This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

Belfast's gaze then unconsciously fell on her left ring finger, where the vow ring that Dick had personally placed on her finger the previous night shone brightly in the sunlight. But more than its monetary value, Belfast valued the meaning it represented, which filled her with genuine happiness.

Belfast couldn't help but smile as she looked down at her adorable yet fierce little master in her arms. He was currently sleeping soundly, using her as a pillow, his tender little face pressed against Belfast's full, soft breasts. Judging from his appearance alone, he looked like a child who hadn't grown up yet. Belfast couldn't help but sigh inwardly as she recalled the passionate embrace of the previous night.

"She looks like an angel when she's asleep, but when she's awake, she's a real beast!"

Perhaps sensing Belfast's pounding heartbeat, the "cute beast" opened its eyes and sleepily looked up at Belfast.

Good morning, Belfast.

Good morning...darling.

Belfast hesitated slightly, then secretly changed to a more intimate term of address before offering a sweet good morning kiss. Following the increasingly tense atmosphere, they uncontrollably entered the "morning exercise" phase, lingering in bed for a while longer. Even when they went into the bathroom together, they couldn't manage to take a proper shower.

When the two of them came out of the room dressed, everyone in the restaurant who were about to have lunch immediately turned to look at them. Rita teased them with a slightly sour tone.

"Belfa, you must be really hungry. I was about to wake you up when I passed by the bedroom door, but I didn't dare to knock when I heard the noise."

"Ahem, it's not actually that exaggerated."

Belfast coughed lightly to cover her embarrassment, but when she raised her left hand, the sharp-eyed Rita immediately spotted the Oath Ring, and her pupils trembled instantly.

"Belfast, that, that's..."

"This was given by the master; everyone got a share, but I got it first this time."

Although Belfast maintained a harmonious relationship with her companions, this didn't stop her from revealing an undisguised sense of pride and boastfulness in her tone. It's worth noting that Rita was the one who took Dick's virginity first, and while Belfast didn't harbor resentment towards Rita for it, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret whenever she thought about it.

Now that we've turned the tide, how can we not show off our sisterly bond?

Hearing their conversation, the others at the table also turned to look. Upon seeing the Oath Ring on Belfast's hand, they couldn't hide their shock. Then they all looked at Dick, their resentful eyes conveying a strong message.

"Where's my ring?"

Actually, long ago, Dick had already decided that he would not marry an "outsider" or accept any form of arranged marriage. He only wanted to be with the girls around him, so he secretly prepared a lot of rings, wanting to give them a surprise at the right time.

So as soon as the orc war ended, Dick prepared to take action.

Incidentally, Dick initially planned to gather all the girls he was emotionally invested in for a group proposal, aiming to "treat everyone equally."

But then he felt that this was not good, because everything has a first-come, first-served order, and it is unfair to insist on serving everyone equally. So he changed his mind and decided to do it one by one.

And so, Belfast, the most senior and hardworking person, naturally took the top position.

Under such intense and intense stares from everyone, even Dick, with his thick skin, couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed and quickly waved his hand.

"Yes, we have them all! Don't worry, we have them all."

"Wow! We now have a full twenty sisters, is Mr. Dick going to marry them all?"

Hearing that Dick wanted to marry everyone, the girls who had already been with him were naturally very happy, while many of those who were still in a "more than friends" relationship also revealed a hint of girlish anticipation amidst their shyness.

So, at everyone's insistence, and since everyone was present for once, lunch was temporarily put aside, and Dick began to distribute the Oath Rings to the group.

After receiving the rings, the bolder ones immediately offered a kiss, while the shyer ones mustered up the courage to kiss Dick's cheek or forehead.

It's worth mentioning that, as the last member of the JK group to join, Ai had already "flew" in the sky with Dick because she wanted to learn magic, but she only kissed Dick's forehead. On the other hand, Honoka, who didn't have a deep relationship with Dick, kissed his lips affectionately.

This girl is said to be a martial arts genius, but she has a very carefree personality. She is currently undergoing ninja training with Momiji and plans to join the intelligence group in the future.

What Dick didn't know was that Honoka's affection for him actually stemmed from Momiji's missionary work.

After everyone received their rings, they enjoyed a pleasant lunch together. Several department heads sat closer to Dick so they could discuss government affairs while eating.

First, Ruby Eyes reported on the annual financial summary report that had just been completed. It was originally supposed to be completed at the end of last year, but it was postponed until now due to the war.

Due to the massive losses caused by the war, Lagug's finances are currently in a severe deficit. They have only managed to weather this crisis thanks to the strong support from the Beston family. Otherwise, the refugees they've taken in would have been enough to cause their immediate collapse.

