Volume 10

Volume 10 is the tenth volume in the series.

This volume makes up the second half of Volume 5 in the English-language release of the manga.

Chapters

 * Chapter 65: At the Old Master's House
 * Chapter 66: Budding
 * Chapter 67: Iron Fist Ketil
 * Chapter 68: An Empty Man
 * Chapter 69: Provocation
 * Chapter 70: The Dream
 * Chapter 71: Oath

Cover Characters

 * Thorfinn

Plot Overview
Thorfinn and Einar’s work speeds up significantly with the horses and plow lent to them by by Sverkel. At Sverkel’s house, they are surprised to find Snake there asleep; he asks invites them to join them to eat once he wakes up. Snake talks about the guests’ importance and mentions that with only fourteen of them, they would be in trouble if the farm was attacked. Sverkel reminds him that it would not happen: King Harald has a responsibility to protect the farm, since Ketil pays him a significant tribute twice a year. Snake points out that the King's army would be unable to help them quickly enough if they needed to, since it would take them days to reach the farm. Shortly after, in October, Thorfinn and Einar begin to seed the fields and soon see most of it successfully sprout. Ketil returns from a citizens' meeting with his eldest son, Thorgil, who comments that the battlefield could change Olmar as it did King Canute. Ketil however does not wish to lose the farm's successor to the battlefield. Thorgil tells Olmar about the enduring legend of their father being so renowned for fighting in battles barehanded in his youth that he was nicknamed "Iron Fist Ketil." They run into Snake, who caught two young thieves, siblings named Sture and Thora. Ketil questions the two young thieving siblings and finds out that their father, Snorri, was a man who rented land from him and who has likely died. Thorgil suggests an extreme punishment, but Pater proposes that they and their family be taken in as servants instead. However, everyone agrees they still need to receive a beating. Thorgil asks to deliver the punishment instead of Snake, but hits Sture so unnecessarily hard that a horrified Ketil stops him and demands to punish the children himself instead. Later, in the privacy of his room, Ketil confesses to Arnheid that he lied about the story of Iron Fist Ketil.

Thorfinn continues to dream that he is climbing a rock cliff he must not fall off of; he is dragged down by hands and wakes up screaming. Einar points out he was screaming things like "Askeladd!" and "Father!", but Thorfinn can only remember falling in the dream, and the nagging feeling that there is something important he has to remember. As Thorfinn and Einar work, a worker is annoyed to see that their wheat is growing well, worried that things will be out of balance if slaves end up being treated like workers. Thorfinn and Einar help fix Sverkel's roof and Thorfinn tells Einar about Askeladd. Thorfinn admits that he no longer hates Askeladd, but that he is empty without hatred and does not know how to do anything but be at war. Sverkel shows them how to fish with a net and tells Thorfinn that being empty is a good thing if he wants to be reborn. The next day, as Thorfinn wonders if humans can really change, Einar assures Thorfinn that he is in the middle of a positive change. They arrive at their field and are shocked to see that their wheat has been purposefully destroyed, pulled out at the roots. Einar assumes the farmhands wrecked their field and angrily states he is going to "kill" them. He is incensed that Thorfinn does not seem angry about what's transpired, as this will be a significant set back to earning their freedom and will put them further into Ketil's debt. Thorfinn reminds him that he has no right to be angry, since he used to be on the side of destroyers himself, and reminds Einar that no good will come of revenge. They go get Pater, who tells them he will investigate to see if the culprits left any clues behind in the field. As they walk back, Einar tells Thorfinn that Arnheid is Ketil's favourite and that unlike them, she will get no chance to work to buy her freedom. They run into the farmhands, who provoke Einar. Einar moves to punch one of the farmhands, but Thorfinn punches the farmhand first, breaking his jaw — he is shocked and mortified by his own reaction. Einar and the other farmhands start to fight in earnest; a distracted Thorfinn is hit by a shovel as he tries to stop Einar. He sees the English mother and his father Thors as he falls unconscious into the rocky abyss of his dreams.

Plot Summary
Thorfinn and Einar get an impressive amount of work done with the horses and the plow lent to them by Sverkel. They head to Sverkel's and witness the end of an argument between Ketil and Sverkel – Ketil insists that Sverkel should stop doing physically demanding farmwork, as Snake has already found him collapsed in the fields a few times. While going to the next room to wash up as Ketil leaves, Thorfinn and Einar are surprised to find Snake asleep there; he wakes up once he smells food and immediately starts bickering with Ketil. Snake invites Thorfinn and Einar to join them to eat. Snake talks about the guests’ job being important and points out that they're quite shorthanded with only fourteen guests, and would be in a bad situation if an organized unit was to attack the farm. Sverkel tells him that it would not happen, as Ketil pays King Harald a significant tribute twice a year, and thus the King has a responsibility to protect Ketil's farm. Snake points out that the King's army would not be able to protect them if the worst was to happen, since it would take them days to reach the farm. Sverkel ignores Snake and criticizes Ketil's pursuit of an overly large farm, commenting that growing his wealth out of fear of losing said wealth is a futile way to live.

