Chapter 27: Hero Ensio

Goffrey's home was not just modest; one could say it was practically empty. It was hard to imagine this was the home of a seasoned veteran who had been fighting for decades.

In reality, although Goffrey was indeed a veteran, he was more of a farmer. To be precise, the majority of ordinary soldiers were farmers by background.

There's a saying that war is a country farmer's son sent to kill another country farmer's son. This saying isn't entirely accurate, especially in the continent where Alexander resided, because there's another player in war: the lords.

Lords, who had absolute command on the battlefield, were actually the safest individuals. Even if they were defeated and captured, they were seldom killed. This rule had almost become an unspoken law across the continent.

Considering who dictated the rules in each country, it wasn't hard to see that it was the nobles... and coincidentally, the lords were members of the nobility.

As the saying goes, while everyone fought, it wasn't appropriate for brothers to fight to the death. 

The nobles waged wars for population, land, wealth, and glory, ultimately for their own enjoyment. After all, if you don't want to die, and I don't want to die, then all the nobles quietly adhered to this rule.

They were like players in a game, deciding who to war against and how to fight without having to pay with their lives for their decisions.

Unfortunately, it was always the common people who suffered.

Fortunately, Alexander also belonged to the nobility... even if he was a fake one. However, he was still shocked by the poverty in Goffrey's home, stirring up some unpleasant memories of his brief time as a slave. The living conditions of the two were comparable.

Even Viktor and Otto could only stand beside Alexander because there was hardly any space in Goffrey's home.

Goffrey's wife approached him with a fearful look in her eyes, whispering beside him, "Honored sir, do you happen to hit pedestrians every time you drive a carriage?"

An innocent voice sounded, and simultaneously, a pair of curious eyes blinked in front of Alexander.

Facing this eternal puzzle, Alexander fell silent. He couldn't answer why noble carriages seemed unable to flaunt their aristocratic status without hitting a few pedestrians.

The other girl quickly rushed up and pulled Goffrey's son aside, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, we didn't mean to offend you."

No need to guess, these were Goffrey's two children. However, the children's question made Goffrey and his wife break out in cold sweat, as offending a noble could cost lives.

Alexander didn't mind these matters; in fact, he found it amusing. "You have a wonderful son and daughter. Your daughter possesses good manners and upbringing, while your son is filled with curiosity about the world and has the courage to explore the unknown. He will surely become an outstanding man in the future."

This was high praise; any parent would be happy to hear such remarks about their children, and Goffrey and his wife were no exception. However, Goffrey still felt apprehensive. After all, Alexander and his companions were not alone in the house; outside stood fully armed soldiers.

Alexander wouldn't do anything foolish like traveling alone, nor would he bring only two or three attendants. What if they encountered bandits on the road? So, whenever he left, he brought all of his belongings—his subordinates.

These were all ruthless individuals who had seen bloodshed. Goffrey could guarantee that if anything happened, these men outside would not hesitate to storm in and silence his family.

Fortunately, Alexander was different from other nobles in this regard. Goffrey deeply appreciated this, although he couldn't quite put his finger on what made Alexander different, perhaps because Alexander wasn't arrogant enough.

In Goffrey's home, Alexander witnessed the suffering of the lower class. The elderly person lying in bed was likely Goffrey's mother, on the brink of death, in immense pain. And the fierce warrior from the tournament could only kneel by her bedside, holding her hand tightly, powerless to do anything else.

Alexander couldn't bear it. He called Viktor over and said, "Go fetch the best physician nearby."

"No need, sir, I appreciate your kindness," Goffrey said solemnly, turning to Alexander. "There's only one physician nearby, and we can't even get an appointment with him, let alone afford the exorbitant medical fees."

"You don't have to worry about that; just listen to me," Alexander told Goffrey, then signaled to Viktor. Viktor nodded in understanding and strode out with some soldiers, riding away on horseback.

Time passed by, and Viktor hadn't returned yet.

Perhaps the atmosphere was too heavy; young Goffrey's son spoke softly, "Mom, I want to hear a story. Can you tell me the story of the hero Ensiso?"

Ensiso, the famous fairy tale character of the Kingdom of Saint Martin, was a figure whose stories everyone grew up hearing. People firmly believed Ensiso's stories were true, but Alexander scoffed at such notions. He didn't believe any human could single-handedly defeat three thousand fully armed invaders and save their homeland.

Oh right, strictly speaking, in the story Ensiso wasn't even a human, but rather a demigod, which explained everything.

Coincidentally, Alexander was a staunch materialist, a hardcore atheist.

At this moment, Goffrey's wife didn't dare to speak up, only quickly looking towards Alexander. She had realized long ago, since the moment Alexander and his crew entered the house, they were no longer the masters here.

Alexander looked at the wheat fields outside the window that no one had harvested, not knowing what he was thinking. He just lazily leaned against the door and said, "I'd like to hear a story too, go ahead."

Goffrey's wife quietly breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her little son, and spoke extremely softly, skillfully recounting the story of the hero Ensiso.

"Ensiso was a son of nature, like appearing out of thin air. No one knew where he came from. When people asked about his parents, he could only say his mother's name. When he tried to call out his father's name, thunder would roar from the sky, as if that name were taboo.

"The villagers found him in the forest and brought him back to the village. By then, Ensiso was starving. He ate voraciously, consuming the food kindly brought by the villagers. It is said he ate three cows, five pigs, ten chickens, and several baskets of black bread before his hunger was satisfied...

"As an adult, Ensiso showed even more extraordinary traits. He was handsome and strong, like a deity in the murals of the Bright Church. He was extraordinarily clever and incredibly powerful. Some witnessed him punch a black bear to death in the forest, and others saw him single-handedly subdue a wild horse.

"One day, he met a girl named Selia. Her name seemed to naturally attract brave warriors, and her voice was as sweet as honey. When she saw Ensiso, her first words were, 'Hello, I'm Selia.'

"Next comes the typical love story, but Goffrey's wife told it so touchingly. At the same time, the story was about to reach its climax.

"The war grew closer and closer. Invaders who worshipped evil gods captured more and more cities and massacred countless villages. Finally, they arrived at Ensiso's village."