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The team led by Duru arrived in the Rogest Territory. Located in the eastern part of Holy Lotean Empire, the territory was a borderland. To the east, there were towering mountains, and to the west, a vast blue sea. It was not adjacent to any other territories, and the legions stationed in the eastern region took turns defending against the dangers from the sea.
The Rogest territory was not the easternmost borderland. There were many mountains and valleys separating it from the sea, with only one inlet leading to the ocean. The sea creatures living there were not accustomed to freshwater rivers, so they rarely ventured inland. Therefore, the territory did not face the same level of danger near sea. The legions stationed there seldom chose to patrol that section of the sea. Instead, they focused on guarding the eastern region, rarely returning.
Due to Aresia’s return, the Duchess wrote a letter and used the teleportation array of the Mage Guild to send it back to the castle in the territory. The castle had already received the notification and knew when they would arrive. Even the castle staff on this side knew that they had returned on flying magical creatures.
They kept it confidential and did not inform the other five cities. They planned to bypass the cities and towns on this trip.
As the escort team flew over the territory, Aresia observed the land below. The entire land was surrounded by hills, with various tall and low peaks. The land was nestled among these mountains, but between the mountains was a vast plain. On this plain, five cities were situated, strategically arranged like the points of a pentagram, protecting the castle located at the center. This castle was the residence of the Rogest family, who had lived in this land for generations.
Aresia’s destination was a massive castle.
The distance between the five cities and the castle was actually quite far. Around the castle and cities were vast fields. Beyond that, the land was barren, with no signs of human activity except for the concentration of people heading towards the castle.
The escort team circled around the cities and headed towards the castle in the center of the plain.
The architectural style in the current Holy Lotean City was different, but the castle in the Territory of Rogest was a solid stone structure, giving it an ancient and weathered appearance. It was even more magnificent than their mansion in Holy Lotean City. The castle seemed like a giant sitting on the plain, surrounded by a moat that added a touch of charm.
Outside the moat were vast farmlands, where low houses were clustered. These were the dwellings of the commoners affiliated with the castle.
One interesting aspect of this world was that due to the constant threat of beasts attacks, the population of the intelligent races had always been restricted. In addition, the relationships between different races were not particularly harmonious, making it difficult to replenish the labor force with outsiders. The population was already limited, and it was not acceptable for anyone to possess a large number of slaves, wasting valuable resources.
Although slavery existed, the number of slaves was scarce, mostly consisting of criminals who were demoted to slavery or civilians captured during wars with outside forces. The latter were usually redeemed, and only those who couldn’t afford to buy their freedom remained as slaves.
However, due to the constant warfare in Holy Lotean Empire, there were very few slaves who were war captives. The main source of slaves was criminals and the occasional civilian who couldn’t afford to redeem themselves. These people still had a chance to free themselves from slavery.
Moreover, because the birth of professionals was highly sought after, regardless of their social class or even if they were slaves, as long as they possessed talent, they had a chance to rise above their current status. They would be respected by others and have the opportunity to receive education from any faction that was willing to teach them.
This caused many lords to restrain themselves and not exploit their subjects too much. They were afraid that the awakened professionals would seek revenge once they grew stronger. However, there were still some powerful professionals who were not nobles but possessed noble titles, and many professionals were commoners.
These individuals faced even more hardships than the nobles and were more closely related to the common people. They were respected by the people and could elevate themselves to a higher position.
The situation where slaves were transformed into commoners was not uncommon. This led to the gradual decline of the slave system, even in the territories of the nobles. It was challenging to find even a few slaves.
This was not to say that the commoners were not being exploited by the nobles. In reality, many commoners were still tied to the land, working and paying taxes to their lords. These commoners were called “tenant farmers” and were similar to serfs. However, their lives were not as harsh as the serfs of old. At least they didn’t need to gather firewood or hunt to pay taxes to the lords. The lords didn’t bother them if they encountered beasts attacks.
In fact, if it weren’t for the constant danger from the outside, these tenant farmers would have become serfs. Since beast’s attacks were prevalent, the population growth was difficult, and the emperor even issued a law requiring every district to have at least a certain number of infants per year. If the number of deaths among the commoners exceeded a certain threshold, they would be punished.
Moreover, nobody knew when a professional would awaken, and if they were heavily exploited by their lords, they might be lured away by other factions. The original lords no longer had the power to retain them. Even if they were questioned, they could claim to have left due to a beasts attack and would not face any punishment.
In the realm of Holy Lotean Empire, the common people may not be wealthy, but their lives are not impoverished either.
In this world, where land is abundant but people are scarce, even as commoners, they have the opportunity to rent land from the lords. This ensures their safety, as the lord’s army helps drive away roaming beasts.
Many farmers in the area are tenant farmers.
As the escort team flew over the farmland, the farmers who were working in the fields panicked and ran towards their homes, even though the beasts on this land hadn’t shown any signs of attacking them.
Upon receiving the notification, the soldiers patrolling the castle wall were momentarily flustered but quickly regained their composure when they realized that the flying creatures were carrying people. Moreover, the attire of these individuals was very familiar, and the person waving the flag even held the banner of the Gryphon Legion Corps.
The one waving the flag was Duru, who had been prepared in advance. The flag signals were well-known to the guards of the castle, who were soldiers of the Rogest family and did recognize the Gryphon Corps’ flag.
After receiving the notification, the castle staff immediately informed the management. They hurriedly climbed up the wall and witnessed the flying creatures landing on the castle walls. Fortunately, the walls were wide enough that the large beast could stand on them, so the guards crowded to the side.
The staff noticed Aresia’s distinctive appearance and finally found Amos by her side.
The castle staff hurried forward to welcome them, saying, “Young Master Amos, Miss Aresia, welcome back!”
Amos and Aresia exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and relief.
Charlie, the castle steward, stepped forward and explained, “We received the letter from the Duchess. Although it was hard to believe, we followed the instructions and prepared accommodations for you. However, we didn’t know that the number of people sent by the Duke would be this many. We are not fully prepared for your arrival.”
Charlie gestured to a soldier who seemed brave enough and said, “Lead the way. Duru, have the soldiers follow them. We will guide you to the prepared accommodations.”
Charlie was indeed a capable steward and had a strong backing—he himself was a professional of a decent level. Compared to others, he had made preparations in advance for this situation. He volunteered to deal with the beast, so the soldiers were relieved.
Despite receiving the letter from the Duchess, they were still in disbelief. However, they followed the instructions outlined in the letter, which mentioned the prepared accommodations. Fortunately, the Duchess had sent enough people, and the urgent letter allowed them to make adjustments. However, they still wanted to have a welcome banquet to celebrate the return of the young master and miss.
Amos and Aresia were not interested in a banquet.
“No need for a banquet. Just have the kitchen prepare some food and hold a simple feast in the square. Invite Duru and the others to join us. Also, don’t forget to prepare enough meat for the magical beasts.”