Reforms

Guests unfamiliar with Damian were still puzzled as to why this guy always interrupted at critical moments. However, the knights familiar with Damian had long grown accustomed to this quirk of his.

Some even vaguely believed that this was part of Damian's charm.

Conosa, too, had no way to deal with Damian, so she had to pretend not to hear anything and let Damian take the stage and start speaking.

Damian didn't drone on aimlessly. Instead, he said straightforwardly, "Ladies and gentlemen, there's no need for me to count here. You all know that there are far more knights standing here than those we can call upon in battle. And during this difficult campaign, although our knights performed excellently, did anyone notice that our knights are not even half the number of those from Schmalen?"

This was indeed a sharp topic and it hit right at the core of most knights.

Interests.

Especially the interests of the feudal lords.

Knights like Wagner, Baron Kenan, and others who had once charged the battlefield with Damian, all showed rather grim expressions.

What does Damian want to do?

Does he intend to take advantage of the victory to conduct a survey and confirmation of land rights in Gothingen County?

Even in modern times, determining the area of cultivated land and the wealth of the aristocracy is a fierce struggle that can result in death, let alone in the medieval times where disagreements often meant drawing swords on each other?

Damian knew that if he didn't come up with an effective statement right now, today's baron investiture ceremony would immediately turn into a violent conflicts.

So Damian didn't waste any more words: "If we don't reform, we will find that Gothingen County, as a unified county, is not even stronger than the combat power of a small earl from another county. Though we have relatively large lands, the number of knights we can summon is decreasing. In the end, we will fail, we will die, our territories will be easily taken and distributed to his family and friends by the invading lords. Do you want to see such a tragic scene?"

This statement, however, struck a chord with many knightly families.

Everyone is selfish, but if everyone just hides their money and people, the territory will be prosperous but impossible to mobilize, thus relying only on strategy for victory in battle each time.

Everyone was aware of such a foolish status quo, yet no one could change it.

After all, reforms come with costs.

Knight Wagner immediately slapped the table forcefully and shouted, "So, what do you want us to give up?"

Although it was a blunt question, it gained much support from the knights. Everyone hoped for a change but did not want the knife to cut their own flesh.

Damian nodded and said loudly, "I want to buy back!"

"Buy back?" Baron Kenan was shocked.

"Yes. I hope to buy back the rights of the families of knights and villages that have been surplus over the years, reclaim them, and re-establish feudal contracts with the countess. We'll grant them guardianship rights, and they'll send knights and troops to aid the countess in battle," declared Damian confidently.

Clearly, buying back rights was the easiest way to regain control.

Damian didn't think he could suppress the knights with just one victory.

Thus, the knights were discussing it fervently, but they did not seem opposed to the idea and were even somewhat interested.

"According to the standard of one knight's fief or a village of around a hundred people supplying one knight, I am willing to pay for the costs of purchasing warhorses and weapons, the village's three years of taxes, and the costs for relinquishing rights for three years to buy back those nobles who have not yet pledged allegiance to the countess," Damian declared loudly with open arms.

Three years' worth of income plus the cost of a set of weapons was no small amount.

More knights began to show interest.

According to the feudal contract, knights needed to serve 40 days a year and provide an appropriate number of warriors. Damian could be said to be offering ample benefits both monetarily and in terms of manpower.

As a result, many knights agreed to re-establish feudal contracts.

Some people's territories had grown in population, allowing for expansion; others had divided the land among brothers after the father died, with the eldest inheriting the feudal contract and land while the other sons held land but did not fulfill the contract.

Such various circumstances led to Gothingen County's actual number of available knights being far fewer than the actual potential.

Conosa looked at Damian, astonished.

Damian hadn't discussed any of this with her.

And where did Damian get the money from?

She wanted to ask but had to hold back to maintain dignity, continuously smiling to show her approval of Damian's plan.

After a rough survey, Damian was surprised to find that there were over fifty knightly families willing to re-sign the feudal contract. Although not all were new, it still meant providing more than half the troops again.

For this, Damian would have to spend nearly a thousand gold coins in extravagant costs.

No wonder they preferred violent solutions in ancient times. Spending money was like letting water flow.

But since money was to be spent finally, it might as well be spent all at once.

Damian then asked the knights, "To encourage population growth and land cultivation, I wish to buy back a second right: the right to land reclamation by peasants in swamps and forests, and the right of peasants to have children and form new families."

The medieval feudal manor serf system was starkly different from the earlier slavery system.

The slavery system focused on depriving a person of all human rights, treating them as objects for use and trade. Serfdom placed a peasant in an unequal position relative to the lord, allowing endless exploitation by the lord. This exploitation was exercised through the administration of rights.

That is, the lord's custodial rights over the serfs.

When the lord held custodial rights, he controlled the rights to restrict marrriages, childbirth, worship, farming, and other activities. Unsurprisingly, this quickly evolved into the nasty habit of exchanging money for rights.

In other words, serfdom emphasized legal exploitation and oppression. It didn't turn peasants into slaves since objects, once damaged, lose their value.

Luckily, lords couldn't observe their subjects' daily activities such as farting.

If lords had the ability to monitor when people farted, farting might very well require financial payment.

When it came to oppressing people, these guys could be considered the mentors of Venetian merchants.