I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 232 Subduing Byrne
"My lord, you are now a true fief knight!"

The watermill on the Saône River.

As Ryan replaced the gears in the watermill, he remarked, "Without you, that place would probably have remained a barren valley forever. In the end, we expended so much effort just to obtain what rightfully belonged to you."

Ryan skillfully crafted the new gear and installed it following the special markings. As Luc had predicted, not long after he left, Count Macon indeed set his sights on mastering the watermill technology. He gathered some craftsmen to disassemble and inspect it, only to find that the gear, which had already been tampered with, instantly broke apart.

"Stop complaining. It took us more effort to build the manor step by step than it does now. Instead of wasting your time, you should hurry up and fix the mill, and then go to the church and ask for two more cats."

"The granary is full of grain, but the rat population is increasing."

Even though they were "allied," Luc would not teach Kahn the watermill technique, but he promised to repair the watermill in Macon County for free before Kahn left satisfied.

"It would be best to get some male cats, like Charlie, to raise a cat colony."

With the legality of Knightsburg recognized, Luke felt much more relaxed and returned his focus to the development of the manor itself.

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.

Only when the estate becomes increasingly wealthy and powerful can Luc be better positioned to establish himself.

The development of Knightsburg is proceeding smoothly. The bridge has been built, and we'll go back and develop the other side.

But Luke had a headache when it came to half of Tiha Village.

"Tiha Village is too far from Knightsburg, making it impossible to connect with it like the Telf Bridge. It's practically a small enclave. How can we control that land?"

Often, even if you are granted a fiefdom, you may not be able to fully utilize it.

Luc's roots are in Knightsburg, so it's impossible for him to abandon the valley to personally manage Tiha Village.

"Like at the Treff Bridge, collect taxes on time every month?"

Tax collection has always been a major problem for medieval villages.

Let alone enclaves, even in lands personally ruled by a lord, there will be daring free farmers who hoard grain.

In order to collect taxes, many lords even sent troops to forcibly collect them, which, to put it bluntly, meant looting and plundering the land.

However, it's not fair to blame the villages for being unwilling to hand over grain. It's simply that medieval lords didn't have any organized tax collection system. Most knights, in addition to the official taxes, would arbitrarily issue various miscellaneous taxes.

So even with the Dus family's connections, Tiha Village might still pay some taxes out of old friendship for the first few months, but things will probably change over time.

"Are we going to send people to be stationed in Tiha Village to collect taxes for me?"

Luke rubbed his head. Who should he send?

let?
While he was thinking, Ryan had already repaired the mill and took him and Hans back to Duss's place, only to find two men standing outside the door.

Luke looked closely and realized it was someone he knew.

"The Knight of Bain? Grimbald?"

"Why are you here?"

"Knight Luke!"

It was Byrne, who had fought alongside him, who also saw Luke. He stepped forward with his fat squire, who was chewing on a piece of cured meat the size of a finger, and said, "Sir Luke, I've been waiting for you here for a long time. I wonder if you have time? I'd like to invite you to the tavern for a drink."

Luke glanced at the fat man, who always seemed to be eating, and then looked at Byrne, saying, "Of course!"

……

The drinks in Makonshire were mediocre, but Byrne still managed to get his face as red as a ripe apple.

Luke sat opposite him and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"You're actually the second son of Count August of the Duchy of Saxony?"

“It’s truly unbelievable.” “No wonder you and your entourage are so familiar with etiquette and so skilled in martial arts.”

Taking a bite of the black bread, Luc suppressed his shock.

He hadn't expected this guy to be so powerful!
The count's second son.

This is much better than Henry's.

"I have a question. You are the count's son, even if he is the second son, how could you have fallen to the point of being a vagrant?"

If Berry could arrange a future for his second son, how much more so would the Earl?

However, after hearing Byrne's explanation, Luc fell silent.

It turned out he had been expelled by his own sister-in-law, the daughter of the Duke of Saxony.
"I don't blame my brother; he was also thinking of the family."

Byrne, who had drunk too much, was more talkative than usual. He seemed to be thinking about sad things and downed another glass of ale.

“Speaking of which, Sir Luke, I really admire you.” After telling his story, Byrne suddenly changed the subject. “I originally wanted to go to Italy, but there was a tournament in Macon County, so I stayed for a while. It was during this time that I heard many of your stories in the tavern.”

"So you and I are both wandering knights forced to leave our homeland and venture out into the world."

"But your fate is different from mine. You are more courageous than I am. You not only won the favor of a beautiful noble lady and successfully entered the Duchy of Burgundy, but also protected your fiefdom with your strength."

Byrne's eyes darted around: "These are things I've always dreamed of but could never have."

"Since I began my wanderings, I have always hoped to gain the favor of a nobleman through force and be granted a piece of land. I have never thought of building a castle myself. Because compared to the latter, the former is obviously much easier."

But you did it.

Grimbalend looked worriedly at the somewhat dejected Byrne. He knew that it was because Count Macon had once again refused Byrne's allegiance.

Sure enough, Luc asked in confusion, "Didn't Count Kahn try to recruit you?"

"He recruited me, but he said he could only offer me a knight of the inner court without a fief."

Byrne, who already held the title of Knight of Saxony, did not like this treatment.

Seeing Byrne's expression, Luc tapped the table, his mind racing.

If possible, Luc and Hugo would certainly seek a baronial position for themselves.

Luc was not some aloof saint; who wouldn't want higher status and power?
Luc now just needs an opportunity.

“Byrne, I wonder if you would be willing to follow me?” Luc slowly spoke, staring intently at Byrne.

Byrne's skill is undeniable, but more importantly, he has a good character.

At least in terms of ethics, he is much better than many wandering knights.

Although Luke spoke, he wasn't very confident, after all, he wasn't a baron yet, just a knight.

But unexpectedly, upon hearing Luc's words, Byrne suddenly raised his emerald-like eyes, paused for a moment, and said, "Actually, that's exactly what I was thinking."

Waving his hand to indicate that Luc should not be surprised, Byrne continued, "Although I was driven out by my sister-in-law, I am not stupid. During this time, I have been gathering information about you. You have territory, wisdom, and connections. I have a feeling that you will be a new family that will rise in Burgundy!"

"I have only one condition: if you rise to power, I hope you can grant me a fertile piece of land. The land doesn't need to be too large, just enough for me to live a good life. I am not greedy."

Looking at Byrne's sincere face, Luc laughed and said, "A reasonable request!"

Raising his glass to Byrne, Luke gulped down his drink and thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, I can give you a good life right now."

"Would you be interested in temporarily serving as the tax officer for one of my enclaves?"

(End of this chapter)