The Wizard’s Fairy Tale

"It seems that my dear father in name really loves me a lot." William sneered.

He looked at Old Gretel with cold eyes, and said, "Tell me, how did you spend the winter?"

"This..." Old Gretel hesitated.

William smiled contemptuously and said, "There are only a few rows of wooden fences in the whole village. If there are lizardmen, they will not be able to stop their attack anyway. Tell me, how did you survive the long winter? I won't blame you you!"

"...Lord Baron, then I will say it." Old Gretel just thought for a moment before saying, "It's Patras City!"

"Patras? The city of Viscount Glenn?" William asked with a thought.

This is his neighbor!

The small village of Nisai is surrounded by North Gloomy Forest and Shadow Swamp on both sides of the northwest. Going east is the Cordillera Mountain. There is a river flowing under the mountain. The villagers usually use water from there. These are all within his territory. And walking south for about a day and a half, it is the territory of Viscount Grian, where the city of Patras is located!

"Yes, Lord Baron!" Old Gretel said cautiously.

"Oh, so the people in Patras used to protect you?" William's expression showed no joy or anger.

"Yes, Lord Baron!" Old Gretel's attitude became more respectful, for fear that William would be angry if he didn't pay attention.

"How does the city of Patras protect you? Send troops over to protect you every winter?" William asked again.

"No, Lord Baron." Old Gretel shook his head with a wry smile.

"How did that protect you? Tell me quickly." Old John's face was ugly, and he took the initiative to urge William.

Old Gretel didn't answer, but looked at William instead.

"Speak directly. Don't hesitate anymore." William said coldly.

"Yes, Lord Baron!" Old Gretel shuddered in his heart, bowed slightly, and said, "We will pay the fee to Patras in exchange for being able to spend the winter in Patras."

"How much to pay?"

"One Pisgold per person." Old Gretel replied.

"A piskin for each person?" Old John yelled loudly after hearing this, which was much more ruthless than what he suggested to William.

"Yes, Master John. If you don't have piss gold coins, you can also use the harvest in the field to exchange for 25 bushels of rye per person. After paying the entrance fee, less than 30% of our annual harvest in the field can be used by us. .So we can no longer afford 40% of your land rent." Old Gretel had a sad look on his face.

"And if we can't enter Patras City in winter, we will become fertilizer for the stomachs of lizardmen that are surging out!"

"It's not that no one in the village thought of using the village's defense to resist the attack of the lizardmen, but when they came back every spring, they would never be seen again. The village was also destroyed and needed to be rebuilt."

"Lord Baron, we cannot stop the attack of the lizardmen! Only Patras is the only safe shelter!"

Old Gray said it all in one breath.

All the villagers were watching William, waiting for his decision.

William was silent, his face was like a volcano about to erupt.

Old John and the others were also silent, and they didn't know that the situation in this territory was so complicated.

After a while, William suddenly laughed, "So, do I also have to pay to enter Patras for refuge?"

"Lord Baron, we really can't afford even a little bit of tax anymore." Old Gretel said without directly answering William's question, but only emphasizing his own difficulties.

William finally understood, why didn't the Principality collect taxes here? Why are the villagers in Nisai Village, where there is no tax collection, so poor that they are no different from serfs?

In fact,

They are the serfs of Viscount Grian in Patras!

Instead of him, the subjects of William Odyssey!

Even if he chooses to take refuge in Patras City in winter, then he is Viscount Grian's serf!

Viscount Grian is really amazing! In vain, a group of serfs came to work for him, and he almost didn't have to pay anything! William sighed inwardly.

But Viscount Grian's power was based on William's pain.

William asked himself, is he willing to beg another person to accept the property that originally belonged to him every year?

Are you willing to look at your territory every year, in the cycle of rebuilding and destroying?

Are you willing to live under the fence?

In fact, there is no need to ask, William's subconscious has already given him the answer!

He didn't come to this world to be a shrinking turtle.

William's eyes became firm, eagle-like, and he looked at all the villagers who were also looking at him, the lord.

The eyes of the villagers are full of hope.

A sunny smile burst out from the corner of William's mouth, "I'm sorry! I won't ask for 40% of the land rent, but I won't ask for a cent less either! Not a penny less!"

