ALL NOVEL 22. A Surprised Owner of…
Kivamus leaned forward, his full attention on Duvas. "But why did you let the grain stocks fall so low in the first place?"
Duvas explained, "Pydas is one of the very few traders to visit Tiranat since the previous Baron's murder, my lord, either from Cinran or Kirnos. We simply haven't had an opportunity to buy a good amount of grain or sell enough coal in months."
Kivamus already knew that the road from Cinran to Tiranat was rarely traveled now, from his discussion with Madam Helga and Pydas when he stayed in her inn. But it seemed that these days traders were rarely visiting Tiranat from other places too. He nodded, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. "That explains the lack of supplies," he murmured. "But why haven't you purchased more grain from Cinran, then? Surely you could have sent someone there if traders weren't willing to come to Tiranat?"
Duvas's expression turned grim. "We did try, my lord," he explained. "I dispatched a guard on horseback on three separate occasions. The first time, soon after the previous baron's demise, the guard returned from Cinran with unsettling news. That was before the harvest, so prices of grain were sky-high, and no merchant was willing to risk the journey on this dangerous road to transport it at that time."
He continued, "That was a frightening time for us, my lord, since everyone here was terrified after the previous baron and his whole retinue were murdered, and I did not know at the time if there would be an attack here as well. So during that time, I didn't want to take the risk of sending too many guards away from the manor to escort a grain wagon ourselves, and risk being caught without enough guards here to defend the manor in case an attack did happen. We had enough grain at that time as well, and I decided to wait until the situation had normalized." He took a deep breath. "Thankfully, there was no attack on the village after the baron's murder, and it was only recently that we got the first bandit raid since then. However, since we couldn't defend the village in that raid due to a shortage of guards, now there is a constant risk of another bandit raid."
"Indeed, and later today, we'll try to find a solution for that too. But what about Kirnos?" Kivamus inquired, hoping for a better outcome from the neighboring barony. "That was also an option to buy grain, wasn't it?"
"I did send a rider there as well, my lord. Unfortunately," Duvas continued, his voice heavy, "the news from Kirnos wasn't much better. There's a grain shortage there as well, and the prices are exorbitant. Also, Kirnos is only moderately larger than Tiranat itself, and wouldn't have enough surplus to meet Tiranat's needs anyway. That's why we buy our grain from traders coming from Cinran, which is a much bigger place as compared to our village."
A cold dread settled in Kivamus's stomach. Not only was Tiranat close to starvation, but the surrounding areas were also struggling. Things were far worse in this world than he had initially imagined.
Duvas's face hardened as he continued. "The last guard whom I sent to Cinran for buying even a small amount of grain to carry with him on his horse, never returned, and that was only two weeks ago. I fear that he fell victim to bandits along the way."
Kivamus sank back in his chair, the weight of the situation settling heavily upon him. The near-empty grain stores, the dwindling coin reserves, a ruined economy, and the dangerous state of the roads all painted a bleak picture. Yet, there was some hope now.
"Thank goodness for Pydas then," he finally said, a hint of relief in his voice. "At least with him here and with his grain, we can buy some time to find a better solution."
Stepping out of the manor hall, he looked around the place once again in the light of the morning sun. This was his first day in Tiranat as the new Baron. The ground, damp with the dew of the previous night, squelched softly beneath his boots as he walked. Kivamus took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. It was chilly, a stark contrast to the warmth of the fire he'd just left behind. He pulled his fur coat tighter around him, the luxurious material a welcome comfort against the morning chill.
The imposing Arakin Mountains dominated the eastern horizon, their snow-capped peaks gleaming in the morning sun. The trees in the surrounding forest had shed most of their leaves, revealing their bare frames reaching skyward.
The sky was a clear, vibrant blue, promising a bright day ahead. A short distance away, Pydas' wagons were parked under a weather-beaten shed close to the stables. Hudan stood in conversation with the gate guards, their voices a low murmur against the backdrop of chirping birds, while Feroy was nowhere to be found.
Life bustled around him while he stood watching the manor, as the servants and maids went about their morning duties. The rhythmic clatter of cleaning implements and the murmur of hushed conversations drifted through the air. A feeling of normalcy, however fragile, seemed to be returning to the manor.
A sense of quiet determination settled over Kivamus as he surveyed the scene. The challenges before him were daunting - a starving village, a crippled economy, and the constant threat of bandits… and he didn't know what other surprises might be waiting for him in the future. But the resilience of the people, the breathtaking beauty of the land, and the glimmer of hope offered by Pydas' arrival all fueled a growing resolve within him. He wouldn't let Tiranat crumble.
"There is a kitchen here in the manor house as well, isn't it, Mr Duvas?" Helga asked.
"There is, right next to the hall we were sitting in earlier," Duvas replied. "But at the moment, it sits unused."
Helga looked towards Kivamus. "My lord, if you allow me, I'd like to take care of your meals from now on, along with Syryne. We do have a lot of experience cooking food, and it would help us feel useful as well."
Kivamus didn't take long to answer her. "Of course, I was thinking about that myself. It would help you to settle in, as well. You can start from today itself, Madam Helga. We will work out the wages for you both later, after consulting with Duvas." Helga looked happy to hear that, while Syryne had a smile as well.
"You are already providing us with lodgings and food, my lord. I couldn't even have imagined yesterday that I'd be living in a baron's manor house today! My family and I are very grateful for that itself, my lord," Helga said to him. "You don't need to pay us a wage as well."
Although Kivamus had a lot of experience working in a team as well as managing it, back in London, he wasn't the owner there. And hiring employees was not something that he knew much about. But one thing was certain, no matter what the standards were about that in this world, he wouldn't make people work for him without giving them a wage.
"Nonsense, if you are going to work for me, you'll get a wage. I'm not going to have people working for me without paying them like they were slaves!" Kivamus exclaimed.
Duvas hesitated for a moment. "But my lord, you do have slaves here. The previous baron was their owner earlier. But now that you are here as the new baron and the owner of all the surrounding lands, the slaves are now also owned by you."
It was such an unexpected statement, that it took a moment for Kivamus' brain to process it. He abhorred the practice of slavery and never in his mind, he could have imagined that all of a sudden he would become a slave owner.
"What did you say?" he boomed. "I will not tolerate slavery under me for even a moment! I was unable to help them the last time, and that still eats at me. But when I can do something, anything, about it, I will not let it happen." He ordered, "Bring them all here, right now. Bring every last person in the manor who is a slave."