Chapter 257·Francis’ Fief

Author: Chui Lao Nan Shiyi

The Old World, the Human Empire, the Barony of Draco, the Wheatfield Village south of the York River, belongs to the knightly fief of Sir Nikas Francis under the command of Lelan.

In early October, a month into autumn, the temperature begins to gradually become colder. Frost in the north of the empire always occurs more than half a month earlier than in the south.

This village, which was founded less than four years ago, has now grown to a certain scale. The autumn wind is bleak, and the forests are dyed. Along the rammed earth road entering the village, the fields are separated from both sides of the road, and the road protection forests along the side are separated from each other on the wide road.

, exuding a sense of tranquility, the dam to the east of the village has long been filled with clean water, which is used by the villagers in their daily lives in winter.

The golden waves of wheat in the fields and farms a few weeks ago are no longer visible, only piles of tied up straw are left. The autumn harvest has basically ended, and the tax collectors and knights from the barony have already collected the levied grain.

They were harvested one after another, leaving a more surplus harvest than in previous years. Farmers began to enter the forest farm to cut firewood and grind flour. Several newly built water-powered mills facing the river in the east of Maitian Village were also crowded with villagers, although many villagers complained.

The cost of renting a mill was high, but the flour ground by the water-powered mill was both uniform and fine, so the copper coins paid were worth it.

In addition, the busy farming period since autumn has not yet ended. Before it snows and frost forms on the land, farmers who have been rooted in the land for generations need to plow the fields again and sow winter wheat in advance to prepare for the early summer of next year.

Be prepared.

Plowing the land requires a lot of manpower and animal power, and it is also inseparable from high-quality agricultural tools. A relatively wealthy village like Maitian Village has a medium-sized horse farm, which solves the problem of animal power. The solution to high-quality agricultural tools is thanks to Baron Draco

In the dwarf community that leads the country, farm tools are forged by dwarf workshop blacksmiths who are proficient in iron and stone, and are continuously transported from oak towns to various villages by the Overland Chamber of Commerce's merchant team. Strong and durable are synonymous with dwarf tools, and they are even sold as far away as

Kingdom of Kislev north of the Usko River.

The harvest of the farmland is inseparable from the preaching and assistance of the Earth Goddess Church and the Tal Church, which Lailan has always supported. The priests of the Earth Goddess Church shuttle between the countryside and fields to cultivate fine seeds and select grains in the designated fields.

, and those Druid priests of the Church of Nature, whose clothes are usually stained with mud, and who are almost the same as savages if they don't observe carefully, give blessings to the farmland to ensure that frost, insect pests and other harmful hazards appear on this land. In the Baron

Thanks to the double promotion of the Church of the Earth Goddess, every household now knows that plant ash is a good thing. It can not only cover wounds and prevent infection, but also fertilize the land.

Wheatfield Village was a fief granted to Nikas Francis by Lairon. The tremendous changes in the past few years show that Nikas' tireless enthusiasm for the fiefdom. Everyone in the village respects him very much. Under Baron Laelen

In the process of constantly conquering the evil monsters in the forest, many young men in Maitian Village also serve as soldiers in the baron's army. The trophies they get from each war are equivalent to someone else's income for a whole year or even two or three years. This makes the village

Other people in the camp were jealous. One of the lucky ones was promoted to a knight by Sir Nikas Francis for his outstanding military achievements in killing two bull monsters and a centaur while serving in the Halberd Camp, and was personally granted the title of Baron Lelan.

, the family recently moved into the oak town with high land prices. This lucky man is also the fourth freeman to win the title of knight in the three years after Gavin Clinton became a knight, and his famous reputation spread throughout the city.

Barony of Coe.

Since then, there has been a slight disturbance in the recruitment of the Baron Army, and living examples of successfully obtaining knighthoods have been around. The young men of Wheatfield Village have worked hard and sharpened their heads to become the Baron Army.

a member of.

Wheatfield Village is also the village with the highest willingness to train militia. Unlike the system of the Knight Kingdom across the Gray Mountains, the imperial decree does not establish a way to avoid the levy of shield tax by paying taxes during wartime and peacetime.

Since the first year of the reign of His Majesty the Savior Magnus, it has been defined as the obligation of every citizen of the empire to participate in the war. Free militiamen are recruited in towns and cities. They need to provide their own weapons and armor. This also causes everyone to

Large villages have specialized armor shops, sword shops and firearms shops for free people to purchase.

