Chapter 9: Winter Is Coming
The Middle Ages of the Pokémon World and the Middle Ages of the real world are not very different in some aspects.
Except for the existence of creatures called “Pokémon,” the two are almost identical, dividing people into different classes.
Dukes, nobles, commoners, slaves…
Among the retainers the Old King arranged for his son were thirty-five slaves dedicated to housework and heavy labor.
Cliff was one of them.
He was originally from another kingdom, but after their defeat, he became a slave in the Aindook Kingdom.
He, along with other slaves, followed the caravan here. After experiencing this series of events, Cliff felt his life was hopeless.
Not only had he become a slave, but he had also fallen into such dire straits, not having enough to eat or warm clothes, and might even freeze to death.
Perhaps not long from now, he would depart this world forever on a cold morning.
Cliff thought this as he gnawed on a piece of Black Bread.
Just then, a bustling sound suddenly came from not far away.
Cliff heard the voice of the knight named Ryan.
“Everyone, gather here!”
Cliff put away his half-eaten Black Bread and, with a numb expression, followed the main group forward.
Soon, except for a few severely injured individuals, everyone in the camp had gathered.
Through the bobbing heads, Cliff saw the Third Prince of the Aindook Kingdom, the young man who was about to become their Lord.
For a moment, his gaze seemed to meet that of the young man, but the latter quickly shifted his eyes away.
Although the person was still young, his serious expression looked quite dignified.
“Everyone, please be quiet,” Cliff heard him say.
Lei Wen’s gaze swept over the crowd before him, and then he slowly began to speak:
“After this day, I believe everyone has seen our current predicament.”
“Due to the Blizzard, we have lost our way, and our current food reserves are insufficient to support us in reaching our destination smoothly.”
“However, the only fortunate thing is that our food supply is still ample enough for us to endure this winter.”
“But this winter is still long, and the temperature will continue to drop for the next two months. With our current tents, we likely won’t be able to withstand the onslaught of the cold wave.”
Hearing these words, some people’s faces turned pale, and despair involuntarily showed in their eyes.
“But fortunately, I have found a solution,” Lei Wen said with a serious expression. “I swear by the honor of the Aindook Royal Family that I will do my utmost to ensure every one of you survives!”
Hearing this, the crowd below was slightly stunned; they couldn’t help but be moved by his words.
“Your Highness Lei Wen…”
Lei Wen’s gaze swept over the crowd and he continued, “For the next month, our Carpenter Tucker will be felling trees and building houses with all his might to ward off the approaching cold wave.”
“However, Tucker’s strength alone is not enough… Therefore, I hope everyone can contribute their own strength, whether it’s fishing, Berry Gathering, collecting food, or helping to collect wood and build houses. As long as we can survive this winter, everything will be alright!”
“Yes, it definitely will be!” a clear voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
Lei Wen looked up and saw a girl, about ten years old, responding with full of fighting spirit.
Lei Wen nodded at her.
Hearing this speech, the previously leaderless crowd instantly seemed to have a backbone.
At least they would not be lost for a while, and they knew what they needed to do.
“Also, there is one more thing.”
Lei Wen’s voice rang out again.
The crowd subconsciously turned their gaze towards him.
“From today onwards, there are no slaves in this territory.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a huge uproar immediately erupted in the crowd.
The commoners were fine, but the faces of the thirty-five slaves showed expressions of shock and surprise.
N-no more slaves… What did this mean?
Did this Lord think they were a waste of food and intended to execute them?
“By the name of the Lord of this land, I grant you the status of Free Citizens.”
Lei Wen’s voice rang out again.
“From now on, as long as you work diligently, you will receive a House of your own, and perhaps in the future, you will even receive a Field of your own.”
！！！
The slaves, who were filled with anxiety and fear just a second ago, immediately widened their eyes and looked at each other in disbelief.
Were they… dreaming?
Hearing these words, Cliff, from the crowd, couldn’t help but ask with a trembling voice:
“Your Highness Lei Wen, is this true…?”
“Of course,” Lei Wen looked at the man and suddenly changed the subject, “but…”
Hearing this “but,” everyone’s hearts were once again in their throats.
Only then did Lei Wen continue with a smile, “The premise for all of this is that we can survive this cold winter.”
The people collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Their gaze towards the young Prince before them had clearly changed significantly.
There was respect, gratitude, and excitement…
Cliff stood there dumbfounded.
Not a slave… From now on, he had regained his status as a Free Citizen, no longer a slave!
What this meant needed no further explanation.
Cliff’s eyes welled up with tears, “This is so good, it’s truly so good…”
From now on, he would follow Your Highness Lei Wen to his death!
Lei Wen naturally noticed this scene, or perhaps this was his intended goal.
Looking at the steadily increasing Popularity +1 +1 and Satisfaction +1 +1 on the Panel before him, Lei Wen couldn’t help but curve his lips.
Although he could say a few more words, the current urgent matter was more important.
“Alright, for the sake of our parents and children surviving this winter safely, everyone, please contribute your strength!” Lei Wen said.
Time was short, and the task was immense.
Thus, the noisy crowd began to busily engage in their tasks.
The women picked up their Baskets and went into the Forest to gather Berries and collect Food.
The strong men followed the Knight Order to the edge of the Forest to fell trees.
Only after the crowd had dispersed did Lei Wen breathe a sigh of relief.
Facing this situation for the first time, it was impossible not to be nervous, as he was just a Commoner in his previous life.
Fortunately, judging by the crowd’s reaction, his performance was successful.
After the crowd dispersed, Lei Wen turned and returned to his Tent.
In just this short while, he had collected another 50 Satisfaction.
Soon, once he accumulated 200 Satisfaction, he would be able to unlock a basic Technology.
Looking at the Dratini, which was fast asleep under a Blanket, Lei Wen fell into thought.
In fact, their current situation was not safe, even though they had established a Territory.
If a Pokémon like Tyranitar were to barge in and cause destruction, then even if all of them combined, they would likely not be a match for a Tyranitar.
With that in mind, he had to become stronger himself.
Lei Wen began to contemplate the matter of Special Training for the Dratini.
After all, as far as he could tell, he was the only Trainer in the entire territory, if he could be called a Trainer.
Only by becoming stronger and allowing the Dratini to grow would their chances of survival significantly increase.
However, if this were the case, more problems would arise.
Firstly, as a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Dratini was notoriously a “late bloomer.”
By the time it grew up and evolved into a Dragonite, their graves might already be several meters high.
So, what about catching another Pokémon that grew quickly, like Butterfree? Lei Wen fell into deep thought.
Secondly, in this era, there were no Pokémon Centers, no Physicians specializing in treating Pokémon injuries, and no one to prepare Medicine for Pokémon.
This meant that if the Dratini were injured during Special Training, there would be no way to treat it.
Thinking of this, Lei Wen felt a headache coming on.
Compared to other Transmigrators, this was simply a Hell Mode start for him…
