Winter dusk always comes very early, smoke rises from the chimneys of rural houses, and from time to time there are the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking in the distance.

Sofia was busy humming unknown country songs by the fireplace. Fragrant bread was baking in the stove, which would be ready soon. Porridge was cooked in the earthen pot by the stove, which was made from the chestnuts she collected from the woods today.

Pine nuts, and many other nuts are boiled together with millet.

She was very lucky today. Sophia found five squirrel storage sites and found nearly three kilograms of chestnuts, pine nuts and other fruits.

Atreus is still sleeping, but he seems to have gotten up during the day and cleared the snow in front of the house. He is really a good boy. Although the family's expenses have increased since Omero brought him back, but this

It's all right, everything is to repay brother Atreus's life-saving kindness.

Atreus's brother is named Kratos, who is quite famous in the Borno area. He is a very "strange" person. Like most civilians, he was born with zero soul power, but he has not given up on cultivation.

He has tempered his body to be extremely strong. It is said that he has defeated countless soul masters at his hands. He has even defeated five great soul masters. It is said that someone has seen him kill a century-old tiger-like soul beast with his own eyes.

Kratos is a brave warrior who is philanthropic and often lends a helping hand to help poor people. Whenever a large beast or even a spirit beast appears in the Bolton area and attacks the village, he will always be the first to appear.

Omero's hunting skills were taught by Kratos. Although he only learned fur, he could only hunt forest deer and porcupines at most, but at least he could have meat for his family to eat.

It is a pity that Kratos, who is famous for his bravery, was killed on January 9 last year by a century-old spirit beast, the Rakoul Bear, which ended hibernation early and came down from the mountain to harass the village. In other words, he was killed in order to protect the villagers.

Die with that damn bear.

His funeral was attended by thousands of people, and his ashes were buried under the wheat fields of his home by Atreus himself. His weapons, spears and shields, were missing. This was unusual, because the villagers

Everyone saw him piercing the throat of the Rakkor bear with his spear, but when the villagers went to collect his body, the spear and shield disappeared.

But no matter what, his heroic soul has been laid to rest under the wheat fields. As Kratos' "apprentice", Omero adopted his younger brother Atreus, and Atreus became a new member of the family.

The multigrain porridge was cooked, and Sophia laughed happily. Although the family's savings were almost depleted because she and Oscar got sick, fortunately, there was still enough food at home to last until the slack season.

Last year, she and several old aunts learned to weave. The money weavers earn is much more than picking cotton in the bright sun. I believe she and Omero will be able to save money this year.

Every year after the arrival of spring, the patrolling deacons of the Wuhun Palace will come out of Bolton City to hold a Wuhun Awakening Ceremony for civilian children.

Atreus's brother helped many people during his lifetime. A restaurant owner in Bolton City promised in front of everyone at Kratos's funeral: If Atreus can awaken his soul power, he will

Support Atreus until he reaches adulthood. If he has not awakened his soul power, Atreus can also work as an apprentice in a restaurant from the age of eight.

Atreus will be six years old in three months, and Oscar is more than ten days younger than Atreus. By late June, they can participate in the martial arts awakening ceremony.

Sophia didn't have much hope compared with Omero, but she still had a glimmer of hope in her heart. Children from civilian families rarely awakened their soul power. Even if they could, in most cases it was half level or one level, but there was always a better chance.

Not good.

Even if he really hadn't awakened his soul power, Atreus still had a good place to go. Sofia remembered that Omero had mentioned to her that he hoped to save more money and give Oscar to Atreus when he was eight years old and became an apprentice.

Go and be an apprentice in the city of Bolton is better than guarding these two acres of thin farmland.

Sofia stood up, looked at the door, and murmured: "The sun has set, why haven't they come back yet..."

"Perhaps Uncle Omero is touching the rabbit nest and trying to think of a way to catch the rabbit."

A slightly hoarse child's voice answered her.

Sophia turned around and looked at Atreus, who was propping himself up from the bed. She smiled and said, "It would be great if he could really catch the rabbit. It would just be enough to replenish your body. You and Oscar are still young and need it."

Eat more meat."

"Aunt Sofia, I am very strong! I withstood the snowstorm!"

"Yes, yes, you are strong and brave Atreus." Sophia walked back to the fireplace and made a bowl of porridge. "They don't know how long it will take to come back. Let's drink some porridge first. The bread will be baked soon."

Okay, after eating the multigrain porridge and black bread, you will have the strength to catch rabbits with Oscar tomorrow."

Sophia was originally going to feed Atreus porridge, but Atreus insisted that he had the strength, so she obeyed Atreus's wishes and continued to take care of her bread.

The sunset in winter comes early and goes away early. Before you know it, the sunset completely sets and darkness begins to cover the earth.

"Squeak——"

The door was finally pushed open, and Sophia stood up happily, ready to give her lover a hug, but her smiling face froze in the next moment.

"What's going on? Why are you hurt?"

Sofia stepped forward eagerly and turned Omero's body in one direction. A medium-sized gash was opened on his right shoulder, but fortunately the blood had scabbed and the shape of the wound was very familiar, because she

You can often see it when picking cotton in the manor.

"Whip? How did you get whipped? And who can tear all the clothes with a whip?" Sofia stared at Omero's eyes and asked a series of questions, "Is it... Tris?"

