Chapter 58

Although Heibao town is the auxiliary town of Heibao fortress, it covers an area of 25 square kilometers, almost the area of a city.

The high walls around the town have been completed, but two gaps have not been closed. Two small fortresses will be built there, which shows the determination of the York family to build the city here.

The road in the town is wide, and there are neat houses and shops on both sides of the road. These are the property of York family, either sold or leased, which will bring a lot of income to York family every year. Most of the people living in Heibao town are vassals of the York family. They belong to the bourgeoisie. Of course, there are many other family vassals. They open shops here to sell all kinds of specialties and purchase all kinds of necessary materials for their families and themselves. Now all the development lords recognize that Heibao town is the economic and political center of the western development.

In addition to the vassals, the largest number of people in Heibao town are the leading people and free people.

Yes, it is the free people. Compared with farming and hunting in the wild, the free people prefer to make a living in the town, because it is much safer here, with the help of the church, and most importantly, there are more opportunities here.

The Lords welcome these free people who do not occupy their land. As long as they abide by the rules of the Lords, the town managers can also provide some shelter. After all, the town needs enough people.

Free people in cities and towns do some low-level jobs to support their families, such as building walls and houses, building canals and dredging sewers, cleaning streets, carrying goods, working as servants in shops, accepting the employment of vassals, growing vegetables and raising pigs outside the city. If they have skills, they can live better, such as tailors, grooms, masons, blacksmiths, gardeners, etc, If you mix well, you may be able to buy some industries. If your craftsmanship is really outstanding, the Lord will not be stingy to give the identity of a leader, which should be guaranteed in the town. After three generations, the Lord will give land and climb to a higher class.

This is the reality. Vassals, leading people and free people have never been slaves of the Lord. As long as they pay their sacrifices and serve on time, they can still live a good life through efforts. In fact, there are no slaves in the world. There is no large-scale war, where are the slaves? And how did slaves provide faith?

Therefore, there are aristocratic districts, vassal districts, slums and shantytowns in the towns of the great Lord. As long as they abide by the laws of the towns, they can feed themselves and pay taxes on time, the free people can live in the towns. And these populous towns will also bring great benefits to the Lords.

Every such town must have a church of the glorious church, and Heibao town is no exception. In fact, there are two churches in Heibao town. One stands in the center of the town, solemn and gorgeous. It is the most striking building in the town. The other, built near the east gate of the town, is thick and simple. It is also the most striking building in this area, because it is a slum, and there are large shantytowns outside the gate, where the free people live.

Compared with the desolation of the Central Church, the popularity of this church is much higher. At this time, it is just the end of the early announcement. The believers of the church leave the church one after another and start a new busy day. When they leave, they don't forget to greet Ivan standing at the gate respectfully.

After the last believer left, Ivan closed the door and stretched. His joints crackled and burst. He presided over an hour's early warning, which made his strong body a little stiff.

Ivan station went to the gate of the church and looked at the gorgeous Church in the center of the town, full of envy and desire.

When can I preside over the Central Church? He thought to himself.

"What do you do?"

Outside the church, the shouts of the paladin guard caught Ivan's attention. He saw a timid man looking at the door.

"What can I do for you?" Ivan waved to the Paladin to let the man come and asked him kindly.

"Father, I, I want to pray for atonement." The man came forward and said with some fear.

Hearing this, Ivan's eyes lit up and looked at the man up and down.

He looked 30 years old and had a strong body, but his face was pale and frightened. His linen robe was covered with mud and some blood.

"Come with me." The Ivan pilgrim Knight winked and took the man into the church.

Ivan took the man through the church prayer hall and into a hidden prayer room.

The prayer room is not big, but there is an altar made of white glaze rock in the middle of the prayer room. Several rare white crystals are embedded on the altar to form a regular circle.

Ivan stood still and looked at the man coldly without saying a word.

The man suddenly realized, took out a copper sol and handed it respectfully.

Ivan took the blood stained copper sol, weighed it, frowned and said, "it's not enough, but for your pious sake, I'll preside over a atonement prayer for you. Go and kneel."

With that, Ivan went up to the altar, stretched out his bony hand and touched the white crystal. He silently said a prayer. Soon, the white brilliance reflected from his hands. Then, the white crystals lit up one by one. These lights gathered together and finally formed a pure light column on the altar.

This is what the church claims, the image of the Lord of glory, invisible, colorless, pure light.

"You can answer whatever I ask. You can't hide anything." Father Ivan told the excited man. Then he went into a compartment, leaving the man kneeling alone in front of the altar.

