The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 342 Big fish eats small fish

In the early morning, the White Dew area of ​​the Holy City was shrouded in mist, and there was a hint of chill in the air. Several horse-drawn carriages, surrounded by riders, stopped at the gate of Old Sean's farm.

The leader, Baron Ralph Devol, dismounted gracefully, handed the reins to the servant, and then crossed the threshold of the farm, surrounded by lawyers, district priests and local court judges who got off the car together.

This was once a fertile land, but a series of extreme weather events at the end of the year left the barns empty and the crisscrossing ridges filled with withered stubble.

However, it was this barren yellow land that gave Ralph confidence and made him full of faith in taking over this land.

"It seems that even Saint Sis is on our side." The lawyer raised his eyebrows slightly, and couldn't help but smile.

Ralph was about to talk to him when a nimble figure crossed the ridge and stepped on the withered crops.

"Father! Can I hang out here?"

Riding on a tall warhorse, holding the reins, Frey's face was filled with excitement.

His face was flushed, half from excitement and half from the cold wind.

After much persuasion, his father finally agreed to buy him the warhorse he was riding.

Riding on the tall warhorse, Frey felt as if he had become a real knight. He led his beloved horse wherever he went, and even wanted to lead it to the toilet.

Looking at Frey riding on the horse, Ralph showed a gentle smile on his face, as if he saw his younger self.

"Go, kid, this place is yours from now on."

Frey was waiting for this sentence. He shouted "Go" excitedly, spurred his horse into the wilderness, leaving a young and agile figure to the group of gentlemen.

"Your son is still so active." The priest smiled gently and said with a kind look.

Hearing the priest's words, Ralph grinned and spoke with his eagle-like eyes narrowed.

"Young people are like this, unlike me, who is already old."

The judge on the side made a joke.

"You are joking, Baron. If you are old, then Father Cassite and I should go to see Saint Sis?"

"Haha."

The three of them chatted like old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years. The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.

The lawyer who was following Ralph closely also wanted to join in the conversation, especially to establish a good relationship with the judge of the local court, but the latter, although very polite to him, ignored him.

The group arrived at the door of the dilapidated barn.

Farmer Sean had been standing in front of the door early in the morning, his coarse linen clothes covered in mud, his face looking haggard with anxiety.

In the eyes of those farmers, he could be called a master as he owned hundreds of acres of land.

However, he knew in his heart that he was not a master at all. He was just a fat sheep in front of the real master.

When the years are not optimistic, they are the first to be hit.

The lawyer, who had been turned down by the judge, had a gloomy face and looked at Sean as if he were a punching bag.

In order to show his importance, he walked forward with a cold face, took out the draft deed from the parchment scroll he carried with him, and put pressure on the honest farmer with the sound of flipping through documents.

The district priest and the local judge stood aside, waiting with some reserve.

"Good morning, Mr. Thain." Baron Devol had a kind smile on his face, but his upturned nose exposed the condescending attitude hidden behind the smile. "It seems that the harvest this year is not very good. You have worked so hard."

"Thank you for your concern, Baron. This year's harvest... is indeed not very good. It is mainly due to the storm in the vast ocean. No one expected that it would bring winter early."

Sean rubbed his hands, looking nervous, and put on a flattering smile, hoping to win the other party's sympathy.

"That's why I'm here. I think this is what Saint Sith meant. That kind-hearted man sent me to save you from the dire straits..."

The corners of Ralph's mouth rose slightly. Far from having any sympathy in his heart, there was a hint of sarcasm hidden behind his polite expression.

Looking at Sean, who had hope in his eyes, he continued in a polite voice.

"You know, I'm a magnanimous person. 1000 gold coins are enough to help you pay off your bank debt, and also allow you to leave easily and completely get rid of this heavy burden."

The moment he heard these words, Sean's face turned pale, and the light of hope gradually disappeared from his eyes.

He didn't know how the master knew that he owed a debt, and the exposure of his cards undoubtedly made his back, which had just straightened up, bend an inch again.

"Sir, 1200 gold coins are barely enough to pay off the debt and give my daughter a dowry... Our ancestors have been cultivating this land for generations, and we have invested at least gold coins, if not gold coins. Please be kind and at least give me this amount!"

Ralph's expression was still smiling, but the smile was gradually cooling.

200 gold coins.

This guy really dares to speak!
Fortunately, it is near the Holy City, otherwise this piece of muddy land would not even be worth 1200 silver coins!

