The next morning, Nalant enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast in the castle dining hall: white bread and smoked meat.
Without a proper cook, the smoked meat didn't taste very good, and the white bread was a little rough on the throat. Still, there was no denying that eating food like this every day was the greatest stroke of luck in this world.
"My lord, the convoy is ready to depart at any time!" As breakfast drew to a close, Butler Thomas came to the dining hall to report.
"Then let's go!"
The greatest threat had been temporarily dealt with. Now he needed to figure out how to develop his territory.
His first step would be to inspect his lands and get a feel for Storm Territory.
Though Storm Territory was known as the Land of Misfortune, it was still a true barony, covering an area roughly the size of a township in his previous life.
"Greetings, my lord!" In the front courtyard, Vivian and Quick were waiting with five men each.
Nalant nodded to everyone, then swung straight into the saddle.
Today he wasn't riding the piebald horse Little Flower, but a real warhorse left behind by Anthony.
The warhorse's coat was pure white, and it stood two meters tall. From now on, it would be the lord's personal mount.
As for Anthony, his body had already been taken away for cremation. The official story was that he had been killed by Dark Creatures. After some time, Nalant would send someone to return his remains to Tulip Castle.
The villagers of Wheat Leaf Village had all gotten up late that morning. The previous night had been a meteor shower, and they had seen countless meteors crashing down across the territory.
So the serfs had fled with their families to the distant woods. To their surprise, though, none of the Dark Creatures they'd imagined appeared.
It wasn't until the second half of the night that the confused serfs gradually returned home.
After eating a few bites of life-threatening hard black bread softened in hot water, the serfs went out to work in the fields.
But as soon as they stepped outside, they saw a huge procession approaching the village entrance.
At its head was a tall horse carrying a young man dressed in silk. Behind him came a carriage and more than a dozen guards.
A noble lord!
The serfs immediately ducked back into their homes without a word. Those already on the road hurried into the alleys.
"So this is the largest village in my territory?" The group was, of course, Nalant and his guards. As they arrived at the entrance to Wheat Leaf Village, Nalant looked at its wretched state and began to question his life choices.
The filthy, muddy streets reeked, and the crumbling thatched huts were riddled with holes. Even in Africa in his previous life, he'd rarely seen anything this bad.
The one thing the village had going for it was the width of its main road. But despite its broad streets, human waste was scattered everywhere, and the stench hit you right in the face. You had to smell it to believe it.
"These sanitation conditions have to improve!" Unable to tolerate the world's greatest bad habit, Nalant made a mental note.
The procession continued onward, and at last Nalant caught sight of the serfs.
But when he saw them scurrying away like startled groundhogs, he was at a loss for words.
Still, it was only natural for the serfs to fear nobles. They were used to being oppressed by them, and fear had become their instinctive response.
"Lord Nalant is inspecting his territory! Get out here and pay your respects!" Seeing this, Quick finally lost patience and shouted at the serfs.
At Quick's shout, the serfs finally shuffled out of their homes and dropped to their knees, offering their greetings. "W-welcome, my lord!"
The serfs were dressed much the same: tattered linen tunics, and most were barefoot. Only a few able-bodied young men wore worn-out straw sandals.
"Get up." Nalant put on a smile, doing his best to appear approachable.
The serfs only stood once he gave permission, keeping their heads lowered. Quick then pointed to the carriage and spoke again.
"Can you see the two skeletons in the carriage? They're the remains of two powerful Dark Creatures that attacked Storm Territory last night: a Headless Knight and a Hellhound! To protect you, Lord Nalant personally slew them last night!"
"Divine grace has fallen upon you! Storm Territory will no longer be the Land of Misfortune. Under the leadership of the great Lord Nalant, it will become a peaceful and prosperous paradise!"
"Rejoice, people of Storm Territory! From now on, someone will protect you!"
Thomas had specially prepared this speech for Nalant's inspection of the territory. It was standard practice among noble lords: display their great achievements to establish their rule and reassure their people.