One stone stirs up a thousand waves!

The eyes of the villagers became panicked, but no one dared to speak for fear of fines!

The atmosphere was oppressive.

If William still collects taxes, they will have no way to survive. Even if they do not eat or drink, the remaining harvest will not be enough to enter the city of Patras.

"Lord Baron, by divine fate, please don't see us again after winter! We are your loyal servants, your plow and horse, your domain, which needs us to work. "Old Gretel still wanted to save it.

"Yes, my subjects! I have never doubted your loyalty!" William chuckled, "And, this winter, I will stay here!"

"My Lord Baron..."

"My Lord Baron..."

Old John and Old Gretel said in unison, the same words, but different tones, expressed different meanings.

Old John was worried about William's safety, but Old Gretel did not believe William's decision.

"Lord Baron, maybe I should tell you how dangerous the small village of Nisai will be after the heavy snowfall? It is a beast that swallows countless people."

"I thank you for your kindness, old Gretel, but the 40% harvest is still necessary!"

"After the month of harvest, after paying enough taxes, if I still want to leave the village and go to Patras, I will never stop! Of course, I will distribute his fields to other people who stay behind. And, if I If someone runs away without paying enough taxes, hehe, winter is here, and the beast in the dark forest is hungry! I think it will entertain those lovely guests well. Of course, I really don’t want to see that scene .”

William said coldly.

There was a chill in the hearts of the villagers.

"And I will stay here, and together with the villagers who are willing to stay here, I will build a small village that truly belongs to us!" William said suddenly.

As soon as these words came out, the eyes of all the villagers were filled with disbelief. They couldn't believe that William, a so-called nobleman, would risk his life to stay here.

"Lord Baron, you will regret it!" Old Gretel said after a moment of silence.

"You'll never see that day!" William said, looking at him firmly.

"My lord, this is exactly what I hope!"

Old Gretel stepped back and did not continue speaking.

William's stern gaze swept over all the villagers, and said, "Give up everything and leave, or stay with me! Those who leave will be cast aside, have nothing, and die in poverty, but those who stay will get glory and things he couldn't imagine before. the good life!"

Without a harvest from the fields, they would starve to death.

But if they stay, how many lives will be taken away by the long winter!

Seventy-three households in Nisai Village are faced with difficult choices.

However, William did not finish his sentence.

"There is still one month until the Harvest Moon, you have enough time to think about it!"

"But before the arrival of the final moon, I have a new mission for you!"

William took out a golden weed and showed it to all the villagers.

He picked it up in the corner of the room this morning.

"Does anyone know this kind of grass?" William asked the villagers.

The villagers were all thinking about whether to leave or stay in winter, and few of them responded to William's question.

William's face sank, and he shouted loudly, "Isn't there a single person in the small Nisai village who knows this kind of grass?"

The villagers were frightened and quickly raised their hands to show that they knew.

More than half of the villagers raised their hands one after another.

This is a common weed that can be found everywhere, and the villagers all have an impression of him.

William nodded and said, "My citizens, I need you to find this kind of grass for me, the more the better!"

"Yes, my lord baron." The villagers replied feebly.

Seeing this situation, William was not angry, but smiled slightly, and said, "Every hundred grasses will be bundled, and I will buy every three bundles with one Poole coin."

The eyes of the villagers suddenly opened as big as copper bells, looking at William like a hungry wolf looking at a lamb.

This kind of grass can be found everywhere in forests, fields, and around houses, and hundreds of them can be pulled up casually.

And three hundred of these useless weeds can be exchanged for a Poole coin.

Five pools would buy one of the worst black breads, the kind with bran and sawdust and a little rye flour, which would last a man for three days.

In other words, as long as five or three hundred weeds are pulled out, food for three days can be obtained.

What's more, they all have strong confidence that the amount of weeds they can find is far more than this amount.

This is extremely attractive to the villagers of Nise, a small village who have always been below the poverty line and have been exploited by Patras.

William was very satisfied with the hungry eyes of the villagers, and added fuel to the fire, saying, "First come, first served. If there are enough, I will stop buying. Go!"

The villagers ran away screaming, only a few villagers walked unhurriedly.

Among them were the Addamses, and old Gretel's.

Are you a wealthy household in the village? William thought.