Chapter 11

“So you knew I was coming?”

“Yes, my lord. Two days ago, a messenger delivered word of your arrival to every villager. We’ve memorized your name!”

Clearly, the kingdom’s administration still functions reliably.

“Stand up, all of you!”

“Thank you, my lord!” The villagers rose, trembling yet exhilarated.

Of course, beyond the villagers’ excitement, the knight retainers were equally stirred.

None of them had ever imagined that they were sent to manage a small estate—only for Young Master Gervas to become a baronial lord!

It was no less than a wild chicken turning into a phoenix.

And as their subordinates, they too would rise with him.

Seeing the knight retainers’ dazed expressions, Gervas said: “Earlier, I told you we were going to manage the viscount’s estate—that was just to fool Lady Mary, and also a test for you. Congratulations—you’ve passed my trial!”

“From this day forward, you are my official subordinates! And when you advance to full knights, the position of my Guard Knight will be open to you!”

The knight retainers grew even more excited.

Every noble’s Guard Knight count is limited, for maintaining even one knight costs a fortune in gold coins.

Knights demand high salaries.

They also require horses and retinue.

It takes at least ten gold coins a year, minimum.

That’s for a common minor noble’s Guard Knight. For a great noble’s, dozens or even hundreds of gold coins per knight is normal.

Thus, many knight retainers spend their entire lives as retainers, with no position open for promotion.

“What? Young Master Gervas is a lord?”

Seeing the village’s monsters cleared, Old John and Caroline drove their cart into town—only to hear this shocking news.

Especially Caroline, who stared at Gervas in disbelief, her expression unreadable.

She had long dreamed of marrying a noble and becoming a noble lady.

Yet now, the very Young Master Gervas she had despised these past days had become a baronial lord.

…

“Who among you is the village head?”

“My lord Gervas, the village head is not here!”

Gervas did not dwell on titles—he needed to understand the state of his domain first.

“Where is he?” Gervas frowned. At such a dangerous moment, had the village head fled?

“My lord Gervas, the village head and the wealthy families, seeing the monsters breach the village, fled through the rear gate under their guards’ protection.”

Gervas then remembered the hundred-odd people he’d seen earlier.

He had mistaken them for ordinary villagers—but they were the village head and the town’s wealthy elite.

After asking for more details, he learned that due to the dangers of Stormlord’s Domain, this village had been without a lord for two years.

As a result, Karil and a few wealthy families had seized control.

The village head and the wealthy colluded: they seized vast farmlands, oppressed the villagers, and treated the place as their private garden.

“Bring them back to me!” Gervas’s face turned icy.

But there was no need to call them—upon seeing Gervas and his men join the battle and wipe out the monsters, the fleeing caravan had already turned back.

Soon, they arrived before him.

“Esteemed noble lord, thank you for saving Wheatfield Village. I am the village head, Karil. May I ask your name?” Karil stepped forward with a beaming smile.

“Gervas Gail, Lord of Stormlord’s Domain!”

Karil’s smile froze. The other wealthy men froze too.

After a moment, Karil recovered, forcing an even more fawning smile: “Your humble servant Karil greets my lord! It is such a blessing to see you! Wheatfield Village has been without a lord for two years!”

Gervas sneered. “Karil, as village head, do you know what crime it is to abandon your villagers and your domain and flee alone?”

“This… my lord, I did not flee! I merely went to seek aid from neighboring domains!”

“Is that so? You dare lie to my face? Deceiving a noble doubles your crime. Lei Meng, seize him!”

“Yes, my lord!”

“You can’t arrest me! I’m a royal-appointed village head! You have no right!” Karil resisted.

But against a Bronze Knight like Lei Meng, capturing him was like grabbing a chick.

The sword scabbard smashed straight into Karil’s face—blood spurted, teeth rattled loose.

While Karil staggered dazed, Lei Meng seized his collar and hurled him beside Mi Gen and the others.

Mi Gen and his men pounced, binding him like a beast.

“Royal-appointed village head? This land is now mine—Gervas’s. Even if I can’t punish you for desertion, your deception of a noble is contempt of nobility—enough to justify my arrest!”

“And I’ll hang you from a gallows.” Gervas waved to Mi Gen and the others.

Karil never imagined this new lord was so ruthless—he’d never been so terrified.

“Noble, this is illegal! You have no right… Lord Kodo, save me! Lord Kodo!”

Seeing reason was useless, Karil turned to a middle-aged man among the wealthy.

But the man’s eyes flickered—then he said not a word.

Soon, under Mi Gen’s men’s coordination, Karil was hanged from a nearby wooden pole.

“You’re Kodo? What’s your position?” Gervas turned to the man Karil had called out to.

“Respected my lord, we are all commoners!” Kodo bowed low. The other wealthy men did the same.

“Commoners, are you? Then I suppose I can’t blame you for failing to defend the village!” Gervas’s tone was mocking.

“Whose houses are those?” He pointed toward the castle, where a small hill held several spacious courtyards.

“My lord, those courtyards belong to us and Village Head Karil!”

“Your courtyards? I, Gervas, declare—from this day forward, they are castle property!”

“This… my lord, we are commoners! Those are our legal assets, protected by royal law!” The wealthy men turned pale.

“I know you’re commoners. Had you not been, you’d already be hanging beside Karil!” Gervas sneered. “As for legal ownership—can you produce land deeds? I suspect these lands were always castle property, merely seized privately by you and Karil.”

The wealthy men’s faces changed again and again—they’d been guessed right.

Gervas was so certain because, by custom, all land within a mile of the castle belonged to the lord.

This was tradition—not only for defense, but for convenience: these lands produced food to supply the castle’s daily needs.

“This…”

“By the way, I have another matter to announce: Do you hold vast tracts of Wheatfield Village land?”

“I’ll give you one chance: each of you may keep five mu. Return everything else, and I’ll overlook your crimes these past years!”

“Impossible! We may lack deeds for the houses, but the farmland was legally purchased—protected by royal law!”

Gervas was demanding their livelihoods—they could never agree.

Gervas had expected this. He wasn’t angry. “Fine. I won’t force you. But bear the consequences yourselves.”