This time, only a hundred slaves were granted the new status of serfs, but for all the slaves, it gave them a goal to strive for. From then on, they worked even harder than before, hoping that one day they, too, might no longer be slaves.
Naturally, those who became serfs were very happy. However, many of them had families. While they were delighted to shed their slave status, not being slaves anymore meant they could no longer live together with their family members who remained slaves. This was not something to celebrate.
Some elderly slaves lived alone. They worried that once their status changed, they might not be able to continue their previous work. Given their age, it would be difficult to find new work or farm the land. Without a master providing food, how would they survive?
Thinking this way, becoming a serf didn't seem as wonderful as they had imagined.
Fortunately, their mistress was truly benevolent. When Wei Wei canceled their slave status, she had already considered these issues.
Her solution was to relocate the new serfs to the nearest serf village to the slave quarters — the two areas were separated by a river, and a bridge had already been built, making travel between them convenient.
Moreover, they were allowed to keep their original work. The elderly could continue doing their usual tasks, and the castle would still provide for them. However, aside from the three daily meals, the rest would be converted into wages for them to manage themselves. Their wages would depend on the amount of work done, but were equal to those of other serfs.
Of course, if they didn't want to continue their previous jobs, they could, like other serfs, choose to farm or find work in the factories. But that would depend on their abilities. Since they were no longer slaves, the castle would now treat them as ordinary serfs.
There was also a new rule: if a married couple — note that even slaves had to obtain a license to be officially married — had one party become a serf while the other remained a slave, the serf could pay a monthly fee to allow the enslaved spouse two days off work. During those two days, the slave could leave the slave quarters to reunite with their spouse. However, it was strictly limited to two days a month, no more.
Moreover, if a serf had children, they could take children under seven years old to convert to serf status with them. For children over seven, the parents needed to pay a redemption fee to take them out. The price was calculated at twice the purchase price when they were originally bought. This rule applied to all other slaves as well, but only family members were allowed to redeem them; others had no right to do so, and the castle would not permit it.
Of course, those redeemed could only become serfs — freedom was out of the question. Many of these people's work involved castle secrets, so for security reasons, they could not become free citizens and leave the estate.
Once this news was announced, it made everyone even more delighted. What if the redemption fee was high? Being redeemed to become a serf was already an act of immense kindness from the Duchess. Though they had no money at the moment, as long as they worked hard, they could eventually save up. And even if they couldn't, by working diligently, they could still earn rewards. The Duchess had said that the castle would release a batch of slaves every year, giving everyone a chance!
In reality, the number of people who broke free from slave status this time was much higher than just the hundred individuals. People of this era were very enthusiastic about having children, and with no effective contraception, having a child every year was common, and slaves were no exception. If not for the skewed gender ratio, there would have been very few single individuals among them. Over the years, there had been many newborns. Many slaves worked so hard precisely to feed their families and support the children who could not yet work. Therefore, among the hundred selected this time, most were slaves with several children.
Moreover, since many female slaves needed to divert energy to care for their children, which inevitably affected their work performance, most of those released this time were men. In many cases, it ended up being one spouse becoming a serf and the other remaining a slave. This way, even if there were children over seven who couldn't be redeemed, they could stay with the enslaved parent and still be taken care of.
Of course, there would be difficulties and inconveniences, but they would have to overcome those gradually on their own.
Soon, these newly promoted serfs packed up their belongings, said goodbye to their families, and moved to the village on the other side of the bridge.
After arriving at the village, they realized that the previous serfs had already been relocated elsewhere. Only one steward remained, who would now serve as the new village chief. The houses left behind by the departing serfs were distributed to these new serfs.
Looking at the empty village, which had only houses and nothing else, many of the new serfs, especially those with children, felt uneasy. They couldn't help but ask where the previous residents had gone.
"Didn't the Duke grant everyone homestead plots before? Their new houses have been completed, so they naturally moved there," the new village chief pointed into the distance. "Look, over there. It's about a half-hour walk from here. If you're curious, you can go take a look."