One day in late autumn, Wheatfield Village welcomed the visit of Baron Draco.

Lailan was walking on the road of Wheatfield Village, followed by several barony knights. He said with a smile: "Francis, the fief under your governance looks very prosperous. It seems that your expertise is not only leading the army in war, but also managing."

His abilities are also outstanding.”

The permanent population of the village is close to 300 households, making it a well-deserved large village. A wooden wall more than three meters high surrounds Maitian Village. Various craftsmen's workshops, handicraft shops and shops can be seen everywhere in the village.

"Actually, all of this is inseparable from the help of the village consul. My role is actually very small. I am occasionally busy with fief affairs." Sir Nikas Francis scratched his head. This excellent commander who has killed countless evils,

He looked a little embarrassed: "My governance ability is very limited to fully responsible for the management of a village."

"Elector Boris has told me more than once that the vast majority of the military nobles in the Midden Territory are good at war and can save the situation no matter how difficult it is, but they can't even read the most basic account books.

There is no way of knowing whether the annual loss or surplus is." Lelan nodded, and he intended to discuss this topic with Nikas Francis: "The empire, or any human country, does not need such aristocrats, let alone those who are extremely poor.

It is not easy to manage a village in an orderly and prosperous manner. Francis, these all prove your ability. Baron Draco needs more knights like you, Mi

To ascend the throne or even the entire empire, we need nobles like you, so there is no need to be overly modest."

After saying this, the knights behind Lailan looked thoughtful. A few seconds later, Nikas Francis, who was following him, nodded heavily and said: "Baron, I will keep your teachings in mind."

"Well, let's continue walking around your fief."

"yes."

Lelan and his knights walked through a crowded road together. The appearance of the Baron himself attracted cheers from nearby. Villagers, merchants, and craftsmen gathered on both sides of the road. They loudly praised the reputation of Baron Draco and the heroes of the empire.

The keepers of several taverns and shops presented sweet and pure mead and fine butter bread to the lord of this land. They warmly welcomed the baron into the shop and promoted the special delicacies of their taverns. After hearing the news, everyone came

The young and strong villagers stood in the most conspicuous position, shouting and applauding with all their strength, trying to get the baron's attention.

"Baron, the people are truly enthusiastic. Many people worship the Baron who is known as the hero of the empire from the bottom of their hearts." Nikas Francis smiled at Lairon and said, the cheers of the surrounding crowd were too warm and noisy, he

He had to raise his voice, and flowers kept being pushed into his arms. Francis was too embarrassed to refuse, and after a while his arms were filled to the brim.

"Hahaha~ This is why I like to go out for a walk occasionally. Being drowned in the enthusiasm of the people of the empire is the source of motivation that supports me to keep fighting." Baron Draco laughed and shook hands with the crowd who came over.

, his every move can attract countless people to scream and cheer, and those guys who are shaken by the baron himself are even more excited, and even cry bitterly.

In dark times, there is always someone who brings a ray of light.

It took a lot of effort to get out of the crowd. If it weren't for the evacuation of the village guard and the accompanying knights, too many handshakes made Lailan's right hand numb. He watched Francis and a group of knights being surrounded by wreaths and handkerchiefs.

Full of embarrassment, he couldn't help laughing and said: "Knights, today you have seen the only shortcoming of being respected. I believe that with this painful lesson, you will be much easier to deal with next time."

Francis finally took out the fallen leaves from the collar at the back of his neck and said with a deep understanding: "You are right, Baron."

"Hahaha, it's almost noon after walking around. It's time to find a tavern to sit down and rest, and taste the local specialties." Lailan looked at several taverns not far away and asked: "Sir Francis,

Any recommendations?"

"Please come with me, there is a restaurant with special food that you have never heard of."

After a while, Baron Draco and his party opened the door of a tavern in the south of Wheatfield Village.

Passing through the solid wooden door of the tavern, you will find a spacious and well-lit first-floor hall. Wooden tables and chairs are placed around a bonfire in the middle. At noon, the peak period of the evening has not yet reached, and the guests in the tavern occupy less than half of the wooden floor.

