The manor system, as far as I know, closely resembled the ancient one from Old Earth.
Here, a lord owned the land, tasked the peasants residing there with production activities, and collected taxes in the form of rent and goods. There was no freedom of occupational choice or freedom of movement.
In short, it was a classical system of serfdom.
The Canopy Holy Capital held sway over numerous territories centered around the holy capital, appointing nobles to govern these lands. In exchange for the freedom to manage the land granted to them, these nobles were obligated to provide corvée labor and soldiers. This particular small manor was one among many governed in this way.
“So, after the Magius Geanaite arrived, the lord’s army came?”
The manor was called Bultz Manor. The man planning the rather clumsy stagecoach robbery was named Frederick, and it seemed he was the strongest around here, acting as the leader among the young men.
“They said they were levying due to participating in a holy war, and they took almost all the contents of our storage and our money.”
“We lost workers too! They recruited five of us as soldiers!”
For the moment, on a hill from which the manor was visible, I had all fourteen would-be bandits sitting in seiza. They looked quite uncomfortable, perhaps unused to sitting this way, but considering they had attempted to violently steal others’ property, this minor punishment was fitting. I wouldn’t let them ease their numbness no matter how uncomfortable they felt.
“What did Galatea and her group demand?”
“We simply bought provisions. The Magius Geanaite is under the direct control of the Holy Capital, but they have no right to levy or tax.”
That part was a bit surprising. You see, when it came to military logistics up until the modern era, things were practically synonymous with plundering, so for them to actually pay properly was rather commendable. After all, armies sometimes resorted to pillaging not only allied territories but also their own during marches.
Moreover, it was strange how the feudal system persisted despite the proliferation of a monetary economy. Was there something that strongly tied these people to their land?
Ah, that’s right. Earlier, Frederick mentioned something about a power reactor. Were these people bound to the land by technology as well as agriculture?
“You said something about the contents of the storage. Did they take food?”
“It was corn for the reactor!”
Wondering what “corn” was, I checked my database. It wasn’t in the standard records but was included in the data copied upon linking with Galatea. A major crop whose stalks produce many tightly packed grains… oh, so this was maize. So, they were using it as fuel. Could it be they were using an organic conversion reactor? I’d heard that in territories under special treaties where fusion reactors couldn’t be used or in countries that lacked maintenance technology, these were still operational. But if this provided all their power, they were living rather spartan lives.
“There’s hardly anything left to throw into the reactor. The power saws broke last winter and we haven’t been able to cut firewood since, and only one of the trimmers is left and it’s starting to give out. There’s no way we’ll get through the next winter like this.”
“We were talking about using the money we got from the Magius Geanaite to either repair or buy some new equipment. Everyone was happy because we thought that way we could just about make it through the next year if we worked together… but…”
“Somewhere along the line, rumors spread, and within ten days of receiving the money, mercenary groups… ”
As the young head explained, the youths chimed in one after another, their faces darkening.
Ah, I see, that’s why they decided to try highway robbery.
I couldn’t fully blame them, but it was a bit shortsighted. If they got hold of any money this way, it would also bring the risk of retribution and would likely end up catching the attention of the lord who was responsible for maintaining order.
But then again, if they had no education and were living as serfs, it was understandable that their thinking would be limited.
“Captain, what do you plan to do?”
“I’ll help them out to learn more about the situation around here. Even helping small fry creates debts of gratitude.”
“Do they possess information worthy of such an act?”
“The debt isn’t with Frederick and his group, but with the estate. There must be a steward around here somewhere. Consider it a favor to them.”
With a somewhat malicious grin, I called Galatea over.
“What is it, Nozomu? I was just starting to feel a little pity for them.”
“But lawlessness is lawlessness. That’s why…”
She was a member of the Magius Geanaite, dispatched by the Holy Capital—regardless of whether they were remnants of a defeated army, they were still considered higher-ranking officials here.
So, I’d have her negotiate and extract all sorts of information—maps of the surrounding area, political situations, character relationships, and more.
With that information, a visit to the Holy Capital would be far smoother than going in completely uninformed. Knowing the names of influential figures and their preferences and dislikes, as well as political taboos that Galatea may be unaware of, would provide leverage in cultivating allies once we arrived there.
Since this was a domain under feudal control, there would also be checkpoints.
Given our equipment, especially considering it included Tech Gobs and Sylvanians, I doubted we’d be allowed through easily even for a domain this size.
Bypassing checkpoints isn’t impossible, but if we got into trouble later for it after reaching the Holy Capital, that would complicate things unnecessarily. It would be best to do things properly.
“You… really…”
“Wouldn’t it be a kinder option than sentencing promising young men to chains or exile to the mines? Please, Sir Knight.”
After watching me put my hands together in what was likely an unfamiliar gesture to her, Galatea’s expression soured before she briefly deliberated and said,
“Fine, fine, I’ll talk to the steward.”
“Sure shows you’re reasonable, Sir Knight.”
“I’ll slap you next time you call me that, Nozum.”
Although unclear why she was irritated, she pouted slightly before kicking Frederick’s behind, ordering him to rise and guide her to the steward’s house.
We were led to a house that, while surrounded by farmland, stood out as slightly more grandiose than the rest. Within this steward’s home, I was greeted by the pale face of an elderly man.
“It’s all due to my negligence… Surely, the thought of assaulting a knight’s legion… ”
“It was prevented before it occurred, so no harm done. I’m more interested in what’s happening around here.”
While Galatea conversed, I observed the house. It was rather primitive.
