The lord chuckled mockishly.
The disdain for a lowly commoner learning to read was laughable.
"Even going to the academy to learn to read. At least his kids won’t be illiterate. But it’s hardly going to help them in life.”
The lord had another reason for not learning to read.
"Knowing how to read makes a man a coward. Such men are of no use on a battlefield where blood and flesh fly. They panic at the sight of blood and run away. Utterly useless.”
This rationalization had led him to neglect reading for over 30 years.
Of course, it wasn't that he was completely illiterate.
Several lords he knew were also illiterate, and for similar reasons, they had not learned to read.
Having finished speaking, he lightly patted Rockefeller on the shoulder.
"Do you understand what I’ve said?"
Rockefeller bowed his head in response.
"Yes, I understood well.”
“What I’ve been saying is that a person must know their place. Like Hans here, who doesn’t know his and acts recklessly, shouldn’t be. Such people lack manners.”
The lord, having finished his speech, looked at the young siblings with Rockefeller.
For him, the people belonging to his domain were a form of property.
However, it was difficult to arbitrarily command the commoners, unlike serfs.
Their freedom was somewhat guaranteed by him, the lord, in exchange for a certain amount of tax.
“It seems like you’re at a dead end for a way to live. How about you stop your presumptuous acts and come under me? Quietly till the land with your siblings? I suppose I could find some land for you to cultivate.”
What he said was an offer for Rockefeller to abandon his status as a commoner and become a serf under him.
Rockefeller, well aware that serfs had no freedom whatsoever unlike commoners, found his words anything but sweet.
‘I’d rather starve than become a serf. That's why people say it's better to be a commoner. No way a serf.’
Commoners had freedoms that neither serfs nor slaves could enjoy.
Thinking he could endure hunger for the sake of that freedom, Rockefeller politely decided to decline his offer.
“Thank you for your words, but my grandfather was a doctor who healed the sick, and my father assisted the lord with various administrative tasks within the territory, using the knowledge he learned at the academy. We, who are descendants of such a grandfather and father, cannot suddenly abandon our forefathers' will and return to the fields. We would be grateful if the lord could deeply understand our situation."
It was an answer uncharacteristic of his age.
The lord, taken aback by the unexpected response, looked slightly stunned.
'What kind of answer is this from a young lad? Was the eldest son here always this astute?'
The lord found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
After all, it wasn't a wrong statement.
"Well, your grandfather was a doctor, and your father did serve under me as a tax collector and a scribe. Those weren't useless roles... But that was possible because it was your father. It's not really a statement for you, who's barely literate, is it?"
Korean private education may be harsh, but where would that learning go?
Rockefeller felt an itch to speak up, but considering the situation and his position, he decided not to be too forward.
He didn't want to become disliked by him for overstepping his boundaries.
'In this place, he's the king. I shouldn't say anything that might upset him.'
"Then, I will try to become someone essential to the lord and this domain. Could you please give us a little more time until then?"
Having said this, the lord found himself unable to insist on having his way.
Of course, considering his position, he could have forced his will on the young one, but such an approach could lead to significant problems later on.
Like his siblings running away to another domain in the dead of night, or harboring resentment.
In any case, dealing with people was also a challenging task for him as the lord.
'What's a good solution... Ah, that might be better.'
He then changed his perspective.
He realized there was no need to force him, as the given reality would eventually compel him to make a choice.
'He's practically on the brink of starvation; what options does he have? He should obediently come under me and start plowing the fields.'
"You are the head of a family in your own right, so I respect your wishes. You may be young, but... still, you are a legitimate head of a family, so I cannot completely disregard that."
The lord immediately continued his speech.
"However, remember this well. There really is nothing in this world that comes for free. I don't think there are many options left for someone as busy with the day-to-day struggle of survival as you."
The lord, casting a glance at Rockefeller and his younger siblings, wore a meaningful smile on his lips.
"If you change your mind, considering your younger siblings, come find me anytime. As I mentioned earlier, in this domain, there are a lot of people needed for tilling the fields. Why maintain your freedom by paying precious money? It's not like that feeds you."
"I would appreciate some more time to think about it."
"Alright, I understand. But remember this. For people like you, the most important things are a safe place to protect yourself and a full stomach. In my opinion, that's all you people deserve. Anything more is frankly impolite. People must always live within their means, you know. According to their status."
With those words about propriety and status, the lord, as soon as the funeral was over, left with the Seers who followed him.
In this place, Seers were like guards who followed the lord and were in charge of the security of his territory.
"I'm going to go crazy."
After everyone had left, and only his younger siblings were around, Rockefeller's expression near his father's grave was more serious than ever.
"Even being a commoner is all maintained with money..."
The Rothsmedici family could have their title recognized by the lord of this place.
But in a situation where surviving day-to-day was a challenge, was there any money to maintain the status of a commoner?
"It's hard enough to make ends meet, and now to lose the little freedom we have..."
Money was the problem.
From the beginning until now, always.
"How do I make money? What good method is there..."
Then, something crossed his mind.
It was definitely something he had read in a novel.
"Wait a minute. If it's the Montefeltro territory..."
Among the various incidents he had read about in the novel, there was one huge war that still remained in his memory.
The Gold Vein War.
It was a war that broke out between the dwarves trying to reclaim their land and the empire that refused them, and the very cause of it was this place.
The previous name of the Montefeltro territory was the Azark Goldmine.
It was a place where dwarves recklessly mined gold after a massive vein was discovered, until the vein ran out.
