Chapter 979: Chapter 427: One Chapter per Week
PS: Thank you to the book friend "Rice Package Chicken Wings" for the generous reward, much appreciated!
After the rainy season, the weather finally began to noticeably warm up. The bright sunshine replaced the cold heavy rain, shining down and radiating across Laine’s domain.
After detailed preparation and arrangements, Laine managed to steal some leisure time amidst his busy political duties. He brought his wife Surya and his personal maid Ollica to Angerong’s forest cottage, planning to enjoy a day of recreation before returning the next day to continue handling political affairs.
Surya brought her personal maid Sylvia, along with two servants, plus her steward Henderson, making a small entourage. Fortunately, Angerong had expanded the forest cottage twice, so now it was more like a forest villa.
This forest villa in Charon Forest was a terrifying legend, not directed at humans, but at those Beastmen, Green Skins, and bandits. These people or monsters would mysteriously disappear upon approaching the forest cottage.
On the contrary, some woodcutters or hunters preferred to rest here when chopping wood, because it was safe. There was also a small shop selling ale and bread, along with axes and pickaxes handmade by Angerong himself. Occasionally, Angerong would sell "high-end" products like weapons and some luxury goods, even venison and beef, which were forbidden for commoners, and silver tableware.
Now, Laine’s domain had prospered, and the peasants had some spare money in their pockets. Many peasants yearned for advancement, eager to experience the lifestyle of nobility. They secretly came to the forest cottage to buy luxury goods for enjoyment, and some weapons, equipping themselves for recruitment and conscription, keeping the affairs of the cottage confidential.
The wheels and axles of the carriage turned with a gululu sound, and Surya’s steward Henderson was driving the vehicle. Laine and Surya sat inside, gazing out the carriage window at the newly paved roads. The fresh forest air and the scent of grass made the Count and his lady feel exhilarated.
Laine embraced Surya, feeling his wife’s beautiful figure and soft pressure: "The roads in the forest are now repaired, and settlements have been established. In my domain, there are already thirty-eight villages, of which twenty have been parceled out. The main allocation remains these forest settlements."
Every Kingdom Knight’s allocation requires at least one village. A village of two to three hundred people can support two to three Kingdom Knights. Laine’s domain has already allocated twenty villages, leaving eighteen under his direct rule.
Similarly, Laine uses the old method, keeping the wealthy villages near his towns under direct rule, while allocating the peripheral, forest villages, and those with military pressure to the Kingdom Knights, letting them solve their own problems.
This saves trouble; otherwise, in this world with disconnected roads and interrupted messages, he simply couldn’t manage.
Laine also plans to create a Baron title for one of his three towns, Devon Town. Currently, the Baron Devon’s title is an unresolved issue as to who will hold it.
The knights under Laine have insufficient military achievements. The Holy Grail Knight Armand’s achievements and qualifications are naturally impeccable, but he is unwilling to take a title, preferring to be just a Standard Bearer.
The remaining knights still lack military achievements, so Laine plans that whoever can achieve significant merit in the assault on Black Stone Stronghold will be the new Baron Devon.
The dark elf Ollica, still in her black and white maid outfit, sat beside Laine serving him. Surya’s maid Sylvia rarely wore maid outfits; she sat opposite Laine and his wife, dressed in very formal Brittania Court noblewoman attire. This maid maintained her usual serious expression; in Laine’s memory, she rarely smiled.
"Amelia is still locking herself up in her room and rarely comes out." Surya, also enjoying the outing, savored her married life with her husband: "I talked to her once; she seems unwilling to leave you, but the family bloodline and responsibilities are forcing her to make a choice, and she originally planned to marry you."
"When I took her in, I had an inkling her identity was not simple, but since she doesn’t say, I definitely won’t uncover it, and..." Laine felt helpless, "Moreover, we soon established a relationship; I remember it was after the Kulona Plains battle."
"Yes, at the windmill." Surya recalls their secretive dating memories with delight; at that time, Laine was recovering in the Holy Grail Cathedral and was "detained" by Mogiana. Surya asked her father Francois to plead with Mogiana to release Laine.
It was inside the windmill that Surya experienced her first kiss. In that kind of environment, every time the lady knight reminisced, her face turned crimson. Those were her first ventures into places like windmill mills, and there Laine succeeded.
"I think, unless accidents occur, Amelia will eventually have to return to Nuer; that’s her domain, her title. She still has to bear her responsibilities, she can’t evade them." Laine gently stroked Surya’s back, then smiled, "I originally thought to invite Her Highness Mogiana along, but reconsidered. With my brother secretly dealing in luxury goods and fencing, it could potentially violate some Kingdom laws. Although she might not immediately punish, I would have to explain for quite a while."
