Knight: Becoming King of the World

Chapter 106: Chapter 91: Eradicate Lawlessness, Annihilate Evil

The sky grew dim, and dark clouds gathered. A spring rain was about to grace the land, but it also heralded an impending storm.

He turned back to his desk and wrote a letter, instructing the two of them to increase their surveillance of the Empire.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were filled with ambition. The chaos in the Empire was, for him, a heaven-sent opportunity.

In Henry’s study, the candlelight flickered, illuminating his pensive profile. Just as he was lost in thought, a soft knock came from the door.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly, and Ailia walked in carrying a tray laden with food, a gentle smile on her face.

On the tray were fresh bread, roasted meat, and some fruits purchased from a merchant just today, along with a bottle of Onira fruit beer.

"My lord, dinner is ready." Ailia’s voice was gentle, like a spring breeze rippling across water.

Henry looked up from his desk and glanced at the food on the tray. "Set it down."

Ailia placed the tray on the desk, then gently poured Henry a glass of the fruit beer. Henry lifted the glass and took a small sip, savoring its sweet, mellow flavor.

After dinner, Ailia didn’t leave right away. Instead, she moved behind Henry and began to gently massage his shoulders.

Her touch was skilled and gentle. Every press was perfectly placed, making Henry feel a wave of relief.

"Ailia, your massage skills are getting better and better," Henry said, his eyes closed.

As the massage continued, Henry’s mind relaxed, and he grew increasingly drowsy.

Ailia noticed this and said softly, "My lord, you’re tired. Why don’t you get washed up and rest?"

Henry nodded. Ailia helped him to his feet and guided him toward the washroom.

In the washroom, a tub filled with hot water was already prepared. A few fresh rose petals floated on the surface, releasing a faint fragrance.

"You don’t need to put petals in for me in the future. I work up a heavy sweat every morning during my exercises, so they’re pointless."

Surprisingly, Ailia didn’t reply, and Henry didn’t press the matter.

Henry undressed and slowly stepped into the tub. The warm water enveloped his body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.

Ailia waited quietly nearby, ready to assist him at a moment’s notice.

Before long, Henry’s eyelids grew heavy, and he eventually fell fast asleep in the tub. Seeing this, Ailia quietly tiptoed out of the washroom and called for the other female attendants.

Several attendants carefully lifted Henry from the tub, dried his body with soft towels, and then struggled to carry him to the bed in his bedroom.

Ailia tucked him in, making sure he would sleep comfortably.

While Henry slept soundly, Ailia and the other attendants tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind them.

In his dreams, Henry took the heads of countless Half-Beastmen, humans, and other creatures he didn’t recognize, and piled them into towering monuments of skulls.

He drove the nobles of the Empire to kill one another, manipulating them with promises of power and profit... Henry’s eyes suddenly flew open. The only thing he could remember was a final flash of blue.

’I can use schemes now?’

Henry slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard. He figured such a realistic dream was a unique experience in its own right. He was already getting used to something... coveting him.

Henry went about his usual routine: exercising, washing up, and eating. He then listened to reports from Claude and Tommy and reviewed the documents and files submitted by the Record Keepers.

The fine spring rain continued to fall. Yesterday’s downpour had freshened the air, which now mixed with the scent of cattle, sheep, and other livestock—the pure, unadulterated smell of the grasslands.

The fields were dotted with the busy figures of self-employed farmers and tenant farmers, some bent over, tilling the soil, others driving oxen to plow the land. Across the fief, cultivation proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Under the direction of the Record Keepers, the farmers planted grains like wheat, barley, and oats, all according to the season and the specific qualities of the land.

The women and children were not idle, either. They could be found weeding the fields or washing clothes by the stream, all contributing to their family’s livelihood.

The Grassland Warriors, divided into several groups and armed with bows and spears, fanned out under the command of the five Knight’s Squires who had been formally integrated into the Bro Clan.

Their targets were the serfs who had been "displaced" by the war. These serfs had originally belonged to the fiefs of other nobles but had fled during the chaos of battle.

This would not do. Letting them run about aimlessly would only deliver them into the hands of bandits. Henry had to save them!

The Grassland Warriors captured these serfs, who were running around like headless chickens, and brought them back. Claude then assigned them to various parts of the fief as a new labor force.

These serfs were put back to work in the fields. In Westwood Laine, they would receive food and shelter, safe from the threat of war.

In two years, they could become tenant farmers. If they were lucky, they might even become self-employed farmers.

In the villages on the fief’s borders, new garrisons were gradually taking shape. These camps, planned by Henry and Tommy together, were intended to provide quarters and supplies for the patrol forces that would be sent later.

As the number of Free People grew, Westwood Laine’s urban center began a new phase of expansion. You could say that as soon as a house was completed, someone was there to pay for it.

This renewed expansion of the town created more business and job opportunities, which in turn would attract an even greater influx of people.

The taverns were packed every day, mostly with patrons from small merchant caravans. For now, Westwood Laine’s production was still rather fragile; it had yet to form a self-sustaining economic cycle.