When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

#605 - Ansel and Bryson and South Mound County

Entering July, as Horn and Jeanne returned to the Holy See, the perpetual lease reform movement in Kasha County and South Munde County began its process.

Kasha County had been damaged by the war, and with the death of Prince Condé and the escape of Puzilio, most nobles and knights had fled.

In addition, the local free farmers were far more numerous than in other counties, so the perpetual lease reform was quite smooth, with at least a thousand knights stationed in Kasha County.

Tens of thousands of knight families began to migrate to the plains along the land and water routes.

However, the perpetual lease reform in South Munde County was not so smooth.

First, the knight nobles clamored, "Why should we be deprived of our rights when we have won?" and more than a dozen riots broke out among knights and nobles in various places.

However, they were suppressed by the Black Champions who had been deployed in advance, and County Governor Silvis took the opportunity to exert strong pressure, and the knights reluctantly accepted the reform.

Then, the collusion between the village magistrates and the old church forces was revealed, and Silvis tearfully executed his subordinates.

Not two days later, a carriage carrying more than a dozen monks was attacked by so-called "roving robber knights from Munde."

Then Silvis and Jeshka joined forces to investigate the case, implicating nearly thirty knights, and the offending knights were publicly beheaded by the autocratic duke, and the two earls were ordered to go to Summergreen City for house arrest.

After the entire month of July, by the beginning of August, County Governor Silvis finally announced the start of the perpetual lease reform.

The monks were not idle during this month either.

The Efficiency Exorcism Society, personally presided over by Madelaine, began to streamline its organization, optimize its finances, and lay off a large number of unnecessary church positions.

In mid-July, they began to conduct doctrinal assessments and reviews of the remaining clergy, and by the beginning of August, Madelaine had reduced the number of clergy from 2,953 to only 1,601.

When Kasha County had already begun to compile tax registers and church property, South Munde County was only beginning to promote perpetual lease reform in each village and manor.

August 2, 1446 of the Imperial Calendar, South Munde County, Muddy Swamp Township.

On the muddy road surrounded by fences and frost wood, an old donkey with drooping ears was panting, with documents and rations in the saddlebags on both sides.

The warm sunlight shone through the dense trees, casting fluctuating streaks of light on the road and the berry-laden bushes.

On either side of the old donkey were two monks, one old and one young.

The seventeen or eighteen-year-old young monk wore a brown-red woolen jacket similar in style to the Salvation Army, while the older monk, not too old at forty or so, wore a loose robe of the old clergy.

Anyone who saw this group heading to the Adrian Knight Manor to sign the perpetual lease would surely think that the middle-aged monk was the leader.

But in fact, this young monk named Ansel was the real itinerant monk, and the middle-aged monk named Bryson was an assistant transferred from the old church system.

Of course, they couldn't just go to the Adrian Knight Manor by themselves; they were also followed by five Black Hat Army monks who were protecting them along the way.

South Munde County was not very peaceful these days, and you never knew where a few "robber knights" might pop out from.

Smelling the cold and humid air, Ansel sneezed. He rubbed his nose: "Uncle Bryson, how long will it take us to get to the Adrian Knight Manor?"

Although Bryson was an assistant, Ansel did not act superior, but warmly used kinship terms.

Bryson looked around and saw a dilapidated small wooden house in the forest: "That's a hunter's hut, we'll probably be there in half an hour."

Bryson used to be a priest in the nearby parish, in charge of the church school, and was a rare talent who could read the entire "Book of Gospels" from beginning to end.

This was not easy, because the "Book of Gospels" was written in Elvish, and even Horn had only recently been able to read it completely.

Hearing Bryson's words, Ansel wrapped his clothes tighter: "It's so quiet in this forest, I haven't seen anyone all the way."

"It's quieter than before," Bryson sighed, "Many mountain people have followed their relatives to the plains counties, all thinking of leaving this ghost place."

Ansel clicked his tongue: "How can you say that? Thousand River Valley is our home, and South Munde County is also a part of it, how can it be a ghost place?"

"Yes, yes, I'm confused," Bryson lowered his head and smiled obsequiously, but his mouth couldn't help but twitch inwardly.

Although they were both mountain counties, the pattern of South Munde County was completely different from that of Upper River County.