Both free citizens and serfs who migrated were eligible for the homestead plot benefit. The estate's land had been reorganized long ago. Many villages that had become old and dilapidated after years of occupancy had been relocated, just like here. Since this village's assigned land was newly completed, they had just moved out not long ago, and the old houses had not yet been demolished — conveniently left for the new serfs to live in temporarily.
The slaves, who were usually uninformed, had no idea about this. Seeing the empty village, they had feared that the former residents might have died of disease or some other calamity, which made them uneasy.
Now that they knew the truth, they were relieved and happily went to inspect their new homes.
Though the houses here were shabby, many were leaking wind and rain, and empty inside, to these people, this was their future home.
Everyone quickly adapted to the new life. They found that their daily routines weren't much different from before: waking up early, crossing the bridge to work alongside the slaves, eating meals prepared by the castle, receiving wages (some of which were advanced for buying daily necessities), and returning to rest in their new homes at night, ready for the next day.
On the surface, not much seemed to have changed. But now, no one restricts where they can go in their free time. There were official holidays each month, and they could even request leave if something came up — the only consequence was a wage deduction, nothing more. If they needed to leave the estate, they could apply for a travel pass from the steward.
This kind of freedom was a completely different experience compared to their time as slaves.
They soon adjusted and appeared more spirited than before, working even harder. Their new goal was to save up enough money to redeem their family members and reunite.
Wei Wei was also satisfied. Although she had only freed a small portion of slaves for now, she had calculated that with proper saving, by the end of the next year, each of them should be able to redeem two or three slaves without too much difficulty. After all, slaves had been purchased cheaply back then; even at double the price now, it wasn't exorbitant. Many children and the elderly were practically given away as "extras" by the slave traders, and she only set a nominal price of two silver coins for them. After deducting labor taxes and living expenses, saving up for three months would be enough to redeem one person.
In this way, the castle could also reduce the number of slaves it had to support. While they were short of manpower, using serfs was nearly the same as using slaves. Serfs were easier to manage since slaves required dedicated oversight. Although some jobs were better suited to slaves who were considered private property and thus "impossible" to betray, serfs still had their status restrictions — they couldn't rebel either.
After all, to nobles, whether someone was a slave or a serf was merely a difference in terminology. In essence, they were the same. Only the people themselves felt it was different.
Of course, in Sardinson, there was still a big difference between slaves and serfs, unlike in other regions.
"Madam, the people you asked for have been found."
"Oh? How are their skills?"
"They are all top masters in their field and can meet your requirements."
"Then bring them all here. You arrange the details, but make sure nothing goes wrong."
"Understood, Madam. I'll take care of it immediately."
That day, a group of people arrived at the new serf village. The village chief informed everyone that they didn't need to work today and gathered them all together.
After everyone had assembled, the village introduced them: "These people are here to remove your slave brands. Everyone, line up and report to them one by one."
The moment "slave brand" was mentioned, everyone instinctively shrank back and reached to touch the back of their necks.
Before being sold, every slave was branded by slave traders, typically on the back of the neck. The placement was both conspicuous and aesthetically less intrusive, especially for slaves with good looks. The branding was done with a red-hot iron, and the process was extremely painful. After healing, it left an ugly scar. Almost no one could escape this identity, so the brand usually stayed with them for life.
Slave owners weren't afraid that slaves would remove their brands and escape. Removing it required literally cutting out the branded flesh, and even if any traces remained, they would still be recognizable. Moreover, anyone seen with a scar from such a cut without proper documentation would immediately be treated as a runaway and captured.
Now that they were being asked to remove their brands, many people felt reluctant. After all, cutting out the brand left a large wound. Many slaves who had once attempted this in pursuit of freedom ended up dying from infections afterward. They feared they would suffer the same fate.
