Chapter 407: Chapter 402: Feudal Manor

Scorching Wind Castle was less magnificent than Duke Eldrin’s, but it was filled with just as many treasures.

Viscount Freddy’s warehouses were stocked with tens of thousands of pounds of Demon Beast Hide, Magic Crystal Stones, Mithril, Meteorite Iron, and more. No wonder he hadn’t hesitated to offer 2,000 pounds of Mithril and 5,000 pounds of Meteorite Iron as a congratulatory gift.

After Duane’s forces took control of Scorching Wind Territory, the next step was to placate the farmers living on the land.

This wasn’t a difficult task. Duane simply ordered his men not to plunder the populace. He also reduced some of their taxes while keeping their traditional obligations, which allowed the terrified commoners to gradually settle down.

To them, as long as they didn’t starve, what difference did it make which Lord they served?

However, while Duane could control his own men, the forces from Silent Shore and Coral Island were less disciplined.

Duane made an example of a few of these unruly individuals by punishing them severely, which led some to believe he was being overly harsh.

In their eyes, war was a natural opportunity to plunder wealth, and this plunder didn’t discriminate between the Nobility and commoners.

They therefore saw Duane’s protection of the Starfall Islands’ commoners as entirely unnecessary.

As a result, many of them complained to Knight Riley and Baron Cruz. But even if the leaders agreed with their punished men, they didn’t protest to Duane.

For one, Duane was the Commander. For another, he was a powerful figure. They didn’t have the standing to protest.

"My Lord, that’s the situation Baron Cruz and the others reported to me. They’re asking that, should something like this happen again, you notify them first and let them carry out the punishment. That way, we can avoid creating discord within our three-way alliance."

Kaelon relayed the proposal from Baron Cruz and the others. "They didn’t dare tell you directly, so they had me pass on the message."

In their eyes, Duane’s rank was too high. As one of Duane’s trusted men, Kaelon seemed more like a peer they could approach.

It was true. During this war, Kaelon, Simone, and the others had interacted with them the most and had built a decent rapport.

Duane nodded slightly. "Go tell them that the war isn’t over yet. I am still the Commander, with the authority to handle all affairs."

His tone shifted. "However, I can agree to their request. If this happens again, I will inform them before I act. But they also need to keep their own subordinates in line."

"Of course, My Lord." Kaelon scratched his head. His lips moved, but he didn’t dare say what was on his mind.

Duane closed the book in his hands, slid it back onto the bookshelf, and glanced at him. "You’ve been with me the longest, and you were even my teacher once. If you have something on your mind, just say it."

Kaelon chuckled. "As I see it, following you lets us live comfortably, gives us access to excellent cultivation resources, and allowed us to take this huge swath of the Starfall Islands with so few casualties. I don’t understand why they would protest something like this."

Duane turned and pulled another book from the shelf, flipping through it. It seemed there was nothing here related to Fel Energy or the Fel Energy Notes.

"It’s not that Baron Cruz and his peers want to protest against me. To be honest, they probably don’t even care about such matters. It’s just that they aren’t acting alone. They have their own followers and confidants."

"You ultimately have to consider the morale of your subordinates, so sometimes they find themselves in a difficult position."

Although top-tier strength can crush one’s enemies, ruling a Territory well still requires managing people.

In this, Duane was the same as Baron Cruz and the others. If protests from their subordinates grew too loud, they had to step in and appease them to maintain stability in their own lands.

"When you put it like that, I understand."

Kaelon couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. "They must be under a lot of pressure to make a request like this."

Duane glanced at him. "I’m afraid you’ll face similar situations in the future."

"Absolutely not!"

Kaelon said without a shred of hesitation, "If anyone dares to complain about your decisions, you won’t need to lift a finger. I’ll deal with them myself."

The corners of Duane’s mouth quirked up. He snapped the book shut, walked over to a chair, and sat down. "There’s something I want to discuss with you."

"You have only to command, My Lord."

Duane pointed to the sofa beside him. "Sit. Let’s talk."

Realizing they were about to discuss something important, Kaelon followed the command and sat down.

