In the noisy traffic of carts and horses, Wu Ming arrived at the only livestock dealer in the small town.
“Isn’t this our dear little William?”
An old man wearing a shirt and straw hat, who had been using an iron pitchfork to gather hay, immediately put down his work and smiled: “What’s the occasion? William, are you here to buy livestock? My cattle are the best, one can do the work of three men! And their temperaments are exceptionally gentle…”
“Indeed!”
Wu Ming looked at the fences on both sides; the distinctive pungent smell of fresh livestock came wafting over, but for William, it was already quite familiar.
“Haha… I knew something good would happen today when I heard the lark singing this morning!”
Old man Keli laughed heartily: “I’ll pick the best one for you, guaranteed to be the finest in the entire town!”
Usually, he only dealt in plow oxen and horse rentals, so upon hearing that Wu Ming wanted to purchase large livestock, his eyes immediately lit up.
Although the real owner of this business was the baron’s estate, if the deal went well, he would receive a certain commission.
“No! No…”
Wu Ming shook his head: “Old Keli, I think you’ve made a mistake. I’m not here to buy plow oxen…”
“Not buying plow oxen?”
Keli blinked: “Then do you want a mule?”
“No! Not a mule either. I need a horse, a real big horse!”
Wu Ming walked straight to the few horses in the stable, frowning slightly.
These horses were rather thin and small, not quite meeting his expectations. However, their coats were smooth and shiny, and they were calmly eating hay while snorting, seemingly well cared for.
“Using horses for plowing? That’s not a good idea…”
Keli kept recommending a plow ox to Wu Ming, promising to give him the most favorable price.
“Thank you for your kindness, but in fact, I only need a horse, preferably one strong enough to carry a knight, and brave enough not to panic at the sight of blood and weapons!”
Wu Ming took out his certificate of freeman and waved it slightly: “I’ve already become a freeman, and I’m preparing to go out and explore the world!”
“Free… freeman?!”
Old Keli’s mouth opened wide, and he instinctively bent his back slightly.
For someone like him, who had lived generation after generation as a serf under the baron, becoming a freeman meant being free of debt and making outstanding contributions to the territory, thus gaining the baron’s recognition… a nearly impossible task!
In his heart, he naturally regarded Wu Ming with greater respect. Although not quite on the level of the “lords,” Wu Ming was now clearly above the common tenant farmers.
“A freeman… from now on, you won’t have to suffer from tax collectors’ oppression, and you won’t be subject to conscription or forced labor…”
Actually, Old Keli’s understanding was slightly mistaken. Becoming a freeman meant having more choices. One no longer had to worry about arbitrary taxes imposed by tax collectors, because one could simply leave if needed. However, the taxes set by the lord still had to be paid.
This status, as Wu Ming understood it, was somewhat similar to that of a scholar in the Zhou dynasty, possessing a certain social standing and dignity.
When encountering issues, one could bring them directly to the baron for judgment.
Having the right to choose and the right to appeal meant one could avoid much of the exploitation by tax collectors like Feide.
“Do you have any warhorses?”
Wu Ming looked at the few horses in the stable, clearly not satisfied.
“Of course… Real warhorses must be of excellent breed, tall and strong, preferably purebreds from the grasslands. They also need to be trained to remain fearless on the battlefield…”
Keli shook his head: “Finished warhorses can sell for more than ten golden Derons apiece, and even if there were any, they would have already been taken by the baron…”
It was obvious he wanted Wu Ming to give up this idea early.
“If not a warhorse, then at least an ordinary horse, suitable for carrying goods or riding?”
Wu Ming scanned the horses and picked out a tall black horse: “This one then!”
“You chose Big Andy? He’s the finest young fellow I’ve got…”
Keli’s face showed a trace of reluctance: “But perhaps his best destiny is to follow you, a young man with a bright future… For one golden Deroon, you can take him away. Oh my, don’t let me witness this scene…”
He turned around, wiping the corner of his eye with the back of his hand, as if there was a glimmer of moisture.
“Come on!”
Wu Ming rolled his eyes: “How come I remember that last time Uncle Tally came to buy a plow ox, you said the same thing? One golden Deroon isn’t worth it unless you throw in a saddle!”
“Impossible!”
Keli quickly shook his head: “Don’t you know that old Keli is also the best leatherworker in town? If you want a saddle, you’ll need at least five more silver Taler coins!”
“That’s too expensive…”
Wu Ming frowned.
Although he didn’t really care about the money, he had to pretend to haggle over every penny.
Any small oversight could eventually lead to catastrophic consequences, and he had long since stopped making such mistakes.
