As soon as they saw the carriage, the eyes of the people at the door almost turned blood red. They waved their dirty hands, constantly insulting and cursing the workers who came out to deliver the goods. It was obvious that if it weren't for the presence of the soldiers, these people would have very likely rushed up and snatched all the black bread on the carriage.
At this time, the shopkeeper came out. He was a middle-aged man with a few strands of white hair. His eyes were sunken, and his large aquiline nose and yellow skin made him look not like a local. He wasn't tall, only about 1.7 meters. The heavy burden on his body and mind seemed to have crushed him. He signaled the workers to move faster and not delay.
As soon as they saw the shopkeeper, the crowd began to curse wildly.
"Cavendish, a skilled craftsman from Estalia. His skills are not bad and he can make many things. About 15 years ago, he came to Fogler to work as a craftsman for the knight lord here, Count Fogler." François said to Laing, "After working for the lord here for about 10 years, Count Fogler saw that Cavendish was getting old, so he empathized with his hard work and allowed him to only work for three hours a day. He can rest at home for the rest of the time."
Knights and lords valued craftsmen who came to rely on them with excellent skills. Laing wasn't surprised by this. Rather than letting the craftsman work himself to death, it was better to let him train more apprentices to take over. If he could live a long life, the lord would be happy, and so would he.
"But Cavendish is someone who can't stay idle, so he decided to open a shop. On one hand, he could earn some money, and on the other, he could reunite with his family." François saw the white-haired old people and old women all crowded at the door of the shop, and his wise eyes flashed with disgust. "But as you know, Laing, the living standards of the serfs in this country are not good. Perhaps in our territories, the serfs can be guaranteed food and clothing, and they can even kill a chicken during the New Year. But in other territories, the serfs' lives are much harder."
"On a particularly cold winter not long after he opened the shop, an old woman came to his door and took out some copper coins, wanting to buy a little bread. Seeing that she was hungry and cold, Cavendish kindly provided her with ginger soup and bread for free so that she could eat her fill. And that was the beginning of everything."
"Cavendish began to notice the plight of the serfs. Many old serfs were starving because they were unable to work. Therefore, as a believer of the Goddess of Mercy, Cavendish made a decision. He decided to distribute free rye bread to the old serfs in Fogler Town. Any poor serfs and residents over 55 years old who were registered in Count Fogler's books could come to his shop to receive rye bread."
"This can be considered a good deed." Laing nodded. He noticed that many old people and old women came out with bread bags. However, unlike what Laing had imagined, these people did not have any look of gratitude on their faces. Instead, they were at ease and took it for granted.
"Heh, Laing, continue to listen to me." François continued, "Of course, the serfs were very happy with this kind of good deed. Therefore, the old serfs began to come to Cavendish's shop to receive rye bread. As the news spread, the news that there was a shop in Fogler that delivered free rye bread spread like wildfire. The townspeople and serfs in the nearby towns also repeatedly came to the shop. Some serfs in their prime even began to come to the shop to ask for it. Cavendish did not particularly care, so he sent out hundreds of rye bread every month. Not only that, but during holidays, Cavendish would also send gingerbread to the temple of the Goddess of Mercy."
"The story has reached this point. Laing, do you think this is a story full of compassion and kindness? That Cavendish did something heartwarming? "François smiled, but his smile was very cold.
Laing raised his head. Many old people who received bread bags were leaving with a clear conscience, while the serfs and townspeople who did not receive any were still cursing wildly. If there were no soldiers to maintain order, perhaps they would have fought and overturned the shop.
He understood a little. "That's it. Cavendish's intentions may be good, but people are always greedy and can't be satisfied. He can save some people, but he can't save everyone. He can fill the stomachs of some serfs, but he is destined to not be able to change the status quo."
"That's right, that's right. Not only did Cavendish's efforts not earn him the gratitude of the serfs, he didn't even receive any hypocritical thanks." Francois stared coldly at the door of the shop.
