Chapter 26: The True Purpose
The rising sun illuminated the verdant wilderness.
In the fields by the northern riverbank of the village, where spring planting was about to begin, faint weeds were growing.
More and more people gathered at the northern village entrance.
The buzzing noise of conversation filled the air.
Many were attracted by the hiring announcement.
Others watched from the sidelines, having finished their fishing gear repairs but not believing in this so-called hiring.
In their view, most nobles only knew how to exploit them by collecting more taxes.
Still, they were happy to watch the commotion.
Since spring planting hadn't started, they had nothing else to do.
The villagers of Bay Village were not wealthy, having just survived a winter, and most wore gaunt expressions.
They wore coarse linen clothes patched in multiple places. What attracted them might not be the daily wage of five copper coins, but the promise of a hearty meal.
In stark contrast to the noisy crowd were the cart pushers who had arrived with the caravan.
They were all robust, with proud smiles on their faces.
Having been arranged to rest in wooden cabins outside the lord's manor last night, none of them wanted to leave despite their lack of freedom.
Steward Ralph sat at the long table, with Old John and Captain Sean by his side, while the village elder Field, whose hair was streaked with gray, introduced the villagers to him.
All the caravan members lined up, except for a few soldiers stationed at the lord's manor.
Several wagons filled with goods were placed on both sides, attracting the curiosity of the young ones.
Steward Ralph nodded at Old John, who then used all his strength to shout in a booming voice:
"Quiet!"
The noise instantly stopped!
What really made the crowd listen wasn't the fully armed soldiers, nor Old John's burly physique.
It was the box of shiny copper coins by Ralph's hand!
Clink, clink!
Steward Ralph picked up a handful of copper coins and gently tossed them onto the table, and the clinking sound of those bouncing coins captured everyone's attention.
Done!
Steward Ralph nodded to the people behind the long table, then handed out the prepared paper and pens, breaking the silence with a clear voice:
"The purpose of gathering everyone today is that the lord wants to repair the village's defensive walls."
"Anyone between the ages of 16 and 60, regardless of gender, can register and sign up."
"Each person will be paid five copper coins a day, wages paid daily, with a hearty lunch provided. The work will last half a month, and for every day finished early, each person will receive an additional five copper coin bonus!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire village of Bay erupted in excitement.
"Regardless of gender? Is that for real?"
"If the wages are paid daily, the most we lose is one day's work…"
"Why can't people over 60 work?"
"Too old, can't handle the work, they're being excluded…"
"Go call your mother and sister!"
"Yes, and don't forget to call your aunt…"
People huddled together, discussing it in disbelief.
Some quick thinkers eyed the idle children and had them hurry home to fetch the busy women.
Seeing that the timing was right, Steward Ralph loudly continued:
"Alright, time is precious! Line up in four different queues according to your area and register."
"Children and elders can also come forward. If they register, they'll get a meal. Families that have all gathered will get priority registration."
"Line up properly! Anyone causing trouble will be disqualified, and soldiers, keep a close watch!"
"Yes!"
After the battles of the previous night and the trials of the long journey, all the men, except for the few timid cart pushers, had been drafted into the ranks of soldiers by Matthew.
Each would receive 20 silver coins a month!
Grateful for this, they were absolutely loyal to the lord's orders and authority!
Seeing these fierce soldiers, the villagers of Bay fell silent. Most dared not act out, while a few secretly pouted but didn't dare show their dissatisfaction.
"What's your name? How many people are in your household? Are there any professionals? Do you have any skills?"
"My name is Cartman, I'm 31 years old, and there are five people in my household."
"This is my mother, Hosseren, she's 47. This is my wife, Aina, she's 30. These are my two sons, Adam and John."
"I can do logging and carpentry. My two sons are already 12 years old; they can help too..."
"They're too young. The lord has other plans for them. Go queue over there; here's your number. Take it and come back for lunch later."
"..."
A total of 20 people were registered and verified by Elder Field.
In about an hour, all the population and household data of Bay Village had been thoroughly recorded.
Arriving late with a sleepy Yaya, Matthew casually flipped through the data.
"A total of 2346 people, with 651 children under 15."
"30 professionals, 15 warriors, 10 hunters, and 5 rogues. Only Elder Field is a level 6 mid-tier hunter."
"There are 1455 people aged 16 to 60, and only 240 elders over 60."
Compared to most villages on the Carl Plains, Bay Village had fewer elderly, as the area was more dangerous and severely lacked medical resources.
Holding a thick stack of household records, Steward Ralph realized the immense value of this method.
"Now the entire territory's demographics are clear. If this approach spreads further..."
"Is this the lord's true purpose? From this perspective, having everyone help build the walls was merely a warm-up for the plan…"
"Perhaps I can learn a lot from this…"
Matthew remained calm, playfully teasing the food-loving Yaya, then looked at the dark forest a few kilometers away and said:
"Tell Angela and Old John to gather all the newly recruited soldiers, get their gear ready, and bring some construction tools."
"Today, we'll clear out the dark forest to ensure the woodcutters' safety."
"Assign Captain Sean to guard the supplies and watch for any potential spies."
Steward Ralph nodded and quickly began organizing everything. Soon, everyone found themselves divided into two large groups and then further into smaller teams.
One group of weaker middle-aged men was assigned to the village outskirts to dig trenches along the square route Matthew had marked.
The weaker women were tasked with preparing lunch for the entire village.
The stronger young men with logging experience were sent with the soldiers to the dark forest a few kilometers away.
All the professionals were called forth, led by Elder Field, to accompany Matthew.
Their task was to guard against the dangers lurking in the dark forest and resolve the long-standing issue that had plagued Bay Village.
The trolls!