After we left the first of our new villages, we continued to Cofi. We arrived about lunchtime, and a large meal was waiting for us. They brought out the cider for everyone else, and I had my usual boiled and filtered water. All in all, it was a great party. A lot of people I hadn't seen in a while showed up, and the crowd was primarily composed of the people of the village of Karr and Cofi.

  Talking to the head of Karr village, Jess, I found that the chalk production had increased twofold. Jess was one of the older members of the community. He had been crippled in the mine three years ago and had been living off the welfare of this amazing community. He and his wife had six children, but only two survived to adulthood. They were, however, expecting their third great-grandchild.

  After he told me the news, I asked, "And are the chalk merchants willing to pay for it?"

  "They were the ones that requested it. Some of the people from the new village south of Cofi Lake have joined us in excavating."

  "Any accidents lately?"

  "The gods have blessed us in that regard. Nothing has happened. We also took up the suggestion you gave to the miners in Melnon. We set aside a small amount of our pay to help in case there is an accident. We are grateful that you have been so generous in that regard."

  "Your miners pay their taxes like everyone else, and they have a more hazardous job. It all works out." I said with a smile. I think I just started the first version of workman's comp. "How are the Grandchildren?"

  "They are all happy, though Natune is very unwell after her latest miscarriage. It broke her heart, especially since the baby was a boy. She wanted to name it Amos." He said with a grin.

  I found that almost every new baby boy in the tiny village had been named Amos in the last four months. Those who were not named Amos were named Aaron. Ten children in their little community were named after me or my nephew. These people believed I was some sort of child of the divine.

  I ignored his grin and continued our conversation. "So, anything else I can do for you?"

  "Truly we are happy, Descended. You have blessed our people and answered our prayers."

  I sighed inwardly. They just couldn't let it go. "I'm happy that you are all doing well. Have you had any trouble with the new residents?"

  "There were a few that initially came to visit, but not since the laws have changed. Are you having trouble with the new people, Descended?"

  "There were some murders and thefts initially and some spies from outside the barony, but I think things have calmed down."

  Jess shook his head. "How could people jeopardize their place here in this land? They should know that living under the rule of a Descended is a great honor."

  I had a dilemma. I didn’t want to disrespect their religion, but at the same time, I couldn’t convince them that I was not this descended that they kept calling me. Those who thought I was the Chosen at least tried to keep it to themselves. They understood I could get in trouble if other Nobles suspected that I considered myself a chosen one. Those who were devout followers of the gods of the Karr considered it blasphemy not to proclaim me a demigod.

  So, I just began to ignore it. I treated it like the title lord or baron. There was no fighting it, and I just had to hope other nobles would not try to use this against me if they found out.

  "So, have you started building a fort?"

  Jess smiled. "My lord, I ask that you come and take the time to visit our village. We have been using the stone from the mine to build you the most magnificent fort in all of Bicman. Due to the difficulty of its construction, it is taking longer to build than the others. But once it is complete, none of your enemies will overcome it. They will tremble at the might of our devotion."

  I had asked Draves to make sure the headmen understood they were not to tell their citizens of the Rabiss threat yet since, at the time he left for Bicman, we didn't know where and when it was coming from. However, from Jess's statement, I wasn't sure if the news had slipped out anyway. On the other hand, asking them to build a fort for defense may be all they needed in order to assume that we would be attacked. Maybe this was just part of their natural zeal.

  "I am glad you are taking this seriously and are committed to protecting your people. How is the training going?"

  "My lord, our young men are ready to fight to their last breath. They are concerned that the fighting may not reach us or that the enemies will fear our walls so much that they will turn away from our village to the others. They want to prove their valor."

  This was getting ridiculous. I was more concerned for their safety than they were. At the same time, I loved the Karr. They were truly genuine people, and once they had an idea in their minds, they were committed.

  Once I got to know them, I wondered how such devout people did not fight to the last individual when the Falmorens came to conquer them. The response I got from them was surprising. They told me they believed their gods had rejected them and that their enslavement was a punishment for fleeing their homelands. When I came and freed them, they decided that their punishment was over and that the gods were once again smiling upon them.

  "Well, Jess, let your people know I will visit them after I go to see the new village to the south of the lake."

  "It shall be as you say. We will eagerly await your arrival."

  I thanked him and continued my tour of Cofi. We lost a few people in Cofi after the plot to exploit the Karr was discovered, but the numbers were bolstered by the first group I had brought from Vaspar. As expected, Cofi was flourishing. They had used one of the plows immediately after the harvest to replow all their fields. There had been a controversy among the farmers in Bicman about whether or not they should plow their fields in the fall. Some said that leaving the fields unplowed until spring would allow the leftover crops to provide more nutrients, while others said that turning the soil with the new plow would benefit the soil. My desire for experimentation had begun to take root among the farmers. They had no more fear that they would not have enough food if they tried something new.

