"Thanks to the young miss?" Hearing this, Kurma blinked, a little surprised.
Although she didn't know who the old farmer was talking about, if an ordinary human could ensure the wheat fields didn't suffer too much of a yield reduction under these natural conditions, then she was truly a talented individual.
As far as Kurma knew, advanced techniques like intensive farming were only widely mastered in a certain great nation of the East.
Although the girl's knowledge was likely far inferior to that of the farmers there, in this land, it was already quite impressive.
If this knowledge could be passed down, in ancient times she might have been worshipped as a local deity or its familiar.
Of course, such a luxury was impossible in the context of the Middle Ages.
While the Catholic Church's day-to-day control wasn't overly strict, it was quite sensitive when it came to managing heretical beliefs.
"Yes!" the old man nodded hastily. Just then, there was a stir behind him. He turned to look, and his expression relaxed. "The young miss is here!"
Compared to himself, the young miss, also a noble, was better suited to speak with this overwhelmingly aristocratic young girl.
The old man quickly stepped back, making way.
On the other side, the noble young lady who saw Su Mo's party froze on the spot.
At first, when a farmer reported that some very distinguished nobles were passing through and asking questions, Percher had refused to believe it.
"This is the northern border of the kingdom, a poor place that those noble lords wouldn't even visit for a hunt. There are no scenic spots or castles nearby. Why would a high noble come here?"
At that moment, Percher was in her grandfather's study, standing on a ladder and flipping through a large tome. Hearing the report, she asked her question without even looking up, clearly skeptical.
"Well... I don't know the answer to that, Miss. How would I know the business of noble lords? To us, you and the lord are the only nobles we've ever come into contact with," the farmer replied, showing no disrespect despite Percher being a small girl who looked no older than ten.
Firstly, because of her status—a noble's daughter was still his master.
Secondly, out of respect for the girl herself. This young miss, who looked as if her hands had never touched a day of hard work, was the lucky star who guided them to a bountiful harvest year after year.
If not for her guidance, they might have lost a dozen people to starvation this year, just like the neighboring village.
"That's true." Hearing the farmer's explanation, the petite girl thought for a second, nodded, and put down the heavy book.
In this era, knowledge and information did not circulate freely. The farmer clearly lacked the knowledge to recognize a high noble, nor did he possess the linguistic ability to describe one accurately. Ignorance was the norm.
"In that case, how can you be certain they are high nobles?" After putting down the book, she didn't rush out but continued to ask.
She wasn't doubting him. Having grown up in this land, she was very familiar with the village farmers and knew they wouldn't lie. But as far as she knew, no high nobles had ever visited this remote backwater.
Aside from the surrounding villages, the last time her family had dealings with other high nobles was decades ago, before her grandfather passed away.
With the poor harvests in recent years and rumors of spreading disease, there was no way those high nobles would risk coming out to sightsee in this season.
Faced with Percher's skepticism, the farmer scratched his head. "I... I can't explain it well, but you can see for yourself. Anyone who owns such a magnificent vehicle must be at least at the level of a king, if not the Pope himself!"
The farmer's words piqued Percher's interest.
What kind of vehicle could stun a person to such a degree? To make a farmer who had seen little of the world subconsciously compare it to the Pope and the king, whom he had never seen? Was it really that exaggerated?
With this in mind, Percher left the study and arrived at the entrance of the manor.
And then, she saw it—the deep red carriage that seemed to glow under the sun, and the magnificent silver ornaments that shone with a blood-red light.
In that instant, Percher's breath caught in her throat. She finally, instinctively, understood the meaning of the word "luxury."
She had initially thought the farmer's praise was like a peasant imagining "the emperor uses a golden hoe," a description born of ignorance. But the moment she saw the magnificent vehicle, she realized it was her who was being shallow.
If this wasn't luxury, then nothing in the world was.
Especially the white, divine steed. Though it stood under the sun, it had a presence that could rival the sun itself, making it impossible to look away.
After she finally recovered from her shock, she felt an intense gaze upon her.
Turning, she saw a beautifully dressed, silver-haired loli who had, at some point, run up to her, looking at her with pure, curious red eyes.
"Are you the Percher that old man was talking about?"
"I... I..." Hearing Kurma's question, Percher subconsciously took a step back, her tongue nearly twisting into a knot.
Living in a border village, she, who had always considered herself a pretty girl, felt a sense of inferiority for the first time.
Although Kurma's posture was very friendly and her clothes weren't so extravagant as to be overbearing, her impeccable beauty and pure, elf-like aura made Percher subconsciously feel as if she were facing a deity.
At that moment, she finally understood why the farmer had given such a description. Indeed, if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she probably wouldn't believe such a girl could exist in the mortal world.
Forget the Pope or the king; if she hadn't ever witnessed a miracle, she might even suspect the girl before her was the daughter of a god.
After all, no princess could possibly have such an aura.
"Yes! My name is Percher, and I am the daughter of the lord here!" After a dozen seconds of panic, she finally composed herself and answered Kurma's question. "It is an honor to meet you, my lady. May I ask who you are?"
Although she was a nobleman's daughter, her family was clearly not a powerful one, or they wouldn't be in a place so far from the center of politics. Therefore, facing a being of Kurma's level, she instantly placed herself in an extremely humble position.
In front of a true high noble, the second daughter of a minor noble with no inheritance rights was not much different from a serf.
