Amidst the hustle and bustle of carriages and horses, Wu Ming arrived at the only livestock store in town.
"Isn't this our dear little William?"
An old man wearing a shirt and a straw hat, who was gathering hay with an iron fork, immediately put down the work in his hand and said with a smile, "What? William, do you want to buy livestock? The cattle that I, Old Chris, raise are the best, one can do the work of three people! And they are very docile, very … "
"Indeed!"
Wu Ming looked at the fences on both sides. The smell of fresh livestock wafted over, but for William, he was already used to it.
"Haha … Ever since I heard the cry of a lark in the morning, I knew something good would happen today!"
Old Chris laughed, "I'll pick one for you, I guarantee it's the best in town!"
Usually, he only had cattle and horse and carriage rental business here. When he heard that Wu Ming wanted to buy livestock, his eyes immediately lit up.
Even though the true owner of this business was the baron's mansion, if it was done well, he would still get a certain percentage of the reward.
"No! Not … "
Wu Ming shook his head, "Old Chris, I think you're mistaken, I'm not here to buy cattle …"
"Not buying cattle?"
Chris blinked his eyes, "Don't tell me you want to use a mule?"
"No! Not a mule either, I need a horse, a real big horse! "
Wu Ming went to the only few horses in the corral and frowned.
These horses tended to be skinny and did not meet his requirements. But their hair was soft, and while snorting, they slowly ate the fodder. They seemed to be well taken care of.
"Use horses to plow? That's not a good idea … "
Chris chattered endlessly to recommend a cattle to Wu Ming, and promised to give him the best price.
"Thank you for your kindness, but in fact, I only need a horse. It's best if it can carry a knight, a warhorse that won't panic at the sight of blood and spears!"
Wu Ming took out his freedman's certificate and waved it, "I'm already a freedman, I'm preparing to go out and adventure!"
"Of … freedman?!"
Old Kerry's jaw dropped, and he unconsciously bowed slightly.
For someone like him who had always been a subject of the baron's territory, becoming a free citizen meant that he could not be in debt. Moreover, he had to make outstanding contributions to the territory and receive the baron's recognition … This was an almost impossible task!
In his heart, he naturally thought highly of Wu Ming. Although he wasn't a "master," he was still much better than an ordinary tenant farmer.
'Freemen … From now on, they won't have to be exploited by tax officials. Moreover, they won't have to serve in the military …'
In fact, old Kerry's understanding was a little wrong. Becoming a free citizen meant that they had more choices. They didn't have to care about the exorbitant taxes set by the tax official himself. At worst, they could just leave, but they still had to pay the taxes set by the lord.
This identity, from Wu Ming's understanding, was similar to the Elementary Scholars of Dazhou. They had a certain status and dignity!
If something happened, he could report it to the baron and ask him to make a decision.
You have the right to choose, you have the right to rise! This would save him from a lot of exploitation by tax collectors like Fayd.
"What? You don't have warhorses here? "
Wu Ming looked at the few horses in the pen, not very satisfied.
"Of course … A real warhorse must first be of good breed, with a tall frame. It would be best if they are pure-blooded horses from the grasslands. They must also be trained to be courageous, so that they won't be timid in the face of battle …"
Kerry shook his head, "A finished warhorse can be sold for more than ten Gold Delong each. Even if there were any, they would have long been taken away by the baron …"
It was very obvious that he wanted Wu Ming to give up on this idea as soon as possible.
"Warhorses won't do, but ordinary horses, used to carry goods and ride, that should be fine, right?"
Wu Ming's eyes swept across, choosing the tallest among the short ones and choosing a large black horse, "I'll take this one!"
"You chose Big Andy? It's the best little fellow I have here … "
There was a trace of reluctance on Kerry's face, "But following a fellow with a bright future like you might be the best ending for it … A Gold Delong, and you can take it away. Heavens, don't let me see this scene …"
He turned around, using the back of his hand to wipe the corner of his eye. There seemed to be some tears flashing.
"Cut it out!"
Wu Ming rolled his eyes, "Why do I remember that you said the same thing the last time Uncle Tully came to buy cattle? A Gold Delong is not worth it, unless you add a saddle! "
"Impossible!"
Kerry hurriedly shook his head, "Don't you know that Old Kerry is the best tanner in town? If you want a saddle, you'll need to add at least five thales! "
"The price is too high …"
Wu Ming frowned.
Although he did not really care about this bit of money, he had to act as if he was calculative about every ounce.
The slightest oversight could eventually lead to disastrous consequences, and the current him would not make such a mistake.