  They all assumed that if something they tried didn't work, I would make sure they were taken care of. And that was true. Even if their fields didn't produce more, we would still have enough crops from everywhere else. I also started having people gather guano so we could experiment with it. If we got up to twelve bushels per acre with guano fertilizer, then not only would we produce way more than we needed, but we would also produce more than any other Falmoren field.

  The guano harvesting was being done in secret. If people found out I knew how to double or triple crop yield, I would be killed. Even those who were friendly to me right now might kill me for my lands. At that point, the best-case scenario would be for Vaspar to demand that he get his baronies back. The likelihood of that being the only consequence was infinitely small. I would be a dead man if the secret of guano fertilizer got out.

  Why did I keep doing these things?

  I had even considered building a wall along the north side of the Nore River—a miniature Great Wall of China. But then I would isolate my other baronies. Also, if they brought an army of ten thousand, it would not help us. So, the only way to do this is to make sure nobody knew we had fertilizer for now. Then, with the money I was bringing in, I would hire all the soldiers I could. Fortunately, much of the army was in the south, and those that were left could not leave their baronies because of the internal tension. I was banking on the fact that the possibility of the country resolving into civil war was a much more pressing issue than if we had found a way to produce more grain during next year's harvest. It meant I probably had a year and a half before any sort of force came after me, probably even longer if civil war broke out.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Barak, Jess, and I wandered the newly layed out streets of Cofi and talked with the people. There was hope for the future in their voice. They knew that this winter would be tight this year with all the new people, but they believed that I wouldn't let them starve. Also, according to the surveys we had done so far, this would not be anywhere near the worst year they had gone through. There had been drought years that made the amount we had stored this year look like a miracle. There is a certain amount of energy that comes with hope, and these people were working hard.

  After walking around for a little while, I finally asked. "Before I leave, is there anything else I can do for you?"

  "Not at the moment. We have our orders, and we know what we are working towards. I will prepare my men for the march south to remove the bandits from Plimgus. How long do you think they will be gone?"

  "I would like them back here in two weeks. I know that there is a lot of food to spare for the short term, but I still scheduled for another caravan to arrive with more food and supplies. They have their guards, but I am sending twenty men down early to meet them. I can't allow the bandits to get a hold of the cargo. The caravan should reach Plimgus in five days. That means you also need to have your men across the border and into Plimgus at that time. I know that does not give us much time at all, but we have to hurry in order to get this problem taken care of."

  Barak smiled, "We discussed this already during the meeting. We will be ready."

  I chuckled, "Sorry, Barak. Growing up, I never thought I was going to be dealing with this. This was supposed to be my brother's job."

  "For what it is worth, I am glad it is you, my lord."

  "Surprisingly enough, me too."

  I knew I would still mess up, but at least I was keeping my people's interests in mind. I would prepare them the best I could rather than just throw them into a meat grinder when they encountered the bandits.

  Barak decided to come with me down to the new village, where a guard named Niel was running things. From what I understand, the fuller named Roger was also there. On the way to Bicman, he had been helping gather census information, and I hoped to get him further involved. I didn't really want the new people to have access to everything, but if he could continue to organize the data, that would be worth more to me than a fuller in the short term.

  We arrived in the new village south of the lake a little while later, and it was a busy place. Houses were going up, and although most of the roads were not anywhere near completion, they were marked out, and people kept to the paths. There was a mix of tents and homes lined in neat rows.

  One of the walls of the palisade was complete, and I could see that others had been partially completed. Both men and women were out on the lake fishing with nets. They must have been making nets as soon as they got here. Neil met us at the entrance to the village just as I was stepping out of my carriage.

  He had a serious look on his face, one worn by many of my veteran soldiers. Neil was shorter than me, but he had my same build. As he bowed, he said, "Welcome to New Hope, my lord."

  "New Hope," I said with a raised eyebrow.

  "It is the temporary name that the citizens here have given this community. They had hoped that it would please you."

  "I approve. It is a good name,” I said.

  The man gave a slight smile. “Your people will be pleased.”

  “How are they doing?”

  "They are both fearful and hopeful. Some believe this is a trap to turn them into serfs, but they have nowhere else to turn, so they have decided to risk it."

  "Have they given you any problems?"

  "Not really. We have posted the laws and made sure everyone knows what the consequences of their actions are. After a few people were hung and some were sent to the labor camps, people straightened up. There have still been some thefts, but they are rare. Everyone pretty much has the same thing, so when they steal, it is just more of the same. Those who were able to bring some of their possessions with them have got them squirreled away somewhere." He said in a tone that seemed very pleased.

  Hopefully, the prosperity I wanted to obtain would not lead to separation. But Earth's history shows that unity is never a constant in any society. Even if it is not segregation due to wealth, people begin to separate based on their beliefs, and then social groups form. Those groups fight for their ideas. People are diverse, and they like to fight over what they believe to be right.