At this moment, he had truly immersed himself in the role of a small freeman, blending into it while maintaining a certain detachment.
Old Keli was quite troubled watching William accurately point out the flaws in the horse, realizing he had encountered one of the most shrewd customers.
Half an hour later, Wu Ming walked out of the stable with a broad smile on his face. He was holding the reins of Big Andy, who was now fully equipped with excellent horse gear made of cured cowhide and wrought iron.
The price he paid was one golden Deroon and an additional silver Taler.
“Thank you, Uncle Keli!”
Wu Ming laughed as he mounted the black horse.
“Take good care of him! And… be careful!”
Perhaps realizing that William had already made up his mind to leave, Old Keli showed rare genuine emotion.
Clip-clop!
Wu Ming rode the black horse slowly down the town’s street.
“Look, it’s William!”
“I heard he’s been promoted to a freeman by the baron and has even connected with Sir Takur. He’s really made it big!”
“What a fine horse! I want to become a knight too someday!”
…
Under various gazes and murmurs, Wu Ming arrived at Auntie Loa’s inn and personally handed her the tax-paid certificate.
“Oh! William…”
Auntie Loa’s lips trembled, and she was speechless for a long time: “I really don’t know how I should thank you enough!”
“This is what William should do!”
Wu Ming smiled meaningfully, feeling a deep, lingering emotion within this body finally dissipate, bringing him a sense of great relief: “Also, I’m here to say goodbye!”
“Goodbye!”
“That’s right. I’m planning to leave Niya Town and explore further afield! Please take care, and give my regards to Sophia!”
He bowed slightly and turned to leave.
“Sigh…”
Auntie Loa sighed, looking as if she had a lot on her mind, she carefully put away the certificate and went to the kitchen, immediately spotting Sophia hiding behind the door, her face softening with tenderness: “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to William?”
“I… I…”
Sophia looked dazed and suddenly burst into tears.
“You silly child!”
Auntie Loa pulled Sophia into her arms: “My poor daughter… You must understand, if William were still the naive young man he used to be, I wouldn’t object to the two of you. But now, he’s been commended by the lord, I hear he’s quite skilled in martial arts, and he’s gained the status of a freeman. He’s now in a completely different league from you…”
“I don’t believe it!”
Sophia suddenly looked up: “Will he forget me once he leaves the town?”
“The outside world is vast…”
Auntie Loa sighed softly.
She knew the outside world was far more exciting than this small town, with all sorts of women and courtesans. Compared to them, Sophia was just an ordinary peasant girl from the village.
It was unrealistic to expect William to make any commitments.
She remained silent, knowing that girls in this situation were hard to advise and refrained from scolding or saying anything directly. Instead, she held Sophia even tighter…
…
“Will… Mr. William!”
When Wu Ming arrived at his small house, he saw a little boy waiting at the door, his eyes filled with apprehension.
“Avva…”
Looking at this somewhat youthful face, Wu Ming immediately thought of Joey, that unfortunate fellow.
Although he actively tried to get close to Wu Ming, during the siege by the ogres, his greed led to his death when he was surrounded and attacked.
Few of the team members survived. Wu Ming had seen many wives and parents grieving over the deaths of their husbands or sons, perhaps also children and younger brothers.
“What’s wrong?”
He sighed inwardly, somewhat guessing Avva’s intention.
“Are you leaving?”
Avva looked at Wu Ming’s big horse and the sword at his waist, gathering his courage to softly say: “I… I want to follow you and become your squire!”
“Haha!”
Wu Ming laughed: “I’m not even a knight yet, I can’t take a squire. Unless you want to be my servant or slave!”
His eyes scanned over Avva: “I heard that boys like you can fetch a high price in the slave market at Howling Castle!”
A squire and a knight could have mutual obligations and responsibilities, but servants and slaves were private property of the master.
If he agreed, Wu Ming could really sell Avva.
So the little boy was scared, stepping back a few paces.
“Haha…”
Seeing the boy’s expression, Wu Ming laughed heartily.
“Alright… you want to become a knight’s squire, why?”
After his laughter subsided, he grew quiet and looked at the silent Avva.
“I want… to gain strength!”
Avva clenched his fists: “I want to take revenge on the ogres!”
“Striving for vengeance, huh?”
Wu Ming said: “If that’s the case, the second half of your life might forever remain in pain…”
Seeing Avva’s increasingly desperate expression, he suddenly changed his tone: “Of course… what does that have to do with me?”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, he drew the sword at his waist and plunged it straight into the ground in front of Avva, leaving only the hilt and half the blade sticking out: “Pull it out, and I’ll consider teaching you something!”
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