Chapter 218: A Quality Source of Serfs!

"My lord, this humble one will serve you in dressing!"

"My lord, this humble one will serve you in washing!"

Maid Caroline assisted Gervas in putting on his clothes, while maid Freya wrung out the Mao Jin and washed his face.

As that slender palm held the Mao Jin to gently wipe his face, a trace of peculiar, faint fragrance drifted to his nose.

Gervas had smelled this faint fragrance many times; it indeed came from Freya's hands.

It was somewhat pleasant, faint, and refreshing to the heart and mind.

Gervas felt she possessed the constitution of the Fragrant Concubine.

Of course, maid Caroline actually had it too, but after all, maid Caroline was the 'house flower'.

Where could she compare to the scent of this 'wild flower' who only guest-starred for ten days or half a month?

"Excellent, excellent! Maid Freya, the force of this face-washing is just right!"

As the Mao Jin was taken away, Gervas nodded in satisfaction.

It must be known that Gervas's two previous threats were all spoken after Freya washed his face with slightly too much force.

"My lord, what about me!"

Hearing Gervas mention Freya, Caroline naturally did not like it.

"Caroline, you are a maid in uniform; does this need saying? Only new maids require appropriate rewards!"

Gervas's methods needed no elaboration; one sentence made maid Caroline happy again.

However, a maid certainly could not be indulged; she actually dared to get jealous.

"However, Caroline, when my lord is speaking, a servant cannot interrupt; did you forget?"

"Ah! My lord, Caroline knows her mistake!" Caroline was startled and quickly put on a pitiful, touching expression.

"Does knowing your mistake suffice? If admitting fault were useful, then what would the Noble Council be for?"

"Then... then what do you want me to do!"

"Does this need me to say it?" Gervas glared with his eyes.

Caroline's curvy little body trembled instantly. "Then... then today let my lord punish with a few more slaps..."

Slap, slap...

Freya: "..."

Of course, Freya was already used to it, because such punishments occurred daily between this master and servant pair.

In her heart, she could only silently curse that human nobles were truly shameless.

But she also feared Gervas would use such methods to punish and deal with her, so she could only stand silently to the side!

After washing up, eating breakfast, and listening to Old John and Thomas's administrative report.

Gervas finally spoke. "Thomas, I have received news that from today on, the Storm Domain will welcome many refugees from the Wasteland."

"Go down and prepare for me; plan out positions in the town square for them to set up free stalls, and coordinate the guards to maintain order at the scene!"

"In addition, provide them with free cool water; oh, and add a fist-sized loaf of black bread, saying it is our Storm Domain's care for the Wasteland refugees."

"In addition, the tax on their buying and selling of goods shall be calculated at two-tenths of normal trade!"

After hearing Gervas's instructions, Thomas was completely stunned.

Although now, under the leadership of their own my lord, the Storm Domain was becoming richer and richer.

But it was not so rich as to distribute black bread to refugees for free, was it?

Moreover, the number of refugees from the Chaos Wasteland is countless; if everyone came to claim free black bread, what would be done then?

"My lord, planning a place and providing cool water for them, this humble one understands clearly, but is giving them black bread for free too benevolent!"

"They are all refugees; placed in other domains, not arresting them and sending them to the gallows would already be considered benevolent, and yet you only charge them two-tenths trade tax!"

"Therefore, this humble one feels the free black bread might be omitted, to avoid refugees learning of the situation in the future and all coming to the Storm Domain to take advantage!"

As contact with Gervas increased, Thomas and the management layer had become clear.

Voicing opinions directly to their own my lord would not result in punishment by my lord.

Even if the proposal was correct, it was very likely to receive commendation.

Thus, he now dared to speak out his thoughts.

Indeed, Gervas did not get angry at his rebuttal; instead, he explained: "Thomas, as far as I know, the refugee gathering place closest to the kingdom's border still takes about half a day to reach, and that is only a minority."

"And the majority take one or two days to reach the border; they will come in teams and only disperse to trade upon reaching the border!"

"Therefore, I fear no one would trek all the way specifically to take advantage for a fist-sized loaf of black bread, and we need not worry about them coming every day!"

"In addition, Thomas, do you know what the Storm Domain lacks most right now?"

What does it lack most?

Thomas thought for a moment and said cautiously: "Lord my lord, this humble one feels the Storm Domain currently still lacks money and an army."

This answer was standard; these two things are what all noble domains lack.

Gervas did not mind and immediately said: "Correct, we lack both, but essentially, what our Storm Domain currently lacks is population!"

"Our border domain is originally land-rich and people-poor, and our Storm Domain has even fewer!"

"Now I possess a domain area half larger than a viscount's domain in the kingdom's hinterland, yet I possess fewer subjects than a normal baron's domain in the hinterland."

"And to earn more money and build a larger army, then we need a continuous flow of population!"

"With population, not only will tax revenue increase and more soldiers be recruitable, but even the construction of the domain can be accelerated!"

"And such serfs, if relying on purchasing slaves, would be a drop in the bucket, so these refugees will be our best target!"

"Now letting these refugees feel the benevolence of this lord my lord, plus the wealth of the Storm Domain, can increase the probability of recruiting these refugees as subjects."

"And these refugees becoming serfs has a very good advantage, which is that they are basically in a state of physical strength and vigor!"

"Because in the chaotic and dangerous wasteland of the Chaos Wasteland, the weak and sickly were weeded out long ago!"

Thomas, upon hearing this, was left wide-eyed and speechless.

He never expected his lord to think so profoundly and thoroughly.

To other nobles, these refugees were probably good for nothing, even the source of chaos.

But in his lord's description, they had become the highest-quality source of serfs.

Moreover, it did indeed sound very reasonable.

Setting aside other things, these refugees certainly all possessed their own life-saving skills, whether hunting or farming.

After all, without some skill and a strong physique, they would have starved to death in the wasteland long ago!

So, the refugees' only flaw might be a lack of domestication; they might not be so obedient.

But since his lord could even discipline savages until they were completely submissive, these refugees were certainly no problem.

"My lord, you are truly a wise and far-sighted noble; I, your humble servant, deeply admire you!"

"Enough, go and handle it! Remember, treat them with a good attitude, so they do not feel rejected or discriminated against!"

"Yes, my lord; I, your humble servant, will certainly complete this task brilliantly!"

Thomas, the civil official, left, his face filled with drive as he departed.

Gervas then gave Old John a few more instructions, asking him to prepare some weapons and supplies.

These were to respond to the little mermaid's Waga cry for help.

Immediately, he hurried to the Magic Swift Eagle roost on the side of the castle.