Imperial Crown

After bringing his private soldiers to the town of Shining Gold, Raven finally understood the meaning of Mosing Gan's words.

These "deployed" subjects are simply the epitome of the oppressed and exploited serfs of this era.

Their messy hair is stained by sweat and dust into a chicken coop shape, their shriveled faces are as dirty as the bottom of a pot, and their cloudy eyes are hidden in their deep eye sockets, blank and numb.

The ragged cloth strips are completely useless for covering their bodies. Their thin bodies covered with dirt, dust and bloodstains are exposed to the air. It is impossible to tell whether they are men or women, or their ages. Only by their height can we barely distinguish between children and adults.

Their bodies are hunched, but they cannot hide the striking burn marks on their chests: the outer circle is a ring, and the inner circle is a square F, representing their identity as serfs belonging to the Fox family.

And in order to erase this identity, a new X-shaped wound is branded on them.

The most impressive thing is their hands. The rough hemp rope passed through the palms, stringing them together in dozens of pairs. It was stained with dark brown blood, and flies kept flying on it.

Some people's wounds on their hands had festered and became rotten, with maggots wriggling inside.

Some people's palms had rotted clean in the center, and pale and dry metacarpal bones could be seen.

Some people's palms and hemp ropes grew together, and the protuberances had deformed blood vessels.

The sound of horse hooves attracted Raven's attention. He turned his head and saw a knight urging his warhorse to come in front of him.

Through the Eye of Truth, Raven could clearly see the blue light flowing in his body, the intensity of which was similar to that of Donald at the beginning. He was obviously a second-level blue wave knight.

This person looked less than 30 years old, with silkworm eyebrows, walnut eyes, and a hint of arrogance at the corners of his mouth. Although he looked tired, his enchanted plate armor was well maintained and shiny, forming a sharp contrast with the people next to him.

Not only him, but also the three cavalrymen behind him who were not extraordinary were wearing full sets of enchanted plate armor, and enchanted weapons were hung around their waists.

Enchanted weapons!

The equipment of these four people combined must be worth at least 5,000 gold coins.

The Earl family is really rich.

Raven couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

"Townsend." Although he was tired, the knight still pounded his left hand heavily on his chest and saluted in a standard military manner: "It's an honor to meet you, Baron!"

"Raven Ota Griffith." Raven nodded in return and said with a smile: "You have worked hard on the way. Do you want to rest in Shining Gold Town? I will also do my best to be a good host?"

Townsend's eyes flickered a few times, and he was obviously quite tempted, but he still shook his head: "I have a mission to accomplish. Please allow me to reject your generous proposal."

"Please pay the remaining balance and we will leave now."

"What a pity." Raven sighed with regret, and touched his belt with his hand. A box appeared in his hand and he handed it to the private soldier beside him.

Taking the box from the private soldier, Townsend asked: "Baron, don't you count the number of goods?"

Raven shook his head and said: "I believe in the reputation of the Fox family."

Townsend nodded, opened the box and counted carefully. After confirming the number of gold coins, he raised his eyebrows and said: "Lord Eagle, you are really a noble baron with integrity!"

Although Townsend's words were extremely beautiful, it was obviously a bit rude.

Raven smiled: "You are also a knight with cautious qualities."

Raven deliberately emphasized the word "cautious".

For this kind of "counting money in person and completely distrustful" behavior, Raven must show a little "unhappiness".

Otherwise, he is not a "qualified" noble.

Because on the Middles continent, only the untouchables don't care about their dignity being offended.

But Townsend, as a second-level knight in the only two earl families in the entire Nord Province, obviously doesn't care much about Raven's feelings.

Who made the Griffith family so famous for being poor!

After handing the box to the attendant, Townsend said indifferently: "Thank you for your understanding. I will take my leave first."

As he said that, he turned his horse's head and galloped away with three cavalrymen in a cloud of dust.

This short meeting surprised Townsend at Raven's performance, because Raven's performance was really inconsistent with the rumors.

