I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 96 Salic Law
"Master Dean, what do you mean?"

Luc sat upright, unconsciously putting his hand on the purse at his waist. Pierre finally talked about the topic he cared about most.

——A noble title!
Luc’s biggest shortcoming at the moment is his identity.

His mountain forest is not an isolated island. There may not be any major problems in the short term of three to five years, but as time goes by and the manor expands, sooner or later it will be exposed to the world. At that time, if Luc is just a veteran, he will be greeted with countless intrusions, and there will be no need for any reason. The most direct enemy is most likely Baron Berry of Cooper Castle.
After all, for a commoner to own a piece of territory is itself a sin.

But what if he had been a Burgundian noble?

Although Baron Berry still has the possibility of launching an attack, he at least needs to think carefully and consider some reasons.

Luc waited quietly for Pierre to speak, but after he finished speaking, he suddenly fell silent.

Luke showed a look of understanding, waved his hand and asked Ryan who was standing beside him to present the white paper in the package.

Pierre smiled immediately.

Taking the white paper from Ryan's respectful hand, Pierre placed it on his knee and stroked it gently, exclaiming, "What a great creation."

There is no need to say much about the price of parchment. It is so valuable that one piece can even buy a house.

The white paper was slightly lower, but it also played a great role in Pierre's pursuit of the position of abbot of a monastery in the county.

Now, he only has one last step left to secure his position as dean.

Pierre raised his weathered eyes, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes slowly unfolded. "Mr. Luc, have you ever been acquainted with the Salic Law?"

Salic Law?

Luc frowned slightly. He knew the code but didn't understand why Pierre suddenly brought it up.

Pierre soon solved Luc's puzzlement.

"Mr. Luc, you are lucky because of this code."

Pierre's eyes moved slightly. "About half a month ago, a pious and brave knight under Baron Berry returned to God."

"He owns a fertile piece of land in the east, but unfortunately, his brother left home a long time ago to venture out and hasn't returned for over a decade. He also has no children, only a daughter."

"I think you have guessed that according to Salic law, women have no right to inherit their father's territory, and their family has no branches, so..."

"So, you want me to marry this knight's daughter and inherit her family's title and territory?"

Luke took a deep breath. It was not uncommon to inherit someone else's territory through marriage. Many princes and other high-ranking nobles would adopt this method.

He would eventually marry, and the possibility of pursuing free love in the Middle Ages was too small. It was a good choice to obtain a title in this way, and there was also a piece of land.
But is Pierre really willing to give himself so many benefits?

"To be precise, there is only a title, no land."

Sure enough, Pierre's next words revealed Luc's true treatment.

"Mr. Luc, you must understand that Knight Baldwin's territory does not necessarily have to be inherited by others. If there is no heir, Baron Berry has the right to reclaim it or send other knights to inherit it!"

"I've worked so hard to secure this generous offer for you because you're a devout believer. Otherwise, do you think anyone can become a knight?" Pierre untied the cross on his chest and said meaningfully, "Mr. Luc, please don't ask about territorial matters."

The authority of the church was heavy, but at this time it was far from being above secular power.

Decades later, a Holy Roman Emperor walked barefoot in the snow of northern Italy for three days, marking the beginning of the supreme divine power.

Despite this, there were beginning to be signs of the church intervening in secular affairs.

This is exactly what Pierre is doing now.

The church also needs land to support this group of pampered monks. Although some fanatical believers will voluntarily donate their own territory, they are rare. More often, they annex land through marriage, political means, instigating aristocratic wars, usury, etc.

Pierre bribed the upper-level monks with the wealth brought by the white paper, but he was always one step away from truly ascending the throne. Now the death of Knight Baldwin instantly gave Pierre an opportunity.

Baldwin's territory lay at the easternmost edge of the Baron's fiefdom, very close to a monastery within the county. If Pierre could acquire this land and connect it to the monastery, it would be hard not to become the abbot of the mother house. Who wouldn't like an abbot who could bring wealth to the upper class and expand the church's territory?
As for Baron Berry?
Pierre's lips curled up. This equally greedy and shrewd nobleman certainly would not watch him divide up his territory, but it didn't matter, because it would not be so easy for him to turn Baldwin's territory into his own direct fiefdom.

As the dean of the place, Pierre knew that Baron Berry had at least two knights of the inner court who had not yet been granted land because of their military merits. If he did not want his vassals to become alienated, then his only choice was to grant Baldwin's land to them.

So Pierre's method of persuading the other party was very simple. He would find someone who was willing to inherit the territory, donate half of the land to the church, and then publicly give up the remaining half of his territory to Baron Berry. At that time, Berry would naturally be able to take over and occupy it for himself!
Coincidentally, Luc was the best candidate in Pierre's mind.

Pierre actually didn't know whether Luc was really a nobleman of Upper Lorraine. He didn't say anything before for Finny's sake, but he didn't expect that it would become the most reasonable excuse now.

After all, the daughter of a knight cannot marry into the family of a commoner.

Even if he and Baron Berry did not object, the two inner knights under Berry would make a big fuss about it.

As for whether Luc is really a Knight of Upper Lorraine, with a family crest and blank paper technology, and daily conversations also show that he has a good education, it is likely to be true. But whether it is true or not, the Duchy of Upper Lorraine has been destroyed. Even if it had not been destroyed, it is impossible for him to go to the regional monastery in the Upper Lorraine area to verify the other party's identity. Besides, is the identity of a knight without territory really important?
At least not as important as the dean of one's own alma mater.

"Thank you for your kindness, Dean, but I have two questions."

"Oh? What is it?"

Pierre was a little surprised that Luc did not agree immediately.

"First question, Your Excellency, with all due respect, I am already a knight of Upper Lorraine. It seems meaningless to obtain the title of a knight of Burgundy without any territory."

Pierre's proposal had already tempted Luc. What if he didn't have territory? He didn't need it. As long as he had a title, it would be fine!

But after thinking it over, he suppressed his excitement and hoped to seek more benefits for himself. Luc had long seen through this group of people. If he didn't take the initiative to fight for it, he would never be able to get more profits.

Pierre's face immediately darkened when he heard this.

"Mr. Luc, with all due respect, Upper Lorraine is dead! Its knighthood is worthless! But the Duchy of Burgundy remains standing, and its knighthood is priceless! If you don't want it, I'll find someone else."

"How could I possibly refuse the Dean's kindness? But you also know that if I marry the daughter of Knight Baldwin, I will need some income to support her. You don't want to see the daughter of a knight who follows the Lord fall into a state where she can barely afford a piece of bread, do you?"

Pierre stared at Luc's deerskin coat, swallowed some words, and frowned, "So what do you want?"

"Master Dean, I won't think about Baldwin's fertile land, but could you please ask Baron Berry to grant me Ward Village to the northwest? It's a barren land with less than seven households."

(End of this chapter)