As Leo and Ben walked through the streets of DustBrook accompanied by the two fat soldiers, Leo overheard snippets of conversations amongst commoners that only added to his unease.
"Another theft last night. We can't even leave our homes without worrying about being robbed," a middle aged woman complained to her neighbor, as she suspiciously glanced towards Ben and Leo who were dressed in black robes from head to toe.
"And the fields… nothing grows there anymore. It's like the land itself is cursed," an old man who was a stall owner selling food muttered, shaking his head, as he explained as to why he could not lower the prices for the produce that he sold.
Overhearing these conversations, Leo was made aware of the on-going public safety and food safety problems that the village was facing, as he felt his gut wrench listening to the poor state of the territory he had inherited.
As they continued through the village, suddenly, a ragged man who was previously lying down by the side of the road with red eyes, who looked very visibly intoxicated lunged at Leo, attempting to snatch his utility belt.
"Give me the belt… I want booze… more booze" the man mumbled in a drunken stupor as Leo gave him a tight slap across his face.
*Slap*
In the drunk man's mind, he was probably tugging at Leo's belt with full strength, however, for Leo the grip was as weak as that of a child.
Leo did not even budge at the man's attempts to take off his belt, however, he did angrily glare at his guards who were simply spectating the situation rather than actually protecting him.
"Some help?" Leo said, giving them the death stare, as it wasn't until he glared into their souls that the lazy soldiers decided to take action.
"Shoo- Shoo! That's the lord…" said one of the soldiers as he used a metal bat to beat the top of the drunk man's head mercilessly.
By this point Leo had enough, and the sound of his teeth grinding was audible in Ben's ears, who tried to pacify him immediately.
"Don't blame them boy, they're just desperate," Ben said quietly, eyes wide. "This place is worse than I imagined."
Leo nodded, gulping down his anger as he barely maintained his composure.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us. This Village needs more than just a capable Village Chief; it needs hope–" Leo muttered, as he silently resolved to turn this place around in the coming months.
Soon, the guards led them to the exit of the village, and pointed them in the direction of the central town, before shamelessly asking for tip money for their shitty service.
Although Leo did not feel like tipping them a single bronze coin, he gave both the guards a single silver coin each, which was akin to their current monthly salary.
"Holy shit! We are rich" said one of the guards, as they suddenly became much more enthusiastic about the new Baron than they were just a few minutes ago.
"Have a safe journey, My Lord!"
" Please call for us whenever you need us, my Lord!"
The shift in their attitude was a full 180° after receiving some money, as looking at their shift in behavior, Leo realized just how poor the people of the Barony were to become so excited about a single coin of silver.
'The central town will be better…. It will surely be better,' Leo thought, as he imagined the scenario of a lush green garden and a beautiful looking palace waiting for him in the central town of his Barony, the 'Berkshire Town'.
***********
( 1 hour later )
The distance between the Berkshire Town and the DustBrook village was nearly an hour on foot.
However, as Leo and Ben reached the supposed heart of the Barony, the supposedly illustrious Berkshire Town, what welcomed them instead was a shoddy old town, just as desolate as the DustBrook Village but only larger.
The roads were just as dusty and potholed, the buildings equally dilapidated, and the townspeople just as gaunt and weary.
As they entered the town, Leo's face fell further with every step.
"This... this can't be the central town," he muttered, unable to hide his disappointment.
Ben sighed deeply, shaking his head. "It seems the neglect is widespread and not just limited to the outskirts."
The bustling markets Leo had envisioned were nonexistent. Instead, a few scattered stalls with minimal goods were set up haphazardly, with vendors looking defeated and uninterested.
Children, instead of playing joyfully, huddled close to their parents, their faces marked by hardship, as they seemed to have been taught from an early age that the consequences of running away from elders on their own could be dire.
As they made their way through the town, Leo noticed that even the central square, which should have been a place of gathering and vibrancy, was nearly deserted. A few people lingered, but their conversations were muted and filled with complaints.
Then, they saw it. The palace—or what was supposed to be the palace. It stood in the center of the town, a crumbling shadow of what Leo had imagined.
The once grand building was now a dilapidated structure with broken windows, overgrown weeds in the garden, and walls covered in moss and cracks.
Looking at that building, Leo stopped in his tracks, tears of sadness dropping from his eyes as the disappointment hit him like a wave, washing over him in a crushing realization.
"This... this is our palace?" Leo whispered, his voice breaking, as the million dreams that he had been weaving for weeks now felt crushed in an instant.
Ben stared at the palace, his eyes equally as wide with disbelief. "Is this some sort of cruel joke? Where's the grand entrance? The majestic halls? This looks like a haunted house!"
Walking up to the palace gate, Ben kicked a loose stone lying outside as he said "We were supposed to live like kings! Instead, it looks like we're stuck in a horror story! What's next, a ghost butler?"
It was a rhetorical question, one that was asked out of frustration and not out of happiness, however, as Ben asked this question, a pale and ghostly looking butler did indeed emerge from within the palace.
"Greetings my Lord, I have been expecting your arrival–" the man said in the most emotionless tone possible, giving both Ben and Leo a sudden jump scare.
—---
/// A/N - CHAPTER 300!!! LET'S GOO!!!! ///