Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

Ch 28.3

The next time I raise my head, I notice that the scenery outside the window has changed. To think I’ve been immersed in my thoughts for that long.

Gradually, I see less and less houses and shops. Now, the surrounding area has  turned into a wide expanse of lush grassy land.

Tranquility reigns over this rather idyllic landscape. Just the sight of it is enough to calm me down.

As we climb up and down the gently sloped path and cross the grasslands, I see an L-shaped house that is two stories tall. Well, if I count the attic, it’ll be three-story tall then.

From the outside, the house is constructed with wood, mortar, and stone. On its roof is a red brick chimney, extended skyward. 

With its orange triangular roof mottled with moss, the house looks like it has been passed down and well-maintained for three generations.

Beside it stands a large multipurpose barn. It acts as a stable for the cattle and horses, a silo to store animal fodder, and a warehouse to store the tools and various items.

Meanwhile, a large wooden sign hangs on the pillar of the gate outside the house and barn, a plump cow carved on it.

A large round bell hangs from the cow’s neck, practically the same size as its head.

And above the plump cow carving are the words “Cheddars’ Ranch,” engraved in bouncy lettering. Each stroke appears to be full of energy.

Lian’s mother, who has a secret love for cute things, likes that plump cow logo very much. She even had someone carve the logo on the surface of a small wooden box in secret. She uses it as her glove box in her private room. Speaking of which, that logo has also become popular among the school girls. I know some girls who collect any flyer or wrapping paper they see that are stamped with the logo. Well, this is probably natural for them. Girls, my mother included, seem to share a fondness for chubby things.

The carriage stops just beside the gate and underneath the sign. I disembark from the carriage before heading toward the Cheddars’ house.

…The door’s open.

The Cheddars are as careless as always.

And this is always the case during my every visit.

Their door doesn’t even seem to have a lock… Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen this door locked. Not even once. It’s always open. Too open. Is this okay? No, this shouldn’t be okay, right?

Out of worry and concern, I previously warned the Cheddars about the potential dangers of keeping their door open all the time. But the result of that is…  nothing. Nothing changed, as evidenced during today’s visit.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing valuable in our house anyway, What are people going to steal?” they said before, bursting into laughter. It was like this had nothing to do with them.

With a bitter tone, I also tried to complain about the possibility of a crazy person breaking into the house. Only, they both just replied, “That’s okay! We’ll just knock down any suspicious person!” Then they flashed me a pleasant smile and gave me a thumbs up.

Following that, I warned Alfred next, hoping to knock some sense into him. But he only told me that if someone suspicious were to come to the ranch, the horses and cows would start making a fuss. From that, he would be alerted of the trespasser immediately.

Then he said that once he found them, he would beat them up… Wait, that’s what the Cheddars said too!

These people in the countryside are too lax!!