Not even a pair of oxen

Zachary doesn't want to be a farmer. He's fed up with the over-control from his paternal grandfather. He is about to leave his family farm. Before he does so, he is taken to the court of the Emperor Urval, and at the same time the much less kindly maternal grandfather. In the heart of the Misty Swarm Empire, a hotbed of rage and resentment, under the tutelage of his newly minted kin, Zach is thrust into a career in Urval's army. In order not to drown in the mess, he uses procedures he knows from home. Despite his earlier aversion, he thinks and acts like a peasant. His actions are seen as stupid and provocative, but he persists: Weeds must be removed with their roots. It is necessary to plough the field before sowing. The victim must be killed.