Volume 4 Chapter 11 (1/2)
Chapter 4 Episode 11
Editor: Starbuck11
Evening, 22th Day, 12 Month, the Year 2813.
Soldiers wearing all-black armor made a long formation and headed toward the south.
Wagons filled with supplies followed behind them.
With a red sunset behind them, they looked like evil spirits that had just came out from the depths of h.e.l.l.
”Oi! Which n.o.ble do those soldiers belong to?”
A middle-aged man looked toward the highway while he was plowing his field to create ridge plants, and asked his wife who was helping him nearby.
Although the reason why he asked the question to his wife was just so he could take a little breather.
The man rubbed his palm, which began to feel numb and turned his eyes toward the highway once again.
In his eyes, unspeakable hatred could be seen.
(No matter what time, what day, every time, it's always war, war, and war. Geez, even though we don't want to have anything to do with the aristocracy...)
Living had become harder and harder every day for the man.
For ordinary commoners, they did not care who they paid their taxes to.
Eventually, they only wanted to be guaranteed a stable life and security.
Right now, the Zalda Kingdom was being attacked by Ortomea Empire and was in danger of falling.
Fortunately, the people who lived in the northeastern part of the Zalda Kingdom were still able to live in peace, although the sparks of the war could already be felt in some areas.
Moreover, while the northeastern part of the kingdom had literally escaped the flames of war, it did not meant they were not being affected by it either.
Domestic prices had been rising since last year, and under the pretext of defending the nation, the feudal lords had been raising the taxation temporarily.
Which meant, life had just become harder.
(But well, compared to the others, I guess I'm still well off huh?...)
The man had his own house and land.
All he had to do was just to pay taxes to the feudal lord.
Compared with the people who borrowed a land from some landlords, they have to pay the landlord and also the taxes to the feudal lord separately.
Inside the man's mind, the neighbour who had sold their own daughter to the slave merchant just to help pay taxes came to mind.
(That girl, she should be around 8 years or so, right?... d.a.m.n it.)
She was a cute little girl with clear blue eyes and brown hair.
Their parents also loved her. -
That was why that child should not have ended up being sold to the slave merchant.
(f.u.c.k, I hope this all end soon. After all, we have nothing to do with all of those wars.)
He thought that if in the end they were going to lose, then quickly lose instead.
Since because the country had resisted for too long, the war expenses had swollen, and the side effects were being forced on the ordinary people.
Although, he thought that, it didn't meant that he did not think logically.
He thought that because he hated the taxes.
”Ha? What are you saying? Stop slacking around and start working!”
The wife raised her voice after noticing that her husband had stopped plowing.
She was a strong-minded wife.
Which made her the type of woman who put her husband on a short leash.
However, although she said those words toward her husband, she still looked at the highway.
”What is that... Such unpleasant soldiers...”
All black.
From a distance, the soldiers looked all black from the top of their heads to their toes.
”Right, do you know where they come from?”
”I've never seen such soldiers before.”
”I agree, I've never seen such soldiers either. I guess those soldiers are not from the n.o.bles in the vicinity.”
The man murmured those words adding to his wife’s answer while silently feeling a s.h.i.+ver down his spine. -
It was rare to see an army which had such huge characteristics.
Although the numbers were not that much, it was rare for an aristocrat who made their soldiers wore the same armor with the same color.
Usually the ones who did that kind of thing to their soldiers, were those from the royal family to their royal guards.
”Also, that flag...”
”Are those snakes? Those red eyes really give off an unpleasant feeling...”
A flag with a black background fluttered in the wind.
A sword that was being entwined by two golden snakes were sewn on it.
It was a fairly unique design for a flag.
And at the same time, it was a flag which left a huge impression and was not easy to forget.
”Dear... How about you contact the village chief and the feudal lord?”
Her eyes were shaking as she told her husband so.
”The village chief...”
Certainly, his wife's words were right.
Although right now they still managed to escape from a direct war,the Zalda Kingdom that they belonged to was still in the middle of a war.
It was dangerous to leave alone a military from an unknown origin marching inside the kingdom's territory.
”And if those soldiers pillage the village then...”
The man hold his breath after he heard his wife's words.
Because those words were things he didn't want to hear right now.
Fire set ablaze.
A village full of smoke.
River dyed red from the dead villagers.