Someone swallowed hard, looked terrified, and backed away from those carrying boxes: "No, esteemed Village Chief, I don't need to remove it. It doesn't matter if we still have the brand, does it? The Duchess has already recognized our status as serfs. Even with the brand, we are still serfs within the estate."
"No. This is the Duchess's order," the village chief frowned at the disobedient man, his tone impatient. "The Duchess specifically invited these highly skilled tattoo artists for you, lowly folk. This is an act of her mercy and grace. Are you going to defy the Duchess's command?"
Tattoo artists?
The term was unfamiliar to them. The church had always prohibited tattoos, viewing those with tattoos as barbarians and heretics. Many of these slaves were foreigners and had no understanding of tattoos. However, in Pradi, the local region, which was at odds with the church, the more the church prohibited it, the more people loved to do it. Some saw tattoos as a symbol of bravery, and many strong men liked to tattoo fierce beasts on themselves, so tattoo artists did exist in various places.
Wei Wei had specifically invited several top tattoo artists this time to cover the slave brands with tattoos. After all, cutting out the brand was life-threatening, but covering it with a tattoo was both safer and more aesthetic, solving multiple problems at once.
Those who knew what tattoos were were no longer afraid. They stepped forward from the crowd, forming a line obediently.
There were only a few tattoo artists, and tattooing took time. Each artist could only handle a few people per day, and it would take several days to finish everyone. After asking around, the village chief decided to let the other serfs return to work and come back when it was their turn.
However, the serfs requested to stay and watch the tattooing process. They were curious to see how the artists worked.
The first person in line was arranged to lie down. His brand was large, uneven, and very ugly.
The tattoo artist examined his brand and then took out several design sheets from a box, handing them to him. "Which one do you want?"
The man looked up and found that each design was different, but there was a familiar emblem incorporated in each one.
Someone leaned in, then shouted in surprise, "That's the master's family crest!"
Having been born as slaves, they were accustomed to calling Felix "master." Even though they were no longer slaves now, they hadn't changed how they addressed him, nor did they seem inclined to.
"Yes, each of these designs includes the Duke's family crest," the village chief said proudly, lifting his chin. "You should praise the Duchess's kindness. Tattoos can't completely cover up your brand marks. With the Duke's family crest included, you don't have to worry about being mistaken for a runaway and getting caught."
The family crest of a noble wasn't something just anyone could use. Unauthorized use was illegal. So it was rare for anyone to tattoo a family crest on themselves. Now, with the Duchess's permission, these tattoos marked them clearly as the Duke's people in Sardinson territory, so no one would dare touch them.
It was a guarantee of safety.
The man lying there immediately chose his favorite design. The one he picked not only had the Duke's family crest but also included the Duchess's emblem — a stylized "Wei" character in calligraphy that he had seen on her clothes before, said to be her family crest.
Having both crests together, there was nothing more reassuring than that.
They had already been ordered to wash the back of their necks in advance, so the tattoo artists could start right away.
Those first few who had rushed to line up now began to tremble in fear, worrying about how painful it would be. But with so many people watching, they felt too embarrassed to back out and could only grit their teeth, silently telling themselves not to cry out, no matter how much it hurt.
To their surprise, the pain wasn't as unbearable as expected. The back of the neck did hurt, but it was completely within a tolerable range.
Gradually, they began to calm down.
However, the onlookers didn't know this and whispered among themselves.
"It looks so painful!"
"Yeah, to think they're pricking into the skin one needle at a time — how could that not hurt?"
"Thankfully, my children never got branded. They don't have to suffer like this."
In Sardinson, children born to slaves were not branded. This had been Wei Wei and Felix's policy from the start, though the slaves had always assumed it was because young children were too frail to survive branding.
"They're so brave, not a single one is crying out."
Just as those getting tattooed felt proud and ready to boast, they heard the tattoo artist explain:
"The Duchess gave us a special liquid that reduces the pain during tattooing." In other words, an anesthetic.
"Oh, so it doesn't hurt!"
Hearing that it was the Duchess's medicine, they were immediately reassured. If there was anyone they trusted, it was her medical skill — after all, she had even treated the king and the crown prince successfully!
