Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Lord Never Gets Benched
Everything in the territory was indeed progressing as Su Li had anticipated; all the tasks were going very smoothly.
Upon hearing Su Li mention that a tenth of the mined stones would be allocated to them, a large group of soldiers immediately dropped their bags and armor, and rushed to the excavation site, eagerly digging. Excavating a piece of high-value ore, a tenth of the profits would be equivalent to their salary for two or three months, so of course, they were full of enthusiasm.
During this month’s march, under Su Li’s command, they repeatedly dug up precious stones and herbs, and had long since come to completely trust Su Li’s words. Upon hearing Su Li’s original statement, intelligent people would instantly think that this immense fortune had finally come their way!
This left Military Commander Knight Oerstein feeling very dissatisfied. He personally went to find Su Li, and said indignantly, "Lord, the armed attendants are our military force meant to defend the territory, not laborers for mining. We’ve just arrived in this unfamiliar land, and we should stay vigilant and strengthen military training."
"The knights are training in coordinated movements, and these armed attendants should also assemble to train in formations. It’s one thing for them to tidy up the pasture, raise horses, and feed horses as it can be said to enhance the knights’ combat effectiveness. How could you still let them serve as laborers, digging reservoirs and repairing waterworks?"
Su Li looked up at him briefly, completely disregarding his fiery temper, and said calmly, "Stop yelling, two-tenths of the Dragon Blood Stones excavated will also be allocated to your knights."
"Dragon Blood Stone?" Knight Oerstein was taken aback, then all his anger vanished in an instant, as if he hadn’t been fuming just a moment ago: "Thanks to your guidance, I’ve suddenly realized that having the knight’s squires contribute to the territory really isn’t an issue. You truly are our most wise leader, Lord, with a valiant figure guiding us all forward."
It’s no wonder that Oerstein changed his tone so quickly!
That’s Dragon Blood Stone! What knight wouldn’t want to carry a piece with them at all times? Under the influence of the giant dragon’s aura, knights would become more powerful and resilient, which is a crucial augmentation to a troop’s combat strength. If he, Oerstein, in a fit of rage, ended up losing this benefit for all the knights, their wrath might just burn him to ashes.
Su Li’s lips slightly curled up; indeed, it’s not about fighting and killing in the martial world, but rather about the ways of the world. With so many benefits and welfare distributed, which knight wouldn’t support his rule?
"By the way, my commander, you just mentioned that the army needs more training? Does that mean our troops aren’t ready to go to war yet?"
When it came to military matters, Knight Oerstein’s expression turned serious, and he replied solemnly, "Yes, Lord. The knights who followed you to this pioneer territory belonged to different squadrons before, and they aren’t coordinated in their movements. Even the vassal armies summoned by the Lord would be reorganized and trained for a period before going to war."
"Our army is like a ragtag group right now, barely able to rely on elite soldiers to win small-scale skirmishes. In a large-scale confrontation between two armies, our current state is unlikely to win, and even if we do, the losses would be severe."
"The knights are conducting formation drills in the training ground; everything is progressing orderly, so you don’t need to worry. But if possible, I hope the hundreds of armed attendants could start training in time as well."
"Is that so?" Su Li nodded, understanding a bit of why Knight Oerstein came over so angrily; after all, he is the military commander responsible solely for the security of the territory.
Looking at it this way, the battle to head to the northern Jinke Mine might have to be delayed for a few days. We should at least leave some time for reorganization and training for the knights and attendants. Then the knights can explore the northern battlefield situation, locate the Jinke Mine, and devise battle plans and strategies.
"I’ll leave the training and patrolling tasks to you. Have the armed attendants participate in the construction of the territory for a couple of days. You’ll have to exert a bit more effort, personally leading patrols to eliminate any hidden monsters and risks around the territory. Especially in the direction of the river, which will be the future lifeline for transporting ore and timber downstream. You must be vigilant against river giants attacking; patrol southeast along the river this afternoon and prioritize clearing risks in that area."
"As you will, Lord." Knight Oerstein pounded his fist on his chest, bending over to take the order.
While the two spoke, time had nearly reached 11 a.m. The serfs had already delivered a batch of timber, and the fishermen, taking advantage of a break, tied two more rafts and put them in the water.
All 16 farmers boarded the makeshift vessels; with six rafts and two fishing boats, they managed to fit everyone on board.
Fishing nets were not lacking. Just leaving Marle Castle, a full 100 gold coins were spent solely on grain and tools. The purchasing power of gold coins in this world is strong. A total of 20 nets were prepared, enough for 10 fishermen to fish and dry the nets simultaneously.
Now all the fishermen brought their nets onto the boats, especially the two simple fishing boats, in which Su Li had high hopes.
Reve was stationed on the castle walls, holding a red signal flag, ready to raise it as soon as the church clock struck 11.
Knight Oerstein, following close to Su Li, was keen-eyed and first to spot the vividly red flag waving in the sunlight, quickly reminding, "Lord, it’s 11 o’clock!"
Upon hearing this, Su Li immediately commanded loudly, "Everyone, cast the nets!"
At his command, a dozen round nets unfurled, tracing beautiful arcs in the air and covering a substantial part of the river’s center.
The water’s surface shimmered, and the fishermen’s faces soon lit up with immense joy, "Lord, I think we’re going to have a bountiful harvest; the nets can barely hold!"
With the fishermen’s calls, the experienced fishermen guided everyone to work together in hauling the nets. As the ropes tightened, ripples quickly spread across the water’s surface, with numerous fresh fish struggling in the nets and flashing silver in the light.
Excited cheers erupted from the river’s center and banks, resonating across the entire territory as everyone beamed with the joy of harvest.
This haul must be at least two to three thousand pounds of catch!
Of course, they were thrilled, as this single catch could allow some of these fishermen to earn enough to become independent of their serf status!
With such a tremendous motivation, the fishermen weren’t like ordinary serfs dragging their feet day by day; they zealously unloaded the fish at the dock, and immediately plunged back into the river, unperturbed by the rushing current, casting the second net again.
As the nets were retrieved, the fishermen at the river’s center burst into even more enthusiastic cheers.
"Light-Scaled Fish! Light-Scaled Fish, Lord! We’ve caught a Light-Scaled Fish!" A fisherman, with tears brimming in his eyes, collapsed onto the boat, clutching a fiercely thrashing, forty to fifty-pound large fish.
No fisherman fails to recognize this precious fish species. Its body is slender, covered in gold scales that shimmer enchantingly in the sunlight, resembling stars scattered across the human world from afar.
Knight Oerstein’s eyes widened in excitement; his voice was filled with delight, "Light-Scaled Fish! Lord! This is the kind of Light-Scaled Fish that even Imperial Dukes might not see once in several years; consuming it will definitely enhance a knight’s training qualifications."
"What are you standing there for! Go up and help already, don’t let the fish get away."
Before Su Li’s words had even finished, another wave of cheers erupted from the river center, "Golden-Scaled Fish! Lord, Golden-Scaled Fish! We’ve caught another one!"
At this moment, the cheers soared to the skies, audible for several miles. The knights in training were all drawn in, rushing to the edge of the cliffs to watch. Below, the glow of the Golden-Scaled Fish shimmered brightly and captivatingly, stirring the blood of numerous knights.