In A Fantasy World I Can Absorbs Abilities

The mother glanced nervously at the estate manager, her voice barely above a whisper. "No, surely not. They'll find a way to let us live." Yet her eyes betrayed the resignation of someone who knew better. The lord and his agents had no concern for the lives of people like her.

Soldiers stormed from house to house, smashing furniture in search of hidden grain and valuables. Greedy laughter echoed through the alleys as they uncovered caches of gold. Knowing they were free to claim any personal property they found, the soldiers showed no restraint.

Every corner of the village was soon alight with flames, while soldiers stuffed their pockets with stolen gold and set fire to the fields. The night was consumed by the chaos of destruction.

The terrifying scene of chaos and destruction filled the village with the cries of frightened children.

"Here! There's a stash of grain here!" shouted a soldier as he dragged sacks of grain out of a barn.

An estate manager, wearing black gloves, inspected the sacks and sneered. Turning to the knight beside him, he said, "Well, this should suffice. Let's divide this into three parts—one for you, one for me, and one for the lord."

The knight and the estate manager exchanged smirks, their complicity evident. Such looting and exploitation were happening without a shred of remorse across the land.

Fields of vibrant green wheat were set ablaze, wells were poisoned with lime, and soldiers rummaged through homes, smashing furniture to uncover hidden valuables. The sounds of soldiers greedily pocketing stolen gold echoed through the alleys. The looters showed no mercy, burning down houses after ransacking them.

Among the serfs gathered in terror, one man stood out—a freeman named Pierre, the village's most educated resident and a vocal advocate for the serfs' welfare. He couldn't contain his outrage.

"Taking everything, even the grain they need to survive while fleeing—what do you expect these people to do?" he shouted. "Is this scorched-earth strategy just an excuse to rob them blind?"

His defiance caused the soldiers to hesitate, their eyes darting toward the estate manager.

Smiling cruelly, the estate manager produced a document bearing the lord's seal. "This is lawful requisition! Anyone opposing it will be summarily executed! Knight, arrest this dissenter!"

The knight nodded, and soldiers rushed forward to seize Pierre. He struggled and yelled, but he was no match for their numbers. Dragging him to the center of the village square, they tied him to a post.

The estate manager stepped forward, slapping Pierre across the face with a twisted grin. "You always thought you were so clever. Do your precious books still seem useful now?"

After mocking Pierre to his satisfaction, the estate manager turned to the rest of the villagers and bellowed, "Let this be a lesson to all of you! Those who disobey the lord's orders will meet the same fate! Executioner, do your duty!"

A man clad in black, wielding a cudgel, approached with an air of indifference. Muttering a perfunctory prayer, he said, "If I don't bloody my hands, who will? Peace comes from vengeance, and death is rest. The rest is up to you."

He swung his cudgel, striking Pierre, then turned and walked away. Soldiers armed with clubs took his place, raining blows on Pierre as he screamed in pain.

Blood splattered, and flesh tore as the villagers watched in horror. Their spirits dimmed further as the village's most educated and compassionate advocate was brutally killed. Knowing they could do nothing to help Pierre plunged them into despair. They lowered their heads, trying to pray for him, but the words never left their lips. Who could they pray to now?

The cleric of the Radiant Star Church who once oversaw the estate had fled to the lord's manor, taking all valuables with him. The executioner and his family, supposedly devoted to the gods of death and vengeance, were nothing more than tools of the lord.

As Pierre's cries weakened and finally ceased, the estate manager kicked his lifeless body and spat, "Hang this fool's corpse at the village entrance. Maybe then they'll learn their lesson."

Pierre's body was unceremoniously strung up at the village's entrance. The sight of their freeman advocate, now lifeless and humiliated, extinguished any thoughts of resistance among the serfs.

The estate manager, savoring their submission, barked orders. "Gather around! If any of you dare defy us, you'll face the same punishment. We're evacuating to the mountains. Once the lord returns, you'll come down and resume your work. Understood?"

Pointing a threatening finger at the serfs, he continued, "Don't even think about running away. The Pamir Empire's army is closing in from all sides. You wouldn't want to end up as boiled meat, would you?"

The serfs stared at the ground, resigned. How could they survive in the mountains with no food? Eating grass and bark until they starved seemed inevitable. Even the estate manager's voice wavered as he realized the grim end awaiting them.

"Ahem. Of course, the lord isn't abandoning you completely. Take these," he said, tossing three sacks of grain from the lord's share.

The thousand or so serfs gathered in the square stared blankly at the sacks, their hope long extinguished. Watching them, the estate manager clicked his tongue. "If they all die, it'll be a problem when it's time to work the fields. But what can I do? The lord's orders are absolute. I've done my part."

Like many other lords, their master had no intention of letting the filthy serfs follow his evacuation. In ordinary circumstances, a lord abandoning their estate would be unthinkable. But with the king himself advocating for evacuation, there was little room for debate.

As the estate manager and knight departed, the serfs hesitantly divided the grain and prepared their belongings. A long, desolate procession began its march toward the nearby mountains.

After the serfs had left, a hooded figure approached the village entrance. Staring up at Pierre's body, the figure muttered, "Because of the jurisdiction here, I could only watch as you die. But don't despair too much. My grandson will bring you back, and when he does, you'll have a chance to do something truly meaningful."