After the free black bread was given out, there were always some people who didn't get any. Therefore, these people used the craziest and most vicious curses and insults to vent their hatred and dissatisfaction, and then left cursing and swearing.
"Cavendish's kindness was not rewarded with gratitude, but with insults. Two months after the bread was given out, the serfs crazily insulted this southerner, calling him a despicable thief. Because Cavendish did not tell the serfs that he was paying for the bread, the serfs did not know where they heard the news that Cavendish took the relief food provided by General Lord and the compassionate lady for himself, and then gave a pitiful little to them."
"This opinion quickly gained the support of the majority, so many serfs began to come to Cavendish's door, asking him to give them all the black bread from the beginning until now. There were also serfs who said that they did not want the black bread, and that they could just give him money."
"Cavendish was a craftsman, and he also had to make a living. Naturally, he could not satisfy these people's growing appetite, and the free black bread he could provide was limited after all."
"So the people's malice towards him gradually intensified. Almost everyone was insulting him, asking him to spit out the relief food that he had taken. Sometimes, when the free bread was given out, the serfs who did not get any would rush into the shop to rob, snatching whatever they saw, and justifiably saying that they deserved it and that it was the lady who had given it to them. Sometimes, when the carriage did not deliver the free bread in time, the serfs even broke the shop's door, going in and smashing everything. Even Cavendish's life was threatened. Many serfs who did not get any bread tried to break into his house, using stones to break the windows of his house. His wife and three children were also insulted by many people."
Laing's eyes burned with anger, and he clenched his fists. "It's really not worth it, not worth it at all. By the way, does the count not intend to care about these things?"
François nodded. "Of course, the count was very angry after learning about this. Dozens of serfs were hanged or impaled to death with wooden stakes. At the same time, the count also sent sergeants to protect Cavendish's shop, and also his personal safety."
"However, this kind of behavior further infuriated the serfs. The serfs believed that Kavan and Dixu were complete scum and dregs. With the protection of the soldiers, they no longer dared to lay their hands on them. Instead, the insults and insults became even more severe."
"Faced with this situation, Cavendish decided not to remain silent. He still insisted on his good deeds, and also decided to tell them that he paid for the black bread by himself. He knew that the serfs would not believe him, so he joined forces with the Church of the Goddess of Mercy and the Order of the Holy Virgin. In front of everyone in the town center, he told everyone the reason why he did this. It was because his grandfather was once a glorious Knight of Estalia, and he hoped to promote the glory of chivalry …"
"Hahaha ~" Laing sneered and shook his head. "Coming out to explain at this time, how would these people believe him? If they agreed with him, wouldn't it be the same as admitting their mistakes? Wouldn't they feel guilty? "
"Exactly. Even with the help of the Holy Virgin of the Lake and the priestess of the Goddess of Mercy, the residents of Fogler still refused to believe Cavendish's words. They thought that Cavendish's grandfather must have committed some heinous crime and wanted to use this method to obtain their forgiveness, or perhaps he wanted to use this method to attract the attention of the Holy Virgin of the Lake. In short, no matter how Cavendish explained, they only had three words: No, accept, accept."
"At the same time, these serfs were still eating the free black bread given by Cavendish with a clear conscience. They continued to scold Cavendish for being despicable and stingy, and Cavendish was still insisting on his good deeds."
"This is the story I want to tell you, Laing."
The young Chosen One fell silent and could not speak for a long time. The Duke looked at him calmly, and at the same time, motioned for the peasant woman to have another bowl. The peasant woman responded happily. The Holy Grail Knight still asked for more. What did this mean? This meant that the Holy Grail Knight felt that his stew was delicious! He would not have to worry about not being able to sell it in the future!
After a long silence, Laing said, "I think I know what you mean, my Duke."
