Chapter 154: Settling Down

George walked forward and pulled open the wooden window. Through the opening, he could see the neatly stacked stone bricks inside.

George leaned his body forward a little, and he could roughly see the structure inside. This was a special vertical shaft built into the wall. It had openings on different floors so that every floor could get water in time.

“This is basically the same as the well pit in a Castle,” George said immediately.

“No! No! No! In terms of difficulty, this is much harder than the well pit in a Castle. The ground under a Castle has water-bearing sandy soil or gravel layers. Once the bedrock is laid, the problem is solved. At most, a water-proof layer is added. But in the rock walls of this valley, that is not possible. It relies on a hidden underground river below.” Knight Val said, pulling George back from the water hole. “Finding the hidden river and digging the vertical shaft are two tasks that cannot be compared in difficulty.”

“In that case, you are right. But if it is a hidden underground river, there is still a danger of poisoning. If the enemy is willing to pay the price, it is not impossible.” George asked with some confusion. As mentioned before, this is a world where abilities like Magic and Divine Arts are natural. Many things that were impossible or difficult to do in the world before crossing over can be achieved here without much difficulty.

“Do you remember the poisoning incident I mentioned about 100 years ago? Guess how many people were poisoned at that time.” Knight Val said, stroking his chin to build suspense.

George thought for a moment and gave his answer: “It should not exceed one hundred people. After all, there are Divine Arts for inspection. Although Commoners cannot be checked as strictly as the army, their eating and sleeping schedules are not as unified as the army’s. If a few families have problems, others will suspect the well water. The possibility of a large-scale outbreak should not be high.”

Knight Val held up three fingers and said: “Yes, you are right about that. Only more than thirty people were poisoned that time. However, the Divine Arts used to purify the well water were quite a lot, because the poison used by the enemy was also rare.”

“If you add the Divine Arts and medicine used to save people, it seems like the enemy made a profit.” George said, frowning.

Anyway, after the side was taken advantage of, few people could be happy. Even though this was an old story, it still made people feel upset. It was like people from Tianchao before crossing over hearing about the Nanjing Massacre. No matter how long it has been, this is a history that must never be forgotten.

“So even if this hidden river is poisoned, the cost for us is just more consumption of Divine Arts items. If the enemy poisoned the well water like last time, the cost we would pay would be much higher than theirs. But if they poison this hidden river, the cost they would have to pay would be much higher than the cost for us.” Knight Val said, patting George on the shoulder to tell him to relax.

George suddenly understood something from Knight Val’s previous words. He tentatively put forward his view: “Besides, in terms of material accumulation, our Duchy of Nohan has much more than those tribes on the grassland, right!”

“Uh!” Knight Val obviously paused for a moment. Then he looked at George with a complex expression and said: “You are the first person to realize the Duchy’s combat strategy just from a few sentences like this.”

Not only Knight Val, but the eyes of the Ahuatan Knight, Hiren, and Chrispian around them also became a bit unnatural as they looked at George.

Feeling a bit creepy under everyone’s gaze, George quickly explained: “This is because it is quite similar to the strategy of our Bolerum Territory! We also use the method of preparing a large amount of supplies to reduce casualties. Because of this similarity, I am just more sensitive to it.”

Knight Val heard some clues in George’s words. Combined with the changes in the territory over the past few years, he sighed: “This is why you started to vigorously develop commerce after taking over the management of the territory, right? During these years, the standing troops in our territory have changed constantly. I am not very convenient to express other changes in words for now. But just looking at the equipment, compared to these cool guys now, the equipment our old soldiers used before was really too poor.”

Why did I say equipment? Because this is the most intuitive thing. Among the people present, there was Chrispian, a member of the Bolerum Territory. In Knight Val’s opinion, although the family Chrispian represented had no obvious conflict with House Bolerum and were natural allies when fighting external enemies, it was better not to let them know some things. As for equipment, this was something that could not be hidden, so it could be said openly. It was also beneficial to eliminate their suspicions.

Chrispian swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said: “It is really so. Most of the young men in our territory envy your armor! Compared to them, those leather armors that have been repaired many times and used for who knows how many years look like beggars when worn.”

Seeming to see a business opportunity, George walked over to Chrispian and patted his shoulder, saying: “If you want, you can place an order with me. As a friend, I will give you a ten percent discount.”

