146 – Duchy of Architel Absorption Operation (4)

Around the time I was devoting myself to farming, I heard Erich’s voice calling me from behind.

“Chief Heinz! Come and eat porridge with us! Very warm and delicious!!”

“Heh heh, yes. Give me a bowl too.”

Hearing that, guy Erich took out the biggest bowl out of the bowls and filled it with porridge and handed it to me.

“oh my… This old man could only eat half of this! this… ”

“Just eat it all. In the evening, I will bring you pickled herring along with this porridge.”

Pickled herring… In the past, food was quite expensive for villagers like us living in rural areas…

After defeating His Highness Duke Architel and falling under the rule of His Excellency Count Creutel, it became a relatively frequent food.

Before the help sent by the count a few days ago came, the officials of His Highness Duke Architel savagely collected taxes.

So I had to worry about how many people would starve to death before this year’s harvest.

Without time to mourn the dead, I lived only worrying about starving to death…

With that thought in mind, I sat down near the field and began to scoop up porridge and eat it.

The savory taste and lightness of rich barley and wheat, the salty taste of salt and the slight scent of pickled herring…

In the past, being able to eat this thick and delicious porridge was only possible when there was a great harvest.

When I took out the tax, I ate the plain food I used to eat.

Around the time I was immersed in those memories, the guys next to me spoke loudly.

“Hey… It’s delicious because the porridge is well seasoned. Even the porridge is thick, so eating it will fill your stomach?”

“But, when it’s your turn to make porridge, it’s a bit… And you have to eat all three meals a day like this.”

“Eh, until a few days ago, you and I lived worrying about starving to death… What are you talking about?”

After a while, the complainer muttered in a voice that the nearby soldiers couldn’t hear.

“no way… Still, because of the thunder stick that the Count uses… Mark, Henry, Jack… . You’re so dead… And I liked it so much that my younger brother was getting married soon… You left Sarah behind.”

“It can’t be helped… because it’s a war Kreutel-kun, who dealt with us, must have died too… Still, the only one who takes care of me like this is His Excellency the Count. isn’t it? Chief.”

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Jackson, who complained, said it, and Lev, who bruised him, was right.

First, as Jackson said, this town… No, there is not a single serf in the Duchy of Akitel who has not lost friends or relatives to Count Creutel’s army.

Right away, I lost my son, Hans, and my brother-in-law, Reil, in that war.

Since such a brutal war had occurred, the soldiers there must have died countless times.

Also, as Lev said, if it hadn’t been for Count Creutel’s consideration, he would have been suffering without time to remember those who died.

But dead guys can never come back to life, so you have to forget about it.

So I intervened to mediate the quarrel between the two of them.

“It is always the case that people get dragged into war and die. This time, I died a bit badly, but… can’t you help it? And it is thanks to Count Creutel that we can now eat our fill after the war. So, the people of our village, let’s just think about working hard and eating our fill under the new Count Creutel.”

At that, the two nodded, as if they couldn’t refute it any longer, and left to work holding on to the farm implements.

I don’t have to work because I’m the village chief, but I got up holding a hoe to help restore the village.

“under… I heard from a merchant who came here before that the guys who live in the Earl of Creutel eat their fill of black bread and herring every day. Can we really live like that?”

**

Today, as I was about to dress up and go out to help the villagers with their farming work, I heard a loud voice outside the door.

“Chief Heinz!! Mr. Baileaf Harp has sent you a letter.”

I heard that and opened the door for him to come in.

“Good job coming. Drink a glass of cold water and go.”

That guy quickly emptied a glass of water, put the letter down, and went out.

I quickly opened the letter with the seal of Mr. Baileif Harp and began to read the contents slowly.

[After the war, there is a lot of trouble rebuilding the ruined village. I can’t get enough rest right now trying to raise this half-ruined area… Seriously, my wife… . (Omitted) … By the way… His Highness, Duke Architel, has personally given us an order… ]

It’s an order from His Highness the Duke… No matter how much I think about it, His Highness, the Duke, would never directly give orders to a lowly, low-level official like Mr. Baileaf or me… ?

[I’m sure you’ll remember, but… His Highness, the Duke, is proud of our loyalty, and during the last war against Count Creutel, he allowed us the honor of personally commanding the infantry… But after losing the war, it went back to normal. However, His Highness the Duke gave us another chance.]

And behind it was a small letter, on which was stamped the seal of His Highness the Duke.

I opened it with trembling hands, and there was something shocking beyond what I expected.

[I order my loyal vassals Baileaf and village chiefs. In the next month, incite the disaffected serfs to prepare for a rebellion. Then I will assemble my soldiers and fight alongside you. Also, if you recover the territory, I will make you a nobleman according to your achievements.]

His Highness, Duke Architel, has already opened up the possibility of success by letting us lowly ones command the infantry.

Although we lost this war… If we had won, maybe I could have gone beyond the status of a village chief and become a baileef?

