Knight: Becoming King of the World

The next day, at the crack of dawn, Bain and Leon began directing the serfs in the distribution of land and houses.

All the prisoners were bound, unable to escape, left only to suffer.

Bain and Leon’s army established a temporary military administration on Mace’s territory and began managing the land.

They first converted Mace’s manor into a temporary command post. Then, they began a detailed survey of his territory to assess its resources.

They discovered that while Mace’s territory wasn’t large, the land was fertile and perfectly suited for agricultural development. ’Had Mace been given another two years, he might have truly solidified his position.’

Bain and Leon decided to distribute the land to the serfs and tenant farmers who had followed them, allowing them to settle down and start a new life here.

The prisoners were kept under strict guard by the soldiers to prevent them from escaping or causing trouble.

Once the area was stabilized, if these prisoners could survive the forced march and reach Westwood Laine with Bain and Leon’s army, they would be "lucky" enough to be put to work in the mines or building roads.

Henry had discovered that roadwork was never-ending.

Once a road was smoother, he wanted it wider. Once it was wider, he wanted it to create less dust. Once there was less dust, he wanted...

In any case, Henry could never be satisfied. There was no "best," only "better."

During the process of distributing the land and houses, Bain and Leon also encountered some difficulties.

The serfs were easy to deal with, causing no trouble. However, some of the tenant farmers were dissatisfied with their new land and houses, hoping for better plots and larger homes.

This was a phenomenon unheard of in other nobles’ domains. What tenant farmer would dare haggle with their lord’s Knight’s Squires? To actually dare to be dissatisfied?

Bain and Leon patiently explained that their current land and housing were allocated based on their previous assets.

If they farmed diligently and developed their property, they would have opportunities to acquire more land and better homes.

These promises quelled the tenant farmers’ discontent. It wasn’t that they were naive enough to believe empty promises, but that Henry had an excellent reputation for keeping his word.

Thanks to Bain and Leon’s efforts, the area quickly stabilized. The manors and pastures were also taken over smoothly, without a hint of resistance.

It could only be said that the serfs under Henry had a completely different mentality from those under other nobles.

Bain and Leon began organizing the serfs and tenant farmers, preparing what was needed for the spring plowing to ensure this year’s grain harvest.

With all this work completed, Bain and Leon began preparing to return to Westwood Laine. Their mission was accomplished, and they could now report their success to Henry.

As the sun rose above the horizon, casting its golden light across the land, the soldiers roughly pulled the prisoners to their feet and herded them onto the road.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

’These days of cold and starvation are finally over. Even if they make us serfs, at least we won’t be freezing and starving like animals every day.’

Over the past four or five days, more than two hundred of the prisoners had frozen or starved to death.

These prisoners represented money, but no one cared about their deaths. Even Henry wouldn’t care if he knew.

Prisoners were only assets once they were put to work. Before that, they were simply the enemy.

Whether the enemy lived or died was of no concern.

As for whether this kind of treatment would make future enemies unwilling to surrender and instead galvanize their will to fight?

Not only was Henry unafraid of that possibility, but no one was. In fact, anyone who heard such a notion would have to laugh.

’If you want a quick death, then keep fighting. It’s all just combat merits and Dinars to us anyway. If resisting excites you, my soldiers get even more excited taking your head.’

Under Bain and Leon’s command, the prisoners were divided into several groups, each watched over by a single soldier.

They were driven along the rugged road toward Westwood Laine. The prisoners walked silently with their heads bowed.

Some muttered curses under their breath, their eyes filled with hatred. But no one dared to resist openly, for they knew it would only earn them a savage beating, or perhaps even summary execution.

Bain and Leon watched the prisoners being herded like livestock, feeling no particular unease. For these captives, just being alive was the greatest stroke of luck. The ones who truly didn’t fear death were already dead long ago.

"Let’s go, Leon. It’s time we headed back," Bain said.

Leon nodded. The two men mounted their warhorses and, leading their army, followed behind the prisoners, embarking on the journey back to Westwood Laine.

Behind them, the serfs and tenant farmers who had just been allocated land and homes were already busy preparing for the spring plowing.

「After several days of arduous trekking, they finally saw the walls of Westwood Laine.」

They received a warm welcome as they entered Westwood Laine.

Henry himself had even come to the castle gates to greet them.

"You’ve done well, Bain, Leon."

Smiles spread across Bain and Leon’s faces. Leon knew Henry had come out to welcome Bain, not him, but that didn’t stop him from feeling happy.

’A man’s greatest fear is being useless. As long as you’re useful, you can speak with confidence and stand tall.’

"Thank you, my lord," Bain and Leon said in unison.

Henry nodded. He turned toward the prisoners and said to an official at his side, "Some of them to the silver mines, the rest to roadwork."

The official first nodded, then asked nervously, "My lord, the workforce at the silver mine is already at capacity. Sending them there would just be a waste of labor. Why not have them build housing and clear roads beyond the border?"

Henry thought for a moment. It made sense. He immediately agreed to the official’s suggestion and rewarded him with two Dinars.

The official let out an imperceptible sigh of relief, inwardly delighted. ’A single sentence earned me two Dinars. The lord isn’t so fearsome after all.’

After dealing with the matter of the prisoners, Henry summoned Bain and Leon to his study.

"Bain, Leon, you’ve done very well this time. However, you still have a long road ahead of you."

Bain and Leon nodded and exchanged a glance, knowing their mission wasn’t over.

Henry looked at the two eager men and said with a smile, "Next, I need you to go and assist Claude. He’s preparing for the next campaign."

Bain and Leon’s expressions turned serious. "Yes, my lord. We will crush the enemy."

When Bain and Leon found Claude in the barracks storeroom, Claude praised them for their victory in their independent operation, directing most of his praise toward Bain.

In Claude’s eyes, Bain was still just a child. A few years ago, Bain had been a street beggar as thin as a reed. Even if he was a beggar from the imperial capital of Lukaron, he was still a beggar.

Back then, Claude wasn’t yet one of Henry’s men, but merely someone Henry’s parents would occasionally send to check on him.

"Bain, you did a fine job. The lord was right about you," Claude said with a smile, patting Bain on the shoulder.

Bain smiled. "Thank you, Lord Claude. I’ll continue to do my best."

Claude nodded and turned to Leon. "Leon, you also performed well. Your conduct on the battlefield has always been impeccable."

Leon nodded, knowing Claude to be a fair man. "Thank you, Lord Claude. I will continue to serve Lord Henry."

’Am I being too sensitive?’ Leon wondered. Claude had called his performance "impeccable," but he’d heard it as "nothing outstanding."

’I’m just being too sensitive. How could I think that?’

Claude, oblivious to what either man was thinking, continued, "Alright, you two go get some rest. We’ll discuss the upcoming plans tomorrow."

Bain and Leon nodded. They left Claude’s office and returned to their quarters.