Medieval Knight System: Building the Strongest Empire Ever!

The people of Feuzen aren’t hostile to outsiders across the board. They were kind enough, in their own way, to the Gale Knights who had set up an encampment on the village outskirts, and to the duchy soldiers managing the hundred or so prisoners.

The presence of an armed force usually leaves villagers trembling with unease, but the Gale Knights were the lord’s own army, and the duchy soldiers belonged to a sworn ally, so the people of Feuzen had no reason to fear them.

Besides, these weren’t people who had come to settle in their village. They were, first and foremost, customers who bought up the village’s goods, so the Feuzen villagers sold off whatever surplus they had beyond their winter provisions.

And since a few of the knights had fallen for village girls and were soon to be married, the knights could be accepted without much friction. The fact that they had fought to defend the village during the Battle of Feuzen also carried a great deal of weight.

To honor the members who had given their lives holding back the enemy’s advance, the villagers had even pooled their money, little by little, to raise a memorial stone inside the Feuzen church.

It meant the knights were no longer strangers.

But trouble flared when the villagers treated the Boeven migrants as unwelcome guests. Encampment and settlement were entirely different matters, and the people of Feuzen apparently felt their very livelihoods were under threat.

That bred misunderstanding and conflict, and now it has come to this.

"I heard you’ve summoned all the representatives."

"I can only pass judgment after hearing out both sides."

"If it’s all right, may I attend as well?"

"You, Baroness? Of course."

As the representatives of both sides were being gathered at the manor, Hilda heard the news and ended up joining the meeting. We are the ruling class, so it’s difficult for us to intervene in every dispute between villagers.

That’s why, for sensitive problems the villagers can’t resolve among themselves, it’s customary to settle matters through the lord’s judgment. With me stepping in to handle the problem personally, Hilda seemed to lose heart.

"I’m sorry, Wolf. I think I took this matter far too lightly."

"It’s fine. Hiring some of the migrants as guards to stabilize public order was the right call."

"That was thanks to Hans and Chief Wentner, who understood the situation and advised me."

Thanks to Hilda’s timely measures, public order had stabilized, but it wasn’t a fundamental solution. Problems like this could break out anywhere in Rosenheim, so I regarded this as a test run for when that day came.

Hilda asked anxiously.

"Are you very angry, by any chance?"

"No. I’ve just been mulling over how to resolve it."

"What do you plan to do with all the representatives you’ve gathered?"

"Talk it out, of course. Are you worried I’ll kill them all or something?"

"Of course not. That’s not the kind of man you are, Wolf."

Despite her words, Hilda seemed relieved.

I’m hailed as a war hero and rated highly for my military achievements and my ability as a commander, but my political accomplishments and my record as a lord are judged no better than average. My track record so far has been mostly in external affairs.

So this time, I intend to settle things amicably through dialogue.

I may be heavy-handed in a fight, but I can be a gentle lord too.

"My own shortcomings have caused you such trouble, my lord. I am terribly sorry."

"Siding with the migrants for the sake of harmony was the right thing to do. It’s nothing to apologize for."

Chief Wentner was the representative of the Feuzen villagers, yet he had been helping the Boeven migrants their lord had sent to settle in the village. And he had worked in every way he could to resolve the disputes between the two groups.

He had also worried about the problem growing large enough for word of it to reach the lord. The lord’s word was absolute, and their ruler might well execute the troublemakers to set an example.

The ruler of Rosenheim. That is what I am.

So Chief Wentner regarded the current situation with great dread.

"I see a few familiar faces."

The representatives were bewildered that I was taking an interest in this matter. Conflicts like this were the sort of problem you could find in any village.

A lord’s chief concern is collecting taxes, and beyond that he generally couldn’t care less, so it’s rare for one to pay attention to such trivial affairs. He would simply tell them to sort it out through an administrator.

I am no ordinary lord.

And I have no intention of turning a blind eye to a problem like this.

Above all, Feuzen is my first fief, so I hold a deep interest in it. That’s why I wanted to eliminate any sources of unrest before leaving for Rosenheim. For Feuzen’s notables, though, it must have been a bolt from the blue.

Fear of their prince had swallowed the meeting hall. I could tell just from the look in their eyes. The heavy atmosphere needed softening. At this rate, they’d do nothing but sit there shaking.

I turned my gaze first to the Boeven representative who had caught my eye.

I activated the Manager Scouter and pulled up his information.

"Münegger, are you satisfied with life in Feuzen?"

"I am satisfied. B-but you remember my-my name?"

"A bricklayer is an indispensable craftsman for building up a village."

Münegger and the other Boeven representatives were so astonished their eyes went round. It amazed them that the ruler of Rosenheim remembered a commoner’s name. Haha, it’s too early to be amazed.

"Th-thank you. There are small problems, but not having to fear raids from outside has been a true comfort to us. You, great lord, are our Christos."

"Excessive praise. I merely honored your will to live."

Through the Manager Scouter, I called every one of the Boeven representatives by name, warmly asking after them and easing the atmosphere. The mere fact that I knew their names moved them deeply.

Hilda, watching from beside me, was quite impressed as well.

The mood grew convivial, and this time I turned my gaze to the Feuzen representatives. Needless to say, I knew every one of Feuzen’s representatives even without the Scouter.

Most of them had been assisting Chief Wentner with all manner of tasks. They had their own trades, of course, and they were local notables who carried real influence.

"The reason I’ve gathered you in one place is to clear up the misunderstandings between you. Münegger, you first. Explain the current problems frankly. What are your grievances, and what is the trouble?"

"F-forgive me. Being allowed to settle in Feuzen by your mercy was a blessing, my lord, but it is true that the people of Feuzen did not welcome us. Even so, wanting to get along with your subjects, we approached them first, helped with their work, and even cleaned the plaza."

The Feuzen representatives admitted this was true and said relations had been good at first. They had helped the migrants, who had arrived penniless. But then the young men of Boeven caused an incident.

They played a prank on Dressel, who had taken a dislike to the migrants, and because of it the ox in his barn panicked and thrashed about until the barn collapsed outright.

"It was absolute chaos. Dressel went on a rampage swearing he’d kill them, so the guard captain subdued him and threw him in jail, and those troublemakers fled into the northeastern forest."

Chief Wentner seemed to shudder just remembering it. When I asked what had become of them, he said they were hemmed in by a herd of aurochs, unable to move forward or back, and ended up stranded in the forest.

And when they were brought back, it was Hilda who handed down the final ruling.

Since no one had been hurt, she gave them a light punishment.

"As penalty, I made them clean the village latrines for a month."

"Hmm, a smelly punishment indeed. So what happened with Dressel’s barn?"

"They saved up money bit by bit and built him a new barn. The carpenters were delighted to have the work."

"Then shouldn’t that have closed the matter?"

"The problem grew as Dressel went around picking fights with the migrants."

Nursing a grudge over his punishment, Dressel had stirred up the villagers who disliked the migrants, harassing and provoking the newcomers in every way imaginable. Because of this, relations between the migrants and the villagers began to sour.

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