  In the end, there was nothing I could really do about it, but I tried to set an example for my people—teach them that no one is above the law. This was important to establish stability, which depended on economic success and growth. Would the ideals I held last more than a couple of generations? Probably not, but whatever came after me would hopefully be better than what it currently was.

  Now that I was a count, however, I had an added problem. Yes, I could guarantee the laws would be followed in Bicman since I was still the baron, but forcing my other barons to obey my laws that were stricter than the King's law may be a problem. They could complain to the duke. So many more things to worry about. Hopefully, the advantages would outweigh the difficulties my new title caused.

  Much like the other village, people started to gather around us as I traveled through it. I made sure to spend a lot of time complimenting Neil and the citizens. I really was impressed, so I decided to point out the different things I noticed.

  I mentioned the walls they were building, the straightness of the streets, even though it must have taken extra work to remove anything in the way, how quickly they had gathered the material to build houses that would last their people through the winter, and the fact that everyone seemed busy.

  This caused murmurs in the gathering crowd. I decided it was time to introduce myself. Most of those in the crowd were women, as the men were working preparing the lands. The few men who were there were the ones working on the wall or more homes. I walked over to a woman and asked with a smile, "How are you doing this fine day?"

  She blushed and stammered out, "Very well, my lord?"

  "What is your name?"

  She turned an even deeper shade of red and said, "Judy, my lord."

  "A pleasure to meet you, Judy. Thank you for your hard work."

  I knew that she might think I was looking for someone to take for the evening, but I was going to plow through their misconceptions about nobles and show everyone that I was a good person. These people probably grew up on stories about nobles who would just take what they wanted.

  I couldn't just ignore everyone until they realized that I wasn't going to accost anyone. I would probably do that if I were visiting another noble, but I decided to rush the process here. I was no longer going to worry about it like I did when I first got here. I would be kind but firm in upholding the law. Someone people could respect.

  Next, I approached a man and gave a similar greeting. With children, I squatted a little—not enough that we were at eye level, but enough that they could see my eyes. I made my way through the crowd, and most people gave generic responses, but I received some that were not just "very well."

  "My lord, thank you for allowing us to come to your county. You have saved my family's life," a woman said.

  I had heard this a lot lately, and it helped alleviate my worries. But then something unexpected happened. There was a shriek in the crowd, and as I turned to look, a man I had previously greeted was almost at my side. Before I even knew what was happening, I was thrown to the ground.

  I began to try and shove the body off me when I heard Niel's voice say, "Stay still, my lord. Let your guards deal with the man."

  It was at that point that I realized that it had been Neil who had tackled me. Blocking me from whatever the guy in the crowd was attempting.

  There was a cacophony of screaming and shouting. Rick's Voice rose over the crowds. "Everyone, stay where you are. Anyone who leaves will be considered an accomplice of this man. Neil, you may get up."

  He did, but then immediately fell to his knees. "Forgive me, my lord, for touching your personage without permission."

  I did not respond as I got up. I was too busy looking at the man who had lunged at me. He lay on his stomach; blood and other fluids were pooling under his guts. The man held a bronze knife in his hand. I wanted to vomit at the sight of the gore but tried to focus on other things. It would not be good for these people to see me spill my lunch on the ground. Not that they would actually see it. They were all prostrate with their faces in the dirt.

  A young man in the uniform of the BDF was shaking slightly off to the side as he stared at his bloody spear. He must have reacted and his training before he even realized what he was doing. After that, he came to the realization he had just killed a man. One of my original guards came up behind the young man, slapped him on the back, and said, "Let's go clean off that spear and get you a drink."

  Rick continued to give orders. "Bring in all the people of this village. We must question everyone. This man knew he would not escape, so another person would have been responsible for reporting back."

  Adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, but I still had the were with all to say, "Get up, Neil, you deserve to be commended, not chastised. If it weren't for you and that young man, I might have a knife in my stomach."

  The thought made me want to faint, so I turned my attention to the crowd. Everyone was afraid; some were visibly shuddering and crying. "My people. Fear not. I swear no one shall be punished in any way except those who are found to have conspired against me. This is not a time of sadness but a time to rejoice. My life was saved. We will have a meal to celebrate the occasion."

  I wanted to say feast, but I was not going to waste food while we were preparing for winter.

  "I recommend we bring Roger the Fuller here. He knows most people and may know more about this man or who he has associated with," Neil said.

  "Where is he?' Rick asked.

  "He left for the mines earlier. He was going to assess things there and reevaluate if we could meet the demand with fewer workers. We felt we may be able to use more people here."

  "Let's do it," I said. "Neil, you are in charge of this investigation."

  Edward, it looks like I have one more task for you when you go down to Vaspar.