Hearing this, the serfs couldn't help raising their heads a little.
"Ah, those really are the bones of Dark Creatures! No wonder we didn't run into any last night!"
"Is this lord really that powerful? Baron Doke was killed by a Hellhound, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, this lord is incredible!"
Once they saw the remains in the carriage, the serfs finally understood why they had seen so many meteors fall last night, yet hadn't been attacked by any Dark Creatures.
For a moment, they forgot their fear and began murmuring among themselves.
Whenever the Dark Creatures invaded, it wasn't the lord who suffered the most. It was the people living in his lands.
Storm Territory had once been home to more than ten thousand people. But after one invasion after another, fewer than one in ten remained. No wonder they were so excited.
Hearing the serfs repeatedly praise their lord, Quick was very pleased, and continued.
"These two skeletons aren't all! Besides the Death Knight and the Hellhound, the guards also destroyed twenty-six Skeleton Soldiers under the lord's leadership. Their bones are piled outside the castle, where you can go and see them whenever you like!"
"Long live the lord!"
"Thank you, my lord!"
After hearing that, the serfs dropped to their knees one after another.
"This standard routine really works!" Seeing how the serfs' attitude had changed, Nalant couldn't help approving of the tactic.
"Very well, my people. You may leave now. You can go work in the fields, or head to the castle to see the remains of the Skeleton Soldiers!" Satisfied, Nalant waved his hand to dismiss the serfs.
"Thank you, my lord!" The serfs scattered like startled birds and beasts. Some returned to their homes, while others headed toward the castle.
Once the serfs had dispersed, Nalant and his party continued on.
"Vivian, do you know how many people live in Wheat Leaf Village?" Population was an essential factor in developing his territory.
Wheat Leaf Village was dilapidated, but Nalant was pleased to see that it wasn't small.
"I'm sorry, my lord. I don't know how many people live in Wheat Leaf Village, but there should be a thousand or so. I heard that a long time ago, it was still a small town," Vivian answered respectfully.
"So it used to be a town? Then go and fetch the village head." Nalant nodded.
When a lord inspected his territory for the first time, all the villagers were supposed to gather in advance to welcome him and wait for his arrival. Thomas had suggested it the previous night, too.
But Nalant had turned down the suggestion. Such a display wouldn't do much good. He'd rather have the serfs working hard in the fields—that was what benefited him most.
A guard was soon sent to find the village head. Nalant, meanwhile, arrived at the center of Wheat Leaf Village, where there was a spacious square.
Seeing the square, Nalant was certain Wheat Leaf Village really had once been a town. Streets five or six meters wide, together with a square, were the sort of features only a town had.
Five or six minutes later, the village head was brought over.
But his entrance was even more "impressive" than Nalant's. He arrived lying down.
"Th-this humble one... g-greets my lord!"
"What's going on?" Nalant asked, puzzled, as the village head struggled to get up and prepare to bow.
"My lord... this..."
At Nalant's question, the serfs who had carried the village head over knelt on the ground, not daring to speak. Even the young guard who had gone to find him hesitated.
"My lord, the village head must be too hungry to stand," Vivian said, stepping in.
"Hmm?" He was the head of a village. If the serfs hadn't starved to death, how had he gotten so weak? Nalant was even more confused.
"My lord... a few days ago, Lord Anthony said you had ordered the grain to be collected. The village head went to plead with him, asking if the collection could be delayed until next season... because the count had already collected taxes from them last season... In the end, Lord Anthony confiscated all his grain and forbade the villagers from lending him any..." Vivian trailed off before she could finish.
That was why the serfs and the guard hadn't dared to speak. The order to collect grain had come from the lord, and if they mentioned it, it might sound as though they were blaming him. If the lord took offense, he might hang them in the town square.
Only Vivian dared to say it. After spending these past few days with her lord, she knew he wasn't cruel, so she carefully spoke up.