Chapter 119: Give Leo a Son!

Olivia’s anxieties over the past few days did not escape the eyes of her close friends, who took turns offering comfort and advice. Ever since Ulyan’s rise to prominence, Olivia’s status had soared, and the number of her confidantes had grown accordingly. While some women of similar age secretly envied her good fortune, none dared to show even a hint of it on the surface. Who could possibly reject the friendship of Olivia, who was gentle, kind, helpful, and held the keys to the entire village’s wealth?

Some of the more calculating village girls made a conscious effort to curry favor with her. After all, the Riverbend was flourishing, and once Ulyan was successfully enfeoffed as a pioneer knight, Olivia would be a noble lady in every sense of the word. When she eventually married, she would be the lady of the manor. By then, being a friend to a noble lady—or even her maid—would be ten times better than scratching a living from the soil like a common peasant. Consequently, as soon as Olivia let her troubles show, at least ten friendly peers came over to offer solace and whispered counsel. Some of their suggestions were absurd, but others were not without reason.

Agatha, in particular, opened up to her directly, sharing her own experiences as one who had walked this path before. Before Ulyan had retired and returned to the village, Agatha’s father-in-law had been the village headman, responsible for collecting taxes for the knight and managing the village. Her husband had been the captain of the militia, commanding the village’s armed forces. Her own family had been wealthy landowners in a neighboring village, and they had provided silver jewelry and two fat pigs as her dowry. Back in the North, Agatha had been a true daughter of the gentry, even more dazzling than the yet-to-blossom Olivia.

Tragically, an orc raiding party had slaughtered her family and looted most of their property. Only Agatha, who had been busy searching for piglets in a hayloft, survived by clutching two small black pigs. In a sense, Olivia’s current situation was identical to Agatha’s back then. If Leo were killed in battle and the alien coalition forces breached the Riverbend, Olivia would be reduced to fleeing just as Agatha had, clutching two small kobolds for dear life.

Therefore, Agatha earnestly advised Olivia to have a son with Ulyan as soon as he returned. Once she had a son, her focus wouldn't be constantly fixed on pining for a man, and she wouldn't have to rely on "pig children" for emotional sustenance as she did. Olivia found this deeply persuasive, but since Ulyan never broached the subject of marriage, she lacked the boldness to press him. After days of psychological torment, she decided to take the initiative.

However, being thin-skinned, her attempts were limited in force. Her subtle, double-edged remarks failed completely to wake the oblivious Leo. For several days, Leo lived amidst Olivia’s cryptic barbs. As a man’s man of the most direct sort, Leo never even considered the possibility. Since they were already sharing a bed, what could be so difficult about discussing marriage? He simply felt that she was too young and that it was far too early.

Ulyan was even busier, with no time for romantic entanglements. As the ruler of the Riverbend, besides overseeing various construction projects and issuing directives, he had to shuttle between three different camps to mediate conflicts. The villagers in these camps were not easy to manage, and friction was inevitable. The Riverbend villagers were highly territorial, fearing that newcomers would encroach upon their interests. The Wolf-Tooth wildlings were untamed, possessed their own values and rules, and looked down upon the Riverbend farmers and refugees. The refugees, ostracized by both the villagers and the wildlings, felt a lack of belonging and only wanted to idle away their days while looking for a bit of trouble. Ulyan had to reconcile these conflicting interests while trying to boost their productivity, a task that had left him graying with stress.

With the population growth in the Riverbend, the lack of talent became glaring. Aside from Ulyan, Leo, and Olivia, there was almost no one capable of handling internal affairs. Even if there were, they lacked the prestige to command obedience. Take Vichy, the deputy commander of the infantry and one of Ulyan’s designated squires; he was a competent officer, but he was ill-equipped to handle civil disputes. In the barracks, he could hang unruly militiamen without a second thought, but outside in the village, faced with wailing, elderly, or frail villagers, he was at a loss. Then there were sub-commanders like Wujin and Moros. Though they had gained some prestige and influence across the three camps, they were originally local ruffians; it was a miracle they could restrain themselves, let alone manage others.

In this regard, Olivia also appeared somewhat indecisive. She was an excellent logistics officer and territory manager; she handled the flow of supplies and the allocation of labor with ease and managed most administrative affairs well. Yet, when it came to civil disputes, her kindness often made her hesitant, as she sought a perfect outcome where neither party would be offended. Clearly, such a result was impossible; no matter how fair the judgment, one side—or both—would always feel slighted.

During this period, Leo, having some spare time, often stood by her side to share the burden. Wearing a tattered linen shirt and resting his hand on his sword hilt, he stood with the Little Mouse on either side of the busy Olivia, serving to intimidate the villagers. The fame of his prowess as a commander and his reputation as a terrifying villain made the villagers and the kobolds behave like model citizens. Whenever three villagers gathered to chat, they would consciously scatter upon seeing Leo. Whenever a group of children played, they would line up for his inspection. Even the wildlings would bow their heads in greeting when they saw him. The young wildlings, in particular, looked at him with fervent gazes, like adoring fans. They worshipped the strong, and Leo, who was nearly their age, was the ideal object of their admiration.

Whenever a genuine dispute arose, Leo could resolve it forcefully with just a few words. He taught Olivia: "You don't need both sides to feel it is fair and reasonable; you only need the onlookers to feel it is fair and reasonable!" Fairness was for the majority; if the minority felt aggrieved, let them digest it themselves, or compensate them through other means. With Leo’s assistance and guidance, Olivia’s administrative work became much more efficient.

At times like these, the Little Mouse was at her most smug; no one was better at "borrowing the tiger’s might" than she. Moreover, Sister Olivia had said that among her two guards, the Little Mouse’s status was even higher than Leo’s! This was because Leo refused to check the ledgers or count the supplies, whereas the clever Little Mouse was fully capable. Sister Olivia had even whispered that when the little kobolds grew up, she would fire Leo and promote the most literate and numerate kobold to be the Little Mouse’s assistant.

The village children, who usually looked down on her or excluded her from their games, now watched her with envy. The village elders said that black hair and black eyes were the mark of the devil’s blood, the embodiment of a curse. Though the children didn't fully believe it, they didn't want to invite trouble. Thus, the Little Mouse often had to play with the little kobolds. These adopted children of Olivia treated the Little Mouse as their big sister, following her every command.

Beyond internal affairs, Ulyan also had to handle diplomacy. The threats to the Riverbend were not just from the north; the situation in other directions was equally dire. Ulyan was forced to travel back and forth between the Riverbend and Ethanpor, frequently consulting with knight-lords like Rigolaff who cared for their homeland, in order to address the mounting issues of refugees and bandits.