Chapter 146: Loyalty to the Lord

The day after returning to the castle, the four hundred and seventy-six serfs who had camped out overnight in the wild finally arrived at Flower Town. After a few hearty meals, the serfs still looked terrible, but at least their spirits had improved significantly.

In the afternoon.

As the sun began to set, all the serfs lined up on the main street of Flower Town, waiting quietly.

Riding on his dragon steed, Liszt, accompanied by the Knight Squad, approached the line. Thomas led Dou Sen, keeping pace with him; whenever he went out now, he would bring Dou Sen along — it was quite amusing how he seemed to gain confidence from the dog's presence.

"Sir, the quality of these serfs... is very poor," Marcus remarked, frowning as he scanned the crowd.

"There are indeed few adult serfs, but there are plenty of children, who can be well-trained for future knighthood," Liszt said simply.

As they spoke, Gort approached them. "Sir, the serfs have finally made it to Flower Town, and not a single one was lost."

"Well done. The losses during sea travel are understandable, but I don't want any more casualties on Coral Island."

"So, Sir, shall we begin arranging for them to kneel before you and pledge their loyalty?"

"Yes."

When serfs met their lord, they needed to pledge their loyalty, which was a form of selling themselves into servitude.

Old Grandet, following Gort's instructions, immediately faced the serfs and shouted in the Wind Language, "Wretched serfs, the great bloodline of the Tulip Family, your lord of Flower Town, stands before you. Now, kneel before your lord and offer your loyalty!"

In an instant.

The serfs fell to their knees, shouting in their newly learned, awkward Serpentese, "My lord!"

It wasn't perfectly synchronized, but their voices were loud.

The cries of nearly five hundred people, even if they were just a ragtag group of tall and short, malnourished, elderly, weak, and sickly serfs, still carried a certain overwhelming force.

Liszt was already accustomed to such scenes. In Flower Town, people knelt and called out to him every day. So he merely smiled as he surveyed the group of serfs. Those kneeling on the ground all buried their heads deeply into the earth, not daring to look their future master in the eye.

After a moment.

Having prepared his lines, Liszt spoke: "I accept your loyalty. From this moment on, you have become part of Flower Town. Work hard for me, and you will receive my protection and live in peace." He then glanced at Old Grandet, who was serving as the translator.

Grandet understood and translated: "Your lord has accepted your loyalty. Your lord tells you that from now on, you are part of Flower Town. Work hard for your lord, and you will receive his protection and live in peace in Flower Town. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Thank you, my lord."

"I will work hard."

The serfs responded sporadically, many still unsure what to say, merely kneeling.

Liszt remarked, "Old Grandet, let them get up."

Thus.

The brief serf reception ceremony came to an end.

Liszt didn’t linger and returned directly to the castle. Marcus continued to lead the Knight Squad back to Thorns Ridge to guard the Logging Team. Gort and the other officials began bustling about. They had to arrange the lives and work of these four hundred and seventy-six serfs in a short time.

Fortunately, many wooden houses had already been built in the town and various villages.

There were also plenty of wooden houses in the unfinished commercial district, workshop area, and residential area that could temporarily provide shelter.

Food was even less of a concern. There might not be much bread or vegetables, but there was an abundance of seafood. If it wasn’t enough, the fishermen of Oyster Village could simply go out to sea a few more times, and it would suffice.

"We need to quickly complete the allocation of the serfs. The autumn harvest is approaching," Gort said loudly.

"The resource survey has yet to be completed,

there are too many women, children, and elderly among the serfs. The original arrangement plan is no longer suitable. We need to adjust it," Isaiah responded. Blair watched as the serfs squeezed into the wooden houses to prepare for the night, and said with a smile, "Children and nursing women should be set aside for now. As for the other able-bodied serfs, we might as well send them all to Thorns Ridge. Let them transport wood or stones, or take charge of road construction."

Gort interrupted, "This isn’t a responsible allocation plan."

"What I mean is, don’t make any arrangements yet. Wait until the resource survey is completed, then make a comprehensive plan."

"Hmm, that’s indeed a solution. It’s difficult to arrange things in a short time, and we can’t just support them without work. It’s perfect to send them to the Logging Team."

…

At the banquet, Gort relayed Blair’s suggestion to Liszt.

Liszt approved of this and added, "Try to arrange light work for craftsmen. Don’t assign work to weak or sick serfs; let them rest properly." Among these serfs, he valued the craftsmen the most.

A craftsman’s skills were akin to technology in this world, an indispensable part of a prosperous territory.

Suddenly remembering something, he added, "Tonight, you should stay up late and compile a list of craftsmen first, especially what skills they possess. I’ll have the servants of the castle assist with the recording. I hope to see it tomorrow morning."

In the current Flower Town, Liszt had the final say.

By the next morning, after he got up and walked his dog, a thick parchment list was already placed on the dining table. After taking a bath and changing into loose clothing, he sat down at the table to enjoy breakfast.

It was time for Carter to instruct the male servant to bring breakfast.

A cup of fragrant fresh milk, a pineapple bun and a milky bread, a fried egg, a large piece of oil-fried demon beast meat, and a vegetable salad, along with a few fruits.

This was his standard breakfast.

It was worth at least a dozen silver coins, especially the high value of demon beast meat.

But who could blame him for being rich recently? As the invisible tycoon of Coral Island, he was unwilling to mistreat himself. He never had a style of hardship and frugality; if he could enjoy it, he would definitely indulge.

Lifting the milk to his lips, he took a large gulp.

"The milk produced by the castle is indeed superior. I believe the climate and environment of Flower Town are conducive to dairy farming." He licked the milk foam from the corner of his mouth, making his judgment.

"Sherlock has already purchased three calves. However, the current scale of the pasture is dominated by horses, leaving no room for more cows, sir."

Liszt spoke with determination: "Once Thorns Ridge is developed, we will certainly expand the dairy farm, at least doubling its size. I intend to raise many more cows!"

Due to the increasingly delicious milk tea, he had specifically investigated the dairy farm but found no apparent reason for the improved quality of the milk – at least not due to the cows entering pregnancy as previously speculated. Comparing it to the milk from other cows outside, one could clearly feel the difference in taste.

The milk from the dairy farm in Flower Town was not only rich and fragrant but also invigorating.

Later, Liszt speculated that it might be due to feeding them a new variety of corn grass. However, after separating the feeding, he discovered that it had nothing to do with the corn grass. Therefore, he concluded that it was the climate of Flower Town that was suitable for dairy farming.

Taking a bite of the pineapple bun,

Liszt shifted his attention to the thick parchment on the table, flipping through it casually to check the information about craftsmen recorded within.