TOPWL 102

“That day… when I handed out the ornaments, one of the ladies said she was curious how they were made. I didn’t think much of it and just showed her, but everyone was so happy and excited.”

“I see. That must have felt good, Yasin.”

“They’re asking if they can learn more… like how to make tapestries or use Herut techniques. But… would it be a problem if I taught that here?”

“Why would that be a problem? I think it’s a great idea.”

“It’s just… quite a few people want to learn. And I don’t have any official position here. I’m only here as Your Highness’s friend. I didn’t want to do anything that might dishonor your name…”

Yudit looked at Yasin’s long lashes lowered in hesitation and thought to himself how long he must’ve wrestled with this before finally speaking up. Taking Yasin’s hand warmly, he said,

“It’s no trouble at all. In fact, I’ve been wanting to ask you to do exactly that, so I’m really grateful you brought it up first.”

“You… wanted to ask me, Your Highness?”

“I brought many people from the slums, remember? The ones who are healthy are working—men and women both—but there are quite a few who have trouble moving around. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to help them become self-sufficient.”

“I see…”

“I want to give them as many opportunities as I can—whether it’s reading, arithmetic, trade, or sewing. If you’re willing, I’d like you to be their teacher. It’s useful and in demand, so I’m sure many will want to learn. It doesn’t have to be for long—just three or four hours a day. And of course, you’ll be paid. You won’t need to worry about materials or a place to hold classes.”

Yudit spoke at length, one sentence flowing into the next. Yasin listened, his mouth slightly open.

“So… what do you think, Yasin?”

“Y-Yes? Oh… I’d love to…”

At the time, Yudit wasn’t sure if Yasin had fully grasped everything he said, but soon afterward, Yasin began teaching knitting and weaving to the villagers and those from the slums.

He turned out to be a fine teacher. Yudit even sat in on a class once. Perhaps because he had experience teaching back in Herut, Yasin was rather skilled. But as more than twenty people signed up, it became a bit overwhelming, and a teaching assistant from the village was brought in to help. Maybe because the students were all women, there wasn’t any visible discrimination. The fact that the teacher himself was a herutian might have helped.

Yudit checked each of Yasin’s pieces one by one. He was back to working on his crafts with energy. It was a relief. Of course, asking Yasin to teach hadn’t been only for the Lirut people’s sake—Yudit had also wanted to keep him busy. If he was swamped with work, maybe he’d be able to forget about his husband, even if just a little. And that plan was working better than expected. Yasin was moving forward, holding so much in his arms. Watching him, Yudit felt something overflow gently in his heart.

“There’s one more thing I wanted to show you… Just a moment. I left it around here somewhere.”

Like a small squirrel, Yasin busied himself, rummaging through the cluttered room. Yudit lifted a cloth that Yasin had unknowingly thrown over a box and pointed.

“Could it be this?”

“Y-Yes, that’s it.”

Yasin lifted the box and proudly showed it to Yudit.

“These were made by my students. Aren’t they lovely…?”

Inside the box, divided into three compartments, were various knitted accessories—hair ornaments, corsages, crocheted dolls, and tassels for sword hilts. Each item was charming and full of personality.

“I’m thinking of trying to sell them. Not quite enough to open a shop yet, but maybe on market nights…”

“Did you make all of these, Yasin?”

“No, well… I made a few, but most of them were made by the students. They’re really talented. At this rate, I think they might be able to support themselves soon.”

Knitting and weaving were always in demand—especially when the artisan had real skill. Tailors in the capital needed dozens of corsages each day. And with winter here, yarn-made clothing and accessories were also popular. The capital wasn’t even an hour away, making the village a perfect supply hub. Yudit was already picturing some abandoned buildings that could be turned into workshops.

He listened for a long while as Yasin gushed about his students, and he ended up leaving with an armful of knitted accessories again that day. On the way home, though his body was tired, his mind felt clear. He had absorbed the energy brimming in Yasin’s newly awakened eyes, and in the passion of the students.

