Chapter 147

Chapter 147: Two Youths (Part One)

In the Cangcui Empire, behind the Borris family’s mountain.

The ground among the mountains was covered with withered yellow and green leaves. The black soil was very soft; stepping on it could hear the sound of broken leaves. Occasionally, a few ants could be seen crawling under the fallen leaves and on the tree trunks, moving tiny food particles—some were the corpses of other insects, others were pine nut fragments—through various crevices.

The fence made of deadwood branches was leaning askew, with part of it already loose, revealing rusty nails. With the wind blowing, it would sway slightly. The forest was very quiet, only occasionally interrupted by the long calls of birds.

A teenager with golden-brown hair walked over. He was around sixteen years old, wearing a white shirt that was easy to move in, and tough leather pants. He carried a broadsword on his shoulder. Judging from the worn scabbard and the polished counterweight ball, this sword seemed to have been used for quite some time.

He casually stepped over the simple fence, getting some bark fragments on his leather pants. He brushed them off, shaking off some dust. Then, he turned around a few trees and saw a simple wooden rack in front of him.

The wooden rack was just a thick log stuck into the ground, with a segment of wood branch nailed horizontally on top, roughly the height of an adult. From the marks of the corners being shaved, it appeared to have been recently made.

He drew out his broadsword, placing the scabbard under a tree, then began swinging it. Holding the broadsword tightly with both hands, it seemed somewhat large for him. It was estimated that he would use it comfortably a few years later.

Although his sword swings were not fast, they cut through the air with a whistling sound, looking quite professional, suggesting he had received proper training.

After practicing several times, his body became warm. He put down the sword, bent his legs, stretched his tendons, and then ran a few rounds around the woods before returning to where he had left his sword.

Judging from the sky, it was around three or four in the afternoon. He went to a nearby mountain spring to drink some water, then leaned against a tree to rest.

At this moment, a short figure slowly approached from the forest behind him, not walking fast but extremely quietly, almost soundless.

This figure gradually neared the tree the youth was leaning against. In his right hand, he gripped a short sword, while his left hand stretched out in the air. As he got closer, the youth seemed unaware, still leaning against the tree trunk, eyes closed in relaxation.

The figure approaching from behind saw him completely unprepared and felt a surge of joy, preparing to strike.

“Hey!”

In the silent forest, the youth opened his eyes suddenly, shouting loudly. This startled the figure behind, who stepped on the dried leaves, making a noise. Before he could react, the youth in front picked up the sword beside him, stood up, and swung back. He could only hastily defend himself with the short sword in his hand.

However, the light short sword was no match for the heavy broadsword. After a few simple clashes, the short sword was knocked away, landing on the nearby rubble, its hilt bouncing slightly before coming to a stop. The youth pointed his broadsword at the figure standing opposite him.

“Haha, I won this time, Rock.”

“Cut.”

Looking at the broadsword aimed at him, Rock turned his head unhappily.

“So what if you win once? What’s there to be happy about?”

“No, no, you can’t have forgotten, Rock.”

The youth waved his sword proudly and continued, “We agreed that if I won, you’d become my attendant.”

“You remember? You’ve lost to me so many times, why haven’t you ever served as my attendant?”

“This…” The youth hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“Because Uncle Wade is Father’s captain of the guard. You shouldn’t…”

“What should I do? Why should I? I won’t be like Dad, acting foolishly. I don’t want to be any kind of attendant.”

“Isn’t being a captain of the guard pretty good? You’re not too busy, and you can even go to banquets with me, eating and drinking for free,” the youth said, putting down his sword, somewhat puzzled.

“So what if I go? Those noble ladies wouldn’t look at me anyway. They only want to marry those nobles with fiefs.”

“Besides, Isaiah is just the third son. He won’t inherit the title. Following you around has no future.”

Hearing this, the youth felt a bit disheartened.

The Cangcui Empire was a rigidly hierarchical society, with a huge gap between the rights of nobles and commoners. For example, many schools only admitted noble children. If commoner children were also admitted, noble families would prevent their children from attending these schools or studying under such teachers.

Families did not want their children sitting in the same classroom as those “wild” children of unknown origins, fearing it would corrupt them. Similarly, high-end restaurants, libraries, and stores were also exclusive.

If you were an ordinary person in the Cangcui Empire, you couldn’t access many places or enjoy many benefits.

On the streets, nobles had dedicated lanes, and when carriages met at intersections, they would prioritize letting the nobles pass. Such inequality was evident everywhere in society, even written into imperial laws, stating that life was not equal, and some people were naturally more prestigious.

According to such a system, one might expect significant resentment and conflict between classes. However, the empire’s founders cleverly designed many channels for advancement. For instance, the military merit system was very comprehensive. Winning battles not only brought wealth and respect but also accumulated military merits that could elevate someone to the ranks of the nobility.

The numerous advantages of being a noble motivated generation after generation to fight on the battlefield, striving to earn military merits and change their fate. This greatly suppressed anti-war sentiments domestically and boosted the army’s combat effectiveness.

In addition to military merits, outstanding craftsmen, priests, scholars, and high-sequence Extraordinary Beings could also be granted noble status, elevating them from the commoner class.

Thus, the nobility gathered the most elite and excellent individuals in the country through various channels, leaving the commoners with no Extraordinary Beings or masters, hence unable to cause much trouble.

Most commoners also accepted this notion, believing that nobles were indeed superior due to their talents, diligence, and willingness to strive. Many commoner families educated their children to work hard to become nobles in the future.

Furthermore, noble privileges varied, with the highest tier being the royal family and four ducal families. Below them were earls, viscounts, barons, and a large number of non-hereditary knights. Additionally, nobles paid taxes according to their rank and the size of their family, funding the welfare system, meaning that noble status was essentially bought.

If tax payments were insufficient, titles would be downgraded until they eventually became commoners, serving as another mechanism for reclaiming noble titles.

With such unequal treatment and the promise of hope, continuously motivating commoners and lesser nobles to climb higher, the Cangcui Empire maintained high vitality, constantly iterating and advancing internally and externally, ultimately defeating the Oz Country and becoming the strongest nation on the continent.

Thank you YY Moon Sky and xFrostyFeetx for your support.

End of Chapter 147.