Free Web NovelChapter 1094: Chapter 475: Spring (2)
PS: You all still want to see the protagonist’s storyline, right? I understand this, but switching perspectives helps tell and enhance the whole story.
Old World, Spring, Brittania, Count Glamorgan’s Domain, Winery.
Laine sat behind the desk working, dressed in standard attire of a Great Noble Count, reviewing and revising the last batch of spring plowing documents.
Spring plowing is always the busiest time in the domain, and the Count himself must oversee many things and make proper preparations, or the entire year’s harvest could be affected.
The order to recruit the Free People has been sent out, yielding unimaginable results. Upon hearing about the Count’s recruitment of the Musket Team, the Free People rushed to register.
Laine wasn’t very surprised by this; the Peasant Class’s desire for promotion even exceeds that of the Knight Class, especially when a Knight Promotion Order is involved.
Though musketeers might seem like ordinary soldier formations, musket soldiers actually enjoy quite a good status in the empire. Many musket soldiers receive training at Nuer Gunpowder Academy; after graduating and returning home, they’re often warmly received by local nobles and hired as professional soldiers.
Every Free People family sent their children to the Count’s military camp, recommending them to Laine.
Finally, Laine recruited roughly 180 new musket team members. These recruits will be gathered and trained by Dwarf Engineer Dugen the Ironman until deemed qualified.
Thinking of the costs for various ammunition needed for training, Laine felt a bit heartbroken. Musket bullets aren’t like crossbow arrows or arrows; once shot, they’re gone. Unlike Nuer Gunpowder Academy, where students pay for their training ammunition, Laine’s domain’s Free People couldn’t possibly afford this expense, meaning the money comes out of his own pocket.
This is a necessary expense, and the Count has to accept it grudgingly.
"Knock knock~" The door was knocked: "Master?"
"Come in." Laine lifted his head from the pile of documents, as his Dark Elf Maid entered carrying a tray of tea and pastries.
Only three people dare enter Laine’s room directly without knocking: the Lake Fairy, his wife Surya, and Lake God Witch Mogiana.
Today’s Ollica was rarely seen not in a maid outfit. The Dark Elf wore a ivory-pearl floral frilled dress with tight fabric at the chest and black heels embedded with gemstones, along with black stockings. Besides the headscarf, it was hard to associate her with being a maid.
Since Amelia left, Surya’s maid Sylvia smoothly took over as Laine’s Head Maid. Unlike Amelia, Sylvia is more strict and less empathetic in managing the maid group, and likes to voice her opinions on Laine’s routine life. Though Laine understands Sylvia’s stance, he’s somewhat displeased.
Naturally, the soft, charming Dark Elf won more space. She now serves not only as Laine’s personal maid but also as Count’s secretary, assisting in handling paperwork.
"Put it over there." Laine sighed lightly, signaling for Ollica to come over.
"Master~ Is there anything you need?" The Dark Elf sat beside Laine, leaning on his shoulder, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall, her amber eyes full of affection: "Would you like some help with anything?"
"Are there any voices of opposition within the domain lately regarding establishing the Musket Team?" Laine put down the quill, pulling the Dark Elf onto his lap, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.
"There are some voices of opposition." The Dark Elf whispered: "But Master, you can rest assured, no one dares to directly oppose you, and that’s enough. Actually, I hope someone would step forth to oppose you, so you can deal with the dissenters..."
"Kill them?" Laine slanted his eyes, having understood the Dark Elves’ mindset after prolonged interaction. This group, who worships the god of blood and murder, Kaine, views internal affairs simply: either submission or various assassinations, conspiracies, and bloody duels.
"Who’s brave enough to duel with you when you’re so strong, Master?" Ollica said, somewhat dismissively: "If there’s no courage to oppose, just ignore minor opinions."
"Duels can’t solve all problems." Laine retorted: "This is humanity, not Dark Elves... Take for example, High Elves rarely solve court internal affairs through duels, right?"
"That’s because those stupid, cowardly people have lost the enthusiasm and martial spirit elves should have." Ollica’s face was filled with contempt when talking about High Elves: "Arrogance and prejudice dominate the entire High Elf court, where there’s always a political vortex and conspiracy. While Duruzi fights Chaos Demons on the frontline, soft, whiny cousins like Asur and Eslelin won’t ever earn our sympathy. The true Elven lineage lies with Duruzi in Naglos! The last remnants of High Elf heritage were severed in the Battle of Long-beard."
Elven lineage with Dark Elves? No High Elves after Long-beard? The Count felt this sounded familiar.
Holding the Dark Elf cushion just for himself, Laine chuckled: "I’m not interested in who is the rightful Elven lineage, whoever wants it can have it. But I’ve signed an alliance with Tygris, my dear Ollica, I’m now allies with High Elves, so be sure not to cause trouble."
