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Before this land became part of Viscount Lance's fief, poverty and hunger shrouded the area, and the food harvested each year was never enough to sustain them. The villagers in the nearby hamlets frequently fluctuated between being full and starving due to the lack of sufficient grain.
There were hardly any elderly people of advanced age in the villages, as the lack of food, inadequate clothing, and poor nutrition meant that many could not survive the winter.
The young people, unable to seek work elsewhere because of the children, would till the fields in spring and harvest in fall and go hunting in the mountain during winter. They hunted rabbits, birds, and even small wild boars.
If they encountered a large wild boar and were lucky, they might survive, but if luck was not on their side, they could end up losing their lives in the woods.