Chapter 32 Little Timmy

The return of the caravan quickly became the highlight of the day. With the rising grain prices, their return was filled with hope, especially by the most impoverished who could barely afford even the cheapest of grain for their bread.

As they watched, they noticed an additional ten horse-drawn carts. Now, there were forty carts of different sizes, along with a hundred cavalry escorts. For the first time in weeks, the most impoverished had sparkles in their eyes. Not even the hot midday sun could dampen their spirits.

As the first caravan made its way into the city, a wave of cheering erupted, filling the air with excitement and anticipation. The jubilant crowd soon discovered that the ten additional carts were a gift from the Lord of Midlandia to commemorate Lansius’ victory, and the news spread like wildfire. The cheers grew louder, echoing through the main road and into the surrounding streets. It was a moment of pure joy and celebration.

Without resting, the merchants unloaded their goods at their respective shops and started the business rolling. Hundreds of people lined up to get cheap grain. The long queue of buyers only ended at sundown.

For a few days, the price dipped down as cheap grain flowed into the local market. However, it didn’t last long. The price steadily rose again on the fourth day. Despite the grain caravan, the situation in Korelia improved just a little.

Calub’s word of caution was proven right.

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The next morning, Lansius went to visit the worksite. He brought Calub and Cecile with him. Carla and Stirling, along with two guards, provided security.

On-site, Lansius made sure that the ditches were deep enough and equipped with a simple sewer to prevent mud. He also checked the nearly finished picket fence. He saw that they were rough and crude, but should serve as an effective deterrent. Now, not only the castle, but the town also had more measures of protection.

While a wall or even a wooden palisade was better, Korelia didn’t have the timber and resources to build one. Even the picket fence may ruin Korelia’s only forest for decades to come.

In this regard, Lansius envied the Romans whose region could supply them with endless timber to make fortifications. Compared to them, Lowlandia was akin to the Eurasian steppe.

Satisfied with the inspection, Lansius went to the wooden tower, which was halfway completed. Calub had informed him that he used the platform if he needed to address the men.

Lansius climbed up and gazed out at the numerous men toiling away at the defenses. He took a deep breath, but the tension refused to leave him. Nevertheless, he turned to Stirling and said, “Go ahead. Get their attention.”

Stirling nodded, turned towards the workers, and bellowed in a loud, crisp voice, “Attention, all! You stand in the presence of the Lord of Korelia! Gather around and listen!” His energetic tone made his presence felt.

The worker took notice, dropped their tools, and gathered around. Lansius saw many friendly faces, mostly the troops that had stayed with him since last year.

“Please, do not be alarmed. I am here to speak with you briefly,” Lansius said, projecting his voice so that everyone could hear him over the sounds of wind and other noises. “First, it’s the third day. So we’re here to pay for your work.”

That attracted short cheering from the crowd.

“It’s usually the treasurer’s job, but there’s some slight change. Today, we’re giving you a new option… You could choose to be paid in cash or salt.”

At the mention of salt, there were murmurs amongst the crowd.

“The usual rate is three days of work for two silver coins. Now, I can offer you a cup of salt for the same-“

The crowd grew lively all of a sudden.

“Order! Order,” Stirling shouted as best as he could.

“Three days of work for a cup of salt. The rate stays until winter ends,” Lansius paused. “Next week, the ground would probably be too hard to work on. However, the workshops will be ready.”

The crowd listened intensely.

“I’ll pay the same rate for the workshop. Two silvers or a cup of salt-“

Just like a beehive being struck down, the crowd was buzzing. Their faces were overjoyed. For many, their biggest fear of not having enough food for winter was now allayed.

“Order, say your piece after the Lord is done.” Stirling tried to rein in the crowd.

“The workshops will remain open throughout the winter, and if you choose to work there, while it won’t be much or taste as good, we’ll provide you with two free meals a day.”

At this point, the crowds just couldn’t believe what they heard, leaving Lansius to continue his speech. “We will also provide firewood for the night, and those who do not have access to firewood for their families can spend the night there.”

Again, there was only a little cheering. Instead, all Lansius got were murmurs and a different kind of look from the crowd.

Did I say something wrong?

But Lansius pressed on. “Lastly, the small amount of salt you’ll get probably won’t be enough for meat curing. So I ordered the castle, just for this winter, to buy more fresh meat and we’ll pay in salt. A bucket of salt for a fat lamb, less for lesser ones.”

Despite Lansius’ expectations, the crowd was reacting differently. Doubts were on their face.

Calub took the stage as Lansius had said his piece.

Meh, I’m really not a good speaker…

Lansius thought as he descended from the tower.

“Fellow Korelians,” Calub addressed the crowd. “I have the Lord’s speech in writing and it’ll be posted on the main plaza. You can check it anytime, word for word. That being clear, let’s get down to business.”

Afterward, Calub started the roll call, and each one was given the option of taking coins or salt.

Now, only time would tell if Lansius’ plan would work or fail.

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Timmy.

