy and curled, even after his servants had clearly tried treating it, he had some spots dotting his cheeks and his voice hadn’t fully broken.

Already, I knew exactly where this was going.

“Father always thought it a shame that a man of your talents was stuck out here, in the middle of nowhere, left to do nothing but farm; hardly a befitting place of a man of your talents.” Timothy smiled. “We both know that you and her highness don’t belong here; you both should come back to where you belong, in the spotlight, as the heroes you are. And, with my help and backing, I can promise you, you will receive the praise and respect you deserve. All you-”

“I chose to be here.”

“…Excuse me?”

I grunted a little. “Did I misspeak? I chose to be here, in Kappen, with Alex, to live out my life-long dream of becoming a farmer.”

“You…the hero of Lys, slayer of demons, dragons and the foulest evil this world has ever seen…wanted to be a farmer?”

Timothy was gobsmacked at the idea.

He truly couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that I was happy with the life I had, in a village away from the capital and the games of the nobility.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m more than-”

“Surely! Surely though, you would want a much grander farm than the one you have, no? Just say the word and acres upon acres of-”

“It’s just me managing my farm at the moment,” I said cheerfully. “It’s just the right size for me to handle alone with my skills. As I said before, my lord.” I bowed slightly. “Thank you for your offer, but I must decline.”

“But you have a responsibility, no a duty! A duty to this kingdom and it’s people!” He cried. “You are the strongest person in the world. With you at the king’s side, the whole-”

“Timothy.”

“Wh-?!”

“I did my duty,” I said calmly. “I’m done fighting. If that’s what you were really after, then it’s a lost cause. Please, leave me alone.”

I started to turn around, gently shushing the confused Yelena in my arms, when the idiot spoke up again.

“If you don’t accept my offer, I will make your life a living hell, Haruki.”

I paused and glanced over my shoulder at him. “How?”

Timothy started to laugh mockingly. “Do you really think that even you, with all your skills and power, could really stop me from making you regret this? I could line the pockets of 10,000 men come tomorrow and have them burn Kappen to the ground, slaughtering everyone inside. You could kill all 10,000 of them, easily no doubt, but what about the villagers?

“I don’t even need to do that, actually. I could simply set up a blockade around Kappen, preventing caravans and trade until you accepted my offer. If you tried to break my blockade by force, then you’d be branded an enemy of the kingdom and the whole country would want your head on a spike.

“I am not an idiot, Haruki.” Timothy took two steps towards me as his knights slowly surrounded us. “I know how to play this game and I know how to get people on my side.”

If he had hoped to make me sweat, he’d failed, miserably.

With a small sigh, I put Yelena onto the ground and, in the next instance, drew my sword and touched Timothy’s neck with the blade.

“…Huh?”

“If you ever, ever tried to threaten me like that or in any other way, I promise you this,” I whispered. “There wouldn’t be a viscounty left for you to run by the time I’m done with you. Even if the whole of Tythe stood against me, I’d still fight them all and win.

“Do not try to take away the peaceful life I have earnt for myself. Understood?”

***

“And?” Alex glared at me as I sat on my knees before her. “What did you do next?”

“…I beat…his knights up and…and…”

“And?”

Alex, please, you’re scaring me.

Fighting the whole world? Easy.

Standing up to my wife? Impossible!

Even the Demon Lord wasn’t as scary as Alex when she’s angry.

“…I punched Timothy hard enough to knock teeth out.”

Alex wearily sighed and shook her head. “I’ll write a letter to father and ask him to resolve this.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Bow lower.”

“Right!” My head almost went through the ground.

I heard a soft laugh just as Alex began to stroke my head. “I’m not really upset with you.”

“You’re not?”

“No.” I looked up and saw her smiling lovingly at me. “I’m happy you stood up for our family and refused him. I’m just upset that he might not be the last one to try something like this.”

“Surely another high ranking noble wouldn’t be dumb enough to try and recruit us while we’re living in the Penfield Viscounty, right?”

“Nobles are some of the smartest and wisest people you will ever meet; however, they can be just as dumb and short-sighted as the worst of us at the same time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Timothy showed up here tomorrow with 500 knights and tried to force you to become his.”

He did.

But it was actually with 1000 knights.

I defeated them easily and then I never saw Timothy again.

As I understand it, there’s now a new viscount in the region but I’ve never seen him.

I wonder why.