The Dragon Girl would never like the Lord.

They don't say nice things, but they are very obedient and show enough respect when they first meet someone.

This is a microcosm of our times. In the minds of the lower classes, nobles are superior, and the blood flowing in their veins is different from their own.

When facing nobles, the only thing one can do is bow one's head and obey their orders.

"Ah."

As a qualified nobleman, Ron knew very well that he needed to maintain the proper aura of a nobleman in front of his subjects.

There was a time when a nobleman was too kind to his subjects, which aroused their suspicion that he was a fake nobleman. They then banded together and killed him.

Sometimes, when you think about it, it's quite sad.

“My name is Leonard Ron, and from now on I am your lord. Lazy lot, your end is near, because I will keep whipping you from behind to make you industrious.”

Ron raised his head and scanned the farmers present. Those who were seen lowered their heads even further, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Please rest assured, my lord, we will work very diligently..."

They spoke one after another, their accents carrying the tone of a northern village, yet one could still vaguely discern what they were saying.

"You seem to be in good spirits. Come here and collect your reward."

Ron nodded in satisfaction, took out a box, and sat down on the stool.

Upon hearing about the reward, the farmers' eyes lit up, and they excitedly gathered around.

However, they all stopped a meter away from Ron, and no one dared to get too close.

"Fifty taels of silver each, line up to receive it."

Without wasting any words, Ron opened the box full of silver coins and began distributing them one by one, head to head.

The farmers who received the silver coins knelt down and kowtowed in excitement.

"Thank you for your generosity, Lord. We will certainly work diligently to complete all the tasks you have assigned."

Actually, at first, they said all sorts of random things, including all sorts of ways of expressing their gratitude.

After all, many farmers can't even read a few words, let alone speak nice things.

He was a young farmer who had learned the expression of gratitude from somewhere, and so everyone followed suit.

However, some people always leave out a few words or add a few words.

Ron didn't care. After all, his level of education was what it was. In this world, not every village had a school. Proper academies only admitted nobles or wealthy merchants who were willing to spend money.

It can be said that more than 90 percent of the world's population is illiterate. Not to mention ordinary farmers, even many knights are illiterate.

The money was distributed very quickly, and in the blink of an eye, only a few dozen people remained.

It was then that Ron noticed that among the group of farmers was a woman in her twenties holding a sickly little girl.

Under normal circumstances, it is rare for a woman this young to be willing to become a farmer.

Either she and her husband would work together on the territory, producing offspring for the lord.

They were either older widows, preparing to choose a good family among the farmers to settle down with.

“Merciful lord, please don’t send us away. My daughter has just caught a cold. I promise she’ll be back to her old self in a couple of days after taking some medicine.”

The young mother, dressed in a plain dress, suddenly knelt on the ground and pleaded desperately.

Her voice attracted the attention of the surrounding farmers, and everyone looked at her.

"Where's your husband?"

Ron did not agree immediately, but instead asked the question that was on the minds of many people present.

"My husband passed away two years ago."

The woman bit her red lips tightly, as if she had remembered something sad, and her expression became even more sorrowful;

"After my husband passed away, my land and house were forcibly seized by my uncles. Now my daughter and I have nowhere to go. We only beg the lord to take us in. I can do laundry, cook, and mend clothes. Just give my daughter and me a bite to eat."

Actually, there was something else she didn't say. Her uncles and aunts, seeing that she had a plump bottom, was beautiful, and had a charming figure, forced her to become two men's mistresses so that they could give her a place to live.

For her daughter's sake, she almost agreed, but then she heard that many nobles had come to Winterfell to expand their territory and needed a large number of farmers.

On one hand, she's a plaything for two old men, being defiled daily; on the other hand, she's taking a gamble. Maybe she can live like a normal person.

In fact, she had thought a lot about it. She felt that when her daughter grew up, she would definitely not be able to escape the clutches of the two beasts. After much thought, she decided to come to Winterfell to see if she could become a servant of a nobleman and make a living.

The bumpy ride and the rain caused my daughter to catch a cold.

Everyone around her said that nobles wouldn't want a sick burden, and they all advised her to abandon her daughter so that she could be chosen by a nobleman.

But a daughter is flesh of her mother's flesh, how could she easily give her up?

