Black Tulip

"Hurry up, you damn oaf! Stop dawdling. Are you looking to die? The Lord wants to take a census of your household. Move it! Put on your clothes, bring your wife and children, and gather in the clearing ahead. If even one person is missing, don't blame me for breaking your legs!"

The patrolman swaggered, pounding on the thatched cottage door and roaring into the house.

Soon, every farming family in Barley Hamlet emerged from their homes, gathering in the clearing under the patrolman's harsh shouts.

They whispered in twos and threes.

Every so often, they looked toward the table in the center of the clearing. Behind it sat a forty-year-old woman in a proper dark green dress, organizing a stack of parchment. Behind her, a young maid helped dissolve ink in a tea mug.

"Who is that?"

"Never seen her."

"Idiot, she must be a maid from the castle!"

"Right, right. Look at her clothes—they've definitely been ironed. Only the Lord's maids could wear such neat, clean clothes, unlike us, all smelly and wrinkled."

"What does the Lord want? I heard from the lackey that he wants to take a... what was it?"

"A census," an elderly farmer said, chewing on a blade of grass. "Ten years ago, the Count sent people to count us. Back then, our Barley Hamlet had... had... had many more serf families, far more people than now. Sigh, that blizzard seven years ago starved so many to death."

At the table.

The patrolman, who had been swaggering just moments ago, now bowed and scraped before the two maids. "Mrs. Morson, Miss Michonne, all the serfs of Barley Hamlet have gathered."

"I'm not a miss, I'm just a maid from the castle." Michonne Oxtail was actually quite pleased by the title. She smiled and asked, "Is everyone here? Don't miss a single soul, or the Lord will punish us, and that includes you."

"Of course, of course. I guarantee they wouldn't dare hide."

Mrs. Morson nodded. "Very well. Go tell them to come over one family at a time. Once a family is registered, they can go straight home. Don't let them come back."

"Understood."

The patrolman began leading the serf families to the table one by one.

Following the items Liszt had prepared, Mrs. Morson asked, "Are you the head of the household? What is your name?"

"Ho... Hope, ma'am."

"Don't be nervous. Your full name, including your surname, Mr. Hope."

"Oh, ri... right. My name is Hope Swill."

"Then, Mr. Hope, is everyone in your family here? Five people in total? What is your wife's name? What are your two sons and your daughter's names... How old are you? What is your occupation—that is, what are your duties? Is it the same for your wife? Has your eldest son started working?"

Soon, Mrs. Morson finished her questions and began recording the information on the parchment.

Serf head of household—Hope Swill, age 37, grows barley, limbs intact; wife—Simon Swill, age 34, grows barley, limbs intact; eldest son—Robo Swill, age 20, grows oats, lame; second son—Peter Swill, age 17, grows barley, limbs intact; daughter—Lily Swill, age 15, raises chickens at home, limbs intact.

After recording the information, Mrs. Morson verified it once more.

Satisfied, she said gently, "Mr. Hope, ma'am, your family may return home."

"Oh, ri... right."

This scene continued for only one day. Stack after stack of parchment was sent to the castle, and for Liszt, the census of Flower Town was officially complete.

"Liszt, it's truly incredible. A task of this difficulty was solved so easily in your hands. You will be a qualified Lord, for certain." Gortai praised.

"Teacher Gortai, save the praise for later. Tally the numbers from each hamlet and summarize them for me."

"Gladly."

Perhaps Liszt's decisive actions put pressure on Gortai, causing this follower—who hadn't yet become an advisor—to burn the midnight oil, a rare occurrence.

The next morning.

The compiled data was already before Liszt after he finished his breakfast and knightly training.

"My Lord, Master Gortai stayed up all night. His eyes were bloodshot when he delivered the documents," Carter said, holding the parchment.

"Treat him to good wine and food. We must always provide some reward. Flower Town needs to develop; I don't want my territory to remain as lifeless as it was in the past."

Carter seemed dazed for a moment before replying, "My Lord, I feel as if I am seeing the Count in his youth—a spirited Viscount. In five years, he rose to the rank of Count and established the Tulip Family's rule over Coral Island. It is the good fortune of all the people that you are the Lord of Flower Town."

"Perhaps." Liszt did not feign modesty.

He flipped through the parchment quietly. It was a thick stack, but it didn't actually contain much content; even with a quill pen, one couldn't record many words in such small script.

"Parchment really is backward."

"My Lord, we don't have much parchment left. This has already consumed four-fifths of our supply."

"I know. I will find a way to solve this." Papermaking was already on Liszt's schedule, waiting only for the right time to be completed.

After half an hour, he had all the data for Flower Town firmly in his mind.

There were eight hamlets in total.

Town Hamlet: 257 households, 907 people, of which 41 households and 125 people were free citizens, the rest were serfs.

Peanut Hamlet: 23 households, 92 people, all serfs.

Mushroom Hamlet: 68 households, 211 people, all serfs.

Tomato Hamlet: 30 households, 152 people, of which 10 households and 28 people were free citizens, the rest were serfs.

Barley Hamlet: 48 households, 155 people, all serfs.

Wheat Hamlet: 101 households, 342 people, all serfs.

Flower Farm: 21 households, 54 people, all serfs.

Dairy Farm: 18 households, 60 people, all serfs.

The entire Flower Town had 584 households and 1,973 people, with only 51 households and 153 people being free citizens; the rest were serfs. At the castle, there were 10 servants, 4 squire knights, and two followers, Gortai and Marcus, totaling 17 people including Liszt.

Gortai and Marcus had families, but they were in Coral City and had not followed them here. They might have been unwilling to come, or perhaps they were waiting for some time before moving.

Thus, the total population of Flower Town was 1,990.

The vast majority were engaged in agriculture, growing barley, wheat, oats, tomatoes, mushrooms, peanuts, and tulips, or raising dairy cows, along with a small number of chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, dogs, and sheep.

Only seven percent of the population worked in handicrafts.

There was one tailor shop, one blacksmith shop, one carpenter shop, one bakery, one mill, one grocery store, one tannery, one barbershop, and one locksmith shop.

The census is detailed enough. The task should be complete now, Liszt thought, pushing aside the parchment that emitted a faint, fishy odor.

Just then, the old butler, Carter, walked over. "My Lord, great news. The manager of the Flower Farm has come to report a joyous event."

Hearing the words "Flower Farm," Liszt's eyes lit up. He understood immediately; this was likely the reward for the task. "Where is he? Bring him here... What is the joyous event?"

"It is a black tulip, one never seen before, my Lord. I will go bring him now."