Family Predicament

Chapter 42: Family Predicament

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the courtyard. Ready said to Pat, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, "We're here. This is the master's home."

Then he got out of the carriage and opened the door. Lorist, holding Alisha, got out, followed by Shiward, Er, and Sertkamp.

Another rented carriage, carrying Fatty Shi, Telman, Yuri, and Steve, also arrived. The group alighted and filed into the courtyard. Pat did not follow everyone into the house. Instead, he helped Ready unload the carriage in the courtyard and wiped down the two Zino horses with a dry cloth.

Ready found it strange and asked, "What's wrong? Why aren't you going inside?"

Pat thought for a moment and said, "My grandfather asked me to find the young master. He instructed me to stay by his side and protect him, regardless of whether the young master returned to inherit the territory. He said that the young master is the only remaining legitimate heir of the Norton Family, and no matter what, the young master cannot have any accidents."

Ready chuckled, "Brother Pat, it's not that I'm looking down on you, but it's not you protecting the master, it's him protecting you. With your Black Iron rank strength, it would be good enough if you could avoid being a burden when the master encounters danger."

Pat shot Ready an annoyed look. "There's a saying in our Northland: even the most vigilant beast can doze off, and even the strongest steed can stumble. I already know the young master is Locke of Black Iron. Being invincible at Silver rank is impressive. But no matter how powerful the young master is, he's still just one person. I just need to stay by his side and be a silent shield. Right now, I'm Black Iron. As long as I cultivate diligently, I believe I can help the young master a lot once I advance to Silver rank."

"Well said, Pat," Lorist said, having appeared beside them at some point. "Did Old Steward Cress really ask you to stay by my side?"

Pat nodded frankly. "If you decide to return and inherit the territory, then I will be your personal attendant and guard. If you refuse to return, I will still stay by your side to protect you."

Pat gave a self-deprecating laugh. "But it seems you've changed more than I imagined, not just in your skills, but your personality is completely different from before. You don't need my protection at all now. My grandfather and the others thought you must have had a difficult time during the long period you were out of contact with the family. It seems they were all wrong."

Lorist nodded with deep emotion. "Ten years. It's been so long since I left home in the blink of an eye. Seven years since I lost contact with the family. What can't be changed for the sake of survival? I've endured a lot of hardship to be where I am today. Let's go, Pat, let's go inside and talk about home."

Sertkamp provided a more detailed account of the Norton Family's current situation. A series of unfortunate events had led to the loss of more than half of the family's military strength. Lorist's father, a Gold One-star swordsman, had his cultivation stagnated by an injury sustained while hunting monsters in his youth. Nevertheless, he was a Gold rank expert, and his death left the family without its pillar. Lorist's elder brother's death was an even greater blow, extinguishing the family's hope. Their eldest young master was a Gold rank knight who was struck by a poisoned arrow in the back during a fierce battle. He died of the poison not long after being brought back. As for the third young master, he fell gravely ill in his childhood after falling into water, rendering him unable to awaken his Battle Qi. This led to his encounter with a monster, causing his horse to bolt and him to fall, resulting in severe injuries and his death.

Lorist felt uneasy at this point. He knew that the third young master's illness and inability to awaken his Battle Qi were caused by the original owner of this body, Little Locke, pushing him into a well out of jealousy when they were young. In a way, Little Locke bore at least half the responsibility for the third young master's death. Now that he had inherited this body, that responsibility fell upon him as well.

Sertkamp explained that when the third young master encountered the monster, the family's only Silver Three-Star knight guard was present. Although he killed the monster, he was also severely injured and was still recuperating. Currently, the family had only one Silver One-star female knight, who was Andre Basha. She was the daughter of the late family knight, Andre, and had grown up with the eldest young master. Their marriage had been arranged by their father, but the eldest young master died on the battlefield before they could marry. He asked if the young master remembered the red-haired girl who always followed the eldest young master.

Lorist nodded. Little Locke's memories of the red-haired girl who was always with his elder brother depicted her as fierce as a boy. She had beaten Little Locke severely just for pulling her braid, leaving him with a painful memory.

Sertkamp continued, stating that besides Miss Basha, the family's only other forces were a few Black Iron swordsmen in the guard, and a few elderly Black Iron members in the castle. Miss Basha was currently managing the territory's affairs, while Old Steward Cress had retired due to his age. Therefore, the family greatly hoped for the second young master to return soon to inherit the territory and take charge.

