Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence

Su Li personally held Archibald's head, his slender fingers gently stroking the face that was once filled with arrogance and mockery. His eyes were as cold as ice as he stared at the head for a long time, wishing he could tear it into a thousand pieces.

After a long while, he handed the head to Barros, the dwarven forging master beside him.

"Forge it into a drinking vessel," Su Li said, his voice calm and cold. "I want it to be displayed in the hall of the Crimson Fortress forever, reminding every fool who steps in here—anyone who dares to provoke the majesty of the Crimson Flower will pay the price."

Barros took the head, his cloudy eyes flashing with excitement. As a dwarven forging master, he had seen countless rare treasures, but the legendary head in his hands was a high-level material he had never encountered before. He nodded excitedly and left the meeting hall with Archibald's head.

Only then did Su Li turn around, his gaze falling on Gotrek. "Where is Phyllis? Why didn't she come back with you?"

Gotrek shrugged slightly, his thick beard trembling gently with his movement. His tone was somewhat helpless. "I asked her if she wanted to come back with me, but she refused."

He paused, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "This girl's tone was resolute, saying that she would never allow that kind of thing to happen again. She is going to the province of Sudland to inherit the position of Elector Count, so as to become your strongest backing."

Hearing this, Su Li frowned slightly. The changes that day had perhaps completely altered the girl's mentality and destiny.

Su Li sighed and said, "Actually, she doesn't have to take such a big risk. The political struggle there is already fierce. It's like she's voluntarily entering a dragon's den and tiger's lair."

Gotrek muttered in a loud voice, "She is very determined. She said she wants to have more power, only in this way can she truly protect you. She even said… she would rather die in the struggles of Sudland than see you get hurt again because of her incompetence."

Hearing this, Su Li felt a complex emotion arise in his heart. He closed his eyes, as if he could see Phyllis's weak yet firm figure.

"Why is she so determined? Didn't she even come back to see me?" There was a hint of melancholy in Su Li's voice.

Gotrek nodded. "Yes, she has no way back. Because she took Archibald's legendary sword and accepted the allegiance of the Knights of Eternal Light as the heir to the Elector Count of Sudland. If she gives up all of this, the twelve God-Chosen Knights will not come to the Black Forest Territory with her. So, she continued her journey to the province of Sudland the next morning. I believe she will become an excellent Elector Count."

Su Li raised his head, his gaze directed towards the distant horizon. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his face, plating his profile with a layer of golden light. His eyes held both confusion about the future and a sense of relief about the past.

"Perhaps… this is the destiny that was decided long ago," he murmured to himself.

Perhaps this is a blessing rather than a disaster for her. Archibald had his head chopped off by Gotrek, and the Knights of Eternal Light lost their commander. It was only right that they should be loyal to Phyllis, the next in line to inherit the princely domain—if she could successfully ascend to the position of Elector Count.

But she herself was the second in line to the Elector Count, so these Knights of Eternal Light supported her return to the province of Sudland to seize the supreme position, which was in the best interests of everyone.

Su Li murmured as he looked into the distance. Phyllis really had no way back.

These Knights of Eternal Light were loyal to the future Elector Count of the province of Sudland. In other words, even if she was willing to return to the Black Forest Territory, these God-Chosen Knights would not follow her to be loyal to Su Li. Once she retreated, she would only be a humble peasant woman in the countryside. But by moving forward, she would not only gain the allegiance of a large number of God-Chosen Knights, but also have a great opportunity to obtain the supreme position.

Su Li only hoped that Phyllis, this once weak and innocent girl, could truly be resilient and use her utmost potential, employing all kinds of wisdom and strategies, to win the upcoming political struggles in the turbulent province of Sudland.

But this girl, his first woman and the mother of his first child, was deeply mired in the quagmire of the province of Sudland. Even if she temporarily defeated Archibald, it was only the first step in winning the struggle. When she entered the dragon's den and tiger's lair of the province of Sudland, danger still lurked everywhere around her. Su Li must grow stronger with all his might in order to save them!