"You wish! You think I'd take you and your daughter in, and now you want me to spend money on medicine for her? Do you think this is a charity?"

After learning about the mother and daughter's current situation, Ron felt a little uneasy.

However, this kind of thing—consuming the property of the destitute—is all too common. Not to mention the entire continent, it happens every day in the Kingdom of Saint-Tess alone.

Ron won't bother with people he hasn't encountered yet, but if he does encounter one and doesn't have to do anything, he'll help if he can.

However, as a lord, one cannot appear too benevolent in front of one's subjects; one needs to be shrewd and calculating so that they will not harbor any ill intentions.

"I...."

Upon hearing this, the woman felt as if the sky were about to fall; despair and helplessness filled her body and soul.

Finally, as if she had figured something out, she loosened her tightly clenched pink lips;

“My lord, besides that, I am also very good at serving people. As long as you have any needs, Jenny will do her best to satisfy you.”

In order to save her daughter's life, this mother named Jenny was willing to offer her body for the nobleman to abuse at will.

Actually, she had her reasons for doing this, because the nobleman she had just met had said that he was always thinking about doing *that* kind of thing...

"What are you talking about?"

Ron slammed his hand on the table and said somewhat angrily:

Do you see me as that kind of person?

"I'm so sorry, my lord, I didn't think you were that kind of person... I..."

Jenny panicked completely, and only when she came to her senses did she realize that what she had just said was far too explicit.

The other party is a nobleman, and even if he had that kind of need, he wouldn't agree to it in front of so many people.

This will undoubtedly become a stain on the other party's reputation.

"Alright, I happen to need a female worker to do laundry. Take these silver coins to buy medicine."

Ron's earlier remark was just to tease her; in the end, he handed the young mother twenty-odd silver coins and left nonchalantly.

For him, hiring such a female worker was not a loss at all. At most, he would give her some bonuses every year, which was more cost-effective than being a serf.

Ron certainly didn't agree because of her offer to serve him...

"Thank you, my lord. Jenny will certainly carry out all your orders diligently in the future..."

Sometimes, all it takes to go from despair to a new beginning is a single word from someone in a position of power.

Watching the man's departing figure, the young mother felt her cheeks burning as she remembered her promise to serve him wholeheartedly...

She seemed worried that this young nobleman would take advantage of her in various ways...

Chapter 81 The Last Night on the Way to the Frontier! A Gift for the Maid! (Bonus Chapter)

Winter City was bathed in warm sunlight, and its streets were bustling with people.

A horse-drawn carriage sped along the old stone road, its rolling wheels kicking up clouds of dust.

Ron, sitting in the carriage, let out a long sigh of relief.

With the issue of the people resolved and the preparatory work for the expansion completed, all work was essentially finished.

Once Fiona gets the supplies sorted out, everything will be perfect, and we can officially set off for the Thousand-Mile Swamp first thing tomorrow morning.

Expanding territory is no easy task; it requires a powerful knightly order, ample funds, and a dozen or so kinds of resources needed for expansion.

This is just what needs to be done before development begins; various problems will arise once development officially begins.

Of course, there's always a way out, and with such thorough preparation, any problems that arise can be easily solved.

There was no major crisis, but the minor crisis was Wilson Gray, their sworn enemy.

In terms of sheer numbers, Wilson Gray, with his fifty Holy Knights and three hundred ordinary knights, is naturally stronger!

However, Ron is not weak now either. He has thirty knights who have taken the full version of the potion, plus three dragon girls, making him no less powerful than Wilson Gray.

With her current strength, Fria could easily take on a dozen or so Holy Knights. Lucia and O'Ville could also use their abilities to assist in the attack.

Most importantly, Ron himself can fight against more than a dozen Holy Knights on his own, so the two sides are almost evenly matched.

In battle, there will never be a one-sided situation.

Of course, if Wilson Gray were on the offensive, Ron, with the swamp as a natural barrier, would have a huge advantage.

Once we arrive at the pioneering land, we can give our subordinates potions from mages, swift archers, and shadow assassins to significantly boost their combat strength.

Ron will be able to acquire three illustrations at once, which will make him capable of fighting against more than a dozen Holy Knights.