The current him had already regarded himself as a small free citizen, blending into the crowd and detached from the world.
Old Kerry looked at William, who had accurately picked out the horse's problems, and felt a headache coming on. He knew that he had met the most astute customer.
Half an hour later, Wu Ming walked out of the livestock shop with a smile on his face. He held Big Andy's reins in his hand, and a full set of horse harness made of wrought cowhide and wrought iron quietly equipped Andy's entire body.
The price he paid was a Gold Delong and a silver thale.
"Thank you, Uncle Kerry!"
Wu Ming rode on the black horse, laughing.
"Treat it well! And … be careful! "
Perhaps knowing that William had made up his mind, Old Kerry's father showed his rare true feelings.
Thud thud!
Wu Ming rode on the black horse, slowly passing through the streets of the town.
"Look, it's William!"
"I heard that he's already been promoted to a free citizen by the baron, and he's even connected with Knight Takur. He's really rich!"
"What a handsome horse, I want to become a knight in the future!"
…
Under all kinds of gazes and discussions, Wu Ming came to Aunt Roja's hotel and personally handed her the tax payment certificate.
"Oh! William … "
Aunt Roja's lips moved, and she couldn't speak for a long time. "I really don't know how to thank you!"
"This is what William should do!"
Wu Ming smiled meaningfully. He felt that the stubbornness in the deepest part of his body had dissipated, and he couldn't help but feel at ease. "Also, I came this time to say goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
"Yes, I'm going to leave Niyah and go to a faraway place! Please take care of yourself, and say hello to Sophia for me! "
He bowed and immediately turned around to leave.
"Oh …"
Aunt Roja sighed. She put away the certificate and went to the kitchen. She immediately saw Sophia hiding behind the door. She could not help but have a gentle look on her face. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to William?"
"I … I …"
Sofia's expression froze for a moment before she suddenly burst into tears.
"Silly child!"
Aunt Roja hugged Sophia in her arms: "My poor daughter … You know, if William was still a silly boy, mother wouldn't oppose you. But now, he was rewarded by the Lord, and I heard that his martial arts are very good, and he also got the status of a free person. You and him are on two different levels …"
"I don't believe it!"
Sophia suddenly looked up: "After he leaves the town, will he forget about me?"
"The outside world is very big …"
Aunt Roja sighed faintly.
She knew that the outside world was much more wonderful than the town. There were all kinds of women and prostitutes. Compared to them, Sophia was really just an ordinary peasant woman in the town.
It was unrealistic to ask William to make any promises.
She was silent. She knew that this kind of girl was the most difficult to persuade. She didn't directly scold or say anything. Instead, she hugged Sophia tighter …
…
"Mr. William!"
Wu Ming came to his hut and saw a little boy waiting at the door. His eyes were perturbed.
"Ava …"
Looking at this somewhat immature face, Wu Ming thought of that unlucky Joey.
Although he had actively tried to get close to him, he had been too greedy in the battle against the ogres, leading to him being surrounded and killed by them.
In the end, members that survived were few and far between. Wu Ming had seen many wives and parents who were heartbroken after hearing that their husbands or sons had died. Perhaps there were also children and younger brothers.
"What's wrong?"
He sighed in his heart. He had somewhat guessed Ava's purpose for coming.
"Are you going to leave?"
Ava looked at Wu Ming's big horse and the longsword at his waist. He gathered his courage and softly said: "I … I want to follow you and become your retainer!"
"Haha!"
Wu Ming laughed: "I'm not a knight, I can't take retainers, unless you want to be my servant or slave!"
His eyes turned to Ava: "I heard that in Howling Castle, a youth like you can be sold for a high price in the slave market!"
Retainers and knights could be said to have mutual obligations and responsibilities. But servants and slaves were the master's private property.
If he agreed, Wu Ming could really sell Ava.
As a result, the little boy was frightened and retreated a few steps.
"Haha …"
Seeing the boy's appearance, Wu Ming laughed happily.
"Alright … You want to become a knight's retainer, why?"
After laughing, he calmed down and looked at the silent Ava.
"I want … to obtain power!"
Ava clenched his fists: "I want to … take revenge on the ogres!"
"For the sake of revenge?"
Wu Ming said: "If that's the case, you will forever be in pain for the rest of your life …"
Seeing Ava's increasingly despairing expression, he suddenly changed the topic: "Of course … What does this have to do with me?"
Xiu!
The longsword at his waist suddenly left its sheath and stabbed into the ground in front of Ava, leaving only the hilt and half of the blade: "Pull it out and I will consider teaching you something!"
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