I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 215 The Holy Knight's Lumberyard
Under the reward and punishment system, the construction team of more than fifty people completed the construction of the church a month and a half ahead of schedule. On the day the church was completed, the Church of St. Vincent sent a group of monks.

After experiencing the interior of the church firsthand, the monks looked at each other, bewildered.

Then, something Luc didn't expect happened.

The friars neither praised nor ignored the situation; instead, they were divided into two factions and began arguing over the church's condition.

"My God, this is simply one of the churches that best resonates with the hymns! Listen to this exquisite echo; isn't it a symbol of the soul resonating with God?"

A young monk closed his eyes devoutly, stretched out his arms, and sighed.

"On the contrary, I think this is a bizarre trick that replaces piety with dazzling displays."

A stern-looking middle-aged cultivator glanced at the light on the high platform and snorted coldly, his gaze sharp.

With these two points at the core, both sides held their own opinions, with some supporting Luc's innovation and others questioning the lighting effects.

They unanimously praised the design of the low door.

"Alright, since the argument continues, let's report this to Bishop Hugo and let him decide for himself!"

The leader of the monks' group made the final decision, thus ending the debate.

After verifying that the hardware was working correctly, the leader of the monks approached Luke, who was relieved.

"Sir Luc, Bishop Hugo has asked me to bring you a letter."

The leader of the monastic order smiled and respectfully handed the beeswax-sealed letter to Luke.

Other monks may not know, but the leader of the monks knows that the knight in front of them has a very close relationship with the bishop. Otherwise, why would the bishop entrust such a lucrative position as a contractor to an unknown little knight?
Moreover, it is rumored that he was once Saint Lynn's bodyguard.

The story of Lynn's resurrection has been altered by Cluny to the point that even Luc is unfamiliar with it, and very few people know the truth.

David, who had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, widened his eyes upon hearing this.

This guy has a personal relationship with the bishop?

"If you have enough time, you can wait here for a while. I believe His Excellency the Bishop will give full recognition to this church, and we'll also be waiting for your final payment."

“No problem.” Luc smiled as he took the letter.

After the friars left, and after a full two weeks of waiting, the final conclusion came from Macon County: the church was in perfect compliance with doctrine and was a model of wisdom permitted by God. Not only was a highly respected friar sent to reside there, but it was also named the Church of St. Hilarion, based on the characteristics of light, shadow, and echo.

Not only was Luc not later able to refer to himself as a church leader, but he was also awarded a special title for his innovation:

The Church's Holy Knight!

"Holy sound" means to resonate with God.

The Cluny Church has always advocated a return to the original pope and a return to spiritual practice. The title of Luc is, in a way, a declaration of the monastic faith.

However, for Luc himself, it means that from now on he will receive more respect.

"Hey, Holy Knight, sir, that's quite a pleasant title!"

Ryan was overjoyed. Luke was a Holy Knight, so wouldn't he be a Holy Squire?
Raoul also came to congratulate Luc, having already composed the poem and sang it once. Luc handed over one hundred pfennigs with satisfaction.

"Go and spread it, my friend. I hope we can meet again someday, and by then, I hope you will have become a famous poet."

“Of course, that’s exactly what I wanted.” Raoul accepted the generous sum of money, bowed, and said goodbye.

"It feels so good to be rich!"

Luc is so wealthy because the final payment has come through!

After deducting all costs, Luc made a fortune of twelve pounds from the construction of the church!

Twelve pounds.

According to Saul, this is only two-thirds of the income of an ordinary contractor.

“You heard me right, Sir Luc. I once met the most greedy contractor in Milan who pocketed twenty-five pounds of gold in a year. Compared to that, you are quite fair and honest.”

Hearing Saul's words, Luc hissed. He knew the contractors made money, but he didn't expect them to make this much. He should have inflated the raw material prices even more.
"I'm leaving this place to return to Makon County to build my masterpiece. If you need me, you can find me in the county town. I will give you priority in signing a contract."

Since Luke took charge of the Common Way, Thor has become much more talkative. Before leaving, he revealed his exact location and then returned to Macon County with the monks.

"Looks like we should head back too."

After watching them leave one by one, Luke, who had been stationed outside for several months, looked back at the fifty construction workers.

He wanted to turn all these people into his subjects! With the existing population, Knightsburg finally broke through the hundred-person mark.

"The church contractor's status is still valid. Let's find an opportunity to go to Macon County and see if we can recruit some more people."

