Chapter 53 Territory Planning

On that war-torn land, people were striving to find the first glimmer of hope amidst the ruins.

The night fell like a massive black curtain, pressing heavily down upon the shack district.

People stood up one after another, men, women, and children holding hands. Singing and laughter intertwined, striking up a joyful melody.

Their dance steps were as light as petals swaying in the breeze, every single step seemingly speaking of their yearning and anticipation for a new life.

The children scurried back and forth through the crowd like a group of merry little fawns. That crisp, clear laughter echoed like silver bells within the lively atmosphere, exceptionally pleasing to the ear.

The adults held their heads high, opening their throats to sing to their heart's content.

That resounding song seemed to sprout wings, striving to fly away toward the distant starry sky.

It was as if they wished to convey this joy to every single star in the heavens, allowing the vast universe to feel this happiness that welled from the depths of their hearts.

Others in the neighboring shacks sat gathered together, staring fixedly at the bustling crowd, their eyes filled with envy.

Even though they merely sat quietly, the corners of their mouths unconsciously curved upward, wearing a faint, gentle smile.

After all, in these harsh and difficult days, being able to receive a share of food and wine was already a supreme blessing bestowed by the heavens.

The night gradually grew deeper, and the moonlight spilled over the fields like water, draping the earth in a silvery gauze gown.

Early the next morning, sunlight pierced through the thin layer of clouds, casting its glow upon this land that had weathered so many changes.

Gervais, that middle-aged man with a head of fiery red hair, scratched his head in utter confusion, staring intently at the money pouch in his hand while muttering continuously:

"How truly strange. Why on earth are there an extra 10 silver pennies in my pouch?

Could... could this be some angel descending, quietly blessing me?"

At that moment, another villager chimed in with a smile:

"Who knows, maybe it's the work of Lord Carlo and the others. I’ve got an extra silver penny here too!

They are just like angels, bringing us surprises in this bitter time."

Hearing this, everyone burst into hearty laughter.

In the distance, Charles let out a sudden, violent sneeze. He rubbed his nose and muttered to himself:

"Achoo, who on earth is talking about me?"

In truth, although those two villages had sizable populations, upon closer inspection—oh my! The vast majority were mere manor serfs, and their meager personal property was practically too negligible to mention.

Taking the overall total into account, the losses caused by the war amounted to very few gold coins when converted, totaling less than 100 gold coins in all.

The very next day, Carlo distributed all of this compensation money among the refugees.

Yet those two villages had just experienced a brutal war; aside from the houses and land which barely remained, almost everything else had been plundered clean, and everything had to start from scratch.

The missing supplies were a diverse assortment: food, seeds, livestock, all kinds of tools, and countless daily necessities—every single thing was in short supply.

Carlo specifically ordered the purchase of a large quantity of lard and various peculiar tools.

Everyone thought that if these were meant for eating, it would simply be too extravagant. Yet Carlo had his own calculations in mind, though he did not wish to reveal them to the others just yet.

Carlo had another baffling action: he bought a huge amount of quicklime.

Everyone found it extremely strange and began whispering among themselves in speculation. Someone couldn't help but ask:

"Is Lord Carlo planning to build a house? Just how massive must a house be to require this much lime?"

Hearing this, Carlo chuckled inwardly to himself, thinking:

"Heh heh, there's no way they can guess that I'm about to get toilet paper made right away! If things go on like this, how are we supposed to live? Who could possibly stand it!"

Just the items Carlo purchased for his own needs cost 100 gold coins. Without the indulgence and pampering of Rolant and Roberto, this would have been utterly impossible.

That fellow Carlo spent money like water; this time, he was even plotting to have Rolant go take out another high-interest loan to satisfy his demands.

However, Rolant had been so terrified by the exorbitantly high interest rates during his previous experience with loan-sharking that now, no matter what anyone said, he firmly refused to borrow again.

As for Roberto, although he came from a merchant family, he was also a renowned blacksmith.

He possessed an almost fanatical love for smithing and was a quintessential artisan enthusiast.

Even after becoming a knight, he had always harbored a dream in his heart: to own a blacksmith shop of his own.

Yet Carlo's reckless and lavish spending forced him to reluctantly set his plans aside for the time being.

That kid Charles was like a magical, mobile pouch of delicacies. Nobody knew where he got the money from, but the delicious treats he held in his arms were almost enough to bury him.