Because it was close to the plains counties, Upper River County could at least enjoy a little bit of the warm monsoon, so there were still many dense manors in the river valleys, such as High Fort Township.

But South Munde County was blocked by the Gaotai Mountains in the northwest, the Black Bone Swamp Mountains in the west, and the highlands of North County in the southwest.

Both on the Ibe River, North Munde County had massive amounts of ore that could be sold to the outside world, and Munde County could enjoy the trade benefits of the Dragon's Sleep Mountain Pass.

South Munde County couldn't get anything.

The mountains here were shorter than those in Upper River County, but there were more of them, and there were river valleys and mountain depressions everywhere.

Therefore, most of them were centered on flatland churches, with small manors and small villages built in all directions along the rivers and mountains.

There were often uninhabited areas counted in miles between two parishes, and every winter the lords collectively took armed farmers to hunt wolves in the forest, otherwise merchants would not be able to enter.

Its only resource was copper and tin ore, but it was located in the dense forest and swamp area on the west side, which was where Bryson's Muddy Swamp Township was located.

Seeming to have caught a glimpse of Bryson's twitch, Ansel said sternly: "Don't disbelieve, you just watch, I guarantee that the people here will love their hometown, and besides, there's nothing wrong with it here, I thought it would be colder and higher, but it looks okay."

"Alas, I'm old, I don't know when I'll be able to see it."

While Bryson nodded obsequiously, he secretly guessed that what this person was talking about should be the Ibe River dredging plan.

It was said that the county governor was recently discussing with the Grand Patriarch to dredge the Ibe River in the swamp area so that ships could pass through.

Looking at Ansel's high-spirited back, he secretly smiled bitterly.

I can only hope that it will be completed before the Leia Kingdom counterattacks, at least the Salvation Army will leave some benefits for the mountain people.

After Ansel took a few more steps, he turned his head again and asked: "Uncle Bryson, what kind of person is this Adrian Knight?"

Bryson thought for a moment: "He is considered the largest manor knight nearby, with as many as 450 people in his own manor, and as many as 3,100 acres of land."

Ansel, who was from Langsand County, couldn't help but ask: "Is this considered big?"

"How can it not be big? Sometimes we only have a dozen households and less than a hundred people in a village," Bryson said as he recalled, "This Adrian Knight should only be 30 this year, his father died of alcoholism, he also loves to drink, probably has the strength of the third stage of breathing."

"I mean, what is he like as a person?"

"As a person, he's quite generous," Bryson scratched his head, "He often goes out to hunt wolves, and then hires villagers to tan the fur. When there is a poor harvest, he often gives rent and provides seeds, and his reputation is... not bad."

"This knight is quite enlightened, this trip should be easy," Ansel blew his snot onto the leaves on the side, and said happily.

But Bryson hesitated to speak, and finally lowered his head with a strange expression.

"Hahahaha." However, Bryson had only taken a few steps when he heard a familiar, rough laugh.

A sweaty, alcoholic odor wafted over, and a high, fat knight with a flushed face rushed out from behind the wooden fence and hugged Bryson: "Priest Bryson, it's been a long time."

Bryson's body made a cracking sound, and he said with difficulty: "Knight Adrian, this, this is Ansel, an itinerant, monk."

Ansel extended his hand to Adrian: "Hello."

"Hello, hello." Knight Adrian ignored Ansel's outstretched hand, gave him a big hug directly, and enthusiastically took the donkey's reins, "Come, come, come to the house to eat a hot meal, I heard you were coming, and I've been waiting here since the sun rose."

"Mr. Adrian, do you know what we're here to do?" Ansel was almost dizzy from the smell and alcohol under Adrian's armpits, but he still forced himself to ask.

"I know, isn't it just the perpetual lease? I agree, it's good that I don't have to manage it," Adrian patted Ansel on the back, "Let's eat first, I've already ordered it, let the people in the manor gather, and you can give a speech after eating."

Saying that, he squinted his eyes and smiled at the five monks: "Would you gentlemen like to come and eat together?"

"No need, it's enough for us to escort you here," the leader nodded to Ansel, "We patrol here once every three days, and if there is an emergency, use red mane wood to light a wolf smoke to summon us."

"Thank you all!"