Fortunately, the battle was won, which boosted the morale of the people, and their support and trust in the lord reached its peak. Lagug itself was not directly damaged and, ironically, benefited from the misfortune, received a large influx of people. Most of the refugees, after being persuaded, expressed their willingness to stay and settle in Lagug, since their original homes in the west had been completely destroyed by the orcs, and now, penniless, they wouldn't be able to survive even if they returned.

These refugees are all high-quality laborers, and they are all from northern Hesse. They share the same language, ethnicity, and customs as the locals of Lagug. Lagug is not short of land, so as long as the lord's mansion can manage it well, there will be no major conflicts.

What they need to do now is to try to maintain stability so that in two months when spring arrives, they can organize new immigrants to reclaim wasteland and plant high-yield corn.

Considering the scale of this year's planting, the local area of ​​Laguge alone has expanded more than tenfold compared to last year. After all, many farmers who were still hesitant last year have changed their minds this year. In addition, there's the portion that was promised to be sold to Northern Alliance allies at member prices. Just turning corn into corn this year will keep Lucoa busy for quite some time.

However, considering that Lucoa uses magic to turn corn seeds into seeds, and that her magic comes from Dick, in a sense, when spring planting begins, what will be planted in the ground will all be Dick's "seeds".

Chapter 160: What's coming will come.

As the goddess of "harvest" in Mesoamerican mythology, Lucoa (feathered serpent goddess) can theoretically conjure any crop native to the Americas out of thin air using magic, such as potatoes, peppers, sunflowers, etc.

But corn is the "chosen crop" designated by Quetzalcoatl, and it is Lucoa's destiny. It is the easiest crop for her to grow, as it consumes less magic power. Moreover, after the corn is planted, it will receive the blessing of Lucoa's "harvest" divine status.

In other words, under the same planting conditions, corn grown in Laguge will grow faster, be more disease-resistant, and yield significantly higher than corn grown elsewhere.

So they only planted corn in the first year, since it was the safest and least likely to fail.

However, starting this year, since food and clothing are no longer a problem, we can moderately pursue "eating well," which is a good thing that can significantly improve the happiness of residents. Dick plans to enrich the local crop varieties. In addition to having Lucoa provide more Earth crops for the farmers' association to promote, he will also try to introduce native crops from this world.

Without the influence of the Winter God, the normal climate in Laguge is between temperate and subarctic, with four distinct seasons. Many things that couldn't grow before can now be grown again.

The original three staple foods—wheat and black beans—will have their planting area reduced and be converted into livestock feed, while yams will be completely phased out. These yams are poisonous; eating them raw can be fatal. They must be chopped up and cooked into a paste before consumption. In the past, every year in Laguge, one or two hundred people would suffer food poisoning from undercooked yams; these were mostly the poorest people at the bottom of society, who would starve to death if they didn't eat them.

Ultimately, these three old crops, apart from being extremely cold-resistant, have many other drawbacks: they grow slowly, have low yields, and are both unpalatable and stomach-irritating. They accompanied the ancestors of Laguge through the most difficult and frigid years, and now it's time for them to retire gracefully.

In addition to promoting improved varieties and cultivating new farmland, Ruby Eyes also plans to fully promote water conservancy projects and upgrade farm tools within its territory. Last year's pilot project was quite successful, and with existing successful cases, it is believed that the promotion and implementation will be much simpler.

In addition to agricultural development, Hongyu Zhitong also emphasized the matter of "technology introduction".

Lagug's current industrial base is practically nonexistent. This is not a situation that Dick can change simply by summoning a few technical experts, unless he can summon Doraemon.

However, based on what the Crimson Eyes has learned over the past year, the Empire is not actually lacking in technology. Over the past few decades, tens of thousands of Earthlings have been summoned to this world. The technologies and ideas they brought, after being integrated with local magic and alchemy, have given birth to many advanced technologies.

However, many of these advanced technologies have not been used in the right places, let alone promoted.

Hongyu Zhitong gave Dick a list of technologies she had selected after sending people to the capital last year to investigate. These technologies had low technical barriers, met the development needs of Laguge, and could be utilized quickly after being introduced.

The key to their introduction is not the technology itself, but rather skilled workers who understand the technology, especially technical backbones who can serve as middle management in the factory.

In fact, while Hongyu Zhitong possessed the technical skills, building a factory couldn't be accomplished by her alone. Furthermore, the local people of Laguge were still in the early stages of literacy education.

Therefore, they should adopt a two-pronged approach: while promoting basic education for the local population and improving the overall quality of the population, they should also vigorously attract skilled workers and various technical talents.

If Dick doesn't mind, he could try to use the Bestburn family's connections.

The following morning, Dick summoned the other six lords to discuss matters concerning the future development of the Northern Alliance. Having come prepared, Dick first presented a plan for everyone to review.