"Percher, is it? My name is Kurma. You can just call me Little Kurma. I wanted to ask, did you help plant the wheat fields here?" the silver-haired loli immediately exchanged names and continued her questioning.
"Kurma?" Hearing the name, Percher immediately wracked her brain for important figures in her own country and its neighbors, but naturally came up with nothing.
"I provided guidance for the fields here, but I didn't work them myself. It was the result of everyone's efforts," Percher said honestly, not daring to show off or hide anything in front of such a personage.
"Amazing!" Kurma clapped her hands in praise, then asked curiously, "But... since you don't have farming experience, how did you learn about cultivation?"
"From books," Percher answered honestly. "My grandfather collected many books, and a lot of them were related to agriculture. I got interested while reading them and experimented a few times."
"You can even read? That's even more amazing!" Kurma praised her again, then turned to look at Su Mo. "The books on agriculture she could get her hands on in this era must be a product of the Silk Road from the East, right?"
Though she seemed silly, her knowledge base was actually quite extensive.
Su Mo nodded, acknowledging her conjecture.
The westward spread of Eastern knowledge, the so-called Renaissance, while on the surface appearing to be the rediscovery of ancient wisdom, was in fact the result of the fusion of Eastern and Western civilizations.
The books Percher had obtained were most likely the result of multiple translations.
"Gasp!"
Hearing Su Mo speak, Percher finally noticed his presence.
Looking at the black-haired, black-eyed young man, she subconsciously thought of the true Roman nobles from historical records and felt an aura from him that not even the kings in stories possessed.
"Esteemed Lord, it-it is an honor to meet you. May the light of God protect you!"
Stumbling over her words, she, who had never met a great personage, lifted her skirt and curtsied to Su Mo, following the etiquette she had read in books.
"The light of God?"
For some reason, upon hearing her words, the man showed a slightly amused expression, which made Percher incredibly nervous, afraid she had said something wrong.
Fortunately, this handsome young man didn't make things difficult for her. He nodded lightly. "Su Mo. That's my name."
"Lord Su Mo!" Percher immediately understood how to address him. Daring to raise her eyes for a glance at the handsome young man, she subconsciously thought of a fairy-tale prince.
As her maiden's heart fluttered, she didn't forget her humble status and didn't think for a moment that she was qualified to be his princess.
So, after a pause, and seeing that Su Mo's temperament didn't seem as volatile as her father's, she boldly asked, "L-Lord Su Mo, to what do we owe the honor of your visit? Is there anything we can do for you? There aren't many sights around here, and I've heard the situation is not very peaceful. It doesn't seem suitable for long-distance travel."
"Not peaceful?" Hearing this, Su Mo seemed to take an interest. "In what way?"
"It seems to be an epidemic," Percher shook her head, clearly not knowing the full details. "I've heard that an old epidemic has resurfaced. Many people have already died in the nearby villages. Some say it's a demon's curse or something. I don't know why, but it seems it's not a good time to be traveling."
In the Middle Ages, information traveled slowly.
Even if half the world was paralyzed by the Black Death, it would take at least six months for everyone to realize it.
And the spread of the plague was not a sudden explosion as many imagined, but a phenomenon that continued off and on for hundreds of years.
Because the spread was so prolonged, and because there were many causes of illness in this era, many people had lost a sense of its immediacy and were not surprised by the epidemic's existence.
They had even come to accept it as normal, something to be avoided only during its most rampant periods.
So, after explaining the recent situation, Percher looked at Su Mo, bit her lip, and said boldly, "If you don't mind, Lord Su Mo, you can stay at my family's manor until it's safe to leave!"
After the words were out, Percher looked at Su Mo expectantly.
She didn't even know why she had suddenly made such a bold invitation, but she knew she hadn't done the wrong thing.
Luring Prince Charming into one's home was the instinct of every girl who yearned for a perfect love, and she was no exception.
When Percher said this, she didn't actually hold out much hope.
After all, the daughter of a border baron, whose territory and wealth were at the bottom rung, had no right to host such a guest.
For one thing, the best room in her manor probably couldn't compare to Su Mo's carriage. It would be normal for a person of his esteemed status to refuse.
However, contrary to her expectations—
"Then we'll be troubling you, Miss Percher."
Su Mo graciously accepted, nodding his head directly without any ceremony. "As it happens, I plan to stay here for a while."
"Eh?"
This time, it was Percher's turn to be shocked. Looking at Su Mo, her eyes glazed over in a daze.
A handsome, black-haired, black-eyed noble appearing out of nowhere wants to stay at my house? What kind of fairy-tale development is this? Could he be my true love?
Just as she was beginning to wonder if she was secretly the child of a princess, about to star in a world-shaking romance, she suddenly remembered something.
The master of the manor had not yet agreed to this request.
Her face flushed red, and she flusteredly said to Su Mo, "Please wait a moment, my lords! I'll go inform my father right away!"
With that, the girl picked up her only skirt and ran towards the house, a comical sight of ladylike haste that was hard not to smile at.
Watching the girl's clumsy yet vibrant, slender back, Lamia tiptoed to Su Mo's side, her hands behind her back, and asked curiously, "Is this the Master's target this time? She just looks like an ordinary little girl!"
"An ordinary human little girl is exactly what I'm looking for," Su Mo replied calmly. "If she were already the Demon Lord of the Black Plague, there'd be no point."