Yoon has plenty of knowledge from his previous life as Yi-gon, but I also possess the knowledge of the original owner who lived in this world.
Among them, I know quite a bit about lords and territories.
The Kosta Territory is a small land on the outskirts of the Tutun Kingdom. Usually, a territory is governed by a noble of Count or higher, but this one is ruled by a Barony.
In this world, the existence of nobles is well established. Regular Knights and lower nobles have weak authority, so calling them aristocracy is a stretch; they’re simply called nobles.
Only at the rank of Barony can one be considered a truly powerful, prestigious noble.
The Ashford Territory is one of the most remote regions in the Tutun Kingdom.
Right after the war with the Demon race, the Ashford Baron Family took over and began ruling the land.
The Ashford Baron Family originally started as low-ranking, impoverished nobles.
Though noble, they struggled to survive, so they made textile manufacturing and leathercraft their primary trades.
Robert Ashford, the baron, possessed highly advanced skills and gradually accumulated wealth by supplying luxurious textiles and leather goods to other nobles.
When another great war broke out, nobles were expected to participate as well. Rather than full plate armor,
they preferred to enhance their prestige with the distinguished and sturdy Ashford Leather Armor.
By supplying high-quality leather armor to nobles during the war, they rendered great service. For this merit, they were granted the Ashford Territory after the war.
‘Still, it’s curious. Surely other families also specialized in leathercraft—what made the Ashford Barony special?’
After the war with the Demon race, the territory suffered enormous losses. With no unique products or hidden resources, it received little attention, and a baron was placed in charge.
‘In short, our territory is governed by a low-ranking noble who succeeded as a leatherworker.’
Perhaps for this reason, the territory was never wealthy.
It was already devastated after the war with the Demon race, and afterward, ongoing wars between nations left no time to accumulate riches.
Even after the wars ended, poverty persisted.
To make matters worse, most of the operating expenses for the Communal Living Area had to come from the territory’s funds.
At least, thanks to the Communal Living Area, nobles and honored guests would occasionally visit, and part of the taxes owed to the kingdom was reduced, allowing the territory to scrape by.
The noble I was about to meet was the daughter of this region’s lord, Baron Robert Ashford—
Frana Bella.
As far as I know, the Ashford Baron Family has two children: the eldest, the Blackwater Heir, and the second, Lady Frana Bella.
***
‘No, well… this feels burdensome. It’s not as if I must see her face in person…’
If I’d met her just a bit earlier, I could have told my peers that it wasn’t a lie—I could have actually described the lady’s appearance.
Well… they say she’s the mysterious beauty, so I am a little curious, but after seeing plenty of Korean beauties back home, to me she’s just another noble’s daughter.
Honestly, as long as I get paid, going just to see her face feels a bit much.
Even so, I put on a respectful face and walked toward the carriage.
The servant who led me to the carriage exchanged a few words with me, then bowed deeply and addressed me solemnly.
“The young lady has granted permission. Raise your head.”
I lifted my head. Sitting atop the carriage was a noble lady, presumably Frana Bella.
‘Suddenly, everything is dazzling…’
It almost felt like there was a halo behind her.
The first thing I noticed was her golden hair, and then her striking violet eyes and extremely beautiful, elegant face.
She was even more beautiful than the rumors said. But as soon as I saw her, the word that seized my heart was unmistakable.
Without realizing, the thought inside me slipped out as a voice.
“Ah… villainess?”
Hup—!
Reflexively, I covered my mouth with my hand. A chill ran down my back.
A villainess?!
That’s right. Lady Frana Bella was stunning, but rather than an innocent look, her impression was much closer to that of a villainess.
Like those protagonists in web novels—the so-called villainess who, in truth, isn’t so villainous after all.
That was exactly the feeling. The background behind her didn’t seem like flowers, but rather as if a blue aura was swirling around her.
Srrrng.
Somewhere, I heard the distinct sound of a Knight’s sword being drawn.
So this is how my time in this world ends.
In that instant, my mind spun faster than the infamous cockroach whose IQ supposedly jumps to 340 in a crisis.
“V-villainess, my lady! In all my life, I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you; I am paralyzed by the shock of your beauty. Even my tongue is numbed, so please forgive my rudeness. I offer my respects to your beauty and overflowing dignity. I have heard that the most beautiful jewel in the world is the diamond, but I feel as though I have seen a diamond with my own eyes today. From now on, this moment shall become the most beautiful tale passed down in my family for generations. Thank you for granting me this glorious opportunity today.”
When I said “villainess,” her brows knit in a frown, but after hearing my flattery, her expression subtly changed.
She certainly smiled like an angel, but why did it make my back feel icy?
“How amusing. I came to see you because you’re leaving today… and now I’m glad I did.”
Her voice was low yet carried a strong presence. Beautiful as it was, charisma was firmly embedded in her words.
She didn’t seem that much older than me. Maybe just a few years? At most, she was probably around twenty.
To leave the Communal Living Area, I needed the lord’s permission. Word must have reached the lord’s daughter as well.
