Mortal Epic of Douluo

"Dad, do we really have to go into the count's forest farm to collect firewood?"

Oscar has already reached a boundary monument. Further ahead is the private forest farm of Count Ogunode's family. There are several large characters and two lines of small characters on the boundary monument.

Oscar gently touched the boundary monument. His head only reached two-thirds of the height of the monument. He had to stretch his hands to touch the largest words on the monument.

[Ogunode], Oscar has not yet reached the age of literacy, but he is very familiar with these four characters. These four characters represent the most noble family in the Borno region.

His father and mother would go to work at Count Ogunode's house after the busy farming season every year. His father would do odd jobs and his mother would pick cotton. Otherwise, the two acres of thin farmland at home would not be enough to support a family of four.

Omero shook the firewood basket behind his back. There was only less than ten kilograms of firewood in it. Hearing his son Oscar ask this question, he couldn't help but sigh: "Oh, we came out late. Now there is only the count's forest farm nearby." You can find firewood there.”

Oscar was still very worried and asked another question: "But... won't we be punished if we collect firewood in the count's forest farm? I heard that if you stole wheat from the count's manor, you would be caught. After that, he will be severely beaten with a whip."

"Haha." Father touched Oscar's little head, "Don't worry, we just picked up the dead branches that fell on the ground. We didn't even use hatchets or axes. How can we call it stealing? When I was short of firewood last year, I I went in to collect firewood and was not punished."

After saying that, Oscar was dragged into the forest farm by his father, but it was a little strange. Before winter, there were no small words on the forest farm's boundary markers, but Oscar and his father didn't know many words and were too lazy to care.

Oscar found that there were no dead branches left to pick up outside. Presumably the nearby residents had already picked up all the dead branches outside. However, his father said it might also be the work of the refugees. Those poor landless people even dared to brave the wind in order to survive. Snow comes out to collect firewood.

As he walked deeper and deeper into the forest farm, Oscar saw a group of people, their clothes were in tatters, and some even had no shoes to wear. Among them were old people and children. In this quiet forest farm, they silently picked up fallen dead trees.

"Shh-"

The moment the Oscar brothers revealed themselves, the group of refugees all looked at them, with a hint of fright, a hint of fear, and a hint of... greed in their eyes.

The father took out the hatchet as soon as they turned around and held it tightly in his hand. His back arched and he moved Oscar behind his back with one hand.

No one spoke for a while. Oscar was very good and stayed motionless behind his father. He was not afraid.

"One, two, three, four... five men." Oscar counted the number of adult men in this group of refugees, and immediately felt more relieved. He knew that his father was very skilled, and these thin refugees Without weapons, he is no match for his father.

The forest fell into silence again, and Oscar could clearly hear the breathing of the refugees. The father in front of him stared straight ahead like a leopard, and the two sides faced off like this.

"Ta, tap, tap", suddenly a crisp and rapid sound of horse hooves broke through the tranquility. Fear defeated greed. The refugees dropped the dead branches in their hands and began to flee in all directions like a flock of frightened birds.

A group of knights appeared. They were dressed in the official costumes of the Ogunode family and rode tall horses. They either held sabers or long sticks and quickly chased away the scattered refugees.

The saber and the long stick greeted the refugees indiscriminately. Every slash of the saber and every heavy blow of the long stick meant that a refugee fell.

Blood poured bright colors on the snow, and wails filled the silence of the woods.

A knight in light armor rode a horse in the direction of Oscar and his son. He pulled up the reins only four steps in front of Omero, "Hey——!"

"Get out of the way!"

Oscar was quickly pushed away and fell to the ground aside, but his father had no time to dodge. Oscar saw the big chestnut horse raising its front hooves high. At this moment, a vision even popped up in his mind. A picture of his father's head being crushed by horse's hoofs.

"elder brother--!"

"despair--!"

What a danger, what a danger. Oscar's heart was beating violently. Fortunately, the knight stopped the horse in time, otherwise... Oscar has seen the power of the horse's hoof. It is definitely not something ordinary people can bear. It is said that Soul masters can.

Feeling no pain, Omero mustered up the courage to open his eyes, and a horse head appeared in front of him.

"laugh--"

What greeted him was the snoring of the big chestnut horse, and sticky snot sprayed on Omero's face. What he received in return was the laughter of the light-armored knight.

"Hahahahahahaha-" The young knight in light armor rode on the horse and smiled at Omero's funny look, his eyes full of contempt, "Isn't this Omero? Why, you are not hugging Sophia at home. Give that bastard Oscar a brother and come to the forest farm to steal firewood?"

Omero quickly wiped away the horse's nose, and then said with a smile: "Knight Tris, I just came to pick up dead branches, and I didn't use a hatchet to chop wood! You know I am an honest man, how could I do this? What about stealing? Don’t dare to say such nonsense. If the manager misunderstands, how can I still work in your house? "

Tris gently pinched the horse's belly with his legs, and the chestnut horse he sat on began to walk on the spot with "ta, ta, ta...".

