Chapter 154 : Change
Chapter 154: Change
After crossing the border of the Church Nation, traversing the Nation of Werewolves, and passing through the territory of Baron Belair, George brought Landon and the other back to York Territory.
What entered their sight was a fork in the road, and a signpost that had not been there before they left.
The signpost bore six wooden plaques, grouped in pairs, pointing in three directions.
At the lowest level, pointing to the right, were two village names George had never heard of.
In the middle level, pointing to the left, were Adams Village, which George had known before leaving, and another village.
At the top level, pointing straight ahead, were York Town and the Great Church.
At the very top of the signpost was a wooden cross.
It was the symbol of the Church.
George was momentarily dazed, then turned his gaze to the person standing beside the signpost.
“Are you Knight George? You seem a bit different from when you left,” the man said.
“I am Jeven, Jeven Adams. When you passed by Adams Village on your way out, I was the one who saw you off,” Jeven said.
“Of course, after you left, I was sent by the Matron to study at the Church’s Monastery. I’ve now been appointed as the monk of the small church in Adams Village.”
The mention of the small church made George pause slightly, but he soon smiled and said,
“Jeven, was it? I remember you. Has the small church in Adams Village already been completed?”
“Yes, in fact, the Matron had it built quite some time ago. It’s just that I was only recently granted the monk’s robe and appointed to preside over the small church,” Jeven replied.
“Today, I received an order from the Bishop, instructing me to wait for your arrival by the roadside.”
“Are these the two guests you brought from the Church Nation?” Jeven looked curiously at the two standing behind George.
With the Church Nation full of yellow sand, the Nation of Werewolves shrouded in gloom, and Baron Belair’s territory in chaos, the two of them felt as though they had stepped into a new world upon setting foot in York Territory.
A gentle breeze stirred, rustling the grass. Butterflies fluttered, birds and insects chirped in their ears, and before them stood a monk clad in clean attire.
Landon quietly wiped his hand on Igor’s back.
Then he spoke, “Landon greets you. This is Igor. Please forgive him—he cannot speak for now.”
“Yes, the Bishop informed me of his situation. What a pitiful child,” Jeven said with some pity.
“If it’s just wounds, healing potions could help him recover, but unfortunately…”
Landon forced a smile and said, “At least we’re still alive.”
“That’s right, only by living can there be a future.” Jeven nodded with a smile, then looked to George.
“It’s nearly dusk now. The Bishop instructed me to have you rest for a night at the small church in Adams Village. Tomorrow, a knight will escort you to the Great Church.”
“Is something the matter?” George asked.
“Nothing in particular. It’s just that there have been quite a few changes around here lately, so it’s better for someone to guide you,” Jeven’s expression was a bit odd.
“Quite a few changes?” George seemed puzzled.
“Let’s talk as we walk. That way you can better experience the changes yourself,” Jeven said, then walked up to Landon and added, “You must be tired from the journey. If you don’t mind, I can help carry him for a while.”
“……” Landon was stunned. He had never expected the first church member he encountered besides George to say such a thing.
After a brief hesitation, he still declined, “No need to trouble you. Igor is my brother, so I want to be his legs.”
Igor, on Landon’s back, opened his mouth with a gurgling sound, as if in agreement.
“Alright then. If you get tired, just let me know,” Jeven didn’t insist. He turned and led the three of them down the road to the left.
George, watching Jeven’s actions, couldn’t help but reveal a faint, nostalgic smile.
“Knight George, you can see the road and the signposts on the ground,” Jeven began to explain as they walked.
“These were proposed by the Monastery’s apprentices. Since people now have more freedom to travel between villages, having proper roads makes travel much easier.”
“And the signposts are the same—meant to guide those traveling. After all, the recent events caused significant changes in the locations of villages in the territory.”
George simply listened.
Indeed, much had changed. Of the four villages listed on the signpost, three were names he didn’t recognize.
Moreover, he remembered that before he left, the Monastery had only three apprentices from the Newman Family.
So he asked.
“When you left, the Monastery hadn’t been built yet. But after its completion, they recruited some apprentices—young people from various families,” Jeven replied.
“Now, the Monastery also serves as an advisor to Administrator Piero. They assist him in policy-making, and this idea of building roads and signposts came from them.”
“Though some southern folks had complaints, our northern villages have already finished the roads. They’re just flat-paved, but still much more convenient.”
“I heard that after the knights visited their families, the southern folks stopped resisting and cooperated with the roadwork.”
George felt increasingly unfamiliar—how could a viscount’s territory like York Territory be divided into north and south?
Jeven continued.
“And now is the harvest season. The Monastery also had the apprentices direct the farmers in reaping the wheat. They say harvesting according to the weather and seasons leads to more yield.”
“Though I can’t tell, the farmers all say they’ve harvested more wheat.”
“But I think it might be because the apprentices helped Administrator Piero reform the tax system. Since it’s no longer the local gentry executing them, the farmers’ own cellars could finally be filled.”
There was a genuine smile on Jeven’s face, one that made Landon almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
Farmers’ cellars being filled—such a thing was beyond even his dreams.
He was a bastard son, but because he was valued, he knew how his noble-blooded family treated farmers.
Forget filling cellars—if farmers were left with even a month’s worth of rations after harvest, they would praise his father as a kind man.
“The Monastery’s apprentices can influence Administrator Piero’s decisions?” George was surprised at the authority these apprentices held.
“Haha, not just tax matters—they even boldly attempted to re-anchor the currency,” Jeven said with a laugh.
“They claimed that the current coinage was failing its purpose. Commoners use rotten copper pieces, while the gentry use gold coins.”
“But the teachers at the Monastery scolded them harshly. Said they’d only just started and were already thinking of seizing power. As a result, the teachers revoked the apprentices’ right to second-year studies.”
“The first year is just about acquiring knowledge. The following years are dedicated to studying the Church’s scriptures and preparing to become monks.”
“But the Church is severely understaffed now. Only three priests and myself, a monk. Even I’ve been appointed to preside over a small church.”
“You know as well as I do—small churches are usually overseen by a priest.”
“So after the harvest, the Church will conduct a unified recruitment for a second batch of apprentices.”
“According to the new calendar established by the Monastery, it’s called July, the autumn of the latter half of the twelve-month year.”
“Judging by your appearances, you two may be too old, but perhaps you could be specially recruited into the Church to study the scriptures or follow a priest for spiritual training.”
“That way, you too could become members of the Church—of course, if that’s what you desire,” he said.