Convincing Everyone

Time passed, and the morning came. The clear chirps of the birds prompted Alfred awake during the morning.

Alfred lazily opened his eyes. He looked at the unfamiliar sealing above him and gave a deep sigh.

"So, it was not a dream after all." Alfred said with little melancholy in his voice. "Looks like it will take me some time to adjust to my new lifestyle."

As Alfred was reminiscing the memories of his old life, he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Who is it?" Alfred asked getting up from his bed.

"Young master, its me Agnes." The voice of the pink haired maid was heard from the other side of the door. "Are you up yet?"

"Yes, I am now." Alfred said. "Come on in."

"Thank you, young master," Agnes said after entering Alfred's room. "I have brought some water and toiletries for young master to wash up."

Alfred nodded and instructed her to keep it in the side.

"Young master, should I bring your breakfast here or will you eat in the banquet hall?"

"No need to bring my breakfast here, I will eat it later in the hall." Alfred said to the maid. "By the way, has Nathen and others gathered in the practice field?"

"Yes, Lord Nathen and others have already gathered in practice field and waiting for young master's arrival since the early morning." Agnes replied.

"What about Graham and Newt? Have they arrived from the castle?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, young master, both Graham and Newt have just arrived and waiting for the young master in the study." The maid replied.

"Good." Alfred nodded. "Go and tell them to wait a little more. I will be with them after I am done with Nathen and others."

"As you wish, young master." The maid Agnes bowed and left the room.

Alfred noticed that he was now alone, washed up and got dressed up quickly and left for the practice field. The practice file of the ever winter fortress was a large multi purpose open space which was located next to the wall.

Although it was built as a place to train solders during the winter in mind, due to suppression of two families, that dream was never fulfilled. Now the land is used as a sort of a refugee camp by the serfs brought by Alfe and is filled with numerus temporary tents for those serfs.

Alfred sighed. He could not imagine what kind of harried condition the serfs had to face, just by living in the flimsy looking tents in the winter. Not just the living conditions, Alfred shuddered when he though the lack of winter clothing available for these serfs.

It would seem, many serfs die every year from freezing rather getting killed while fighting the beasts. And then there is food, although food was always provided to the serfs, it was the bread of lowest of lowest quality, nearly unfit for human consummation. Even then, the quantity was so low that it difficult for a adult to half fill his stomach.

"Winter is the true enemy for these serfs, not the beasts." Alfred lamented again.

Truth to be told, although Alfred sympathised with these serfs, he himself was thankful to god, for incarnating him in the body of a Noble. Even if the situation of this body is kind of broken, it was all temporary setbacks.

If he was incarnated under such horrible conditions that these serfs faced, he would rather kill himself and be incarnated again than live such a life.

Alfred shook his ridding head of such negative thoughts. What should have happened had already happened. There is no need to cry over other's misery currently. As he himself was in a tight spot where own his future hangs by a spider's thread. If something surviving this winter was his main objective.

Alfred hurriedly left the poorly managed serf area and went towards a cleaner part of the practice filed where he noticed Nathen and his other vassals waiting for.

"Good morning my lord." Nathen saluted first after he noticed Alfred approaching. Soon the others followed.

"Good morning, everyone." Alfred greeted back. "How are you all today?"

"Thanks to the mercy of lord Alfred, I feel as energetic as I was when my younger days." The elderly knight from yesterday said.

"Shut up you haggard old man, trying to deceive the lord is a capital offence you know." Suddenly the younger knight from yesterday suddenly interjected.

Alfred remembered both of these clowns from yesterday's meeting. And from the look of things the younger clown held a grudge from yesterday against the elderly clown.

"Shut up you hairless baboon, don't interrupt me when I am talking to the Lord." The elderly knight spat back. "Why don't you go and grow up some hair first down there, then probably we I can give you some advice on youth.

Just as the young knight was about to retort, he was suddenly stopped by the third knight.

"Now, now why don't you two bury the hatchet together aet along from now on." The third knight said. "I am sure the lord would not want both of you to fight this early in the morning. Don't you think Simon?���

The fourth knight, whose name was probably Simon nodded without making any sound.

"You shut up Gerard, no one asked your opinion in this." The young knight said.

Suddenly Nathen's irritated voice sounded from the side.

"All four of you shut up."

The noisy situation immediately quietened down.

"Good, now keep your mouths shut and let the lord speak." Nathen said. "We are not here to see you four's regular routine."

"Yes sir." All three of them said. While Simon just nodded.

"Good now shut up." Nathen said. "Lord you can speak freely now."

"Thank you, Nathen." Alfred said after giving a nod. "As I was going to say, from our last battle I have noticed that we are not properly prepared for a beast attack. In fact, it solely due to our lack of proper preparation I think from time to time we find ourselves in back foot during every beast attack. Austin, what do you think that we lack most?"

"My lord, I think we lack in trained soldiers most. Other than that, we don't think we lack anything else." Redhead said.

"Honestly, I could agree with you, Redhead." Alfred continued. "What we need now is trained soldiers. Not some untrained mob. So, from today onwards, I want all of you to train the serf we have in the fortress."

Alfred declared.

"But my lord that's an absurd idea." One of the four clowns, Gerard suddenly protested. "How can these lazy and cowardly serfs can be trained into solders in such short period of time."

"My lord, in this issue I agree with Gerard." Suddenly Rudolf interjected. "It is not possible to train these weakly serfs into qualified levies. At least not without training them for one or two years."

"Young lord, although this old man is rarely helpful. From my years of experience, I must warn you that it very much unwise to trust those lowly serfs. Although they might appear to be docile on the outside, many great nobles have fallen to there venomous rebellions. I think its better for lord to properly think once again before he regrets giving them too much power." The old knight advised.

Alfred patiently listened to what everyone had to say. All in all, some said that it was not possible to train those serfs and other dissuaded Alfred from doing so.

After listening to everyone's opinion, Alfred turned toward Nathen.

"What do you think about what I just said?" Alfred asked.

"I will support whatever, my lord thinks is right." Nathen said without a single second's delay.

"You sure?" Alfred asked raising a brow. After he was sure that Nathen of all people will disagree. But surprisingly he didn't. Although this was something unanticipated, Alfred welcomed it never the less.

"After listening to everyone's opinion, I still think it is in our favour to train the serfs."

"But, my lord, those lazy…"

"Gerard, let me complete what I have to say." Alfred interrupted.

"Yes, my lord."

"Thank you." Alfred continued. "As I said we need to train the serfs. But I don't need you all to train them into proper soldier. In fact, all I want you to train those serfs so they could perform some simple actions in correct sequences. That's all I need them to do."

"What do you mean my lord?" Redhead asked in a confused manner.

"Everyone listen up this is my plan." Alfred told what he wanted to do to everyone.

The more everyone listened, the more they were impressed with Alfred's plan and started nodding their head.

"Do everyone think what I said is possible?" Alfred asked with anticipation.

"Possible? Lord I think this is a great Idea." Rudolf praised. "Although we need to expand some resources, in turn we can effectively raise our military capability at least twice."

"Hmm, I think it is a good idea considering we don't need to train the serfs too much. I think it will be in our benefit to implement lord's idea." The elderly knight said while stroking his beard. "Not only those lazy serfs feel gratitude towards the lord. They will also work hard out of there own free will and not run away easily."

Soon everyone's opinion took 360 degree turn after listening to Alfred's idea.

"Nathen do you agree?" Alfred asked.

"As I said, I will do as the lord said." Nathen said with a faint smile in his face.

"Good." Alfred nodded.