Chapter 14: Shabi Has Gone Mad

"Kars, have you heard? The Earl's personal valet has gone insane!"

"What? That's impossible! Aunt Sally, you shouldn't spread rumors like that. If someone overhears you, there could be trouble..."

"This is not a rumor…" Aunt Sally glanced around cautiously before leaning in close to Kars and whispering, "You're always buried in work and don't keep up with the news. This story has already spread all over town."

"Oh? Aunt Sally, tell me what happened!"

In a world where both material and spiritual life were severely lacking, any bit of gossip could become the talk of the town, especially when it involved the nobility.

"You know that Lord Bruno left town a few days ago, right?"

"Yes, I heard. Apparently, the Earl listened to the advice of his new personal valet, Lord Lopida, and went to the coast in search of food. What nonsense…"

"That's right. I heard that Lopida is a sly and cunning man, truly despicable…"

"Shh… keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you… But what does this have to do with Lord Shabi's insanity?"

"It has everything to do with it! Think about it—Lord Shabi has served the Earl for many years. Even if he didn't have any great achievements, he was still loyal. But because of Lopida, he was cast aside. They say that Lord Shabi was deeply upset, and his hatred for Lopida grew unbearable. In his rage, he… he…"

"He what? Aunt Sally, tell us quickly!"

By now, several curious neighbors had gathered around, sitting on small stools, eager to hear the gossip.

Seeing this, Aunt Sally wiped her hands on her apron, cleared her throat, and said, "You all know about black pudding, right?"

"Yes! It's said to be a delicious delicacy."

"When Lord Shabi served the Earl, he was often rewarded with black pudding."

"And what does that have to do with his madness? Aunt Sally, get to the point! My wife is waiting for me to bring back firewood."

"This is the point!" Aunt Sally shot the man an annoyed look before continuing, "After being cast aside, Lord Shabi no longer received any black pudding. He missed it so much that he eventually developed an obsession. Now, whenever he sees anything resembling black pudding, he collects it."

Aunt Sally paused for dramatic effect before whispering mysteriously, "Do you all know what black pudding looks like?"

"What does it look like?" everyone asked eagerly.

"Although black pudding is delicious… it's black, and… it looks a bit like…"

"Like what? Aunt Sally, just say it!" The crowd urged impatiently.

"…Like the stuff you… you, uh… relieve yourselves of."

"What?! Are you saying that Lord Shabi—"

Aunt Sally nodded solemnly and said, "Right near the city gate, there's a house where you can exchange three large baskets of manure for a copper coin. The notice is posted there. Not many people know about it yet, but it's absolutely true! My husband, Old John, has already exchanged several copper coins."

The onlookers were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances. The information was so shocking that they needed a moment to process it…

After a while, someone finally confirmed, "Three large baskets of manure for a copper coin?"

Aunt Sally nodded. "I'm not lying. The notice is right there near the city gate—it's real! My husband has already taken advantage of the offer."

Hearing this, the people who had initially gathered just for gossip suddenly became restless. Three large baskets of manure for a copper coin?

Was there a more profitable deal in the world?

If there was one thing Idar had in abundance, it was manure. Whether from people or livestock, piles of it could be found everywhere.

Lord Shabi… truly had gone mad in the most endearing way!

"Aunt Sally, I—I have to go!"

"Aunt Sally, I just remembered something urgent…"

"Aunt Sally, I'm off to collect manure…"

The once-passive crowd now scrambled to leave, as if afraid that if they didn't hurry, Shabi would stop buying manure. This was a rare money-making opportunity!

At that moment, the city gate was already swarming with people.

Men, women, children, and even hunched-over elderly folks were all hauling baskets of manure, queuing up to receive their coins.

News of Shabi's generous manure-buying spree had spread like wildfire. At first, the townspeople had been skeptical, but when the first person actually received a shiny copper coin, the entire city erupted in excitement.

Now, in every alley and street of Idar, people with baskets strapped to their backs were eagerly collecting manure, turning the town into a frenzy of scavengers.

For the first time, the residents of Idar felt that there wasn't enough manure in the city, while Lord Shabi, on the other hand, was realizing just how much manure had accumulated in Idar…

As Idar's Waste Collection Overseer,Shabi didn't need to handle everything himself. He had assigned people to process, weigh, and transport the manure. His job was simply to hand out the coins.

But…

He couldn't shake the feeling that people were looking at him strangely.

When the ragged townsfolk received their copper coins, they would give him an odd look—one filled with sympathy… pity… and even concern…

Some even spoke words of comfort, as if trying to console him.

A young child even handed him a rock-hard piece of black bread.

…What was going on?

Shabi was utterly confused.

But since he didn't want to ask outright, he continued handing out copper coins under the increasingly compassionate gazes of the townspeople…

The manure collected at the city gate was carefully weighed and then separated into dry and wet categories. After a brief record was made, workers dumped it onto waiting ox carts, which soldiers then transported out of town to a hillside southwest of Idar.

There, a group of eager serfs waited, following Lord Bruno's instructions.

Some of the manure was spread out on the hillside to dry, while the rest was piled into one-meter-high mounds. After mixing it with straw and water, they processed it using the composting method that Bruno had taught them.