The sun is setting and the sky is getting late.

Raven Town was bustling with activity, with bonfires rising in the clearing, and orange tongues of fire desperately tried to lick the mutton on the iron rack, but could only taste the hot oil beads. The men took the golden roast and immediately put on the whole lamb, which was still dripping with blood, and the women were in charge of bringing the fragrant roast meat to the wooden table, kicking away the hounds and scolding the men who tried to touch their buttocks, and those who succeeded were slapped in the face and then triumphantly laughed at the crowd. A large group of children ran barefoot through the mud, chasing a fat bald old man, hoping to get a small piece of candy from his hand.

Father Gary was embarrassed, his brand-new clerical robes were covered with large and small oil handprints, and in the face of this group of screaming little cubs, even the magic bestowed by the Supreme Lord could not help him, and the paladin in charge of protecting the priest held back a wicked smile, and had no intention of helping at all.

"Don't talk about it, don't talk about it, everybody has it, oh, it's a new robe. Father Gary, who was sweating profusely, finally saw a savior among the bear children, "Beertina, dear little girl, take care of your men, for the sake of the Most High. ”

Bell raised his little red face, stretched out his hand and said, "Father and Grandpa, give me the bag, and I will distribute it for you." ”

"Baby, that's not going to work. Unless you put on a white robe. "Father Gary clumsily dodged countless pairs of little hands, and although he liked this little girl very much, it was the rule that church things should only be distributed to the people by the clergy.

"Then you will reward me with a piece of candy for every piece of candy you give. Otherwise I won't help you. Bertina rolled her eyes and offered the conditions.

"Send three dollars and reward you with one. ”

"Everyone, grab it!"

"Don't rob, don't rob...... Well, you win. Before a few bear children could climb on top of him, the fat priest raised his hand in surrender to the child king. Bertina nodded happily, and a few of her doglegs immediately lined up the messy bear children.

"One for you, one for Bell. Next ......" The fat priest gave Bell a candy cube and touched her little head: "What a greedy little fellow, why can't you be as generous as your master?" Lord Randall donated 7 cows, 60 sheep, and 20 wild boars for this alms...... Do you want to bring all this jaggery back?"

Satisfied, Bertina put the jarry in the pocket of the maid's dress, and said without raising her head, "It is because of the generosity of our master that we are stingy." ”

"Uh...... Who taught you?" asked the priest, handing out candy.

"Lady Lilia. ”

That's a wise saying. ”

Father Gary was warmly welcomed by the people of Raven Town, he didn't recognize everyone, but he remembered Bertina who he had just met, but he could not have imagined that this particularly cute little girl had a wizarding father, and he was outrageously strong.

Imoson's most rebellious ability is not alienated creatures, but communicating wills. This sorcery requires no spells and is a passive talent that allows it to control animals and communicate with orcs without barriers. If Victor is Emerson, he will first enslave a group of intelligent goblins and kobolds with powerful alien creatures, organize goblin slaves to engage in production and construction, hunt and gather, farm and mine, and then conquer the half-dragon tribe, even if he can't claim hegemony in the swamp, he can live very comfortably. Unfortunately, Emerson hated the orcs from the bottom of his heart, and couldn't even accept the reality of becoming a wizard, he tortured himself in self-exile, and he lived like a wild man, and Bertina suffered with him.

Traditional education imprisons people's thoughts, vision determines a person's achievements, and the shortcomings of the world are precisely my strengths. Victor thought to himself, and he closed the window and returned to his seat. The hall was lit with candles, the lord's dinner had just ended, the wine and delicacies on the oak table had been removed, and Butz and the others were waiting for Victor to ask questions.

"Father Gary held prayers and almsgiving, and the people of Raven Town were reassured. Butz, what's next for you?" asked Victor, taking a sip of his coffee.