"According to my agreement with His Majesty the King, I will become a Hereditary Earl once this war is over. That will grant me the authority to ennoble one Viscount, five Barons, and twenty Knights."

Kaelon froze. His eyes widened in a look of stunned disbelief and dawning excitement. "My Lord, are you saying..."

"Yes."

Duane nodded. "I intend to make you the first Baron of Black Forest Island."

In this world, everyone dreamed of one day becoming a member of the Nobility, and Kaelon was no exception. He just never thought that day would come so soon. It was almost unbelievable.

"But My Lord, according to protocol, you should ennoble me as a Knight first. Only after I’ve performed more meritorious deeds should I be made a Baron."

It was true that commoners typically advanced from the rank of Knight based on their merits, but raising one’s noble Level was generally incredibly difficult.

Reaching the rank of Baron was likely the pinnacle of what a commoner could achieve in their lifetime.

Take Duane’s father, Carter, for example. Despite being a Celestial Tier Warrior who commanded the Kingdom’s Third Legion, he was merely a Knight.

Duane smiled. "While that’s the usual progression, there’s no rule that says a commoner can’t be elevated directly to Baron."

Overcome with emotion, Kaelon dropped to one knee. "Thank you for your trust!"

Duane, however, helped him to his feet. "You’re thanking me too early. My Barons will be different from the usual kind, which is precisely what I need to discuss with you."

"Different?" Kaelon looked baffled, awaiting his Lord’s explanation.

Duane sat back down. "I plan to reform the entire structure of vassalage. I will no longer grant Fiefs."

Kaelon scratched his head. "My Lord, what’s a Fief?"

Duane paused, then realized that the term "Fief" was uncommon in this world; people usually just said "fiefdom."

"Simply put, I will not be granting you an independent fiefdom."

Hearing that, Kaelon understood. This was indeed different from a typical Baron. "Then what is your intention, My Lord?"

"I plan to use a system of Feudal Manors instead."

Duane paused, knowing Kaelon might not understand. He offered an example. "A Knight with a Feudal Manor of fifty households, for instance, can collect the rent and taxes from those fifty households as income. However, you would not govern those farming households directly. Their administration would be handled by my Civil Servants or other officials."

"Additionally, I’m preparing other privileges, like an annual stipend, Magic Potions, and free access to Cultivation Sites. For example, a Knight might receive an annual stipend of 100 Gold Coins, be able to purchase Magic Potions at a ten percent discount, and the Knight or their descendants could use a Magic Flow Room for free for thirty days."

"If that Knight also holds an official title under me, they will enjoy the stipend for that office as well. If they don’t hold a title, they can live as a noble at leisure. Barring special circumstances, they won’t have to fulfill any military obligations to me, and in turn, the number of private soldiers they can command will be restricted."

Duane paused here.

In truth, he hadn’t yet decided on the specific privileges for each rank of Nobility. He planned to discuss it with Natalia and the others before drawing up a formal proposal.

After a long moment, Duane figured Kaelon had absorbed enough and asked, "So, what do you think of this arrangement? Is it acceptable to you?"

Kaelon habitually scratched his head. "I think it’s great. You asking me to govern farming households... I have no experience, and I certainly couldn’t do it as well as Haien or Julian. Just collecting the taxes is so much less trouble. As for what you said after that, I hope I can hold an office under you and continue to serve you!"

Duane realized he might as well have not asked for Kaelon’s opinion.

It wasn’t that Kaelon was stupid or thoughtless. Rather, he was so devoted that the thought of opposing Duane’s decisions to fight for his own interests would never even occur to him.

Duane teased, "Don’t worry. Even if you wanted to become a noble at leisure, I wouldn’t agree to it."

Kaelon actually seemed relieved to hear that.

Since he wasn’t going to get any pushback from Kaelon, Duane said, "Alright, how about this: privately share my idea with Raymond, Simone, and Lune. See what they think, and then report back to me."

Reforming the system of Nobility was a monumental task. If Duane didn’t have such overwhelming power to back him up, he wouldn’t even be attempting it.

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