Chairs, people sit around the wooden tables and communicate freely. The barley wine in the large mugs exudes a strong aroma of wheat. Several waiters shuttle between the tables and chairs, bringing food and cleaning up the leftovers. October in the north is obvious.

To cool down, the fire in the fireplace in the tavern is burning brightly, and thick hot soup is simmering on the bonfire rack, and the aroma is constantly wafting.

Seeing several knights surrounding one person entering, the proprietress, the waiter and the seated diners all looked up at the door. They were obviously stunned for a moment, and their eyes were a little straight. The rich-looking tavern proprietress opened her mouth and closed it again.

It opened again, like a fish thrown on the shore, and there was no air in the huge tavern.

With her sharp eyesight honed over many years as a shopkeeper, the proprietress recognized the medal worn by Lelan at a glance. She racked her brains and struggled to squeeze out a sentence: "Baron... Baron?"

"It's me." Lailan nodded first and walked straight to an unoccupied wooden table in the middle. After sitting down, he raised his head and curiously looked at the decoration and layout of the tavern: "I heard that this tavern has a unique style.

It’s delicious food, so I came here to taste it.”

The diners looked at each other and saw the surprise and excitement in each other's eyes.

Francis walked to the bar and looked at the landlady who was still in a trance. He took out a high-quality imperial gold coin and pushed it to the landlady. He smiled and said: "Don't be too formal. Dear madam, just treat us as ordinary guests."

, first get two bottles of bitterland and mead, and taste the special food."

"Okay, okay!" The landlady came back to her senses, wiped her big hand on the countertop, and the gold coins instantly disappeared into her apron pocket. After accepting the money, the landlady smiled happily and quickly directed the waiter to bring out the drinks, and at the same time ordered the back kitchen

He brought out a large plate of barbecued meat and hot broth: "Master Knight, please use it slowly with your Lord Baron. It will be ready soon!"

"Lord Baron, I wish Ms. Salina would give you her blessing. Do you need drinks? I'll fill them up for you!" A bartender held a bottle of bittersweet in both hands. He had never been in such close contact with a famous imperial hero.

Try your best to make your tone natural and calm.

"Sorry to trouble you." Both Lairon and Francis nodded. After filling the mugs, the bartender showed a sly smile and signaled that he would use it slowly.

"Thank you." Lairon took the large mug and said, "Cheers, Francis!"

"Cheers~" Nikas Francis was very enthusiastic. He swallowed the barbecue in one gulp, took a big sip of bitterland, and then took a long breath of comfort: "Baron, you really should try it a few more times. Come back every time."

In Maitian Village, I like to eat at this pub the most. The lamb is grilled and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, full of aroma, and paired with the stimulation of bitterland, yum~~”

"I have experienced it, the taste is very good," Lailan took a big sip and then said: "Let's have some more of Eislay's fruit wine, which will relieve the tiredness and leave an endless aftertaste."

"Hey, my Baron, when talking about Elf Cider, we have to mention how effective the wood elves' medicines are. There is a church hospital of Serena Church in Wheatfield Village. Thanks to the trade between you and the wood elves, baron, the church hospital

Serina's priests can use elf medicine to cure many difficult and complicated diseases in the past." Francis's tone was full of joy.

"I'm glad to hear that." Lalan looked gentle.

While he was talking, the tavern proprietress personally brought freshly prepared specialties, a large plate of pies and... jelly-like meat that smelled of vinegar?

"Lord Baron, Mr. Francis, please try our specialty dish, eel jelly." The proprietress explained warmly: "It's not complicated to make. The ingredients come from the fresh eel caught in the York River in the morning. First, the skin of the eel is peeled off and

Cut the fish into pieces, add lemon juice and mix evenly, then cut into long strips of meat, then roll up each piece of meat and tie it tightly with strong thin cotton thread, put it into a stew pot, add some maple leaf grass and simmer until it becomes tender, then let the fish solidify.

When finished, stir it with mashed potatoes, and it’s best eaten with pie pies as a dip.”

Draco Baron Lelan was still staring at the indescribable meat jelly on the plate. It tasted average, but the presentation of the jelly eel was really not that good. There was deep shock on his face: "I really

I don’t know what to say…”

"We have a lot of fresh eels, Lord Baron. If you like it, we can make you another one at any time." The tone of the tavern proprietress's voice was full of expectation.
Chapter completed!