I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 250 The Third Fief

"Berry is dead?!"

In the Deer Hall of Knightsburg, Luke suddenly stood up and couldn't help but repeat himself.

"Yes, my friend."

Old Pons took a sip of tea: "Absolutely right, your scouts should be back soon."

"How did he die?"

"Who knows? I only heard from Hus that since he fell ill, the monks have been doing everything they can to save him. They have been bleeding him and giving him enemas every day, but he still can't stop feeling dizzy. In the end, they even used holy water to wet the whip to whip him and exorcise the demons, but there was still no improvement."

Old Pons shrugged. "I think it's probably because he offended this sacred land and was punished, abandoned by God."

Old Pons's gloating words reached Luc's ears. He suppressed his inner turmoil and sat back down in his chair.

It turns out he was tortured to death.
"Berry is dead, and you don't seem very happy about it?"

"No, I just feel a bit surprised."

Luc took a deep breath. To be honest, although he loathed Berry, it didn't stop him from believing that the man was indeed an excellent and competent lord in the Middle Ages. To be tortured to death by a quack doctor like that was too hasty and too pathetic.

"Only God can decide death. I think you should first consider how to deal with Huss."

Old Pons gestured with his chin and lowered his voice, saying, "I went to great lengths to trick him into coming here and handing him over to you."

Luke rubbed his eyes. This excellent archer and hunter under Berry's command would normally require careful consideration, whether to kill or spare him.

But at this moment, his mind was filled with the changes brought about by Berry's death.

According to his own plan, Berry could live for at least another year and a half.

"Let's keep him for now."

Luc picked up a wild berry that the people paid their taxes for and put it in his mouth. Berry was dead, and to avoid any unforeseen complications, Finn would probably be eager to inherit the barony. By now, George should have already received the news and was on his way back.

And so, it was time to divide the cake.

Luke wasn't worried that Fane would go back on his word and take back the fiefdom promised to him, for a simple reason—because Luke was more worthy of Fane's trust than any other knight!

Finn has always been an unpopular second son. The knights under Berry's command have never given him a second glance. Now that he has just taken power, not to mention the scheming David, even Charman and others will probably look down on this new master.

So at least Fein has no other choice right now.

Unless he's insane, he wouldn't dare offend Luc again.

"But I still need to write a letter to Hugo," Luc thought to himself.

Luke's body still hung on the gallows. Beside him, the market reopened, and Hoffman strolled around with great interest. The astute merchant keenly sensed the business opportunities in the large quantity of goods.

"Jews are unreliable. I believe the insect repellent should be in the hands of our own caravans."

Old Pons came and went quickly, leaving Huss alone in the warehouse.

After the market ended, Hoffman looked disdainfully at the departing figures of Ezra's caravan.

"They are indeed unreliable, but from another perspective, they are also shrewd businessmen. We are currently short-handed, so it's a good thing to let them expand the market first."

“Besides,” Luc patted Hoffman on the shoulder and laughed, “without their contrast, how would our products appear cheaper in the future?”

“You really should have been a businessman,” Hoffman remarked.

"It's easy to say, of course."

Luc got up and walked toward the market, where dried wood from Macon County was displayed.

"The specifics of the operation still depend on your expertise as a businessman. By the way, what's your decision? Should we move our family here?" "Hmph~ Lord Luke, if you can really give my family a piece of land, I think I wouldn't mind moving them here."

Hoffmann was a free citizen and did not own any land in Bavaria.

"That's good."

Luc nodded. Hoffman would send two loyal assistants to bring his wife back, which would not delay the caravan's departure.

After dismissing Hoffman, Luke called upon Thorstein, who had been released from confinement, to carry the dried timber back to the logging camp.

The shade-dried timber shipped from Makonshire includes cedar, pine, and beech.

These are all the timbers that Thorstein requested.

Fir wood is used to make keels, pine wood is used for boat planks, and beech wood is used for boat ribs, or the hull.

Thorstein's father was a skilled warrior and shipbuilder, and he inherited his father's abilities well.

“Tolstein’s idea is good. Our first ship doesn’t need to cross the sea, so it’s reasonable to make some modifications. But Raoul, you should still ask for me how long it will take to build this ship.”

Even a Viking dragonship that can only carry thirty people needs one or two years of refinement, due to the complexity of the ship itself.

Luc couldn't wait that long, so Thorstein designed a simpler ship not long ago: eliminating the carving steps that prioritized decoration over practicality, flattening the dragon heads and tails that were raised at the front and back, and no longer considering the space for fresh water and food, etc. In the end, a modified Viking dragonship that was about twenty-three or twenty-four feet long, could accommodate up to ten fully armed soldiers, had five cross oars on each side, and was more flexible and fast, and was used for raids or patrols, was born.

"My lord, Thorstein said that with readily available shade-dried wood, your amazing saw, and the assistance of Little Maiman and others, it should only take about three months to complete."

Three months. Not bad.

The most important part of a ship is the construction of its keel.

As soon as the timber was brought back, Thorstein and Mayman immediately began polishing the huge cedar logs.

For this cedar tree, Luc gave almost all of his freshly brewed liquor to Magnum County for free, and even some insect repellent. It's easy to imagine how valuable the dried giant tree was.

The traditional Viking dragon bone design is unknown, but Thorstein is seen skillfully sketching a dragon bone pattern with charcoal.

The quality of the keel directly affects the quality of the entire ship, so Thorstein cannot afford to be careless.

They spent a long time discussing the initial sketching stage, with Luc also lending a hand. In the end, a flat, rectangular, and narrow keel appeared before them.

Following the marks, the group began working with axes and chisels.

"Master, the dragon bone will take at least half a month to form, provided that it doesn't rain."

"It's okay, take your time to polish it, there's no rush."

Seeing that the two were working well together, Luc instructed Raoul to act as a translator and stay for a while before going to the church.

Inside the church, Lynn listened quietly to Luc's words, then took a piece of paper with hastily written characters on it, and said solemnly:
"Sir Luke, is everything you're saying true? Is Luke's Satanic ritual a tradition passed down from the Beryl family?"

"I'm not sure either, that's just what Luke said."

Luc leaned against the window frame, letting the sunlight stream in.

Lynn stared at Luc for a moment, then slowly said, "I will report this to Bishop Hugo and let him decide."

“That would be perfect.” Luc smiled. He knew that the Church of Cluny was not rigid at all.

The two men each wrote a letter to Hugo, and Jean, who was a skilled horseman, went to Macon County.

Not long after he left, George hurried back to Knightsburg.

"My lord! Fane will inherit the baronial title in three days. Furthermore, he said he will grant you a new fief!"

(End of this chapter)