Queen’s Bread and a Thief’s Redemption

Having slain the giant, recovered the warhorses, and captured two ‘genius’ gnomes, Noren and Tolke caught up with Hafdan and his companions, who were heading south. Along the way, they encountered Anna and three coachmen, also fleeing south after a giant’s attack.

With all the wagons destroyed, the warhorses were laden with luggage, while Hafdan and Wiz, the two brothers, were tasked with carrying the two ‘genius’ captives on their backs.

****

Fifteen days later, Ostrava.

“We’re back.”

A dust-laden group strode into the village; it was Noren and her companions, returning home after their long journey.

Hafdan, Wiz, and the three coachmen had parted ways with the group when they passed through Hradec, as their homes were there. Now, only Noren, Tolke, and four others remained to return to Ostrava.

Noren dismissed the others. The spoils of war, taken from the bandits she had slain, were tossed into the blacksmith’s shop; though only a few iron blade-heads remained, they could still be repaired and sold. The two ‘genius’ gnomes were entrusted to the slaves living in the shanties, for she had not yet decided how to settle them.

“Time for a bath~”

Having had no opportunity to bathe during their travels, her golden hair was streaked with dust, and even with the bloodstone’s qi membrane to absorb and expel sweat, she still felt a thin layer of grime accumulating on her skin.

‘Alright,’ she admitted, ‘I was rather eager to practice the Nianhua Finger.’

She had suppressed the urge for weeks. It was manageable when she didn’t think about it, but the moment her mind conjured the image of a steaming bath, the warmth of hot water caressing her skin, she felt a damp, scorching flame ignite from her Qi Sea acupoint. Her muscles ached, and all 206 of her bones tingled as if gnawed by ants.

‘Alas! Practicing the Nianhua Finger was not my desire; it was merely a necessity… wasn’t it?’

****

****

“Hoo—” A pristine, jade-like arm draped gently over the edge of the bath, her long, golden waterfall of hair fanned across the water’s surface. The maiden leaned back against the tub’s rim, her red lips slightly pursed, exhaling a long, scorching breath.

“Not refreshing at all!”

Through the mist-shrouded green depths of her beautiful eyes, a clear blankness shone. She lifted a hand to disperse the wisps floating on the water’s surface, then sniffed the tips of her slender, elegant fingers.

A flicker of embarrassment crossed her eyes, and in a fit of pique, she pounded the water’s surface, sending up a large splash. “It’s all Tolke’s fault!”

“Ever since I sparred with him, the Nianhua Finger isn’t as effective as it used to be! Before, just two applications would alleviate all fatigue, every single inch of my muscles and bones would feel refreshed!”

“But now? Now!” Her teeth ground together in vexation. “Now, even two applications of the Nianhua Finger leave me feeling utterly unsatisfied; I need at least four or five tries!”

“And you’re to blame too! You playful little Cat!” Noren rose from the water with a splash, pointing an accusing finger at the Great White Tiger’s pink snout.

Her jade-like finger jabbed firmly at his snout, her face a mask of bitter disappointment and exasperation. “Tell me, tell me, do I not usually play with you enough? How could you lose control like that, insisting on playing with Tolke?”

“Woof, Mama…” The Great White Tiger whimpered, gazing up with aggrieved eyes. “Didn’t you tell me to play with him that night? And in the end, my beautiful fur was rubbed all red!”

“This… this…” Noren felt her face flush with embarrassment. Drugged at the time, unable to control herself, she had been like a helpless spectator, watching everything unfold without the power to intervene.

‘If only, if only I had heeded Tolke’s warning and not drunk that cup of wine…’

The maiden sank back into the tub, burying her head beneath the water, only her eyes visible, as bubbles ceaselessly gurgled on the surface before them.

“Slap!” A sharp, resounding sound.

Noren delivered a sharp slap to her own face, and the indecisiveness of a lovesick maiden vanished without a trace. Her emerald eyes glowed with fierce determination, sparkling with an unyielding will.

She said calmly, “I shouldn’t be so sentimental. What is past cannot be undone, but what is to come can still be shaped. Constant regret only ties one’s hands; it is better to stride forward without hesitation.”

She nodded, acknowledging the truth in her own words. And so—

“Once more, no, twice more.”

****

After her bath, having changed into clean clothes, she felt utterly refreshed, as if reborn.

“Ah, bliss. The Nianhua Finger technique is improving.” The maiden squinted, a contented smile stretching her lips, as two rosy blushes bloomed on her flawless, delicate cheeks.

She stretched languidly, her bones popping and cracking, then stepped out of the bathroom into the blacksmith’s cottage courtyard, where the chirping of cicadas and birdsong filled her ears.

The scorching summer sun illuminated the entire world, hot against her skin, yet wonderfully comfortable. Moravia’s climate truly was pleasant.

‘Hmm… mine is so small, thick-skinned and with scant filling, not a slender shape either. Enveloped by its folds, it always takes ages to locate, quite vexing.’ The lingering afterglow had not yet faded, leaving her mind filled with a jumble of nonsensical thoughts.

One couldn’t blame her; this body was simply like that, with a prolonged afterglow. The great sages were always late to their meetings, which was why such crude remarks often sprang from the lips of this beautiful woman.

“Sister! Sister!” A voice interrupted Noren’s thoughts.