More importantly, he just noticed a detail - that is, Raven actually has a space belt!

Judging from the skillful way of using it, he has probably become extraordinary without making any noise.

This is a very important piece of information!

God-given potions are not cheap, and space equipment is even more expensive. It is not something that a small baron family in a border town can afford.

Could it be that... Griffith has already turned to the Slater family?

Townsend was full of doubts.

This information must be reported to the Earl of Montreal as soon as possible.

Raven, however, did not pay attention to Townsend. After he left, he immediately turned around and ordered: "Send someone to transport the prepared food and water to feed these serfs first."

"Understood, sir." Mosingan turned and left, calling on the new soldiers he was leading.

Eric, who was standing aside, was a little unhappy. Seeing this, Raven teased, "What are you thinking about?"

Eric came back to his senses and said seriously, "Baron, this Townsend is really rude to you!"

"It's okay if he doesn't dismount to salute, but he's actually worried that you'll default on your debt!"

Unlike Eric, he was not as angry. After two lifetimes, Raven had already become indifferent to such things.

It was nothing more than a matter of looking at people to serve them the right dish. There was no right or wrong.

If he was a viscount, or had the strength of the third level or above, Townsend would definitely dismount and bow properly.

But who made him just a small baron?

Raven sighed first, then shook his head: "Eric, remember, if you want to become a qualified noble, the first lesson is to learn to "endure"!"

"As long as I am a baron, such encounters are inevitable."

Eric was holding back his energy: "Baron is just the beginning, you will become a viscount sooner or later."

Raven heard this and looked at his retainer in surprise. It seems that this period of coexistence has made Eric change his mind about him from the bottom of his heart.

"You are quite confident in me." Raven smiled, "How can it be that easy to become a viscount?"

While the two were talking, the food had been transported over.

These recruited people ate like hungry wolves. In just a few minutes, they ate all the black bread they were given. Their eyes, which were originally dead fish, became more lively.

After getting his mood right, Raven got off his horse and stood on the temporary high platform. He coughed a few times and attracted everyone's attention.

If you want to become a viscount, you still have to be down-to-earth and start from the present.

Clearing his throat, he said loudly: "Nice to meet you. My name is Raven, Raven Ota Griffith. From today on, I am your lord."

"I know that you have suffered a lot along the way, but I want to congratulate you for finally escaping from the sea of ​​suffering and coming to my territory."

"Being able to survive until now means that you are tough enough and have enough endurance. You have not given up your children, which means that you still have expectations for the future."

At this point, Raven paused for a moment.

He saw some subtle emotions in the eyes of these serfs, disgust, disdain, and hostility.

Anyone who has experienced such a thing as them would not have any expectations of nobles.

But Raven didn't care. As long as these people responded, it meant that they still listened to what he said:

"Welcome to Eagle Territory."

"There are many job opportunities here. As long as you can move, you can get paid, get food, clothes, and the most precious dignity."

"This winter, you can help me build roads, build houses, and get ice. I hope you can keep yourself fat during this time, because the beginning of next spring is when you really need to work hard."

He glanced to the side, and Volaf hurriedly came up and handed a wooden board with parchment nailed to it to Raven.

Standing the board upright and placing it in front of his chest, Raven said loudly: "This is the decree I am about to issue."

"Starting from January next year, I will distribute the 500 acres of cultivated land in the Eagle Territory and the 3,000 acres of abandoned and uncultivated land."

"Including you, each man will be granted 2 acres of land, each woman will be granted 1 acre of land, and children and the elderly will be granted half."

"As a lord, I only want 40% of the harvest as land tax, and the rest is yours."

The serfs looked at each other, some with intention in their eyes, but more people were still full of disgust and suspicion.

The words of the nobles are always full of traps. How could something really good fall on their heads?

As if he didn't realize this, Raven continued, "What is a human being?"

"Food in the stomach, clothes on the body, and preferably a few silver and copper coins in the pocket."