"Among the eight virtues of a knight, compassion is a very important one. We need to empathize with the people. We need to understand that it is their hard work and taxes that make Brittany a country of knights. Only then can the knights have the money and ability to defend their country and break away from production." François ate the stew and then said to Laing, "But this does not mean that we have to ensure that every serf has enough to eat. We have to ensure that everyone's desires are satisfied. Compassion is bestowed by the knights. If we don't give it to them, they can't come and take it."
"Laing, you and I both understand that this country is falling into recession. The serf system is on the verge of collapse. We need to change. But just like the matter with Cavendish, there are some things that you can't rush. There are some things that we not only have to change little by little, but also have to let them understand that this is our gift, our compassion, and we can take it away at any time."
"We fight on horseback. We protect this country from the threats of green skin, vampires, chaos, wild orcs, and other evil existences. They work hard and pay taxes. We shed our blood. We never owe them anything. In the face of threats, the knights never shirk their responsibilities. They get on their horses and raise their lances. The knights fight for the people, for the kingdom, for glory, and for the Lady."
"This is compassion, not encouraging the serfs to rebel. Remember, Laing, greed is human nature. You and I can defeat this under the guidance and teachings of the Lady. But how many Holy Grail Knights are there? Ninety-eight percent of Brittany's main force of knights are knights who failed or failed to pass the trial of the Holy Grail. The gap between ideal and reality mercilessly shattered the dreams of most of the knights, bringing them heavy burden and pain. " François's deep eyes flashed with wisdom, "From your behavior, I can guess what you want to do. You have controlled it very well. But I still have to give you a word of advice. You have to be careful. Otherwise, you will be fighting against most of the knights in the kingdom."
Laing only felt a kind of warmth lingering in his heart. He understood that François was reminding him. The Duke himself used this story as a basis to teach him how to deal with things.
The champion of the Lady of the Lake stood up. He solemnly bowed to François, Duke of Winford, and said, "I've learned a lot, my Duke. Your words are like the teachings of the Lady. They have changed me! I will be more careful in governing my territory. "
"Hahaha, how can I be compared to the Lady?" François was very happy to see that Laing understood. He patted Laing's shoulder and said, "There's no need to be so formal between us. Laing, just treat me as your senior."
"Thank you, my Duke." Laing finally sat down. He sighed, "You're right. People are greedy. Besides black bread, there's also white bread, and above chicken and duck, there's also beef. The serfs have never listened to the Lady's teachings. After all, only the serfs who have shown excellent performance are qualified to be promoted."
"That's the principle." François nodded. "People's expectations will change with your generosity. The serfs haven't received enough education. They will subconsciously change their concept from what we give to what they deserve. The process may be very short."
"It seems that the villagers are so stubborn that they refuse to believe the Lady's Order and the Church of the Goddess of Mercy. In fact, it's not that they don't want to believe, but that they can't. Once they choose to admit that the black bread was paid for by Cavendish himself, it means that they are wrong and guilty. They can no longer eat the free black bread with a clear conscience."
Laing sighed. "Exactly. So the serfs will subconsciously accuse Cavendish of a crime, slander his reputation, and doubt his motives. That's why the situation is like this. The serfs won't admit their mistakes no matter what. On the contrary, as long as there's a conspiracy theory, they will subconsciously agree with it and then believe it without any doubt."
Thinking about it, Laing suddenly smiled and said, "Why don't you ask Suria and Yuri to come to the class? I think they need it too. "
François laughed. "Yuri is too much like me when I was young. In his heart, there's only war horse and lance, battle and honor. I'm teaching him now, but he won't listen. As for Suria … she's too young. Teaching her now will do more harm than good. Only you, Laing, are mature enough."
At this moment, a figure wrapped in a black robe escaped from the crowd and sneaked into an alley, attracting the attention of Laing and François. Laing whispered, "There's something wrong with that person. In this season, his clothes are too thin and too tight."
"It might be a vampire. Let's go! Let's go check it out! "
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