"My lord, are you listening?" Tommy and Claude noticed Henry was lost in thought and instinctively reminded him.
Henry snapped out of it and said, "Of course, I'm listening. I'm just wondering, is it a bit too far to build the fort's affiliated village two kilometers away?"
Claude shook his head and explained, "My lord, we need to project our influence over a wider area to get a share of the spoils in the war of expansion. Every night, Captain Philip and his troops are stationed in the village to protect and supervise those serfs.
As for this place, you can rest easy. The caravan guards and the guards sent by Baron Pedro are more than enough."
Henry nodded, but he still felt that something was amiss.
'This isn't just a simple medieval world. Productivity is far greater than it was in the Middle Ages. But... but that doesn't mean those Alien Races are fools!'
'On the contrary, those Alien Races have highly advanced iron-smelting techniques, and their other technologies are not lacking. Farther to the east lie boundless lands waiting for the Empire to conquer, but the Empire lacks that capability right now. It can only bite off a large chunk every few decades.'
'Neither side could claim innocence. It was all about invasion, and whoever laughed last would be the winner.'
Now, what Henry feared was that before the Half-Beastmen came to invade, the Empire's own marauders would get here first.
"You guys don't know this, but on the two-day journey here, Bain and I encountered two groups of Bandits and three groups of robbers. We eliminated all of them."
"This is not a good omen. The King's Legions have reached the major cities on the eastern border from the royal territories. Those Bandits and robbers will certainly flee toward small places like ours."
With that, Henry took a pouch from his waist and tossed it over. Tommy caught it and opened it, finding it contained some Su Coins and a few Silver Coins. This was apparently their loot.
Bain nodded. Only then did Tommy and Claude notice the Attendant's terrible expression. His face was pale, and he was reluctant to speak. In their memory, Bain was always cheerful and smiling, no matter where he was.
Henry smiled, gestured to Bain, and said, "Bain's grown up. He's a qualified Cavalryman now, a brave Warrior. He skewered three Bandits with his Riding Spear and sent those robbers scattering with his throwing spears, haha."
Bain's complexion improved significantly after Henry's praise. He knew that his success in battle was all thanks to his warhorse and armor.
Most of those robbers and Bandits had no armor. For an armored man to fight an unarmored one was nothing short of a slaughter. Bain had followed Henry for two years and had even managed to benefit from the systematic instruction at the Royal Capital Knight Academy. It would have been utterly disgraceful if he couldn't defeat these thugs.
"Claude, go gather one hundred and twenty of the serfs. I'm going to train them. We don't need that many people just to chop wood."
Claude acknowledged the order and departed. He didn't need to constantly remind Henry about details like where to quarter the serfs or what level of provisions to give them. He was the Government Housekeeper; Henry was the noble.
Tommy, meanwhile, led Henry to his temporary living quarters. They were located right inside the military camp. It would be noisy in the mornings, being so close to the massive construction site, but the security was excellent.
It was a proper military encampment. The outer stockade consisted entirely of three-meter-high hardwood walls, which had even been given a fire-retardant treatment.
It was very close to the tent camp for the caravan guards and construction workers. If danger truly struck, they would be the first to suffer, which would give Henry enough time to don his armor.
"My lord, I've purchased a supply of candles and blankets, along with a fine dining table and desk. Your bed has a triple-layered cotton mattress and a linen pillow. We don't have much money right now."
Henry toured the two-story, brick-and-wood building inside the camp, finding it very much to his satisfaction. He was also amazed by the state of architectural engineering on the continent of Caladia.
'It's only been about ten days, yet the construction is moving much faster than I imagined.'
"Excellent. I'm very satisfied. This is more than enough to maintain my station. Tommy, you've done well."
Tommy smiled. 'As long as the Young... as long as my lord is satisfied, that's all that matters.'
"Tommy, the way I see it, you should get married and have children. You're much older than me. Once everything has settled down, you should give it some thought."
Tommy gave an awkward smile. He much preferred managing internal affairs and counting Dinars to getting married and starting a family.
"By the way, Tommy, have the cook prepare lunch. I'm hungry. Make sure to prepare a portion for Bain as well."
Bain was his Attendant, a Knight-in-training, and was being groomed to become a lesser, landed noble—unlike a career military officer such as Philip.
"Of course, my lord. Your cook learned a new recipe on the way here. It's a regional specialty from Onira."
Henry smiled and nodded. His cook was always fond of trying out new recipes.
Once Tommy had left, Bain let out a sigh of relief and found a chair to sit down in. He looked utterly exhausted.
He and Henry were more like companions than master and servant, but Bain always made sure to maintain the proper decorum in front of others to uphold Henry's dignity and authority.
"Feeling better, Bain? You were throwing up the entire way here."
"My lord, I'm much better. Just as you said, I am now a qualified Warrior."
"You always were, Bain."
A short while later, Henry's Mighty and Strong cook, Orianna, brought their food up.
Orianna was from the western regions, and Henry had scouted her from a tavern in the Royal Capital. He just had to hire her; after all, she was skilled in a great many cuisines.
Moreover, as befitting a qualified cook, she had broad shoulders and powerful muscles. Put her in a suit of armor, and she'd be a Warrior.