“The graveyard was filled with tombstones, unlike the quiet village. Well, many places were marked with rough stones that could hardly be called tombstones.

The village head spoke with a dark expression, “More than half have died. Among them, half succumbed to illness, and the other half perished in battle.”

Aidan took out a bottle of liquor from the saddlebag of Kais without saying a word.

Since there were so many graves, he couldn’t pass by each one, so he sat at the entrance and poured the liquor in a straight line.

Then, he pulled out the sword, held it in front of his chest, and bowed in silent prayer.

As Aidan made a gesture of respect, a cold wind seemed to comfort their spirits, sweeping over the graveyard. His troubled hair and cloak fluttered heavily.

In the strange atmosphere, even the murmuring people fell silent, looking at the blue wind enveloping the surroundings.

The village head, the first to regain composure, also prayed silently following Aidan’s posture. Brody and the villagers, without realizing it, also joined their hands, looking at them.

The sorrowful wind that wrapped around the stones surprisingly diminished as Aidan raised his head.

As he turned around, the rest of the group silently followed him out of the graveyard.

After a while, Aidan, with sunken eyes and a subdued voice, asked, “Have you assessed the situation of the damage?”

The village head responded, “Yes, we have it organized.”

“Good. If you prepare a place, we will listen to the report.”

Thus, Aidan and Brody decided to move to the village community center with the village head.”
So Aidan and Brody decided to move to the village community center with the village head.

Although the village head had suggested that the ancestral rites were over and the villagers should disperse, it seemed that he, along with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, was not a common presence that could easily be seen. People followed them, trailing a bit from a distance.

Aidan, leading Kai’s, suddenly turned his head as if a thought had occurred to him.

He leaned close to Brody and whispered quietly.

“Ah, I should have unpacked and rested first. I’m sorry.”

Brody shook his head, indicating that it was okay.

They were tired from the hurried journey, but in this atmosphere, there was no time to feel fatigue.

During this time, the survival issues that arose due to starvation had become a daily concern for those in need. It was regrettable.

It wasn’t because of laziness. There was a reason.

But the problem wouldn’t be solved unless the leader took action.

The weight of that responsibility was deeply felt.

And Brody, perhaps even more so than Aidan, couldn’t be less concerned.

His gaze at her just now was more intense than usual. Perhaps the headache was bothering him even more.

Then, a voice interrupted.

“Sister, sister. Is this something to eat?”

A child, appearing to be around fourteen, stuck close to Brody.

“Why do you carry something to eat in your hair?”
The child, with a chubby and cute face, grinned while lightly tugging on Brody’s hair.

It seemed like the child was commenting on the pearl ornament attached to Brody’s hair.

“Oh my, dear!”

A woman, who resembled the child in appearance, hurriedly pulled the child towards her and embraced him.

The woman immediately bowed apologetically and said, “I-I’m sorry, my lady. The child is still young and doesn’t know what’s proper…”

Brody felt embarrassed. Rather than the child rushing towards her without manners(?), it was more about presenting authority in the current situation, as she had dressed up for the occasion.

In the impoverished North, the attire of the impoverished Grand Duchy, while not overly luxurious, seemed excessively flashy in the village if compared. Of course, that was Brody’s perspective.

Caleb was not someone oblivious, and the attire she had prepared wasn’t beyond the level deemed suitable for the situation, the level people generally considered fitting for ladies.

However, Brody was still unfamiliar with the identity of ‘nobility’ in this world, and that’s why she felt somewhat awkward.

“Well, I should have been more condescending.”

Brody recalled how the Marchioness of Macassy, the wife of the First Marquis, used to speak.

“It’s okay. I’m not bothered at all, so don’t worry.”

Phew, that seemed like a fitting response. Brody gracefully lifted the bowing woman and said, looking at her appreciatively, “Thank you, madam, thank you!”
However, the woman, without seeming to recover from her embarrassment, bobbed her head and attempted to walk backward into the crowd while still holding the child.

At that moment, a shadow approached swiftly beside the mother and daughter.

The woman, who had been stepping back, collided with the large silhouette. This time, she seemed even more startled than before.

Aidan stood firmly, looking down at the two while holding his ground.

“Yo-your Excellency…”

The woman’s voice trembled, and her legs seemed to give way as she stumbled down, trembling and finally sitting down.