Pat, who had once served as Baron Norton's guard, recounted the ambush that befell Lorist's father. The Baron had heard that the mountain barbarians were raiding again and had assembled the castle's cavalry – eighteen riders, the family's primary mobile force. Including the Baron and Pat, they numbered twenty. Since the intelligence indicated over fifty mountain barbarians had descended, the Baron had sent for the guard to join them, intending to wipe out the entire bandit group.

The Baron and Pat, being on horseback, rode ahead. Upon reaching their destination, they found the bandits unprepared. Calculating the time, they decided to launch a preemptive strike. When the guard arrived and saw the situation, they would naturally join the attack, and a pincer movement would surely annihilate the mountain barbarians.

Pat mentioned that he had advised the Baron to wait for the guard's arrival before attacking, but the Baron refused and insisted on launching the assault. The initial assault was successful, catching the mountain barbarians off guard. However, seeing the small number of attackers, the barbarians rallied, and a fierce engagement ensued. If the guard had appeared at this point, the barbarians would have been routed. But the guard never arrived. As their subordinates suffered increasing casualties, the Baron grew anxious and, despite being ill, personally charged into the fray. Just then, the mountain barbarians let out a cheer – fifty more reinforcements had arrived. The Baron's men couldn't hold on. Seeing the dire situation, Pat quickly escorted the injured Baron away from the battlefield, while all the family's cavalrymen were killed.

When Pat returned, he learned that the guard had never left the town. Enraged, Pat single-handedly stormed the guard's camp and wounded their captain, Malte. This caused the guardsmen to protest, and over a hundred of them surrounded the castle, demanding Pat come out. It was only through their years of influence that Miss Basha and Old Steward Cress managed to quell the disturbance. Thus, when Sertkamp was dispatched to Molent City to find Lorist, the old steward also sent his grandson, Pat, partly to escort Sertkamp and partly to prevent him from causing further trouble with the guard if he stayed in the territory.

As Sertkamp and Pat narrated the situation, everyone realized that the Norton Family was not just facing difficulties, but extremely dire ones. The first problem was the winter monster tide. Every winter, monsters from the wilderness would swarm towards the territory in search of food. If they were herbivores like magic cows and sheep, it would be manageable, with only farmlands and gardens being destroyed. However, if packs of winter wolves appeared, even castles, manors, and towns could be attacked.

The second problem was the mountain barbarians. The Norton Family's territory was located in the far northern wilderness. To the north lay the endless Black Mud Swamp, to the west was the Blade Mountain Range, and beyond that was the sea. The salt used by the people of the Northland was obtained by traveling through the Blade Mountain Range to the coast, then descending cliffs to collect seawater and boil it into salt, a very arduous and troublesome process. Consequently, salt prices in the Northland were always high. To the south were the Black Forest and the wilderness hill country, which served as the only passage from the family's territory to the outside world, connecting it to other nobles' lands. To the east lay the Dragon Mountain Range, a vast expanse of high peaks, mountains, and dense primeval forests. The mountain barbarians were active in these mountains stretching for hundreds of miles.

Legend had it that the mountain barbarians were descendants of humans who fled into the mountains during the Dark Ages seeking refuge. After centuries of living in the mountains, they lost contact with the outside world and devolved into a wild tribal state, worshipping primitive totems. They lived by eating raw meat and blood, and survival of the fittest was their law. Although they had some contact with the outside world now, they were still known for their unreasonable, barbaric, and arrogant nature.

Since the first ancestor of the Norton Family became the lord of this wilderness, the mountain barbarians had been a constant source of trouble, frequently descending to raid and steal anything they could. They were more cunning, more ferocious, and harder to deal with than monsters. The Norton Family had once attempted to expand outwards, establishing over ten colonization villages in the wilderness, but all were abandoned due to significant casualties and property losses from mountain barbarian attacks. This was why Baron, Lorist's father, had to lead the expedition despite his illness – the mountain barbarians had attacked the family's only ranch, stealing a large number of cattle and sheep.

The third problem plaguing the Norton Family was the territory's guard. The territory had a total population of over five thousand people, with more than three thousand living in a town called Northland Town, the territory's only town. Most of the residents were family members of guard members and dependents of soldiers who served the Norton Family. They occupied two-thirds of the arable land within the safe zone, paying only one-tenth of their harvest annually, with nothing else.

When the Norton ancestor first settled the land, which was sparsely populated, he had actively recruited refugees and purchased slaves, freeing them to become citizens in hopes of developing the territory. The treatment for those willing to join the guard was very generous. Although the pay was not high, it exempted their families from labor, head taxes, and other miscellaneous taxes. They were also allocated land for their families, with the only requirement being to pay one-tenth of their harvest annually.

