Chapter 7: 7: Visiting the (new) Village

Kotori and her family had avoided entering the village since the arrival of the new Baron but after a month they could no longer avoid it. They were in desperate need of materials and to get some tools repaired. So, Kotori and her father, with heavy knapsacks, traveled over to the village

When they arrived, it looked much the same as they had left it. Fewer people were out on the street but overall, it seems like her family's concerns of the new Baron were unfounded.

It wasn't very long when they got closer than they realized their original assumption was terribly wrong.

The main clearing in the village had the same pole in the middle of it, but unlike the previous time where there was a notice attached, this time there was a man tied to it.

He was tied in such a way that he couldn't sit or else the ropes that bound him to the pole would lift his arms above his head and chafe against his wrists. Despite this, nobody seems to try to help the man. Many of them walking past and averting their eyes as if they didn't see anything.

Kotori looked at her father's face and saw that he held a grim expression. Upon seeing the man he gripped Kotori's hand tightly.

Kotori noticed that the people in the village spoke in hushed tones. This was a far cry from the liveliness that once went on the village and was unnerving. Although Kotori and her father were not very familiar with the inhabitants of the village, she had been to the village enough times to know that this hushed speaking was highly unusual.

Going about their business in the village, her father tried to get the store owners to explain what happened but none of them seemed willing to talk.

Their final stop was the blacksmith shop. This was a shop that Kotori liked to be at. The blacksmith was a nice man that they were on good terms with and frequently patted Kotori's head with his charcoal-stained hand.

Kotori watched as they started the transaction to replace a few shoveled heads and to buy a new knife. There was tension in the air. Then suddenly, like a splash of cold water, her father finally quietly asked the blacksmith.

"So, what happened?"

The blacksmith looked at him, gave thousand-yard stare, and then sighed.

"Even if you live farther away Hikki, you’re still part of this village, you ought to know"

In an even more hushed tone, the blacksmith explained what had happened in their absence

After the Baron arrived most of the villagers tried to go about business as usual. But a few issues began to arise. The new Baron would make unreasonable demands on the villagers and although they would try to grant them, he would punish them heavily if they failed. Claiming it was “insubordination”. This steadily escalated into even more unreasonable demands.

One day the Baron tried to take a village girl for his own. Her father quickly defended her mouthed off the new Baron angered by this the Baron his retinue bind the man to a pole. If anyone tried to unbind him the Baron’s retinue would pull out their swords.

[What an unpleasant man] Kotori thought while listening to the story. He sounded like the politicians that that would often try to curry her favor in her past life. She surprised and horrified at the new Baron’s conduct. She thought the contrast in personality from the old Baron to his grandson was too great.

The Baron’s conduct led Kotori to worry about nobles in this world it seems that they were stuck up, and elitist, doubts still began to spread in her mind.

[Time to think of a plan B] she thought

Her options were closing in on her. Social mobility in this world was painfully low.

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She and her father finished the rest of their business and thankfully left the village without any hassle.

That night as Kotori laid in bed and waited for the family to go to sleep so she could practice her flute all she could hear was the soft whispering of her parents discussing what to do.

They ultimately decided to use what low amount of savings they had to stock up on materials for the year and completely avoid the village until then.

The very next day, Kotori and her entire family went to the village to pick up essential supplies. They quickly went about their business and as they were about to leave. She saw the still bound man attach to the pole. Feeling pangs of sympathy and wanting to gain a bit of karma she quickly grabbed some hardtack from the supplies and ran over to him.

The man stood there motionless. She saw that his feet were raw, cracked, and bleeding and his legs trembled. She quickly put the food in his mouth. He coughed then in a pained voice spoke

"Thank... you."

She nodded

A voice rang out

"Hey! Who's feeding the prisoner!"

Kotori felt her karma drop heavily

Kotori quickly scampered away to her family upon hearing the voice

Upon regrouping with her family, her mother berated her

"The whole point of this trip was to avoid getting involved! How could you do something so dangerous!"

What really blindsided her was when her father also began to scold her as well.

“Your mother is right,” he said with a conflicted look on his face.

It was bad enough that Kotori had lost a heavy amount of karma when she checked the amount she saw that she had lost 7,500 karma points

[Still, that amount of karma seems a little harsh] Kotori only fed the man. Although it was dangerous she didn’t really understand why it would be treated so harshly under the karma system.

That night Kotori got her first real punishment ever. Her parents didn't allow her to eat.

As Kotori laid on the straw mat her thoughts of karma were quickly overtaken by the sounds of her stomach grumbling.

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