"My lord, I have already surveyed. Butz was confident, stood up and said: "My lord, although your land is 1,300 square kilometers, there are many mountains and few lands, and the land is not fertile, only a stream and a lake, and at most more than 20,000 acres of farmland can be cultivated. Old Hamm and I planned to build a pastoral village, plant alfalfa, raise cattle, sheep and horses, and then organize people to dig streams and reservoirs to reclaim farmland. It is estimated that within three years, we will be able to open up 50,000 acres of arable land and build three villages. Seeing that Victor was noncommittal, Butz hurriedly added, "My lord, I promise that the villages and towns here will be as clean and tidy as a hill camp." ”

Victor's earliest followers were aware of the "harsh" requirements for sanitation in their family, and Raven Town was home to more than 1,000 scruffy freemen, and the town was not very clean.

Victor shook his head and smiled, "Buts, the most important thing for Raven Town right now is to let the Free Folk stay. ”

Raven Town is remote and deserted, and Victor thinks it should be a good place to exile prisoners, at least for now. Raventown's first pioneers were more than 300 mountain dwellers led by Butz, who had been scattered in Randall's territory and secretly controlled by Victor. The second group of migrants, numbering more than 500 people divided into more than 60 families, mainly soldiers of Buryatia families, was liquidated for betraying Judy's mother and son. Initially, after Victor shot Austin Buryatia, he captured a group of soldiers who had been serving hard labor in Randall. Later, Judy returned to power of the family, confiscating the soldiers' wealth and land and expelling their families. Victor brought them over, forgave them for their crimes, and granted them the status of a vassal on the condition that they move to Raven Town to open up a territory for the Randalls.

These mountain people are Victor's old subordinates, although they are not loyal, but they are accustomed to obeying the strong, fierce and brave, but not many fancy intestines, they are the core strength of Raven Town. As for the captives, they were originally vassal soldiers, capable and knowledgeable, grateful to Victor, eager to become vassals of House Randall, and exploring the North was their only chance. The new freedfolk are not reliable, and most of them will surely find a way to leave Raven and make a living in the more stable and affluent Viscounty of Sauron.

"I'm not going to give them the status of a lord, but Raven Town does need these laborers. Victor said, "Also, you are the mayor of Raven Town, not the leader of the bandits, so don't think of using intimidation to force them to stay." Do you understand?" Boots nodded awkwardly, he really had only this way. Victor continued, "Father Gary's visit this time means that Raventown is on the right track from now on. ”

"What's on the right track? I don't think you can tell. Victor clapped his hands, and several soldiers walked into the hall carrying three wooden chests, and opened the lids, which were full of dark red copper coins. Boots and the others stared at each other, although the copper sol was not valuable, but the three boxes full of copper coins were still dizzying.

"Raven Town used to have no distinction between public and private, responsibilities were unclear, and the townspeople had no money to work, just like a free private land! Hehe, fortunately, most of your subordinates were mountain people...... Not now, the freedmen have the support of the church, who wants to work for nothing?"

"Here are 300,000 copper soles, and they are in full condition. Victor grabbed a handful of copper coins and let them slip between his fingers with a clanging sound. "It is the right of the freemen to come and go freely, to work for money, and to obtain the status of a subject after three years of development. However, if you want them to stay in Raven Town, that's not enough!"

"Raven Town follows the rules of Randall's Territory, free people to enter and exit freely, exempt from transit taxes, not only have wages to pay, but also free houses to live in, gather and hunt can keep 20% of the harvest, and at the same time ensure the safety of their personal and property. ”

Victor paused and asked, "Old Hamm, do you have enough soldiers?"

"My lord, Raven Town has 40 elite soldiers, 10 family guards, and 60 mountain hunters. Old Hamm stood up and replied, "It was enough before, but now that the territory has been quadrupled, I am afraid that this manpower will not be able to take care of it." ”

Viktor nodded and said, "I brought you 64 mercenaries this time, they were once vassal soldiers of the Buryat family, and now they serve me in the name of mercenaries. I'll leave these men to you, and you'll have to build sentry posts and patrol teams as soon as possible to ensure the safety of your territory. Only then will the freemen be reassured. ”

"Yes, sir. Old Hamle said, "The mountain people are all good hunters, but they can't ride horses." With this group of men, Raven Town finally has enough patrolling cavalry. ”

Victor returned to his seat and asked Lilia, "Honey, have you counted the personnel and property of Raventown?"

