Mountain and Forest Kingdom

The winter in the land of ice is very long, and the snow has just begun. There are still more than five long months before the end of winter.

The growth cycle of most crops is about half a year. Some southern and western wheat vegetables are difficult to adapt here. The local crops are basically cold zone crops that have been screened and continuously optimized.

Lawrence likes to collect outside crops and improve them, finding out-of-field crops that are better suited to the area than local crops.

The advantage of sea transportation allowed the port of Dumu to quickly surpass the town of Phumexiu.

More people have gathered here, more buildings have been built, and various living facilities are more convenient.

The distance between Dumu Port and Pumixiu Town is not close. It takes about three or four hours to walk, which is similar to the distance from ordinary towns to urban areas.

Oak City is further away from Dumu Port. It is impossible to go back and forth on foot. You must have a mount to go back and forth.

In many eras, this distance was enough to block a lifetime. Most people lived in their own villages all their lives and rarely visited the outside world.

This kind of freedom is more valuable than freedom and equality in status.

Freedom in the civilized world should start from not restricting farmers to fixed land.

The need to rule keeps them rooted in their homeland for the rest of their lives. Whether voluntarily or forced, they cannot leave this land.

In the past, the nobles did everything they could to make money. They did not need peasants or serfs to do it, nor did they need to engage in anything other than military service and farming.

In the early days of the Ice Land, there was a shortage of people, and because most people were engaged in war-related work, most of the basic work needed to be done by outsiders, which gave way to large profits.

Lawrence stood on the balcony and looked at the bustling market and streets in the distance. No matter what the purpose of letting outsiders come over in the first place, or what the motivation for some actions was, now it seemed that these were accidental and inevitable.

After all, I always have some "whimsical" ideas, as well as some persistence and bottom line as a human being.

Even though it has never changed the development trend of barbarians going out and acting as invaders and predators in the process.

But over the years, the self-blame and guilt in my heart have long since disappeared.

If it were to happen again, Lawrence would not wait for the church to start a war, nor would he wait for the Kingdom of Gran and the Kingdom of Io to take the initiative to provoke them. He would fight them when he was ready.

Lawrence was suddenly curious.

"Why do people regret? And when do they regret it?"

Lawrence walked into the room and sat down, leaning on the sofa and thinking about this practical problem.

"No matter how many people die because of me, I actually don't care, especially when I see my prosperous kingdom and my happy and lively wife and children enjoying a superior material life, how could I possibly regret everything I have done?"

"Do those murderous wizards regret that they killed people? They have no such idea at all. If they do regret it, they regret offending some difficult wizard forces."

"Will the elves who hunted humans regret it?"

"When they eat meat and drink wine, they will definitely not regret it, and I am... too kind."

Lawrence frowned and thought. Elves tend to solve things quickly and solve problems in the fastest and most secure way.

At this time there was a knock on the door.

"Master, Kelda comes here to report the news."

"Let him in."

Soon a Durila man came in respectfully.

Kelda was a warrior selected by Lawrence from the water port area. His fishing and shipbuilding skills were not excellent, but he displayed outstanding commanding abilities in the military operation against Pig Trotter City, leading a few warriors to capture two Big wild boar and a dozen captives.

Later, he and two other commanders of agricultural, forestry and mining areas with similar origins went to the Kingdom of Io to fight. In recent years, he was also sent by Lawrence to deal with the rebellion in the Io and Gran regions.

There is no rebellion in the Ice Land because Lawrence has a very close relationship with the countess and is also friends with the current ruler of Pig Trotter City.

In fact, barbarians themselves are a bunch of trash who only know how to fight, especially undisciplined barbarians. It is very normal to oppress others.

The barbarian armies that went out did not perform well. Many members of the Star Legion were slaves and robbers and pirates. These people will not change their minds with a few words. Let them station in the newly occupied areas, which will easily arouse the locals. fierce resistance.

This behavior gave Lawrence an understanding of why the army was always suppressed in ancient times. In addition to replacing that group of people with fresh blood, they also had to send people to solve the mess caused by this group of people.

The regularization of the military is what Lawrence has been doing for a long time. The high-quality talents provided by the military academy are an important part of this plan. Without enough military managers, the atmosphere of the military cannot be changed.

In addition to the generals at the military academy, Lawrence also identified many people over the years.

There is a promotion and recommendation mechanism at the port. Excellent talents will be recommended by managers. Especially since no power has yet been formed, it is easy for ordinary people to get ahead as long as they perform well.

The easiest people to get ahead are those in the army, followed by those who have awakened the ability to become mad.

The ability to become mad is a bloodline awakening. There is a huge difference between the awakening and the before, and it cannot be faked.

The cultural atmosphere of the barbarians and their worship of the strong also determine that as long as this kind of thing is known, it will be spread and reported to the church prophet.

Kelda knelt down on one knee, lowered her head and said respectfully: "Prophet!"

