Chapter 47: Deliberations and Reflections

A bath? Back then, it was just a quick, hasty rinse in the river. The biting chill of the river water made him yearn for the warm and comfortable bathrooms of his modern past.

Every single day was spent either fighting for his life on brutal battlefields or enduring monotonous sword practice.

He felt as though he was on the verge of forgetting what ordinary life actually tasted like.

Now that the war was finally over, he thought to himself:

"This damned war is finally over. Lord Razarit has been exceptionally good to me and holds me in high regard, Roberto has become a knight, and I am, at the very least, now considered a member of the nobility.

It is high time I figured out how to live a truly comfortable life and experience that cozy, leisurely lifestyle unique to noble lords."

Like a starved wolf, he continuously stuffed food into his mouth. In no time at all, the plate before him was piled high with bones, serving as a testament to his absolute conquest of the delicacies.

The group continued to eat, drink, and chat amidst the cheerful atmosphere, swapping fascinating stories and thrilling adventures. Sounds of laughter and lively chatter intertwined seamlessly.

Watching Carlo gorge himself with such ravenous abandon, Razarit's eyes filled with affectionate indulgence as he chuckled:

"Look at you, Carlo. The way you eat, you would think you had starved for several lifetimes. If you still haven't had enough, hurry up and tell the waiter to bring out some more. Don't you dare wrong your own stomach."

With his mouth stuffed to maximum capacity, Carlo could only offer a muffled, indistinct grunt of acknowledgment while his hands kept right on pushing food inside.

Turning his head toward Roberto, Razarit asked with an inquiring gaze:

"Roberto, you are a knight now as well. Do you have any plans?"

Roberto frowned slightly, a look of bewilderment clouding his eyes, and spoke slowly:

"My lord, I do not really have any ideas of my own. Here, my only family is Carlo.

And you, sir, are the person I respect above all others. As you know, Rhethis Village is nothing more than an unfamiliar place to me.

The mere thought of going there all by myself to develop a fiefdom fills my heart with anxiety and hesitation. I... I truly do not want to go."

At this point, he paused, casting a look of utter reliance toward Carlo.

"Carlo, what do you think I ought to do?"

Razarit shifted his gaze to Carlo as well. Carlo was thoroughly enjoying his meal when he was suddenly interrupted, leaving him feeling somewhat disgruntled:

"Hm? I was just getting into the swing of eating, why are you suddenly dragging me into this?"

He frowned in thought for a moment, then brought his hand down heavily onto the table with a loud thud and declared loudly:

"Why on earth should we separate? Think about it, Sul Village and Rhethis Village sit right next to each other, just like a pair of brothers.

Why don't we simply combine the two villages and develop them as a single territory? If we all pull together, what hardship can we possibly fail to overcome?

With the strength of both villages pooled together, we will be able to accomplish so much more!"

Hearing this, Razarit frowned slightly. After a brief moment of deep thought, he said:

"Carlo is right! Although doing this breaks with tradition and might draw skeptical glances or even invite some difficulties, so what? We are extraordinary people to begin with!

Besides, I truly cannot bear to part with either of you. Since that is how it stands, then it is settled! We shall merge the two villages into one.

As for the revenues from the territory, we shall split them equally. We share the blessings together and face the hardships as one. Roberto, what do you think?"

The look of confusion that had previously dominated Roberto's eyes was instantly replaced by pleasant surprise and deep emotion. He sprang abruptly to his feet, scraping his chair harshly across the floor.

Taking a few quick strides forward, he pulled Razarit and Carlo into a tight embrace:

"My lord, Carlo, this is the absolute best arrangement possible for me!

To me, a fiefdom is nothing more than a cold patch of land; without the two of you by my side, it would be utterly meaningless.

Right now, you are the most precious people I have in this world. Being able to stay with you is all that truly matters!"

Carlo, currently being squeezed breathless by Roberto's hug, mumbled protestingly:

"Ouch, Roberto, you are going to choke the life out of me! And look at my mouth, it's covered in grease, and you've gone and wiped it all over your fancy tunic—this robe of yours is worth far more than my flesh!"

Listening from the side, Luke Griffith thought the entire scenario was nothing short of unbelievable. He muttered to himself:

"This is completely unheard of! Nobles have always regarded their fiefdoms as life itself, who on earth ever combines them for joint development like this?"

Still, he no longer had the energy to dwell on such matters, the heavy gloom in his heart having been temporarily banished by the delicious food.

He grabbed another massive chunk of pork and bit down hard, his cheeks bulging visibly as he chewed away and mumbled indistinctly:

"Mmm, this really is incredible!" With that, he reached for his wine goblet.

Gulping down several large drafts of ale, droplets spilled from the corner of his mouth to dampen his clothes, though he remained entirely oblivious, his eyes radiating a trace of pure contentment.

A plump, smiling man was busy weaving his way between the tables, his rotund belly jiggling slightly with each step—he was none other than the tavern keeper.

The chubby proprietor steadily balanced a large tray laden with various kinds of wine and mouth-watering dishes.

As he approached Carlo's table, the smile on his face grew even more brilliant.

After all, Razarit was a regular patron of his establishment, and every visit brought a tidy sum of business to the tavern.

"Master Razarit, here is the wine and specialty roast you requested."

The chubby owner said this as he carefully placed the food and drinks onto the table.

Razarit smiled and nodded in gratitude:

"Thank you. The food here is always so delicious, it's a real treat every time I come."

Upon hearing this, the tavern keeper hurriedly waved a hand, his smile widening until his eyes narrowed into two slits as he replied:

"It's been quite a while since we last saw you, my lord, and you are looking as dashing as ever! Every time I see you, you seem even more full of vigor than before."

Razarit burst out into a hearty laugh:

"Ha, I'll be dropping by much more often now. The war is finally over, what a tremendous relief!"

The plump proprietor nodded with deep empathy:

"Indeed, it's finally over, and we can finally return to normal lives.

My lord, you have no idea how overcrowded the city has become lately; it's filled entirely with refugees fleeing from the villages. That sight alone is enough to break your heart."

Razarit patted the tavern keeper on the shoulder in reassurance:

"Don't worry, now that the war has passed and life is stabilizing, everyone will return to peaceful days. We must believe that everything is going to get better."

The tavern keeper sighed:

"Ah, true, and the tax burden this past year was heavier than any other. They even levied an additional sales tax of four pence per pound!

It's been quite enough to crush the breath right out of us folks trying to make an honest living."

Razarit furrowed his brow slightly:

"It wasn't just your sort; they also slapped on a property tax of two percent targeting noble assets, and I happen to know they levied a tenth-penny income tax on Church-controlled regions as well.

This war has truly made things difficult for everyone."

The tavern keeper said indignantly:

"Let's hope they abolish all of it soon. Besides these explicit taxes, there were all sorts of disguised levies as well.

Those forced loans were like iron collars locked around our necks, and the arbitrary requisitioning of supplies nearly emptied our warehouses entirely.

And don't get me started on the altered coinage weight—what a total mess that turned out to be.

They diluted the silver content of the coins three separate times this year alone. Life gets harder by the day."