Chapter 46 Recruitment of male and female servants

"Lily the Elder, where's Lily the Younger?"

"What's up, Old Abel? Lily the Younger is feeding the chickens in the yard," replied Great Lily, a middle-aged woman with a bent back from years of labor.

A bright smile spread across Old Abel's wrinkled face. "It's good news. Lord's castle is hiring new servants. According to Mr. Carter, the steward, they're looking for three male servants, one female servant, and a kitchen maid. Lily the Elder, Lily the Younger could apply for the position of the female servant."

"Really? Is it true that Lord is hiring new maids? That's fantastic!" Running into the house, Lily the Elder exclaimed, "I'm going to tell Lily the Younger."

"Go on then." By the time Old Abel finished speaking, Great Lily was already out of sight. He chuckled and murmured, "I need to share this good news with everyone. In the castle, there'll be milk to drink every day. What a wonderful life it will be. Our children are so fortunate."

Before long, all 48 serf households in Barley Village had learned of the news.

"What great news! I was just grumbling about not having enough fields to cultivate, and Malfoy was complaining about having to clear new land. He's strong, hardworking, and capable. Apart from his big appetite, he'd make an excellent male servant."

"That's not a given. Parker is more diligent and polite. I think he'll surely get the job."

"Is the news true? Will Lord hire servants from the countryside?"

"It was Old Abel who said so. He's been helping Lord forge tools at the blacksmith shop these past few days. Would he lie about it?"

"Old Abel is quite skilled, but can he still lift a hammer?"

"He doesn't need to lift it himself. Lord will have an apprentice do the job for him. Remember Peter, the lame one? He's now an apprentice at the forge, and Lord pays him a copper coin every day!"

"Isn't the forge owned by that old drunkard?"

"The old drunkard sold the forge to Lord a long time ago. Teehee, he got three Nadars out of it!"

"Three Nadars! Goodness, Lord is truly generous!"

News like this always flies as swiftly as a bird with wings spread wide, reaching every ear.

In the yard, Lily, who was feeding the chickens, blushed with excitement. "Mom, I... Can I really apply to be a maid?"

"It's Old Abel who brought the news, and he wouldn't lie. Little Lily, you must prepare well. Once you're in the castle, life will be better," said Big Lily joyfully.

"But... Will Lord choose me?"

"Have some confidence in yourself, Little Lily. You're the best girl in Barley Village – hardworking and capable. You're Mom's pride. Of course, there's a backup plan. Lord is hiring both a maid and a kitchen maid. You could apply for the kitchen maid position. You wash vegetables the cleanest, after all."

"Well, I understand what needs to be done, Mother." A determined glint shone in young Lily's eyes.

For a better future, she had to prove herself worthy and become a maid at the castle. Without a father, her mother had been struggling to raise her and her two younger brothers in poverty. Now that she was seventeen, it was time for her to shoulder more responsibilities for the family.

...

In the forge, Liszt watched as a few veteran blacksmiths, accompanied by apprentices, were busy forging iron blocks.

Relying on the black tulips to assimilate the traded iron, Liszt had all of it used for agricultural tools. The first items they crafted were fishing equipment.

Shovels, hammers, and awls – with these three tools, the fishermen could harvest seafood.

The eastern coast of Flower Town was rich in unexploited and uncontaminated seafood. Abundant shellfish and crabs could be easily caught without requiring exceptional skills.

"Has Teacher Gort started selecting the fishermen?" Liszt wiped his forehead with a handkerchief that Marcus passed him. He had grown accustomed to the service of a valet, finding it quite enjoyable as long as there was no physical contact. Gort had to wipe his own sweat, "I've conveyed your request, and the scribes are now promoting it in each hamlet. We're only recruiting elderly men, women, and some children who haven't grown up yet."

"Indeed, that's the way. Fishing doesn't require immense physical strength; it merely calls for patience. Assigning farmers with low crop yields to fishing is a reasonable allocation of labor. However, you must emphasize the importance of safety—avoid poisonous seafood and never consume raw seafood."

The medical knowledge in this world is extremely underdeveloped.

Nobles cultivate Battle Auras and seldom fall ill, thus lacking motivation to delve into medicine. Liszt, likewise, has no understanding of medicine. All he can do is promote preventive measures among his subjects—practicing hygiene, drinking boiled water, and consuming cooked food.

"Gort, they're fortunate to have met you, Liszt. You possess an extraordinary charm," Gort flattered.

Ordinary young nobles might easily be swayed by such compliments. But Liszt possesses the soul of an adult, with matured values. He wouldn't be deluded by mere words. Instead, he instructed, "The production of iron tools should continue, but don't overwork the blacksmiths. Increase their wages from five copper coins to six, and raise the apprentices' wages from two to three copper coins."

A scullion apprentice earns one copper coin per day.

A hammer-wielding master earns five copper coins per day.

These were the wages Liszt previously offered, which were relatively high. Now that the newly prosperous Baron was flush with cash, he no longer cared about exploiting a few copper coins from the common folk.

One must know that the crimson-blooded sword at his waist was worth a thousand or so gold coins.

That would be hundreds of thousands of silver coins or over ten million copper coins.

Moreover, the entire Flower Town belonged to him. If his subjects were wealthy, it was the same as him being wealthy—he could adjust taxes at will and impose them however he pleased.

"Gort murmured, "Six copper coins a day, huh? What a lucky blacksmith."

Then, he walked into the forge and shouted, "Gentlemen blacksmiths, His Lordship has just decided to raise your daily wage from five copper coins to six. Apprentices will also receive two copper coins a day. Work hard, for His Lordship's generosity is beyond your imagination!"

"Woah!"

"Six copper coins a day?"

"Long live His Lordship!"

"Praise His Lordship! Old Jack will forge weapons for His Lordship for the rest of my life!"

"Apprentices get two copper coins a day too? Oh my God, my parents will be overjoyed."

The forge was filled with laughter and joy, eradicating all complaints about the sweltering heat. They all worked with renewed vigor, determined to repay their generous Lord Liszt.

Upon hearing the cheers inside, Liszt shook his head.

He might be merciful and unwilling to exploit the serfs, but wasn't he also using small incentives to drive up their productivity? He preferred creation to exploitation, rational allocation of production resources, and substantial improvements in work efficiency. That was how he could make the best use of the town's population of less than two thousand.

"Sir, are you returning home?"

"I'll drop by the tailor's to check on the gloves, towels, and masks made for the fishermen. I hope they're all up to standard." Liszt gently flicked his whip as he mounted the Fire Drake.