Seravan was not the only slave noble. People like Kelda also came from humble untouchable backgrounds. They were captured by pirates and sold to Lawrence as slaves.

It was Lawrence who gave these people a chance to change their destiny, and also taught them a lot of knowledge and skills, guiding them to become aristocratic figures that they could not even imagine before.

Lawrence and these people need no nonsense and no need for politeness.

"How is Glen's matter handled?"

"The governor has been assisted in resolving the rebellion in the mountains, and peace and order have been maintained in the coastal areas, without affecting the wool and coal mining areas."

"How did the matter resolve?"

"Each of them committed suicide. The leader of the rebellion and some others were killed on the spot." Kelda lowered his head and said.

"I investigated and found out that the cause was that some soldiers went from the military camp to the village to seize the women who were working after drinking. After suppressing the rebellion, I handed over the troublesome soldiers and asked the woman to kill all the soldiers, and then gave her to Their village lost as many cattle as men and some grain."

Lawrence nodded, "Tell them what to do in the future. If they encounter problems, they can go to the church. If the church pastor doesn't care, they can come to me directly."

"Those soldiers who made trouble told their families and others how they died. Such people will not receive any compensation. Their deaths are not only meaningless, but they also died because they did not obey my orders. I will not Will use their families again.”

"The teams of those soldiers were disbanded on the spot and went home to farm with their severance pay."

No matter what era, even sitting still exists, a person's future is easily affected by family members and colleagues.

"Yes, Prophet!" Kelda knew that the Prophet was quite satisfied with her handling, but she did not do her best and did not have the courage of the Prophet.

Lawrence said: "I have something for you to do, and I have arranged for you ten elite warriors who can fight. You don't need to doubt their strength and loyalty, and they will not doubt your orders and command."

"This mission is a test for you to be promoted from baronet to baron, and it is also a test for whether those ten warriors can stand alone."

"What I ask of you is stability, and what I ask of the ten of them is unity. They will quickly establish relationships with the locals and organize local forces to help you. You are responsible for responding to emergencies and coordinating the direction of the entire plan without causing problems. , to supplement what they don’t see.”

"I hope you can be understanding of each other while still being nervous because you may be spending some time together."

Kelda's heart skipped a beat and she quickly said, "Yes! Prophet!"

Lawrence quickly gave the order in the simplest words, and asked Kelda to take ten soldiers to quietly go to a small border village to live and farm, hiding among a group of businessmen and farmers.

At present, most of the areas in Glan Province have been stable for several years, and only some of the uninvolved mountainous areas still maintain their appearance many years ago.

Io Province is a vast area, with most of the plains. Due to tax exemptions, most people live and work in peace and contentment, but there are also some people who cause trouble all day long because they compete with nearby villagers for water resources, land and housing.

Generally speaking, the closer you are to the land of stars, the more complete the legal system and civilization will be, and the easier it will be to protect the lives and dignity of ordinary people.

After finishing his business with the elves, Lawrence quickly went to the church and monastery. He had to listen to reports from his subordinates every month and listened to all kinds of complaints and flattery from those people.

Relying on his enlightened political thinking and benevolent demeanor, Lawrence maintained friendly relations with princes and nobles from various countries.

Many of these people are church believers. When they encounter trouble or good things, they will come to worship and donate some money.

There are also many female believers. Some female believers have not yet entered the monastery. At this time, they usually go to the monastery with their mothers, sisters-in-law and other female relatives to do volunteer work, and they will also come to the church to pray with their families.

The location of the church is generally in the city center, and the outside cities usually expand around the church.

The core area of ​​Pumixiu Town is also the circle of the Prophet's Colossus.

Dumu Port is no exception, so whether it is shopping or praying, young female nobles often visit the church.

Lawrence soon met a wealthy noblewoman who donated a lot of money every year and brought some crops and gifts that Lawrence liked.

"Anita, it's nice to meet you. You came a little early this year."

Lawrence's room is not a dark room, it is a normal reception room with two simple sofas for sitting and resting. There are also cabinets for wine and books. Of course, there is also a mural of Lawrence.

The woman who came in was a slightly plump lady, a little chubby due to her age, and she looked very kind and friendly.

This is one of the nobles who have traveled over the years, belonging to the nobles from Pig Trotter City and the Southern Kingdom.

The ruler of Pig's Trotter City did not have such strong prestige to make the nobles of Pig's Trotter City submit. Compared to the Duke of Pig's Trotter City, the barbarians and southern nobles in that area were more willing to maintain friendship with Lawrence.

Especially in terms of donations, these people, like the superior people in the other world, are more willing to donate money to the overlord in exchange for meeting opportunities, rather than the motherland.

The widow of Luofen III, as well as the descendants of dragon slayers and berserker warriors, are all leaning towards Lawrence. The Duke of Pig Trotter City does not have a strong bloodline, nor is he widely known, nor does he have a group of powerful subordinates. .