Even as lords, the Norton Family had to fulfill their obligations to the Krissen Empire as imperial nobles. Besides providing troops for war when needed, they had to pay a tithe on their territory – one-tenth of the harvest from cultivated land was to be submitted to the Empire. At that time, other nobles in the imperial territories generally set their harvest tax at fifty percent, plus head taxes, transaction taxes, city entry taxes, fishing taxes, firewood taxes, salt taxes, and various other taxes. It was considered benevolent for a lord to allow the citizens to barely survive.

The generous treatment of guard members by the Norton Family meant that, apart from the tithe paid to the Empire, they received no benefit from these guard members' families. Initially, it didn't attract many citizens to join, as becoming a guard member meant risk, with the winter monster tide being a significant challenge each year. However, as the territory stabilized and the safe zone expanded, those with foresight discovered the immense benefits of becoming a guard member, and it became a highly sought-after position in the territory. The Norton Family was initially pleased, but as time went on, they realized something was amiss, and the situation began to spiral out of control.

Generally, people in Galintea preferred their children to start their own families and live independently after reaching adulthood. However, these families of guard members refused to split up. Even after getting married, seven or eight siblings would continue to live together just to enjoy the benefits afforded to the families of guard members. Some guard members even legitimately demanded that the family allocate land to their siblings.

The Norton Family regretted this decision, but the head of the family at the time considered the significant contributions the guard had made to the family's territory. They only restricted the amount of land allocated to the families of guard members to ten acres per person. In the Northland, with only one harvest a year, this was barely enough to sustain a family of three. They thought this would curb the trend, but unexpectedly, the guard members valued the exemption from labor and various miscellaneous taxes the most. Using their status as families of guard members, they engaged in extensive hunting, fishing, and salt smuggling without paying any income tax, living more comfortably than the Norton Family.

Over a hundred years, these guard members passed down their positions from father to son, brother to brother, effectively making guard membership a hereditary profession. Over a hundred small and large commoner families emerged in Northland Town, some with twenty to thirty people, others with thirty to forty. They became a powerful local force that the family could not easily control.

The Norton Family had considered dealing with the guard, but they had to abandon these plans due to their deep entanglement with the family. For instance, most of the maids in the family's castle and manor were daughters from these commoner families, and many of the family soldiers recruited in the territory were also members of these guard families. Any disturbance would quickly be known to the guard. If the Norton Family resorted to force, the likely outcome would be mutual destruction, making the Norton Family a laughingstock among the nobility.

Because of these concerns, resolving the issue of the guard was continuously postponed. As long as the Norton Family head remained strong and did not touch the guard's bottom line – that is, not canceling the benefits for guard members and their families – the guard would still obediently follow orders. When Lorist's father and elder brother were alive, the guard was very compliant, even obeying the eldest young master's orders to accompany him on campaigns. However, after the eldest young master died, the father fell gravely ill, and the third young master took over, the guard began to outwardly obey but inwardly defy. For example, when the third young master was inspecting the territory and encountered a monster, the few guardsmen accompanying him immediately fled, leaving the third young master unattended and causing him to fall from his horse to his death.

Especially last year, the guard's refusal to obey orders led to the complete annihilation of the family cavalry and the Baron's severe injury. They even escalated their actions by surrounding the family castle and demanding the handover of Pat, the family's attendant who had injured their captain. In a sense, such behavior was tantamount to rebellion. With the loss of the family's military strength, the Norton Family had to make compromises. Resolving the issue of the territory's guard had become an urgent priority for the next Norton Family head.

The fourth problem was territorial disputes. To the south of the Norton Family's territory lay Viscount Kemais' Territory. Normally, the Northland was mostly wilderness, so a little more or less land wouldn't matter much. However, the disputed area, the Morgen Hills, was where the Norton Family's copper mines were located. This was the only source of income that allowed the Norton Family to sustain itself, so they were unwilling to give it up. This had led to several armed conflicts between the two sides, with Viscount Kemais suffering significant losses.

In fact, Viscount Kemais was not in the right. The Norton Family's territory was personally demarcated by the founding emperor of the Krissen Empire. On the map of enfeoffed territories, the Morgen Hills were clearly within the Norton Family's domain. Viscount Kemais' territory, however, was enfeoffed five years ago by the Second Prince, who was in charge of the northern nobles. Whether by oversight or design, the Morgen Hills were placed within the Viscount's jurisdiction. Logically, the Second Prince should have sent someone to clarify the boundaries, and as the later claimant, Viscount Kemais should have yielded. However, for some reason, the Second Prince muddied the waters, stating only that both sides should negotiate and resolve the matter themselves, and he would no longer be involved. The result was that both sides resorted to force, and the Norton Family emerged victorious.