"In Eagle Territory, as long as you work hard, you can become such a person and live a wonderful life you have never imagined."

Raven's eyes swept across the audience and raised his right index finger: "1 gold coin."

"This is the price I paid to buy you, and who among you can give me 1 gold coin, then I will return his freedom."

"Future offspring will not be branded with the mark of slavery at birth!"

"Work hard to make money, even for your own children."

Soon, Raven ended his speech. There was no applause, no cheers, only a pair of puzzled and empty eyes.

Raven didn't even look at them, turned around and rode on the blood-eyed warhorse and rode away.

Soon after he left, private soldiers came up and gave these serfs sets of clean old clothes, and told them that one piece of clothing cost 50 copper coins.

They looked at the clothes in their hands and looked in the direction where Raven left with some disbelief.

The clothes that were paid for just dispelled the doubts of these serfs.

But it made them feel the dignity of "being a human" for the first time.

He... seemed to be really different from other lords!

Seeing this scene, Lux's eyes flashed with surprise, and she looked at the direction where Raven left with a little more appreciation.

There was no doctor in Eagle Town, so Raven asked her to give these serfs a simple diagnosis and treatment. The main job was to prepare some herbal decoctions and clean the wounds to prevent them from festering and infection.

I never thought that I would hear what Raven said just now when I arrived here.

How to describe Raven's speech just now?

It can be called a successful "speech"!

There are many famous speeches in history, such as the coronation speech of Keynes I, the pre-war mobilization of Keynes VI, and the speech of Frederick, the "Mad King" of the Insa Empire, before executing the Orc King.

Just like those ancient nobles, Raven's speech was simple, clear, and straight to the point.

There was no excessive chicken blood, nor the redundant and fancy words common among nobles today... and brainless self-praise!

With just a few simple sentences, he explained his policies clearly and planted a seed called "stability" in the hearts of these anxious serfs.

"He is indeed an outlier among the nobles now." Lux thought so.

At the same time, there was another woman muttering about Raven.

"This damn bastard!" Nancy sat heavily on the bed, pounding the soft bed with her pink fists, and an angular crystal slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.

It's called [Image Crystal]. Although it's only a first-level magic item, it's very valuable. It usually costs more than 200 gold coins. It can store images and sounds for no more than 30 minutes.

Nancy brought it with her to find evidence against Raven.

The serfs transported this time were half dead, breathing hard, and couldn't do anything.

Since Raven dared to do such an excessive thing to her last time, he would never accept those serfs honestly this time.

Once he had a conflict with the knight in charge of the escort, Nancy could just record the scene as evidence.

But to Nancy's surprise, Raven was so calm!

Damn dog!

Why did he suddenly become so forbearing now? !

"Miss, please don't be angry." Jenny picked up the crystal on the ground and put it on the dressing table: "He is just a small baron, not worth your trouble."

"If that's the case, it would be great. Have you ever seen a baron who dares, dares..." Nancy said, her face flushed.

"Beat, beat your butt?" Jenny prompted.

"I didn't forget it!" Nancy shouted in shame and anger: "If you mention this word again, I will, I will beat your butt more swollen than mine!"

The white and tender fingers gathered the messy hair back to the back, Nancy pouted, puffed up her cheeks, and twisted her eyebrows together in grievance: "Raven, you stupid pig who deserves plague, a groundhog in the manure pit, a slug in the mud, why can't I catch your handle?"

Seeing this, Jenny echoed in order to save her image in the hostess's heart: "Yes, he is a scum, a gangster, a low-class bastard, and dried cow dung..."

"Who allowed you to scold him?" Nancy's voice interrupted Jenny's words.

The latter was stunned, standing there at a loss, not knowing what he had done wrong.

"Hey... why did I choose such a stupid guy like you." Nancy sighed: "What he said today is simply trampling the face of our Fox family into the mud."

"You said so badly about him, what has become of our Fox family?"

Jenny was shocked when she heard the words, "Ah? Why didn't I hear that he didn't mention the word Fox family at all!"