“Your name is Pi—”
“I am William Steven, my lady.”
“Very well… So, you’re not Pizza. Why are you suddenly leaving the village?”
“I simply felt it was time, my lady.”
“What time?”
“I have never once left the village since birth. But in the Communal Living Area, my dreams have always been grand.”
“Do you think there will be food and shelter waiting for you outside? I understand you still have three years left of support…”
“My lady, I may be presumptuous, but I believe no one knows the future. Only when we look back at yesterday do we truly see tomorrow. So, though it may be foolish, I always yearn and push steadily forward.”
‘Stay hungry, stay foolish.’
These weren’t my own words, but adapted from Steven’s.
Be hungry for new places, and even if you’re a bit foolish, challenge yourself with determination.
It is through challenges that destiny leads us to where we belong.
“Not being satisfied with reality, yet yearning and advancing… you say some interesting things.”
Lady Frana Bella looked at me and smiled as if she found me amusing. If I said she looked more like a demon than an angel with that smile, would that be rude…?
“I have a few questions for you. Can you answer them?”
“Y-yes!”
“You know what I’m going to ask, don’t you?”
“You are a wild animal in the Jungle. If you had to become one animal in the Jungle, which would you choose: Lion, Giraffe, Zebra, or Elephant?”
“Eh?”
What is this? A riddle…?
As I countered with a question, the young lady’s brows furrowed slightly.
Hmm, maybe it’s a kind of psychological test? What is this noble lady calling me here for?
Oops… I thought for too long.
“I would choose the Zebra.”
Truthfully, I’m a unicorn fan. If I must choose an animal, it has to be a horse. So I picked the Zebra.
“Why did you make that choice?”
I couldn’t just say it was because I like horses, so I made something up that sounded plausible.
“Of the four animals, I believe the Zebra has the fastest legs.
I think the Zebra could drive forward with energy to anywhere it desires.”
“………Next question. You are lost in a forest. What should you do among these options: First, make a fire. Second, keep walking through the fields. Third, take a short rest. Fourth, return deeper into the forest. Choose one.”
“I would take a short rest.”
“Why did you make that choice?”
If I get lost in the woods, I’d probably need to calm down before deciding my next move. When you’re lost somewhere new, the safest move is usually to stay put.
“If it were me, I would first settle my panicked heart after getting lost. I would pause to restore my body and mind, and then prepare for what comes next.”
Once again, the young lady said nothing about my answer.
“Last question. You are the one responsible for protecting the village. A Troll has appeared in the village. This giant Troll has attacked five civilians, all of whom are now in mortal danger. You are atop the wall, accompanied by a Knight in heavy armor. If you push the Knight off the wall, you can be sure the Troll will be killed, but the Knight will certainly die in the process. The only way to save the five civilians is for you to push the Knight to his death and kill the Troll. What choice would you make?”
Oh… this is that one… This is definitely, though worded a bit differently, the Trolley Dilemma.
Ah… so that’s why a Troll appeared…
This question asks whether to sacrifice the few or the many.
Honestly, every answer is correct and has its own logic.
If you choose the five civilians, you ultimately save more lives. It’s the choice that maximizes overall benefit.
Does that mean one person’s life can be disregarded?
And yet, the life of a single Knight can’t be compared to that of five civilians.
It leads to the dilemma of whether it is right to sacrifice an innocent and valuable person for the greater good.
The other answer would be to save the innocent Knight rather than the five civilians.
‘From a noble’s point of view, a Knight is far more valuable than five civilians.’
But then the five civilians would die.
In other words, either choice has its own point of attack. I’d have to answer carefully.
‘It’s not like there’s a correct answer…’
“I know this situation is very complex and forces a difficult decision. Pushing the Knight to his death to save five civilians would be a hard choice.”
“So, what would you choose?”
“I would first explain the situation to the Knight and try to find another way. Pushing the Knight against his will is not right, I believe. But I also can’t stand by as civilians die to the Troll. If faced with such a situation, I would inform both sides of all the facts and search for another solution.”
“Even if, in the end, all five civilians die…”
“I would do my utmost to find a way to save all five with the Knight’s help. For example—”
“For example?”
“For example, I’d have the Knight remove his armor and throw just the armor over the wall first. If the armor is heavy enough, maybe we wouldn’t need to push the Knight at all. That way, we might be able to save both lives. Oh! And if the Knight has a spear or sword, we could throw those down for a second chance.”
For a while, Lady Frana Bella said nothing.
I was also curious about the outcome of this riddle…
But I felt a bit tired.
“Then, I will take my leave now. I will cherish this moment as the most beautiful sight I’ve ever witnessed and continue on my way.”
Honestly, the situation was uncomfortable, and I was also curious how much was inside the leather pouch, so I wanted to leave quickly.
Still, considering noble dignity, there should be at least 100 copper coins (about 100,000 won) inside.
‘She’s not just a riddle-loving lady, she’s literally a lady who gives out riddles…’
“I was thinking of shutting down the Communal Living Area.”
Just as I was quietly stepping back, the young lady’s words made me stop in my tracks.