Venison

"In this era, if all the heirs are dead, the son-in-law also has the right of inheritance. Of course, this only applies to direct descendants; those collateral relatives, separated by who knows how many generations, can step aside…"

"Once all the men in the Davis Family are dead, Silvia will become a valuable asset."

"Moreover, those ignorant commoners always believe there should be a noble lord governing them, holding a strange sympathy for the descendants of fallen nobles. This is another reason for the marriage; to nip any instability in the bud!"

Alan Sothos thought indifferently.

"And by taking this step, I have completely given up the fight for the heirship, which can greatly reduce the repercussions brought by being too prominent in this war... If Colin is smart enough, that is."

To be honest, he wasn't very interested in a mere territory.

In the current situation where the extraordinary seems within reach, anyone is free to inherit if they so desire.

"All mortals long for immortality, but it is unattainable, thus there are substitutes, such as seeking immortality through descendants or spiritual immortality through writing and passing down one's name. However, these are all illusions!"

"Now... the true extraordinary is right before my eyes; what meaning do the rest of these have for me?"

Alan's gaze was resolute.

Watching this scene, Theodore couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

...

In the dream.

Alan recalled various video materials from his past life, finding what could be utilized, and began repeatedly memorizing them.

In the dream world, he essentially obtained a controllable state of hyperthymesia, with his memory akin to a library.

At this moment, it was about bringing out the contents of interest, memorizing them once again, and bringing them back to reality!

Although he didn't possess the ability of [Total Recall] in reality, the qualities of an ordinary person were enough to recall the content learned repeatedly in the dream.

Using this method, he could completely replicate some of the technologies from his past life.

He woke up and picked up a brand new notebook beside him, starting to record.

This time, he didn't use Chinese but used the Green Forest Language.

After all, these weren't secrets, and he might even need craftsmen to study them. Making it too complicated would be a hassle for himself.

"Homemade fertilizer, cement, basic steelmaking techniques, steam mechanism ideas... Once I receive my fiefdom, I can start these projects freely..."

"It seems there's no need for too many; just homemade fertilizer is enough to ensure a great harvest in the territory. With the current pathetic agricultural techniques, it's really not much to look at..."

Homemade fertilizer was quite simple and indeed a treasure for time-travelers to increase yield, and the materials were easy to find, just fresh cow dung, soybean meal, and calcium sulfate.

And the knight's fief was fully private, whatever industry he developed on it wouldn't have to fear being seized by Theodore.

In fact, even if he rebelled, Theodore would have to defeat his private soldiers before he could continue judgment.

And as long as he didn't rebel and fulfilled the obligations of a vassal, the liege wouldn't be able to do much.

...

After putting away the notebook, Alan shook the bell on the table.

A maid immediately came in to tidy his desk and pick out clothes for him to go out.

"Tia, this is for you."

Alan stuffed a gold coin into Tia's clothes and, seeing the shy expression on the young maid's face, suddenly said, "After Colin's wedding, I will probably go to Blackstone Manor to take up my fiefdom. Think about your future in advance and then tell me."

Hearing this, Tia's expression changed.

For the maids in the castle, most of whom enjoyed the privileged life inside, the last thing they wanted was to return to the harsh life of peasants.

And their means of securing a future weren't many, becoming the lord's lover was probably the best option.

In this era, no matter how much a maid daydreams, none would think they could become the lady of the castle.

Other than that, they could be matched with the stewards and their sons.

Of course, skilled maids could continue working in the castle as cooks, maids, or ladies' nannies.

The worst outcome would be getting expelled from the castle upon aging and marrying a farmer, leading a tough life.

Seeing the maid bite her lip, Alan continued expressionlessly, "Whether you want to keep following me, fancy any steward or his son, or need some money... you can talk to me about it, you don't have to answer immediately, you have a few days to consider."

He had to admit, he had little affection for this maid, and this was already his limit.

After getting dressed, Alan left the room and walked to the garden.

Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he smelled a hint of roasted meat.

"Ginny, it's you!"

Alan turned in one direction and saw little Ginny secretly roasting venison in a corner.

On the white marble were a grill, wire mesh, and various bowls holding spices, including precious spices and black pepper.

A deer leg was hanging to one side, and Ginny's maid was using a dagger to cut small pieces of venison, placing them on the grill; another plate was piled with roasted venison, and little Ginny's mouth was covered in grease.

Hearing someone coming, the little girl became very frightened, only to relax after seeing that it was Alan, "Brother Alan..."

Since teaching her this way of eating last time, especially the secret recipe for sauce preparation, Ginny seemed to particularly enjoy it.

"If you want me to keep it quiet, you must share."

Alan laughed and sat down, took out a dagger, and began cutting the deer leg.

The sliced venison sizzled on the grill, occasionally sprinkled with some spices, and once cooked, it was incredibly flavorful.

Alan ate happily, almost like competing with Ginny, wolfing down the roasted meat.

After eating, the maids cleaned up the grill, and Ginny held a cup of deer milk, suddenly speaking, "Mother has been unhappy these days... and also Sean."

Alan said nothing.

The castle was busy preparing for a grand wedding. Lady Sonia being happy would be unusual.

At this point, Ginny lowered her head and whispered, "They also mentioned you…"

Alan felt speechless, but it was expected to be resented since he initiated the matter.

After all, even though Sonia and Sean were still enjoying their glamorous days, once Theodore passed and Colin took over, their fate might be worse than his previous one!

He now had a fiefdom awarded for his war exploits and couldn't be stripped of it, while Sean... without significant merits, even Theodore would find it hard to grant him a fief.

Probably, becoming a wandering knight would be his only way out upon growing up.

 (End of this chapter)