Chapter 89: Rewarding Merit!

{Information Four: To the left of the entrance to the Dark Mountains lies a maple forest, within which a Blood-Qi Fruit has ripened.

Consuming the Blood-Qi Fruit allows one's strength to surge threefold for a short time, with the only side effect being the need for a full night's rest.

The benefits of the Blood-Qi Fruit are not limited to combat—it is also highly effective when cultivating martial qi techniques.

Because it temporarily triples one's strength, it enables instant mastery of previously obscure martial qi techniques, allowing rapid entry into proficiency.

{Information Five: Your father, Andrew, returned to the family and learned that you had luckily been granted a title, becoming a noble lord.

Yet you received no support from the family.

Out of hope for your future as his second son, he envisions the glorious prospect of the Gail family producing two lordly heirs.

Andrew has prepared for you numerous farming tools, seeds, livestock, and other supplies, worth at least one hundred gold coins.

Today, Baron Andrew and his heir will personally lead a party departing for Stormhold.

{Information Six: In the far west of the southern border, that land was originally the territory of tribal natives.

But for the past several decades, it has been steadily encroached upon and seized by noble settlers.

This has made the tribal natives deeply hostile toward the kingdom's nobility, viewing them as invaders.

Over these decades, despite their outdated weapons and equipment, the tribes have failed to reclaim their land.

Yet their thirst for revenge has never dimmed.

Since half a month ago, the tribes have begun launching raids against the border.

This time, the western tribes have formed an unprecedentedly united alliance, catching the border nobles completely off guard.

The conflict is escalating: three baronies have fallen, and two barons have been killed.

If the situation continues to worsen, the kingdom's first major campaign of the year may be launched—and due to its location in the southwest, nobles of the Southern Border are highly likely to be conscripted to suppress the rebellion.

At dawn, Gervas's mind received its usual ding-ding sound.

Today, the information system delivered another high-value intelligence.

"A space ring? There's actually a space ring? That's an absolute treasure!"

Gervas had heard of space rings even in his past life.

Of course, in his past life, they existed only in novels—but in this life, they are real on this continent.

Yet even in this world, space magical items are as rare as Rolls-Royces.

Minor nobles know they exist, yet understand they will never possess one in their lifetime.

Not even owning one is possible; merely seeing one requires sheer luck.

Yet now, one lies just off the coast of Gervas's own domain.

Of course, today's intelligence was not only high-value.

Andrew's father was preparing to visit Stormhold—that too was unexpected.

And the western unrest—if it continues to worsen, the kingdom will issue a conscription order in the south.

Then even he, a baron who has held office for barely a month, cannot escape it.

"What a year of troubles—I can't even develop my domain in peace!"

Gervas muttered inwardly; had it not been for the information system,

he would surely have been dead long ago as a noble.

Ding-ding!

Caroline the maid entered the bedroom gracefully, carrying a basin of washing water.

Slap-slap-slap!

As per routine, today's punishment was administered.

Following last time's lesson, the maid's daily punishment increased to three slaps.

She did not resist; instead, she grew even more obedient and docile.

"Clearly, people must not be coddled—if there's a next time, I'll raise it to five!"

Gervas swore this was not because of the undulating waves, nor because of the astonishing texture.

It was because it made the maid more obedient… cough!

…

"My lord!"

"How is it? Are all the people assembled?"

"My lord, all the serfs and guards are gathered in the town square."

"Good. Then let's go."

Under the guidance of the civil official Thomas, Gervas arrived at the Wheatfield Town Square with his knights.

Yesterday's annihilation of the Scorpion Bandits was a landmark victory—so rewarding merit is absolutely necessary.

Gathering all the serfs was meant to let them feel the lord's generosity and grace.

So they understand: serve the lord faithfully, and his rewards will never be lacking.

"Barny, in yesterday's battle against the Scorpion Bandits, you killed two enemies and fought bravely. The lord hereby bestows seven silver coins!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

Barny stepped forward eagerly, trembling as he received the ten silver coins personally handed to him by Gervas.

In the past, when fighting for nobles, one often had to provide one's own food and drink; even if one killed an enemy and earned merit, the reward might be a few black loaves or a few copper coins—that was considered grace.

But Lord Gervas? Not only does he provide meat daily, but killing an enemy earns you silver coins—three per enemy.

The extra coin? That's the base reward for simply participating in battle!

These are silver coins, right?

For the first time in twenty years, he felt silver coins in his hands.

"Keep working hard!"

Gervas patted Barney's shoulder warmly.

"Yes, my lord."

Watching Barney, his eyes wet, retreat, Knight Mi Gen called out the next name.

"Yule, in yesterday's battle, you fought bravely and killed one enemy; my lord bestows four silver coins upon you!"

"Thank my lord for the bounty..."

One by one, the guards stepped forward, hearts pounding with excitement, though many had not secured a head in this campaign.

Yet with a guaranteed reward of at least one silver coin, they were beaming with joy.

Of course, while the living guards received rewards, the compensation for the fallen guards could not be less.

The families of the five fallen guards had already been invited to the square.

"I, Gervas, have said: you fight for me, Gervas, and I, Gervas, will absolutely not treat you poorly!"

"These five brave warriors of Stormhold, who gave their lives for me, I, Gervas, shall not only erect a monument to the warriors in the town to commemorate their glory, but also grant them sufficient compensation."

Five castle servants carried trays to Gervas's side.

On those trays lay stacks of gleaming silver coins.

Each tray held forty silver coins; this was the compensation for the five brave guards!

Gervas personally led the servants down the stage, approached the families of several guards, and handed the silver coins from the trays to them with his own hands.

Forty coins for each guard's family, no more and no less.

"Thank my lord for the bounty!"

The family members knelt on the ground in excitement and bowed.

Having lost the pillar of their household, they felt the sky was about to collapse.

But they never expected my lord to promise such generous compensation.

This amount could already equal the price of a slave.

It was enough for their entire family to live without worry for the coming years.

Wow!

"Heavens, forty silver coins per person; that's far too much, isn't it?!"

"Yes, the Kingdom previously offered only four or five silver coins as compensation!"

"Exactly, and those four or five were often deducted by the town mayor; receiving three was considered good!"

The gleaming silver coins delivered the most direct visual shock to the serfs watching.

Watching the silver coins handed to the families of the fallen guards, the serfs' eyes were filled entirely with envy.

"Besides the compensation, if there are any good positions in the territory in the future, as long as they meet the recruitment requirements, these guards' families will have the highest priority for application!"

"And such a regulation applies not only now, but forever in Stormhold from this day forward!"

Wow!

"My lord is truly too benevolent!"

"Long live my lord!"

"I want to become a guard too!"

"Yes, who wouldn't want that? I do too!"

Another round of uproar erupted; the serfs each wished they could become guards themselves.

On this borderland, who doesn't die on any given day?

But after death, if one can bring years of stable life to their family, that is true value!