Now, with the Norton Family in decline, Viscount Kemais had started to stir up trouble again. Especially two years ago, when his cousin became the mistress of Grand Duke Lugins, the powerful ruler of the Northland, he somehow established a connection with the Grand Duke. This emboldened him to dig a mine on the other side of the Morgen Hills, exploiting the Norton Family's copper resources. The Norton Family could only swallow their anger and let it go.

If Viscount Kemais knew the true situation of the Norton Family, he would likely seize their copper mines immediately. Without the income from the copper mines, the Norton Family's finances would soon collapse. This was the fifth problem facing the Norton Family, or rather, their financial crisis.

Ten years ago, although the Norton Family's territory had this thing called the guard, the family was not like those nobles who relied on exploiting their citizens for a living. The family relied on its own strength to hunt monsters for furs and skins, and then used their family merchant caravans to trade with Molent City for Northland specialties. The annual income from these ventures was extremely substantial. At that time, the family cavalry numbered over two hundred, fully equipped, and the Norton Iron Cavalry was renowned throughout the Northland.

However, good times did not last. Seven years ago, the merchant caravan led by Lorist's third uncle was ambushed and all members were killed, causing the family to lose its primary source of financial income. Shortly after, the eldest young master led the family's iron cavalry to fight for the Second Prince. By the time the eldest young master's body was escorted back, only a few dozen family cavalrymen remained, more than half of whom were injured or disabled. A significant portion of the family's accumulated wealth was spent on compensation.

To add insult to injury, the Second Prince sent an order transferring the Norton Family's allegiance from the Krissen Royal Family to Grand Duke Lugins. If the family's iron cavalry and the eldest young master were still alive, Baron would have undoubtedly refused this order, even if it meant fighting all the nobles in the Northland, because the Norton Family's loyalty was to the Krissen Royal Family, not to any particular prince.

When the eldest young master was alive, the Second Prince tried to win him over. Yet, as soon as the young master died, the Second Prince turned his back on them. Not only was there no compensation or reward, but he treated the Norton Family as a mere possession and casually handed them over to Grand Duke Lugins. This was both ironic and tragic for the Norton Family. However, at that time, all the nobles in the Northland were under the Second Prince's jurisdiction, and the Norton Family was powerless to resist, thus accepting the reality.

Grand Duke Lugins was not like the Krissen Royal Family. He not only levied a tithe on the territories of his subordinate nobles but also imposed war taxes, blood taxes, territory preservation fees, and more, totaling nearly half of a noble's territory's income. This was manageable for other nobles, but it was difficult for the Norton Family. They could not collect these additional taxes from the guard and their families. Instead, they had to pay the equivalent of three-tenths of their harvest on behalf of these individuals. If it weren't for the copper mine income maintaining a balance, the family would have long been in deficit.

Even though the war had ended, the Grand Duke not only did not reduce the levies but also added a restoration tax, implying that the tax was to prepare for the restoration of the Krissen Empire. When this preparation would end was unknown; it might continue for decades or centuries. Now, all the routes for external communication were under Grand Duke Lugins' territory, and the Norton Family could only endure this once again.

After Sertkamp and Pat finished explaining the entire situation of the Norton territory, everyone fell silent. Even Telman, who had advocated for Lorist to return and inherit the territory, had nothing to say. This was clearly a death trap; anyone who jumped in would perish.

Fatty Shi asked Pat and Sertkamp, "Did your family specify a deadline for Locke to arrive to inherit the territory?"

Pat replied, "The master passed away in March of this year. It took us over three months to travel from the Northland to Molent City. The roads were not safe, and we encountered robbers, slave traders, and territorial disputes, forcing us to take many detours. It took us over a month to find the young master in Molent City. My grandfather instructed me before we left that if the young master wished to return and inherit the territory, he must arrive before March of next year. If we do not return by then, the family will have to choose one of the children born to the master and a maid as the family heir."

Fatty Shi nodded. "That's good. Things aren't too urgent yet. You two stay by Locke's side for now, observe yourselves, and see which choice is truly best for Locke. Also, let Locke think carefully about the direction he wants his future path to take. Let's leave it at that for now."