Frey came running towards her, panting, his hands braced on his knees. “You’re back just in time! We caught a thief a couple of days ago, and we need you to pass judgment!”

“Huh?” She tilted her head, confused. “Why must I be the one to judge? Where are you and Father?”

“Father said that anyone from your brewery ought to be judged by you.”

“Alright, where’s the thief?”

“Baking bread at the blacksmith’s shop.”

Noren found herself utterly perplexed. She couldn’t fathom why a thief would be assigned to bake bread. She ought to be accustomed to the sheer absurdity of recent events, but she simply couldn’t get a handle on it.

Unsure how to comment, she simply said, “Come on, let’s go see this thief.”

****

Ostrava boasted two ovens in total: one stood amidst the cluster of villagers’ thatched cottages, while the other was located at the blacksmith’s shop. The blacksmith’s own cottage kitchen, however, utilized a hearth.

At that moment, by a bread oven in the blacksmith’s backyard, a small girl used a large peel to retrieve a fluffy, large loaf of bread. Her face was beaded with sweat, yet radiant with a joyful smile.

In her eyes, baking bread for the masters was an immense honor.

A fair, delicate hand reached out, and to the little girl’s astonished gaze, it directly grasped the scorching hot bread fresh from the oven.

“Be careful, it’s hot!” the little girl cried out anxiously.

The hand’s owner paid no mind to the heat, effortlessly tearing open the bread’s crust to reveal its fluffy, porous interior.

She, Noren, tore off a small piece of bread and brought it to her mouth. After a brief chew, she rendered her judgment:

“I forgive your transgression.”

The little girl knelt, her hands clasped before her chest, bowing her head in devotion. “Thank you, merciful young mistress.”

Noren looked at the kneeling girl, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. “Rise,” she commanded. “Don’t always be kneeling.”

She completely tore apart the bread in her hands, then pressed the torn strips together, easily kneading them into a dough.

Noren smiled delightedly, tossing the dough in her hand to the lean, yellow-skinned dog that had come sniffing at the sound. She extended a hand to the kneeling girl:

“Not only will I forgive your transgression, but I shall also reward you handsomely! You’ve managed to create such a fluffy, magnificent loaf using hops as a leavening agent—something even the Duke has never tasted!”

The little girl, shy and somewhat flustered, took Noren’s hand and stood. “I-I-I… I stole hops and fine flour…”

“I have forgiven you!” The golden-haired maiden declared, waving a hand dismissively. “What reward do you desire? Land, silver coins, a horse, cloth, jewelry…”

“I wish to become a a free person…”

The little girl timidly lowered her head, then glanced up at the golden-haired maiden. “I wish for my mother to become a free person as well.”

Noren fell silent. At that moment, Frey, standing nearby, reprimanded the little girl. “You wish to leave the village!”

“No, no, no!” The little girl’s face paled with fright, and she waved her hands frantically.

Noren’s slightly furrowed brow smoothed. “If you swear never to leave this village and to serve my family forever, then I can grant both you and your mother freedom. Your mother may remarry, and you may wed a diligent free man.”

The little girl quickly swore, “God be my witness, I swear I shall not leave this place by so much as a single step in this life.”

Noren nodded in satisfaction. These brewery workers knew the beer recipe, understanding that hops were crucial for brewing. She couldn’t possibly allow them to leave the village.

“What is your name?” She hadn’t bothered to remember the names of every brewery worker.

“To answer you, young mistress, my name is Tina, and I am twelve years old,” the little girl replied. In medieval customs, a girl of twelve was already considered marriageable.

As for Noren’s coming-of-age ceremony being set at sixteen… shieldmaidens were different. These female warriors were accorded the social status of men.

“Since you are now a free person, I will no longer be responsible for your upkeep. Instead, I will pay you a salary, equivalent to that of a common stonemason in Hradec: two silver coins a week. How does that sound?” Noren said to the little girl.

“Waaah…” Tina wept tears of gratitude. “Thank you…”

“Alright, it’s time to give this bread a resounding name!” The maiden’s jade-like finger tapped her red lips thoughtfully. “What name would be suitable…”

“I’ve got it!”

The maiden clapped her hands. “It shall be called Queen’s Bread!”

She suddenly recalled a famous bread from European history—Queen’s Bread, renowned for its fluffy, porous texture and beloved by royalty and nobility alike.

‘She wondered, however, how her “Queen’s Bread” would compare to the authentic historical “Queen’s Bread.”‘

“What are your thoughts?” Noren turned to Frey.

Frey, that simpleton, was staring blankly at the lean, yellow-skinned dog, drooling. He wasn’t craving dog meat, of course; he was lusting after the bread the dog was eating. “Slurp~~~ Whatever, as long as there’s bread to eat.”

She then looked at her father, only to find him gazing at her with deep, meaningful eyes, which sent a shiver down her spine.

The maiden forced a smile. “F-Father?”

“Noren, I will persevere until my last breath, be it five, ten, or fifteen years from now. I hope you can fulfill your ambitions.”

Svein stroked his beard, then threw his head back and laughed before departing. Soon after, the ‘clink-clank’ of forging hammers echoed from the blacksmith’s shop.

From the blacksmith’s shop, a rough male voice boomed once more: “Haha… I look forward to the day you become queen!”

“Huh?” Noren was utterly bewildered.