OBS Chapter 305 Church of Light
Chapter 305 Church of Light
Chapter 309 Church of Light
In mid-August, the winds in the North were already carrying the chill of autumn, and at night, one even needed to wear a light jacket.
But once you venture deeper into the eastern border, the air becomes extremely dry, making your nasal passages feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Even with an exceptional physique that can withstand temperature changes, one cannot eliminate the intense heat that slowly drains moisture from the pores.
Serik is gone.
The camel, carrying a large bundle of supplies and leading eight extraordinary soldiers, disappeared into the sweltering depths of the desert.
The moment the land deeds were exchanged, the system notified Richard that he now owned 100 square kilometers of Red Sand Territory, but had lost Cold Mountain Territory.
According to the one-clan-one-city system, he needs to distribute the Red Sand Territory within a year, otherwise the royal family will directly take back the Red Sand Territory.
a year?
Don't be too generous.
Richard, along with Im and the others, rode unicorns into Red Sand City.
It's called a city, but it's not even a quarter the size of the inner city of Qifeng. You can walk from east to west in just a few minutes. It's no different from a village.
The outer perimeter is surrounded by a low earthen wall, and the town is filled with date palm trees, with earthen houses crammed together densely.
Many elderly and infirm villagers squatted idly at the foot of the earthen wall, the men picking their toes, the women staring blankly, and the children drawing circles barefoot in the sand.
They weren't in good condition; some were tanned dark, while others looked pale and emaciated, as if they hadn't eaten for a long time.
Upon seeing Richard and his party riding their handsome unicorns, clad in magical armor with frost fluttering around them...
Everyone was stunned!
Why would such a noble procession appear in this godforsaken place where even lords flee?!
They quickly stood up to greet them, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. Only a few ignorant little brats dared to secretly look up and peek.
Richard ignored them, his gaze sweeping over the empty shops on both sides of the street. The tavern's door was askew, and the inside was dark.
The blacksmith's furnace had long since cooled, and a layer of sand had settled on the bellows. The only shop still open was a general store, with several bags of shriveled dates piled up at the entrance.
The air was filled with the stench of animal excrement and urine.
Dried clumps of excrement could be seen everywhere outside the city walls, along the roadsides, and even behind houses. Some of them would soon be mixed with the sand over time.
Most of the territories in the North are like this, so Richard is used to it. But being used to it doesn't mean he can tolerate it; he'll have to have someone deal with it later.
It is worth noting that there is a Church of Light at the street corner, which is relatively well-preserved. The churches in the North were all demolished and burned, but those in the other three regions still exist.
Before Richard arrived, he carefully examined the territory provided by Lawrence. A priest was stationed there, and his main job was to treat the injuries and illnesses of adventurers.
Since Huangshi Territory was granted a fiefdom, she followed it, but she would return to Chisha Territory every now and then to check whether the people there needed the mercy of the Goddess of Light.
Give it back?
Think more.
Richard would never allow the existence of the forces of light in the Red Sand Territory.
"Where's Cook?" Richard stopped in the middle of the street and asked the crowd.
A lean, middle-aged man strode out from the crowd, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Excellency, I am Cook. I have served as the steward of Red Sand Territory for twelve years. I have been in charge of all affairs in the territory. Please feel free to give me any instructions."
The chief steward is equivalent to the chief minister, but in territories with small populations, such a high-ranking title cannot be used, so they have to hold multiple positions.
"Tell me about the population of the territory."
Upon hearing the new lord's inquiry, Cook began his report: "Your Excellency, there are now fewer than five hundred people left in Red Sand Territory, and no more than one hundred able-bodied men are capable of working."
"There are 5,200 mu of farmland, but it has been abandoned since the year before last, so the serfs have all been sold off."
Richard nodded, signaling him to gather all the people in his territory together, as he was about to give a speech.
Before long, about five hundred people gathered around, looking up at Richard standing on the low wall.
"I am your new lord." He began by introducing himself, and continued without waiting for anyone's response.
"I need to hire a group of casual laborers. The wages will be one kilogram of wheat and five copper coins per person per day!"
A commotion arose in the crowd.
Such great treatment!?
Some people whispered to each other, while others rubbed their ears, thinking they had misheard.
Richard didn't stop him, and continued, "The first thing is to clean up all the excrement and filth in the territory, pile it up outside and bury it, and then replace all the sand in the city. I don't want to smell any stench!"
The commotion turned into whispers, and an old man couldn't help but mutter, "Shovel manure? What's the point of shoveling that thing?"
The person next to him nudged him, telling him to shut up.
Richard ignored him and continued, "The second thing is to enlarge and widen the city walls, and repair and polish the empty mud houses to make them look nice, and paint them white where necessary."
A buzz of discussion arose from the crowd.
Repairing the city walls?
Do we still need to whitewash the earthen house?
In this godforsaken desert?
This new lord must be out of his mind, but who cares, as long as there's food and wages.
Richard announced some more rules, then jumped off the earthen wall and said no more.
Building city walls is just a pretext. Even bandits don't bother coming to this place, and adventurers regularly clear out the monsters in the Scorching Desert. What's the use of having high walls?
If it weren't for an oasis, this place would be completely unsuitable for reclamation and city building. It has only survived to this day because it was once an adventurer's post station.
Now we're looking for an excuse to give them some jobs, firstly for easier management, and secondly because even as a temporary place to stay, Richard hopes it will be clean and tidy.
Of course, not everyone had no objections; Cook was the only one who did.
If each person consumes one kilogram of wheat, that's five hundred kilograms a day for five hundred people, and a full five thousand kilograms in ten days!
He quickly stepped forward and reported to Richard, "Sir, the territory's grain reserves are running low. At this rate, it will only last for about ten days."
Richard did not respond.
Seeing this, Cook tentatively said, "There is a large grain market in Red Rock Territory. If you have enough money, you can buy a few thousand kilograms of wheat, which should last you for a while."
"If you're short on cash, I know a few grain merchants who can offer you credit..."
"No need," Richard interrupted him. "I have my own arrangements for the food."
Cook paused for a moment, then said nothing more, only taking a half step back, his mind already shaking his head frantically.
He really is a spoiled rich kid who has never experienced hardship.
Yes.
This is his opinion of Richard!
The former lord, Seric, had told him about the land swap. During their conversation, they had speculated about why the other party wanted to exchange a viscountry in the north for a baronetry in the east.
Later, Serik couldn't help himself and went to ask Viscount Red Rock. Viscount Red Rock didn't know much about Richard's background either, and only said, "The exiled second son."
understood.
Cook believed that Richard came from a noble family and may have committed a crime that led to his expulsion from the North by the patriarch.
In other words, this handsome new lord, who looks like a pretty boy, actually doesn't understand territory management at all.
Maybe in a few days they won't be able to stand the sand here and will slink away.
look.
I just told him that the grain reserves are running low, but he still won't accept my suggestion and spend money to buy more grain.
Ah!
This is not a large town, but a fallen border territory.
With the autumn harvest just over and a new batch of grain produced in each territory, it is actually a slow season for grain merchants.
Therefore, at this point in time, grain merchants do not have much stock on hand, and new grain has just been shipped from the southern border.
If we don't buy a batch of summer grain now to tide us over for a while, we'll have to wait until October to buy bulk grain.
We'll see what he does then!
But this is for the best. The less knowledgeable the new lord is, the more he needs to rely on an old minister like him, otherwise he will find it difficult to make any progress.
As for making a profit, there are plenty of opportunities. It's no big deal if I make a quick buck and then leave this godforsaken place to make a living in another territory.
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