Before noon, I took Winter out to the candidate site for the horse ranch.

"The location is excellent. It seems even better than the royal ranch or the Rosenheim ranch."

This was where I’d clashed with Besançon’s army and, with a small force, had commanded cavalry for the first time to crush the enemy. It was a place that held meaning for me. Winter marveled at how truly fine the location was.

"It’s a place I’ve been eyeing for a while. So, give it a try."

"What? Pardon me?"

"I’m telling you to build the Feuzen ranch."

His pupils were trembling, clearly never having imagined this. Winter came from a stable master family in Burgundy and had experienced all the ranches in Breisburg, so I’d thought he was the perfect fit to take charge.

"Master? This task is far too great for me."

"Winter. Are you going to live as a stable master your entire life?"

"..."

"Your home, House Blont, manages the Rosenheim stables, but it’s still just a stable master family. You unintentionally left and struck out on your own, passed through Épinay, and became a retainer of the Streit family. Even though you’re still a stable master, do you think your position is weaker than theirs?"

There was clearly a difference between a stable master attached to a village and one serving under a lord. And rather than leaving Winter merely as a stable master, I wanted to raise him to be the man in charge of breeding horses on the lord’s behalf.

That alone would create an enormous social gap between the Blont family and Winter himself. For Winter, who’d had no choice but to live his whole life as a stable master under the brother who’d inherited everything, this was an enormous opportunity.

"Adapting to your circumstances and accepting them is your nature, but you must still have ambition. If you complete the task I give you perfectly, you’ll come to wield influence that surpasses your family’s."

Winter, who had been staring at me blankly, fell into deep thought.

"Could I really come to have influence that surpasses my family’s?"

"Your master holds that kind of power. Well? Are you starting to feel like giving it a try?"

"...Could I find a good bride too?"

"A good bride? I’ll find the finest bride for you."

The man named Winter beamed.

But an unexpected change occurred.

Winter’s disposition, originally compliant (good), changed to loyalty (good).

What? Dispositions are innate, but they can change depending on circumstances? The system informed me that, while rare, values can shift depending on one’s environment. Well, would you look at that.

I’d witnessed an unexpected change, but Winter’s resolve had become that much firmer. So Winter was given full responsibility for designing the ranch. That change in Winter also made an impression on the other retainers.

"I was so surprised when Winter suddenly became all motivated."

"It’s a good change. He’ll do well from here on out. By the way, how’s the work at the meeting hall?"

"Maybe it’s because I’m watching, but everyone seems to be working hard."

Chief Wentner’s younger sister Bailey had served as the work supervisor there. So she was able to give Hilda a detailed explanation of the meeting hall’s operations and methods.

The meeting hall was off-limits to men. Skilled women gathered there, formed teams, and were assigned various tasks. They used wool to make linen and cloth, and they also produced dyes and soap.

Other women were mobilized to tend the chicken coops or shear sheep.

They also worked the manor’s vineyard, but since the scale was small, the work was light.

Although their schedule was quite packed, the working hours never exceeded eight hours, no matter how long. There was a Mass at six p.m. And everyone had a common day off on Sundays, holy days, and Easter.

The chief’s family had managed the meeting hall in place of the estate manager for some time, and they typically recorded a week’s worth of production. So I emphasized to Hilda that she absolutely had to compare the current production to the previous week’s output.

Since Production (10%) had been applied, the production volume should be higher.

That would let me see the passive’s effect.

So there was nothing to do but constantly check and observe.

"How will you handle the wealthy farmers?"

"I’ll execute everyone involved and demote the remaining family members to serfs."

"That’s a fitting measure. Honestly, I was worried you’d handle it emotionally, Wolf."

A free family had been reduced to serfs overnight, but not exiling them was already a merciful measure. No matter the treason, in Europe, the principle of guilt by association is officially prohibited.

If they were stripped of all their property and driven out, they would be reduced to paupers.

If they were attacked by bandits, only a miserable death would await them.

Although they didn’t have the freedom of free folk, serfs could still live with their own measure of safety and security in the fief, so their situation was at least better than that of urban paupers. If they still harbored dissatisfaction, then exile was the only option.

I planned to weed out the discontented after checking their mindsets.

I sent for the executioner of Hünrich.

I specifically requested the Stock couple as well. There was a connection.

Once they arrived, the executions would be carried out.

Hilda and I visited the workshop of one of Feuzen’s signature industries: the cheese craftsmen.

When the lord and his lady showed up unexpectedly, the craftsmen were thrown into great confusion. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The cheese craftsmen of Feuzen were heavily influenced by Swiss and Italian traditions.

"Feuzen cheese is popular among commoners."

"That’s because of its low price. The nobles don’t even glance at it."

"Honestly, I’ve never had it myself. I’ve only eaten Swiss cheese."

Unfortunately, in southern Germany, people preferred cheese from abroad over domestically produced German cheese. At least Feuzen cheese had high demand among commoners thanks to its low price.

But among cheese enthusiasts, it was dismissed as a knockoff of Swiss cheese.

That’s why I wanted to use the passive to boost productivity and quality, building competitiveness sufficient to rival the imported cheeses. Since I’d been given a village built on livestock and dairy as my fief, after all.

Germany’s cheese industry was, sadly, in poor shape.

So I’d come to want to make Feuzen the premier name in German cheese.

"The cheese I sometimes bought and ate with my mother was Feuzen cheese, and it was made here."

Bodo, who was looking around the workshop, was lost in fond memories.

I’d woken him from a hidden nap and dragged him along.

"But why did you bring me here? Surely you’re not telling me to make cheese?"

"Your job is to record the daily production volume of the cheese workshop."

"Me? I’m in charge of intelligence. This is far from my line of work."

"That’s your role in Breisburg. Here, this is also very important work."

Bodo’s astonished expression was rather amusing.

To verify the effectiveness of the passive, accurately measuring cheese production was crucial. I hadn’t shoved Bodo into the role just to give him pointless work.

"I knew there was an awful lot of linen paper for some reason."

"I brought plenty for use as record sheets."

"You taught me to write so you could put me to work like this, didn’t you?"

"Did you think I taught you for free? Of course I taught you so I could put you to work."

In the end, Bodo was installed as the manager of the cheese workshop. He didn’t just record the production volume but also managed the inventory. He was a clever boy who, even while grumbling, did everything that needed doing, so he’d adapt quickly.

The craftsmen now had a young manager named Bodo overseeing them, but they could focus solely on cheese production. It also planted the perception that the lord considered the work important enough to assign a retainer to it.

In this way, I was able to get a rough overview of Feuzen’s current state. The effects of Soil Fertility (10%) wouldn’t be visible until next year, but Production (10%) should produce visible results within a few days.

But Fiel, who had been scouting the northern reaches of Feuzen’s territory, sent Anton back with a report.

"Armed forces have crossed over from the Euz border!"

"Armed forces? What kind?"

"According to Vice Commander Steinhof, they appear to be a band of deserters."

"The very thing I’d been worried about has come to pass."

[Guardian of Feuzen I]

[Subdue the deserter band threatening the fief]

[Reward: 5,000 points, 1 gold coin]

[Family Prestige 20 points]

[Danger Rating ★★☆☆☆]

I immediately summoned the entire knightly order and called up the levy in Feuzen.

It was the first time I’d called up the levy in my fief since becoming lord.

Now then, shall we go earn some points?