Shortly after, in October, Thorfinn and Einar begin to seed the fields. Thorfinn and Einar see that about 80% of the seeds they've planted have sprouted; Thorfinn is amazed and he and Einar pray for their crop’s safe growth. Ketil returns from a citizens' meeting with his eldest son, Thorgil, in tow. Thorgil comments that the battlefield could change Olmar as it did King Canute, but Ketil does not wish to lose the farm's successor to the battlefield. They run into Snake, who caught two thieves with his guests, two young siblings named Sture and Thora. Thorgil tells Olmar about the enduring legend of their father, Ketil, so renowned for fighting in battles barehanded in his youth that he was nicknamed "Iron Fist Ketil." Ketil questions the two young thieving siblings whom Snake slyly tricked into truthfully confessing, and learns that their father is Snorri, a man who rented land from him and has not returned home since he left to sell vegetables the previous fall. Ketil pities the children, as their father is likely dead and no one would have wanted to take them, their sickly mother and their infant sibling in as servants. Ketil is horrified when Thorgil suggests taking one of their arms each as punishment for the theft. To Ketil's relief, Pater proposes that they and their family be taken in as servants instead, as they could carry on living at home while paying off both their father's land rent and what they've stolen. Ketil is relieved, but not for long, as everyone agrees they still need to receive a beating as punishment. Thorgil, pleased with Sture's resolve when he asks to take on his sister's hits in addition to his own, asks to deliver the punishment instead of Snake. Thorgil hits Sture so unnecessarily hard that a horrified Ketil stops him and demands to punish the children himself instead. Later, in the privacy of his room, Ketil confesses to Arnheid that he lied about the story of Iron Fist Ketil.

Thorfinn, still having the same illusive dreams, dreams he is climbing a rock cliff he must not fall off of; he is dragged down by hands and wakes up screaming right as he falls in the dream. Einar points out he was screaming things like "Askeladd!" and "Father!", but Thorfinn can only remember falling in the dream. He feels as though there is something important he has to remember. As Thorfinn and Einar work, a worker is annoyed to see that their wheat is growing well, worried that things will be out of balance if slaves end up being treated like workers. Thorfinn and Einar help fix Sverkel's roof and Thorfinn tells Einar about Askeladd. Einar tells Thorfinn he should forget about things, since he can no longer have his revenge and no good will come of hating a dead man. Thorfinn admits that he no longer hates Askeladd, but that he is empty without hatred and does not know how to do anything but be at war. Sverkel shows them how to fish with a net — as he overheard Thorfinn and Einar, he tells Thorfinn that being empty is a good thing if he wants to be reborn. The next day, as Thorfinn wonders if humans can really change, Einar assures Thorfinn that no one would assume he is an ex-warrior if they saw him now, and that he is in the middle of a positive change.

As they arrive at their field, they are shocked to see that their wheat is destroyed. Einar, noticing the wheat was pulled out at the roots, assumes the farmhands wrecked their field and angrily states he is going to "kill" the farmhands. He is incensed that Thorfinn does not seem angry about what's transpired, as this will be a significant set back to earning their freedom and will put them further into Ketil's debt. Thorfinn reminds him that he has no right to be angry, as he was always on the side of the destroyers himself — that if the farmhands deserve to be killed for what they've done, he himself deserved to be killed a hundred times over. He adds that no good will come of revenge. Thorfinn is able to get Einar to settle down long enough to get Pater, who tells them he will investigate to see if the culprits left any clues behind in the field. As they walk back, Einar tells Thorfinn that Arnheid is Ketil's favourite and that unlike them, she will get no chance to work to buy her freedom. They run into the farmhands on the road, who provoke Einar by feigning innocent and insulting them. Einar moves to punch one of the farmhands, but Thorfinn punches the farmhand first, breaking his jaw — he is shocked and mortified by his own reaction. Einar and the other farmhands start to fight in earnest; a distracted Thorfinn is hit by a shovel as he tries to stop Einar. He sees the English mother and his father Thors as he falls unconscious into the rocky abyss of his dreams.