“You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’ll just leave it open for a bit.”

Yudit opened the carriage window to calm his excitement. A cold wind rushed in. The village was changing in remarkable ways. In the district once filled with eerie, abandoned houses, smoke now rose here and there from chimneys announcing dinnertime. The general store and tailor shop had new items arriving in stock. With the roads opened up, more fruit, vegetables, and fish were coming in—not only fresher but also more affordable. District 3 of Bern was quickly becoming a village worth living in.

Of course, the same was true for other areas. The slums had vanished overnight, and Hiore gleefully razed what remained to make way for high-end shopping districts. Just a few days ago, there’d been an article about how the cityscape had changed so drastically in such a short time. Yudit often thought of the now-erased house where Aldrich lived, and the alleys he used to run through without a care in the world. Of himself as a boy, carefree and smiling.

“There are quite a lot of people now,” said Huyan, looking out the window.

Yudit nodded. “Yes, there are.”

Part of it was thanks to the increase in monster-hunting patrols, but another big reason was the carriages now connecting the capital to the district. Word had spread that there was work here, and people started coming. With more workers around, street vendors began setting up stalls, the marketplace became livelier, and tourists gradually started to trickle in. The streets that once echoed with silence now had small traffic jams in front of the market. The younger villagers marveled at the new sights, while the older ones wiped their eyes, saying the town reminded them of the vibrant days long past.

After passing through the market, Yudit entered the inn.

“Welcome!”

Hess rushed forward with eight mugs of beer in hand, greeting him with a smile. The inn had been full every night lately, and the same went for the dining hall. Even Hess’s younger brother, Kennan, was helping during busy hours. Kennan usually did serving and small chores, and perhaps because the small child zipped around like a squirrel, the tips flowed in from tipsy patrons. His pants pockets were always stuffed full like a chipmunk’s cheeks.

“Enjoy your meal!”

After setting the mugs down, Hess turned and beamed at Yudit.

“Your Highness, welcome! Shall I bring you dinner?”

“Yes, please.”

“Sure! Everyone, make some room!”

Hess called out like a commander to those sitting at the long communal table. It seemed the shy Hess had long disappeared, leaving behind a much bolder version, likely shaped by the constant rush of people.

“Enjoy your meal, Your Highness!”

Hess quickly brought over food to Yudit and Huyan. It was impressively fast, and Yudit soon understood why—they had trays prepped with rye bread, honey, butter, and pickles, and when someone ordered, they just ladled on a generous scoop of stew. Since it was winter, the stew was made from stored goods like ham, corn, and potatoes, with a salty and savory flavor that gave it its own charm.

While eating, Yudit glanced around. The room was packed, making it warm, and many had taken off their coats. Quite a few were wearing armor made from monster hide. Whether it was due to that awkward marketing attempt or simply because people liked the unexpected good quality, the monster leather armor was selling well. Yudit smiled with satisfaction as he ate his stew.

“What’s got you grinning like that?”

Yudit looked up at the familiar voice from above. There stood Khalid, bringing with him the scent of the winter wind. His features seemed more defined than usual today. For some reason, Yudit found it hard to meet his gaze.

“It’s been a while…”

“It has. You’ve really kept me waiting. Been well?”

“I’ve… been well.”

Khalid stared at him for a moment, then suddenly reached out and placed a hand on Yudit’s forehead. Yudit flinched and shrank back in surprise.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Your cheeks were red. I wondered if you had a fever.”

“I’m fine.”

Yudit pulled his hand away. Khalid just shrugged and sat down beside him.

“Are you leaving again?”

“I’ll be staying here for a while. Though I’ll have to head out for a hunt soon.”

Khalid cast a glance toward the knights standing at the front entrance of the inn.

“Khalid. Actually, there’s something I wanted to—”

“No.”

Khalid cut him off with a firm refusal before Yudit could even finish. Yudit blinked, caught off guard.