Imperial Crown

Ding——

The church bells rang over Eagle Town, heralding a new day.

Lux put down the bell hammer, gathered the golden hair that escaped from behind her ear, picked up the wooden bucket and mop in the corner, and began to clean the church bit by bit.

As the only priest in the Eagle Town Church, she was responsible for almost everything.

In addition to collecting tithes, she had to ring the bell and clean the church every morning, lead the townspeople in prayer on weekends and at the end of the month, and organize two grand sacrifices to the gods in August and March every year.

As a second-level divine magician, Lux mastered the divine art of quick cleaning, but she did not want to abuse it, and preferred to express her piety with actions.

Divine art is a gift from the Lord of Light.

After cleaning up half of the church, Lux stood on the second floor, straightened up, breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on her face.

Raven had only been training for more than ten days and had not issued any decrees to Eagle Town, but in these ten days, Eagle Town had undergone visible changes.

The streets and buildings are still dilapidated, but the puddles on the streets have disappeared. The originally bumpy roads have been filled with gravel and ash again, and there are fewer annoying mosquitoes.

Smiles began to appear on the faces of the people in the territory. Children chased and played in the streets, and neighbors would greet each other when they met.

Everything originated from the 50 kilograms of coarse wheat flour per person per month that Raven distributed to the private soldiers.

Behind the 34 private soldiers are 34 families, and nearly 150 people have benefited from this. Their lives are getting better immediately.

And the families without private soldiers are not discouraged. The baron has begun to make some progress and has indeed given benefits.

Lord Raven will not always only want 34 soldiers. They also have opportunities.

When they have a goal in life, they will pay attention to the environment in which they live.

"It seems that he is indeed a kind person." Lux thought of Raven and smiled.

Helping Raven conceal the truth about Donald's death once made Lux quite entangled.

What if Raven lied to her?

But with the changes in Eagle Town over the past ten days, especially after going to Eagle Castle to treat Simon the night before, Lux no longer struggled.

Because she saw the changes in those private soldiers, their bodies were no longer hunched, and their eyes were no longer confused.

And through Simon's narration, she also learned about Raven's care for them-they could eat three meals a day, and there would be meat to eat at night.

If it weren't for true kindness, which lord would give meat to the people?

Dinglingling--

The ringing sound of the door being pushed open interrupted Lux's thoughts. She put down the barrel and walked downstairs quickly.

Today is not a prayer day, who would come at this time?

In front of the statue of the Lord of Light, a young man with black hair was closing his eyes and muttering something in his mouth, and his right and left hands outlined the sacred emblems representing the sun and the moon on his left and right chests respectively.

Lux's eyes lit up. Even in the capital, it is rare to see such a standard prayer ritual.

The black-haired young man turned around and smiled at her: "Priest Lacus, hello."

Lacus was surprised and said: "Baron Raven, why are you here?"

"Of course I came to thank you." Raven picked up a basket from the ground: "I wonder if I have the honor to have breakfast with you?"

"It's my honor." Lacus nodded: "Please follow me."

Due to etiquette, Raven certainly couldn't get too close, but because Lacus had just exercised, she was sweating a little. In this sultry summer day, her clothes were tightly attached to her body, with a hint of water, showing her curvy figure completely.

As her steps swayed, her plump body was also fluctuating, as if it was made of water, and the priest robe that occasionally turned up a little wrinkled attracted Raven's attention all the time.

Especially the sun and moon on her chest, even behind her, you can vaguely see a trace of outline.

The staircase was narrow, and the smell of Lacus's sweat penetrated Raven's nostrils. There was a hint of heat in the dampness, and there was also a charming body fragrance unique to girls, like milk, which made people almost want to hold her in their arms.

Raven could almost imagine what she looked like under the priest's robe. He swallowed his saliva and barely suppressed the beast in his heart.

Finally arrived at the restaurant, Raven sat down at the table without any etiquette, which concealed the embarrassment of the change in appearance.

"Sorry, Priest Lacus, I'm a little hungry."

Lacus nodded to show understanding and sat opposite Raven.

Putting the basket on the table and opening it, Raven brought up the food inside.

A basket of sliced ​​bread with garlic butter, two bowls of hot oatmeal, two eggs fried to perfection, roasted beef shoulder with crispy skin, and a glass bottle filled with purple-red liquid.

The moment she saw the red wine, Lux's eyes lit up: "Baron Raven, this is... red wine?"

"Of course." Raven asked with a smile: "Are clergy not allowed to drink alcohol during non-fasting periods?"

"No, of course not." Lux's face showed a hint of shyness: "I am a loyal supporter of wine, but my teacher rarely allows me to drink."

Raven smiled: "Then I believe that this bottle of wine today will satisfy you."

As he said, he poured a glass of wine for Lux and pushed the silver cup in front of her.