Normal people's logic would choose to take refuge in Lawrence, who has great strength and is favored by the God of Stars.

Duke Pig Trotter is still just an ordinary barbarian. In the eyes of barbarians, whether the king has strength or not is very important.

Although a prophet who relies on his brain is respected, as a king, it is better to have some hard power.

The kings of the three kingdoms to the west personally went to the battlefield to fight against the Church of Dawn in order to prove their strength, which would help them rule their nobles.

After all, whether they are barbarians or knights and soldiers, the soldiers under our hands are sharp blades.

The sharper the blade, the more it should be in the hands of a strong man, otherwise it will hurt yourself.

Without strong prestige and courage, it is impossible to discipline the group of veterans who have been on the battlefield.

Without strong strength and organization, it will easily lead to resistance by the lower-level soldiers. In any era, soldiers are treated with both kindness and power. The more civilized the army, the stricter the military law.

Duke Pigtrotters did not have the courage to discipline his knights. If these knights wanted to live a good life, they would naturally find other nobles, businessmen and wealthy people to attack, which indirectly led to more and more people having to find a backer to gain a foothold in their hometown.

Even if you are doing a formal business or a small business, you will still be bullied without a strong backer.

The world of savages is darker and wilder than the civilized world. There is no reason for this period. If Lawrence hadn't appeared, many people would have felt that it was like this, and that the world was like this, and they wouldn't even use the word "dark" to describe it.

Only those who have seen the light know what darkness is. People in the barbaric and feudal eras have no idea that they are barbaric and feudal.

The barbarians were barbaric because of the church and the Western Kingdom.

Earlier, there was no such thing as barbarians.

Anita was followed by her two young daughters. After she brought her daughter in and heard Lawrence's voice, she came over excitedly and saluted.

"Great prophet, you are still so young and handsome!"

Lawrence sat on the sofa and smiled: "Sit down and chat. It's our church's internal time now. Let's chat casually."

"Yes, Prophet." Anita quickly called her two daughters over to bend down and salute, "Prophet, these are my daughters Geli and El."

Lawrence smiled and said: "Hello everyone, it looks like we are about the same age. Let's sit down and talk."

"Yes, Prophet." Two young women in their twenties quickly spoke according to the rules here.

Lawrence looked at the female aristocrat wearing a low-cut skirt. The fat woman and her two daughters were wearing a lot of perfume and were also very beautifully dressed.

Anita took the initiative and said: "Prophet, I am here this time hoping that you can bless them. They used to be believers in the Holy Church, and now they hope to believe in the benevolent God of the Stars like me."

"I brought gifts and a donation of one hundred thousand silver coins."

In this era, there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor. Some people could only earn a few dozen copper coins a month, while others could earn hundreds of thousands of silver coins a year.

Usually these people are very clearly distinguished, and ordinary people cannot see or understand how much money these big shots make.

The stevedores at the dock would not know the specific income of the great nobleman behind the ship owner.

These great nobles would invest in shipyards and commerce. Lawrence supported this behavior of promoting navigation. To a certain extent, these great nobles would also promote the development of craftsmanship.

Lawrence was not short of money, and he did not want to be thought that money could influence monarchy and divine power.

"Anita, you should understand that money is just paper and stone with numbers printed on it." Lawrence said patiently: "For me and the church, we believe that believers can use wheat to express their feelings, then wheat is money, and we If you think your efforts can be replaced by numbers and currency, then this is money.”

"But what you have in your hand is not a certificate to imprison and command us, and God and I are not speaking for the rich."

"You shouldn't blindly believe in those things. Could it be that you came to me and talked to me because of the power of money instead of God's will?"

The money-oriented worldview is very unsuitable for the current environment.

Land and means of production are capital. Lawrence hopes that everyone will pay more attention to these and go out to develop land, research and invest in technology, instead of blindly saving money to bribe themselves.

Anita said nervously: "Yes, Prophet, I don't know how to make you happy..."

Lawrence smiled and said: "Then let's dance, or sing. I like to see you happy. If you have troubles, you can tell them. I would like to know what kind of troubles most people face."

"Yes, Prophet!" Anita put a hand on her chest and said relaxedly: "I am actually a little worried about my children. Elle, Geli and their father were all believers of the Holy Church."

Lawrence didn't mind that.

Killing after joining and killing before joining are two different things. Killing as a pirate before becoming a soldier and killing after becoming a soldier are two different attitudes.

If you do anything without permission after joining, you will be severely punished.

What happened before joining, because the people who could fight in the barbarian area were pirates and groups without legal awareness, Lawrence would not care about the past, and just regarded it as a prostitute and a good man.

"It doesn't matter. These are all things in the past. We don't care about the past here."

"When you come here, you are a clean slate and have a chance to start a new life."

"Thank you, merciful prophet, your words are as warm as light." Anita thanked her quickly.

It was Lawrence's open-minded attitude that gathered more subordinates and allies. (End of chapter)