Transcendent Noble

Although Black Castle Town is an auxiliary town of the Black Castle Fortress, it covers an area of ​​25 square kilometers, almost the size of a city.

The tall city wall all around the town has been completed, but two gaps have not been closed. Two small fortresses will be built there. This shows the determination of the York family to build a city here. .

The roads in the town are wide, with neat houses and shops on both sides of the road. These all are the properties of the York family, either sold or leased, bringing a lot of income to the York family every year. Most of the people living in Black Castle Town are vassals of the York family, and they belong to the property-owning class. Of course, there are many other family vassals who set up shops here, sell various specialties for the family and themselves, purchase all kinds of materials needed, and all the pioneer lords now recognize that Black Castle Town is the economy of the western pioneers. political center.

Besides the vassals, the most popular people in Black Castle Town are the leaders and freemen.

Yes, it’s freedmen. Compared to hunting in the wild, freedmen prefer to live in towns, because it’s much safer here, with the help of the church, and most importantly, there are more Many opportunities.

Lords welcome these free people who do not encroach on their own land. As long as they abide by the rule of the lord, the manager of the town can also provide some shelter. After all, the town needs a sufficient population.

Free people do some lowly jobs in cities and towns to support their families, such as building city walls and houses, building canals and drains, clearing streets, moving goods, working as shop assistants, and accepting vassals Hire hired to grow vegetables and raise pigs outside the city. If they have skills, they can live better, such as tailors, grooms, masons, blacksmiths, gardeners, etc. If they mix well, they might be able to buy some businesses. If your craftsmanship is truly outstanding, the lord master will not be stingy in giving the status of a leader. This is even more guaranteed in the town. After three generations, the lord will give land and climb to a higher class.

This is the reality, vassals, leaders, and free people are never slaves of the lords. As long as they pay the consecration and service on time, they can still live their own lives through hard work. In fact, there is no slave in this world. There is no large-scale war, the slave that comes? And how does the slave provide faith?

Therefore, there are noble districts, vassal districts, slum areas, and shanty towns in the towns of the high lord. As long as they abide by the laws of the town, they can support themselves and pay taxes on time. Life in the town. And these densely populated towns will also bring huge benefits to the lord.

Every such town must have a church of Radiance Church, and Black Castle Town is no exception. In fact, there are two churches in Black Castle Town, and one stands in the center of the town. The other one, built near the east gate of the town, is thick and simple. It is also the most eye-catching building in this area, because this is a slum area, and there is a large shantytown outside the gate, where the free people live.

Compared with the deserted church in the center, the popularity of this church is much higher. At this time, it is just after the early announcement. The believers of the church have left the church and started a new busy day. When leaving, respectfully greet Ivan standing at the gate.

After the last disciple left, Ivan closed the door and stretched out. The joints of his whole body crackle, and the morning notice for an hour made his strong body a little stiff. .

Ivan stopped and walked outside the gate of the church, looking at the gorgeous church in the center of the town, full of envy and longing.

When can I go to host that central church? He thought secretly.

"What did you do?"

Outside the church, the Paladin guard's chattering drew Ivan's attention. He saw a cowering man peering out in front of the door.

"What's the matter with you?" Ivan waved his hand, motioned Paladin to let the man come, and asked him kindly.

"Master priest, I, I want to pray for atonement." The man stepped forward and said with some fear.

Hearing this, Ivan’s eyes shined and looked at this person up and down.

I saw him at the age of 30. His body was quite sturdy, but complexion pale, with a panic expression. His short linen robe was covered with mud, and there were still some blood stains faintly.

"Come with me." Ivan winked at Paladin and led the man into the church.

Ivan led the man through the prayer hall of the church and into a hidden prayer room.

The prayer room is not big, but there is an altar made of white glazed rock in the middle of the prayer room. A few rare white crystals are embedded on the altar to form a regular circle.

Ivan stood still, without a word, just staring at the man coldly.

At this moment, the man came to his senses, took out a handful of Copper Sol, and handed it over respectfully.

Ivan took the copper Sol, who was still stained with blood, squinted, frowned, and said: "This is not enough, but for your pious sake, I will preside over a prayer of atonement for you. Go and kneel."

Speaking, Ivan walked up to the altar, stretched out his hand with thick joints and stroked the white crystal, silently chanting prayers, and soon the glory of white Reflected in his hand, and then, the white crystals lit up one by one, these rays of light gathered together, and finally formed a pure beam of light on the altar.

This is what the church claims, the image of Lord of Radiance, invisible, colorless, pure light.

"Whatever I ask, you can answer, and there can be no concealment." Father Ivan warned repeatedly at some agitated men, and then he walked into a cubicle, leaving the man alone Kneeling in front of the altar.

