Raymond held his mother's hand and pulled his brother's hand as they walked in the direction pointed by the Golden Armored Giant. The family of three walked for more than an hour.
When it was noon, Raymond cautiously hid behind a large tree and looked over. Then, he shrunk his neck in fright.
There was a battle in the forest! A group of hundreds of Human soldiers was fighting with an Orc tribe.
This wasn't strange. In this dark world, there was no lack of war.
What surprised Raymond was that the Human soldiers were suppressing the Orcs. The Human soldiers weren't fearful of the Orcs. Instead, they were more ruthless and violent than the Orcs. The elite soldiers who wore Breastplates and wielded Pikes and Halberds advanced while the Crossbowmen fired arrows. Hundreds of Swordsmen fought bravely under the command of the sergeants. Many Knights and Knight squires participated in the battle.
"For Madam! For Earl Laing! For Countess Suria! "
The Orc tribe was fleeing like rats. The Horned Beasts and Inferior Horned Beasts retreated while the Human Swordsmen advanced. They slaughtered the Orcs under the protection of the Pikes and Halberds. Soon, the Orcs lost more than 30% of their population. With the addition of a few Knights and tens of Knight squires, the morale of the Orcs hit rock bottom.
"Bertrand! Kill the Orc King! "The leader of the Human soldiers shouted.
"Yes!" A soldier in green tights, mail armor, and a smock answered loudly. He was wearing a green triangular hat with a beautiful white feather on it. Hearing the knight's order, the soldier immediately responded. He took out two arrows from the quiver on his back and pulled the string forcefully.
A large bow was pulled into the shape of a full moon.
Was he going to shoot from here? He was at least 150 steps away from the Orc King! Raymond gaped. A normal Serf Archer's effective shooting range was about 30 to 80 steps.
"Swish!" An arrow pierced through the forest. The Orc King, who was commanding the Orc tribe, lifted his head. His left eye was pierced by an arrow, and the excruciating pain made him scream and retreat.
"Swish!" An arrow pierced through its right eye, and the newly selected Beast King finally let out a wail and fell to the ground.
“nice！” The Orcs' morale collapsed. A few Knights mounted their horses and charged forward. Tens of squires followed behind them, and the Orcs were in disarray. Then, they were separated and annihilated.
"What a strong army …" Raymond swallowed his saliva. He felt a little lucky. If the army of the Holy Grail Knight, Earl Laing, was so strong, then at least the security of the territory could be guaranteed. The serfs would not have to worry about security and bandits.
Out of caution and caution, Raymond's family waited for a while, waiting for the army to clean up the battlefield and leave before continuing on their journey.
The road ahead was much easier to traverse. It could accommodate four horses abreast and was paved with solid mud. Raymond swore that this was the best road he had ever walked on.
The bread was gone. Fortunately, the road was not difficult to walk on. Even the old mother, who was almost unable to walk, was able to move. Behind them, Thomas was pulling at Raymond's clothes. They were exhausted.
There were guards and sentries on the road. Raymond followed the instructions of the golden armored giant and only said that he was a refugee. He didn't say where he came from or which duchy he came from.
The serfs remained vigilant.
As expected, the guards didn't make things difficult for them. After careful examination and interrogation, they confirmed that they were Humans and refugees. Then, they were allowed to enter the sentry post.
Outside the sentry post stood dozens of people. Obviously, most of them were fleeing serfs. Some of them were merchants and were complaining. There were also a few people who didn't look like merchants, but they didn't look like serfs either. When they passed the checkpoint, they did everything according to the guards' instructions.
"You're Raymond? Are they your family members? "A soldier carried a crossbow on his back and a Longsword at his waist. He was wearing mail armor and a robe.
He looked great! Raymond looked on with deep envy.
Being promoted to a soldier and becoming a free citizen was a serf's lifelong dream.
"Yes, yes, I'm Raymond. This is my younger brother, and this is my mother. We came from the North and couldn't survive, so we fled here. Please take care of us poor people! I beg you! "Raymond hurriedly bowed and smiled fawningly at the soldier.
"From the North again? Why are there so many refugees from the North recently? " The soldier wasn't surprised. He looked at the downtrodden family and smiled. "You must have encountered many difficulties along the way. Looking at you, it must have been hard for you to escape here! "
"Yes! Yes! Lady bless us! Lady bless us! "Raymond hurriedly said.