Wood and stone construction without insulation but with power lines running through the beams and walls leading to various electrical fixtures and climate control devices indicated central power. The thick electrical cables running underground pointed to a centralized power generation and distribution system.
So, it seems they not only collected rent but also electricity fees as a way to tie serfs firmly to the land. It’s not humane, but undeniably clever.
“The Holy Capital was attacked again by a dragon, and a contingent was dispatched to gather fuel and provisions for the defense forces.”
“The Holy Capital was attacked again!??”
“Yes, the details aren’t clear, but according to Lord Ashberry, a requisition order has been issued for the holy war… ”
“Holy Capital is under that much pressure… ”
Listening to the steward, Galatea looked grim. Oh, that’s right, she initially came seeking a weapon capable of defeating the “dragon” that attacked the Holy Capital from “Great Mother.”
We have the “Holy Spear” from the former Gravgolb Tribe that became part of the Rustiagis clan, but it’s in pretty bad shape.
For a space fighter-class target, hitting it with the engine part might sink it—but that would still require getting fairly close when on the surface. If this so-called “dragon” is a monster beyond that, it’s beyond our reach. If it could be taken down with electromagnetic cannons, it would’ve been dealt with already.
Hmm, if only Tiamat 25 had the facilities left to make even a medium-sized fusion reactor—it might’ve been possible to create an electromagnetic cannon against ships. However, due to the constant surveillance units, any classified facilities had been stripped, leaving us unable to prepare anything of that scale.
Galatea appears satisfied with the “Holy Spear,” but I hope it’s truly effective against the threat.
“Where is Lord Ashberry now?”
“Considering the time since their visit, they must have returned to their castle.”
“I see. Next, I’d like to know if there are other manors around here that have experienced similar requisitions… ”
Hmm, the situation seems to be unfolding smoothly. There’s no need for me to linger here. Given my interest in the technological level dispersed across this planet, I’ll take a small detour to explore.
“Hey, Frederick, can you show me the power reactor?”
“Eh? But that’s the manor’s lifeblood… ”
“It’s fine, I might be able to do something for you. What do you say?”
I caught hold of Frederick, who had been cowed by the steward’s berating, and quietly left the house to be led to the power reactor. The construction here clearly differed from elsewhere.
The building was sturdy, crafted from metal, with walls and a roof that stood solidly. Its size was comparable to a small community center, and its low humming indicated ongoing power generation. In stark contrast to the predominantly handmade constructions elsewhere, this structure stood out prominently.
By high civilization standards, it was merely ordinary and not extraordinary. While it makes sense to protect the reactor, which provides electricity to the entire settlement, why do the people live in such shoddy homes if they have such advanced technology? Wouldn’t better-constructed houses improve labor efficiency?
Personally, I rather like stone and wooden buildings. In VR games where you possess a personal home, I always got into decorating and arranging the furniture.
“We’re gonna get yelled at again…”
The building, which he opened with a palmprint lock, was aptly named a “mechanical shed,” filled with various machines. Racks lining the walls were stocked with all kinds of machinery, including large lathes, ball screws, and cutters for processing wood and stone. Moreover, in the corner squatted a four-legged multipurpose work loader.
And, as expected, the organic conversion reactor at the center was producing sound. An ancient yet inexpensive device that converts organic matter into fuel, it’s about the size of two industrial refrigerators and likely generates around 5GW of power, more than enough for the settlement.
Observing further, most of the tools were battery-powered and could operate after being charged. So, the village’s founder wasn’t so bad after all, providing such equipment and tools for development? I originally imagined they had only iron shovels, hoes, and oxen to rely on.
“Sorry to interrupt your interest, but there are hardly any living machines around here anymore.”
“What?”
“We haven’t seen a circuit priest for generations around here. No one’s fixing them either.”
Upon reflection, it was true that most of the machines were covered in dust, with no signs of active use. Some lockers hadn’t been opened in a long time, their locks beginning to rust, and the work loader had one leg disassembled, neglected for a long time.
Ah, I see why they’re struggling.
“Can’t anyone besides the Gear Priests repair the machines?”
“What are you talking about, it’s common sense! We can’t mess with anything that might upset the spirit of the machines. We’re only allowed to maintain them.”
Hmm, so the Gear Priests’ talents, as Galatea mentioned, are monopolized by some religious organization from the Canopy Holy Capital, skillfully leveraging it for control.
Still, to have ignored the absence of these critical repair workers for so many generations…
“If we go to the mechanical city, they can fix it, but we can’t afford the offerings. We thought we’d have enough money now that the knight has come here… ”
“I see. Since both your mechanical saws and pulverizers are broken, you’re struggling because you lost the high-efficiency organic material for fuel, namely the corn, which was taken, correct?”
While pondering this, I approached the rack with the tools and picked up a chainsaw. The blade, though the main body was broken, was still maintained impeccably—someone must have carefully preserved it in faint hope of repairs eventually arriving—and it gleamed faintly with the latent power to swiftly fell trees.
However, the main body, the electrical wiring, was completely frayed here.
Hmm, this might be a good opportunity to establish a few debts.
We’re going to fight dragons after all. We can never have too many volunteers…
【Planet Exploratory Notes】 Organic Conversion Reactor. This device converts carbon-based organic materials into fuel and handles everything from refining to power generation in one unit. Due to its simple structure and the abundance of fuel available on Earth-like planets, many developing nations adopt it. However, even at large scales, it can generate only about 30GW of electricity, making it suitable for sustaining small villages to towns.
The next update is scheduled for around 17:00.