"Hmm. Lilia said, "There are currently 104 consular families in Raventown, with a total of 1,143 people, and 1,103 freedmen. More than 11,000 acres of cultivated land, 387 cattle, 2,303 sheep and 733 pigs. Lilia faced Butz and instructed, "Buts, distribute the land to the families as soon as possible, and each family rents 80 acres of land, and can keep 30% of the harvest." In addition, I left 2,000 gold soles and 4,000 silver soles for Raven Town, and the first group of consular families will receive 3 gold soles, and the second group of consular families will receive 1 gold soles. So that they can afford to hire freeman helpers. In short, Raven Town will act in accordance with the rules of the village and town in the future. ”

"As you wish, ma'am. Butz bowed deeply.

Victor motioned for Boots and Old Hamm to sit down, shook his head, and said, "Raven Town is too far away from Randall's Territory, and I won't bring any more supplies." I've agreed with Father Gary that he will facilitate trade between Raven and Viscount Sauron. Raven's future supplies can be purchased in Viscount Sauron, including food and salt. Father Gary made it his condition that the public carriage from Raventown to Viscount Sauron be opened at least twice a day. ”

"Buts, you first lead someone to build a road to the Viscount of Sauron. ”

Butz hesitated for a long time, and then muttered, "My lord, the freedmen have earned their wages, and they will take the carriage to the Viscount of Sauron to make a living. In that case, Raven Town will soon run out of money......"

"So, you have to find a way to make money. Victor smiled, "I have arranged a cottage in the mountains on the west side of Raven Town, and they are not only the backup of Raven Town, but also responsible for collecting mountain goods. Send someone to contact them, and ship the mountain goods out of the mountains, process them into merchandise, and sell them to Viscount Sauron, or Viscount Neguth to the north. ”

"In addition to this, Raven Town does not charge a tax on the transit of goods and goods for caravans, and only a seven-percent commodity transaction tax. If a caravan uses the money from the sale of goods to purchase goods from Raventown, they will also be exempt from the merchandise transaction tax. I'm sure Raven Town will soon become a place where merchants gather and make a lot of money. ”

Boots was confused, he looked at the smiling Victor with blank eyes, and asked cautiously: "My lord, I know about the transit tax, this ...... What do you mean by purchase tax and transaction tax?"

"It's tariffs...... Uh, well, we changed the word. You don't have to pay taxes when you buy things, but you don't charge taxes when you sell things, understand?"

"I see. Boots said with a smile.

From the 16th century to the 18th century, Western European countries were prevalent in heavy money, and when foreigners came to trade in their own countries, they had to use all the proceeds from the sale of goods to buy their own goods, so as to achieve the purpose of limiting the outflow of gold and silver. This is, of course, a wrong approach, because gold and silver are not equal to money, and money that is not in circulation is not equal to wealth.

Victor didn't know the history of protectionism, but he was in dire need of gold. If the lord desperately sells the resources of his territory in order to store Kinsol, he must be an out-and-out fool, but Victor can exchange Kinsor for an alchemy creature. Although the Alchemy Tower can also absorb supplies, Victor vaguely feels that this is a bad idea, and he would rather feed the Alchemy Tower's appetite with gold coins.

Raventown, on the other hand, is far from the size of Wildwillow, with a limited demand for goods, but it controls the resources of the Raylir Mountains and is also a trading port between Gambis and the Kingdom of Dord. In Yehwillow, caravans could trade with each other, and the Buryat family drew taxes from them. In Raventown, there is no tax on the purchase of goods, and there is a tax on the sale of goods. In order to avoid taxes, the caravan can only sell goods to Raven Town, and then buy goods from Raven Town. In this way, Victor becomes a middleman.

The middleman makes the difference, which is much cooler than collecting taxes.

In the final analysis, Yehliu City is the result of a compromise between the major lords, and the Buryat family does not have the strength to take the lion's share, so they can only collect a transaction tax of three percent. And Victor has the ability to guarantee his own interests, and he does not need to be polite at all.