"Alright, it's fine to escape here. We're from the Chalon Forest Patrol Camp. Don't worry, it's safe here. We also welcome outsiders like you. As long as you work hard, you don't have to worry about not having enough to eat." The soldier continued, "But if you dare to break the law, you'll be hanged!"
After that, the soldier waved his hand. "Take them down for inspection and clean them up!"
"Yes!" Several infantry regiments took Raymond and the others down. They roughly grabbed the family and used a knife and scissors to cut their messy hair. Then, they took them to bathe and changed them into ordinary linen clothes.
Raymond and the others were afraid of being killed, so they could only silently follow the orders.
There were so many people, so many people. There were at least dozens of people waiting!
The serfs noticed that there were merchants escorting goods through the sentry post. They weren't inspected, but they still had to pay taxes.
The soldier let the infantry inspect them and confirmed that the Raymond family didn't have any strange spots or extra limbs. Overall, they were healthy.
Each person received a bowl of thin porridge and then lined up to eat as they walked.
"What are we doing?" Raymond asked the person in front of him who didn't look like a serf.
"Waiting for the carriage, ah, Tal's tooth! Why are there so many people now! It's going to take a long time to wait for the carriage. "The person in front complained." I'm not a runaway slave, but I have to wait for the carriage with one! "
Raymond didn't dare to say anything else.
After waiting for about an hour, it was finally their turn. There were more than a dozen four-wheeled carriages with two horses. Each carriage could seat eight people. Raymond and the others also got on.
"Alright, you can pass now. Follow the main road and you'll leave the forest in about three hours. You'll see the village. Once you're there, just ask for directions to the prison. There will naturally be someone there to guide you. There's also a sign on the side of the road." The soldier nodded, indicating that Raymond's family could leave.
After a few more hours, the family finally walked out of the forest in the afternoon. The carriages unloaded the people and immediately returned.
The scenery outside the forest stunned the family. The lush fields were densely covered with farmland. Clear canals guided the water from the Shinon River. Tall waterwheels constantly moved along the stream. In the fields, serfs pulled up their trouser legs and harvested winter wheat. The wide road was paved with stone slabs. People came and went on the road. A huge windmill was rotating. As far as the eye could see, there weren't any lazy people in the countryside. This was completely different from the north.
The clear sound of a bell echoed inside the village. The outside of the village was built with wood and stone. The wall was about three meters high. It was a height that made Raymond feel at ease.
At least it was much more reassuring than the one meter high fences and fences in the village where he came from.
The guards were in high spirits. They stood up straight, wearing helmets, holding spears, and breastplates, watching the distance. On the road, a handsome knight in luxurious clothes, riding a tall horse, proudly walked on the road. Two hares and a few pheasants were hanging on the back of his horse. He was accompanied by several squires. Everyone was riding on horses with prey hanging on them. They talked loudly about how much they had gained from the hunt and praised the fairy in the lake.
Wherever the Lord Knight passed by, the serfs would stop what they were doing and bow to show their respect. It could be seen that these serfs sincerely worshipped and respected the Lord Knight. The Lord Knight felt good about himself. He took a pheasant from the back of his horse and threw it on the ground: "Consider it my pity for you! It belongs to whoever grabs it! "
"Cluck, cluck, cluck ~" The pheasant was untied and fell to the ground. It ran all over the place. Many serfs stopped what they were doing and rushed up to grab the pheasant. After a sturdy serf grabbed the pheasant, the other serfs also gave up. They laughed and cursed at the man's good luck. They returned to their positions and continued to do their farm work.
If this were in his village, the serfs would have fought over it until their heads bled. Raymond thought that the knights in the south seemed to be more approachable. If a serf greeted them, they would nod in response. The serfs were very hardworking, unlike the lazy people in his village who didn't want to work. Anyway, no matter how much they harvested, it would all belong to the lord.
Several carriages were moving on the road, piled with grain. At the same time, there were also some carriages used to carry passengers. The coachmen were waiting at the town gate to solicit customers. This type of carriage was much more luxurious. Not only did it have a carriage, but it was also beautifully painted with colorful paint.
This should be for the rich, right? Business seems to be good?