The latter took the wine glass and took a sip. His eyes immediately narrowed into cute arcs, and then he was like a little rabbit eating carrots, taking one bite after another without stopping.

Looking at her appearance, Raven finally understood why Lux's teacher didn't allow her to drink.

Perhaps because she was too sensitive to alcohol, a blush rose on her face, as red as rouge, which made her skin as white as porcelain even more attractive.

There was a trace of confusion in her eyes, beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose, her breathing became heavy, and her bright red tongue licked her pink lips.

Raven has been on the battlefield for a long time, and he can see that Lux is not deliberately tempting him, and because of this, her behavior is even more difficult for Raven to control.

"Sorry, I lost my composure." Lux sat up straight, the sun and moon on her chest trembling slightly as it fell on the table.

She pushed the hair on her shoulders back and showed a shy expression: "This wine is really... so delicious. Could it be the [Frost Pearl], which is famous for its denseness and gentleness?"

Frost Pearl is a well-known high-end red wine, with a bottle selling for as much as three gold coins.

"No, I'm just a little baron and I can't afford that kind of luxury." Raven tried his best to keep his eyes on Lux's face instead of looking down: "This is my own newly developed wine. "

"Sorry, I don't understand very well." Lux tilted her head and asked with big watery eyes: "Can you explain it in detail?"

This is what Raven was waiting for: "It's a long story. I'm not afraid of making you laugh. In fact, I have a unique hobby, which is cooking."

"Just during a cooking session a few days ago..."

This time Raven didn't add any extra details, and he didn't even change the process. He just hid some of the details, and covered up the purpose and results to a certain extent.

According to his story, he did not intentionally carry out the saponification reaction, but accidentally discovered glycerin while cooking, and mistakenly mistakenly saw it falling into the wine jar. Finally, he took a sip out of frugality, and unexpectedly it turned out that Got a new kind of wine.

It is not difficult to compile this kind of thing. After all, almost every snack and special delicacy in the past life has a similar origin.

"The Lord of Light will always send blessings to devout believers." Lux said: "Your determination to improve the life of the Eagle Territory must have moved Him, so He guided you to discover this method."

Lord of light? His name is also Eugène Chevreul?

Raven complained in his heart, but of course he would not refute Lux: "Yes, all of this is the best arrangement of the Lord of Light."

As he spoke, he suddenly sighed again: "It's just a pity...such a good wine will probably be trapped in Eagle Castle forever."

"How could this happen?" Lux's curiosity was aroused: "Is the cost high?"

Raven shook his head and said, "No, to be honest, the cost of this wine is mainly on the bottle."

Lux asked: "What's the reason?"

"...Sigh." Raven sighed again, suddenly smiled, and filled another glass of wine for Lux: "Look at my memory, I came today to thank you, why did I say such disappointing words? , let’s have a drink.”

This actually aroused Lux's curiosity even more. She stared into Raven's eyes and said, "Baron Raven, we swore to work together to make the lives of the people of Eagle Town better."

"I have seen your efforts and you are trying your best to do your job. But you should also know that the output of the farmland alone cannot really improve their lives."

"If it is true, as you said, that the cost of this wine is not high, then it will definitely generate a lot of profits. Wouldn't it just be possible to use it to improve the lives of the people in the territory?"

Raven was shocked by what Lux said. He was still thinking about how to persuade Lux, but he didn't expect that she could have such far-reaching vision and such pure and clean wishes.

Thinking that Raven was still hesitant, Lux's white and tender hand covered the back of Raven's hand: "Baron Raven, you are the lord of the Eagle Territory, and I am the priest of this territory. Our goals are the same. I I believe you have a kind and brave heart.”

"No matter what difficulties we face, as long as we work together, we will definitely be able to overcome them!"

Lux's hand was not big, and could cover most of the back of Raven's hand. The touch was soft and boneless, and the palm was slightly moist with sweat, which made Raven's heartbeat suddenly speed up.

At this moment, he could hardly help but hold Lux's palm with his backhand, but he still endured it.

He didn't want to ruin his image in Lux's heart, and he couldn't bear to live up to her kindness.

"Priest Lux, thank you for your trust!" Raven looked sincerely moved: "In this case, I will express my concerns."

He thought for a moment, and then told the whole story he had already prepared: "Eagle Territory is really too remote! To the west is the Bloody Highlands, to the south is the territory of Viscount John, and to the north is the Wharton family. Although Goldsmith Town is prosperous, , but after all, the market is too small.”

"The only way to make enough profits is to sell to Men'en City, but that's a full three hundred and thirty-seven kilometers away. You also know that in today's world, it's not just the quality of the product that can open up the market. ”

“If you want to sell wine, you must first let people recognize its quality and build a reputation.”

Lux nodded slowly after hearing this: "I also understand what you said, just like the saying goes: 'Gold buried deep cannot shine'. This is indeed a big problem."

"Now that you have thought of this problem, do you know if there is a corresponding solution?"