“Even with a ten percent discount, those light armors cost 45 Gold Coins each. If we equip every soldier with such armor, it is really a considerable expense. I just don’t know if Father will agree.” Chrispian counted on his fingers and said with a gloomy face.

Seeing a business opportunity meant you had to strike while the iron was hot and not let the chance slip away. George immediately encouraged him: “Don’t worry. If you tell Baron Kachipull about this idea when you return, I think he will support you. No matter how expensive the weapons and equipment are, they are not as valuable as experienced old soldiers. Because the ones who can really fight on the battlefield are not those weapons and equipment, but those brave men who fight bloodily on the front lines. Besides, the ownership of those armors and weapons is still in your hands. They are just temporarily granted to the soldiers for use.”

“I will go back and try it after the siege ends this time.” Chrispian said very confidently.

After settling this matter, Knight Val took George to the office of the supreme commander of Brandenburg, Baron Abercrombie Cokele Garfield. Baron Abercrombie Cokele Garfield belonged to the Garfield family, which was one of the branches of His Grace the Duke’s family. For a national gateway as important as the Northern Fortress, His Grace the Duke naturally felt safe only when it was in the hands of his own people.

“What! The other party is only a nominal commander?” George almost screamed after hearing something incredible. Fortunately, he kept his reason at all times and quickly lowered his voice.

“Yes, in terms of war, he is only a nominal commander. In fact, he is more like a civil official, responsible for the logistics management and daily management of the whole Brandenburg. After everything entered military rule during wartime, he was only responsible for the later stage. I have to say he is really good at this. As for going to the battlefield, he will not get a chance before we die. If we die, besides committing suicide, he can actually do nothing.” Knight Val’s explanation was quite short, but it introduced the matter quite completely.

George asked very confusedly: “Is the other party not a Knight?”

“No. In the Duchy, besides our Viscount Bolerum, there is no one else who is both a Knight and has the talent and patience for handling such trivial matters. Of course, in the future, you, George, might be added. But some things still need to be done by specialized and skilled people. The daily management and logistics of Brandenburg are not easy tasks. And in wartime, his relatively smooth handling makes him a qualified lubricant between different generals.” It seemed that Knight Val was quite satisfied with such a commander.

“But when encountering key problems, isn’t a person needed to make the final decision?” George felt that this was really very strange.

Knight Val said quite straightforwardly: “That is not necessary. Our plan is proposed by the Knights present and then revised and perfected. If there are different opinions, the final decision is made by voting. And we do not need a too detailed plan. Because the more detailed the plan is, the more links and external conditions are involved. The probability of mistakes leading to failure is also greater.”

The Ahuatan Knight beside them also nodded in agreement. It seemed that this kind of Round Table Conference handling method was also very popular. Could this be called an alternative democracy? A democracy belonging only to the elite class.

Baron Abercrombie Cokele Garfield had an average height and a wide forehead. His thick black hair had not turned white. However, the deep sunken pits on his dark cheeks and the deep wrinkles on his full forehead revealed his age to everyone. He had a big nose, a slightly wide mouth, and a pair of lively, bright, and spirited eyes. Under his bright and shining gaze, confidence, determination, and optimism were fully contained.

The whole report process went very smoothly and was solved in less than a few minutes. Then the nominal supreme commander of the fortress, Baron Abercrombie Cokele Garfield, went back to his pile of documents.

On the first day here, Knight Val did not take the group to familiarize themselves with their posts. Instead, he gave them a day to rest and adjust. Except for Chrispian, Aldred and Ben had already been waiting for George in Brandenburg for some time. On the contrary, Green, who should have been the most idle, was tied up by family matters and could not arrive here for the time being.

“Is that so? Green is not the Heir of the family. How could he encounter this situation?” Not only was George, who had just arrived, confused, but Ben also could not figure out what was going on.

The territory closest to Green’s was Aldred’s. He only gave a somewhat uncertain answer: “I passed his house when I came. Although I asked for the reason, he refused to say it no matter what. But according to his explanation, although he will be a bit late, he will definitely make it here.”

Although one person was missing, the few people who rarely met each other were in good spirits. Ben, who could be considered a half-landlord, led the group to visit all the non-critical parts of the fortress. At the same time, George learned that those small bungalows with ventilation openings only the size of a palm were actually brothels. It turned out that besides the prostitutes standing on the roads, there were the same health workers inside the fortress.

