The Soldier and The Novelist

The Dignity of a Servant

I woke up feeling terrible.

Even though it was early April and the morning was slightly chilly, my entire body was drenched in sweat. With a sigh and a click of my tongue, I threw off the covers and put my feet on the floor. Instead of standing up, I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the feeling.

It had been a while since I had dreamt about that day.

“It’s not just a bad omen…”

It felt as though it was a warning of things to come.

I took a deep breath and tried to recall yesterday’s events, but then I noticed a piece of paper on the sideboard and realized that it wasn’t a dream. It was an impromptu employment contract made by Hugh, with my name written under employee section and a flowing and elegant signature under the employer belonging to Bardalon Forester.

I let out a self-deprecating smile and reached for the cigarettes beside me. I lit one up and exhaled a puff of purple smoke.

“From today onwards, I’m once again a mercenary. Regardless of how unpleasant my employer may be, I can’t afford to do a half-hearted job as a professional. I no longer have the support of the union. From here on out, it’s all up to my abilities…”

And then, something felt off.

Something caught my eye when I picked up the cigarette. No, it wasn’t just something, it was undoubtedly a clock. A clock caught my eye, and the sense of discomfort came from the meaning that the clock was pointing to.

I looked back at the clock, and five seconds later, my brain finally started ringing alarm bells.

I changed into my clothes at lightning speed, not bothering to fix my messy hair, and rushed out of my room without a second thought. But before I could even reach the stairs, I suddenly came to a stop and dashed back into my room. I grabbed the iron sword that was leaning against the bed and sprinted out of the boarding house with all my might.

Can’t afford to do a half-hearted job, you say?!

“God damn it! I’m an idiot!”

I cursed myself and my cigarette as I kicked off the cobblestone street, leaving behind the scent of the sea that permeated the bay commercial district. My feet pounded against the ground as I raced through the shopping street that led to the inland area. Soon enough, the smell of the sea gave way to the scent of coal, and I arrived at a large open space in the middle of the bustling streets.

The circular plaza was huge, with newly laid mosaic stones decorating the ground. The perimeter was lined with shops, each extravagantly decorated for the upcoming independence festival. The spaces in between were filled with people of all kinds, their attire reflecting the diverse nature of the city. I weaved my way through the crowd, jostling with numerous strangers, determined to reach the massive stone-walled building at the center—the Ixlaha Central Terminal.

As I approached the terminal entrance, where we agreed to meet, I saw her leaning against the wall, flipping through the pages of a paperback book. She looked chic in her white blouse with a thin black jacket and beige skirt that extended below the knees. As usual, her cowhide travel bag was placed at her feet.

When she saw me gasping for air, she closed her book and said in a cold tone, “Do you want to make an excuse?”

“Uh, sorry,” I said, lowering my head. There was no point in trying to make an excuse with my messy hair.

The novelist looked me up and down with an unemotional gaze, and eventually showed a pitying expression. She was so good at making others feel down. It would be better to be scolded than to receive such a look.

Putting the paperback book into the pocket of her jacket in a very business-like manner, she said, “This is not a suggestion but a warning. I despise people who are not punctual, and I mean it when I say I hate them to the core.”

Her face then showed her emotions. It was not a forgiving expression but a clear expression of displeasure and anger.

“If you’re late again, I’ll kill you. Not physically, but socially,” she said, considering her social status as a popular novelist and her credibility. Her threat was quite strong, and with her personality, it was highly likely to be realized.

“Okay, I understand,” I said, wiping my forehead with the possibility of what she had said making me sweat.

I felt ashamed that I had made a bad impression from the first day. In reality, she had taken the lead in everything from now on.

“You talked big yesterday about getting ready for the trip, but you overslept on your own. You’re unbelievable. I can’t help but worry about what’s to come,” she muttered in irritation, grabbed her travel bag from the ground, and walked away quickly.

Out of guilt for being late and calculating for future goodwill, I reached out to grab the bag from the side.

“Don’t touch it,” she said, swatting my hand away.