After completing the development plan for Raven Town, the next step is to solve the personnel problem of Raven Town.

"As you already know, Linda is now the family's sheriff, and the family's sheriff is Munk. Victor said to Boots and Old Hamm, "Raven Town needs sheriffs now, and I will have Munk draw people from the sheriff's office to serve as your sheriffs, every three years." In addition, Linda will send her subordinates to investigate the situation in Raven Town from time to time, and I ask you to cooperate with Linda unconditionally. Do you understand?"

Butz and Old Hamm looked at each other, but when they saw the deep and cold eyes of the lord, their hearts tightened, and they said in unison, "Yes, my lord." ”

Victor's expression slowed slightly, and he asked softly, "I heard that each of you has a woman, and there is more than one?"

Old Butz blushed, and Old Hamm said with a red face, "Yes, sir." My woman gave birth to me a little cub, as pleasing as a foal. Boots also has a son and a daughter. ”

"When they reach the age of eight, send them to Silvermoon Manor to be educated by Lady Alina's acolytes. Victor smiled and said, "As for whether they can inherit your position in the future, it depends on their skills, and they must be better than you." ”

"Thank you, sir, thank you, ma'am!" said Butz, overjoyed, as he pulled old Hamm and bowed down. Victor proposed that the sheriff be changed every three years, and Butz's heart was full of worries, he was very worried that he would also have a term of office as mayor, and now he had put down the stone in his heart.

Victor knew everything about Butz's mentality, and he encouraged: "I will not forget your credit for opening up Raven Town, as long as you are diligent and diligent, I promise that you can continue to do it, Raven Town is your hard work after all, and it is also your home." ”

Victor's ban on the hereditary system of Randall's village chief is good for efficiency, but it is not suitable for Raventown's situation.

There is another sentence behind "the official who beats the yamen with iron and flowing water": Thousands of miles of officials are only for money. Liuguan either grinds foreign workers, mixes qualifications, or is corrupt and corrupt, and it has remained unchanged for thousands of years. This is mainly because the officials are superficial, do not regard the place as their home, and it is impossible to do their best and die. This is also the reason why there were thousand-year-old families in ancient China and no thousand-year-old dynasty. If Victor is the king of Gambis, under the current conditions, he can only adopt the system of sub-feudalism. Randall's slap was bigger, and under Victor's nose, it naturally couldn't make a splash, and Raven Town was alone, and it would take the best efforts of the mayor and the garrison to ensure its prosperity and stability.

Boots and Old Hamm are of average ability, but they are the hands that Victor can rely on at the moment. The thriving Raven Town will definitely be coveted by various forces, and the two of them may not be able to cope with the complicated situation, but Victor has a righteous reputation, and if he firmly grasps the judicial power, he is not afraid that Raven Town will fall to other forces. The Alchemy Dragon Lizard and the Swift Bird Light Ride are not decorations, and when necessary, Victor will teach careerists a hard lesson.

"That's the end of today's conversation, so go back and rest. ”

Victor waved the crowd away and asked Lilia, "Fermi, are they leaving?"

"Well, Fermi and his Kestrel mercenary group have already headed to the Viscounty of Negus, and after delivering the jaggery, they will be rerouted to the Giant Eagle City in the Kingdom of Dordor and then head north to try to recover the hill villages along the way. Lilia frowned and asked, "However, the Kestrel mercenary group has neither merchants nor supplies for trade with the mountain people, not even a cart. Is that really okay?"

"Don't worry. Balor is in Giant Eagle City, and he has everything ready for Fermi. Mercury cost me so much money, it's finally a little useful. ”

Lilia nodded, and suddenly thought of one more thing, "By the way, I received a summons from the raven earlier, and the letter said that there are guests waiting for you in Pinghu Town. ”

"Who?"

Lilia said with a strange face, "Lord Abel, Lady Sophia's steward." ”

"Lord Abel, he was the one who left me alone in Blackcastle in the first place. I thought he was the queen's person, but I didn't expect him to be working for Sophia. Hehe, interesting. Victor smiled and said, "We'll go back to Pinghu Town tomorrow." ”