As long as there is enough food, the more people the better.

……

The mountain road was long and winding. Andrew walked through the group with a wooden stick in his hand, occasionally scolding those who had fallen behind.

A heavy wooden stick struck a serf on the buttocks, instantly causing the man, dressed in tattered linen, to jump and run away.

"Andrew, you've only just been promoted to guard, and you're already eager to show off your power?"

The man rubbed his buttocks and looked at Andrew with disgust. Because of his good performance, Luke kept his promise and allowed the Alsatian to become one of his guards, but he was still under observation and was not regarded as a confidant like Miller and others.

Andrew, who had just been freed from slavery, was assigned to maintain order in the ranks. He immediately began to beat and kick the serfs who had recently shared his status, making them even more disgusted with him than with Miller, who was younger but more tyrannical.

Indeed, in stark contrast to his obedient demeanor in front of Luc, Miller was seen as a tyrannical and easily angered figure by these people.

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and keep up. If I see you fall behind again, I'll beat you into a groundhog!"

Passing by the Wild Boar Cave, they followed the path back to Knight's Castle. Looking at the tall wooden castle and city walls, everyone felt much more at ease; it seemed they wouldn't be sold off.
"My lord, the fifty subjects have been settled. As you instructed, they have been mixed together with the original fifteen serfs and moved into the old field's shacks."

Inside the Deer Hall, as usual, Luc summoned old Eck and Gilles, among others, to inquire about the recent situation at the manor. Finding nothing amiss, he said:
"How's the construction of the shacks over at the logging camp going?"

"All five shacks have been completed."

“Very good, old Eck, go and select ten serfs and put them in the lumberyard! Remember, select ten people who don’t know each other.”

The reason Luc expanded his shack was because he wanted to truly establish a territory independent of the Knightsburg.
—Lumberyard!

Logging has always been a core business of the Luc Estate; charcoal making, heating, iron smelting, salt production, and building are all done with wood. There is no place that does not need wood.

“These ten people do not participate in farming; their only role is to provide the monthly timber supply and burn it into charcoal.”

Luke stroked the ceramic cup. Since a portion of the serfs were to be separated, then someone needed to supervise them.

He thought about his trusted subordinates.

Gilles always acted as the caretaker of the estate when Luc was away, partly because his wife was pregnant, and partly because he had enough prestige with old Eck and the Ward villagers around.

But they were only guards of the manor and had no right to supervise the logging camp, which was practically a small village.

Miller is even worse.

Ryan is good enough in every way, but Luke would prefer him to stay by his side and help him with various matters.

“Let him go. Bring him back. He’s one of my entourage, and it’s not appropriate for him to always be stationed at Telfbridge. Let him oversee the operation of the logging camp.”

After Duss became pregnant, her approval of Luc increased significantly, making him a good candidate.

“What about the bridgehead at the trestle? It’s too dangerous for George to guard it alone. Besides, the malt liquor will be sold next month, and the tavern will need to send some people,” old Eck said worriedly.

"You're right, is anyone else volunteering to go to the Treff Bridge?"

“Sir, do you think Andrew would be suitable?” Ryan suggested.

"Andrew? Is he reliable?"

The malt liquor is all clearly priced, so there's no fear of corruption. The main concern is whether Andrew will take the opportunity to run away.

"Telfbridge is a lucrative business. I don't think Andrew will take the opportunity to run away unless he's out of his mind. But we can also send Bauer there to supervise and manage the tavern at the same time."

Bauer was one of the serfs who followed Luke in the attack on Eugene. He was also one of the first people Luke locked in a wooden cage for fighting. He was allocated a good amount of land, and recently his wife became pregnant, so he is now deeply tied to Knightsburg.

"He's a free farmer, isn't he? In that case, if he goes to the tavern, I'll have the serfs cultivate his land for him."

After thinking it over, Luke decided the plan was feasible and sent everyone to carry it out.

Leaning back in his chair, Luc let Julie, who had grown quite a bit taller, come over and massage his legs. He closed his eyes to relax, a feeling of complete satisfaction washing over him.

Centered around Knightsburg, Ward Village, and hundreds of acres of farmland, with saltworks to the north, iron mines to the west, and logging camps to the east, this valley has finally evolved into a true small estate!

In addition, they established a trade in wine and stone with Old Pons and had the right to reside in the Church of San Hilarion.
Luke suddenly opened his eyes: "It's time to develop the other side!"

(End of this chapter)