Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 41: Finding a Treasure - A High-Achiever from Middenheim's Gryphon Academy

The previous territory's administrator?

His existence is undoubtedly excellent news for Su Li, saving him a lot of time in counting the population, surveying the terrain, and even understanding the climate.

Talent should be valued and given preferential treatment at any time, any place, and by any force.

So, Su Li jumped off his horse and, after instructing the Orstein Knights to lead the troops to set up camp and prepare food, personally walked up to the surviving administrator to speak with him.

"What is your name, and how did you survive?"

Although he is said to be an administrator, he looked very disheveled, covered in soot all over his body and face. His face was gaunt from hunger, with high cheekbones.

Facing Su Li, he said in a weak voice, "Greetings, esteemed lord. Before I answer your questions, could you give me something to eat? I'm too hungry to have any strength."

Su Li frowned, dissatisfied with his negligence and self-importance.

Instead of answering the question, he made a request first. This was not a humble gesture.

If Su Li wasn't in a good mood, another lord might have given him a few lashes on the spot.

"Give him a piece of bread." Su Li was indeed in a good mood today, so he didn't bother with him.

The old man took the bread, his bloodshot eyes as red as a wolf's, and immediately devoured it ravenously.

This scene made Hilde and Leif couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle.

Because even in this starving state, the old man maintained his so-called dining etiquette, like a down-and-out butler who couldn't take off Kong Yiji's gown.

It wasn't until he had eaten a piece of bread the length of his arm that he felt like he was about to choke. Leif kindly handed him a military kettle, and he gulped down half a kettle of water before finally catching his breath.

And his first words made all of Su Li's impatience instantly dissipate, straightening his body and filled with respect.

All of this politeness, cultivation, and gentle demeanor had finally yielded unparalleled gains.

"Esteemed lord, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Laun Metternich Leopold. Just like this great surname suggests, I come from the same Elector Count Prince territory as the Imperial Marshal, and I graduated from the Administrative Management Department of the Middenheim Imperial Gryphon Military Academy. Previously, I assisted the twenty-seventh son of the Marshal's family in pioneering and developing here."

As soon as his voice fell, everyone around him gasped.

A top talent who graduated from the Middenheim Imperial Gryphon Military Academy!

Although the Administrative Management Department of the Middenheim Imperial Gryphon Military Academy does not have the absolute dominance of the Knight Department, it is still one of the top three academies in the entire empire.

The students who can successfully graduate from it are all top administrators that major territories are vying for. It can be said that each one has the talent to manage the country and benefit the people.

Such talents are generally divided up by the major electors and dukes, and even the Zijing Earl territory does not have such outstanding administrators.

The corners of Su Li's mouth almost reached his ears. He had found a treasure.

With such talent to assist him, he could hand over most of the trivial administrative matters to him, and he could lie down and relax even better!

Of course, lying down is not being a useless person, it doesn't mean he doesn't do anything.

Farming is a kind of instinct engraved in the depths of Chinese genes. Doing this can bring a lot of pleasure.

After all, labor is the most valuable and can bring the greatest happiness.

What Su Li hates is meaningless internal friction and being pressured by KPIs to do work. That kind of work is like going to the grave.

What he yearns for is a free life, being able to do what he truly likes at will.

For example, the joy in bed, he is willing to do it even if he is tired. For example, simulation management games, he enjoys staying up all night.

And building a territory from scratch and managing it through farming will also give him a great sense of accomplishment and pleasure. It can even bring huge benefits, allowing him to lie down more comfortably, gain stronger strength and more beauties.

But all of this does not include dealing with the trivial administrative affairs of the territory.

As the lord, he only needs to plan the direction of the entire force's development, and he doesn't have to do everything himself.

Trivial matters, of course, are handled by this administrator. Su Li smiled and asked him, "How did you survive? How many survivors are there in the territory like you?"

Laun immediately replied, "This stronghold on the south bank of the Blackwater River has a pier and fisherman's hut by the river. After the previous lord was defeated and his head was chopped off by a monster with a sharp axe, I took a group of people and climbed onto the fishing boat in the chaos before the forest bandit monsters killed us, and drifted away downstream."

"After the forest bandit raiders looted and burned in the stronghold, we rowed back here. But most of the buildings and facilities in the territory were burned down."

"However, the terrain where the rivers converge here greatly delayed the speed of the monsters' pursuit. After the civilians and miners who fled across the river from all directions returned, there are currently 31 households and 105 people in the stronghold."

31 households of civilians!

Su Li was stunned. He had never played such explosive and radical operations in his previous life's simulation management games.

31 households of civilians support 50 knights and more than 120 armed retainers!

The number of non-productive soldiers is several times higher than the number of civilians.

All the wealth in the territory has obviously been looted. The residents here are even waiting for Su Li to give them food relief.

Including soldiers, serfs, civilians and livestock, the entire territory has about 400 people, the size of a village. People and horses consume at least 2,500 catties of grain every day, among which knights, griffins and various war horses are big grain consumers. It is normal for a knight to eat two or three catties of meat, rice and milk in one meal, and even some strong ordinary people need so much supply after strenuous physical activity.

Laun also realized this problem immediately and suggested to Su Li, "Lord, our top priority now is to obtain sufficient food for the territory, and then seize the time to carry out spring plowing on this basis. It would be even better if there was guidance from the Church of Dawn."

Although there was a little bit of pressure, Su Li smiled calmly and said, "As long as we work together, everything will eventually be solved."

"However, first of all, what we have to do is to name our territory."

Su Li looked around, pressed his hand on his long sword, took a deep breath, and said loudly, "From now on, this is the Black Forest Pioneering Territory! Our great cause will set sail from here!"