Chapter 20: Preparing for
the New Calendar In early December of the year 3796, the villagers of Saldin Manor finally completed the basic defense measures.
The outer wall is made of stone and fired bricks, about four meters high and wide enough for two sentries to pass by. A parapet was also built from which the militiamen could shoot with bows and arrows.
The fence is so long that it even includes some fields for growing vegetables.
Lomo plans to expand in the future, so enough land must be expanded.
He will also use these lands to grow some alchemy-related herbs in the future. With the blessing of alchemy, the economic value of herbs will far exceed the value of crops.
The surrounding sentry towers have also been renovated and reinforced to observe the enemy's situation and deliver orders.
With plenty of food and cotton-padded clothes and wolf skins to protect them from the cold, farmers felt a sense of security. The young and strong men were incorporated into the militia and trained hard every day.
The militia members were paid one silver coin per month and had enough food. If you have the opportunity to join the Cavaliers, you will receive five silver coins every month and enjoy the same food treatment as the lord.
For these serfs, the allure of five silver coins was unimaginable.
In the castle's meeting hall, Romo sat on a large chair covered with wolf skin.
On both sides of the table, sat the old butler Barron and his son George. Vincent, the knight and militia captain, as well as the knight captain José and the knight instructor Nicholas.
"What's going on at Hanson Manor now?" Lomo asked Old Barron.
Barron leaned forward and said: "The sheriff sent by the city hall didn't find any clues. In addition, it is approaching winter and is facing the threat of jackals. It is not safe here. They have left temporarily. There should be no traces before early spring." Come again."
"After the Sheriff left, Hanson Manor basically fell apart. Several knights in the manor fought for food and serfs. Five died, two left, and now there are three left." Lomo listened
. At this point, Wei Wei sneered, it would be effortless to deal with this ragtag group of people.
However, there is no point in taking action now. It is the cold winter, and spring plowing is not possible, and extra manpower must be sent to deal with the threat of jackals.
Barron swallowed and continued: "A large number of serfs fled. According to your instructions, we took in many of them. We are currently arranging them to reclaim wasteland, while women are responsible for weaving clothes and taking care of livestock." Lomo asked: "
They How are you doing here? Do you get along well with other people?" "
They are very motivated!" A smile appeared on Barron's face: "As long as you give them some food, they work harder than animals. Everyone is grateful to you, the master. To You know, when these serfs were in the Hansen Manor, they barely had enough to eat and could only live in shacks. They were often beaten and scolded by the knights and the Hansen family, and their wives were often insulted by them. Now there are farmhouses They have accommodation and cotton clothes to keep out the cold. This place is a paradise for them."
"Yes." Lomo nodded with satisfaction and said, "You did a good job."
After being praised by Lomo, Barron seemed a little excited and stood up. Lai said: "Now the population of our manor has reached 257. It can almost be regarded as a medium-sized territory. With these people, we can expand another fifty acres of wasteland for spring plowing next year."
Lomo He waved his hand and signaled Barron to sit down, then turned to ask Qiao Si: "Have you heard about the traces of the Jackal?"
Qiao Si straightened his body first, bowed to Romo, and then said: "These days Four knight attendants were sent to investigate. Finally, we got news about the gnolls in the south. This group of bandits looted the Lunn Manor and the Jais Manor. But they did not kill them all. They robbed more than a dozen people and then walked away. "
Vincent followed up and said: "This is their usual method. If we kill them all, there will be no place to plunder in the coming year."
Qiao Si glanced at Vincent, as if he was not satisfied with his sudden interruption. The two are now the strongest knights in the manor, and both have reached the physical fitness of a first-level knight. Therefore, they are in a competitive relationship.
Vincent smiled in response to Qiao Si's eye roll, with an indifferent expression on his face.
Luo Mo ignored the eye-to-eye struggle between the two men and muttered: "Jiais Manor, if you look at it this way, is very close to our manor." When
several knights heard this, they immediately stood up and said: "Don't worry, sir, we will fight to the death." Defend Sardine Manor!"
In the following days, the manor entered the first level of alert. Those knights have been training hard for several months, and now they are gearing up to prove their worth against the threat of gnolls.
Luo Mo still practices his magic riding skills diligently every day.
His current strength is no longer what it used to be, but there is always a tight string in his heart.
Mainly because the last Jackal invasion left a deep impression on the original owner.
These gnolls are not only rough-skinned and thick-flesh, but they are also used to wielding maces and hammers, making them all brave and good at fighting. The strength of the leaders is almost at the level of third-order knights.
The most important thing is that there are not only warriors among the jackals, but also demonized mages. Fireball and thunder are their common spells.
It is said that some jackal leaders are members of the Hoffy Brotherhood, making them even more difficult to mess with.
Faced with such a threat, Luo Mo had no choice but to retreat.
The only way to solve this problem is to defeat them completely. Only then could the Sardine Estate gain a firm foothold in the Volo Valley.
The days passed day by day as the manor was preparing for the attack.
What is puzzling is that the jackal gang has never appeared near the manor.
The knights believed that the gnolls had been frightened away by the sentries and archers on the manor's walls and might not return this winter.
Although Romo also had this idea, he still asked everyone not to relax their vigilance. Ale became temporarily banned and no one was allowed to drink it before the beginning of spring.
In a blink of an eye, it’s the last day of December.
According to tradition, this day is a festival to worship ancestors and the gods of the wilderness.
Under the festive atmosphere, everyone felt relaxed.
The women began to get busy, setting up an event venue and making various snacks.
The children have been looking forward to this day for a long time. They weave various handicrafts to present to the lord, and then receive Lomo's blessing for the coming year.
As a rule, men should stay at home and be with their families. However, Luo Mo strictly ordered everyone to stick to their posts and not relax in any way.
At night, at the turn of the old year and the new year, a grand event was held in the square of the manor.
Women dressed in sexy clothes sang and danced, while children ran around happily.
Over the past year, Lomo has brought them a great sense of security and happiness, making them sincerely grateful to the lord.
On the sentry tower in the south of the manor, two sentries looked at the square in the manor, watching the beautiful figures of women swaying back and forth, and the old people sharing food.
With a 'gurgling' sound, one of the sentries swallowed a mouthful of saliva, with a look of longing on his face.
"I really want to go down and dance with Sif." One of the sentries said softly.
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard someone yelling from below the sentry tower: "Stand your guard!"
This was the voice of militia captain Vincent. The sentry was immediately startled and quickly turned his head in the direction outside the manor.
Then, he looked at the dark grass by the river in the distance, and seemed to see something. He rubbed his eyes, trying to see more clearly.
"Look, is there any movement over there?" the sentry said to his companion.
"What's going on? There are a few hare holes over there. It's just the hares having sex."
His companion sniffed his cold and blue nose and turned his head to look in the direction of his finger. .
After watching for a while, the sentry's face suddenly turned pale, his pupils dilated instantly, and he shouted loudly: "It's a jackal! The jackals are coming across the ice of the river!" I hope you will read
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(End of this chapter)