New Mount

In this slightly magical medieval setting, the legendary elves and dwarves mostly exist.

Halflings, a race akin to human children, are quite widespread. They are skilled in cooking and animal husbandry, inherently joyful yet timid, and often found in the estates of the nobility.

This must be the halfling tribe mentioned as a reward from the battle.

"Honorable Baron Milhouse, your great and glorious achievements have resonated far and wide. The surrounding counties and parishes all revere your greatness. I, Griff Bigtooth, have come to seek refuge with you, hoping to obtain residency and citizenship in your territory."

A halfling, about 1.3 meters tall but with the appearance of a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, bowed to Damian in the hall.

According to him, he migrated from the neighboring county upon hearing of Damian's strength.

"And your former master?" The trade master of the territory, Grace, keenly inquired.

She doubted, "When I followed my parents in doing business across different territories, I found that each halfling tribe belonged to the local lord. They had their own contracts and couldn't leave their land at will."

Indeed, this was also what Damian and Greb had suspected.

Despite being halflings, all life groups that existed within the order, except for bandits, green-skinned monsters, and the like, had to find their superiors in this hierarchical society.

The feudal order constituted by the superiors' guardianship over their subordinates was the essence of this hierarchical society.

Griff, the name actually means "spoon handle" in German, indicating that he was originally a cook.

The spokesperson of the Bigtooth tribe could only wring his hands in embarrassment and apologize: "Originally, we were chefs for a count in the Saxony Principality to the northeast. But the count became increasingly picky about food, demanding that I turn a flying Pegasus, a northern stag, and an Alpine griffin into a grand feast. Of course, we had no such ability, which could only flee here amidst the chaos of war."

Saxony?

Damian lowered his head in thought.

That was a formidable enemy he couldn't confront at the moment.

The entire Saxony Principality consistently supported the emperor, so the emperor stationed his loyal generals in the north to guard the northern gate of East Francia.

Thus, the feudal relationships in Saxony were very clear, with high communication efficiency between superiors and subordinates, and the soldiers fought bravely, making it one of the strongest among the five major old principalities in the country.

As for Griff's story, probably only half could be believed.

Experienced people would know that halfling cooks were adept at skimming from the food budget.

As the de facto head of the Bovendon family, Damian couldn't decide alone. He first looked at the Flash Knight Joan, who nodded her agreement. Then he consulted his widowed sister-in-law Amelia, who also agreed.

Finally, Damian sought the opinions of his subordinates, including captains like Greb.

After confirmation from all three parties, it was clear that everyone welcomed the halfling settlement. No one wanted to miss the chance to improve their meals.

Only then did Damian formally inform Griff Bigtooth that his tribe could join the Gothingen Free City family.

This was a microcosm of a medieval class society.

Although superiors had guardianship over their subordinates, subordinates also played a dynamic role as members of this family, enjoying a degree of say. If they weren't welcome, Damian couldn't allow the halflings to join.

"Hehehe, please come and see our war beast. It's the specialty of the Bigtooth tribe!" Griff hurriedly led Damian outside.

For Damian, the prospect of seeing an unknown war beast was very exciting.

In his original world, only war elephants from certain regions could probably be called by such a name.

But…

When Damian saw the so-called war beast, he was stunned.

The war beast of the Bigtooth tribe turned out to be a rooster.

"No, no, no, this is not just a rooster!"

Noticing Damian's shock, Griff Bigtooth quickly explained: "This is a defective half-griffin hatched from an egg bestowed by the Duke of Saxony. Though it looks like a rooster, its combat power far surpasses that of ordinary horses and bulls."

Damian remained skeptical.

Griff rolled under the rooster like a meatball and exclaimed, "Does a rooster have griffin-like claws? Ordinary war horses would tremble at the sight of it and be unable to fight!"

Upon closer inspection, Damian finally confirmed that this was indeed the legendary griffin, albeit a severely degraded version.

It lacked the wings of an eagle and had two fewer forelimbs than a lion, but it was still a towering creature about 1.6 meters tall, with a back that could be ridden and sharp claws capable of tearing apart humans and horses.

"Does it have a name?"

Griff bowed smartly, "Of course not, it awaits your esteemed selection."

"Then let's call it… Gefen." Damian quickly decided.

From then on, the Gothingen Free City welcomed a group of halfling citizens skilled in cooking.

As the lord, Baron Milhouse, and Mayor of Gothingen, Damian also gained a new mount, a half-griffin called Gefen.

…

Of course, the acquisition of Gefen was only a relatively personal matter in the recent period.

For Damian, the most important task was his personally funded redivision of feudal obligations across the entire territory.

This actually involved the issue of ownership of the surplus feudal obligations. Clearly, since Damian paid the funds, the rights couldn't be attributed to Conosa.

Thus, after over a month of formal distribution, more than 40 new knight families were discovered across the territory, adding 52 formally recognized knights enjoying feudal obligations.

These knights, who qualified by taking Damian's money, generally respected him, especially since he also led them to victory in the Schmalen invasion war.

But Damian had to show some respect to Conosa.

So, Damian and Conosa privately arranged a secluded riverside date by the Duck Pond River.

After 'holding hands,' 'kissing,' and 'hugging,' the Countess gritted her teeth and refused any further touch.

Fortunately, they eventually completed the discussion on the allocation of knights.

And Damian, after taking his fill of liberties, gained the allegiance of 32 knight families on the right bank of the Duck Pond River. Conosa took the 20 knight families on the left bank under her command.

Gothingen's political scenario now had a more stable framework.