Laurent knew that whenever Jeanne was in the room, she'd definitely be lying on her haystack to stay warm, so now he shamelessly occupied it without hesitation. It was still slightly warm, greatly comforting for someone like him who had just endured exhaustion and freezing cold.
Thanks to regular exercise, Laurent's physical condition wasn't terrible, though it was still difficult to compete with a full-grown adult.
Only a month remained until the deadline for the village to hand over the grain. At a time like this, would the village being burned at least provide warmth?
He inwardly chuckled at this tasteless joke.
"Meanie! Get up right now!"
Laurent completely ignored Jeanne, who kept trying in vain to pull him up.
Her strength was far too weak to move him.
"Your bed's warmer than mine; it's your own fault."
He turned slightly, his lips curved in a smile.
"You'll mess it up!"
"And who's the one who makes a fuss about it every time?"
Laurent snorted lightly, not understanding why she was so obsessed with this little haystack.
Seeing that Laurent clearly had no intention of moving, Jeanne huffed angrily, hands on her hips. She then sat down stubbornly beside him, picked up the bread, and declared,
"I'll eat this all by myself—I won't share any with you!"
Grrrggle—
Laurent's stomach chose precisely this moment to complain loudly.
Jeanne froze in place, then looked at Laurent, unable to suppress the guilt creeping into her expression.
"What were you doing today, anyway? You went out secretly since morning and haven't told me a single thing."
Laurent knew this silly girl had definitely forgotten her own birthday. It was always he who reminded her before; Jeanne seemed indifferent about birthdays in general.
"Just went out looking for something. I was also thinking about what we should do about the food shortage."
Upon hearing this, Jeanne's attention immediately shifted away from her birthday. She lowered her head, clearly distressed.
"It's impossible to gather that much grain again."
"What's Uncle Jacques planning to do? Has he mentioned anything to you?"
"I don't know."
She shook her head sadly.
Laurent continued talking, mostly to himself.
"It's only a small squad making demands. I wonder if the soldiers nearby might help us—but in the end, we're their grain source too. Wars depend on peasants for food, after all, so they probably won't kill us. But they'll certainly give us trouble. Fighting them off isn't realistic; better think about how to deal with them cleverly."
"What about coin?" Jeanne suddenly suggested.
Laurent gave her a dead-eyed stare.
"You have coin?"
Jeanne immediately deflated.
"Besides, in wartime, grain matters more than coin."
Though many staple foods—like corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes—hadn't yet appeared in Europe at this time, it was far too late to plant them now. With winter coming, what could survive the season anyway—cucumbers, winter wheat, carrots?
Forget it. Even if they tried planting now, resources would still be an issue.
"Laurent, do you have any ideas? Many people in the village have secretly fled already."
"I think if we had a solid plan, given the snow making roads hard to navigate, we might even consider getting rid of those who come demanding grain."
He spoke somewhat casually, but Jeanne clearly took him seriously, covering her mouth in shock.
"But Laurent, what if they find out?"
"We'll face them head-on. Ultimately, it depends on what Uncle Jacques decides."
Yet internally, he was already thinking: firearms weren't widespread yet in fifteenth-century Europe, let alone among small squads like these Burgundians. With careful strategy, victory was still achievable.
Just as Laurent considered this, the system in his mind suddenly chimed.
[Ding—Path of Evil Unlocked.]
Huh?
Laurent blinked in confusion and instinctively checked it.
[Kill the Burgundians who come demanding grain.]
That was it—no rewards or punishments, merely something resembling a suggestion. Laurent was utterly baffled.
When he checked the "Path of Heroism" again, he realized it had also changed.
[Ignore the matter. Allow the Burgundians to burn down part of the village.]
Is this your so-called heroism?
Looking at the Heroic Path's new instruction, Laurent felt instinctively annoyed.
This was where he'd grown up. Just stand by doing nothing, watching evil unfold?
Not happening. He wouldn't choose either of these paths.
Then a thought struck him—food and cooking!
Laurent suddenly remembered: the cuisine in this century wasn't exactly delicious. Back in his previous life, he'd at least known how to cook a few dishes. If they turned their limited grain into something delicious, perhaps they could use flavor to compensate for quantity.
Noticing Laurent's suddenly enlightened expression, Jeanne immediately knew he'd thought of something.
"Laurent, have you got a good idea?"
"Can't really call it good. More of a gamble, really."
He jumped up hastily, grabbed Jeanne's bread from her hand, and ate it in a few bites. Tasteless as always.
As expected, this was the real key.
Jeanne hadn't even fully reacted yet.
"That was my bread!"
"Alright, stop complaining. I'll make you something tastier later."
With that, he hurried straight out of the house.
Only now did Laurent recall: porridge wasn't popular here in Europe yet. Actually, adding more water could make a warm porridge for winter, using minimal grain, maybe adding sugar to warm the body and enhance flavor. Bread-making was another area to consider—when those people arrived, he could directly present prepared food to them.
Seeing Laurent rushing off like this, Jeanne could only scramble to her feet and follow quickly behind him.
Unfortunately, Jeanne's stamina clearly couldn't match Laurent's. Noticing she was completely falling behind, Laurent helplessly slowed down.
"I can't solve everything alone. Don't forget, I'm basically your age this year."
He extended his hand, gesturing for Jeanne to grab hold.
Panting slightly, Jeanne didn't hesitate before placing her hand in his.
"I trust you, Laurent."
"Well, I'm quite flattered to have earned such trust from Lady Jeanne herself."
"You're saying strange things again—I mean it. No matter when, I'll always believe in you, Laurent."
He turned his head away casually.
"Alright, alright. I get it."
Jeanne wasn't upset by his indifferent response. Instead, she gently tightened her grip on his hand.
After all, Laurent had once said he hoped she'd always stay by his side. Those words alone were enough.
---
T/N: ive never had porridge before