Linea leaned on the table and looked at Victor. Her mind was working at full speed, but she still couldn't grasp what she'd heard.
"What does he mean by wanting to be friends with us? Since when do nobles want friendship? What could he possibly know about it?" The girl refused to believe in friendship between nobles because she didn't consider herself one of them.
She had become a knight and worked hard for her goal so as not to end up married off to some aristocrat. She hated everything associated with nobility even though she was part of that class.
Having read many stories in childhood about knights who bravely fought battles, traveled the world, and found true friends along their journeys, she wanted to follow this path too.
However, she couldn't abandon her family during difficult times and hoped she would finally leave home once they were out of trouble. But she never believed a nobleman capable of genuine friendship.
In her opinion, all of them pursued selfish goals, none of which were good.
"Might he try to entangle us in debt and force my father to marry me off to him?" Just thinking about it made her clench her pearl-like teeth so tightly that her jaws began to ache.
— Victor, tell us your terms, — asked the old man, looking intently at the young man before him.
For him, these words sounded incredible, and he wanted to understand where the catch might lie. Though he wasn't an excellent negotiator, neither was he foolish.
— It's simple: you determine how much you can sell. If it's within what I can provide, you'll receive payment and then sell accordingly. — Victor reclined back into his chair, gazing at those seated across from him. — We'll agree on prices beforehand. Where, how, or at what price you choose to sell is entirely up to you.
— What time frame will we have to settle our accounts? — Clint asked hopefully.
At that moment, Linea, already seated again, perked up her ears. In her view, there must be a trap here somewhere.
— I'll give you three months, — said Victor, finding these two people intriguing. And the deadline he offered was at least three times longer than necessary.
All sat silently, the lord waiting while the guests searched for hidden traps they might have missed.
— Very well, we accept, and you may also count on the friendship of our family, — Clint eventually replied, smiling so broadly that Victor thought he saw his wisdom teeth.
After further conversation, they concluded an agreement, and after signing it, the lord invited them to lunch again, but they politely declined, citing the need to return to their territory as soon as possible.
Following this, both visitors stood and decided to take their leave. As a farewell gift, Victor gave them two bottles of wine and escorted them to the exit.
***
"Father, he's definitely plotting something!" The girl rode alongside her father in the carriage, eager to talk things over immediately.
Usually, she preferred accompanying her father on horseback, feeling like a knight-protector.
"I think so too, but I don't see any trickery in what he said," the elderly man mused, recalling the entire conversation with the baron and failing to find anything suspicious: "Perhaps there's something wrong with the goods? We should stay vigilant."
This was the only explanation they could come up with, and upon discovering such justification, they finally felt relieved.
"If he wants to deceive us through the merchandise, I'll challenge him publicly to a duel and kill him!" Linea gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist, contemplating this idea.
***
Challenging someone to a public duel typically meant the opponent couldn't refuse without losing face, and such confrontations ended only with the death of one combatant.
Loss of reputation wasn't trivial either, since its consequences extended beyond the individual involved to affect relatives depending on one's position in the family. If it happened to the head of the clan, the whole family suffered. If it affected an heir, they automatically lost inheritance rights and could be expelled from the family.
Reputation among nobility influenced everything, from marriages to trade agreements between territories.
***
Victor returned to the drawing room, settled into his armchair, and reflected on the entire conversation. To him, these people seemed very amusing, and he could almost picture their family raising such a spirited daughter, imagining how much grief she caused her parents.
— Sir, the carpenters brought what you requested," announced the butler entering the room and placing a small package on the table before him.
Victor ordered them to be summoned to the drawing room to thank them personally.
— It's impossible! — Jinn categorically declared, staring at his master.
Stunned by this refusal and observing the old man's expression, the baron realized that the man standing before him would die rather than allow serfs into the laird's drawing room.
— Alright, reward each ten copper coins, — commanded Victor.
And judging by Jinn's satisfied face, he appeared ready to give them ten gold pieces just to avoid letting anyone enter the castle.
Watching the departing butler's back, Victor shook his head sideways with a smile.
"That's what dedication to duty looks like?" he thought as he unwrapped the package and discovered a board surprisingly well-crafted, and inside a small bag found figures.
Unlike Earthly chess, here he had to improvise and modify certain pieces. Thus, the queen became a dragon, the rook was renamed ram, and the bishop transformed into a knight. This change facilitated understanding since this world lacked elephants and rooks altogether.
The figurines themselves were poorly crafted, making it possible to identify each piece only by general outlines, yet it sufficed for playing purposes. Having called Lulu, he decided to play with her.
The following week passed in planning the estate, training sessions, and teaching Lulu chess.
He also resolved that something needed to be done regarding village names.
As more people arrived, more events occurred, and naming the central village simply 'central' no longer cut it. He named it Ironwood, believing it to be beautiful.
Translated as "Iron Tree," he chose it due to the smithy located there, which he intended to turn into a brand producing weapons.