Near the village, groups of children were playing under the guidance of a priest of the Goddess of Mercy. The priest looked to be in her forties. Twenty to thirty children pulled on her sleeves and skirt, circling around her and playing games. The fields were full of laughter. The female priest took the opportunity to teach the children to worship Lady Shalia. At the same time, she broke two pieces of bread for the children to eat.
So many children! Can the people here afford to raise so many children? Raymond thought in surprise.
It was already afternoon, and night was gradually approaching. A cold wind blew through the fields, and Raymond shivered. The family was tired and hungry. They walked tiredly and gradually approached the village.
Raymond tried to speak to a serf who was harvesting wheat by the roadside. "Hello, sir. Can you tell me how to get to the labor camp?"
The serf's skin was wheat-colored due to constant sun exposure. He wore a straw hat, and the animal skin clothes on his body were quite thick. At least Raymond felt warm. The serf's body was also quite sturdy, and his face was ruddy and healthy. When he saw someone asking for directions, he put down his sickle. "Judging from your accent, you're from the north?"
"Yes, we're from the north. Our family suffered a disaster, and we couldn't pay the taxes, so we fled here. We heard that life in the south is better, so we want to find some work." Raymond forced a smile. He was hiding something.
"Oh, I see. Welcome to Redfish Village. Is the north suffering recently? Why are all the northerners here recently?" The serf didn't care. First, he looked at Thomas, who was hiding behind Raymond and tugging at the corner of his clothes. Then, he looked at his exhausted mother who could not even stand properly. "My name is Bono. Unfortunately, it's getting dark. If you're heading to Jean Town now, the city gates will be closed soon. You won't make it in time to enter the city. If you don't mind, you can rest in my woodshed tonight. You can enter the city the next morning and head to the labor camp. There are signs on the road."
"Thank you so much!" Raymond quickly thanked him.
The south was so much richer than the north? Raymond noticed that the barns were filled with winter wheat, and the houses nearby were all sturdy stone houses. Everyone's faces were very good, brimming with the joy of a bountiful harvest. Every household raised chickens and ducks, and many cows could be seen in the fields. Some even had goats, and outside the houses hung smoked meat and fish. It was dinnertime, and smoke rose from the chimneys of every household.
The village was quiet and peaceful.
The woodshed was very clean. Piles of firewood were piled up inside, and there were also beds and blankets made of straw.
"Brother, brother, I'm so hungry!" Thomas whispered at an untimely moment.
Raymond looked at his bag in embarrassment. There was only half a piece of rye bread left.
It seemed that they were out of food.
"You've come a long way from the north, right? You've worked hard. Come, have something to eat! " Bono came in with five pieces of rye bread and a pot of soup. "Thank you, Count, Countess, and Madam. It's your luck to be able to escape here."
"Oh! No! We can't eat! " Raymond was startled and hurriedly waved his hand. Five pieces of rye bread and a pot of soup made of vegetables and flour. These meals were enough for their family to eat for four or five days!
"Eh? Why don't you eat? " Bono obviously didn't understand the situation. He strangely put the basket of bread, a pot of soup, and a few wooden bowls and spoons in front of Raymond and his family. "After escaping so far, you shouldn't have anything to eat, right? It's okay, this is my gift to you. Eat, I'm going to the city tomorrow, and we'll go together. "
"No, we are all paying taxes to the Lord. How can we eat your rations for a few days? No, we'll just have to make do. "The old mother hurriedly shook her head. She was kind by nature and knew how difficult it was for the serfs to keep some rations.
Escaping was their own fault, so how could they implicate others as well?
"Huh?" Bono was even more confused. The serf first looked at Raymond and his old mother, then looked at Thomas, who was already swallowing his saliva, and complained, "Wake up, what time is it now?"
"Count Laing has been here for five years! Who would be short of rye bread now? "
“？？？”
"There's a lot of rye bread at home. It's just moldy. Really, I was planning to go to the city with you tomorrow to sell some vegetables. The children at home have been clamoring for meat. I reckon that the Day of the Holy Grail is near, so it's time to buy some meat."
“？？？？？”
"Okay, eat. Northerners are so ignorant." Bono's face couldn't hide his expression. He put down the food and said, "You eat first. I'm going back to see my five children."
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