The lawyer, who was eager to show off, coughed at the right time, stopped flipping through the documents, and spoke seriously.

"Mr. Sean, we understand that this is not the first time your loan has been deferred. If you don't pay it back this month, not only will your interest rate increase by another cent, but your land will also be at risk of being auctioned off. I can tell you the auction process. We will hang a sign at the door of your farm and then open it to bidding...but at that time, you will not be able to decide what price it can be sold for."

The priest also coughed lightly, seemingly trying to smooth things over, but in fact he was taking sides.

"Mr. Sean, I have to tell you that you can't count the money you spend on buying seeds every year as the cost of the land, right? If you count it this way, the contribution of the Devol family to this land is more than tens of thousands of gold coins. I'm afraid it's hundreds of thousands."

Sean looked at the solemn visitors in fear, wanting to argue for himself, but he couldn't open his mouth. He could only argue in vain: "But sir, no matter how bad this land is, it's worth more than this price... 1000 gold coins is really too little. If I sell it to you at this price, not only will I have worked in vain for so many years, but even my father--"

Ralph took off his leather gloves, raised his hand and gently stroked the horse's neck, and said casually: "Sean, I bought not only the land, but also the kindness to help you pay off your debt. If you are unwilling to accept it, I think things will soon become not so good."

Sean's face turned even more dejected when he heard this. He knew he had no other choice. He lowered his voice and said, "Please give me some leniency, considering that my grandfather reclaimed this land..."

"There is a limit to kindness, Sean." Devol smiled grimly, staring at the farmer with eyes as sharp as a hawk. "The price cannot be more than 1000 gold coins."

Sean was at a loss, looking at the priest and the judge for help, but they looked indifferent, as if the matter had nothing to do with them.

This matter really has nothing to do with them, they are merely witnesses to this transaction.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the farm behind Devol, as if some uninvited guests had broken into the scene. Sean couldn't help but look in the direction where the sound came from.

The sound got closer, and three strangers from the city appeared on the path outside the farm.

They rode on skinny ponies, looking excited and with a bit of the cunning of speculators.

Those eyes were obviously full of interest in this land, and there was a hint of impatience between their brows.

Hope rekindled on Sean's face.

However, just as his hope was aroused, the baron's servant became alert.

A tall and strong male servant stepped forward, stretched out his hand and fiercely grabbed the reins of the leader's horse, and shouted: "Stop! This is private territory, not a place you can trespass at will!"

The citizens of the holy city were also shocked by how rude these country folks were.

However, when he saw that the other party had no weapon, he couldn't help but become braver and glared back in a pretentious manner.

"Private land? Has it been sold? I see the sign hanging on the door hasn't changed."

"That's right, we just heard that there was a farm for sale here, so we came to take a look." The visitor obviously didn't expect to be treated so harshly, and was a little unhappy. "Why, don't we even have the qualifications to take a look?"

The servant standing next to him sneered, and without saying a word, he suddenly whipped the whip in his hand.

The three pack horses were not of good breed either. They were frightened and took several steps back, almost knocking their masters to the ground.

Looking at the three embarrassed citizens, several servants laughed wildly.

"Haha! You can't even ride a horse steadily! How dare you come here and act wild!"

"Go home to your old mother! While she is still alive, while you can still walk out intact!"

Several silent guards have drawn their daggers.

They would not kill anyone for such a small matter, but killing two horses was no big deal. Even if the city defense forces arrested them, Master Devor would take good care of their families for them.

Their ancestors have lived on Baron Devol's estate for generations. If they break the law for Baron Devol, their relatives will not be ashamed but will be proud of them.

The three citizens who lived at the feet of the emperor had never seen this before. Their faces turned pale immediately. Without saying a word, they turned their horses around and left, not daring to stay here for a moment.

They came here to seek wealth, not to risk their lives. If they lost their lives, what would it matter if they won the lawsuit?

I can't go to Saint Sis to complain...

Looking at the three young men fleeing in panic, Sean's face turned even paler, and he looked at the judge next to him in despair.

However, this respected gentleman just shook his head and expressed his dissatisfaction with the rude servants with just one sentence, "Saint Sixtus..."

Saint Siss above...

He also knows how to recite this slogan, and he has recited it ten thousand times, but what’s the use?
"You are a bunch of country bumpkins! You are a bunch of unruly people! You will get your comeuppance sooner or later!"

"Go to hell!"

