Chapter 254 : Marl Was Busy
Chapter 254: Marl Was Busy
The rear was fighting intensely, while Richard and Marl stood on the Fog Fortress, gazing at the boundless emptiness before them.
“Have these Fishmen given up on the attack?” Richard frowned.
“It is only a temporary retreat.” Marl said, “News came from the Church headquarters—the Fishmen are attacking the Church Nation alongside the Original Sin Believers. They want to wipe out the Church Nation completely, so the Fishmen here have been diverted to attack the Church Nation.”
Richard sighed slightly, saying, “The Church Nation… I really wish I could see what their Virtue Knights look like. What a pity…”
Marl said, “The Church is currently developing the Diocese of Rod. If they can hold out for a while longer, perhaps Bishop Jeven can reclaim some fireseeds.”
Richard suddenly said, “Once the Church Nation is destroyed, it will be our turn, won’t it?”
Marl said, “Barring any surprises, yes. That’s why we must use this window of time to set up a solid line of defense at the front.”
Richard said, “The Misty Forest is Crulud’s domain. For now, it can serve as a natural barrier. But if the Fishmen really go all out, they can gnaw through the Misty Forest. Then this place will no longer be a natural corridor.”
Marl said, “That is why Earl Gregor must also dispatch troops for defense.”
Richard laughed and said, “Does he even have the courage to come to the frontlines?”
Marl said, “This is not something he can refuse. The Senate used the death of Knight Wolf to break through the territory of those minor nobles in the hinterlands. Once merchants, mercenaries, and the Honorary Knights Order expand afterward, the rear will stabilize. Even though they rebelled and killed Knight Wolf, they had once sworn loyalty to Lord Pegira. After giving them a lesson to teach obedience, they became our own people again.
“But Earl Gregor never swore loyalty to Lord Pegira. He is an outsider. If he wants to survive, he has no choice but to become one of us.”
Richard suddenly said, “What about me then? I never swore loyalty to Lord Pegira.”
Marl ignored Richard’s foolish question and said, “I must return to the Church headquarters once. It will take more than ten days before I come back. During these days, don’t play your silly knightly games. Supervise here properly and make sure this line of defense is built as quickly as possible. Also, those three big things must be set up soon.”
Marl’s gaze turned to the distance, where catapults were being installed. Iron-clad stakes, each taller than two men, were driven deep into holes. Nearly a hundred such stakes were needed just to anchor one catapult firmly.
The iron plates consumed just for these stakes alone were enough to arm a hundred warriors, let alone the massive catapult itself, which could crush the entire Fog Fortress under its weight.
“Time is still too short. We can only barely manage to set up this giant thing outside.” Marl said.
Richard said, “Then after your defensive line is complete, we should build a super colossal fortress.”
Marl shook his head and said, “There is no need to waste manpower. The commoners in your territory have already decreased in number. What you should be doing now is conserving and nurturing the population.”
Richard shrugged and said, “Fine. But how should I enfeoff the nobles who pledged loyalty to me? They cooperated very well this time.”
Marl’s eyes, dark with heavy circles, looked at Richard. “You are their lord. Handle it yourself.”
Richard gave an awkward laugh, but shamelessly insisted, “Why don’t you just handle this for me too?”
Marl opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only let out a long, deep sigh.
…
Marl was very busy.
The nobles in Richard’s territory were willing to sell off their local gentry in order to cooperate. Aside from wanting to survive, they also hoped to gain more benefits.
For nobles, benefits naturally meant more land.
The Fishmen had previously occupied most of the Adrian Diocese. Some nobles fought the Fishmen to the death, while the survivors were forced to abandon their fiefs.
Now that this land had been reclaimed, it had to be redistributed.
As Marl had expected Richard to push the matter onto him, he had already prepared the divisions in advance and handed out the lands one by one to the nobles.
Marl did not know whether they were satisfied, but at least when receiving their fiefs, they all wore smiles.
Richard was forced by Marl to sit in the Head Seat and accept the kneeling homage of these newly enfeoffed nobles. After the enfeoffment, Marl told them, “The priests who responded to the Excomunication have brought back the commoners to fill these reclaimed lands. You may consult with the priests on how to rebuild your fiefs. If you lack scholar advisors, the priests might be able to give you some suggestions.”
Richard added, “Yes, the Church’s priests are all very capable. Just look at Bishop Marl—hasn’t he done very well?”
Marl was already gripping Richard’s shoulder hard, wanting him to shut up, but his weakened hand strength went unnoticed by Richard.
The nobles almost failed to maintain their smiles at these words.