First, the organizational structure of the Northern Alliance needs to be upgraded. It cannot be like the previous coalition forces, which created a chaotic and makeshift organization.

Dick proposed a three-tiered membership system. The existing seven lords are first-tier members. First-tier members have the right to propose motions, double the voting rights, and the right to run for the alliance leader within the Northern Alliance. Dick is currently the first alliance leader, and the alliance leader will be re-elected every five years.

Secondly, strict control must be exercised over the recruitment of new members, and Dick has developed a complete approval process for this purpose.

Newcomers do not immediately become official members of the Northern Alliance. Instead, they are given a temporary status called "observational candidate." Every January, the Northern Alliance holds a vote, with official members voting to select from the observational candidates. Those who receive more than two-thirds of the total votes can become official members of the Northern Alliance as Level 2 members. However, Level 2 members only have voting rights. To be promoted to Level 1 members, Level 2 members need to have made significant contributions and receive unanimous approval from the existing Level 1 members.

Finally, it clarifies the obligations and benefits that members should fulfill after joining Beilian.

The Northern Alliance was originally established to counter the threat of orcs from the northern wastelands; therefore, at least for now, it is a standard military alliance. If the orcs invade again, the lords of the Northern Alliance member lords must respond to the leader's call and form a "joint force" to jointly resist the invasion of this powerful enemy.

As for the benefits that members can enjoy, in addition to security guarantees, Dick also suggested that members reduce the "entry fees" for their territories, which are regional tariffs. In addition, as the first leader of the alliance, he should also set an example. Members of the Northern Alliance can enjoy a 15% discount when purchasing corn seeds from him.

Upon hearing this, the other lords present all praised Dick's generosity, but they did not yet know that this was not a one-time transaction at all, but rather that they would have to buy seeds from Dick every year thereafter.

After the meeting, the lords led their troops back to their territories, and Dick, after seeing off his allies, began to focus on dealing with the internal affairs of his own territory.

Time flies by in the midst of our busy lives, and before we knew it, it was mid-April, another year of winter turning to spring.

Of the large number of refugees taken in by Lagug, more than 120,000 eventually chose to stay and settle down. Among them were many serfs who had escaped from their masters during the war. Dick promised everyone that as long as they were willing to stay, they could register with the civil official and be immediately granted the status of legal residents of Lagug. This had an unparalleled attraction for those serfs who had lived like livestock.

After the start of spring, the vast majority of these 120,000 new immigrants threw themselves into the busy production and construction work. Whether it was land reclamation or infrastructure upgrades within the territory, these were large-scale projects that required a massive amount of labor. As a result, the entire territory was bustling with activity.

Just as Dick was feeling happy watching his territory prosper, a group of unexpected guests suddenly visited his castle.

Seeing the other person's white robe with gold trim, Dick smiled on the surface but cursed inwardly.

These charlatans who love to take advantage of others have finally set their sights on me!

Chapter 161: Religion is not about fighting and killing.

Inside the reception room of Lagog Castle, a refined-looking middle-aged priest in a white robe embroidered with gold sat before Dick, holding a teacup in his hand. He took an elegant sip of black tea and exclaimed in admiration.

"The black tea is delicious. Thank you for your hospitality, Count."

The white-robed priest before Dick introduced himself as "Naus," and said he came from the headquarters of the Sanctuary Church. His white priestly robe, trimmed with gold, indicated that he was a special envoy of the Church. These special envoys mainly served as the Pope's eyes and ears and mouthpiece, generally responsible for visiting various dioceses to monitor the work of local priests, or acting as diplomatic envoys to relay messages from the headquarters of the Church.

Although the Holy Church is a religious group, its international status is equivalent to that of a first-tier power. With its millions of believers, it often takes the initiative to act as a mediator when disputes occur between countries. Many weak countries have been spared from being annexed by powerful countries precisely because of the protection of the Church.

After all, the Pope really does have a lot of divisions under his command!

So even though he didn't like these charlatans, Dick wouldn't openly antagonize them. However, he was also very opposed to letting the church's influence enter Lagug. So at this moment, he was thinking quickly about how to refuse them in a tactful and amicable way.

"Excuse my boldness, but I do not yet know what brings Your Excellency to Laguge."

"My lord, your territory has never had a church, has it?"

"Yes, not yet. After all, the living conditions here are too harsh. The common people are already struggling to survive every day, and they really don't have the extra energy or money to go to the church. And as you should know, we just had a war here. The losses caused by the war have almost drained both nobles and commoners. We really can't raise money to build a church."

Dick was frantically complaining about being poor, but Naus just laughed and said...

“My lord, I think you may have misunderstood my purpose. I have come to Lagug not to persuade you to build a church in your territory.”