Of course Raven had already thought of it, otherwise he wouldn't have come so early today, but he couldn't show it yet and could only shake his head in response.

Lux retracted her arm and gently pinched her delicate chin with her slender white fingers. After a while, her eyes suddenly lit up: "I can promote this wine in the name of the church."

"You also said before that you discovered the method of improving wine accidentally. There is no doubt that this is a gift from the great Lord of Light."

"I can designate this wine as the special wine for Holy Communion in Eagle Town Church, and I can also send some to my teacher. It will definitely be helpful!"

Raven was even more surprised. He found that although Lux seemed naive due to lack of experience, she was not stupid. On the contrary, her understanding and understanding were far above the average level.

Truly a rare partner.

Found a treasure!

And with these words, he could finally express his opinions: "Priest Lux, your words have given me a lot of inspiration."

"In that case, can this wine be used at Uncle Donald's funeral in three weeks, which is also my enthronement ceremony?"

"There will be many nobles present. After the ceremony is over, you can announce that it will be designated as the red wine for the Holy Communion. I think it will have a very good effect!"

If Raven directly raised this idea, no matter how good Lux's opinion of him was, she would probably see his intentions and think that he was taking advantage of her.

But now Lux made the suggestion first, and Raven only supplemented it, so the nature was completely different.

"Baron Raven, you are really a born lord." Lux said with a smile: "This method is much better than mine, and it should be effective faster and open up sales."

Raven said modestly: "No, thank you for helping me open my mind. When the sales of this wine open up, I will definitely allocate funds to help you rebuild the church."

"If your wine sales are good enough, the tithe can play a big role." Lux said with a smile: "I hope that you can use its profits to benefit the people of Eagle Town."

Raven nodded: "You can always trust me in this regard, after all, this is my territory!"

Lux's sapphire eyes showed a smile: "Of course, then what is the name of this wine? Have you thought about it?"

"Since it is a gift from God..." Raven thought for a moment and suggested, "How about calling it 'Angel's Tears'?"

"This is... so beautiful!" Lux praised in admiration: "The angel couldn't bear to see the misery in the world, so he shed tears of sympathy and kindness to comfort the Lamb of the Lord of Light."

"This wine is called 'Angel's Tears'!"

Amid Lux's enthusiasm, the two chatted while eating, and talked about many details. The more they talked, the more excited they became.

Of course, Raven's excitement is not exactly the same as Lux's.

The way this young priest ate was a rare sight. Every movement of her fingers, every opening and closing of her lips and teeth, and every movement of her throat were all pulling at Raven's nerves.

Being able to see but not eat is really a huge torture.

So Raven said goodbye neatly and left after the meal.

When he returned to the castle, Old Gordon was already waiting in his office: "Sir, the invitation has been prepared. Please take a look."

Raven took the invitation with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

The invitation was made of fine parchment and was carefully bleached black. The four corners were decorated with gold powder and decorated with the eagle pattern representing the Griffith family. The specific content was written in Gothic black letters with ink mixed with silver powder. Clear and elegant.

There are two signatures in the lower right corner, the upper one is red, the seal of the Griffith family, and the lower one is Raven's private seal.

The font of the private seal is not the most popular floral font, nor is it the recently emerged Rococo font that is more fancy and feminine than the former, but a very rigid and sharp sculptured font, showing an ancient and elegant beauty.

"Thank you for your hard work." Raven put the invitation on the table: "Send someone to send it out now. Don't be stingy with money. Don't use the empire's postal service and leave it to the mercenary guild."

"Yes, my lord." Old Gordon pushed up his monocle: "In addition, I have invited Master Lawrence to the castle. When you are free, you can measure your figure and customize your dress."

Raven asked, "How much money is left in the vault?"

"Reporting to my lord, after the last purchase of armor and spears, after deducting the 360 ​​gold coins handed over to the Imperial Council and the money for alchemy equipment, there are still fifty-eight gold coins."

Gordon said very methodically: "Yesterday, Mrs. Denise sent another three hundred gold coins, for a total of three hundred and fifty-eight."

"Next, sixty-seven invitations need to be delivered. If you go through the mercenary guild, it is expected to cost thirty-eight to forty-two gold coins; decorating the castle will cost at least a hundred gold coins; and your dress, I think at least One hundred and twenty gold coins are also needed.”

"Then there are still ninety-six gold coins left..." Raven had a headache.

He originally wanted to buy a first-level [God-given potion], but now it seems that he will not have the financial resources in a short time.

Thinking that Raven was feeling sorry for the gold coins, Gordon advised: "Sir, please don't be stingy with the gold coins. This will be a crucial step for you to break into the aristocratic circle."

"I know." Raven breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the window. Looking at the private soldiers who were training in the courtyard, he said: "This will be the first tough battle we face."

"Whether we can restore the reputation of the Griffith family depends on this battle!"

...