Just like yesterday, I was stared down with icy eyes. She had a look that said she didn’t want me to lay a finger on her.

As the novelist turned on her heel to leave, I didn’t flinch and asked with a smile on my face, “Is it really that important? What’s in there, anyway?”

She stopped in her tracks and shook her head in annoyance, then thrust her right index finger in front of my nose. “I did hire you as a mercenary and asked you to be a guard, but don’t get it twisted,” she said, giving me a look of disgust and irritation.

“I haven’t forgiven you for the incident the other day. As for your own humanity and human rights, I consider you no more valuable than dog feces on the street. Don’t forget that distance and position between us.”

My fake smile died on my face. I no longer had the energy to argue, and all I could do was sigh with depression. “So, to sum it up, you really hate me, don’t you?”

“Exactly. For someone who’s uneducated, you have a decent reading comprehension. I’ll give you a round of applause,” she said mockingly.

“I don’t need it,” I retorted, turning my face away in frustration. The novelist smirked down at me as she resumed walking through the crowds, her movements swift and elegant like a swallow cutting through the cold sky. I followed her slowly, my mood dark and gloomy.

“Ah… This is a question regarding the request,” I said, catching up to the novelist who was walking three steps ahead of me.

“Go ahead,” she said.

“Today should be a preparation day for tomorrow’s departure. I think we should start by reserving horses and carriages for our travel… But why are we moving away from the stables?”

We were heading towards the south district instead of the northeast where the entrance with the stables was located.

The novelist answered without looking back, “I have a personal appointment. You’ll come with me. My meeting partner is quite a noble person, so it’s customary to bring a servant to such social occasions, even if he’s a shabby man like you.”

I couldn’t help but think that she was always finding ways to belittle me in any conversation. If there were a World Championship of Insults, she would definitely be a contender for the title.

“Sorry for looking so shabby.” As I spoke self-deprecatingly, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at me, gazing intently at my entire body for a while.

Feeling uncomfortable, I furrowed my eyebrows, “What’s wrong?”

Showing a hint of distress, the novelist murmured to herself, “Indeed, looking at you again, your appearance is too ill-looking. It might be disrespectful to the other party.”

“Do you think I won’t be hurt by anything you say?” I replied, feeling hurt when calmly analyzed.

Although I usually wear casual clothes, maybe my outfit is inviting pity after all.

Ignoring my depressed state, the novelist began to look around. When her eyes fell on a certain store, she forcefully pulled my hand and took me there.

“Come this way.”

“What’s going on? Why all of a sudden…”

Before I knew it, I had been brought into an elegant clothing store with a splendid entrance. This was the store where I had always ignored the coats and clothes on display in the window as if they were objects from another world. In other words, it’s a high-end clothing store that didn’t fit me.

The inside of the store, with its elegant deep scarlet carpet, featured neatly arranged mannequins dressed in clean clothes. Even to my untrained eye, the lighting from the ceiling lamps was perfectly calculated to enhance the attractiveness of the trendy clothes.

“Welcome.”

As soon as we entered the store, a neatly dressed salesman with a mustache bowed courteously. I was taken aback by the unfamiliar treatment. However, the novelist was very composed and gave instructions to the salesman.

“A coat in the same pattern as that one in the window. Black, and tailored to fit my companion here.”

“Very well, madam.”

“Also, I would like it to have a sword attached to the waist, can you do it quickly?”

“We have cordovan that matches the purpose. This will be an additional option.”

“That’s fine. Please take care of everything in 10 minutes. If the ready-made one is not in stock, use a different pattern. As long as it’s a similar design, it’s okay.”

“Understood. In that case, I will take care of the item around your waist for a moment. Sir, please follow me to have your measurements taken.”

“Sir…? Uh, oh, you mean me?”

It was the first time in my life I had been addressed as such.

I was taken aback and my waist iron sword was taken away from me by force, and I was guided behind the curtains of the store. Two other store clerks were waiting there, who politely took off my jacket. Then, they quickly measured every part of my body with a measuring tape.