But no matter what, the current situation was a perfect beginning that Su Li had never expected.

Archibald was killed, Phyllis was no longer controlled in humiliation, but instead turned the tables, accepted the allegiance of the Knights of Eternal Light, and entered the province of Sudland as the master.

She has no controller behind her, which means that she can easily gain the support of the other dukes. As long as she is good at handling relationships and balancing all parties, she, the second in line to inherit, will have the greatest chance to rule the Grand Principality of Sudland.

Su Li also got his revenge. Now Phyllis is going to the province of Sudland completely out of her own will, not under coercion. He doesn't need to feel bad now.

So Su Li's mood became much brighter. He put down all his thoughts and said with a smile to Gotrek, "Your Excellency Demigod, please be sure to stay in our Black Forest Territory for a few days so that we can fulfill our hospitality as the host."

Gotrek did not refuse, replying heartily, "Hahaha, okay, okay, that's exactly what I want! On the way, I heard that your territory has taverns piled with all kinds of fine wines and troll skull drinking vessels. I've been looking forward to it on the airship for a long time!"

This dwarven envoy really loved to drink. He wasn't afraid of messing things up after getting drunk.

Perhaps it was confidence in his strength. As a demigod, he was invincible, and almost no one could pose a threat to him.

So, without waiting for Su Li to prepare a banquet, he ran to the Troll Skull Tavern to have a drink first.

It was hard for him to endure it for another cycle. Otherwise, he would have run over to enjoy troll brew on the first day he arrived.

After the demigod butcher left, the green dragon Eryndlyn suddenly spoke up, "You should seize the time to send a group of people to compete with him in drinking. If you can win, you can get the 'Extraordinary Physique' trait. The dwarven gods will bestow blessings upon him, allowing him to continue fighting even if he suffers fatal injuries."

Su Li turned to look at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Gotrek once drank hundreds of Kislevite men under the table in the Tsar's palace. How could our territory possibly outdrink him?"

When it comes to drinking, the rough men from the cold regions of the north of the Empire are better drinkers. The south of the Empire drinks brandy. Dwarves have never appreciated this so-called elegance. They would rather drink beer.

Eryndlyn said lightly, "I didn't expect you to win him anyway, but as long as you can drink to the point of getting his personal praise, you can gain the ability of a treasure hunter. During the hangover, you can find all kinds of treasures with inspiration. After all, Gotrek is famous throughout the continent for various legendary adventure stories."

"Even for this trait, many people will come to where he is just to invite him to drink."

Treasure hunter?

This ability is really very suitable for the land of the Black Forest Territory. After all, there are countless ruins in this vast mountain range. The western part of the Bloodpine Forest, which humans have just cleared, is full of evil wizard spires and mysterious ruins.

It's time to send someone to clean up all these places.

The wealth brought by this may even be faster than the gold promised by the dwarves. After all, the coins said to be taller than a mountain must be sent from the treasure house of the dwarven High King. According to the marching speed of these Ironbreakers, a round trip will probably take more than a year, or even more than two years.

So much wealth cannot be loaded by the Thunderfury. This kind of legendary airship is not known for its stability, there are not many of them, and it is not suitable for transporting materials.

If transported by horse-drawn carriages, by the time the dwarves send the gold coins over, the first round of territorial development evaluation may have already ended.

So, Su Li seriously considered this suggestion and said to Oliver, the head of the Department of Provincial Affairs, "My minister, would you consider taking this opportunity to hold a carnival?"

The territory defeated the green dragon and killed a legendary knight, sweeping away the long-term clouds and depression in the territory.

It is indeed time to hold a grand carnival and beer festival!

Demigod Gotrek is a famous, fun-loving person. He likes beer, bonfires, grand celebrations, and competitive games, and all lively activities.

It's a pity that it's already winter, and the Fertility Ritual can't be held again. Otherwise, a large number of Sisters of the Dawn Church generously taking off their habits and singing and dancing in holy prayers would push the atmosphere of the territory to a more enthusiastic climax.

After this period of calm, Oliver also successfully adjusted his mentality.

