Extraordinary Sailing

In the north of the mainland, it is located in Uppsala, a medium-sized city in the east of Atlan, Iceland.

woo woo woo.

Even though the rest of the mainland has come to the last month of spring, this land still seems to be in winter. The cold wind blows the eaves and the remaining snow on the treetops, which makes people's faces hurt.

"Stop! Stop! The king, the church, and the lord. My three window taxes and fireplace taxes have been paid. You can't take away my collection of porcelain!"

An old man wrapped in a dilapidated sheepskin jacket screamed miserably, but he couldn't stop those wolf-like soldiers, as well as the leading thin tax official who smelled of sulfur.

The neighbors on this street poked their heads out cautiously, all of them showing their faces, but even if there were a few young people who were filled with righteous indignation, they dared not take action at all.

Because none of them can avoid this encounter of the old man!

The natural environment of the Atlan Kingdom is harsh. About 30% of the territory in the north is located within the polar circle. Most of the remaining areas are also severely cold all year round, and agriculture and animal husbandry are not developed.

Not to mention that they did not take advantage of the steam industry at all, and the characteristic stripes produced by the handcraft workshops were also severely impacted by tulip industrial products.

Although it was once a big ocean country that followed the Cyrus Empire to explore the outside world, it has declined a bit due to various reasons in recent years.

In particular, with the passing away of the older generation of "Guardians of the Kingdom", Atlan's national destiny is no longer there.

The peak force that could support their bloody shadow covering the mainland's coastal waters for four centuries has disappeared.

Now there is only one titled knight "Bloodthirsty Hunt" left alone to support it.

If it weren't for the surviving fierceness and the struggling navy, this country would almost completely fall out of the list of mainland powers.

in addition.

Skadi, the Goddess of "Breath of Frost" believed by the Atlantes, is located in the holy residence of the human world at the northernmost end of the kingdom. It is also the deepest part of the Eternal White Continent, the Land of Ice and Snow, and the source of all cold waves in the northern hemisphere.

As a deity of nature, this goddess is as indifferent as her [priesthood], like a north wind that watches the world coldly, rarely interfering with the progress of the world.

Only the "Church of Frost Breath" stands up to the secular rulers under the banner of the goddess.

These various characteristics have caused this Icelandic kingdom to have a strong folk style, but at the same time, the kingdom's "feudal" remnants are also extremely heavy, and there are still many feudal lords and private armed forces subordinate to them.

In other words, the king collects taxes, the church collects taxes, and the lords collect taxes!

For example, the "window tax" and "fireplace tax" that the local lords are currently collecting.

"Window tax": All houses have a basic fee of 20 copper fulls (converted). If the number of windows reaches more than 10, 40 copper fulls will be paid.

"Fireplace tax": 10 copper fulls per fireplace, collected every six months, that is to say, a normal family with only one fireplace has to pay at least 20 copper fulls every year.

There are many more exotic taxes than these two taxes. For example, the "fat corpse tax" stipulates that the width of the coffin used by the deceased is 58 centimeters, and if it exceeds 1 centimeter, a tax of 50 copper fulls must be paid.

All kinds of exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes cover all aspects of people's lives.

What's more terrible is that the same tax has to be paid three times to three objects, and the citizens are all complaining.

And because the "fireplace tax" had to enter residents' houses to be counted, tax officials and soldiers had to go door to door to collect the tax.

In the process, the "taxes" belonged to the lords, but the extra gains belonged to themselves.

Like Ivan and Rivina, the ruling class who have self-restraint and know how to implement "wealth redistribution" to ease social conflicts is a minority after all.

Most royal families are more adept at ruling their subjects by violence than profit.

It can be said that most of the time everyone is worse than anyone else.

The king's autocratic rule, rigid political system, disregard of human rights, government corruption, economic recession, high unemployment rate, and people's life is difficult.

The ruling class has been in power for a long time, does not think about reform, and the political and economic distribution is opaque, etc., which have become chronic problems in Atlanta, not just a country.

Especially now that with the "Tulip Alliance" ruling the sea, clipper ships are also launching rapidly, and even pirates' lives are gradually becoming difficult.

There is no way to plunder externally, but to strengthen internal exploitation, and Atlan has gradually fallen into a vicious circle.

Looking at these soldiers who wantonly robbed the residents' property in the middle of tax collection, it really looks like the end of the dynasty, the collapse of order, and the precariousness of the wind and rain.

creak! creak!