“Have you ever had any issues with your clothes before?” “Do you have any preferences for the design of the lining?” “What color do you want the button thread to be?” “We can embroider your name on the lining if you like.” “How about the stitching on the pocket?” “You can choose the cuffs to have a belt or buttons.”

I couldn’t keep up with the rapid-fire questions and responded incoherently. I didn’t even know what I said. Suddenly, I found myself wearing a brand new jet-black coat and was led back outside the curtain.

The novelist was sitting on a long bench inside the store. When she saw me, she nodded a few times without expression and looked at her own wristwatch.

“Eight minutes and fifty seconds, huh? This is a good store. I’ll use it again when I make my evening dress.”

Beside her, the first store clerk was bowing deeply.

“Thank you very much. Fortunately, we had what madam was looking for among our ready-to-wear items.”

“Here is your new scabbard belt, sir.”

Another new store clerk came over to me and wrapped a belt around the waist of my coat and inserted the iron sword they had taken away from me earlier. Then, another store clerk brought a large mirror in front of me.

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. My reflection in the mirror was unrecognizable. A slim, knee-length black coat with a matching belt at the waist and a sturdy scabbard for my sword. Even if I said so myself, my posture looked dignified. It was as if it was not me.

Moreover, the comfort of the coat was incomparable to the yellow jacket I had been wearing before. Not only was it light, but the movement of my shoulders and elbows was much easier. This was the first time I had ever been moved by the comfort of a coat.

The mustached store clerk explained, “The color and pattern may differ slightly, but the overall pattern concept remains the same as the military uniform for the church knights this year. We have integrated the trench style, which is currently popular in the eastern continent. The material used is gabardine, a high-tech synthetic fabric. It is lightweight and robust, providing both warmth and excellent ventilation without compromising its durability.”

“Well, I guess you’ve gone from a vagrant to a respectable thug.” The novelist said without any particular emotion.

She then took a hundred-dollar bill out of her pocket, and handed it to the clerk as if it were nothing. I was speechless and the novelist tilted her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s not that… You’re giving this to me?”

“If my servant is dressed in such ragged clothes, it will affect my reputation.”

It seems this woman considered my everyday clothes to be ragged. Admittedly, that jacket had been through many battles and was definitely worn out, but calling it ragged was a bit much.

“By the way, that’s necessary expense for the job. It won’t be deducted from your compensation. Are you relieved, poor man?” She looked down on me with a sarcastic remark.

However, no matter how much she called it expenses, she hired me not as a corporation but as an individual, so it was essentially her own pocket money.

“Is being a novelist such a profitable job…?” I asked out of pure curiosity, even though I was slightly trembling.

“If you think that all novelists in the world are like that, you are mistaken.”

She had a confident smile.

I remembered what Hugh had said yesterday.

Bardalon Forester, a young genius novelist who won awards from the famous literary figures at the age of just 17, revolutionized the literary world with her unique style and themes, and is still a central figure in the literary world, with people all over the Yunaria continent visiting bookstores to buy her latest work.

Her income and wealth were probably beyond my imagination.

I recognized once again that the woman in front of me possessed a type of “power” that I could not have.

The novelist said to me as I was admiring her, “I don’t think someone who makes a lot of money is superior to someone who doesn’t. That’s just a value judgment based on an individual’s measuring stick. However, it’s a fact that the coat you’re wearing is something you couldn’t afford with your previous income. What do you think, have you become a little more inclined to worship me?”

The novelist looked down at me again with a somewhat contemptuous gaze. However, I could nod honestly.

“You’re amazing.” It was a word that slipped out of my true feelings. Certainly, I wouldn’t have been able to wear such a splendid coat.

The novelist had a face that seemed to have lost some of its poison. I turned back to the mirror and looked at my reflection, “I really like this coat. Thank you.”

“Hmph!” She sniffed her nose somewhat in dissatisfaction and turned away. “Anyway, I’ll wait here for three minutes. Go and fix your messy hair in the restroom.”