The wealth promised by the dwarves is indeed abundant, but the problem is that if everything depends on the High King's transportation, the speed at which this wealth is transformed into the strength of the Black Forest Territory is too slow, often requiring a year or two to start.

Even a top fortress, if based on the current territory scale, may not be repaired for a hundred years.

If the dwarves send a large team of engineers from the capital, it will take them several years to travel and transport materials.

Not to mention whether the dwarves have so much wealth to maintain such a long transportation route.

Even if they transport the wealth over, the Black Forest Territory cannot afford so many people to build here. Their food consumption alone can drag down the entire territory.

And the most important thing is time! The time it takes for all of this to be transformed into the strength of the Black Forest Territory is too long. If the Black Forest Territory has so many years of development time, it may not value these things so much with the territory's opportunities and abilities.

So, what the Black Forest Territory needs most now is the ability to quickly turn things into cash.

From this perspective, keeping Gotrek is more important to the development of the territory.

This well-known 'High Lord' can attract a large number of knights and dwarves who come admiringly. I am afraid that the entire Border Principality and Gray Mountains Province will be affected.

By the end of this year, the settled and mobile population of the territory may even exceed 10,000 people!

Holding a grand and extremely lively beer festival for everyone to drink freely is indeed the best way to keep this 'High Lord'. Otherwise, if he wants to transport the dwarves' materials according to the promise, he will not be in such a relaxed mood to stay here and drink now.

As everyone knows, High Lord likes all lively and festive activities.

Su Li thought seriously for a moment and said, "But this is also a test. If the event is not enjoyable enough and the beer is not free-flowing enough, Gotrek may leave early in disappointment. Do we have enough beer?"

Vandal, the Minister of Agriculture sitting next to him, immediately replied with confidence: "No problem, Lord. Calculating the time, almost half of this winter has passed. The last harvest season of this year is coming soon, and our grains will be abundant enough to supply the brewing of a large amount of beer."

Harvesting wheat in cotton-padded jackets is something that Su Li, a northerner, had rarely seen before.

But in the south of the Empire, in areas with hot climates, wheat can indeed be harvested three times a year.

But in this world, the growth of crops is not only related to climate and water patterns, but also to the divine tides of the gods.

For example, winter wheat planted in early autumn can theoretically be harvested in October, but the harvest period is delayed by nearly 3 months because the divine tide of Taal, the God of Summer, has weakened. Plants need to take longer to absorb Taal's wild growth divinity to mature.

Vandal and the Sisters of the Dawn Church have mentioned this to Su Li more than once. The Empire's three harvests a year are one in spring, one in summer, and then a third maturity in the two seasons of autumn and winter, which takes six months.

So, the Empire always says that the difficult winter is because the food will be stretched during these six months.

And Yurick, the God of Winter, severely tests all the citizens of the Empire. When the divine tide of this cold god reaches its peak, snow will fall everywhere on the Old World. Even if the climate in the south is warmer, it is inevitable.

From Su Li's perspective, the location of the Border Principality of the Empire is more like South China or northern Guangdong. The climate is usually warm, and it is enough to wear shirts and robes. But in winter, it will also be close to zero degrees Celsius, with snowstorms, frosts, rain, and snow disasters.

Until today, even Su Li, as the lord of the frontier territory, cannot help but sigh that the winter in the Empire is indeed very harsh and difficult.

But fortunately, the difficult days are finally over. Half of this winter has passed. As long as we stabilize in the coming days, even if it is a little difficult and the finances are a little tight, it will not be a big problem. We can endure it for more than a month until the Spring Awakening Ceremony next year.

After the Spring Awakening Ceremony, Rhea, the Goddess of Dawn, will take over the cycle. She is a generous and benevolent goddess, and like her divine name, she will bring warmth to the world.

At that time, the Sisters of the Church of Dawn will also be able to obtain more divine grace and use more divine magic.

So, after listening to Vandal's good news, Su Li instructed him, "Let the sisters not be stingy with divine magic and use more of Rhea's abundance. Our current laurel gemstone will be given priority to your church."