Generally, he had extensive plans for the smithy, envisioning that future inquiries about weapon production would proudly mention Ironwood-made arms.
Additionally, he prepared a soldier-training plan, deciding to focus on it right after breakfast.
When the lord exited the castle, recruits gathered in the courtyard, having gained weight significantly thanks to the castle kitchen operating non-stop throughout the week.
Upon seeing Victor, everyone fell silent, watching him closely, knowing their fate depended on him. After living like this for a week, nobody desired to leave.
— Alganis, all recruits are to run to Ironwood and back, — ordered Victor, explaining his plan: —the first fifty-two who can't keep up will be dismissed.
With these words, he turned and walked toward the nurses continuing to practice surgery techniques on pigs, now cutting incisions themselves and sewing wounds closed.
They received new uniforms consisting of standard maid dresses minus frills and unnecessary decorations, leather shoes, belts holding small leather bags filled with sewing materials.
Their most distinctive feature was a white cap adorned with a red cross and matching armbands. Additionally, backpacks contained bandage fabrics, vodka produced in Victor's workshop, and ointments purchased by Vorkat.
Surprisingly expensive, these ointments were prepared by alchemists and possessed remarkable healing properties.
The lord had already taught the girls rules for disinfecting materials and treating human wounds, strictly prohibiting use of unboiled water for drinking or cleaning wounds.
Standing before him, the women looked completely different, as if they weren't recognizable anymore.
Soap was being used in the castle for the first time, and every nurse received it, giving them a brighter appearance.
Examining the girls, Victor called Nalita, the most active among them, informing her that henceforth they, like soldiers, would run daily from the castle to Ironwood. Unlike soldiers, however, no dismissals awaited them.
Furthermore, he devised a training program aimed at increasing their endurance and strength. Until magic skills developed, they focused on physical conditioning and long-distance running.
Nalita listened attentively to the lord, agreeing with everything despite not fully comprehending why they needed to run.
They'd already been paid their first salary in advance, and although they had nowhere to spend it, they were happy nonetheless.
Most of them were either orphans or widows, meaning few sent money to families, leaving others free to admire their coins daylong.
Finishing business here, Victor ordered his horse saddled and accompanied by Algonis set off for Ironwood.
Entering the village, they noticed changes instantly, as more people crowded streets engaged in various important tasks.
Victor was pleased that they didn't kneel upon sighting him but merely bowed respectfully.
Riding through the entire village and exiting via Eastern Street, he reached a newly constructed district, actually his latest project—a market destined to form the foundation of his domain.
Caravans were arriving regularly onto his lands, but after trading, they left promptly, something Victor disliked intensely. So he opted for another approach.
Once the market construction finished, he'd buy goods from merchants supposed to deliver elsewhere and resale them locally. Encouraging traders to realize they could purchase or sell anything here without traveling across the kingdom.
Understanding their mindset, he was confident they'd quickly embrace his ideas and seek participation.
Realizing what to do, naturally, merchants would decide to establish themselves here, thus preparing a new decree.
This decree itself was revolutionary in this world, granting private property rights within the lord's jurisdiction.
Merchants buying homes would own them outright, becoming recognized citizens protected by the lord. The decree clearly stated that the lord couldn't seize their property nor revoke citizenship provided they abided by his laws.
This document would be certified by the Church of Goddess Simila Darkness and could not be annulled under any circumstances. All disputes between the lord and land buyers would be arbitrated by a representative of the church.
What mattered most was not church certification but publicizing this step, given that the lord himself would suffer immensely if he broke his word.
It's crucial to recognize that merchants, unlike common subjects bound to specific lords, remain independent individuals, protected solely by general kingdom laws. However, choosing subordination to a particular lord while retaining freedom grants additional protection throughout the realm.
For instance, in other estates, if a lord faced financial difficulties or required funds for warfare, they might simply confiscate whatever belongings merchants held and expel them from the area. It wouldn't matter whether merchants consistently paid tribute or gifted valuable presents, as noblemen regarded such actions as obligations rather than acts of kindness.
Houses were also built on the territory, and the key attraction of these houses lay in the attached land, approximately six acres. Herein lies the temptation for merchants. Across all domains, purchasing even a tiny plot of land was impossible. Land represented the sacred Grail for nobles.
Victor rode along, pondering all this in his mind, but implementation remained distant, and war loomed ahead. Rumors circulating among visiting merchants suggested talks in the capital indicated spring next year would bring conflict.
That meant he had half a year remaining, far too little for proper preparation of troops.
— Alganis, what's happening with that camp situated on our territory? — he asked the knight, remembering he had unwanted inhabitants.
— My lord, I've inspected it myself—it contains one silver knight, twelve iron knights, and roughly forty soldiers.
— Good, we'll attack them in a month and retrieve what belongs to us, — Victor answered decisively.
Just hearing these words stirred blood within the knight. For weeks, he'd felt useless, unable to assist his master, but now came his chance to prove himself.
"He who stands in my lord's way deserves death, even if he were the emperor himself."