He very generously shared the food with everyone, and the enticing aroma instantly permeated the crowd, making everyone's mouths water.

Roberto smiled as he accepted the fruit handed to him by Charles. The fruit was vibrant in color and still glistened with crystal-clear droplets of water, looking utterly mouth-watering. Roberto joked:

"Thank you for your generosity, Charles."

Charles scratched his head, displaying an honest and rustic smile on his face, and gave a chuckle:

"No need to thank me, milord. We all depend on you for our meals!"

Thus, Carlo and his party busily purchased supplies in the city of Calais, spending every last coin of their savings.

Even so, they still failed to buy everything the fiefdom lacked. There was no help for it; they could only slowly make preparations later on.

Once everything was properly prepared, they led the crowd on the return journey. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the mottled tree leaves, falling upon this land that had just endured the ravages of war.

After a great deal of fuss, everyone finally settled down and returned to the dwellings they had originally inhabited.

Lord Rolant's residence was a spacious and slightly rustic large house.

Since his family was not at home, this place became the best accommodation available in the two villages, and Carlo's group of five temporarily settled in here.

Roberto impatiently sought out several strong and sturdy serfs.

He directed them to build a blacksmith workshop for him in the village of Suur, even though there were currently no tools or facilities available.

Yet the dream of a blacksmith shop in his heart had never been extinguished.

As he directed the work, he envisioned in his mind:

"Once the workshop is built, I will surely forge the finest weapons and tools."

Rolant, on the other hand, completely handed over the heavy responsibility of rebuilding and restoring the fiefdom to Carlo, while he himself appeared quite leisurely and carefree, acting entirely like a hands-off master.

He sat nearby, watching Carlo busy at work, thinking to himself:

"This kid, although young, has quite a bit of ability. Let him toss and turn as he pleases."

Because of either kinship ties or rock-solid mutual trust among the knights of the two villages, although Carlo lacked the title of lord, he wielded the actual authority of one.

In everyone's eyes, he was already the one genuinely exercising the powers of a lord.

Inside the lord's residence, Carlo, Nicholas, Gervais, and Rolant were seated together around the large wooden table in the center.

Carlo slowly swept his gaze across Nicholas and Gervais, a hint of expectation and seriousness in his eyes:

"Village elders, you are the ones most familiar with the situation in the villages.

Now that both villages have to practically start anew from scratch, we must carefully calculate how to breathe new life back into this land.

Tell me about the situation as you understand it first."

Nicholas and Gervais exchanged a complex glance, gradually growing accustomed to this strange pattern where decisions were made not by the lord, but by Carlo, an attendant.

Nicholas gave a light cough to break the silence. He lowered his head slightly as if organizing his thoughts, and a moment later looked up:

"Milord, this war gave our villages a terrible beating. Gervais and I have discussed this for a long time. I will report to you first, and then Gervais can supplement."

Carlo nodded slightly, his gaze fixed attentively on Nicholas.

Nicholas closed his eyes as if recalling those painful past events. A moment later, he slowly opened them, his eyes filled with sorrow:

"Milord, our two villages were once places of abundance admired by everyone around, and we all lived peaceful lives.

But once this war came, the nobility and the army acted like a pack of greedy wolves, taking everything they could carry away, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

Now, we are left with only about 180 people. The arable land is roughly 1,600 acres, the grasslands and pastures about 700 acres, and the woodlands, roads, and other land add up to about 3,000 acres.

Although we have lost almost everything, fortunately, you and the lord brought back quite a few supplies this time, which gives us a glimmer of hope for restoring production.

It's just that there is not the slightest hope for this year's harvest, which is a heavy blow to us."

As he spoke, Nicholas's eyes turned slightly red. He fought hard to hold back his tears from falling, while thinking in his heart:

"When on earth will all of this get better?"

Gervais patted Nicholas on the shoulder as if comforting him, and then said to Carlo:

"Milord, I have an idea. We must hurriedly replant turnips and radishes. They grow fast, usually harvestable within 60 to 90 days after sowing.

These turnips and radishes are extremely useful; they can serve as our rations to fill everyone's stomachs, and they can also be stored to feed the livestock during the winter.

Furthermore, they are very helpful for improving soil structure. As long as we work hard, next year will surely allow the fiefdom to recover."

When Gervais said this, a hint of determination showed in his eyes, though in his heart he also felt somewhat uncertain, knowing this was a difficult challenge.