In this depressing and numb atmosphere.

A tall and burly young man with the features of both Atlans and Koyaks walked into this indescribable city stepping on the snow that had not been cleaned up on the ground.

The young man was wearing a clean and decent hunting suit, with shiny leather boots and a long sword hanging from his waist. Although he didn't wear any aristocratic coat of arms, he looked like a different type of person from those miserable commoners.

The city gate official, who is used to watching people order food, didn't even collect his city entry tax.

"It's really unexpected here. It sucks."

Aiwen's fifth disciple, Bach, set foot on his father's hometown for the first time in his life - Atlan, a country with pirate genes.

However.

Ever since he set foot on this land with the task of being a teacher, Bach was really disappointed in this so-called motherland that he had never been to.

Although it is much stronger than the Keyak people who also live in the polar circle of the New World.

But let alone comparing it with the civilized and rich Garriott Principality, it is far inferior to the former Cyrus colony.

Bach, who came to the Yuan mainland for the first time, couldn't help feeling somewhat disillusioned.

"Um?"

Under the guidance of the [Mind Network] dispatched in advance, after walking through several streets, his ears suddenly moved.

Instead, in a sheltered place on the corner of the street next door, a down-and-out bard with shabby clothes and whitewashed clothes was singing poetry.

There is nothing wrong with the poet itself, but what makes him stop and listen is the poet's singing.

The effect is:

"All the sufferings of the people are due to the dictatorship of the monarch and the dictatorship of the nobles.

The people in the "Lowland Republic" in the south are already qualified to choose their own leaders. The leaders of the country must serve the people, not lie on the people and suck blood.

People can not only have enough food and clothing, but also enjoy loans and subsidies from the government, giving them the opportunity to become a master.

If an elected leader is not qualified, the people have the right to change. Only when we are united can we have our own happy life”

Words like these are mixed in the story.

In the end, even if there was no reward at all, he didn't change his face.

He took off his hat and bowed to every yearning audience, and said in his mouth: "'Atlan Democracy and Freedom Process Office' bless you!"

There seems to be some kind of [bewitching] power in the tone, and people can't help but believe what he said.

The crowd dispersed again, only Bach stood there thinking:

"This is the [Democracy Fighter] from the [Faceless Man] intelligence? Is the Lowland Republic targeting Atlan?

This broken place is really a group of demons dancing wildly.

Forget it, none of this has anything to do with me, it's more important to complete the teacher's task first. "

The "world currency" plan in the mundane world does not affect the two medium-term goals set by Ivan:

Explore the unknown behind the "End of the World" door, and the [Mobius Ring] that may be hidden there; explore the space firmly blocked by the "Scavenger", and the [Catrio's Wheel] that may be hidden there .

If you want to go to the world behind the door and get the "ultimate secret" of this world, if you don't go through the gate guarded by the "Golden Kingdom", you will most likely be completely lost in the storm belt.

so.

Since returning from the "Muria Civilization" exploration last time, Zeros has set out to find the remaining [Golden Compass].

Only when the thirteen golden compasses gather can the door to the endless ocean "Forcus" be opened.

In the latest letter transmission, plus the original ones, Geros has collected a total of seven coins, plus one in Ivan's hand and one in Olivia's hand.

Now they have nine compasses in their hands, and it is not too far away from collecting them all.

There is also one with a clear clue.

Thoughts were churning, Bach, under the guidance of the [Mind Network], came to a street that was a little bit jumpy, and saw the group of soldiers and tax officials who were collecting taxes from house to house.

With just one glance, he couldn't help frowning deeply.

Although Bach's main career path is on the physics side, he also received the corresponding knowledge of witchcraft from Ivan when he also studied [Wizard].

When standing in the downwind, his keen sense of smell has automatically captured the breath of the thin tax official:

"Brimstone? A...lower realm demon?"

At this moment.

ah--!

A slightly immature girl screamed across the street.

Immediately afterwards, he heard a soldier "collecting taxes" in a certain family's house shouting excitedly:

"Hahaha, head, look! The poor ghost who lives here actually has a compass in his collection, it seems to be pure gold!"

"Shut up, what poor ghost's collection? This is obviously stolen goods! Take it away with me!"

jingle bell clang

"Yeah! Let me go!"

The eyes of the mixed-race youth narrowed dangerously.