nyslfriends Chapter 156 Pain and Regret
Chapter 156 Pain and Regret
The remnants of documents in the brazier were blown away by the wind.
It turned to ashes completely.
They vanished without a trace.
Wendy, holding a stack of brand-new documents, slowly walked down from the platform.
The documents were made of fine sheepskin and stamped with a chiffon gold seal, on which their new identities were clearly written.
—Free people.
She distributed the documents to everyone one by one, her smile gentle.
"On behalf of the City Hall, I declare that from this moment forward, you are Chiffon-certified free citizens, enjoying the legal rights granted by the Empire."
"If you are subjected to unwarranted persecution, you can file for a public trial at the city hall to protect your rights."
In theory, this is a right that the Holy See has fought for for free people over the past few centuries.
but...
None of these nineteen newly free citizens fear persecution.
If anyone other than Chiffon dares to bully them, like Illara, the lord will stand up for them!
If someone abuses their power like Catherine from within Chiffon, the lord will punish them through the law!
They knew that as long as they remained loyal to Chiffon and became his subjects...
The young lord, suspended in mid-air, will treat them with the utmost fairness and protect them!
He is someone who can bring hope and light to people even more than the Holy See!
They pressed their identification documents to their chests; the heat made their hearts burn, and tears welled up, blurring their vision.
They all knelt down on both knees, their voices hoarse yet fervently devout, shouting to the lord:
"Long live Lord Richard!"
May chiffon cakes live on forever!
"Long live!!"
"Long live!!"
The more than 500 serfs watching from below the stage were deeply moved by this scene, their blood boiling.
Their present is their future!
The lord did not lie to them!
As long as you work hard and earn enough work points, you can really get rid of your serf status and become a free person!
More than five hundred serfs knelt down and shouted, their voices rising higher and higher, reaching the sky. Even the birds in the black pine forest were startled and took flight.
Richard hovered in mid-air, looking at the kneeling crowd below the stage, and gently pressed down with his hand.
The surging noise subsided instantly, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the lord to speak.
"Once you become free citizens, the work-point system of serfs will no longer apply to you."
"The stone house and basic living supplies package that you exchanged with work points will be distributed to you by the city hall later."
"From today onwards, you will be employed by Chiffon Castle and continue in your previous positions, each receiving a monthly salary of ten silver coins and thirty kilograms of wheat."
"Given that you have been promoted from serfs to free people, I will exempt you from all taxes for the first five years, so that you will not have to pay a single penny."
...
The crowd below the stage became even more excited!
Ten silver coins!
Thirty kilograms of wheat!
Five years of tax exemption!
Although they knew that Chiffon could mine gold and grow food at will, these things belonged to the lord and had nothing to do with the serfs.
This salary and benefits are several times more generous than those of free citizens in other territories!
This means...
As long as you stay focused on making chiffon cakes and contribute to the industry, you can live a stable life in the future without worrying about your livelihood.
Praise be to the merciful lord!
However...
Richard hadn't finished speaking.
He looked at the nineteen young people with expectation in his eyes.
"Becoming a free citizen is not the end. Keep striving, and I look forward to seeing you go further and show me your loyalty."
"Back then..."
"You will be embraced by chiffon!"
"Becoming a citizen of Chiffon City not only allows you to enjoy various welfare policies, but also lets you buy life-sustaining foods produced in your territory at low prices."
These words were spoken.
The serfs' eyes were red with envy!
Before coming to Chiffon, they had spent half their lives farming, planting, watering, and harvesting countless crops by hand in the fields.
Looking at those fragrant crops, one could only swallow hard, daring not to have the slightest improper thoughts.
For nobles and certain individuals, life crops were treasures that could strengthen the body and help them transcend the ordinary.
But for them, it was a poison that would kill them instantly if they ingested it.
Now the lord says that as long as you work hard to become a Chiffon citizen, you can eat the life crop!
This would drive them crazy more than giving them a hundred silver coins or a thousand kilograms of wheat!
The shouts that had just subsided...
It's going to ignite again!
"Chiffon cake!!"
"Chiffon cake!!"
The serfs waved their arms and screamed at the top of their lungs.
They wanted to unleash all their excitement and ecstasy, and the entire open space instantly became a sea of frenzy!
Richard looked at the enthusiastic crowd below and felt very satisfied.
This ceremony not only gave these nineteen people a new life, but also gave all the serfs a hope for the future.
If it's in a game...
It's like giving them all sorts of random buffs like energy, high spirits, efficiency, endurance, and happiness.
Work speed is at maximum!
Once the inner city is built, we'll buy several thousand more serfs to continue developing the Black Pine Forest, the outer city, and the Rocky Forest.
Gee!
Richard also dreamed of the entire Chiffon Wasteland transforming into a paradise, a northern wonderland covered in flowers.
...
The ceremony has ended.
Richard and his maids returned to the lord's manor, while the soldiers lined up to return to the training ground.
The serfs then surged toward the fields.
The lord said so.
For the celebration.
Today, fruit is all-you-can-eat, and everyone can also have a small glass of ale.
What else can we say but cheer?
This is a delicacy that only free people can enjoy!
Sweet blueberries, juicy watermelon, fist-sized blackcurrants—every bite is bursting with sweet and sour juice.
The beer was served in a rough earthenware bowl, the amber liquid bubbling with fine foam.
Some people are drinking alcohol for the first time.
He couldn't quite appreciate the kick, yet he still frowned and slowly sipped.
He even bragged to his fellow serfs that once they were promoted to free citizens, they would buy a cup of this every day.
...
Out of place in this revelry was Kelsalina, who stood alone in the open space at the entrance of the compound.
She stood like a stone statue, staring blankly at the laughter and chatter coming from the direction of the fields.
The ceremony, the shouts, the flames, and the smiling faces of the nineteen newly freed citizens all felt like needles pricking her heart.
Envy, regret, and pain overwhelmed her like a tide.
If she hadn't impulsively killed him, she would be standing below the platform now, holding the document of a free citizen, and she too would be...
She destroyed everything she had with her own hands.
...
Why aren't you eating anything?
A gentle voice rang out, and Catherine snapped back to reality to find Fanny, the serf steward, standing before her.
Kelsarina lowered her head.
"I'm not hungry..."
Fanny smiled.
"Alright."
"I'm here to inform you that you've been working very hard lately, and the lord has specifically ordered that you rejoin the militia."
"Go to the Craftsmen's Armory later and collect... leather armor... and weapons. Tomorrow... you..."
Fanny hadn't finished speaking, but Katherina couldn't hear anything anymore.
She stared blankly at Fanny's constantly opening and closing lips, but all she could hear was one sentence booming and exploding in her ears.
—With special permission from the lord, you are allowed to rejoin the ranks!
...
Her nose stung, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls, blurring her vision.
She turned abruptly, facing the direction of the lord's manor, and knelt down with a thud, her forehead pressed to the ground, wailing loudly!
The cries were both mournful and devout, echoing across the empty open space.