A Village Ruffian's Rise to Lordship [Kingdom Building Fantasy]

[Beenong]

Mod edit: Content removed for complete plagiarism of the story "Chaotic Times, Famine Years: A Fortune a Day Fills My Granary!".

 

[Beenong]

Mod edit: Content removed for plagiarism.

 

[Beenong]

Mod edit: Content removed for plagiarism.

 

[Beenong]

Mod edit: Content removed for plagiarism.

 

[Beenong]

Mod edit: Content removed for plagiarism, posts of chapters 6-25 deleted.

 

[nble1]

MOREEE

 

[nble1]

Im a bit confused are they currently living on tenant land and have additional land owned by Edgar somewhere else or ? And id they are why aren't they farming on the land they own?

 

[Beenong]

Im a bit confused are they currently living on tenant land and have additional land owned by Edgar somewhere else or ? And id they are why aren't they farming on the land they own?

Click to shrink...

It's their own land owned by Edgar. The winter is heavy, so they cannot farm at this time.

 

[Beenong]

Chapter 25: Into Small Dark Mountain.

Unable to climb the mountain because of the storm, Johan refused to waste his days sitting idle indoors. Instead, he practiced archery from morning until dusk right in the courtyard.

Edgar Cain sat beneath the covered corridor nearby, occasionally offering advice whenever Johan's posture drifted or his grip weakened.

Yet after several hours, even Edgar gradually fell silent.

Most of his own archery skill had been earned through hardship in the mountains rather than formal teaching. Everything he knew came from years of hunting, surviving winters, and nearly dying more than once.

But Johan seemed to possess an almost unnatural instinct for the bow.

It was as though his eyes and hands understood arrows far faster than they should.

His improvement came so quickly that Edgar actually worried too much instruction might interfere with that natural talent.

Still, one major problem remained.

Johan still did not know how to properly channel his strength.

In truth, his body was already stronger than Edgar's had ever been in his youth. Yet brute force alone meant little with a hunting bow.

A true hunter needed to draw strength from the legs, waist, shoulders, and arms together.

That kind of control only came after years of practice.

In the end, Edgar could only shake his head and say,

"Keep practicing."

"Archery isn't learned in a few days."

Johan nodded.

He understood his weakness clearly enough.

Technique mattered far more than simple strength.

Still, no matter how skilled he became, poor nourishment would always limit him eventually.

He needed proper meat regularly if he wanted real strength.

Eventually, Johan lowered the bow and stretched his aching shoulders.

"I'm starving."

"Let's eat."

Edgar immediately nodded.

"Good."

"We still have meat left for midday stew."

He did not push Johan further.

Edgar feared that if he pressured him too hard, Johan might suddenly lose interest and slip back into his old habits.

After the meal, Johan rested briefly before resuming practice once more.

There was little else to do anyway.

Winter in Three Hills Village offered few distractions beyond survival itself.

If he did not practice archery, he would merely sit indoors staring at the rafters while the wind howled outside.

The snowfall continued for two full days.

And throughout both days, every divination fortune showed the same result:

Misfortune.

On the first day, Johan selected the fortune regarding the white fox.

A white fox had been hunting somewhere upon Small Dark Mountain, its tracks clearly visible through the fresh snow. There was a chance of success, but the storm itself carried danger.

On the second day, the fortunes changed once more.

[Today's Luck: Minor Misfortune]

[Minor misfortune: On the southern slope of Small Dark Mountain, a rabbit has become trapped beneath the snow. If you go, you might gain something. But climbing the mountain during heavy snowfall may bring danger.]

[Minor misfortune: Several roe deer are moving along the southern ridge of Small Dark Mountain. Bring a hunting bow, and you might gain something. But climbing the mountain during heavy snowfall may bring danger.]

[Medium misfortune: The old Wolf King has gone several days without food. If you can obtain its pelt, you might make a handsome profit. But climbing the mountain during heavy snowfall may bring danger.]

Johan stared at the fortunes silently.

Then his gaze settled on the first one.

"Another rabbit?"

"In weather like this, it's probably frozen stiff already."

That sort of thing was not uncommon during winter. Villagers occasionally discovered dead rabbits while gathering firewood or digging roots beneath the snow.

Still, the other two fortunes looked far more familiar.

The roe deer.

The old Wolf King.

Both had appeared before in earlier divinations.

Johan slowly narrowed his eyes.

"The storm buried the old tracks…"

"So the fortunes changed because the animals moved?"

Immediately, he regretted wasting the earlier roe deer fortune.

Living creatures were not like buried herbs or frozen prey.

Preparing too far in advance accomplished little when animals constantly moved across the mountain.

Finally, Johan's eyes settled upon the Wolf King fortune again.

"It changed from Great tragedy to Medium misfortune…"

"That means the beast is weakening."

The old wolf had likely failed to find enough food during the storm, and its earlier injuries were probably worsening.

"If it survives until the snow ends…"

"There may actually be a chance to claim that pelt."

The thought immediately lifted Johan's mood.

In the end, he selected the first fortune regarding the rabbit.

Since he could not safely climb the mountain today, the roe deer and wolf would likely move elsewhere before morning.

But a frozen rabbit would remain exactly where it died.

He could simply retrieve it tomorrow without risk.

Yet the moment the fortune dissolved into silver light and entered his mind, Johan suddenly cursed aloud.

"Damn it."

The rabbit had not become trapped naturally at all.

It was caught in the snare he himself had placed earlier.

After days of failure, the trap had finally caught something only because the heavy snowfall forced hungry rabbits lower down the mountain.

The silver coin had practically played a trick on him.

Johan could only console himself bitterly.

"At least I couldn't climb the mountain today anyway…"

By the third morning, the snowfall finally stopped.

Snow nearly four inches deep covered the ground, and the cold had grown even harsher overnight.

Johan rose before dawn and immediately activated the ancient silver coin once more.

[Today's Luck: Normal]

[Minor luck: Golden Stone Pond has frozen over. If you can break through the ice, you might gain something.]

[Minor luck: Several roe deer are moving along the southern slopes of Small Dark Mountain. Bring a hunting bow, and you might gain something. But the deep snow may slow your travel.]

[Medium misfortune: The old Wolf King has gone several days without food. If you can obtain its pelt, you might make a handsome profit. But beware the beast's final struggle.]

"Golden Stone Pond again…"

Johan immediately dismissed the first fortune.

Breaking ice to fish sounded profitable, but not safe.

The last time he entered those freezing waters, he nearly lost feeling in his feet entirely.

After several days of studying the fortunes, Johan understood something far more clearly now:

Fortune and danger could shift instantly.

Carelessness could kill him long before hunger ever did.

That left only one real option.

The roe deer.

Johan immediately began preparing his equipment.

Houndskin coat.

Horn bow.

Hunting knife.

Snare rope.

Cloth sack.

Water flask.

Everything was checked carefully and strapped into place.

Today would be his first true roe deer hunt.

As he stepped toward the courtyard gate, Edgar called out behind him.

"No need to rush."

"Today's just for finding tracks."

"Garrick Fletcher will need to rediscover them as well."

Without turning around, Johan waved one hand casually.

"Understood."

"Don't wait for me at supper."

Click to shrink...

Too many uploads at once. Will stop soon and stabilize at 2 chapters daily.