"Whether you can work as a day laborer in the Earl's house is your business. What I have to do now is to exercise the law enforcement power on this land for the Earl!" Tris pointed his riding whip at the homeless man who fell to the ground, "I saw it. Really? This is the consequences of stealing forest trees! It’s up to you next!”

"thump!"

Omero's first reaction was not to run away or to argue, but to kneel on the ground instantly, and then began to defend himself: "Lord Knight Tris! I did not steal. I entered the forest farm to pick up fallen branches. This is What a gift from Lord Ogunode to us untouchables!”

"That was before! Now, the rules have changed!"

Tris dismounted, pulled out a roll of paper tied with a red ribbon from his arms, unfolded it and read aloud: "Additional Clauses to the Kingdom of Haagen-Dazs' Anti-Lood Theft Law - Without land and Picking up dead branches from a forest farm privately with the permission of the forest owner will be considered a crime of theft along with felling privately owned trees without permission. This provision will come into effect on January [-], [-] in the Douluo Calendar!"

"You are a free citizen who owns land, and I am a noble. Nobles have noble etiquette, so I don't treat you like those refugees." Tris gently patted Omero's face with the rolled-up riding crop. , said with a smile: "Omero, tell me, what day is today?"

For a farmer, he may not be able to read a word, but he must never forget the time, because they need to rely on the weather for food, and solar terms are the "code" they rely on to survive.

"One, one...January [-]th." Omero said today's date with difficulty, "But...!"

"No but!"

"Pa—!" The riding crop hit Omero's shoulder hard. The thin cotton and burlap didn't protect his skin at all, and blood seeped out instantly.

"Don't hit my dad!"

Oscar ran to his father's side and protected Omero with his thin hands. He was afraid that the whip would fall on him and closed his eyes in fear.

Omero hugged Oscar with his backhand, and the two fathers hugged each other like this. They had no ability to resist, because the light-armored knight Tris in front of them was a soul master.

Tris did not crack the whip again. He mounted his horse again, blew the assembly whistle, and stayed there waiting for the Cavaliers to assemble.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The knights drove their horses from all directions and gathered in front of Tris. The sabers and long sticks in their hands were somewhat stained with blood. Some knights also held a hemp rope in their hands, and each hemp rope was stained with blood. A refugee child is tied up.

Some of these children's eyes were dull, some had faces full of fear, and some were choking in low voices and trying not to cry out, because they had already experienced the consequences of crying.

"Six piglets and four males, yes, take them back."

Tris ordered two knights, who took the hemp rope from their companions and led the six refugee children out of the forest farm.

"As for you, Omero." Tris raised his head and gestured to a knight, "Go and weigh it to see how many kilograms of firewood he stole."

The knight who was signaled dismounted, walked up to Omero, grabbed the firewood basket behind him and Oscar, weighed it, and said casually: "My lord, twenty pounds."

When Omero heard this number, his body couldn't help but tremble. He had just entered the forest farm with Oscar not long ago. How could he pick up twenty kilograms of firewood so quickly?

Tris gently combed the mane of his precious chestnut horse and said casually: "Twenty kilograms, and the penalty for stealing is ten, that is two hundred kilograms. One kilogram of firewood... how much does it cost?"

The knights looked at each other. They were all knights supported by Count Ogunode, and they received a lot of salary every month. The wife at home used at least charcoal for cooking. Who knew the price of firewood?

"One copper soul coin per pound?"

"Fart! A copper soul coin can only buy a bunch of candied haws in Borno. How can it be so cheap!"

"The price of a loaf of bread in Borno can be purchased for a pound of flour at the manor market. Is that comparable?"

"I heard from my mother-in-law that ten pounds of pine charcoal is worth one Gintama coin. Firewood shouldn't be that expensive, right?"

......

The knights started making noises, which disturbed Tris. He waved his hand: "Okay! If you commit a crime, you will be severely punished, and it will be calculated as one copper soul coin per pound."

After saying that, he slapped Omero with a horsewhip lightly, "As long as you can come up with a fine of two hundred copper soul coins, I'll pretend that the theft of forest trees didn't happen."

"two hundred......"

Omero was desperate. How could he get two hundred copper soul coins?

He and his wife Sophia worked for the Earl of Ogunode family during the off-farm season. The two of them could only receive [-] copper soul coins in a month. Excluding food and clothing, they could save [-] copper soul coins in a month. Soul coins are already pretty good.

Sofia and Oscar were sick in bed a few days ago. In order to cure them, Omero had almost exhausted the family's savings, and now he was asked to pay a fine of two hundred copper soul coins.

Two hundred copper soul coins, that is twenty silver soul coins, two gold soul coins, how can he get them? !

"dad......"

Oscar saw his father crying. He scratched the ground hard with his ten fingers, digging out ten deep marks.

He really hates now, hates why he was born as a mortal, hates that he is unable to help his father.

These knights who drive tall horses are born to be superior to others. Even if their conduct is despicable and they have done all kinds of bad things, they are still well-dressed and well-fed. Relying on the name of Count Ogunode, they can do whatever they want in the fief.

How great would it be if I were a soul master?