These tattoo artists were experienced professionals. Each tattoo took about half an hour. The fresh tattoos were black, and since the designs were customized to incorporate and cover the slave brands, they concealed the scars very well. If you didn't look closely, you couldn't even tell there was a scar underneath.
The freshly tattooed area was a bit red and swollen. The tattoo artists applied an ointment (also provided by the Duchess) to reduce swelling before moving on to the next person.
Those who finished were warned not to touch the tattoo. Though tempted, they had to withdraw their hands sheepishly and then went to check each other's tattoos.
Those still waiting to be tattooed gathered around to admire them. To their surprise, the tattoos looked exactly like the pictures and were elegant and refined, despite being simple black ink. Seeing this, many started to look forward to their turn and eagerly picked out designs in advance.
A few days later, after everyone's tattoos were finished and no complications arose, the tattoo artists went to the castle to collect their payment. They had been specially transported to Sardinson and paid per tattoo, with additional bonuses for excellent work — an incentive that made them willing to come.
As for paying them, that was handled by others.
After upgrading the slaves, Wei Wei briefly considered whether to "upgrade" the serfs as well. But as soon as she brought it up, the stewards firmly objected.
These stewards were all born as serfs themselves and managed the estate. They understood the serfs' mindset very well. Many were proud to be the Duke's serfs and even looked down on free citizens, believing they were superior. Especially in Sardinson County, few wanted to become free citizens.
If Wei Wei had insisted, the serfs would not have been pleased.
After all, in Sardinson, aside from travel restrictions, serfs were in no way worse off than free citizens. They had houses (albeit leased), land, could work and earn money, and their children had access to education. Because they were serfs, they could enter certain factories and receive free education, privileges that free citizens lacked. While they did pay higher taxes than free citizens, they earned more as well. Who would give up such a life to become a free citizen? Only a fool.
Nowadays, it was the free citizens who envied the serfs in Sardinson, wishing they could become serfs too. Unfortunately, since the serf population was already large enough, the estate had stopped adding new serfs this year, leaving many regretful at missing their chance.
Thus, this proposal was immediately rejected by the serfs themselves.
Wei Wei had initially thought that some serfs might yearn for freedom after seeing how the former slaves were treated and had thus considered the idea. But since they didn't want it, she decided to drop the matter.
By the end of November, Felix had been away for quite some time. In a letter, he told Wei Wei he wouldn't be back until just before Christmas and asked her to handle the preparations for the fleet.
This wasn't too troublesome. The five ships already had their crews recruited. Kingsley, who had previously agreed, would lead this voyage. The merchants and knights accompanying them had been selected. Wei Wei only needed to decide what goods to bring.
Sardinson's various specialties were, of course, essential. Long-lasting gourmet products would have no trouble selling anywhere. Perfumes and cosmetics were perfect for pleasing local noblewomen, and exquisitely crafted clocks were rare treasures that could also be included. In addition, she selected various goods common on the European continent but rare across the sea to test the market.
After careful thought, she also had Kingsley bring some processed chocolate. Although cocoa beans were a specialty of the other side, the locals only consumed them as bitter drinks — an acquired taste that few outsiders enjoyed. By bringing chocolate, she could show them how delicious cocoa could be. This would encourage more people to grow cocoa.
Of course, she wouldn't share the manufacturing method for free. In the future, they would have to pay or trade raw materials in exchange. Given the potential benefits, she expected they would agree. And with such cooperation in place, asking the local ruler to help search for rubber trees would become much easier.
After all, that side was still a slave-owning society. Foreigners were at some risk there, so with the protection of the upper nobility, her people would be much safer.
Batch after batch of goods was transported from the factories to the five ships docked at the port. The long-prepared fleet finally set sail, heading across the Mediterranean toward the opposite shore.
Shortly after the ships departed, Baron Stoichkov from neighboring Soria brought his team over to deliver goods once again.