Chapter 16: A Future Beyond the North

Lia, being a child, quickly grew tired, which signaled to me that it was time to find her a room. However, this residence had been uninhabited for a long time, and I wondered how much cleaning would be required once I located a suitable space. It was a two-story house, sprawling horizontally, and I ascended the stairs cautiously, carrying only a candlestick in my hand. The second floor was plunged into darkness, and the stairs groaned under my weight, threatening to give way at any moment. Clearly, the floors and stairs would need extensive repairs later, as they posed a significant danger.

Yet, for tonight, this would have to suffice.

I led Lia to the second floor. In the corner by the stairs, a wall-mounted candlestick offered a glimmer of hope. I lit it with my own candle and surveyed the many rooms. Inspecting each one was not a task for tonight; I would have ample time to refurbish this house later. For now, Lia simply needed a clean room where she could sleep. She absolutely had to have her own room; otherwise, Vilya’s reaction upon seeing her without one would likely be catastrophic.

I chose a room nestled further inside and tried the door. Fortunately, it wasn’t locked, saving me the trouble of breaking it down. The door opened into a very standard bedroom, complete with a bed, a window overlooking the garden, and a small, typical writing desk in front of it. The room even had a fireplace, indicating I had made a good choice. I stepped inside to inspect it. Thankfully, there wasn’t too much dust on the floor. Perhaps this also spoke to the former owner’s wealth, as the furniture still appeared sturdy and beautiful. With a little tidying, it would become a very pleasant room.

I pulled off the bedsheets, clearing away the dust. Beneath lay a thick mattress, filled with soft padding. I pressed down on it; it seemed quite comfortable. Clapping my hands, I flipped the sheet over and spread it back on the bed. Then, glancing at the fireplace, I said, “Daddy will go call Vilya. She can help us start a fire.”

“No…”

Lia clutched my arm tightly, looking at me with a hint of indignation. “I already told Daddy not to get so close to that woman, but Daddy is always alone with her, even standing under her sword! Daddy doesn’t care about Lia’s feelings at all, so Lia wants Daddy to stay with her always. At least, for tonight, you have to stay…”

Lia’s grip on me was incredibly strong; she held me so tightly, afraid I would leave her. I looked at the fireplace and said with a wry smile, “But Daddy doesn’t know how to start a fire. If Vilya doesn’t light the hearth, this house will be quite cold.”

“It won’t be cold with Daddy here…”

Lia hugged me even tighter, burying her head in my chest. She murmured, “Daddy’s embrace is warm enough… We don’t need that woman… We don’t need that woman ever… Lia only needs Daddy… Just being by Daddy’s side is enough… I don’t need anything else…”

“But for now, we still need Vilya’s care. Otherwise, you and I won’t be able to survive on our own.”

“Then what about later? Will Daddy take Lia away then?”

Lia looked up, her gaze incredibly earnest and urgent. Her hands trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with desperate hope. I knew she feared Vilya and was now desperately yearning to leave her side. We were currently dependent on Vilya, yet Lia was already anticipating our departure. She wanted to leave Vilya, to start a new life with just me. While this current life was already new to her, it wasn’t the happiest one.

I looked at Lia, unsure how to respond. I hadn’t truly considered my future. I wasn’t someone who thought much about what lay ahead; I had little energy to contemplate future events. My attention was primarily focused on what I was currently experiencing: the other party’s attitude, their personality, their idle gossip—all demanded my consideration. I couldn’t spare much thought for the future because if I didn’t handle the present well, there would be no future for me.

Thus, I prioritized the present. I simply wished to live peacefully through each moment. The future, I believed, would transform into the present I valued, as long as I lived each day with peace of mind.

However, now, perhaps I truly needed to begin contemplating the future.

How would Lia and I live after this? Would we stay here indefinitely? Frankly, remaining with Vilya wasn’t a long-term solution. Although Vilya was a relatively kind person, Lia disliked her, even felt aversion and disgust. So, if their relationship didn’t improve, it would be better to take Lia away.

Moreover, I didn’t want Lia to remain in this desolate northern region. The North was not a happy place for her; it was cold and impoverished, preventing her from receiving a proper education. If possible, I intended to return to the Royal Capital later. I wanted Lia to live securely in humanity’s most prosperous and safest city, not here.

I wanted her to witness the most vibrant flowers this world had to offer.

