The news that a new monastery was going to be built on Ashfurnace Hill made everyone happy, except for one person.

"Damn, this is where I'm going to build a house. The craftsmen quickly chose a site for the construction. The muttering Merlin is pulled away by Daddy Bill, who has a cracked mouth.

"Your Highness's monastery is a sacred place, and mortals cannot refuse it. Old Bill's logic seemed to Merlin to make no sense. What does it mean not to refuse, this is obviously my territory, why can't I be the master.

Nothing was right with everyone, and everyone was in high spirits and joined in the construction of the monastery as if it were something very big. Merlin felt that his lord was superfluous, so he crouched in a corner on the edge of the construction site and found a small stick to draw circles on the ground. There was a small ant in the circle, and Merlin felt that he was no different from this little ant at this time.

"Your Highness, you haven't copied the book today!" Augustine has been serving Merlin like an uncle these days, and he can also see that Merlin is not in high spirits these days.

"Hand hurts!" Merlin raised his right hand weakly, and Sura tied a beautiful bow on Merlin's wrist.

Merlin was fond of watching Augustine eat deflated, for it was only then that he felt like a lord.

Merlin discovered, however, that the construction of the monastery was not entirely without its benefits, at least the Arians had built a large wharf by the brook in Ashhearth, to which a steady stream of material was transported by Hippo, and from there to the construction site in Ashofh. Hundreds of able-bodied slaves worked with craftsmen. The whole Ash Furnace Mountain was busy.

The advantage of having a wharf is that you don't have to go around a big circle from Ashfurnace Mountain to Hippo City, take five days by land, and then walk two days by water, and now it only takes three days to get from Hippo City on Ashfurnace Mountain Road.

Hundreds of craftsmen from Hippo City have made the village prosperous, and it is a big problem for hundreds of people to eat, drink, and lazar every day. However, the good thing is that the specialty of Ash Furnace Village is not sold.

Tender green beans, crisp cabbage, sweet grapes. Moistened by the sweet spring, it is rejuvenated.

"The cabbage in Ash Furnace Village is delicious. ”

"Kidney beans are delicious, buy more. ”

"The grapes are also delicious. ”

"This year is a great harvest festival. "Lance led a few slaves to dredge the creek's waterways, and now the entire land of Ashfurnace Village can be watered with sweet spring water through the drainage of Nanzhu.

A good harvest is in sight, and by the rainy season, the fields are almost all sold. When the time comes, go to Hippo City and buy barley, or wheat, or rye, and you will have a good winter this year.

Merlin's hand finally stopped hurting after a day of pain, and the advantage of being young is that he can do what he wants to do willfully. Just like now, while Merlin sat quietly in the bamboo building and copied books, Augustine had to wait carefully. It is not a warm cup of tea, or a fan carefully fanned. Although this is completely unnecessary, the inside of the bamboo building is very cool, and the coolest place in the entire Ash Furnace Mountain is here.

Merlin diverted the spring and zigzagged around the bamboo hut, plus the cold wind that ran down the hillside behind, and covered him with a thin blanket when he slept at night.

"Don't you have to work today?" Merlin asked coldly, frowning, until Augustine entered the bamboo building, Sula and Raj were far away from here, knowing that the red sleeves and incense were almost Merlin's only corrupt hobby. What a good thing it is to be beautiful and delicious, when I was copying a book, I was tired and raised my head to see a beautiful woman like a disaster, and I had no worries. Who wants to look up and see a man who likes to wear floral pants.

"It's Sunday and all the work has to stop. "Augustine's dedication is undiminished.

"Shall I stop for a day of rest as well?" Merlin happily rested his pen on his desk.

Augustine nodded painfully, looking like a black-hearted boss in the twenty-first century who had been cheated by a clever little employee.

"I don't want to, I don't want to, go to work, I don't want to, I don't want to, go to work" Merlin hummed a lilting song and circled Augustine. I was about to go downstairs to hang out when I heard the sound of rustling upstairs.

The Black Iron Knight of Ashfurnace Mountain, the tax collector Lance fell to his knees before Augustine with a puff: "Great Holy Father, Holy Father of All-Knowing," said Lance sadly, "Your servant is guilty. ”

Merlin was a little confused as to what was going on. Lance in front of him was like a stranger, chattering.

Augustine's right hand was placed on Lance's forehead and he solemnly said: "Poor man, the merciful Father understands your suffering, repent, Lamb!"

"I'm guilty, I'm greedy, I'm a sinner. Lance was in a strange state, and he kept talking by himself, as if he were alone when he was alone.

"Against the will of my lord, I introduced the sweet spring of the stream to the world of my home. I used ten bamboos, not one at all, and only I know about it, and I am guilty. ”

"Holy Father forgive you for your sins, poor lamb. Repent, repent. Augustine said, then pulled a black bag from his bosom and placed it on the ground.

When Lance had finished his confession, he took out a large handful of yellow-orange-orange gold coins from his bosom and threw them into the black pocket on the ground, then stood up, bowed to Augustine, and cautiously exited Merlin's hut.

He didn't look at Merlin the whole time, as if he didn't exist.

"What's the matter, why did he give you money?" Merlin asked.

"He's not giving me money, he's giving me repentance. ”

"Is that how you priests collect taxes?" Merlin's lungs exploded. As the lord of Ashlu Mountain, he was not as good as a priest, and the priest simply collected the Holy Father's taxes.

"Yes, so to speak," Augustine said as he poured out the gold coins from the bag, counted them, picked out two of them and pinched them in his hand, and pushed the rest in front of Merlin, "Nine of them belong to His Highness Merlin, and the Arians take only one of them." This is the tithe tax advocated by the saints. ”

"That's pretty much it," Merlin happily pocketed the gold coins, this was the first time he had made a profit in so long since he had been in Ashfurnace Mountain, and he had been spending money before.