The guard duty in Brandenburg was quite boring and dull. Soldiers taking turns on duty day and night also accumulated a lot of pressure. There must be a good outlet for these pressures. Otherwise, slacking off would only be a relatively minor situation. The most troublesome thing was that it would make soldiers irritable, and they would inevitably quarrel with each other. In serious cases, they might even fight with knives.

Games like chess, arm wrestling, and practice matches could not solve this problem well. Only certain special service industries could alleviate this symptom to some extent. So for those low-level soldiers, this was indeed true psychological health service.

The manager of the fortress, Baron Abercrombie Cokele Garfield, believed that this business could not only solve the problems of the guard soldiers but also bring in a certain amount of tax revenue. The attitude was to encourage and support it behind the scenes, although not openly. As for the leaders of each army, they turned a blind eye to the disciplinary violations of their soldiers. After all, compared to the trouble caused by these energetic young men, this consensual behavior was considered good.

This was a bit like Tianchao before crossing over. In places where factories were everywhere, the entertainment industry was developed. Because the life pressure and boredom of those industrial workers were not much worse than those of the soldiers in Brandenburg. Plus, the physiological needs after reaching a certain age and the serious imbalance of gender ratios in heavy industry. Vibrant nightlife venues became the best place for these working-class people to relax their spirits in their spare time.

During every strict crackdown, the production efficiency of these factories would show a significant decline. Someone once said that if there was anyone who did not want these special service industries to close down, it would be those big bosses of the real economy. It was not because they liked these special service industries; they had their own exclusive private cars and did not have to squeeze on the bus with the people below. But without these service personnel, there would be big trouble in the factories.

Even a strict crackdown of less than a month would cause small fluctuations in output or the qualified rate of finished products. If it was completely banned, what would happen? In fact, given the population structure of Tianchao at that time, unless large numbers of foreign brides were introduced, a complete ban on special service industries would cause a surge in the crime rate. Similarly, the government’s stability maintenance costs would also surge.

It was precisely because of this realistic demand that the government never truly prepared to solve this problem from the root in the later years. But considering social trends, value orientations, and other factors, as well as the protests of so-called feminists, the government completely denied it at the legal level and conducted regular inspections and clean-ups.

Of course, since the situation was so widespread, some serious human rights violations did occur occasionally. This kind of behavior was the main target of the government’s crackdown.

With such a view, George naturally did not have too much rejection of this situation in the fortress. Besides, in most places in this world, this behavior was absolutely not illegal. The problem was that the number here was really too many! Just the number of shops accounted for seven-tenths of the total. The rest were barber shops, laundry rooms, and other daily service industries.

The dinner in Brandenburg was naturally absolutely no match for the territory. But compared to camping in the wild during the journey, it was a significant improvement.

Fresh cabbage leaves were blanched in hot water. Although there was no olive oil or salt to stir, it had a unique attraction for people who had not eaten green leafy vegetables for many days.

The rest was onion bean bacon soup and the unchanging Black Bread. As Nobles, George and others could get fresh roasted meat and cheese. Ordinary officers had other extra meals, and everything seemed to have clear ranks.

At the dining table, George finally learned about the lead poisoning problem he was most worried about. As a result, under the explanation of the knowledgeable Val, he found that in this world, drinking fresh juice appropriately would help expel those heavy metals through urine.

The situation in the bedroom was also satisfactory. Bundles of fragrant herbs hung on the walls, making the air filled with a scent. The herbs spread on the ground also emitted a pleasant fragrance after being stepped on by passing people.

The wooden bed boards with linen mattresses filled with dry straw, paired with thick quilts, were also quite comfortable. Heavy tapestries hung on the doors to stop the wind from the fortress from blowing in. But these were privileges only Nobles could enjoy. The soldiers below only had bed boards and quilts.

As for the place to solve the three urgent needs, it was not as simple as George had imagined before. Squat toilets with excrement pipes were installed, and wooden toilets for the Nobles were also provided. However, George would rather use the squat toilet than share a toilet with others. A washbasin outside the toilet was a must. As for the lack of toilet paper, George said that a handful of dry grass was actually just as good. It was just a bit uncomfortable to the touch.

Starting from the second day, George went to the city wall to stand guard and began his border defense life.

North wind! You bring the scent of war.

The peaceful days are about to pass.