From Londoner To Lord

The setting sun cast long shadows across the clearing as Baron Kivamus Ralokaar approached the newly constructed longhouse block. The air was thick with the smell of burning coal and damp earth, while the rhythmic thud of hammers somewhere in the area punctuated the silence. Smoke curled lazily from a couple of braziers kept in front of the building, where a group of villagers were warming up their hands.

Although the snowfall seemed to have stopped for now, small patches of snow gathered on the ground here and there told him that the temperature still remained below freezing. He believed that most likely it was only a short respite from the snowfall, until the time it would undoubtedly start again later on.

Further ahead in the north, he could see that the new village walls seemed to be standing tall in that direction - along with a gap in the middle for the new gatehouse which would be built there - though he didn't know how far those walls extended yet. It would still take quite a bit of time to complete them.

As he reached closer and stepped over the newly dug drainage ditch using a couple of planks which had been kept there for that purpose, a hush fell over the laborers who had been working nearby. His two guards, faces grim and alert, flanked him, their eyes scanning the small crowd for any signs of trouble.

Kivamus, however, was more interested in the longhouse block itself. It was a sturdy structure, its walls built from rough-hewn logs with their barks removed, and the gaps between them patched over with a blend of mud and straw to prevent the icy winds from entering the building. Its slanted roof built with planks sloped steeply on both sides, and was designed to shed the heavy snowfalls that would inevitably come.

The laborers, a combination of men and women, watched him with awe and apprehension as he scrutinized the construction. He also noticed a small group of children huddled near the entrance, their eyes wide with wonder as they watched the baron approach. He smiled at them, offering a gentle wave. The children, emboldened by his gesture, shyly waved back. It was a small gesture, but Kivamus knew its importance. These children were the future of Tiranat, and it was his duty to ensure that they had a safe and prosperous future.

"Let's look at it from the inside as well," he said to the others who had accompanied him from the manor. They gave nods, and walked along with him as he moved towards the entrance.

As he passed through the heavy wooden gates, he found himself in a square courtyard. In the center of the courtyard, a gnarled Bilona tree stood stark against the twilight sky, its thick branches reaching out widely, devoid of leaves in the winter months. There were some small clumps of snow gathered on the ground here as well, but once spring arrived, there was enough space here for the residents to easily cultivate some vegetable patches to add a variety to their diets.

A few laborers were still busy loading some tools - hammers, saws, and chisels - into a waiting wheelbarrow, while Taniok gave orders to some other men and women on one side. When the carpenter noticed them, he said something to the laborers and immediately started walking towards him.

"You are here already, milord!" Taniok exclaimed. "I thought you'd only visit tomorrow. We still have to do some cleaning up here..."

Kivamus chuckled. "I couldn't wait to see the result of your hard work."

The carpenter seemed a little embarrassed at the praise, and rubbed the back of his balding head. He did have a thick wooly hat to cover his pate - unlike most of the laborers - but he was holding it in his other hand for now.

Taniok gestured towards one of the doors there. "Let me show you the insides as well."

Kivamus nodded and followed behind him along with Gorsazo and Feroy, while Duvas stayed behind to talk with some villagers. As he reached closer, he noticed the intricate details - the carefully crafted wooden doors, the small windows, with planks of the wooden floor meticulously attached together like a jigsaw puzzle. There was a series of wooden bunks attached to each side of the building - one above the other - while each pair of bunks was separated from the next two by a vertical section built of planks as well.

As he looked to the other side, these bunks extended to the end of that section - which would have been the first longhouse before he had decided to convert them into a single longhouse block. This single block should still be able to house the majority of the villagers who had been homeless before he arrived here.

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A few laborers had also followed them inside curiously, and they followed behind him as he walked around. He asked a few simple questions to them as well, to make them feel included. The laborers, keen to impress their lord, eagerly answered all his questions, their voices filled with a newfound sense of pride. He was glad to see the people of the previously scared and hungry village coming together and feeling the accomplishment of completing this building.

Soon, he returned outside to the courtyard, and noticed that there was a small crowd gathered near the outer gates, with Duvas standing in the middle of them.

Curiously, he began walking towards them, followed by Feroy and Gorsazo. Once the villagers noticed him, they parted aside, and he saw that a laborer was typing a thin rope to the two sides of the open gate.

Once he reached there, Duvas began with a grin, "My lord, I thought this would be a good time to get this building inaugurated by you. I couldn't find anything like a ribbon here, but you should still cut the rope in front of all the villagers. It's tradition, my Lord."

So that's what the crowd was doing! He wondered how the same tradition had been preserved in this world as that on earth. But he would likely never know the answer to that.

Despite everything, Kivamus was still not habitual of being treated like a big celebrity or politician, and considered himself a normal person like he used to be on earth. But, the fact remained that he was the Baron of Tiranat now, and for the villagers here, he constituted the only real figure of authority in this region. And that meant any events like cutting ribbons to inaugurate the longhouse block fell to him. He was still not sure whether he liked it, but he knew that he didn't dislike it anymore.

He looked at Gorsazo and whispered, "Does this really need to be done by me?"

Gorsazo shrugged. "It will barely take a moment, but it will boost the morale of the villagers to see even a simple event like this. It will make them feel like they have really accomplished something, since it is being inaugurated by their baron - a noble."

Giving an uncertain nod, Kivamus bent down below the rope and walked to the outside of the building, followed by others. This was the first construction project which had been finished under him, and its completion signified that no one would have to sleep in the open anymore. Perhaps it was a good idea to make an event of its inauguration after all.

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He looked around him, and saw that one of the villagers here must have told about his visit to others working in the north, and by now there was a sizable crowd gathered outside the longhouse block. But the immediate area around the gates had been cleared of people by his guards, and only Duvas and Gorsazo were standing next to him, with Feroy keeping an eye on the crowd. A murmur of approval rippled through the crowd as he took a pair of slightly rusty iron scissors from Duvas.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the clearing in a warm, golden light, Kivamus turned to the villagers. "It is a fine structure," he declared, his voice carrying across the gathering. "You have all worked tirelessly, and the results are truly impressive. Well done!"

The villagers, their faces illuminated by the fading light, beamed with pride. They had built this longhouse, log by log, plank by plank - a symbol of their resilience and their unwavering hope for a better future. And they couldn't be happier to be praised by their baron.

Once Kivamus saw the villagers were all looking at him with cheery anticipation, he grinned as well, and deciding not to make them wait anymore, he walked a step further and cut that thin rope joining the two ends of the open gates, and immediately, the crowd erupted in cheers of joy.

Some of them were clapping in happiness, while others were pumping their fists in the air - likely those laborers who were part of the construction team for this block. The few children who were standing at the front of the crowd had also started jumping in happiness, even though they might not understand too much about the event - but such a rare day of happiness was easily infectious.

Slowly, the cheers started to die down, and the crowd started milling around, hoping to be the first to enter the longhouse block after its formal inauguration. Immediately, his guards surrounded him and cleared the way to a side for him. He and the others moved a little further back from the crowd, letting them enjoy the moment.

Kivamus looked at Duvas. "Although we tried our best, we were still late in completing this before the start of snowfall. So it was a good idea to house the homeless people temporarily with other villagers."

Duvas nodded. "We have to start shifting villagers here from tomorrow, so we have to decide who will move here first, since there still aren't enough bunks for everyone here."

Kivamus agreed with a nod. "My calculation was that there would be one hundred and twenty-four bunks in each longhouse block." He looked at Taniok who had also followed them. "Is that still accurate?"