Skip to content 
𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 (1)
Johan was very pleased. He couldn’t believe he had the opportunity to become close with the lineage of Brduhe so easily.
To be exact, it wasn’t just getting close, it was more like having it in his hands. . .
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘳𝘥𝘶𝘩𝘦, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥, 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦.’
In this era, lineage held great value. Especially for a famous family like the Brduhe.
Just like Stephen of the Abner family, who had nothing but could use the family name to his advantage, Horamric was the same.
But Horamric was different from Stephen. While Stephen had made many mistakes and had almost no assets left, Horamric. . .
“Even so, you must have received something from the duke, have you already lost it?”
“No! How could that be.”
Johan’s guess was accurate. Like Repiata who received a city, Horamric also received something from the duke.
However, unlike his siblings, Horamric had little confidence in maintaining his fiefdom and wealth. It was because of the location of the fiefdom.
“But it’s almost as if you’re going to lose it soon. You were given those pathetic islands in the south of Edene Sea, but how many vicious people are there nearby? It’s so far from here. . .”
Horamric, who received an island in the middle of the sea swarming with small kingdoms, city-states, and pagans in boats(pirates), lacked the confidence to defend it.
To hire more mercenaries with the gold received and take charge as a feudal lord himself? What if he gets caught there? Horamric didn’t have the guts for that.
“That’s possible, Gong. It’s amazing that you’ve managed to keep it until now.”
“Boo hoo hoo! Sir! Why did I only meet someone like you now. . .”
Johan doubted that Horamric would have replaced the magistrate if he had died. Repiata didn’t seem so weak, and Repiata had his own vassals.
Of course, it was natural for Horamric to be unable to make a rational decision in this anxious situation, not knowing when he might become penniless. . .
After that, Johan completely won over Horamric by tightening and loosening his control.
When Johan and Stephen were about to leave the mansion, Horamric even asked if he could stay in Johan’s camp.
“Gong. Don’t worry too much. My friendship will protect you. Don’t be swayed by what others say, and when it’s time to make a decision, rely on me.”
“I will do that! I will do so, Sir!”
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Really, all sorts of things happen.”
“Right. I was sure that Horamric-gong had hired the mercenaries.”
“Not everyone in the world tries to kill their kin. . .”
“. . . . . .”
Stephen looked at Johan with a very lukewarm expression.
Then what about me. . .?
“Anyway, you did very well. Stephen. I didn’t know we could get close on such an occasion.”
It turns out that most of Horamric’s associates were merchants, artists, and priests.
The useful young knights under him were gravitating towards the first and second sons, and Horamric himself wasn’t a nobleman who could control knights.
In that situation, Johan must have seemed like an angel descended into hell.
“This is it.”
Johan moved around Dolek and Palmon while drawing a map. More than dozens of elite soldiers followed him to guard Johan.
Passers-by and farmers couldn’t even breathe and bowed their heads. The news from the city was slowly spreading.
“What do you think?”
“It seems like a nice town. There’s a good amount of fish around here, so we can harvest more grain, and the livestock we have. . .”
The Alarhim family’s orc kept their promise. They sent someone suitable to be an administrator. He asked, and he studied at a university in the Catalian Peninsula and learned arithmetic under a famous defense scholar.
That’s why he had no trouble calculating with Eastern numbers instead of ancient Empire numbers.
He asked with a slightly tense face.
“Do you have any specific instructions?”
No matter how much you learn and gain knowledge under an outstanding person, it means little to a feudal lord. Eventually, you have to work to the noble’s liking.
Knights like Johan often made excessive demands. Like trying to scrape together a few hundred gold coins in such a town. . .
“Collect taxes according to custom. Be generous if the situation is bad, less so if it’s good.”
“Ah. Yes. I’ll do that.”
Surprised by the unexpectedly generous and lenient words, the administrator was startled.
“I’ll give you some silver, so hire some feudal lord’s subjects who can work for a year. No need to drive out the orphans of the fiefdom, hire them at a fair price too. I’ve spoken to the Katana Merchant Guild, so you should be able to buy farming tools at a good price, use them for the fiefdom’s farming. If other serfs see and want to use them, make sure they can buy them at a reasonable price.
In the spring, plant beans in the fallow land, and if anyone objects, strongly say it’s an order and enforce it. When harvesting grain, don’t sell it to Umdim just because it’s close, sell it near Baien even if it’s a bit far. Also, we need to increase livestock in the spare pastures, buy sheep in the cheap autumn. . .”
“Wait, just a moment. Please wait a moment.”
The administrator was startled. He didn’t expect such detailed and specific instructions.
Even a knight who’s a feudal lord giving such instructions?
He wrote them down one by one, even though he was flustered. He seemed to understand why the Alarhim family said, ‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯.’
After the instructions ended, the administrator rushed towards the town with a few soldiers. It was to check Johan’s instructions.
Caenerna asked as if she couldn’t understand.
“Where did you learn such a thing?”
“From a priest in the fiefdom when I was young.”
“Ah, so that’s why you were so devout?”
At Caenerna’s words, Suetlg had to tightly grip the reins of his horse. Johan nodded seriously.
“God is my spear and my shield, the armor that protects my heart.”
“. . .Wait. Didn’t you say last time. . .?”