The Lord: Raising a Maiden in the World of Torment

At first glance, the wine cellar's dismal state left Field feeling hopeless.

But fortune had not abandoned him entirely. After a brief search, he stumbled upon a few unopened barrels.

Knock, knock.

Field tapped one gently. A deep, muffled echo came from within, and his heart skipped a beat. A grin spread across his face, though he tried to mask his excitement. "Open this barrel," he ordered, pretending to stay composed. "Let's hope it's filled with wine and not tentacles."

The grey mist could only corrupt living plants and animals; inanimate objects, like wine, were generally safe as long as they were properly sealed.

With considerable effort, one of the guards pried open the barrel. With a soft pop, a rich, heady aroma of wine filled the cellar, overpowering the stench of decay.

In a place filled with rot and monsters, the exquisite scent of fine wine was so bizarre it was almost surreal—akin to finding a shrimp in a toilet.

"This is it! The Empire's long-lost Black Pearl wine!" Field exclaimed, practically trembling with excitement. He pumped his fist in the air and turned to the salivating guards nearby. "Fetch my steward, Kael. Have him take stock of how many drinkable barrels we have here."

As Field revelled in his discovery, Ashina cautiously chimed in, "My lord, even with wine this fine… it's best to enjoy it in moderation."

Many lords had met their ruin through alcoholism, spending their days lost in taverns or indulging in debauchery.

"Don't worry, Ashina. I have no intention of drinking this wine."

Field wasn't a fan of alcohol. He much preferred iced tea or cola.

"These Black Pearl wines, untouched for a decade, are liquid gold. If we transport them to the Empire's capital—or even to the nearest city—they'll instantly bring us a fortune in gold coins."

The exact value would depend on how much wine they had, but Field was confident that the nobles and elites would fight tooth and nail to get their hands on such a rare vintage.

"Oh~" Ashina rested a slender finger against her lips, her expression thoughtful. "If we're holding the Starlight Grand Winery, maybe we could start making wine ourselves."

"You're right," Field replied, nodding. "But that's something to consider only after we ensure our safety."

Leaving the wine cellar in Kael's capable hands, Field finally had a moment to assess his territory.

Centered around the winery, his land covered an area roughly the size of an elementary school playground. This space, free from the grey mist, was now under Field's control. As long as the mist didn't return, people could live and work here—making it true territory.

As for what was currently on the land, it didn't matter much for now. Everything was corrupted—plants and creatures alike. Clearing them out was the first priority before anything else could be planned.

"If Black Pearl wine is so valuable, then we might be able to…"

"Now, the real challenge begins."

Field walked along the outermost perimeter of the land. Thanks to the villagers' efforts, many corrupted creatures in the fields had been cleared, and the area was finally starting to resemble a place fit for human habitation.

The villagers were pushing together piles of grotesque, deformed corrupted creatures. These monsters lacked any combat ability, but their mere presence was a source of contamination. The broken wood salvaged from the Grand Winery proved useful here—it was tossed into the heaps of creatures and set ablaze.

Shrill, cat-like wails echoed non-stop, accompanied by the crackling sound of sizzling flesh. Thick grey smoke billowed from the creatures as they burned.

"By the Valkyrie above, these devilish abominations are finally being dealt with!"

A maid clutched her chest dramatically as she exclaimed in relief, her tone exaggerated.

The enslaved women toiling nearby cast envious glances her way.

To them, being a maid who could freely enter and leave the castle, enjoy leftover food from the nobles, and even have the luxury of rest breaks, was the pinnacle of fortune—something they could only dream of.

"Scissors, I need you to handle something for me," Field said as he finished surveying the land. Before issuing new policies, he planned to meet with his servants.

"Yes, my lord."

The maid, Scissors, immediately dropped her cheerful demeanor, her smile disappearing as quickly as a startled cricket's chirp. Even though Field had previously acted timid and foolish, his status as a noble still commanded awe and deference from commoners.

Field had been so preoccupied with expanding his territory in recent days that he had neglected many other pressing matters. He was beginning to fully grasp the vast class divide that defined this world.

He recalled an infamous story involving his late father.

A rival noble had planned an ambush on the family's trade caravan. By chance, a peasant discovered the enemy's hiding spot and rushed to the castle to warn the Earl. Thanks to this information, the Earl turned the tables on the enemy, defeating them decisively.

One would expect that such a peasant would be richly rewarded for their loyalty and bravery. However, upon returning victorious, the Earl had the peasant publicly executed.

The reason? The peasant's filthy, mud-and-dung-stained shoes had sullied the Earl's luxurious carpet, leaving behind "disgusting and lowly footprints."

In the eyes of most nobles, their peasants were worth no more than dung. Slaves? They ranked even lower.

Field wasn't a saint. He had no intention of dismantling the feudal system or turning himself into a paragon of noble virtue. Nor did he plan to fully assimilate into the oppressive norms of this society and become a traditional feudal lord in every sense.

"My goal is simple—make my people's lives better," Field thought to himself. "Of course, only the obedient ones deserve that."

"Scissors," he called, "gather everyone who serves me. I have something to say."

"Yes, my lord." Scissors immediately lifted her apron and scurried off.

The first to arrive was the steward, Kael. Being the highest-ranking servant among Field's staff, it was natural that Scissors informed him first.

"My lord, we haven't finished counting the barrels yet. It'll take at least two more days," Kael, the steward, said as he hurried over, panting heavily. He looked frail, his thin legs barely filling out his trousers—a clear sign that life had been hard for him.

Despite this, Kael's pay was the highest in the entire territory, earning 5 silver coins and 50 copper coins per month. Moreover, tasks like purchasing supplies and bookkeeping were entrusted to him. With a bit of cunning, he could easily multiply his income through subtle manipulations.

For context, in the Empire, 1 copper coin could buy a loaf of black bread—an unappetising mix of rye flour, wood shavings, and bark. Unlike the bread modern people might imagine, black bread was as hard as a rock and could easily chip a tooth if eaten dry. The proper way to consume it was to soak it in hot soup until soft, then eat it with coarse salt, which was riddled with impurities.

It lacked any sweetness or wheat aroma, offering only a bitter saltiness.

Yet, even this subpar food was out of reach for many. A day's work often didn't earn enough to afford two loaves of bread, leaving many to fall into slavery.

The maids, manservants, and cook in Field's service earned 15 copper coins a day—4 silver coins and 50 copper coins a month.

Before long, Field's staff gathered before him: two maids, one manservant, and a cook.

In modern society, having two or three servants would be a mark of significant wealth. However, in this medieval world, Field was little more than a destitute noble. His sister—the very woman who had sent soldiers to try to kill him—employed over twenty manservants just for mundane tasks like chopping vegetables, butchering meat, leading horses, and even manicures.

Field cast his gaze over the group, his divine-enhanced eyes scrutinising every detail. The servants instinctively avoided his gaze, lowering their heads to the ground. Making eye contact with their lord was considered a sign of disrespect.