There were one or two angry curses in the distance, and the three young men finally dared to speak after retreating to a safe distance. However, when they saw a servant taking out a crossbow from the back of the carriage, they immediately fled with pale faces, leaving this troubled place in a panic.

They really shouldn't be here.

Buying land in Bailu District is not as easy as buying land on Zhongcheng Street - you just have to hand over money and land, and then you can declare your ownership of the land with a stamped tax bill.

The nobility, the clergy, or the court, they had to first control one of them and then get the other two to acquiesce.

Otherwise, if anyone questions the legality of the transaction and pulls out a piece of parchment that looks old, there will be a lot of arguments.

This is usually the case with land mergers at the end. The complex local order will be squeezed together like a spring squeezed by a fist, and then the big fish will eat the small fish.

Seeing the excellent performance of the servants, Baron Devol smiled with satisfaction, turned his head and looked at Sean again, his tone becoming more severe and cold: "Mr. Sean, I hope you'd better not have any unnecessary illusions. Perhaps I should remind you of my title, and then remind you... You are not negotiating a business deal, but exchanging your land for your lord's forgiveness of your debt. Do you understand what I mean?"

Sean wanted to say that he didn't understand because the sentence was too confusing, but his face was so pale that he couldn't say a word.

Although his family had worked on this land for many years, they were only slightly larger landowners after all. They could barely be called gentlemen and chatted and laughed with wealthy citizens, but they were not true aristocrats.

Naturally, he didn't understand the complicated rules set by the nobles.

He vaguely heard that if a freeman's land was also on a nobleman's manor, then if the freeman wanted to transfer the land to another freeman, in addition to paying the deed tax, he would also have to pay a "land fee" to the local lord.

Such a rule does exist in the Ottoman Empire, but this so-called "fiefdom fee" is more like a "notarization fee" and cannot explain the subordinate relationship between him and the lord...Besides, the title of Baron Devol does not include this land, and calling himself the lord is a naked intimidation.

By the time he began to feel fear, he had already been defeated by the other party's authority.

but--

What good would it do him to be a little stiff-necked when the priests and judges turned a blind eye?
Baron Devol has just opened his toolbox, and there are too many means that have not yet been used.

Just when Sean was almost in despair, Devol's wife Mira slowly walked out of the carriage with a gentle smile.

She held a cup of hot tea in her hand and handed it to Sean gracefully: "Mr. Sean, don't be nervous. My husband is just thinking about you, but he is not very good at expressing it."

"How about this, why don't we both compromise and give 1100 gold coins? To show our sincerity, we will donate an additional 5 gold coins to the church as a blessing for your family and your daughter who is about to get married."

Mira's words were gentle and full of kindness. Although Sean knew that it was just false kindness, he still felt like he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

1100 gold coins... not bad.

However, the house that the couple liked might have to be moved to a remote urban area.

He lowered his head helplessly, trying hard to suppress the trembling of his hands holding the teacup.

"Thank you, ma'am, I'll do as you say."

Ralph smiled triumphantly and gave his wife an appreciative look. He then gestured to the lawyer, "Draw up the deed and we'll sign it here. The district priest and the judge are here. I don't want to trouble the two respected gentlemen to come with me again for this matter."

The lawyer nodded quickly.

"No problem sir! I have already written the form, all I need to do is fill in the numbers, just wait a moment!"

……

At the door of the barn, a heavy wooden board was placed on an overturned plow, forming a makeshift desk.

The lawyer took out the official deed from the paper tube he carried with him, unfolded it and laid it flat on the table, reading each detail carefully and clearly:
"…The total area of ​​the land here is 102.7 acres, with the four boundary markers extending to the river bend in the south, the main road of the White Dew District in the north, the oak forest in the east, and the border of the Sean Farm in the west. The buyer, Baron Ralph Devol, promises to pay the seller, Mr. Sean, a total of gold coins. The buyer will also donate an additional five gold coins to the White Dew District Church and bear the taxes and fees for the land transfer…"

Sean looked lonely and confused, and nodded silently.

The district priest meticulously recorded the location and scope of the land in detail on paper, while the local judge solemnly took out his private seal and stamped it solemnly at the bottom of the deed.

When he was done, the lawyer pulled out a small, exquisite silver box from his sleeve, took out the blue stamp of the tax amount, and carefully affixed it to the contract.

Then he respectfully rolled up the contract, tied it with a ribbon, and carefully handed it to Baron Devol.

