General Cleon didn't have any other intentions. He just thought that a female warrior like Amy should be able to talk to Dean so that Dean wouldn't keep hiding.
It seems that Dean has a bit of a dull personality, probably the kind of simple-minded person who devotes all his energy to studying technology.
He studied at the Royal Academy, is more educated than his father, has his own career and ideas, and is determined to pursue his own ideals and true love. Plus, he might be a little bit eccentric...
It is normal for such a person to be unwilling to accept his father's arrangements.
Moreover, Dean was a lord directly under Emperor Marius, and although Cleon was his father, he could not force him to do anything. Even if it was a political marriage or a temporary engagement, it had to be done with Dean's own consent.
Cleon's thinking is actually quite flexible. He had originally agreed with Dean to deal with the matter first. As long as Dean pretended to do it, he could announce with the village civil officer that Dean was engaged.
Even if the two sides are really not suitable, they can just cancel the engagement after this period of time.
The 'girl' that General Cleon found was also an older unmarried young woman, already 27 or 28 years old, almost reaching the age stipulated by this special decree, so the deal was originally reached, and both parties could avoid the punishment of the decree.
But no matter how perfunctory this kind of thing is, at least both the man and the woman have to be willing, and both parties have to be present.
Moreover, Dean was the local lord. If he did not agree, the civil officials would not dare to forge documents.
But Dean had agreed , but he refused to do it today.
He refused to even pretend, saying that he couldn't deceive the goddess Damia...
He probably didn't want to have any communication with the woman he looked down upon, and now he has been staying in the manor and is unwilling to come out. It is basically difficult for father and son to communicate effectively.
Cleon actually just wanted to use the image of this "female mercenary" to persuade Dean to come out, or even to ask him out - at worst, he could trick Dean into his own Castle Karen, which was the front line, under martial law, and Cleon could cover the sky with one hand in Castle Karen...
"Miss, I'm sorry to scare you just now. I just hope you can meet Dean and help me to 'date' him out, taking advantage of today being Damia's festival - if you don't have an engagement or a crush... Of course, if you do, then I am indeed offended."
Cleon bowed slightly to Amy and spoke earnestly.
He didn't intend to force anyone, nor did he mean to coerce anyone . He just wanted Amy to lure Dean out and make him show up. In his opinion, this should not be a difficult task for a mercenary.
Moreover, for southerners, inviting people to dance during this festival is a local custom and is very normal.
Cleon must have been extremely worried to resort to this desperate measure. It does seem like he is trying anything he can to save his life.
But the problem is that Amy is a noble from Sarleon, not from the south nor a mercenary, and she can't dance at all...
No noble would agree to such a request - how could a noble girl lower herself to do such a thing?
This is actually one of the reasons why Creon has always found it difficult to solve the problem.
Amy wiped the sweat from her head with her sleeve and breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't being a hooligan, it would be fine.
However, if Amy was really a mercenary, a general's request would be difficult to refuse. Although Cleon did not mean to force her, Amy still felt a little uneasy.
——If you want to refuse, it is best to show your noble status. Cleon will definitely not ask a noble girl from Sarleon to do something that will be laughed at.
But she is the daughter of Godric of White Hart Castle...
She was not sure whether Cleon would detain her. Bacchus's generals had suffered a lot at White Hart Castle.
Sarah also frowned. She had similar experiences and knew that this was troublesome.
Amy thought about it and rejected it outright: "General, I'm sorry, I have someone I like. And I'm a believer of the goddess Eunomia, so it's not convenient for me to participate in Damia's festival..."
But after seeing Cleon's disappointed expression, she added: "However, I might be able to help you persuade Lord Dean, but not in this way..."
Sarah stared at Amy in surprise: "But we still have to hurry...the boss is waiting for us!"
She didn't understand what Amy meant. Although Cleon now looked like an old man worried about his son, he was a general of the enemy country!
Amy shook her head at Sarah. "It's okay. It's just time to talk for a few words. The carriage needs a rest anyway."
Cleon had thought it was hopeless and was sighing, but when he heard Amy say this, he was pleasantly surprised: "That's great, you may be able to help me persuade him. Please follow me, noble lady!"
All use honorifics.
Clearly, Cleon was willing to try if there was a glimmer of a chance.
Then General Cleon personally led the way, taking the two girls to a manor in the village. Along the way, he began to arrange his plague exorcists. It seemed that he really intended to take Dean to Karen Deer Castle.
This is indeed a civilian general who is worried about his son.
Sarah whispered in Amy's ear, "What's going on, Amy? Why do you want to see Dean?"
"Didn't he just say that Lord Dean's expertise is in water conservancy and agriculture, and he has achieved considerable results... Aren't we here this time to solve the food problem in Mettenheim? I think it might be good to meet Dean. Anyway, General Cleon won't hurt us, and we won't delay anything."
Amy is now behaving more and more like a lord, wanting to seize every opportunity.
She even waved to the people of Mettenheim in the distance, signaling them not to follow.
