Chapter 272: 272 the Brielhot Family (Request for monthly tickets! Subscription request!)
"Yikes!"
As they watched Baron Caffield cough up blood from being kicked by Solok, several farmers let out cries of despair.
Their faces distorted, their bodies trembled incessantly, looking at Baron Caffield lying on the ground continuously coughing blood, their eyes filled with fear.
As country farmers from a baron’s land, when had they ever seen such a scene?
In their eyes, Baron Caffield was a figure beyond their reach, always haughty within his domain and tyrannical everywhere he went. When had they ever seen him fall to the ground, coughing blood in such a pitiful state?
With their limited knowledge and scope, the greatest person they had ever seen in their lives was Baron Caffield.
Now, this noble Lord of high stature and great significance in their eyes, was being kicked until he continously coughed blood—the shock this caused them was imaginable.
However, Solok still did not seem appeased.
"Even though you are the lowest-ranking baron, you are still a lord of your domain, aren’t you?"
Solok walked over to where Baron Caffield lay, looked down at him with bloodshot eyes.
"Since you are a lord, how can you not take good care of your own land, manage your own people well?"
"Surely, you were just preoccupied with flaunting your power and neglected your duties as a lord, right?"
"This is simply deserving of death. Don’t you agree?"
Solok’s fierce words naturally evoked a cry of horror from Baron Caffield.
"That’s not true, that’s not true, Your Highness!" Baron Caffield cried out, saying, "I have indeed fulfilled my duties as a lord. I have always paid the annual taxes on time, and I have never skimped on the monthly reports!"
"I am loyal to the royal family, I support the royal faction, Your Highness!"
Baron Caffield thought that he was being abused by Solok because of his good deeds in his domain were discovered.
Indeed, he was a supporter of the royal faction, but he also engaged with people from the Duke faction, occasionally betraying some information to them in exchange for some wealth.
The taxes he paid on time each year were only about a third of what he collected in his domain, and the rest he pocketed himself.
Not only did he impose heavy taxes within his domain, but if any of the residents could not pay, he would immediately demote them to slaves, treating them as cheap labor, either putting them to hard labor or simply selling them off.
As for the monthly management reports of the domain, those were written by clerks under his command and had nothing to do with him.
These things, Baron Caffield dared not admit, nor dared to mention, so he could only speak nonsense like this.
But he did not know, what Solok cared about was not these matters at all.
"You say you have dutifully fulfilled the responsibilities of a lord?"
Solok laughed then, his laughter filled with rage.
"You have dutifully fulfilled the responsibilities of a lord, then why did you let that person escape from your domain?"
Solok then began to kick Baron Caffield repeatedly.
"If it wasn’t for your letting him escape, how would I end up suffering this?"
"If it wasn’t for your incompetence, how could that person have hidden until now?"
"If you had discovered that person’s talent and potential at the start, controlled him early on, trained him into a faithful dog, a dog, how could he have had the chance to strut in front of me?"
"So, it’s all your fault, everything is your fault!"
Solok unreasonably pushed all the blame onto Baron Caffield, venting his anger unilaterally, and the force of his kick became heavier and heavier until Baron Caffield’s face was swollen and his body splattered with blood continuously.
"Gag...! Ah...! Mmm..."
At first, Baron Caffield could still cry out for mercy, but over time he could no longer manage, only left with pitiful screams.
Before long, Baron Caffield was completely disfigured, lying in a pool of blood, gasping for breath, without even the strength to cover his head.
Solok still was not appeased, and after a few more kicks, he finally turned towards the few farmers.
"Spare our lives!"
"Spare our lives!"
The few farmers were already terrified out of their wits, and seeing Solok turn towards them, they immediately knelt down and kept kowtowing, crying miserably.
Solok continued to look at these three people as though they were something filthy, but having vented some of his anger, he did not lay his hands on them again.
"You are the grandfather and parents of Reiger Brillhaut, aren’t you?"
Solok coldly asked.
"Rei, Reiger?"
The three, hearing this name, were immediately stunned.
That name, they could not possibly fail to recognize.
It was a name that had taken them from great joy to great sorrow, and then from great sorrow to anger and hatred.
The ancestors of the Brilliant family were farmers for three generations.
They not only lived in Baron Caffield’s domain all the time, but were also extremely poor from generation to generation, only able to survive by farming, barely above slaves.
