P.S. I have something to do today, so I'll update earlier.
May, Brittany, Baron Zeon's Domain.
Laing, Gaspadon, and Katsenberg were patrolling the domain together.
Lopes had officially become one of Laing's Knight Rangers. At the same time, Laing originally planned to let Al- Frey receive the title as well, but the paladin tactfully expressed that he still wanted to continue serving the God of Justice.
The paladin asked for a piece of land from Laing and hired people to build a church for the God of Justice. He began to spread the faith of the God of Justice among the serfs.
Although there was already a church for the Goddess of Mercy in the town, the church of the Goddess of Mercy did not object. On one hand, it was because the gods had agreed to a fair competition of faith and could not forcibly interfere with each other. On the other hand, the Church of Justice and the Church of the Goddess of Mercy had always had a good relationship, so the church of the Goddess of Mercy did not say anything about Al- Frey's act of building a church.
In addition, an excellent wandering knight came to Laing's domain with a letter of recommendation from Duke Schultz of Marlinburg. His name was Olivier, and he was a relative of the Duke. He was only 26 years old this year, and his strength was outstanding. His spear and sword were first-rate, and he was also a high-quality handsome man. His eyes were firm and sharp, and the stubble on his cheeks added a bit of mature charm. His developed chest muscles were even more eye-catching.
He was at the level of a high-level elite. After Laing tested him, he found that his strength was not exaggerated at all, so he immediately appointed him as a Knight Ranger.
In this way, Laing had two Knight Rangers under his command. He still had three empty Knight Rangers and two Royal Knight Slots to be appointed.
The sky was cloudy, and Laing brought a few of his soldiers to patrol his domain. The tax officer, Gaspadon, and his new butler, Katsenberg, followed behind him.
Unlike many other knight lords, Leon would not bring too many soldiers with him when he went out. This was because the new baron was very powerful and did not need anyone to protect him. As the baron spent a lot of money, the entire Zeon territory was immersed in the atmosphere of building a new village for the knights of Brittania. Every few days, new buildings would be built. The city walls that had been in disrepair for a long time were strengthened. The muddy roads were rebuilt. The town of Zeon was expanded. More wastelands were reclaimed. In order to protect these wastelands, the new ranger knights Lopes and Olivier had led their soldiers to sweep away bandits one after another.
As for the Orc tribes in the Chalon Forest in the north, due to some "special reasons", there were no movements until now. In other words, they never moved near the Zeon Domain. Instead, they focused on attacking the villages along the Bordero Duchy and Bastogne Duchy.
This provoked a deity, the Duke of Bastogne, "Beast Butcher" Berchemund of the Red Dragon Family. This Sanctuary-level Knight of the Holy Grail personally led his Knights on their warhorses and defeated the Orc tribes that were on the brink of death. After confirming that there were no Orcs in his domain, the Duke of the Red Dragon Family returned to his castle to rest.
In order to seize the short period of peace, Laing personally supervised the progress of many projects.
"My Baron, we're doing our best to supervise the serfs, but no matter how much pressure the soldiers put on them, their efficiency can't increase." Gasparton complained to Leon, "I can't understand why they are slacking off. You should know that the baron has magnanimously provided them with food!"
"Let's take a look over there, Katzenberg. Continue your introduction. "Laing gestured for them to return to his castle.
"Yes, my Baron. We were just talking about the previous Baron Zeon, Danniel. This Knight was recognized in the war against the Vampires more than 50 years ago, so he was conferred the title of Baron Zeon." "Baron Zeon is known as an excellent Impact Knight. He always uses a lance to fight and wins his glory on the battlefield." Katzenberg's voice was very clear, and every word he said was very clear. "Baron Zeon is known as an excellent Impact Knight. He always fights with a lance and wins his own glory on the battlefield."
After two weeks of trial, Laing found that the new butler in front of him was indeed excellent. He also knew the history of the Knight King very well. Duke Winford's words were true.
"He does sound like an excellent Knight. Then, did he embark on the path of the Holy Grail?" Laing walked along the muddy road. The people around him all greeted their Lord. When Laing came to the territory, he immediately chose the same tax rate as Duke Winford. His reputation and deeds had already spread among the people, so he was quickly loved and respected by them.