Last summer, little Timmy lost his job, along with his means of shelter and meals, when the family he worked for faced difficulties due to a livestock stillborn disease that had afflicted their herd.

Timmy joined forces with other similarly unlucky kids and resorted to begging for alms or food in the streets of Korelia. Although his situation was dire, he wasn’t the unluckiest. Little Tia held that title, having lost her flock to a wolf attack, which also left her with a limp.

The kids formed a group to survive. Tia’s knitting skills came in handy for making winter clothes from scraps of leather or unused rags. However, they struggled to find food.

It was a commonly known fact that the poorest inhabitants of Korelia faced a bleak fate every winter. Korelia was a harsh place to live. Its winter mercilessly culled everyone unfortunate enough without enough food, fire, and shelter.

A shepherd family without enough livestock would face hunger or death. It was a deadly dilemma.

Butchering too many of their herd would make them poorer the following year, but butchering too few could lead to the loss of a family member from hunger.

Timmy lost his last aunt and several friends the previous winter, and this year, it might be his turn. This year, the situation was even more dire as food prices rose so high, making it unaffordable for most.

After the harvest was over, there was so little work to be found, and many resorted to pickpocket and even robbery.

Before the situation became critical, the new Lord took over. The Black Haired Lion Tamer they called him. His reputation preceded him and many expected the worse.

Unexpectedly, the new Lord initiated a series of works with the promise of pay. Most of the work involves digging trenches just outside town. It hardly required any specific skills. Naturally, many of Korelia’s poorest applied, including Timmy.

Sadly, little Timmy was deemed too small.

However, many of the older kids in his group were accepted. The promise of pay materialized every three days. They were ecstatic. For the first time, they could sleep with a full stomach.

The work and pay continued to enable them to sustain themselves. But they knew winter was coming. Fear lingered in their mind there would be no work if they couldn’t dig as the ground froze in winter.

As luck would have it, the situation improved when a much-talked-about caravan arrived, and prices of grain dropped, much to everyone’s delight. But the price drop was short-lived.

For the poorest in Korelia, even with all their savings combined, they could only secure a paltry amount of grain.

That close to winter, things were looking grim. Many joked about the Lord’s digging project, which would be a fitting burial site for them.

Then one day, the Lord showed up and offered payment in salt. The poorest took the offer and ran to the market to trade their cup of salt for grain.

For them, it was nothing less than a miracle. The amount of grain they received from trading a cup of salt could feed a person through winter.

Suddenly, the situation changed rapidly for the better. Many were called back by their shepherd master. Now that everybody got salt, they gathered what they got and start a meat-curing process.

More and more shepherds sold their livestock for salt and gained enough to produce sausages, corned meat, and even meat jerky. Processed meat products fetch a high price at the market and boosted Korelia’s meager economy for the upcoming year.

Timmy and Tia weren’t the lucky ones. There was no work available for children and the crippled, but that didn’t deter them. They heard about the workshop that provided free meals twice a day and a working fireplace every night.

It sounded too good to be true, and naturally, there was a big crowd of applicants. Unsurprisingly, the two weren’t accepted, but they were permitted to spend the night.

Their first evening spent in the workshop would forever be etched in their memories. The warmth of the roaring fireplace, fueled by an abundant supply of firewood, was a comforting reprieve from the biting cold outside.

To their delight, they were even provided with a woolen mat to sleep on, which felt like a luxurious treat. The skilled craftsmen employed by the Lord were kind enough to offer the children gruel if they assisted with cleaning.

During the day, they were assigned simple tasks in exchange for a slice of bread and a bowl of hearty stew, ensuring that everyone had enough to sustain themselves.

As winter settled in, the first snowfall was quickly followed by a blizzard. Timmy and Tia watched and learned as the craftsmen, carpenters, and apprentices crafted crossbow parts, strings, and bolt shafts.

The situation in the workshop was far from ideal, but now even the likes of Timmy and Tia could survive Korelia’s winter and hope for a better future.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of the poorest residents of Korelia shared the same sentiment. Whether they were daily laborers, shepherds, orphans, or even destitute townsfolk, they were all equally grateful. Under the rule of the new foreign Lord, they sensed that they could not only survive but also thrive in Korelia.

Although they had not yet fully placed their trust in him, they were beginning to see him as their beacon of hope.

What had started as a move to prevent an uprising had inadvertently galvanized support at the grassroots level. Unbeknownst to Lansius, he had mobilized the entire Korelia to his cause.

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PS: This arc is focusing on multiple fronts, I hope you like the take from a Korelians viewpoint. 

This is the 3rd day of daily update. I hope the quality hasn't drop. Each chapter requires on average 10 hours to produce. 1.5-2 hours for writing, and at least 6 hours in editing and proofing (because I'm a non-native noob).

The Chapter Artwork is of Stirling, Lansius' new squire. I wanted his hair to be lighter brown, but AI has its issues. Credit to Hakim for his awesome art! ❤️

Lastly, I hope this chapter finds you well, and thank you for reading and supporting Horizon of War. ❤️