Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 114 Enfeoffment
Kruse understood.

Carter and Kado are Reyes’s most trusted and capable followers. Both of them have the strength of a Bronze Knight and have followed their father in battles for more than ten years, remaining loyal to him.

In the past, Reyes himself was only a knight-lord, with limited territory. There was no extra land to grant to them, so he could only reward and grant them status as followers of the knight.

Now that Reyes has been promoted to baron, possessing a wider territory and the right to be knighted, it is both reasonable and necessary to reward these loyal old subordinates, as well as to consolidate his rule and establish a noble base.

This is a significant moment, marking the transformation of the Reyes family of Lionfang Territory from a powerful knightly family into a formal baronial family with vassal knights.

Kruse barely hesitated, a genuine smile spreading across his face. His gaze swept over Carter and Cardo, who were looking on expectantly, before turning to his father:
“Father, this is only right. Uncle Carter and Uncle Cardo have risked their lives for the family for many years, their loyalty is beyond question, and their strength is enough to protect their territory. Granting them knightly territories is not only a reward for their achievements, but also a way to better help us guard and govern the expanding Lion Fang Territory. I think it is very appropriate and necessary.”

His statement affirmed his father's decision and expressed respect for the two old knights, demonstrating maturity and consideration for the overall situation.

Reyes was clearly very satisfied with his eldest son's answer, and a smile appeared on his face.

Upon hearing this, Carter and Cardo stood up excitedly and gave Reyes and Kruse a solemn knightly salute.

"Thank you, Baron! Thank you, Young Master!" Their voices trembled slightly. "We will swear to serve the Lion Family to the death, and protect our fiefdom and people with our lives!"

Reyes waved for them to sit down, his tone becoming more formal: "Alright! In that case, the matter is settled. As for the specific division of fiefdoms, Kruze, you are more familiar with the current situation of the territories. We will discuss it in detail later, and we must select two pieces of land that can both demonstrate honor and have development potential as the foundation of the Carter and Cardo Knight territories!"

“Yes, Father.” Kruse nodded in agreement.

This is not merely a simple land division; it is also related to the future power structure, defense system, and economic development within Lion Fang Territory, and requires careful consideration.

Butler Buffet understood immediately and promptly spread out a meticulously drawn map of Lion's Tooth Territory on the large conference table.

On the map, the boundaries of the territory are clearly visible, and boundary markers have already been erected around it according to Kruse's previous plan, clearly defining the scope of the baron's rule.

Kruse picked up a slender baton for pointing, scanned the map with his eyes, and then pointed precisely to two areas.

“Father, before your return, I had already made preliminary plans for the territory.” His voice was steady, with the rigor of a report. “This area,” he said, pointing with his staff to a large expanse of land near the river, the soil marked in dark to indicate fertility, “I have planned as a new directly administered village, to be managed by our family, to settle the population and expand the core grain-producing area. Therefore, at present, only these two areas are available for granting fiefdoms.”

His baton landed on two other places on the map.

The eyes of everyone present followed.

The two knights awaiting investiture—Carter and Kado—looked at the two designated areas without showing any surprise, clearly indicating that they had privately been aware of and mentally prepared for the situation in their territories.

Everyone knows that the newly planned village has the most fertile land, which is the future and foundation of the territory, and there is absolutely no way it can be divided up.

The situation is quite different for the remaining two plots of land.

One area is right next to the edge of the Hornas Mountains, and the map even outlines the foothills with light strokes; the other area is closer to the original core area of ​​Liontooth Town, but the soil color marked on the map is significantly lighter, indicating that it is relatively barren.

Reyes looked at the two fief options and a hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes.

In the past, the land near the Hornas Mountains would have been the best choice, meaning richer hunting resources, potential mineral deposits, and potential trade routes to the mountains.

But now, though the dragon has retreated, its lingering power remains, and that region bears the brunt of the danger, its risks unpredictable. The land near the old territory, while safe, is barren, meaning limited productivity and restricted development potential.

"You can choose for yourselves." Reyes didn't hesitate much and handed the choice over to his two old subordinates directly, speaking frankly, "Each fiefdom is five hundred acres in size." He announced the size of the fiefdom directly.

This area is the limit he can currently allocate.

It wasn't that he was stingy, but rather that the Lion Fang Territory's foundation was not particularly abundant. Apart from the uncultivable forests, wastelands, and fertile lands that had to be directly controlled by the family, the total amount of arable land that the entire baronate could offer for granting was only about five thousand acres.

By distributing one-tenth of his wealth at once, he demonstrated his deep affection and great trust in these two followers.

Upon hearing this, Carter and Cardo did not hesitate at all. They immediately stepped forward, knelt on their right knees, and performed the standard knightly salute to Reyes.

They looked up, their faces not reflecting any concern about the quality of the land, but rather an overwhelming sense of gratitude and excitement.

"Thank you, Lord! We are very satisfied!"

Both of them were born serfs, and because of their bravery and loyalty, Reyes took them under his wing and nurtured them all the way to the pinnacle of Bronze Knights.

To them, Reyes was not only their lord, but also their mentor and the man who changed their destiny.

Obtaining a fiefdom meant that they not only had their own industry and the foundation for their inheritance, but more importantly, they and their descendants would be completely freed from the status of serfs and truly join the ranks of nobles, becoming members of the ruling class, even if they were only the lowest-ranking knights.

This seemingly thin barrier of social status is an insurmountable chasm that countless knights, even those of serf or commoner origin, could never cross in their entire lives.

At this moment, their dream has become a reality, and the excitement and gratitude they feel cannot be measured by the fertility of the land itself.

Looking at the two followers kneeling before him, Reyes was filled with emotion. He said in a deep voice, "Get up. Buffel will assist you with the specific land deeds later. Remember, protecting your fiefdom and people is the greatest loyalty you can show to Lion's Tooth Territory and the Lion Family."

"We swear to be loyal to you to the death!" Carter and Carter nodded repeatedly, their voices firm and resolute.

Thus, the first two vassal knights of Lion's Fang Territory were born.

The power structure of the territory has taken a solid and important step.

(End of this chapter)