Chapter 40: The Lord's Command
Outside the Twin Lion Fortress, the officials of York Territory had gathered, numbering around seventy to eighty individuals.
This was after the necromancer's invasion had destroyed several villages.
They were waiting here for the lord's summons.
During these five days, they had received no news from the lord, leaving their understanding of him shrouded in mystery.
This made them somewhat anxious.
They stood apart, not daring to gather and discuss.
In recent days, their frequent interactions had reshuffled the original network of the powerful, leading them to tacitly conceal their affiliations amidst the chaos.
Seven individuals stood at the forefront: Knight Wolf and six slightly younger men.
They were the prospective knights who had received the lord's promise.
Creak— the castle's wooden doors opened, and four beautiful maids stepped out.
Even though these nobles had never seen such beauty before, they felt no pleasure in admiring it.
Instead, they sensed a trace of fear.
The maids wore identical uniforms, had the same white hair and red eyes, their skin was pure white, and their expressions indifferent, like meticulously crafted dolls.
"The master has arrived; all of you, please follow us to pay your respects."
The four spoke simultaneously, their voices identical.
Only Knight Wolf, standing at the center among the maids, could barely discern multiple sources of the sound.
He felt the pressure.
Though the maids appeared physically delicate, Knight Wolf perceived them as four elite soldiers working in perfect harmony.
However, the maids ignored their varied thoughts, merely opening the doors. Two maids entered the fortress to lead the way, while the other two stood on either side of the entrance, waiting.
"Hoo..." Knight Wolf exhaled and then followed.
With Knight Wolf taking the lead, the six prospective knights also stepped forward.
The town officials behind them moved to the positions they had previously occupied.
In the eyes of the nobles, they belonged to the same class, but even within this group, there were hierarchies.
Knights naturally held the highest rank, followed by town officials, and finally, village officials.
In the past, when they paid respects to the lord together, they would tacitly follow this order.
After all, the Twin Lion Fortress wasn't large enough to accommodate all of them.
However, as they waited, the two maids outside the door spoke, "Please, all of you, proceed to pay your respects."
The few at the front were momentarily stunned. After exchanging glances, Piero stepped forward and asked, "Do you mean for all of us to enter together?"
"Please, all of you, proceed to pay your respects," the maid merely repeated.
The strong sense of incongruity instilled fear in Piero.
He took a step back, looked at his colleagues, and said, "The lord commands all of us to pay our respects, so let's go in together."
The others exchanged glances and then looked at him.
Piero understood their meaning, turned, and walked into the fortress.
In that instant, his expression turned grim.
Seeing that Piero entered without incident, the others also called upon the village officials behind them to enter together.
As the captain of the Daniels Village guard and a tax official, Yara naturally had the qualification to enter.
However, due to her age and experience, she was at the back, and with a slight turn, she could see those further out who lacked the qualification to enter.
Alton, who sold wooden weapons, had bandages wrapped around him, and his obese body trembled slightly.
Terry, who made clothing, leaned against the wall, her upper body hidden in the shadows.
...
Without looking further, Yara followed the people ahead.
Yara had been to the lord's fortress before and knew that the interior space wasn't large, so she thought she might be squeezed into a corner this time.
However, upon entering, she realized that her perspective had been too narrow.
Although it was still as dim as she remembered, the space had been expanded several times, making it spacious even with all of them inside.
Where the lord's seat used to be, a silver staircase had been built, leading up to a golden throne adorned with gems, exquisite like a king's throne.
Lord Pegiraov Lundex sat upon the throne, with the mage Aivas standing to his right.
Although Yara's eye level was higher, she felt as if she were looking up at them, as if bowing to a king.
She silently bent her back to show her humility.
"So, these are the people?" Pegiraov spoke.
His voice carried an aged tone, but everyone felt a pressure that made them instinctively lower their breathing.
"Yes, master, they have all entered," said the maid outside the door. They did not close the door.
"Very well," Pegiraov nodded, then said, "Piero."
"Yes, Lord, your loyal servant Piero awaits your command." Piero stepped forward without hesitation, knelt on the ground, and lowered his head to touch the floor tiles.
"Your bravery has earned you an opportunity," Pegiraov said. "You will retain your position as a political officer, while the other political officers will be relieved of their duties."
As he finished speaking, the faces of the other four political officers changed dramatically, and they were about to plead.
However, Aivas merely raised his hand, and the four of them seemed to be grabbed by invisible hands and thrown out, disappearing from sight.
Their mouths kept moving, but no sound came out.
"I need you to, within a month, reestablish all tax rates and commodity prices within the territory. I require that the commoners in the territory have their granaries filled with wheat after the autumn harvest. I require that the markets in the territory become active. Can you accomplish this?"
"I can," Piero suddenly raised his head and said.
His forehead was covered in sweat.
"I will complete your request within a month."
"Very good," Pegiraov nodded. "Rise."
Piero kowtowed again, then stood up.
His legs were somewhat weak.
"I know that you all have your own bandits within the territory, spreading them out to plunder caravans and commoners," Pegiraov said.
This time, most people in the hall couldn't help but tremble.
"Knight Wolf, I appoint you as the commander," Pegiraov looked at Wolf.
Wolf knelt on one knee.
"You are to lead these six to eliminate the bandits within the territory. They are criminals and must be executed."
After speaking, Pegiraov glanced at the six prospective knights.
"A month from now, I will confer the title of knight upon you based on your achievements in eliminating the bandits," he said.
"Yes! Your will," the six responded loudly, their morale high.
With an average age of no more than thirty, they were in their prime.
Pegiraov's gaze passed over them, looking at the trembling people behind, and said.
"A month from now, I will order the political officer to re-register everyone in the territory. After that, anyone not registered will be considered a rebel. My knights will go to suppress them and those who support their rebellion."