After a pause, Lin stroked his beardless chin and said, "As for the tax. Let's talk about what skills you have first. "
Lin had lived in a daze for more than ten years. He had to take what he needed to take. If he didn't take it, it would make people panic. For this group of pioneers, paying taxes to the lord was more like a protection fee than an obligation. It was like 'I gave you a sum of money. If a magical beast or barbarian harasses me, you have the responsibility to protect us.'
As for whether they could refuse to pay? Of course they could, but Lin had no obligation to protect them.
In the same way, if Lin generously said that living here was tax-free. Instead, it would make them worry if the Mage Lord did not intend to take on the responsibility of protecting the people in times of danger, or even that the Lord himself had ulterior motives. It was definitely not that this group of people thought too much, but that this kind of thing was too common.
Living in such a remote place, living within the reach of the Magic Tower, it was natural for them to take what they needed from each other. Ordinary people wanted security; as the Lord's Mage, what he needed was not necessarily food that grew out of the ground, but other services.
Whether the request was accepted or not was another level of problem. If they wanted to use force to unilaterally make people submit, this group of people living at the bottom had the ability to be crafty and slippery. At worst, they would fight another one and leave.
Therefore, the old man was not surprised by the Mage Lord's question. He said honestly, "Sir, among our people, there are tailors, blacksmiths, carpenters, wheelwrights, and bakers. There are also people who are good at farming and raising livestock. The women also have strength and can do anything heavy. "
It sounded like almost all the adults had some ability. In fact, Lin also understood that if it wasn't such a group of people, they really wouldn't dare to bring their families to a new place to make a living.
From Lin's point of view, this group of people would need time to reorganize the wasteland, and the food they grew might not be enough for this group of people to eat. Why bother to fight with them for the things in the land? The food supplies bought from the Chamber of Commerce were all high-quality food of good quality. He was still worried that he had nowhere to spend his money. Carrying too many gold coins would make others jealous, so he shouldn't even think about saving this little bit of money.
However, when Lin heard that there was someone who was good at raising livestock, his interest was immediately piqued. Although many supplies could be bought with money, there was still a shortage of dairy products. The main reason was that animal husbandry was not popular in the southwest of the continent. Most people raised cows and horses for other purposes, or to produce a small amount of dairy products for their own use. They were rarely sold commercially.
Previously, he was also interested in raising one or two dairy cows. But that was too troublesome. He had already let the two dogs loose, not to mention that he had to serve the two cows. What else could he do for the rest of the day? Since there was a professional, he naturally wanted to invite him over and ask, "Can you invite the person who is good at raising livestock in? I have something to ask him."
"Of course, my Lord." After saying that, the old man turned his head and said, "Boy, invite Mr. Holstein in."
"Yes, father."
Not long after, the person who left brought in a tall and sturdy man. Walking into the tower, he bowed to Lin Feng and said, "Sir, you wanted to see me."
"Yes, I heard that you are good at raising animals. Do you know how to take care of cows or sheep? "
"My father used to help the Great Lord manage the ranch, and I have helped in the ranch since I was young. So I am very good at raising animals, big and small. "
"Then do you know how to make cheese?"
"Cheese? Although it is a bit troublesome to do, it also takes time to mature. But yes, I also know how to make cheese. "
Lin was overjoyed and clapped his hands, "That's great. In the future, you only need to send a bucket of fresh milk every day and two pieces of cheese every month. These will be your taxes for settling here. However, only you can do it. "His gaze drifted to the old man in the lead.
That person was also a shrewd person. He immediately understood and said, "My Lord, please rest assured. We will help share the Holstein family's tasks. However, if we want to raise cattle, we still have to go into the city to buy cattle and build fences to prevent the invasion of wild beasts. These tasks won't be completed so quickly. "
"It doesn't matter. When you are ready, you can start providing them. When you first arrived, there must be a lot of things to do. During this time, you just have to find a way to settle down. As for the problem of wild beasts, … "Lin turned his head and instructed the girl," … Halloumi, have Greyhoof and Whitenose recognize these people. Don't harm them. "
Looking again at the somewhat puzzled old man, Lin said with a smile, "We have two guard dogs. Later, have your people recognize the two dogs. Don't be too afraid. There are no wild beasts more ferocious than them in this forest, so you can rest assured. That's all. "
"Very well. Thank you for your magnanimity, My Lord." After the old man led everyone in salute, he left with Halloumi. Lin's figure faded and disappeared.
The girl outside the tower let out a long whistle. The people gathered at the old man's call thought that they would see two large dogs the size of shepherd dogs, barking and rushing over. But the scene they imagined didn't appear. Instead, a commotion in the forest attracted their attention.
The branches and leaves swayed and the birds were startled. Although there were no roars, but the forest revealed a panicked atmosphere. This made the several burly men who got out of the carriage feel a sense of crisis. Some even pulled out large axes used for logging from the carriage. The most sensitive children grabbed their mother's dress in fear, trembling slightly.