Whether it was the grandfather Brillhaut or father Brillhaut, both had longed to escape poverty, to no longer be farmers, and to live a life of great wealth.
Unfortunately, not only did their wishes go unfulfilled, but Lord Brilliant had once been reduced to a slave for failing to pay taxes, becoming one of the many slaves without any human rights under Baron Solok.
On a daily basis, they did the most work but received the least compensation, barely able to sustain themselves—it was not exactly skipping meals for three days, but missing six or seven meals was certainly common.
Even after the original owner was born, such harsh days hadn’t changed.
About a year ago, by sheer chance, the Brilliant family discovered that the original owner was born with immense Magic Power and could potentially become a Magician, and they were overjoyed.
To them, who had been farmers or even slaves all their lives, a Magician was an existence of unparalleled nobility.
They had no concept of levels like combat class, tactical level, or strategic level, but there was a Magician in Baron Solok’s territory, employed by the Baron to impose slavery contracts on those who couldn’t pay their taxes. He did nothing else yet held a status only second to Baron Solok, adored, envied, and beloved by people, enjoying lavish meals every day, living a lush life.
He could cast Fireballs, shattering huge rocks that several strong men couldn’t lift, with a single strike.
He could summon fierce winds, effortlessly blowing away any number of slaves and guards who attacked him.
In the eyes of those rural folks, such power could only be described as miraculous.
If someone from their family could become such a person, then they would surely live better days and no longer be poor farmers.
So, overwhelmed by joy, they didn’t even regard the original owner’s opinion and directly arranged his fate.
That was to present him to the lord, to work for the lord.
This led to the original owner’s escape and also shattered the Brilliant family’s dreams.
Therefore, throughout the year, they were constantly filled with anger and resentment, believing that this unworthy descendant had abandoned his family, which was utterly intolerable.
If it were not for their fear of being killed by the lord’s men if they left the territory arbitrarily, they would have chased him down regardless of the consequences, captured that young bastard, and beaten him severely.
Thus, it was only today that they heard Reiger’s name again.
Could it be...
"Is, is it that bastard who offended you?"
Old Brilliant trembled as he spoke.
"That has nothing to do with us!"
Mother Brilliant was also sobbing.
"That bastard has long left home and has nothing to do with us. If you want to settle accounts, go find him personally, you can even kill him—it doesn’t matter, such a heartless creature deserves to die!"
Father Brilliant vented all his rage and hatred towards Reiger.
Suddenly, all three were talking at once, continuously proclaiming their disassociation with Reiger, claiming ignorance of his deeds, and emphasizing that all the grave sins were his alone and had nothing to do with them.
Watching the Brilliant family’s vile and ugly behavior and words in their struggle to survive, Solok unexpectedly laughed.
Moreover, this time, his laughter contained no anger, only pleasure.
"So it is, born into such a family, no wonder he chose to hide his strength and secretly grow it. If you had discovered his ability too early, he certainly would have become your tool for making money, to be presented to that useless Baron, right?"
Solok felt he had glimpsed a part of Reiger’s hidden truth.
But that was temporary unimportant.
"You may not know yet?" Solok taunted the Brilliant family, "that unfilial offspring of yours has now become the kingdom’s seventh Sword Saint and a Tactical Level Magician, with a status and strength that put him at the very pinnacle of this kingdom, you know?"
Upon hearing this, the Brilliant family was once again stunned.
"Of course, that’s not important," Solok shifted his tone, saying, "What’s important is, your grandson, your son, has now made something of himself, so as his family, it’s only natural for you to go to him, right?"
"Do you want to live?"
"It’s simple, just complete a task."
Solok placed a bottle that looked like a potion in front of the Brilliant family.
"If you can find an opportunity to make him take this Magic Potion, I will not only let you live, but also allow you to achieve the great wealth you’ve always dreamed of."
"What do you think?"
"Can you do it?"
As soon as Solok’s words fell, the Brilliant family exchanged glances of elation.
"We can!"
"We surely can!"
"We guarantee to complete the task!"
The three did not hesitate for a moment, shouting while their minds echoed with that phrase—"achieve the great wealth we’ve always dreamed of."
As for what that potion was and what would happen to Reiger after drinking it, that wasn’t something they wanted to know.
"Very good."
Solok’s sneer grew thicker.
He was already eager to know.
To know what expression Reiger would show after drinking the Magic Potion he prepared for him and being betrayed by his own family.
Yet, what Solok didn’t know, outside, a figure was slowly approaching.