This is what Nancy is most angry about.

She suspected that Raven was doing something bad, but she had no evidence.

Raven, this guy, is really a born noble.

The unique set of yin and yang, untraceable yin and yang, and the hypocritical and cunning character of the nobles are fully reflected in him.

When he spoke, every sentence was clearly implying that the Fox family was too harsh on the people, but there was no real evidence, and people couldn't catch any handle.

You can't say that he is too good to these serfs, right? !

If we really want to make a fuss about this, it will only make people think that the Fox family is too sensitive.

And looking at the younger generation in Nord Province, few people have this level.

Nancy's three brothers are all second-generation heirs who only know how to spend money and spend money, and hang around women all day. Although they can surpass Raven in terms of personal strength, they can't compare with Raven in terms of dealing with people.

Another earl family, the Slater family, is not much better. There are many descendants, but only Minsk has achieved something, but he is already 33 years old.

As for Hyde, who his father asked him to contact this time, he is just as good as Raven in appearance.

If he could really beat him, Hyde would not have run away in disgrace.

Nancy pushed the soft fluff on the carpet with her pink toes, and muttered to herself in confusion and depression: "This guy, really, really..."

Jenny thought about Raven on the high platform today, recalled his handsome face and magnetic voice, and blurted out: "Really... too charming?"

"Yes, charm!" Nancy pounded her right hand on the palm of her left hand, bit her lip and said:

"It's this damn charm!"

Raven is like a succubus in human skin, and he can make people around him believe his nonsense wherever he goes.

Although I may not necessarily agree and like him in my heart, but... at least I can't hate him.

He is always so confident!

The people of Eagle Town, the Chamber of Commerce of Shining Gold Town, and the serfs of the Fox family this time, all verified this point.

Especially those serfs, who were like zombies at first, but Raven's "talking skills" seemed to bring them back to life, and they could even see a little light of "hope" in their eyes.

The Fox family has raised them all their lives, and they have never seen them like this.

"Don't just stand there, give me some advice." Nancy got angrier and angrier, and said angrily: "Last time you asked me to sneak into the workshop, but the wall was five meters high, and there were more than three of us, so I couldn't get in at all."

"I keep you all day, is it just for you to give me these bad ideas?"

Jenny felt so wronged, it was Nancy who suggested climbing over the wall.

And she was just a maid, and maids were not responsible for making plans.

Miss Nancy would definitely not listen to the explanation, but I could make her realize this.

Thinking of this, she rolled her eyes: "You are a second-level mage, and there is no stronger person in the entire Eagle Town, otherwise, you would kill yourself in...?"

This is undoubtedly a stupid idea, Jenny has already thought about it, taking this opportunity to let Miss Nancy scold her, so that she will definitely not let her give advice again!

But Nancy's eyes lit up all of a sudden: "Yes, there is such a way!"

"I am the daughter of the Fox family. I can visit him in the name of the family and live in Eagle Castle. In this way, no matter what secrets he has, he can't hide them from me!"

Jenny was confused.

Is that what I meant?

But since Nancy is happy, then it can be. Anyway, living directly in is much safer than climbing over the wall of the workshop.

She doesn't have to act as Nancy's ladder every day when she is practicing climbing over the wall...

"It's decided so happily!" Nancy shook her head proudly: "Jenny, you still have some brains. When this matter is done, there will be a big reward!"

Jenny looked a little strange. There was something she wanted to say but didn't dare to say it.

Miss Nancy, you wanted to catch Raven because you were worried about your reputation being damaged.

But if we live in Eagle Castle...

"Since we are going, we have to make a big show. We must not lose face for our Fox family! Jenny, go and prepare. I want eight... no, ten carriages!"

"I want to kill this bastard's prestige!"

"Let him know from the bottom of his heart! The majesty of the Earl's family cannot be offended by a small baron's family!"

Seeing the excitement of her young lady, Jenny dared not disturb her interest and could only bite the bullet and answer:

"Yes, Miss Nancy!"

...