"Hmph~ If only you hadn’t stopped me, Master, I would’ve killed him." The Dark Elf discontentedly snorted.
"You’re able to handle Tygris? I don’t believe it." Laine kissed Ollica’s tender and smooth cheek.
"Don’t underestimate me, Master." The Dark Elf seemed unwilling to argue this point with Laine, so she switched topics: "So, Master, what do you plan to do about the musket team?"
"I won’t abandon the construction of the musket team just because there are voices of opposition." On this point, Laine expressed that he would not compromise in the slightest, the Count said in a low voice: "My reforms have reached this stage, and under no circumstances should I give up."
The establishment of the musket team was likely Laine’s first challenge to the existing order of the Knight Kingdom. Overall, the Knight Class didn’t like seeing peasants systematically equipped with muskets, and even though Laine selected from the Free People, it still couldn’t avoid opposition.
So when discussing this matter, Jialan Witch Veronica suggested that Laine could send these people to the Empire or Tiriel, and then use the method of "exporting and then re-importing" to hire them back as mercenaries, thereby bypassing some people’s opinions and criticism, just like hiring Ugoer Bow Cavalry, under the guise of the Ugoer Circus.
Baron Devon Hex proposed another idea, that is, the musket team should not be directly named "Glamorgan Musket Team," but instead called "Glamorgan Marine Corps."
Hex’s opinion was not without merit. This knight from Le Anglong Duchy explicitly told Laine that Richard’s Le Anglong Duchy also had a musket battalion. As the Knight King, Richard certainly knew the musket battalion would encounter opposition from conservative nobles, so he did so under the pretense of forming a navy. Brittania’s navy was equipped with artillery and muskets. As for why the navy was fighting on land, this Master Knight didn’t know either—apparently, the navy was very loyal to the country, and in order to protect the country, they would abandon their ships to fight on land, which is a good thing and should be rewarded!
Ultimately, Laine rejected both of these suggestions.
Playing small tricks and schemes is no longer what he wants to do now. If it were before, when he was too weak in Brittania, lacked a background, territory, army, and financial power, using some small tricks and loopholes to get things done was an act of helplessness. But doing such things at this point would seem pointless.
Since coming to the Knight Kingdom, he has almost single-handedly forced a breakthrough in the insurmountable chasm between peasants and knights. Continuing with such actions now would make him look very lowly.
Conquering Black Stone Stronghold and defeating Undead Grand Mage Heinrich Kemler may seem to have not yielded much on the surface, at most some monetary gain. Laine’s territory didn’t expand, and his title didn’t rise, so it might appear that he was at a loss.
But actually, defeating Kemler’s greatest significance lies in the tremendous fame and exponentially increased rallying power.
Now all the knights in the country know that it was the alliance army of Laine and Francois that defeated Kemler and his Ancient Tomb Legion. They are the kingdom’s heroes, making great contributions to defending the kingdom. Without their sacrifices and struggles, the Ancient Tomb Legion, which plagued the Gray Mountain Range for decades, would not have been annihilated.
So on this matter, all the kingdom’s knights must be grateful to Laine. If Laine were to stand up now and announce the organization of a Knightly Army to crusade against Musillon, he might gather a ten-thousand-strong Knightly Army within two months.
This is the time to seize the opportunity, advance the reforms, push forward with the plans. If he doesn’t officially announce the organization of Brittania’s first formal musket team now, when will he?
Really encase himself, bound by an obsolete rule formed over a thousand years?
If he doesn’t act just because of opposition, then as a human hero, Holy Sanctuary Powerhouse, and Divine Chosen Champion of the Lake Fairy, he might as well hang himself with a rope.
Thinking far ahead, Laine held his personal maid, taking advantage of the dark elf’s pair of beautiful black silk legs, and then asked: "Ollica, have you thought about anywhere you’d like to visit recently? The spring plowing is almost over, and I won’t have much work to do. We can go out for a tour; after all, there won’t be any wars in the next one or two years."
"Master, could you give me some time to think?" The Dark Elf leaned on Laine, expressing she needed some time to think. Laine gestured for her to take her time, as he also wanted to hold her for a while longer.
Just then, the office door was knocked.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Count, are you in?"
"Come in, what’s the matter?" Laine had to release the Dark Elf, recognizing the voice of Kasenberg, he signaled the steward to enter.
"Duke Boldro Bodrick is outside the winery!" Kasenberg, wearing a pair of round-frame sunglasses, walked in with a sense of urgency: "Duke Boldro has urgent business with you."
"Do you know what’s happened?" Laine furrowed his brow.
"The Sea God Trident has been stolen by a group of Rogue Knights!" Duke Boldro Bodrick appeared straight at Laine’s office door, his face very serious: "Laine, I need your help!"
"An expedition to Estalia!"