"What's your name?"

It is still Father Ivan's voice, but this man heard it at this time, but it was sacred and majestic, and he was extremely convinced.

"My name is Barry."

"What's your crime?"

"I, I killed someone."

"Why do you want to kill?"

"Yes, boss Hook ordered it. I am his subordinate."

"Tell all your things in detail."

"My name is Barry. I turned out to be a farmer in the eastern provinces. After the Lord Lord’s defeat, our family fled here. Originally, a few of my fellow villagers and I were under Lord Langdon’s hands. City wall. I had no work to do. I heard that Lord Langdon, who worked for us, was killed by Lord Barol. We took refuge in Lord Barol’s hands, boss Hook. "

"Boss Hook is in charge of the two streets here, and we will follow him to collect the money. A month ago, Boss Hook killed a boss in the west, and now his site is also returned. Boss Hook."

"The protection fee for the new site is the same as the original one, 10 copper cables per month for a household and 30 copper cables for shops. However, Boss Hook is fancy The two shops on the new site, a grocery store, and a hotel, were all sold by a few old disabled people."

"Later, we also inquired that these old disabled people have no background and are free. Min. Boss Hooker talked to them and offered 10 silver Sols to buy their shop. They refused, and Boss Hook increased their regular money to 15 silver Sols per month. These Old Guys didn’t I'm willing to give it, and I won't even give the 40 copper sols."

"Boss Hook asked us to teach these Old Guys. Didn't expect these old and disabled people to be hard. Stubble, some of us were knocked over by them and thrown out. Those guys were broken a lot of bones, and only me was left. The hotel boss called Old John asked me to talk to Boss Hook If you send someone to make trouble, you will break your legs and let Boss Hook calculate the medical expenses by himself."

"I dragged a few guys back with a cart to see Boss Hook. Boss Hook After I heard that, let me take these guys out of the town to take care of them. He said, if I don’t do it, I will kill me too! He also said that he can only be regarded as his own person if I have blood on my hands. He told me, It’s because he dared to fight and kill, he was valued by Lord Barol. If I want to get ahead, I have to listen to him."

"I can’t help but drag Witt and the others out of the town. , I found a pit and smashed them to death."

"Witt and the others begged me to let them go, but I can't help it, I still have a wife and child to feed, and I can't die!"

"After I killed them, I also found the money from them. I was very upset, so I came here to pray for atonement and ask the merciful Lord to redeem my soul."

Barry murmured, staring hopefully at the pure light, as if there was everything he longed for.

"Sinner! Your sin will make your soul fall into the abyss! Endure the burning of hellfire forever, and you will not be free!"

The priest's voice is like a rolling thunder, and Barry is lost Zhongzheng woke up, he cried out crying: "The merciful Lord, please help me, I don't want to be like this, I can't help it, I was forced to."

"The Lord is merciful. , The Lord redeems the soul of the devout, Barry, are you pious?"

When Barry’s cries became weaker, the priest’s majestic voice echoed in the prayer room, and Barry seemed to see hope in the dark. He said loudly: "I am pious, I am a faithful believer of the Lord, I am a pious person, ask the Almighty Lord to save my soul, forgive my sins, and don't let my soul fall into the abyss."

"Pray, sinner, pray to the glory with your utmost piety, let the merciful Lord see your sincerity, and the Lord will save your soul and guide you."

Like a drowning man, Barry caught the driftwood, knelt straight, and began to recite very familiar prayers aloud.

In the compartment, Father Ivan stared at a scarlet crystal in his hand. As Barry’s prayer became louder and louder, the color of the red crystal gradually faded, and finally completely It became a transparent crystal.

"Well, I am indeed a devout man."

Ivan nodded with satisfaction, put the crystal into his sleeve, the brilliance in his hand flashed, and the beam of light on the altar suddenly became many times brighter , Zhao's prayer room is like daylight.

Barry was bathed in radiance, and the warm holy light washed his body. He only felt that all the sin and pain had been far away from his soul, and even the pain on his body was much better. This made him feel like he was reborn. This feeling made him very drunk, and he didn't wake up until the brilliance faded.

"Barry, the Lord has redeemed your soul." Ivan walked out of the compartment and said to Barry.

"Thank you, Father, thank you." Barry bowed gratefully to the priest.

"As a faithful servant of the Lord of Radiance, I will not disclose the content of the atonement prayer, but you must follow the Lord's teachings, be patient, do good, and stay away from sin, you know?"

"I will, I will." Barry took out more than a dozen Copper Sols that were also stained with blood, handed them to the priest, and then walked out one step at a time.

When Barry disappeared from the field of vision, Ivan squeezed the Copper Sol in his hand into his pocket and muttered in a low voice.

"What a pious sinner."