“Don’t worry, we old folks—what can’t we eat? We’ll eat a little less grain so the adults can have a proper meal!” The old man’s voice rang out again, this time with many others echoing in agreement.

Henry Clark didn’t step forward; he just stood behind the shelter where he was hiding, suddenly covering his mouth and laughing silently. If you looked closely, you’d see that his smiling eyes were slightly moist.

Chapter Five: The Steward and the Maids (Part Two)

“Maybe I should do something.” Henry Clark didn’t disturb those people who were politely refusing each other: “I am their lord.”

Watching from afar as they ladled out that green soup from the pot, Henry Clark didn’t even need to look to know it must be wild vegetables boiled in plain water, with no seasoning at all, and not a single grain in it. Could something like that really fill their stomachs?

Unable to bear watching any longer, Henry Clark slowly walked back to the so-called lord’s manor where he stayed, then sat at the door and began to carefully consider his own future.

He had transmigrated—there was no doubt about that. In his previous life on Earth, Henry Clark had read plenty of novels on this subject, and after more than a month, he had fully accepted this reality.

At the magic apprentice promotion ceremony, Henry Clark had an unusual incident. Only he knew that it wasn’t an anomaly, but an accident. The real Anthony had perished, and in his place was the soul of a college graduate from Earth named Henry Clark.

Not being able to advance from magic apprentice to a full-fledged mage didn’t bother Henry Clark. Compared to himself, what really struck him was how the attitudes of others toward him had changed so drastically—it was like the difference between heaven and hell, before and after.

That’s why Henry Clark ended up with this territory called Yellow Sands Town, and the name itself not only described the desolation here, but also hinted at another fact: this place was actually a gathering spot for abandoned twins in this world.

There was no money here, no fertile land, not even any decent houses. During the day, the able-bodied young people worked, probably traveling far, and from their conversations, it was clear that even with all their hard work, all they had to eat was some coarse wheat mixed with wild vegetables. Any magical beasts they managed to hunt had to be sold for money to buy this cheap food.

Even so, Henry Clark had never lost hope or become discouraged. From the memories of this body, Henry Clark had already learned that this world was similar to Earth’s medieval era, but with a fully developed magic system—though in all other respects, it was quite backward.

This also meant that, as a soul from the twenty-first century, Henry Clark had a wealth of creative ideas to amass a fortune in this world. Just thinking about it made him tremble with excitement.

“Ah! Ah!” Lost in his thoughts, Henry Clark suddenly heard two soft cries of surprise. Looking up, he saw the two girls who had brought him bread and water had returned. Perhaps they were startled by the sight of Henry Clark trembling all over.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry!” Sensing something was wrong, Henry Clark quickly stood up and gestured, “I was just moving around a bit, it has nothing to do with a curse, nothing to do with a curse!”

He repeated it twice, and only then did the frightened expressions on the two girls’ faces ease. They carefully sized up Lord Anthony, and seeing that he was truly fine, they finally calmed down.

“What happened?” Grace’s voice came quickly, and in no time, she had rushed over.

“It’s nothing, really.” Henry Clark hurried to explain; he didn’t want these kind-hearted people who cared about him to worry any more.

“My lord, you should…” Once she realized it was truly nothing, Grace was relieved. But when it came to actually having the lord do something, she suddenly realized that, whether in terms of status or the tasks to assign, there was really nothing suitable. They couldn’t very well have their lord go out and work with them, could they?

“Grace, these two are?” Henry Clark also noticed Grace’s awkwardness and smiled slightly, changing the subject.

“My lord, these are the maids assigned to you.” Grace quickly introduced them to Henry Clark: “This is Amy, and this is Diana.” She hesitated a moment, then added, “Amy and Diana can’t speak, but they can hear.”

No wonder—their only sounds had been those startled cries. So that was it. Henry Clark nodded to the two girls and greeted them with a smile, “Hello!”

The two girls could indeed hear; as soon as Henry Clark extended his hand, they both immediately performed a perfectly proper curtsy. However, seeing how thin and frail they were, Henry Clark worried that if they moved too much, they might suddenly collapse.

“Grace, so you’re the steward here?” Henry Clark turned to Grace and asked.

“My sister Alice and I are a bit capable in this area, so everyone lets us handle the assignments,” Grace replied without the slightest hesitation. “My sister often goes into town to buy and sell things, and I’m in charge of everyone’s daily life here.”