Chapter 82: We Are Like the Wheat in the Field
When the knights trampled through the Lancay Family estate, they did not kindly leave behind the stored food and wealth.
And when the Lancay Family was still around, they were not generous enough to leave much food for the villagers.
Everything in the territory belonged to the lord, and the commoners living on the lord's land had to pay taxes.
As for how much tax to pay?
Anyway, they would leave you commoners with just enough rations not to starve.
What Darren gathered in the estate, besides the reserves of these commoners, also included some he brought from his family.
However, even without counting the food Darren brought himself, based on this morning's food standards, it could at least support the commoners outside the estate for half a month.
In half a month's time, the matter of the werewolves would surely reach a conclusion.
George had distributed the Sacrament in Daniels Village, so he had some concept of the minimum food requirements for the commoners.
But after halving the food supply, that was uncertain.
"Sir, I overheard your conversation." Suddenly, someone quietly approached and said in a low voice.
He was wrapped in a black burlap cloth that emitted a sour odor, his body was very thin, but his eyes were bright.
"Don't worry, I will protect you all." George said to him with a smile on his face.
George had already noticed the other party.
Not far away, compared to those who were working hard, this person seemed to be deliberately approaching him.
George just thought the person was afraid.
"Of course, I certainly believe you." The other party said.
"I have been to the church outside the town, and I have received the Sacrament there. At that time, the cathedral had not yet been built, and it was that priest who was distributing it."
"There, I listened to the teachings of that priest."
"You came from there, and I have also heard stories about Monk George, so I believe in your kindness."
The other party familiarly drew a cross on his chest, then placed one hand on his chest and slightly bowed his head.
This was the ritual used during worship in the Church of the Sanctuary.
George developed some goodwill towards the other party.
"Thank you for your trust." George also returned the gesture.
"I believe in your kindness, but I don't trust that guy." The other party said, glancing at the estate.
There was someone above who occasionally cast glances in this direction.
"That guy's eyes are full of greed. He has his eyes on this estate, and he wants to seize it."
George remained silent.
Of course, George could see it too, but he thought of Daniels Village.
At least with the Daniels Family there, Daniels Village would be very safe.
Moreover, during the previous necromancer incident, the way the Daniels Family protected the commoners made him not particularly averse to such entrenched families.
Although compared to this Darren, the Daniels Family might be considered benevolent.
"You might think that at least with him here, things wouldn't be so chaotic, right?"
The bright eyes of the other party seemed to see George's thoughts.
His voice carried a hint of sarcasm.
"Of course, you are powerful, so those people are very polite in their interactions with you, and they won't let you know what they do in private to maintain their current status."
"Oh, actually, it's not even in private. At least in this Gobelow Village, the Lancay Family never avoided what they did."
"Hiring bandits to kill people, selling those in the village who didn't obey them as slaves to other lords' territories, freely entering commoners' homes, and defiling women."
"Of course, sometimes they didn't even spare the men."
"Among the commoners, everyone knows that adultery should be done in secret, but they even pinned down the husbands, making them watch as they violated their wives and daughters, just to satisfy their own desires."
"Did you see this estate? Who knows how many people were dragged in by the Lancay Family and never came out again."
"Why did they do this?"
"Just to satisfy their desires?"
"No, no, no, they wouldn't be so foolish."
"This was because they needed to control the population in the village. Their family hadn't produced any knights, so they weren't allowed to keep too many people."
"So they needed to control the number of people in their own family."
"But with a limited number of family members, if the village population grew too much, it would be detrimental to their management and control."
"So they deliberately raised a group of people who acted recklessly, using their desires as an excuse to reduce the population."
"When the villagers couldn't endure it anymore and their anger accumulated, they would push this person out and kill him."
"Originally just commoners, it was only because their anger reached the extreme that they dared to speak out."
"The Lancay Family's actions could appease the commoners' anger at the time, and afterward, the commoners would no longer have the courage to be angry."
"And in private, the Lancay Family would kill the leaders."
"When one brave person after another who stood up was killed, the people in the village would no longer dare to resist the Lancay Family."
"In this way, they used fear and violence to completely control the village."
"We are like the wheat in the field, raised by the Lancay Family in this village."
"Sir, having a benevolent person manage us would certainly be a good thing, and we would also create more wealth for the benevolent person."
"But this Lord Darren, do you think he is a benevolent person?"
The man spoke calmly, as if repeating words he had said countless times.
"You can tell the knights here, tell the administrator, let the lord know." George said.
After speaking, he realized he had been a bit foolish.
The other party had already made it clear that it was only because of his identity and power that those people were friendly enough to him.
"Heh, do you think they would dare to do these things without the lord's acquiescence?" The other party couldn't help but laugh.
"The lord rules the territory with power and has a transcendent status."
"And what does the lord need in the territory?"
"Wealth? No, gold coins and gems are useless to the lord. What they need, they will mobilize their knights and army to obtain."
"Subjects? No, subjects are like wheat. After one harvest, another will grow."
"Honor? No, the lord's own strength is the embodiment of honor."
"The lord only needs the territory to be in their hands, because everything in the territory belongs to the lord."
"But the lord is also human, and the lord's energy is limited, so the lord needs extensions of their power to help them control the territory."
"Thus, there are these local gentry and families. They extend the lord's power to every piece of land."
"And we commoners, even our taxes are just part of the lord's demonstration of power to these gentry."
"When truly needed, knights will come to visit their estates."
"Before this day comes, they need the power granted by the lord, and the lord also needs them to help control the territory."
"They are symbiotic, very tacit partners."
"As for the commoners, as long as the overall number remains within a range acceptable to the lord, that's enough."