Sarah nodded, but she whispered meaningfully: "Amy, it seems that you really have someone you like..."
She understood Amy's thoughts. This little girl probably wanted to do something to help the lord. She didn't want to be a little girl who was always protected.
Amy didn't answer, but just glared at Sarah harmlessly.
Amy's current way of thinking is indeed completely different from that of a girl from this world.
She likes to learn new things, and she is flexible and can draw inferences from one instance. She is not bound by tradition, has her own judgment and dares to make decisions. She also wants to be a heroine...
Each one of them has basically nothing to do with the aristocratic girls of this era.
Now, after following Leon for several months, this young girl is becoming more and more like a female lord.
The matchlock gun is still in Amy's hand.
The lead bullets and gunpowder obtained from Forcher were also on her - the musket was Amy's trophy, and Forcher was shot to death by her.
The gunpowder was stored in two leather bags, and Forcher's brief fall into the water did not wet the gunpowder inside.
The reason there are two leather bags is because percussion powder and priming powder are two different things.
The ratio of saltpeter to firing powder is higher, while the ratio of sulfur to ignition powder is higher. The former is for full detonation, while the latter is for rapid burning to avoid explosion in the powder pool.
Amy also made the tinderbox herself. She soaked hemp rope and saltpeter in vinegar for a day and then dried it. This kind of tinderbox can burn slowly but does not produce an open flame. It can burn about one meter in an hour.
This kind of tinder is also used to make incense, so it's not new.
For some reason, Leon's shooting skills with a matchlock gun are far inferior to Amy's.
Li Ang tried firing a few shots, but none of them hit the target...
After all, his firearm proficiency was only 40, and it was his first time using the 'ancient new weapon', the matchlock, so it was normal that he couldn't hit the target at first.
But it was also Amy's first time using a matchlock rifle. However, after only two test shots, she was able to ensure that she would not miss the target within a hundred meters.
This is probably human talent.
Perhaps Amy was naturally good at using these types of long-range weapons - she was also extremely accurate with a crossbow and had a decent level of skill with a bow and arrow.
But she couldn't pull a strong bow, so she could only play with a cork bow like Anson. That kind of cork bow could at most shoot rabbits, pheasants, etc., but it had no lethality to people, so she usually only carried a crossbow.
But now, the more powerful musket has replaced the female crossbow on her body.
Moreover, she designed a Y-shaped gun stand by herself without any guidance - to make up for her lack of strength to hold the gun steady, and also to reduce the impact of recoil.
This matchlock gun weighs sixteen pounds, is one meter and three meters long, and is not very ergonomic, so it is very difficult to hold it steady without shaking.
The gun rack she made was modified from her noble sword.
She cut a hole in the hilt's counterweight and made a Y-shaped rack that could fit into the hole.
Insert the tip of the sword into the ground and place the gun on the Y-shaped frame of the hilt. This will ensure stability when shooting and avoid the huge recoil impact.
She also specially got a lot of thin cloth strips to hang on the rack, because when loading a muzzle-loading gun, they would use thin cloth strips to compact the lead bullets to ensure that they were tightly fitted and leak-proof.
When shooting, you can also hang the gunpowder and bullet bags on the rack for easy operation.
If you need to use the sword for self-defense, remove the frame inserted into the hilt and it will become a normal sword.
Do you think that's the end?
No, Amy even made the Y-shaped frame into a slingshot... The size and weight of the lead bullets are just right for a slingshot...
I have to say that Amy is really smart. Her ability to draw inferences from one instance is even better than that of the lord.
You have to know that these things were made when she had just started using the musket for a few days.
At that time, the lord was still busy formulating land reclamation policies in the territory and did not instruct her to do these things at all. She came up with these ideas on her own.
So Amy is now a Musketeer.
Just look at her talent in business and her practical skills in weapons. This pretty girl is probably a man at heart...
This is indeed the case. Amy has no talent at all in the things that ordinary aristocratic girls are good at.
She sings out of tune, steps on her feet when dancing, turns any ingredient into charcoal when cooking, doesn't know how to put on makeup or dress up, and is not good at matching clothes.
She wouldn't even wear a corseted gown, and she never kept a maid with her - she found it too troublesome.
She likes to wear swordsman's clothes and the light half-body armor that Leon gave her, actually because they are very convenient to wear and can also satisfy her desire to be a heroine.
There are no perfect people or things in this world. If you gain something, you will lose it.
It's just that she has a gentle and polite temperament, and she looks cute, so she can easily be mistaken for a lady...
…
There weren't many people in Dean's manor, most people probably went to the square to participate in the activities.
The lord is now working on a waterwheel in the farmland of the manor.
Seeing Cleon coming from a distance, Dean turned and went into the building, as if he didn't want to communicate with his father.
General Cleon watched his son turn around and walk in from a distance, shook his head and gave Amy and Sarah a bitter smile: "See, he doesn't want to talk to me... I won't go over. If I go, he will only resist more."
It seems that the old general knows his son's temper, but he can't do anything about Dean.