After all, it was those priests who had led commoners to kill nobles. Even if they could all see that other factors were at play behind the scenes, the fact remained that commoners had killed nobles.
And they themselves were far from being as powerful as Viscount Youn. When dealing with these priests, would it be they who decided matters in their fief, or the priests?
They very much wanted to reject the commoners, preferring to buy slaves with gold coins instead. But seeing the close cooperation between Richard and Marl, they found the words of refusal hard to utter.
After the enfeoffment, Marl took a ship from the port to York Territory.
Although the long wall that had blocked the York Territory from the south was flattened after the Anathema, the toxic pollution of the land had not been fully cleansed. Except for merchants trying to cut costs, no one chose to travel that land route.
Upon reaching Rod City, without time to appreciate its daily transformations, Marl went straight to the Senate.
“So, what have you come back to find me for this time?” Puniel asked.
The only one waiting for Marl in the Senate was Puniel.
Julian was still leading troops to suppress the ‘rebellious’ petty nobles. Bevan was mobilizing his merchants to follow behind Julian, using the power of York Territory’s warriors to conduct free trade with those minor nobles not yet purged.
Jeffrey had gone to negotiate with a group of nobles from the Land of Absolute Punishment.
Although Piero was in the York Territory, he did not sit in the Senate. After all, Marl was here mainly for Puniel, not him.
Marl took a sip of black tea and said, “The Adrian Diocese has now regained the land taken by the Fishmen. Our fief space is vast, so I hope your Mercenary Tavern can expand into Adrian.”
Puniel refused, saying, “To generate mercenaries, commoners must first be fed, with surplus labor available. Right now, the Adrian Diocese still lacks manpower. Opening there is meaningless.”
Marl said bluntly, “Even if they return, some of the commoners who fought in the Land of Absolute Punishment will not be content to live quietly as farmers.”
Puniel laughed and said, “So you mean to use my Mercenary Tavern to house this garbage?”
Marl ignored the sharpness in his tone. The Church had orchestrated the killing of nobles by commoners. Other nobles might only vaguely sense something was wrong, but the three barons who had studied in the Monastery clearly understood the deeper meaning—this was part of erasing the nobility’s exalted bloodline, coordinated with the New Year’s Bells.
Thus, Marl could understand the resentment in Puniel’s heart.
Marl said decisively, “If you refuse, we will simply establish our own Mercenary Tavern.”
Puniel’s face darkened. “Are you threatening me?”
Marl said, “The Adrian Diocese needs mercenaries now. Neither Richard nor I care who is behind them.”
Puniel gave a heavy snort. “The Mercenary Tavern will spread from Solov Fortress Town into Adrian. But it will only open in towns.”
Marl nodded and said, “The fiefs have already been granted, and the corresponding towns will soon be settled.”
After finishing the matter of mercenaries with Puniel, Marl left the Senate and went to the Monastery.
…
“Waaah~ Look, my pitiful disciple has come to visit his poor teacher!” Oscar spoke in a highly exaggerated tone.
“You hardly look pitiful.” Marl sat down on a newly made leather recliner, the soft feeling making him relax with a sigh.
This was Oscar’s study, where Oscar was using magic to control a charcoal pen in writing.
“You, who enjoy freedom, can never understand the heart of one who has lost it.” Oscar’s voice faltered strangely, and Marl found it odd.
“Did your magic experiments go wrong? Why does your voice sound so strange?” Marl asked.
Oscar returned to his normal voice and said, “Oh, of course not. I am preparing for a new academic discipline, and I must fully display the art of language. So I am adjusting the manner of speech accordingly.”
“A new discipline? Then do you perhaps intend to establish a new Monastery?” Marl asked.
Oscar raised an eyebrow with interest and asked, “Do you mean you want to open a Monastery in your diocese as well?”
Marl nodded and said, “Adrian needs people, capable people. Your apprentices here are already pre-reserved before they even graduate. I must cultivate Adrian’s own people.”
Oscar stood up and paced in thought. After a moment, he said, “No, not now. At least three years later, when this Monastery is still here, then I can apply to the Bishop to open a new one.”
He then told Marl about what the magicians said concerning the Lords of Annihilation.
He added, “So it is better to wait until the danger has passed before considering this matter.”
Marl shook his head. “No, just this matter alone does not prevent the founding of a Monastery.”
Oscar said, “But those are the Lords of Annihilation.”
Marl said, “At the beginning, you and the scholars all chose to trust the Bishop, to explore knowledge and pass it on here. I, being part of the Church, have even more confidence than you.”
Oscar said, “At first, we were forced into it.”
Marl asked, “And now?”
Oscar said no more.
…