And if I become a baileef, I’ll be able to live happily in my old age by taking a girl barely over 20 years old as my concubine like Happ-sama…

I’ll bequeath a lot of wealth to my children, and I’ll be able to pay for the tuition for my grandson who wants to go to college…

No, more than that, it would be possible to suppress the city guys who ignored me as a serf even though they were the village chief…

In particular, stepping on that damn Merchant Guild’s mark…

All of this becomes possible if you follow Her Highness Duke Architel and change your status… .

No matter how well Count Kreutel treats us right now… Don’t you never know when you’ll change your mind?

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My heart was inclined toward helping Her Highness, Duke of Architel for a moment, but… I immediately remembered a conversation we had a few days ago.

The soldiers were watching from a distance, but neither of the serfs had any complaints against the current ruler, the count, though they both regretted the deaths.

The other guys rather died, but let alone worry about starving to death… He said he ate porridge and liked it.

Even if I convince them that it is the order of Duke Akitel, everyone will follow it, they will object, saying that they will all be killed by the flame clubs held by the count’s soldiers.

No, I’m glad I did the opposite… They may try to accuse me in order to survive.

The fire clubs they were carrying, no, not only the fire clubs, but also the well-trained soldiers, looked like ghosts from hell.

No matter how much you think about it, selling me out would be a much better choice than antagonizing those guys.

If that’s the case, I’m sorry to His Highness the Duke and Mr. Baileaf, but I’d rather accuse you first.

After organizing my thoughts like that, I went to the soldier next to Saxon who was distributing meals over there.

The soldier looked at me and asked.

“No, chief. What the hell is going on? Could it be that something happened to the village?”

I said it with an honest feeling.

“Give this letter to your boss. It was sent by His Highness, the Duke of Akitel, through Mr. Baileaf Harp… ”

At my words, the soldier gave off a terrifying force and took the letter in his hand.

“Bayleaf Harp sent me a letter… Let’s check the contents.”

At that moment, even though I was a village chief who was no different from a serf, I felt resentful of being treated with such disrespect by a mere soldier… just endured

And after a while, that guy read the letter and said in a cheeky tone.

“It is certain that this letter was sent by Duke Architel. Damn, somehow damn Lieutenant Short… His Excellency told me that Duke Akitel was going to play a trick soon, so he gave an order to closely monitor it, so I couldn’t believe it… ”

Even though they are His Excellency’s soldiers, if you see them doing something like soldiers distributing food in a place like this, they must be like serfs…

Are you ignoring me because your name is a soldier?

So I spoke out loud to express my displeasure.

“No, the letter is important, so why are you opening it? My life and the lives of the villagers depended on that one letter. Even though I am the chief of this small village, I am not in a position to be ignored by a mediocre soldier!”

Hearing that, the guy smiled and said while taking out a document with the same seal as the count’s seal he had just seen.

“I am Lieutenant Mant belonging to the intelligence unit under His Excellency Count Creutel. His Excellency has an order to watch in case the duke might rebel through you, so I was sent here for the purpose of both relief and surveillance.”

ensign… I don’t know what rank he was, but he must be a pretty high-ranking person, considering that he couldn’t even shout at a guy with the rank of second lieutenant in the past.

I never thought someone of such a high rank would come to such a rural area.

No matter how ignorant he was, if he was higher than the baileif, at least he was almost like a nobleman.

“sorry!”

“Don’t worry about blasphemy. I’m treated as a semi-nobility anyway, so I’m not subject to that.”

After getting out of the danger of life, I let out a big sigh of relief.

And the ensign said the mantra as he put his hand on my shoulder and banged it.

“Again, thanks to you, I can shout at the damn Lieutenant Short. Since I’ve made such great achievements, if I do well, I’ll be able to get a promotion this time too. Why am I harassing my friend who did such a good thing?”

“hahahaha… thank you.”

After laughing so dejectedly, this time he whispered in my ear and left.

“You saved my life thanks to your wise decision. No, if you do good to His Excellency, you might get a reward. Congratulations.”

**

Two weeks after the bailiffs were called in, a report came in from Colonel Samuel and Lieutenant Short.

And the content was roughly like this.

[Using the authority of Colonel Samuel, the letter sent by the Duke of Akitel to the bailefs on purpose was delivered to the bailiffs throughout the Akitel region. In addition, in case of emergency, surveillance is being conducted through intelligence unit soldiers and general soldiers dispatched throughout the Akitel region. Most village chiefs and bailiffs are judged to be participating in or acquiescing in the Duke’s scheme… (Omitted) However, some, including the village chief Heinz, expressed their loyalty by accusing the Duke of the scheme.]

When people are blinded by desire, they fall for ridiculous scams.

In Korea, to sites that tell you the lottery winning numbers, or fake ones that tell you stock investment information.

In fact, if you look closely at the duke’s fraud, they become victims and drive you to the end where you have no choice but to die.

If we think of common sense, we should gather all the ragtag serfs and raise a rebellion at once…

If 10,000 soldiers stationed here shoot and start a massacre, it is certain that eventually the serfs will try to survive by selling the village headman and the bailiffs.

Instead, the duke will come to fill the gaps in our preoccupation with suppressing the rebellion.

For the sake of the serfs who revolted and longed for their rule.