Ralph took the contract, weighed it, and then threw it to his butler.

In fact, generally speaking, purchasing land does not need to be so troublesome. It only needs a witness from the church, the local court or the local nobles... and he himself is one of them.

However, his next "opponent" was a behemoth like the Colin family after all. He had to be more cautious and do things without any flaws so that the other party could not find any problems.

The court, the church, and the lord... and the tax stamps, all the details are seamless.

After confirming that there were no omissions, the group turned around and left. Only Sean, who was standing at the door of the barn, looked at the land that no longer belonged to him in despair, as if his soul had been taken away from him.

The only person he can count on now is his daughter.

He hoped that, in view of the generous dowry, the young man who promised to make his daughter happy would also love her and give him a place to stay in the city.

Otherwise, he can only go back to his hometown to try his luck...

The only thing to be thankful for was that he had paid off all his debts and interest, and he felt relieved.

On the other side, Ralph shook hands with the judge and the priests and said goodbye. Then he walked to the field like a victorious general and shouted to Freddy who was having fun in the distance.

"Frey! What are you still doing there? Come back, we want to go home!"

Hearing his father calling, Frey excitedly turned his horse's head and galloped over, his eyes flashing with excitement and anticipation.

"Father, have you finished talking? Is this farm...really ours?"

Another hundred acres of land!
In the past few days, the Devol family's land has been expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye!

As the future head of the Devol family, he was very satisfied with his father's performance.

Although Lao Deng is usually quiet, he is very capable at critical moments!
Ralph laughed out loud, unable to hide the pride in his eyes any longer, and started bragging in front of his son.

"Of course, this will be our winery from now on! I plan to plant grapes here!"

The baroness standing nearby glanced at him with a smile and said jokingly.

"Are you willing to plant grapes here?"

Ralph said with great delight.

"It doesn't have to be grapes. It depends on what His Royal Highness Colin likes."

Of course, it would be the best option to sell it directly to His Highness Colin, but it doesn't matter if His Highness doesn't like the land.

He was very happy to be the neighbor of that distinguished gentleman. After all, once millions of gold coins were invested, the price of the land would definitely go up.

At worst, he could still sell it to the citizens he had driven away before. Obviously, he was not the only one who wanted to be neighbors with His Highness Colin.

Frey was so happy to hear that that he couldn't help but cheer.

"How about changing it to grass? I can practice my horse riding skills here!"

"Haha, you little bastard! You use such good land to grow grass, you're such a spendthrift!" Ralph scolded with a smile.

Just as the father and son were excitedly imagining the future wealth and glory, there was suddenly a commotion outside the farm.

In the distance, dust and smoke billowed, and a team of carriages decorated with silver emblems galloped towards them.

The man in the lead was well-dressed and looked anxious and gloomy.

That was their old neighbor, Baron Wilson Lude... This guy was also a vulture who ate people without leaving any bones. He was even more stingy than the Devol family.

As soon as he arrived at the farm gate, he realized something was wrong, especially when he saw the contract in Butler Ralph's hand, his face suddenly turned gloomy.

"Ralph, you're pretty quick," Wilson forced a smile, but the coldness in his tone was not concealed at all. "I just heard yesterday that the farm here was for sale, and you've already bought it today?"

Ralph slowly took the contract from the butler, shook it, and threw it back into the butler's hand, with a hypocritical and arrogant smile on his face.

"Mr. Lude, opportunities always belong to those who have a keen eye and act quickly. Unfortunately, you always seem to be a step behind."

Wilson looked at him deeply, without getting angry or arguing, but just spoke coldly.

"Well, Ralph, it looks like you've won another round. I hope this deal is worth your investment."

After saying this, Wilson waved his hand and left with his servants, leaving only a cloud of dust on the road.

Sean stared in amazement at the brief but intense battle before him, speechless for a moment.

Three waves of buyers came in one day, and the first two waves almost got into a fight... His farm had never been so lively!

Unfortunately, he did not have his own butler who could deliver the latest newspapers from the city to the suburbs fifty kilometers away on time for breakfast and dinner every day, and carefully cut out useful news and place them on his dining table or desk.

The last time he had read a newspaper was last month - the one that reported that Prince Colin was going back to the Holy City for his father's funeral.

He had never heard of what had happened recently in Bailu District, even though he lived here.

At this moment, he finally realized that he had suffered a huge loss.

It's a pity that the land under his feet has nothing to do with him anymore...

(End of this chapter)