Suddenly, the forest opened, and two figures bigger than bulls rushed out. They were as fast as lightning and as fast as meteors.
These are … demonic beasts!
Without thinking, the several burly men immediately formed a human wall. Some held axes, some picked up wooden sticks and canes, trying to protect their wives and children behind them.
They didn't take out the real weapons in their bags because they knew that it was too late. Almost in the blink of an eye, the two demonic beasts rushed in front of them. One jumped, while the other nimbly circled to the side. At the moment of passing, they seemed to be able to see the demonic beast's calm gaze. It didn't roar, nor did it bare its fangs. It was like a seasoned hunter with a card up its sleeve.
It either leaned back like the demonic beast that jumped over it, or leaned sideways like the demonic beast that circled around it. The sudden turn of events caused everyone to be alarmed. At the same time, they lost their balance and fell to the ground. Just as they were thinking that a bloody storm would arise behind them, they saw the two demonic beasts sitting obediently in front of the tower master's apprentices.
They really were two dogs!
"Good, good." Hallumi took turns to pet the two dogs' lowered heads. Of course, she couldn't avoid the fate of having her face washed with saliva. She just giggled. After a while, she had enough fun and said, "Good, smell these people. Remember. If you meet them in the forest in the future, don't bite them. "
Hearing the order, the two dog heads suddenly turned and looked back at the people who had come to settle down here. Seeing this, everyone was terrified, afraid that they would be swallowed in one gulp just like that. A large dog with black fur and four gray hooves circled from the left side. A large dog with a mix of gray and white fur and a streak of white fur circled from the other side. The two dogs, one on the left and one on the right, walked past the people, their noses twitching slightly.
They didn't bark threateningly, nor did they bark wildly to show off their power. They just walked past them quietly. No one could tell what they were thinking with their big clear eyes. It was as if they were looking at inanimate objects that had nothing to do with them. But this calmness was even more frightening.
The two dogs circled around and returned to Hallumi. They ignored the people behind them and whimpered a few times at the girl.
"Hey, you said there's something strange in the west?"
A few more whimpers sounded. Hallumi nodded, but first went to the leading old man and said, "Sir, this will do. You don't have to worry about the powerful demonic beasts in the forest. They have all been chased away by my teacher. But there are still some carnivorous beasts, so the necessary protection is still necessary. Now, you can go directly to the village. "
After saying this, the girl whistled again. The two dogs got up. One of them twisted its body and kicked its legs. As it ran past the girl, Gray Hooves lowered its neck and pushed the girl, who was holding onto its fur, onto its back. Then, the two dogs ran with all their might. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the forest.
After being left behind, the people looked at each other and exchanged a few words. Then, they drove their carriages and horses toward the abandoned village. They wanted to sleep on a roof tonight, but there were still many things to do.
However, a corner of the curtain of a covered carriage was lifted slightly. The person hiding inside glanced in the direction the two dogs had left, then looked back at the towering three-story tower.
The moss on the outer wall had long been removed, and the bricks and stones had been repaired and looked brand new. There was no mottled place, and it did not look like a magic tower that had been passed down for thousands of years. Other than the large gap in the east that had been breached, people would believe that this was a newly built tower.
What kind of person was the mage who had spent so much effort to renovate the exterior of an ancient tower? The person in the covered carriage was puzzled.
In the nuclear heart room on the third floor, Lin returned to his homework. Although he did not have the chance to observe the alignment of the six stars, the various sensors and recording devices had indeed recorded the data. These days, he had been using the data to correct the shortcomings of the original program.
Kaya, who was taking notes at the side, made a sound of surprise. "Teacher, the list they provided does not match the actual number of people."
"Ignore him." Lin stared at the screen in front of him and said without turning his head, "Those who come to the mage's territory to make a living are probably the kind of people who can't survive in the noble's territory. And although that group of people brought their families, they have calluses from holding weapons on their hands. Plus, they are as strong as bears. I would believe that they are a group of elite warriors if they put on armor. And the people who write fewer names should be the ones they want to protect. Speaking of which, it is also doubtful that their names are real. "
"Then what about us?"
"Again, ignore him." Lin turned to look at Kaya and said seriously, "We will not interfere in the affairs of the nobles. That group of people will live wherever they want to live. If that abandoned village was not within ten kilometers, I wouldn't even want to pay attention to it. Don't take them too seriously. We live in the tower anyway, and we can live without them. The most important thing is to keep a distance. If we get too close to them, I think there will be trouble in the future. You also have to tell this to Hallumi and let her know. "
"Then, what is the milk and cheese?"
"On the one hand, I want to eat. On the other hand … "Lin looked at Kaya's thin and weak flat body and shook his head regretfully." You are still in the puberty stage. You can still be saved and need to be well nourished. Otherwise, you will regret it in the future. "
"Hmm?" Although Kaya's expression did not change, she tilted her head and revealed a puzzled look.
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