"No … As far as I know, Baron Danniel devoted himself to the war against the Green Dwarfs. He followed John II's army across the Black Mountain Range and the Southern Kingdom, entering the borderland prince territory. At the Evil Water River, our Knights encountered the Green Evil Tide." Katzenberg continued to talk about the past. Gaspadon's face was already filled with sympathy.
Laing also knew what happened after that. At first, the Brittany Knights did indeed have a small victory. So, the muddle-headed John II decided to quickly cross the Evil Water River and seek an opportunity to fight the Green Dwarfs head-on.
From a certain point of view, he did succeed. When more than half of the knights crossed the Evil Water River, they were greeted by an army of more than 100,000 Green Skins … It was said that this battle was so tragic that even the fairies in the lake shed tears.
In the end, only about 10% of the Knights returned to Brittany. John II barely held on for a few years before he was overthrown by the Duke and the Lake Fairy Witch.
It seemed that Baron Zeon had died in the battle of the Evil Water River.
"My Baron, the furniture in the castle has been moved to the Zeon Vineyard. The servants have also moved to the vineyard. You can stay in the castle for a period of time. After the castle is rebuilt, we will carry out the follow-up renovation of the vineyard," Gaspadon said. He interrupted Katzenberg's words. Obviously, this loyal follower of the Lake Fairy didn't want to hear about another crushing defeat.
"How long do you estimate it will take to rebuild my castle?" Laing didn't ask any more questions.
"Four months is enough to repair the castle walls and many facilities. However, the independent steeple and interior decoration requested by Mr. Laing will take more time." Katzenberg put his hands behind his back and walked behind Laing with a straight back. He said, "The specific construction period will depend on the situation during the rainy season."
"Then it seems that I will be living in the manor this year." Laing shrugged indifferently. It didn't make much of a difference where he lived.
The group of people arrived near Laing's castle.
Hundreds of serfs were working in an orderly manner. The supervisors sent by the merchant and Laing's soldiers were supervising the serfs' progress. The sound of scolding, quarreling, and the sound of the serfs moving various materials could be heard.
The craftsmen sent by the wealthy merchant Ismail were building the castle.
Laing could clearly feel that the serfs were not active enough.
Their faces were calm and even a little numb. They did whatever the supervisors asked, not a cent more.
The baron thought that the efficiency was very low, so he said to Gasparton, "This is already the maximum number?"
"Yes, my baron. If we recruit more people, it will affect the defense and farming of the territory." Gasparton also noticed that the serfs' efficiency was not high. The tax official said in a hateful and resentful tone, "What a bunch of ungrateful bastards. The baron has already provided them with good food, but they are still so negligent. My baron, I will go and urge them to speed up their progress."
"Don't worry, Gasparton. Tell me first, what kind of food are we providing for these serfs?" Laing stopped Gasparton's behavior. The baron was very calm.
"My baron, please come this way." Gasparton was stunned for a moment, then motioned Laing to come behind a pitched tent.
In the tent, some peasant women were making lunch. The main composition of lunch was porridge … and the same thin stew.
"Oh! My lord! "Seeing Laing appear, the peasant women hurriedly knelt down.
"This is the food we prepared for the serfs?" Laing frowned. He walked to the big pot, then said to his butler, "Get the bowl and spoon!"
"Yes!" Katzenberg immediately fetched an ordinary wooden bowl and spoon from the side.
"Oh! God! My Lord Baron! Honorable Holy Grail Knight, this is what we lowly people eat. How can you eat it, my lord! " The peasant woman with a body like a bucket had the big spoon snatched from her hand by Laing. She was so scared that she hurriedly knelt down and said.
Laing ignored the peasant woman's request. He took the big spoon and stirred it vigorously in the big pot. Then he scooped a bowl and tasted it with a wooden spoon. "You guys, try it together!"
Katzenberg and Gasparton had to each scoop a bowl to taste.
Thin flour, a little barley flour, and some unknown vegetables were the free lunch Laing provided to the serfs.
Beyond the Holy Grail Knight's expectations, the food was not bad.
Yes, for Laing, who had lived in the Celestial Empire, the food he ate could only be used to feed pigs.
However, for this world, the serfs could eat this kind of porridge, which was better than their normal diet.
What did the Brittany serfs usually eat?