Therefore, I had to do everything in my power to return to the Royal Capital. Returning meant I needed substantial wealth, or I would have to gain the approval of that formidable Queen. I desired to live there with dignity, never as a mere dog.

Absolutely not.

So, my next step was to understand precisely how I could establish a life in the Royal Capital.

Ideally, I would also secure a sufficiently good job to provide Lia with an excellent life. With that thought, a multitude of considerations weighed on me. Achieving this goal would require extensive preparations and a great deal of effort. It wasn’t something to rush; I first needed to earn enough money here.

“Yes.”

I nodded, knelt down, took Lia’s hand, and nodded again with utmost seriousness. Then I said, “Daddy will take you away. Daddy won’t let you live here forever. Daddy will definitely take you to a warm place, where you’ll see colorful flowers and a truly wonderful world, not just stay here.”

Lia looked at my face, then reached out her small arms and hugged my head tightly. She stood on tiptoes, clinging desperately to my head. I said nothing more, but instead kissed her head, then picked her up and gently placed her on the bed. After removing my cloak, I carefully draped it over her.

“Daddy… Daddy…”

Lia looked at me with an expectant expression. However, I didn’t lie down immediately. Instead, I leaned in, kissed her forehead, and softly said, “Daddy needs to investigate the grain. That grain is very important. You see, we can cook, but those people downstairs can’t without it. They’ll starve. Without food this winter, I suspect they might not even have firewood. They’ll freeze to death this winter, so Daddy needs to find out what happened to those supplies.”

“Daddy, why do you want to help these people?”

Lia looked at me, puzzled, and quietly asked, “If we had all that grain, couldn’t we keep eating such delicious food?”

“Then why did Daddy protect you back then?”

I reached out, stroked Lia’s small head, and chuckled softly. “That’s just what we should do.”

“Daddy, humans are so different. If it were us, we wouldn’t give it away. Daddy, are all humans like this, protecting others?”

Lia looked at me and asked.

I hesitated, then replied, “Not exactly, Lia. There are humans who think like you, but for humans, such an attitude is considered immoral, wrong. Yet, many still act that way. Many humans share similar thoughts with your demon race. However, there are also humans like me, and even those who would sacrifice themselves to protect and save others. Humanity has reached this point precisely because of these people, not the selfish ones.”

“Then, Daddy, what should I do to be like a human? What do I need to do?”

“Just consider other people’s feelings.”

I looked at my daughter, kissed her forehead once more, and said with a gentle smile, “The ability to consider others is perhaps the difference between humans and other creatures, Lia. As long as you consider others, you are a human.”

“Really…? Then… Daddy, after you’re done with your business, you must come back to Lia. Don’t go find that woman.”

Lia reached out and clutched my sleeve, speaking earnestly. I looked at my daughter, gave a wry nod, then gently tucked her small arm, which was gripping mine, back into the cloak. Turning, I left the room.

Descending the stairs, I saw Vilya. She sat primly at the dining table we had used earlier, a kettle before her. She faced the fireplace, motionless, like a statue. I walked over quietly and sat beside her. Vilya didn’t stir or speak, her gaze fixed on the fire, utterly silent.

Sitting next to her, I picked up the kettle of heated water, poured a cup into a wooden mug, and began, “Regarding this grain, we need to inform the townspeople and have them collect their portions. The soldiers didn’t keep any ledgers, so we’ll just have to divide it equally.”

“Thank you.”

“What?”

Vilya’s ‘thank you’ completely bewildered me. I had no idea what she was referring to. I looked at her, puzzled, and she turned to face me, her sapphire-like eyes burning with tiny points of fire. She said earnestly, “Because you stopped me today. Otherwise, Lia would dislike me even more, wouldn’t she? Thank you.”

“No, I wasn’t acting solely for Lia’s sake. It was also for yours. If you lack public trust here, your rule will hold no meaning.”

I looked at Vilya and replied softly.

“I don’t like deserters.”

“Nor do I. But as a lord, sometimes you have to deal with everyone. And deserters, compared to rebels, are relatively easier to handle.”

“I don’t know how to be a lord.”

Vilya looked at me, her voice soft.

“I don’t either. But I do know one thing: a lord’s duty isn’t merely about slaughter.”

Vilya nodded slightly, then looked at me and said, “Can you… can you help me become an excellent lord?”

“Do I have that qualification?”

I asked Vilya.

“If you are capable.”

“Then first, let’s properly deal with all this grain.”