Reya's abundance，这是一个有些难以评价的神术(神术: divine magic/spell). --\u003e Reya's Abundance, this is a divine magic that is somewhat difficult to evaluate.

蕾雅的修女可以通过歌唱女神的光辉，带来丰裕并清除所有污秽。库存的食物和未煮熟的原料将缓慢膨胀并一分为二，碰到的所有东西都将数量翻倍。霉菌、害虫、昆虫和其他的变质源都将消失，久置的食物将再次新鲜。每轮可以触碰一桶、一箱或一筐食物。 --\u003e Reya's nuns can bring abundance and remove all filth by singing the glory of the goddess. Stocked food and uncooked ingredients will slowly expand and divide into two, doubling the quantity of everything they touch. Mold, pests, insects, and other sources of spoilage will disappear, and long-stored food will become fresh again. Each round, they can touch a bucket, a box, or a basket of food.

看起来这个神术的效果是非常的强大的。 --\u003e It seems that the effect of this divine magic is very powerful.

在一座农场或者村庄里，在粮食无以为继的时候，一名晨曦教会(晨曦教会: Church of the Morning Light)的修女每天使用这个神术就能够供应农庄十几人甚至数十人的口粮，让他们不至于饿死。 --\u003e In a farm or village, when food is unsustainable, a nun of the Church of the Morning Light can use this divine magic every day to supply food for a dozen or even dozens of people in the farm, so that they will not starve to death.

但是在黑森领(黑森领: Black Forest Territory)，晨曦教会的修女们却很少使用这个神术。 --\u003e However, in the Black Forest Territory, the nuns of the Church of the Morning Light rarely use this divine magic.

因为当领地的规模达到5000人以上的时候，只依靠修女们的这个神术，完全是杯水车薪了。 --\u003e Because when the size of the territory reaches more than 5,000 people, relying solely on the nuns' divine magic is completely a drop in the bucket.

修女们更鼓励勤劳和耕种，她们把有限的神力都用在了农田里，而不是消耗在了制作一筐食物上。 --\u003e The nuns encourage diligence and farming, and they use their limited divine power in the farmland, rather than consuming it in making a basket of food.

通过对农田的施法和耕种的祝福，提升农业的产量，才能够获得更多的食物，满足数以千计的领民需求。 --\u003e By casting spells on farmland and blessing cultivation, increasing agricultural production can obtain more food and meet the needs of thousands of people.

她们更倾向于自己动手，丰衣足食，而不是不劳而获。 --\u003e They prefer to do it themselves and be self-sufficient, rather than gain something for nothing.

但是这今年的年轮已经即将运转结束，剩下的冬季日子也不适合再继续耕种。更重要的是，这几个月以来月桂花宝石(月桂花宝石: Laurel Flower Gemstone)不断增加，可以保证晨曦教会修女们有足够灵能(灵能: psionic energy)了。 --\u003e But this year's annual ring is about to end, and the remaining winter days are not suitable for continuing cultivation. More importantly, the Laurel Flower Gemstones have been increasing in recent months, which can ensure that the nuns of the Church of the Morning Light have enough psionic energy.

这个月桂花宝石浸泡的魔力泉水一口能够给晨曦教会修女们恢复2～3成的灵能。正适合在这个啤酒节前，给领地提供充足的酒水。 --\u003e A sip of the magic spring water soaked in Laurel Flower Gemstones can restore 20-30% of the psionic energy to the nuns of the Church of the Morning Light. It is just right to provide the territory with sufficient wine before this beer festival.

为了保证晨曦教会的积极性，苏离笑着说道：“这次的酒水供应交给你们，收入也都归你们晨曦教会所有。明年的春生万物仪式，我期望你们教会能够进一步壮大，有更多的修女参与。” --\u003e In order to ensure the enthusiasm of the Church of the Morning Light, Su Li said with a smile: "This time the supply of wine is handed over to you, and the income will belong to your Church of the Morning Light. For next year's Spring Birth of All Things ceremony, I hope that your church can further grow and have more nuns participate."