"

Omero didn't dare to look into his wife's eyes. He threw the firewood basket on the ground and walked to the fireplace silently to sit down. He buried his face in his arms and did not speak or cry.

He remained motionless in that position, with only the occasional blowing of his nose caused by rhinitis proving that he was still alive.

Sofia closed the door gently, pulled Oscar to the fireplace, and gently arranged his messy hair.

"Oscar, tell me what happened today."

"Mom, we..." Oscar looked up at his father Omero, and seeing that he still didn't respond, he had to tell what happened today one by one.

"Today, my father took me to collect firewood, but the surrounding woods were all picked up. So my father took me into Count Ogunode's forest farm, and then..."

...

"What? Two hundred copper soul coins? Where can I get two hundred copper soul coins at home now?!"

When she heard that she had to pay a fine of two hundred copper soul coins, Sophia was also desperate. The family could get twenty copper soul coins, but that was two hundred.

But if they don't pay the fine, their family won't have a good life. In the Bolton area, outside of Borno City, Count Ogunode is like God. It's easy for him to destroy a family.

It would be better if the fine could be delayed. Sofia believed that with her and Omero's hard work, they could still save two hundred copper soul coins, but they had no time.

Count Ogunode's rules are strict. The fine must be paid within three days. If it exceeds three days, five points of interest will be added every day. With compound interest, no one dares to delay.

But it is absolutely impossible for them to come up with two hundred copper soul coins in three days. Most of the surrounding villagers are not rich, and no one can easily lend a huge sum of two hundred copper soul coins. Those who can afford to borrow money,

Usually very high interest rates are charged.

"Oh," Sofia sighed desperately, "then there is only one way left... sell our land."

Omero finally raised his head, but still covered his face with his hands. He spoke, his voice was very hoarse, as if his throat had been worn out, "We can't sell it. Land is the basis of our survival. Without land, we

Sooner or later, sooner or later..."

Atreus leaned on the bedside and pondered. He knew what Omero wanted to say. His brother often taught him how to read and told him stories when he was alive. He knew many things that ordinary people did not know.

It is said that the first Earl Ogunode's fiefdom was 60,000 acres, and there were 12,000 households in the fiefdom with more than 40,000 people. In recent years, the actual land owned by the Earl Ogunode family has exceeded 90,000 acres.

However, the taxpayer population under its jurisdiction is only 8,000 households, less than 30,000.

In the Kingdom of Haagen-Dazs, the nobles have the obligation to protect the citizens in the fiefdom. However, the taxes paid by these citizens every year are collected by tax collectors sent by the king. These taxes are divided between the nobles and the king.

Count Ogunode has been passed down to the current Femi Ogunode for the third generation, but the national "population" in the fiefdom has declined instead of rising. The reason behind this is not due to war or natural disasters, let alone

Attack by spirit beasts.

It's because of land annexation.

Count Ogunode instructed his knights to use various means to seize land from the free people, so that the free people who originally owned the land could only be forced to become tenant farmers. Once the tenant farmers had major changes in their families, they had to sell themselves.

Reduced to Earl Ogunode's private serf.

The king lost the free people who paid taxes, and the free people lost their land and let others slaughter it, but the family of Count Ogunode became more and more prosperous.

Although Atreus knew little about what his brother said at best, he knew that if they lost the only two acres of land, Uncle Omero, Aunt Sophia and Oscar, they would probably have nowhere to go in the end.

Eventually he sold himself and became a serf who lost his freedom.

Serfs were the private property of the nobles, and the nobles could kill, beat, and buy them at any time.

Atreus had seen how serfs were treated in the cotton fields of Ogunode Manor. If a hired day laborer was lazy or made any mistakes, the manor steward would fire him.

The serfs were different. When the stewards were in a good mood, they just scolded them and punished them by depriving them of food. If they were in a bad mood, they would be beaten, injured or maimed, or...

It was just a slave. To the Ogunode family, losing a slave was not a big deal. Atreus remembered that one night the serfs in the cotton fields sang loudly, praising Count Ogunode's kindness.

That day, not a single slave was killed.

Atreus wants to do something. Oscar is his best partner. Uncle Omero and Aunt Sofia treat him very well. He has regarded them as family members. Since they are family members, they should face difficulties together.

The next morning, Ogunode Manor.

Tris looked at Atreus in front of him playfully. He knew this kid. His brother was very famous in the entire Bolton area. He fought against Kratos two years ago. That man without any soul power could actually do it.

He could withstand hundreds of rounds of attacks as a level 25 great soul master at that time.

This is a "shame" for the proud Tris. How can a waste without soul power have power comparable to that of a noble soul master?

"Interesting, are you going to take the initiative to pay the fine for Omero?"

Atreus stared directly at Tris. There was no cowardice in these children's eyes, just like his bug-like brother who would never give in, which was disgusting!

"Yes."

Tris's face darkened and he said viciously: "Baby, I am a noble knight. I don't have time to fool around with you. If you fool me, even if you are just a child, I will never be stingy with my riding crop!"

He didn't believe that a five- or six-year-old child could get away with nine hundred copper soul coins. As long as Kratos had some extra money, he would always give it to the poor and even slaves. His relics were just a pile of broken copper and iron.

Worthless fur.

What surprised him was that the wolf cub was not frightened, and even took out a piece of paper from his arms and handed it to him: "This is the wheat field my brother left me. Use this wheat field to offset Uncle Omero's
To be continued...