Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 26: Hoope en Liefde

Bewakermaan 6, 380 Imperial Year (Fun. 6, 1615 CC)

Eastern Parpaldia Empire

Bosch, a town in the northern Doric Province, is a rather quiet town. Built by pioneers who settled in the region after the previous entity that governed the region, the Doric City-State, got absorbed by the emerging dragon that is the Republic of Parneus during its time expanding eastward decades ago, the region was transformed into the breadbasket of the country, which was then renamed Parpaldia Empire, after it was discovered that the soil of the region was fertile.

Surrounding Bosch's townscape is the golden wheat fields that waved and swayed with the gentle breeze filled by the farmers who tended the fields. Beyond the fields are the tranquil plains, where livestock can be seen grazing idly while their shepherds languidly watched over them. The daily lives of the Bosch's townspeople were simple, but it was a fulfilling life. And with the harvest, came profits. Plenty of food for themselves to survive the coming winter months and enough for trade.

Such is a blessed life. But none of it happened now.

The town was reduced to a shadow of its former self amidst the food crisis. Some of the inhabitants started to move to other places to avoid the crisis, while those who doesn't have relatives tried their hardest to survive. With a large percentage of the town's healthy adult males being conscripted to fight in the invasion of northern small Philadean kingdoms several months before the failed harvest, the only ones left in Bosch are women, children, the elderly, and some males who were injured or feigning injury at the time of the conscription, such as Ehren.

Speaking of which, this northern invasion is one of the reasons for the food shortage occurred in the first place. While the invasion stalled, food stockpiles continued to be sent to the frontlines to feed the armies, and the bad harvest only make matters worse for the average citizen. Despite the ensuing crisis, the field commanders stubbornly argued for continuing the invasion, demanding more supplies to be sent to the frontlines in hopes that the northern Philadean kingdoms' resistance will be crushed soon and the Parpaldia Empire will win a major victory. And with that victory, usually came plunder, bringing wealth, food, and slaves to the mainland, as well as new colonies to mercilessly exploit. However, none of that happened either as the Philadean kingdoms to the north resisted even more fiercely than they thought.

The combination of bad weather and poor management from the government had resulted in a disaster for this region. However, Bosch is lucky to have managed to make it thus far. In some of the more severely affected regions, families suffering from hunger began to abandon their children and the elderly to die in the mountains or forests to reduce the mouths to feed. While in other towns, the riots sprang in the wake of this crisis were brutally crushed by the governing armies, resulting in the deaths of numerous people both Parpaldian and inlander alike.

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Amidst the whirlpool of misery that enveloped the town, the two eldest children of a farmer, Ehren and Irene, set out for the town center to visit a textile merchant mentioned by their mother in a discussion the day before. However, before going to the place where the merchant resides, they took a detour to the tavern where Ehren met a certain person yesterday. And they found that man, Herman Willem de Vries, leaning near the tavern's entrance.

Upon noticing the young man who he had acquainted yesterday appeared in the field of vision, Herman turned to face him and uttered brief words, glancing at Irene for a moment before returning to Ehren.

"I see that you decided to take the gamble."

"......Yes. I talked to my family and made up my mind. I'm going."