Chapter 55 – Talking Under the Moon

Chapter 55 Talking Under the Moon
After being reminded by Hansel, Paul revised parts of the Agricultural Development Outline and then ordered Chief Ford to gather a group of politicians to study the specifics.

It was a good thing that the earl wanted to actively increase food production in the territory, and everyone’s enthusiasm was high. Soon, a series of draft regulations were formulated, with the main contents as follows:
Promoting the consolidation of arable land and promoting the four-bed rotation method; sending affairs officers to station in each village and town to set up agricultural associations to supervise and guide the implementation of the decree; sending commissioners to check the water conservancy condition of each place, and report it to the lord’s house in time so as to repair it in a timely manner; and carrying out a census of the population in the various settlements of Alda’s territory.

Lake town and gathered a group of blacksmiths and carpenters, set up a workshop specializing in building agricultural tools, the count thought that the workshop called this is not powerful enough, personally named “agricultural machinery factory”, he still incidentally named the paper workshop “paper factory”, ceramic workshop He also named the paper workshop “Paper Factory” and the ceramics workshop “Ceramics Factory”.

Paul every day to the agricultural machinery factory around, with the craftsmen together to study how to restore the memory of the past life of those 18th century agricultural equipment.

In order to prepare for the emancipation of the serfs, Father Morrison was instructed to set aside a few teachers and a group of trainees with a reasonable level of education to form a propaganda group, and to instill anti-slavery messages from the attendees of the Wise College.

For example, some theatrical performances were organized to show how brutal the slave owners were and how pitiful the slaves were, and then some quotes from the Holy Scriptures or other religious texts declared how slavery was a violation of God’s precepts.

As a believer and servant of the Lord of Light whose piety was above the passing grade, Father Morrison of course supported the Count’s intention to abolish slavery with both hands, and every day he racked his brain to find out how to increase the effect of the propaganda.

Soon after, the propaganda team centered on the town of Lakewood and carried out extensive propaganda throughout the entire Alda Territory, utilizing Father Morrison’s religious background, they used the banner of the Lord of Light to reduce some of the interruptions and obstacles.

With the work of the propaganda team, even the Abbot of the North Shore Abbey, Leonard, who had always been a recluse, knew that there was such a team going around preaching the same slogan as the Church’s philosophy of equality for all.

When he learned that the propaganda team also included a few monks from monasteries, he lamented in his heart that these few brats who had given up their cloisters had not forgotten God’s teachings.

Abbot Leonard made contact with Father Morrison, and after a deep conversation between the two men, although he did not like Morrison’s smoothness, he had to admit that the man did have a knack for understanding doctrine.

He expressed his concern to Morrison, “Won’t you cause Count Greiman to resent you for doing this?”

After all, Paul Gleiman was arguably the largest slave owner in the land, and all the other landowners did not necessarily have as many serfs combined as he did alone.

Morrison hemmed and hawed, screened off the bystanders, and quietly revealed that he had done so at the Count’s Lord’s authorization, and that the Count had not personally intervened because he was worried about secular interference.

Leonard was astonished, then ashamed that he had ever suspected Paul of witchcraft and had refused his request.

The equality of all people used to be an important concept when the church was founded, and this concept was also one of the reasons why it was able to attract a wide range of believers, but with the corruption of the middle and upper clergy, and with their complicity with the secular aristocrats, the slogan also became just a slogan.

He then offered to help the abolitionists in any way he could, so Morrison took the opportunity to recruit a few more monks from the monastery.

……

Quiller Foster was finally leaving, having spent the time wandering around in the Alda Collar and seeing the Northwest, and before he left he came to Lakewood to say goodbye to Paul.

In the evening, Paul hosted a banquet in the castle for Quiller and all the people of the adventuring group as his escort, and he asked Quiller to convey his respect to Marquis Foster as well as his wish to establish a business partnership with the Foster family, and Quiller once again patted his chest and promised.

Hansel was also present at the dinner and expressed his desire to travel south with Queller and the others, to which Master Foster readily agreed.

After dinner, the people went to the recreation room and played cards for a while before going to their respective rooms to rest.

Paul, however, lay down and turned in his sleepless sleep, for in recent times all sorts of whimsical plans had been flashing through his mind, converting him into a night owl.

Forget it, go out and get some air, he put on his clothes and walked out of the bedroom to go for a walk in the hallway.

Then he spotted the green-haired girl standing in front of the window, the girl was looking up at the moon, wondering what she was thinking about, the shroud of moonlight haunting her whole body with a hazy beauty.

He greeted her, “Good evening, Ms. Lardy.”

Miss Scholar seemed startled and turned around to see that it was the young lord standing behind her, she nodded slightly and responded bashfully, “Good evening, Earl.”

Paul asked, “Excited to return home tomorrow and unable to sleep?”

The other woman didn’t answer, her wide scholar’s hat shrouding her face in a shadow that made it impossible to see her expression.

How embarrassing! Paul slightly embarrassed, the other party does not seem to want to be disturbed, he had better walk away. “When I encountered the black spotted tiger in the forest that day, thanks to you, otherwise I would have been buried in the tiger’s mouth, thank you very much!”

After saying thank you, he turned around and was about to leave, when the other party opened his mouth, but said another thing: “That talent recruitment decree in the center of the town, was it posted by you?”

Huh? Why are you asking about that? “Yes, would Ms. Lardy be interested in staying and working for me?”

Miss Scholar shook her head, Paul wasn’t surprised, it couldn’t be helped, one was in the remote Northwest and the other was in the bustling South, how could it be comparable.

The other party continued, “Don’t care about birth and lineage, it’s really rare in this world. Even the southern countries that label themselves as enlightened, they also prioritize these two points.”

Paul replied, “I’ve never cared much about those things, not to mention lower nobles and commoners, even if a slave comes, I’ll entrust him with a great task if he’s capable.”

The girl fell silent again, and just as Paul wanted to leave once more, he heard the other ask quietly, “What about the rest?”

“Hmm? What?” Paul was a little puzzled.

“For example …… like those who are inherently different from others, not so much in status ……”

She didn’t seem to know how to go on, and looked a little hesitant for a long time before adding, “Groups of people who might be viewed as ‘non-human’ by ordinary people ……”

Paul asked, “But from the tone of your voice, these ‘special groups’ are still human in your eyes, right?”

The girl nodded.

“Miss Laddie, we have this saying here that an animal that looks like a donkey, walks like a donkey, and brays like a donkey is a donkey.”

“Pfft!” The girl was amused, the first time she had ever heard such a metaphor.

The beautiful girl’s smile refreshed Paul for a moment and continued, “Do they look like people?” The girl nodded.

“Do they speak human?”

Again the girl nodded.

“Do they value affection and friendship?”

The girl still nodded.

“Do they obey the law?”

This time the girl didn’t nod, but said, “Like normal people, there are good people and bad people.”

Paul hammered his palm, “Very well, then I’ll take the ‘good guys’ among them as they come and arrest the ‘bad guys’ through and through.”

Ms. Scholar’s eyes flickered to Paul when she heard this.

After a long time, the girl arched her back slightly and bowed.

“Lord Graiman, may luck and goodness be with you forever.”

With those words, Lardy turned and headed for her room.

“It’s still a strange night.” Paul was left standing alone in the hallway staring.

(End of chapter)