范达尔闻言果然兴奋起来，更多的教会收入，就意味着他们能够建设起来更多的圣地，培训更多的修女。 --\u003e Van der was indeed excited when he heard the words. More church income means they can build more holy sites and train more nuns.

他们教会目前正在筹备一项非常重要的工程，那就是建设自己教会的洗礼圣地·大地母亲的圣池(洗礼圣地·大地母亲的圣池: Baptism Holy Land - Holy Pool of Mother Earth)。 --\u003e Their church is currently preparing a very important project, which is to build their own church's baptism holy site, the Holy Pool of Mother Earth.

这个圣地跟星陨盆地(星陨盆地: Starfall Basin)的那个星辉池(星辉池: starlight pool)不同，那个星辉池是通用型的圣地。 --\u003e This holy site is different from the starlight pool in the Starfall Basin, that starlight pool is a general-purpose holy site.

在水池中央的欧甘石碑(欧甘石碑: Ogham Stone Stele)被水草缠绕，沉没在水池中央后，每次丰产仪式在这里祷告献祭，会保佑领地的下一个季节获得丰收，农田产量至少提升两成。 --\u003e After the Ogham Stone Stele in the center of the pool is entangled by aquatic plants and sinks in the center of the pool, every time a fertility ritual is prayed and sacrificed here, it will bless the territory to obtain a good harvest in the next season, and the yield of farmland will increase by at least 20%.

而大地母亲的圣池则是晨曦女神教会给教徒洗礼和净身用的，可以为教会吸纳、筛选出虔诚的信徒，甚至直接训练出来合格的见习修女！这有点类似人类的骑士侍从训练营。但是见习骑士需要侍从不断的训练才能觉醒。而蕾雅是公认的本世界最慷慨的神灵，她会直接选择一批信徒，赋予她们能力，让她们去传播自己的仁慈与慷慨，带给更多人以丰收和财富。所以这个圣地可以直接造就一批最低级的见习修女，她们要继续往上晋升，就要靠自己的努力修行了。 --\u003e The Holy Pool of Mother Earth is used by the Church of the Morning Light to baptize and cleanse believers. It can absorb and screen devout believers for the church, and even directly train qualified novice nuns! This is a bit similar to a human knight squire training camp. However, novice knights need constant training from their squires to awaken. Reya is recognized as the most generous god in this world. She will directly select a group of believers, give them abilities, and let them spread her kindness and generosity, bringing harvest and wealth to more people. Therefore, this holy site can directly create a group of the lowest-level novice nuns, and if they want to continue to be promoted, they must rely on their own efforts to cultivate.

毕竟蕾雅向来是鼓励慷慨，而反对无节制的纵容。 --\u003e After all, Reya has always encouraged generosity and opposed unrestrained indulgence.

晨曦教会已经画好了这个圣地的图纸，圣池呈椭圆形，象征太阳的圆满与大地的包容，也代表着大地母亲的子宫，是生命孕育与丰收的源泉。 --\u003e The Church of the Morning Light has already drawn the blueprint for this holy site. The holy pool is oval, symbolizing the perfection of the sun and the inclusiveness of the earth. It also represents the womb of Mother Earth, the source of life and harvest.

池边用天然石材砌筑，表面雕刻着象征丰收与生命的图案，如麦穗、葡萄藤、花朵等。 --\u003e The pool is built with natural stone, and the surface is carved with patterns symbolizing harvest and life, such as ears of wheat, grape vines, and flowers.

池中央设置一个小型岛屿，岛上竖立一块巨大的欧甘石碑。石碑上刻有晨曦女神的教义与祷辞，周围缠绕着生机勃勃的水草和藤蔓雕塑。 --\u003e A small island is set in the center of the pool, and a huge Ogham Stone Stele is erected on the island. The stele is engraved with the teachings and prayers of the Goddess of the Morning Light, surrounded by vibrant aquatic plants and vine sculptures.