"What's your name?"

It was still father Ivan's voice, but the man heard it at this time, but it was sacred and dignified, which made him extremely respectful.

"My name is Barry."

"What is your sin?"

"I, I killed someone."

"Why kill?"

"Yes, boss hook ordered me. I'm his man."

"Tell me everything about you in detail."

"My name is Barry. I used to be a farmer in the eastern province. After the Lord's defeat, our family fled here. Originally, several guys in the same village and I worked for a living under Lord Langdon. Later, I didn't have any work. I heard that Lord Langdon, who gave us work, was killed by Lord Barol. So we took refuge in Lord Barol's men , boss hook. "

"Boss hooker is in charge of the two streets here, and we will follow him to collect money. Boss hooker killed a boss in the west a month ago, and now his territory belongs to boss hooker."

"The protection fee of the new site is the same as that of the original. Each family has 10 copper cables and 30 copper sols per month. However, boss hooker likes two shops on the new site, a grocery store and a hotel. They are all bought and sold by several old and disabled people."

"Later, we also inquired. These old disabled people have no backstage and are also free people. Boss Hooke talked to them and offered 10 Silver sols to buy their shop. If they refused, boss Hooke raised their regular money, 15 silver sols a month. These old guys refused to give, even 40 copper sols."

"Boss hooker asked us to teach these old guys a lesson. Unexpectedly, these old cripples were all stubble. We were knocked over by them and thrown out. Those guys were broken a lot of bones, leaving me alone. The hotel owner named old John asked me to tell boss hooker that if I sent someone to make trouble, I would break all my legs and let boss hooker count for himself Calculate the medical expenses. "

"I dragged some guys back to see boss hooker in a cart. When boss hooker heard about it, he asked me to take these guys out of town to take care of them. He said, if I don't do it, I'll kill me too! He also said that I can only count myself if I have blood on my hands. He told me that he was valued by Lord Barol because he dared to fight and kill. If I want to stand out, I must listen to him 。”

"I can't help it. I dragged victor and them outside the town, found a pit and smashed them to death."

"Victor, they begged me to let them go, but I can't. I have a wife and children to support. I can't die!"

"After I killed them, I searched their money. I was very upset. I came here to pray for atonement and ask the merciful Lord to redeem my soul."

Barry murmured, staring longingly at the pure light, as if there was everything he wanted.

"Sinner! Your sin will plunge your soul into the abyss! You will never be free from the burning of Hellfire!"

The priest's voice was like rolling thunder, which woke Barry from his confusion. He cried and shouted, "merciful Lord, please help me. I don't want to. I can't help it. I'm forced."

"The Lord is kind. The Lord redeems the soul of the pious. Are you pious, Barry?"

When Barry's cry was weaker, the priest's dignified voice echoed in the prayer room. Barry seemed to see hope in the dark. He said loudly: "I am devout. I am a faithful believer of the Lord. I am a devout person. Please the Almighty Lord save my soul, forgive my sins, and don't let my soul fall into the abyss."

"Pray, sinner, pray to the light with your greatest piety, let the merciful Lord see your sincerity, and the Lord will save your soul and guide you."

Barry caught the driftwood like a drowning man, knelt straight and began to recite his familiar prayers loudly.

In the compartment, father Ivan looked at a blood red crystal in his hand. As Barry prayed louder and louder, the color of the red crystal began to fade, and finally became a transparent crystal.

"Well, he is indeed a devout man."

Ivan nodded with satisfaction, put the crystal into his sleeve, and the brilliance in his hand flashed. The light column on the altar was suddenly many times brighter, and the prayer room was like day.

Barry was bathed in brilliance, and the warm holy light washed his body. He only felt that all sins and pain had been far away from his soul, even the pain on his body was much better. This made him feel as if he had been reborn. This feeling made him very intoxicated. He didn't wake up until the light gradually faded.

"Barry, the Lord has redeemed your soul." Ivan came out of the compartment and said to Barry.

"Thank you, father. Thank you." Barry bowed gratefully to the priest.

"As a faithful servant of the Lord of glory, I will not reveal the content of the atonement prayer, but you should follow the Lord's teaching, be patient, do good, and stay away from sin, okay?"

"I will, I will." Barry took out a dozen copper sols also stained with blood, handed them to the priest, and then walked out step by step.

When Barry disappeared into view, Ivan stuffed the copper sol in his hand into his pocket and muttered in a low voice.

"What a devout sinner."