Several plague exorcists brought the two into the manor, and the soldiers in the manor didn't ask any questions at all - it was obvious that this was not the first time Cleon had asked someone to persuade Lord Dean.
Unlike the skinny and short General Creon, Dean is a slightly plump otaku.
There are many models in his manor, most of which are irrigation equipment such as water wheels, and some farm tools such as shell blowing carts.
Obviously, this is a tech geek.
Probably because Cleon did not enter the manor, this technical geek did not hide in the house, but waited for them in the yard full of models.
"I'm Dean. Ladies, please go back... I know it was my father who asked you to come and persuade me. But I don't feel like talking about personal matters right now. I'm sorry..."
Dean frowned and ordered them to leave directly, his tone very skilled.
Amy smiled and said, "Mr. Dean, we are not interested in your personal affairs... I heard that you are quite professional in water conservancy and agricultural products, so I came to ask you - do you have any way to increase the grain production in the mountains?"
Dean was stunned for a moment, then he looked closely at Amy and Sarah.
Then he laughed: "If it's just to discuss this, then you're welcome!"
"I have some friends in Mettenheim, and I think you can understand why I ask this question... It's all mountainous..."
Amy was indeed very knowledgeable about food matters and had done a lot of homework in the past. Since most of White Deer Castle was mountainous, she had always been concerned about food issues.
The two soon started talking about specific agricultural matters.
In this era, Amy's practical ability is indeed better than most people. When it comes to agricultural management, even intellectuals like Sarah have no say.
But Sarah could keenly sense that something was wrong with Dean - there were two stunning beauties with different styles in front of him, but Dean didn't even look at them seriously, as if he had no feelings for women!
Sarah has too much experience in looking at men. This is not the state that Leon regards Sarah as an employee, but the state that he is completely indifferent to women...
The lord would sometimes secretly glance at beautiful women, and joke with Sarah and Amy when he had nothing to do. This was a normal reaction for a man, he was just maintaining proper etiquette.
But Dean...it was completely different. He looked at Amy and Sarah like they were two potatoes .
Maybe it's better to look at potatoes...
"...This is a human-powered waterwheel that can draw water from the mountains. It's nothing new, but I modified it so that it can irrigate places with high elevation differences. If it's difficult to draw water to irrigate the canal, then I suggest planting more of this potato, or this..."
Dean was talking about potatoes. He took the two of them around the manor to look at his equipment, and even dug out a bright orange cob and a few potatoes covered in dirt from the cellar.
The way he looked at potatoes was much more complicated than when he looked at women.
"What's this?"
Amy had never seen either of these crops.
"They are all food. I call this stick corn, and this lump is a potato. These were originally crops from the Amaran continent. I spent nearly ten years improving the varieties, and only in the past two years have I achieved some results. The planting period of corn is similar to that of wheat, and the yield is slightly higher than that of wheat. Although potatoes can only be planted once a year, the yield is very high and they are drought-resistant, so they are very suitable for mountainous areas."
When talking about his expertise, Dean was completely eloquent and spoke without reservation.
"Corn? Is this freshly harvested? It looks beautiful."
Amy took the corn cob. The corn was big and full, and had been dried in the sun. The golden kernels shone like jade.
"These are just the seeds I selected. Most of them won't grow this well... But corn has a big advantage. Only five pounds of seeds are needed for one acre of land, unlike wheat..."
Dean seems very enthusiastic now. Perhaps these things are indeed the careers he loves from the bottom of his heart and are also his pride.
He was indeed happy to share these achievements with Amy because he could see that Amy was truly interested and was not just being perfunctory.
Probably after he left the academy, there were few people who could discuss these issues with him on an equal footing. He usually faced either timid farmers or nobles who did not understand practical matters. He was probably quite lonely.
The land in Dean Manor was divided into several parts. There was a large area of ​​dried corn stalks standing in the field, and the corn had been picked.
Dean must have deliberately made a contrast with the wheat fields by operating the corn completely according to the time cycle of wheat.
Amy looked at the corn cob in her hand, then looked at the number of corn stalks in the field, and easily came to the conclusion that the yield per acre was at least two hundred pounds.
Before crops were scientifically bred, their yield and taste were not very good, but this yield has already surpassed the wheat of this era.
Amy was keenly aware of the advantages of this crop - high yield and low seed consumption, which means a very high plant-to-yield ratio, making it a crop very suitable for large-scale cultivation.
There were still a few acres of low-growing crops in the field. They were potatoes planted by Dean. They would not be harvested for another two months, and now they looked like just clumps of bushes.
Amy picked up a potato and weighed it. "Is this the root of that plant? How many potatoes can each plant in the field produce?"
"More than two pounds, and one plant can produce four or five of these potatoes."
Dean pointed at the lump weighing nearly half a pound in Amy's hand.
"so much?!"
Amy cried out in surprise.
There are at least thousands of plants per acre of land... thousands of pounds of grain per acre?
"With this comparison, the advantages should be easy to see, right? Why would farmers be reluctant to grow these new crops?"
Amy looked at the potato in her hand as if it were a rare treasure.