I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 47 Wandering Knight
Henry rode his gray warhorse leisurely through the vast mountains and forests.

This medium-sized horse originating from the Percheron region has a thick mane, wide hooves, and straight limbs. It is not only docile in nature but also capable of carrying heavy loads and enduring cold weather. It is a first-class horse.

Of course, that was when it was young.

Just like Henry's short but powerful family.

Henry looked around leisurely, the worried look from two days ago no longer on his face. His fingers tapped lightly on the sword at his waist, and he looked at a tall water raft in front of him with interest.

The water ditch is more than two people high. The stream falls from the top of the water ditch and flows to a field surrounded by a fence in the north. Three thatched men stand on the field, swaying in the breeze, giving a primitive beauty.

The horse's hooves stepped into the bottom of the stream, and the wet water splashed on the green grass. What interested Henry most was the water mill built on the riverside.

He had never seen a water-powered mill before, but in his family's former fiefdom, there was an animal-powered mill that was several times larger than the one in front of him.

When Henry thought of the mill, he could not help but recall the taste of soft white bread mixed with honey, and his saliva was secreted unconsciously.
“It’s a pity, there’s no going back.”

After a while, Henry stroked the old horse's neck and sighed heavily.

The Lorraine region was once divided into Upper and Lower Lorraine in the early years. My ancestors were the emerging nobles who rose in the Duchy of Upper Lorraine during the period of division.

The family had obtained a small piece of land in the northwest border of the principality by virtue of military merit. Unfortunately, the grandfather who was good at fighting did not have this blessing and died of injuries just three years after arriving in the territory.

According to his father, his grandfather died in a very miserable way. There was a big hole in his back, and his internal organs could be seen through the hole, as if he had offended the devil.

The priests all said that it was because Grandfather had killed so many people, and if they wanted Grandfather to go to heaven, they had to donate twenty gold coins to the church.

My father did so, but he also spent all his savings.

However, my father was a very intelligent man. Because of his grandfather, he no longer studied martial arts regularly, but instead focused on business. He first married my mother, who was also a rising noble, and then built a vineyard in the territory. Using the wine business, he not only earned far more than twenty gold coins, but also built the territory better and better. At that time, the family was at its most prosperous.

The Percheron warhorse he was riding was purchased from a merchant at a high price that year.

The people in the territory lived and worked in peace and contentment, and no one failed to praise the Henry family's abilities.

But all of this disappeared with the death of the Duke seven years ago.

Anger slowly emerged in Henry's eyes. Even after so many years, he still hadn't forgotten the scene at that time:
Soldiers from the Duchy of Lower Lorraine suddenly swarmed on the border like locusts. They held swords and axes and madly hacked and killed everyone they met. Screams filled the entire fiefdom in an instant, and blood dyed the land red.

My father's slackness in martial arts backfired at this moment.

He no longer possessed the brave character and superb swordsmanship of his father, and the same was true for his entourage.

The hired caravan guards were not reliable at all. They turned around and disappeared without a trace when they saw the soldiers from Lower Lorraine.

My father was unable to use his sword to defend himself against the enemy, and in the end, he was captured.

Nobles could forgive each other on the battlefield, but this did not apply when annexing each other's territory.

Especially a noble who was only born fifty years ago.

Eradicating the problem completely is the best way to ensure the legitimacy of owning the land.

That day, my father still had the last bit of blood in his family. He and my mother strangled each other to death in the dungeon and went to heaven.

The family that rose up through blood and fire was eventually destroyed by blood and fire.
But before being captured, my father secretly had one of the family's most loyal followers escort him out of the territory.
"As long as the Meyer family still has blood, there is hope to restore the family's glory and wait for the day of revenge!" Recalling his father's bloodshot eyes and his tone full of hatred and pain, Henry wiped his face fiercely.
He failed to live up to his father's expectations
God was not on the side of Upper Lorraine. His family was like a microcosm of this duchy. Lower Lorraine completely annexed Upper Lorraine. The bloody executioner still sat on the throne of the Duke of Lorraine with a swagger, and had been doing so for seven years.

For seven years, he followed his entourage to travel in Alsace, Burgundy and other regions, and turned from a knight who could inherit a fief into a wandering knight.

Despite the destruction of Upper Lorraine, Henry still clung to his family crest.

For seven years, he learned martial arts from his squires and continued to improve over time, especially in cavalry warfare. Thanks to the excellent Percheron warhorse, he often killed looting bandits or other wandering knights during his wanderings.

There is also the fine steel sword that he brought out when he escaped from home. This is a treasure that the family bought at a high price. With proper maintenance, it is still sharp after so many years.

Because he was in a hurry, he didn't bring his armor with him and fled in a hurry wearing only a leather armor. His horse also injured its back during a charge.

That loyal attendant also died of illness a few months ago.

The birdsong in the sky awakened Henry's consciousness, and he took in the manor in front of him again.

That's right, the manor.

The water flows along the edge of the green river, and not far behind it is the mill. Behind the mill is a large bread oven and an unknown vaulted building. The sounds of goats and chickens can be heard from the small courtyard surrounded by a fence in the north. On the east side is a small field and a half-built house.

mill, land, bread oven
This place can already be called a manor.

Your own estate.

Henry ignored the two people who came out of the cabin and thought about the future development:
Although the mill is small, the ingenious water mill must be efficient; the fields can be cultivated further to grow more oats and peas; the half-built house looks pretty good, although it is not as good as the family's wooden castle back then, it has exceeded the standards of ordinary people.

As for how to complete these tasks, he certainly would not do it himself. He was a descendant of the nobility and would rather wander around and rob than do the work of an inferior person.

If the escort is not dead, it is natural for the escort to reclaim the land and build houses.

But even though the attendant is dead, aren't there two ready-made slaves right now?

Henry grinned. His martial arts skills were not as good as his grandfather's, and his business acumen was not as good as his father's, but fortunately he was lucky to have discovered such a treasure land in this ownerless wilderness valley!
During all these years of wandering, he had certainly encountered mountain people before, but they all only had a dilapidated wooden house, and he couldn't find much food even if he killed them casually. This was the first time he had seen such a rich place!
Since God has given him this place, it will be Henry's new fiefdom and the beginning of his family's resurgence!
Until then, Henry slowly turned his gaze to the two people in front of him, and then he was stunned.
The bearded man in the lead was actually wearing a half-body chain mail!

Would mountain people have chain mail?
Could he also be a knight?
No, no, there is no family crest anywhere. Moreover, even the most impoverished knight would not be so shabby if he had a fiefdom.

In this case, this chain mail will also be his. Henry's eyes gradually became hot. It seems that he is really blessed by God today!
"Hey!"

Henry opened his throat and shouted to the two people in front of him:

"Listen carefully! The man standing before you is Henry Meyer, the legitimate heir to the Waldeger Estate, the eldest son of the Meyer family, and a knight of the Duchy of Upper Lorraine!"

"You two civilians, if you surrender now, I can mercifully forgive you, otherwise I will make you taste blood!"

As soon as Henry finished speaking, he heard a sneer from the opposite side.

"Bah, what Meyer family? They're nothing but a bunch of wandering bandits!"

"You can't get anything from me but my sword!"

(End of this chapter)