The drunk man shouted, "What do you want, you damn noble? You want more of my money or just mock me again?"
Kaelen replied, "No, no. I'm here to help. I just want to listen. I want to learn from you."
Kaelen thought to himself that reputation is extremely important, so he asked again, politely.
The drunk man said, "Monsters attacked our farm... our whole harvest is ruined. The knights don't care. They don't even lift a finger. And the lord... he just keeps raising the taxes. And the worst... my daughter caught some illness. I begged the priests for help, but they couldn't do anything. Nothing. Nothing! They asked me for money. Three copper coins... when my whole harvest doesn't even make two! Please, sir noble. Give me money... please."
Kaelen stood up and declared loudly, "I accept. Here, take three copper coins!"
The man, overjoyed, thanked him with tears. Then more people approached Kaelen. He stood tall and said:
"Those who want money... I'll give it. But promise me one thing. One day, you'll help me. Because I have a dream... one that seems impossible to achieve."
There were seven more people. He gave them each three copper coins. That's 21 copper, and with the first man, it made 24.
He now had 2 gold coins, 2 iron, and 6 copper left.
Kaelen then returned to the lord's mansion and confronted him:
"How dare you? What are your knights for, huh? Decoration?! What are your taxes used for?! If nothing changes tomorrow... I promise you, my family's knights will come and burn your seigneury to the ground."
The lord was furious — being lectured by a boy barely in his twenties?! He almost slapped him... but then remembered...
He's a LEONHEART.
If he laid even a finger on him... he'd face a death worse than nightmares. So instead, the lord gave him a fake smile and nodded.
Kaelen then asked, "Where's the nearest inn? I need to sleep."
The lord, seeing an opportunity to score some points, offered him a guest room inside the castle.
But not everything went well that night...
A sound. An explosion.
Not one made by gunpowder or TNT — no. Magic.
How did Kaelen know?
He saw the attacker.
It was one of the people from the tavern... and he looked straight at Kaelen with a strange eye. Surprised. Then they kidnapped him.
They dragged him to their hideout, as a hostage — to force the lord to listen.
Hundreds of villagers were involved.
This place might've been considered a "small village" in this world… but to Kaelen, it was a megacity. Huge. Incredibly huge. With thousands and thousands of villagers.
Maybe because this world never had the Black Plague?
Kaelen woke up. Tied up. But instead of being angry… he was happy.
Because he had a plan.An idea.