圣池分为内外两层： --\u003e The holy pool is divided into two layers, inner and outer:

外层水域是浅水区，供信徒进行净手或简单的仪式。 --\u003e The outer waters are shallow water areas for believers to wash their hands or perform simple rituals.

内层水域是深水区，仅在丰产仪式时启用，用于献祭和神圣祈祷。 --\u003e The inner waters are deep water areas, only used during fertility rituals for sacrifices and sacred prayers.

圣池周围环绕着一片郁郁葱葱的花园，种植着象征丰收的作物、如小麦、玉米、葡萄等，以及芳香植物，如薰衣草、迷迭香。 --\u003e The holy pool is surrounded by a lush garden, planted with crops symbolizing harvest, such as wheat, corn, grapes, etc., and fragrant plants, such as lavender and rosemary.

花园中还设有小型雕塑和喷泉，进一步强化自然与神圣的氛围。 --\u003e The garden also has small sculptures and fountains, further enhancing the atmosphere of nature and holiness.

仅看这个复杂的设计就能知道，这个工程耗资可是非常巨大，至少要消耗1000 gold crowns，甚至可能要1500金王冠。 --\u003e Just looking at this complex design, you can know that this project is very costly, at least 1000 gold crowns, and possibly 1500 gold crowns.

如果买见习修女的话，都能买50～80名了，甚至精英级的德鲁伊(德鲁伊: Druid)都能买回来至少5名。 --\u003e If you buy novice nuns, you can buy 50 to 80, and even elite Druids can buy back at least 5.

不过晨曦教会一直主张自立自强，所以他们更期望建设一个能够由自己掌握的培训手段。能够自行训练出一批教会的修女。 --\u003e However, the Church of the Morning Light has always advocated self-reliance, so they are more hoping to build a training method that they can control. Be able to train a group of church nuns on their own.

这不仅能够给他们教会以更光明的未来，而且也能够帮领地吸纳不少慕名而来的人口。 --\u003e This will not only give their church a brighter future, but also help the territory attract a lot of people who come here admiringly.

只是，这个规划虽然好，却不符合领地投资的利益。 --\u003e However, although this plan is good, it does not conform to the interests of the territory's investment.

领地当然是期望直接投资一笔钱，快速的从奴隶贩子那里购买大量的修女，加速生产。而不是先耗时耗力建设一座圣地，再陆陆续续的培育修女。这可是足足差了近100名修女啊！对明年粮食生产的影响会大到难以估计，至少会有几成的浮动。本世界的神职人员可不同于凡世，是一种负担，他们是真的能够促进生产的。 --\u003e The territory certainly hopes to directly invest a sum of money to quickly purchase a large number of nuns from slave traders to accelerate production, instead of spending time and effort to build a holy site first, and then gradually cultivate nuns. This is a difference of nearly 100 nuns! The impact on next year's food production will be so great that it is difficult to estimate, and there will be at least a few percentage points of fluctuation. The clergy in this world are different from the mortal world. They are a burden, but they can really promote production.

所以他们晨曦教会拿不到这方面的领地投资，只能自己筹备资金，自行建设这个圣地。 --\u003e Therefore, their Church of the Morning Light cannot get the territory investment in this area, and can only raise funds by themselves to build this holy site.

苏离倒也不是就吝啬1000金币，而是到了如今，他已经不能像以前那么任意妄为，随便给某一个教会资助了。 --\u003e It's not that Su Li is stingy with 1000 gold coins, but now, he can't be as arbitrary as before and casually fund a certain church.

领地现在这么多教会，除了给烈阳女神教会(烈阳女神教会: Church of the Blazing Sun Goddess)资助，其他教会没办法抱怨。再给任何一个教会捐赠，都可能引起其他教会的不满，必须要一碗水端平了。可要是每个教会都给1000金王冠，那苏离真拿不出这么多钱来。 --\u003e There are so many churches in the territory now, except for funding the Church of the Blazing Sun Goddess, other churches have no way to complain. Donating to any church may cause dissatisfaction among other churches, and it is necessary to treat everyone equally. But if each church is given 1000 gold crowns, Su Li really can't afford so much money.