Buck had never in his life been this excited.
The words that had been echoing in his mind over and over again these past few months now finally became reality:
"I will give you all a chance to shed your status as serfs. As long as you can accumulate enough merit points, you will be free."
Today, it had truly happened.
After successfully submitting the harvested wheat he had cultivated, he had finally earned the amount of merit points required for promotion.
Originally, Buck thought he would still need to wait some time before receiving the news. But to his shock, the officials in charge processed it on the spot. Right then and there, they struck his name off the register of serfs.
The moment he saw with his own eyes that the heavy, suffocating label of serf had been crossed out from beside his name, tears burst uncontrollably from his eyes. The tall man—seven feet of rough-hewn muscle—cried like a child, sobbing so hard his voice cracked.
He knew better than anyone else what it meant to become a freeman.
It meant they were no longer the property of a master. No longer subject to their master's whips and cruel punishments. No longer forced into endless, backbreaking toil without rest. From this moment on, they could control their own lives!
They had been born as serfs, condemned from birth to live at the very lowest rungs of society. Ordinary people could never imagine, let alone understand, the suffering that came with being a serf.
But from now on—whether it was life, labor, or any other matter—they could live according to their own will. And their children too, from the very moment they were born, would no longer be bound as serfs!
"Finally… finally, I am no longer a serf."
"Father, Mother… you must be so happy. Your son is no longer a slave!"
Crouching down on the ground, Buck's voice broke out in a hoarse roar, drawing countless onlookers from the streets. No one mocked him. In their eyes, there was only heartfelt emotion.
"Congratulations, Buck. From now on, you are a free citizen of the territory," said Mike as he came over and helped Buck up.
"Mm… thank you, Sir Mike. I swear I will treasure this hard-won identity as a free man."
"From now on, I am Lord Aven's subject. For Lord Aven's sake, I will work even harder and devote everything I have to this land!"
With tears still streaking his cheeks, Buck wiped his face roughly and, standing before the Minister of Agriculture, declared a promise he intended to uphold for the rest of his life.
Mike smiled and nodded. "This is now our common homeland. Under Lord Aven's leadership, everyone's lives will surely continue to improve."
On the way back to his village, Buck couldn't even remember how his feet carried him. His mind was still hazy with joy. But when his silhouette appeared at the entrance of the village, he immediately saw a crowd of fellow serfs rushing toward him.
"Buck, how did it go?"
"Did you succeed? Did you make it?"
Their faces were filled with unease and tension. Even though the lord had promised them, none of them dared feel at ease until the moment truly arrived.
At the sight of them, the image of his name being slashed off the serf register flashed vividly in Buck's mind. He took a deep breath, nodded heavily, and said in a trembling but resolute voice, "I… I am now a free man."
For an instant, silence fell over the crowd. Then—
Cheers exploded like a flood bursting through a dam.
The serfs shouted, roared, and wept as they celebrated wildly. Tears gushed down their cheeks, but their faces were lit with smiles. The mixture of laughter and sobbing created a scene of sheer madness.
"To think that before the winter came, we could actually shed our status as serfs!"
"I thought we would have to wait at least another year, maybe two or three, before this was possible."
"That means… that means everyone here might truly be free!"
An old serf wiped his tear- and snot-streaked face, his gaze drifting toward the golden wheat spread out to dry in the open fields.
For the sake of breaking free from serfdom as soon as possible, they had worked themselves to the bone these past few months, reclaiming wasteland and planting without rest.
They had prepared themselves mentally to wait at least a year. Yet this year's harvest had left them utterly astonished.
In just two short months, the wheat had fully ripened, and the yield was greater than anything they had ever seen before. All of this had been brought to them by Lord Aven!
Perhaps, from the very moment Lord Aven had drawn up this plan, he had truly intended from the bottom of his heart to free them all from serfdom.
"Long live Lord Aven! Long live Lord Aven!"
No one knew who shouted it first, but soon the chant swept through the crowd. The cries overlapped, wave upon wave, echoing endlessly across the open plains.
After the jubilant celebration, Buck finally managed to calm his emotions and headed back to his home.
The moment he opened the wooden door, two little figures peeked out from inside—Oddish and Bidoof.
The instant they saw him return, the two little Pokémon squealed with joy, dashed out, and threw themselves into his arms, rubbing their heads affectionately against his hands.
"Oddish, Bidoof, I'm back!" Buck hugged them tightly, burying them in his arms.
Then, carrying the two Pokémon inside, he carefully pulled out a cloth bag from his pack.
Opening it gently, he revealed a pile of deep brown, grain-like pellets. It was Pokémon food!
On his way back, Buck had seen someone feeding this food to their Pokémon.
He could still picture it clearly—an Oddish happily munching on the food, radiating delight. At that moment, he thought of his own Oddish and Bidoof.
"They must like it too. They've helped me so much during this time… I need to thank them properly."
That thought had lodged itself firmly in his heart.
