Chapter 14: Seeing the Potential of Others
The carriage rolled through the narrow, filthy alleys while the knights at the front forced their way forward with roughness. They shouted at passersby and drove them off the path. If anyone was too slow to move aside, they were kicked without hesitation. It didn't matter whether it was a child or an elder—everyone was treated with the same harshness.
Arthur watched it all with a complicated expression, unable to tell them to stop. He wasn't supposed to show mercy. After a short moment of inner conflict, he ordered the driver to slow down further, hoping it would give the townsfolk enough time to move aside.
The village was considered a small town by medieval standards, but by modern ones, it was no more than a village of around two thousand people. The total population of the barony was about five thousand, most of whom were concentrated in this village and the castle itself, which housed around three hundred people—including slaves, servants, and soldiers. The castle was designed to hold even more, built as a sturdy fortress to shelter the people in case of enemy attack.
The rest of the population had built their homes near the barony's widespread farmlands. At the center of the village was a modest market where all sorts of basic materials and goods were sold. The main currencies in this world were gold, silver, and copper coins. One gold coin was worth a hundred silver, and one silver coin equaled a hundred copper. In their daily lives, commoners mostly used copper coins. Silver was rarely seen due to its scarcity, while gold coins were considered so precious that most commoners had never seen one.
After briefly surveying the village, Arthur instructed the driver to head toward the farmlands. Once they left the stinking village behind, he stopped the carriage and stepped out. No one expected him to do so. Chadwick hastily dismounted his horse and stood behind him, asking hesitantly:
"What are your orders, my lord?"
Arthur paid no attention to their tense expressions. He took a breath of the relatively clean air, free of the stench of human waste. Calmly, he walked through the crops and inspected the plants. Using the *Plot Savant* skill, he discovered that the entire harvest was infested with toxic pests and parasitic plants. He already knew this year's yield would be bad, but seeing it with his own eyes made him upset.
'If I'm still alive by next season, I'll completely overhaul their farming system. They don't know how to properly harness the land's value. In fact, they don't understand the value of anything. I need to spread my civilized knowledge among them.'
Lost in thoughts from his more advanced world, a sudden idea struck him with such brilliance that his face froze. He quickly asked the system:
'Can you assess the potential of others to become mages or Boundless?'
[Yes, I can, but they must be within your field of vision.]