Otto opened his eyes suddenly. His whole body was soaked, and his throat, which was once sore, had returned to normal.
It seems that covering yourself with more quilts and sweating is indeed an excellent way to solve the problem of colds.
But, unexpectedly, I had that dream again last night. I haven't had that dream again for many years...
Opening the quilt, Otto couldn't help but shudder. His wet clothes were blown away by the wind, but he felt a bit like the dampness and coldness of the south in his previous life.
It is already dawn and a new day has begun. Since a new life has begun, the memories of the past are best left behind forever.
After taking a shower and changing clothes, Otto found Butler Simon.
"Master Otto, good morning, you got up really early today. I have arranged for the servants to make breakfast. Please wait." On Butler Simon's face was the professional fake smile of the service industry staff that Otto had seen in his previous life. .
Otto didn't have any deep impression on Butler Simon. He only remembered that Simon had been the earl's butler for as long as he could remember.
This point makes Otto quite curious as to why the old housekeeper who has been loyal to the family for so many years would prefer Mrs. Karin, especially when his cheap father is still alive.
"There's no rush about breakfast. I'm here to collect the money and pick out some weapons and armor in the warehouse. You can just take me to the warehouse."
"Okay, Master Otto, Madam has already given instructions. Please come with me." It seemed that Mrs. Kailin had already made an arrangement with Butler Simon. Butler Simon was not surprised and led Otto to the warehouse.
"Master Otto, why do you need to go there personally for such a small matter? Just give your order and I will naturally arrange for a servant to send it to you." Butler Simon did not forget to show his hospitality along the way.
"It's okay, I just woke up early, so I thought I'd take a walk." Otto has also been to the warehouse a few times, but before, he just had a quick glance and didn't go in to check carefully. This time, Otto wanted to take a good look at the inventory in the warehouse so that he could Have a more accurate judgment on the economic situation of the earldom.
"I heard that the young master is not feeling well and has a bad appetite. I specially sent someone to hunt some game, hoping to satisfy the young master's appetite."
"You are considerate, thank you Butler Simon."
"Master, if you are there, it is my honor to serve you." Butler Simon smiled like a flower.
There is a large amount of materials piled up in the small warehouse, including a lot of weapons and armor.
As a noble in the early Middle Ages, even the poorer Alahorf family had a large reserve of military supplies.
The current situation in this world corresponds to the collapse of the Carolingian Dynasty in the previous life. Today, four major kingdoms stand throughout Europe, namely the Kingdom of West Francia, the Kingdom of Lotharingia, the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of East Francia.
The Principality of Swabia, where the Countdom of Allgäu is located, is under the rule of the Kingdom of Lotharingia.
Roughly consistent with history, the Kingdom of Lotharingia, which evolved from the Middle Frankish Kingdom, has always been in chaos internally. The powerful nobles in various places have always been in a semi-independent and semi-feudal state. For example, the Duke of Swabia, whom Otto's father was loyal to, was basically Ignore the orders of King Lothair II.
Here, there are many discrepancies with history. During this period in history, Swabia did not have a powerful duke. Instead, the counts of the principality fought each other and took the opportunity to expand.
Due to the powerful Duke of Swabia, today's Swabia region is relatively stable and prosperous compared to other regions in the Kingdom of Lotharingia. This would also allow Otto's grandfather and father to successfully establish a foothold in the Earl of Allgäu.
But this is also relative. The general trend that the Carolingian dynasty is on the verge of collapse can be seen by everyone.
The various kingdoms were constantly fighting each other, the king's control over his vassals was also increasingly weakened, and the lower-level nobles were constantly fighting. The whole of Europe was not at peace.
Therefore, even in the relatively stable Principality of Swabia, there are still a large number of bandits appearing in various places.
Only a very small part of these bandits came from serfs who rebelled against the oppression of their lords. The vast majority came from wandering knights and down-and-out nobles who lost their land due to defeat in the war.
The destructive power of the bandits formed by these professional soldiers who have received military training since childhood is naturally astonishing. Often many weak knights and baronies find it difficult to protect themselves in the face of sudden bandit attacks and are often robbed. Or change owners.
Such turmoil is incredibly destructive to the economy. It was precisely based on this that the Duke of Swabia summoned his vassals and launched a severe crackdown on the bandits. The king could not be relied on and had to rely on himself. This is why Otto's father went on an expedition.
Although there were many weapons and armors in the warehouse, Otto's glance showed that most of them were "battle-scarred" and had been used many times. As for the brand-new supplies, Otto knew without a second thought that they must be in his own treasure house, and Butler Simon probably wouldn't have access to them.
The poor Count of Allgäu owns these armors and weapons from the "inheritance tax". It is now the early Middle Ages, and the vassal relationship between the knightly fief system and the feudal lords has not yet been completely destroyed.
The vast majority of knightly lands are still lifelong and cannot be passed down. For the few knightly lands that can be passed down, their land cannot be bought and sold. At the same time, like feudal nobles such as barons and earls, they need to pay "inheritance tax."
Generally speaking, a knight's inheritance tax is about the cost of fully arming a knight and two footmen. For a baron, it is about four times that of a knight, and for an earl, it is eight times that of a knight.
This inheritance tax is usually given to the upper-class lords, and in only a few cases it is given to the king or higher-ranking lords. This is why the Alahorv family can save so much material.
After taking a look at the quality, Otto shook his head in disappointment. There was no need to choose these things at all. Even if the armor looks good, it will need to be repaired before it can be used, but it is better than nothing.
"Prepare for me ten sets of knight equipment, thirty sets of retinue equipment, and two hundred sets of conscript equipment for Knight Wade."
Otto lost interest and left the warehouse after walking around casually.
"This..." Even though Simon was prepared, he was also startled by Otto. "Master Otto, isn't this a bit much?"
It's a bit exaggerated to expand a guard team to such an extent.
"Huh? Are you teaching me how to do something?" Otto glared at Simon dissatisfied and emphasized his tone. "This time we are not only selecting guards for me, we are also expanding the guard team of the new castle. Do you understand? If you don't understand, you can ask Mrs. Kellyn."
After saying that, Otto ignored him and left the warehouse, meeting Wade who was already waiting at the door of the warehouse.
"Good morning, young master." Wade performed a knight's salute and whispered. "Master, the prisoner has been interrogated."
"Okay!" Otto nodded. "Let's go to the restaurant and talk while we eat." Last night, he felt unwell, and because he was busy fighting with Mrs. Kelly, he didn't eat much. He steamed all night and sweated, and now he just feels tired in his stomach. In protest.
"Instruct the kitchen to prepare a breakfast for Knight Wade." Otto waved his hand and summoned the servants on the side.