So even though Pokémon food was terribly expensive, he had not hesitated for even a moment. He had bought a bag without a second thought and brought it home.
"Odd~"
"Biii~"
Oddish and Bidoof sniffed the food curiously, their eyes lighting up at once.
The aroma rising from the Pokémon food was unbelievably tempting.
Yet they did not immediately pounce on it. Instead, both lifted their gazes to Buck, as if asking silently—Can we really eat this?
Seeing this, Buck's heart tightened painfully. He crouched down and stroked their heads gently.
"I'm sorry… sorry for making you suffer alongside me all this time."
"From now on, I promise I'll give you a better life." His eyes grew firm. "Starting now, I'll make sure you eat Pokémon food at every meal!"
"Odd~"
"Biii~"
Oddish and Bidoof exchanged a glance, then nodded happily and dove into the food.
Crunch crunch crunch!
The sound of chewing filled the small house. The two little ones ate with such joy that Buck couldn't help but smile.
"Wonderful… life will definitely keep getting better and better," he thought with hope surging in his chest.
Knock knock knock!
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Buck, are you home?" A familiar voice called from outside.
Recognizing the voice at once, Buck hurried over to open the door. It was the steward.
Though the steward was responsible for managing the serfs, he had always treated them with genuine kindness. Because of this, he was held in high regard throughout the village.
"Steward Horsen." Buck quickly bowed in greeting.
"There's no need to be overly formal. And congratulations on successfully becoming a free citizen," Horsen said with a smile.
Buck quickly expressed his gratitude and nervously welcomed the steward inside.
"So, do you have any plans for the future?" Horsen asked as his eyes fell on the table, where Oddish and Bidoof were still happily eating Pokémon food.
Now that Buck had become a free man, the plot of land previously assigned to him would be taken back.
If he wished to continue farming, he would need to rent farmland from the territory. The lord would then collect a portion of the harvest as tax, buying the crops at a unified rate.
Of course, Buck could also pursue other lines of work. He was now free, entitled to the same opportunities and treatment as any other commoner.
"Plans for the future?" Buck froze, then blurted out, "I… I want to open a grilled fish shop in the village."
This was something he had decided on long ago. He had great confidence in his grilled fish technique, especially since Lord Aven himself had once praised it!
"A grilled fish shop, hm? That is indeed a fine choice." Horsen nodded, though his voice carried some hesitation. "But starting a business is not so simple."
At that, Buck's face faltered slightly. He had only ever been a serf who farmed wheat. He had absolutely no experience running a shop.
Yes, his grilled fish tasted good, but… where would he get a steady supply of fish? How would he rent a shop? And if business turned poor, what then?
As these worries piled in his mind, Buck's expression turned despondent. As a serf, he had never received any kind of education in such matters. Helplessness crept over his face.
"If you feel unprepared, then I suggest you consider joining the village patrol," Horsen said after some thought.
"As long as you become a patrolman, you'll be given a house directly in Fairhaven Town, and you'll receive generous wages every month."
He looked at Buck's lost expression and spoke earnestly.
His gaze drifted again to Oddish and Bidoof, and his heart stirred with particular emotion when he saw Bidoof.
Yes, Lord Aven had already tamed an entire colony of Bibarel, and there was even a special lake set aside for them in the Safari Zone.
But the truth was, very few people had ever earned the recognition of either Bibarel or Bidoof. They were communal Pokémon, rarely willing to leave their kin.
Because Buck had such a Pokémon by his side, Horsen believed his chances of being accepted into the patrol were actually quite high.
Joining the patrol would help Buck integrate better into the territory, and his livelihood would be secure. To Horsen, this path was promising.
"Join… the patrol?" Buck was visibly startled.
It was a long while before he stammered hesitantly, "Lord Horsen, could… could someone like me really join the patrol?"
"Of course. You are now a free citizen of the Pokémon Domain, which naturally makes you eligible to join."
"But… but I was once a serf. Even so, I can still join?"
Buck's voice carried doubt. Though he was now free, his past still weighed on his heart.
In truth, from what he knew, many other newly freed serfs felt the same. When asked what they would do next, most were lost and confused.
After much hesitation, the majority decided to simply continue farming. That way, they would not have to interact too much with other commoners and risk feeling out of place.
"Buck, remember my words," Horsen said solemnly.
"In this land, your origins do not matter. We are all Lord Aven's people."
"Perhaps you don't know this: before Lord Aven became a Border Earl, he was just an ordinary commoner."
"Sir Mike, before he became the Minister of Agriculture, was merely a berry farmer. Sir Jorah and Sir Mado—before they became ministers, they were knights who had been crippled and forced to leave their order."
"Buck, in our territory, background is irrelevant. As long as you have ability, you can start as an apprentice trainer, step by step become a patrolman, and one day, perhaps even rise to the rank of knight!"
The steward looked very seriously at the former serf standing before him. At this moment, however, Buck was already completely stunned, his vision gradually becoming blurred.
(End of Chapter)