Black bread mixed with buckwheat, rye, bran, and mud.
Porridge made with crushed peas or chestnuts was thinner than the porridge in Laing's hand.
Occasionally, the serfs could go hunting to get some meat, but this was extremely limited because the law stipulated that all animals in the territory belonged to the lord. If the serfs dared to touch the lord's things, they would be chopped off or even hanged. However, there were still some animals that were not included, such as rabbits and birds. These animals were allowed to be killed by the lord because they would harm the crops.
In spring and summer, the serfs could also eat some fish and meat.
In addition, if the serfs wanted to eat high-grade meat such as chicken, duck, goose, and pork, they could only eat it every autumn on the day when the Lady of the Lake descended. On this day, due to the grace and supervision of the Lady of the Lake, even the stingiest knight would open his warehouse and take out a large amount of bread and a small amount of meat for the serfs to eat until they were full. Many serfs could even overeat to death on this day.
As for high-grade meat such as beef, mutton, and turkey chicken, they could forget about it. Their knights did not have many opportunities to eat them.
"My baron, this food is good enough. If it is better, those bumpkins may really think that they have become knights!" Gasparton, the tax officer, said bitterly, "But even with this kind of food, those bumpkins still don't work hard. What a bunch of ungrateful bastards. I will cut off their food supply tomorrow and ask them to bring their own food."
"Dear Gasparton, I think the problem has nothing to do with the food we provide, but it has to do with the distribution of our food." Laing put the bowl aside and said to his tax officer and steward, "Think about it. If you were a serf and could eat this kind of food as long as you work every day, would you want the project to last longer or finish it as soon as possible?"
"Ah!" Gasparton immediately understood. Katzenberg subconsciously touched his bald head. He also immediately understood the reason behind it.
Since working for the lord would give them this kind of food, then the project must be delayed as long as possible. Since they could eat this kind of food as long as they worked, why should they work hard? Didn't they all eat the same?
In this world, the minds of the serfs were very ignorant and simple. The so-called reason would not be of any use. Only practical differences, practical divisions, could stimulate them and force them to use their full strength. Everything else was illusory!
"Pass down my order! From tomorrow onwards, divide all the serfs into several groups! Those who can cook the fastest and the best! There will be meat soup and barley bread to eat! Those who can cook faster will eat this kind of food! "Laing put down the bowl.
"Those who can cook slower than normal will only be provided with the worst rye bread. As for the slowest group, I will stop providing them with any food and let them bring their own food from home to eat!"
"Yes!" Gasparton and Kasenberg immediately responded. The tax officer and the steward were wholeheartedly convinced by the baron's order.
The steward and the tax officer went to arrange things. Laing stood alone on the hillside, thinking about some things.
Gasparton, an excellent tax officer, was sent by the Lake Fairy to help him. He was one of the Lake Fairy's people.
Kasenberg, an excellent steward, was recommended by Duke Winford. He was one of Duke Winford's people.
In fact, to some extent, they were the eyes and ears sent by their superiors to monitor their subordinates. Laing, Gasparton, and Kasenberg knew this clearly.
Some things required tacit understanding. Laing knew that he could not be childish and think that he could only rely on people he trusted. On the contrary, he needed such capable and colorful people around him. In this way, his superiors could rest assured and he could also gain the trust of his superiors. It was the same for the Lake Fairy and Duke Winford.
Only children could differentiate between good and bad, while adults only looked at the pros and cons. Ryan's strength was astonishing, and his potential was limitless, so some measures were necessary. Too many, too many human geniuses had secretly turned to Chaos. Too many nobles dressed well on the surface, but in reality, they had become believers of Evil Gods. Vampires were lurking in this country, and the citizens of Chaos were hiding in the streets. Ryan would be wary of others, and others would be wary of him as well. The Lake Fairy was even more unwilling to risk her Chosen One champion being abducted.
Moreover, with such eyes and ears around him, Laing's performance could be immediately known to everyone. Laing had many ways to truly make these two people serve him wholeheartedly. However, wouldn't it be more satisfying to make them swear their loyalty willingly?
Halfway through his thoughts, Katzenberg suddenly came back. The bald butler panted and said, "My baron, the lady's messenger is here! Her Highness Morgiana has personally come to Baron Zeon's territory! "
"What?!"
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