The Imperial Guard Warriors stood sentry in the village with a solemn presence, while the Supre High Priest lingered in the granary. He looked at the empty walls of the barn with a serious face that bore a hint of surprise, and his slightly furrowed brow was montarily wordless.
After several breaths, Xiulote turned towards the village Priest Yueluoji and asked in a deep voice.
"The extermination of the entire clan?"
"Respected Supre High Priest, more than two months ago, I reported the situation of the village to the Priesthood of the Lake Capital City, hoping to retrieve so of the village’s food from the hereditary Nobility... Then, then, the Priesthood directly dispatched five hundred Temple Guards, breaking through the local Nobility’s Manor. Dozens of male heirs were sacrificed, and the remaining two hundred plus won, children, and servants, were exiled to the Western Kingdom..."
"Exiled to the Western Kingdom..."
Xiulote was taken aback, reminded of the continuous influx of migrants from the Alliance, and fell into silent contemplation. It was only a while later that he spoke calmly.
"Yueluoji, since the local Nobility has been exterminated, has the excess Tribute collected from the village been retrieved?"
"Supre High Priest, the Temple Guards took the vast majority of the wealth, leaving only so food, barely enough for the villagers to last until the autumn harvest."
Yueloji cautiously answered.
"The Capital City Priesthood has promised to waive the tribute for the autumn harvest. The farrs, tightening their belts, and working hard for over a month, will be able to harvest pumpkins to use as their daily staple. The fragrant grains of the harvest season will attract many animals and insects which, when caught and eaten, can also stave off hunger. Once the October corn is harvested, the days that follow will be more comfortable."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Xiulote took another careful look at the sparse food storage in the granary and shook his head slightly. The farrs toiled all year, producing food and cloth to support the Nobility, Priesthood, and Samurai, yet they could only eat pumpkins and insects... With this thought, Xiulote lowered his gaze, his expression still somber.
"Yueluoji, there are over a thousand mouths in the village. I fear this food will not last until the pumpkin harvest."
"Supre High Priest, there originally would have been enough food in the village... It’s just that, just that..."
"Just what? Speak."
Yueloji hesitated, with a fearful glance at Xiulote, he bit his lip and suddenly knelt to the ground.
"It’s just that now you have arrived to rest here for the night, the food will no longer suffice!"
"Hmm?!"
Xiulote’s expression changed, looking at the kneeling village Priest.
Yueloji’s face paled as if it were dusty, and as he repeatedly explained while bowing his head as if pounding garlic.
"Supre High Priest! Hundreds of Samurai are staying in the village, all requiring ample als, and cannot be fobbed off with insects and wild vegetables. And your als, esteed sir, along with those of the nearby Nobles, must be of fine grains. After a few als, the granary in the village will be depleted. You must know, the food consud by the warriors in one day can sustain six or seven farrs!"
"The food consud by the warriors in one day can sustain six or seven farrs..."
Hearing this statent, Xiulote was emotionally moved, and his stern expression slightly altered. He remained silent for a mont, then turned and headed directly out of the granary.
"Bertade."
"Your Highness?"
"Send people to take a twenty-day supply of food for a thousand people from the moored fleet and leave it for the local village."
"I will carry out your command!"
Several Samurai hurried off. Shortly, a large quantity of food was unloaded from the fleet and delivered to the granary in the village. The Samurai also gathered around the fire pit, starting to make a fire and cook.
Seeing this, Yueloji’s face showed a trace of joy mixed with worry. The joy was because the village’s food gap had been filled, and the believers could last until the pumpkin harvest. The worry was that his recent words seed to have angered the Supre High Priest.
"Should have kept your mouth shut, should have kept your mouth shut! If you’ve offended the Supre High Priest..."
Standing dozens of steps away, Yueloji looked towards the fire pit, where the Supre High Priest was eating black bean paste, and in his annoyance, he slapped himself on the cheeks.
He was still young, just over twenty, and had been the village Priest for rely more than a year, always unable to keep his mouth shut, unable to restrain the passions in his heart. More than two months ago, when he reported to the Capital City Priesthood and exposed the local Nobility’s misdeeds, he had taken many risks as well.
If after ten years in the Alliance’s priesthood, he were to make the choice again, he would probably rather let the farrs suffer from food shortages and die of hunger than to speak frankly and advise the Supre High Priest directly.
With the fire blazing, Xiulote finished a bowl of black bean paste and then drank a bowl of pumpkin soup. Afterward, he calmly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and gestured for the village Priest to co over.
"Yueloji, co here."
"Respected Supre High Priest..."
Yueloji ran over, but several steps away, he knelt to the ground.
"By the Chief Divine’s witness! My lord, I... I am guilty, I have sinned!..."
Seeing Yueloji’s deanor, Xiulote raised an eyebrow and lightly said with a smile.
"Yueloji, what sins have you committed?"
"Ah! Sir, I should not have offended you... I should have, I should have allowed the farrs..."
Yueloji was so anxious that he was sweating; the words he had thought through beforehand now failed to co out.
"Yueloji, you are guilty."
Xiulote stopped smiling and nodded.
"Your fault lies in the insufficient food in the village, in not reporting to promptly, and in not seeking assistance from the Capital City Priesthood!"
"...Ah?"
Yueloji opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.
"Of course, it’s not your fault after all."
At this point, Xiulote, moved by the thought, sighed.
"Another Supre High Priest in my place would not have acted as I have."
After all, the Alliance maintained a strict hierarchy. Although in the past two years, following a reformation of the religious laws, many commoners have risen to beco priests in the Alliance. Still, in the eyes of the higher-ups, the lives of farrs remained as inconsequential as weeds in the wind, not worth ntioning.
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