Chapter 342 — Hope

But it would take a long time for infants to grow into laborers, so in the short term, the Cecil Territory's population growth would still depend on two sources: one, continuing to purchase slaves and gradually emancipating them into free citizens; the other, continuing to gather in refugees.

Beyond that, Cecil's current population actually had another enormous source of growth: the residents of the Kant Territory, along with the many farms and reclaimed villages attached to it, and the large idle population in the hills to the east.

These people were now lawful subjects of Cecil, but first they had to undergo the "civilizing" of Cecil's laws and order.

Fortunately, that "civilizing" had not begun only in spring.

Throughout the past winter, Gaoyang had been subtly influencing the Kant Territory. His de facto rule over that land was not limited to stationing soldiers to maintain order, building roads, and commercial occupation—he was also transferring Cecil's rules bit by bit into the Kant region. First, he had the craftsmen who came to Cecil to make a living abide by Cecil's rules; then, using these craftsmen as a breakthrough point, he launched various construction projects in the towns of Kant. The new small factories, shopping streets, and renovated residential districts brought the people of Kant a winter source of income and a better standard of living—and also a new way of life. After that came the stationing of soldiers to maintain order in the new districts, constant propaganda, and, with Padrick stepping forward, the "unification of thought" among the locally prominent...

Now, within the town limits originally under Viscount Kant's direct control, the residents had gradually grown accustomed to accepting Cecil's order. But Gaoyang still had one problem to solve: the original knightly class of the Kant Territory.

Those who controlled the surrounding villages, wilderness outposts, and garrison settlements were the old knights of the Kant Territory.

These knights were the terminal branches of Ansu's landed noble system, the far-reaching extension of enfeoffed lords. Though they had no legislative power, no independent claim as lords, and none of the many privileges and honors of the formal noble class, they were still a component of the old Ansu aristocratic system.

By law, these knights should now be loyal to Gaoyang Cecil, but they had not yet sworn their oaths. And even if they had sworn personal loyalty to Gaoyang Cecil, they had not yet sworn loyalty to Cecil's "order."

So long as they existed, so long as they continued to control the land and people in their hands by the old order, the land and people in their hands could never become cogs in Cecil's magical industrialization.

"Send for Philip," Gaoyang said, tilting his head slightly toward the empty air beside him. "Go quickly, and come back quickly."

A faint ripple stirred in the air and vanished; the next instant Amber's voice came from beyond the window: "Got it! I'm on my—holy mother, why is there a rat trap on the courtyard wall?!"

Hearing the clatter from outside the window, Gaoyang smiled with satisfaction.

Never mind the courtyard wall—from the lord's manor all the way down the road, there was a rat trap atop every single streetlamp...

Before long, Philip appeared before Gaoyang.

And with him came Amber, baring her teeth at Gaoyang and pulling every sort of ridiculous face.

Gaoyang ignored the half-elf girl's antics entirely and looked to Philip. "It is time we gave some thought to the old knights of Kant Territory."

Philip, as the model of young knights, thought first of the proper procedure for the moment. "Shall we summon them to swear fealty?"

"Not only to swear fealty," Gaoyang said with a smile, meeting Philip's eyes. "There is actually something I have long been curious about... how do you regard those new 'rules' I have been putting into practice?"