"Oh! What's that for?"

"I want to know the truth about the disappearance of the super-winter. It seems that since you took office as the governor of Lagug, Lagug has experienced two consecutive winters of abnormality... Ah! Forgive my inaccurate wording just now, it should be 'returned to normal.' There are also rumors that the great magician Mr. Behemoth has settled in your territory. As the lord, do you know anything about this?"

When Naus asked about the “super winter”, Dick looked at him and thought to himself that the climate change in Lagug had indeed been discovered by someone with a keen eye, and the first to discover this “anomaly” was the church forces in Lagug that did not have permanent staff.

After a moment's thought, Dick countered with a question.

"I've heard that the Holy Church has the ability to communicate with the gods within the divine realm, is that true?"

"Yes, the Church is God's agent on earth. We can indeed communicate with God. The Church's concern about the situation in Lagug is actually due to a divine oracle."

"Then you should know everything, why ask questions you already know the answers to?"

Naus was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then revealed a relieved smile.

"It seems that Your Excellency is also aware of the matter. Then let's not beat around the bush. How is the Winter God doing?"

"That's good. He's not having nightmares anymore and is sleeping peacefully."

"Has the seal not been lifted?"

"No, he reinforced it himself."

“No wonder… In that case, we can’t invite Lord Winter to the Divine Realm.”

He didn't want to be disturbed.

Dick shook his head, politely declining the invitation from the divine realm on behalf of Ajax, the god of winter. Naus, on the other side, didn't insist either. After all, no matter how powerful the Church was, it wouldn't dare force a true god to do something he didn't want to do.

Dick couldn't help but wonder what the Church and the gods behind them really thought of Ajax.

"The Church's secret scriptures contain a very detailed account of Ajax, the god of winter. Although he has committed great sins, he is not an evil god, so the divine realm has always welcomed him. However, since he has sealed himself away, the gods will respect his will."

Naus's words sounded polite, but upon closer examination, a hint of something fishy was revealed.

The Church knew of Ajax, the god of winter, but for so many years, they had never erected an image of him in their temples, nor had they ever spread his name to the world. Instead, they allowed his name and deeds to be forgotten and distorted over time. It wasn't until they discovered that the unusually cold winter in Lagug had disappeared that they sent people to confirm the situation. It can only be said that even gods are so cold-hearted.

However, judging from the current situation, the Church and the Divine Realm are still relatively friendly towards Ajax; otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the initiative to extend an olive branch. The world today is no longer the barbaric era where religious wars were fought at the drop of a hat. Hundreds of years ago, the religious world achieved a great unity that secular countries have yet to achieve. The gods united and integrated the originally scattered sects into a unified "Church of the Holy Realm".

The church's attitude toward the Winter God was also clear: they would try their best to win him over, but if he wanted to continue sleeping soundly as before, the gods would not force him, as long as he remained neutral and did not side with the Demon Realm.

No wonder some people say that modern religion is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and social interactions!

After learning about the situation with the Winter God, Naus said that his mission was complete and he would return to the Holy See headquarters to report to the Pope. He also reassured Dick that, out of respect for the ancient gods, the Church would not establish a church in Ragug, the resting place of the Winter God Ajax.

Dick, whose thoughts had been seen through, remained noncommittal, but then a new idea popped into his head, so he called out to Naus, who was getting up to say goodbye.

"Special Envoy, please wait."

"Is there anything else, Your Excellency?"

"I would like to ask, if I were to re-establish the faith in the Winter God Ajax in Lagug, what would the Church's attitude be? I have received the Winter God's grace and should repay him. Helping him re-establish his faith on earth should not disturb his peace. Of course! I have no intention of opposing the Church of the Holy Land, and I also hope to establish friendly relations with the Church."

In front of Naus, Dick not only explained his original intention, but also elaborated on the real reasons that drove him to this idea, which was to use orthodox religion to fight against the various cults that have always existed in the area.

In fact, not only in Lagug, but the entire northern region of the empire, due to its remote and backward geography and the general ignorance of its people, became an ideal breeding ground for cults.

When Dick was suppressing bandits on a large scale, he also wiped out many cult strongholds. For example, the Deer Head Gang, which had been a menace to the area, worshipped a deer-headed god whose faith even originated from the orcs.

Now, with the influx of new immigrants into Lagug, many cult members have infiltrated, lurking in the shadows and bewitching the unsuspecting populace. For the past two months, Tia's intelligence department has expended considerable effort to eradicate these hidden pests, but they haven't been able to completely eliminate them.

Since the Church of Sanctuary did not intend to enter Lagog and held a friendly attitude towards the winter god Ajax, Nadik simply used Ajax's name to establish a new sect in Lagog that worshipped the winter god.